(2) Human Resources Development and Development Research

1) Human Resource Development
Due to the increasing diversity and complexity of development issues, recruiting and developing personnel who possess sophisticated knowledge, abundant experience, and foreign language communication skills is essential today for effective and efficient implementation of development assistance activities.
    This growing need for highly educated and experienced human resources has prompted a response from the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID), which was established in 1990 to serve as an organization for promoting the International Development University plan. FASID provides various types of training for capacity building relating to development theory, policy and operation to a broad segment of society including government officials, NGOs, and persons associated with private sector enterprises. It also conducts research concerning important topics in the development assistance field and widely disseminates the results of this research.¹¹ In April 2000, in cooperation with the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), FASID established a joint international development program in the master's course of this university, and established a doctoral course in April 2002. In addition to this, FASID has also dispatched instructors and lecturers to development cooperation departments of several universities.
    JICA is also extensively involved in human resource development through the administration of various programs. It has conducted training and seminars for learning the latest trends in aid activities, technical transfer methods, and foreign languages, as well as programs for acquiring actual assistance experience both within Japan and abroad. It has enhanced and strengthened the human resources, ranging from the development of young junior specialists who possess less specialized experience in the field of international cooperation, to specialists who already possess adequate expertise. These efforts are expected to promote human resource development for Japanese ODA projects, as well as to meet the immediate staffing needs of NGOs, international agencies, and other organizations.
    In addition, JICA has established the International Cooperation Personnel Information Site, "PARTNER" to provide the Personnel Registration System as well as an effective means of recruiting and utilizing motivated personnel with specialized skills. This system provides information on job openings of JICA, NGOs, and international organizations, staff registration, information on various types of training and seminars, and career development consultations.
    Furthermore, the Institute of Developing Economies Advanced School (IDEAS) of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) provides training aimed at developing highly-skilled development experts, so as to contribute to the economic and social development of developing countries. The activities of this school are broad and diverse in scope, with training provided to foreigners as well as Japanese.

2) Research and Development
In order to provide effective and efficient assistance, it is essential to clearly ascertain the needs of developing countries and assistance trends in the international community. For this reason, efforts are being directed toward research studies and applications of the knowledge acquired through such studies.
    A panel of experts on responses to climate change has been established in MOFA. In March 2007, recommendations were obtained from this panel of experts on various subjects including approaches to formulating adaptation measures, optimal forms of international assistance for strengthening the adaptation capabilities of developing countries, and international coordination.¹²
    At JICA's Institute for International Cooperation, study groups are organized that consist primarily of people affiliated with JICA. While obtaining knowledge from external experts from universities and research institutes depending on the contents of study, the institute pursues research and studies focusing on two principal themes: 1) project strategy research, which provides analysis and advice for the establishment of project strategies in new fields and conducts analysis of assistance trends and conceptualization of development theory; and 2) research on assistance methods, which systematizes project experience through case studies and considers assistance management methods. A total of 28 research projects were conducted in FY2006 including "JICA's Assistance for Adaptation to Climate Change" based on the recent increase in public concern regarding climate change and case studies of capacity development such as, "Thai Local Administration."
    As part of assistance to ensure that the development policies and projects of developing countries are formulated and implemented effectively and efficiently and that significant results are achieved, JBIC Institute (JBICI) conducts surveys and offers policy advice on various issues of development policy, institutions, and projects by using the knowledge of researchers in Japan and abroad.
    In May 2006, the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (commonly known as ABCDE Tokyo 2006), a venue for presentations of advanced research and discussion, was held for the first time in East Asia. In subcommittees of this conference on Urban Infrastructure for Economic Growth that Benefits the Poor and on the Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction, the results of past JBIC research were presented. In addition, JBIC plays the role of the hub agency of GDN-Japan of the Global Development Network (GDN), a network comprising research institutions for policies of developing countries. GDN-Japan held a subcommittee in the Eighth GDN Annual Conference held in Beijing in January 2006 under the theme "Cluster Development for Economic Growth and Poverty Alleviation: Case Studies from China and Africa" In FY2006, JBIC conducted two surveys: 1) Corroborative Research into Infrastructure and MDGs to Determine the Impact of Infrastructure on Poverty Reduction and Social Capital; and 2) Egypt as the Focal Point of Middle East Stability.
    In response to the increasing importance of research activities in light of ODA reforms in recent years and trends in the international community, it is newly stipulated in an independent clause of the law that the new JICA will establish research activities. It is expected that effort will be channeled into research aimed at advancing Japan's assistance around the world and promoting its excellence.

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