(4) Strengthening Functions at the Field Level

In order to strengthen policy consultation with the governments of developing countries, Country-based ODA Task Forces, whose main members are Embassy of Japan and JICA offices in each country, have been established, as a rule, in all recipient countries of Japan's ODA.(Note 30) The Task Forces also participate in determining country assistance policy and rolling plans of aid projects as they are expected to better understand the assistance needs of the developing country. The Task Forces also engage in discussions regarding policies with the governments of developing countries. In addition, the Task Forces work together with other donor countries and international organizations to offer suggestions related to combination of different ODA schemes as well as review of these schemes. They also consider and select candidate projects for Japan's ODA.

Further, with full-scale aid coordination* being conducted at the field level when, for example, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) (see "Terminology" on page 110) is prepared or revised in a country, Japan began in FY2006 to assign coordinators for economic cooperation at some of its overseas diplomatic missions. Their role is to collect information and implement researches related to aid coordination, to disseminate information on Japan’s aid policies to other countries, and to make recommendations to the Japanese government from the field.

Notes:

(30) Excluding a portion of countries under the jurisdiction of JICA Headquarters.

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