Main Activities in FY2007 - JICS · Conflicts/Wars: Iraq Emergency Grant Aid / Afghanistan Emergency Grant Aid / Cambodia Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding ... and

Main Activities in FY2007

PartI

New Challenges of JICS

Japan’s New Grant Aid Assistance

Assistance for International Organizations

ASEAN Secretariat … Project for the Stockpile of Tamiflu and PPE against Potential Pandemic Influenza / Support for Development in Mekong Region OIE … Project for the Stockpile of Tamiflu and PPE against Potential Pandemic InfluenzaMCA … Support for Development of Mongolia

Major Reconstruction Projects Engaged by JICS Conflicts/Wars: Iraq Emergency Grant Aid / Afghanistan Emergency Grant Aid / Cambodia Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention and PeacebuildingNatural Disasters: Support for the Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster in the Indian Ocean / Support for the Pakistan Earthquake Disaster / Assistance for Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction for the Earthquake in Central Java

(2) Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction

(1) Grant Aid for Community Empowerment

Assistance for Reconstructionand Development

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JICS has been working on two new grant

aid schemes since fiscal 2006 as a pro-

curement agent. One is the Grant Aid for

Community Empowerment (1), which

supports comprehensive capacity build-

ing in communities facing threats to their

lives or livelihood, such as poverty,

famine, and epidemics. The other is the

Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention and

Reconstruction (2), which aims at disaster

prevention and restoration and recon-

struction after a disaster, and allotted for

developing countries which are vulnera-

ble to natural disasters. These are new

frameworks that arose from particular

experiences during the Major Earthquake

off the Coast of Sumatra and the Tsunami

in the Indian Ocean, and make use of

Japan's experience and knowledge of the

past.

JICS has carried out diverse activities

involving postwar reconstruction and

development support in Afghanistan and

Iraq, which began with the September 11,

2001 terrorist attack on the United States,

and the demining and reduction of small

arms in Cambodia, a country suffering

from the negative legacy brought on by

civil war. These areas of support for post-

war reconstruction and for

restoration/reconstruction after natural

disasters have many things in common ––

both are for rehabilitation. Such recon-

struction aid is deliberately carried out to

support development of the whole area

by using varied local technologies and

capabilities of local people.

JICS is also working hard to support

international cooperation activities con-

ducted by international organizations

and foreign governments. JICS is dele-

gated by the ASEAN Secretariat to sup-

port the Project for the Stockpile of

Tamiflu and PPE (Personal Protective

Equipment) against Potential Pandemic

Influenza and to give assistance to the

development of the Mekong Region

using the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund

New Challengesfor JICS

Photo a: Sewon Second Healthcare Center right after it was hit by an earthquake in Central Java. Medical treatments were conducted at the rightgreen tent

b: Children in the area for support in Peru c: Officers checking the Laos investigation route for

support of the development in the Mekong Region

a

b

c

PartI Main Activities in FY2007

(JAIF). JICS is also delegated by the World

Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to

support the Project for the Stockpile of

Tamiflu and PPE against Potential

Pandemic Influenza. Moreover, in

Mongolia, JICS is engaging in new servic-

es, including implementation of the MCA

(Millennium Challenge Account) project

which is the new Grant Aid assistance of

the United States.

Thus, JICS is developing much more

diverse international cooperation activi-

ties under the new frameworks of Japan's

Grant Aid assistance through projects

with international bodies.

1. New Grant Aid Assistance

(1) Grant Aid for Community

Empowerment

Using Local Capabilities

The Grant Aid for Community Empowe-rment was initiated on the basis of acquiringlower building costs in reconstructing edu-cation facilities by using local businesses,local specifications and design, as well as onthe experiences granting general support tocorrelating multiple fields such as theEarthquake off the Coast of Sumatra and theTsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004. Atpresent, the aid mainly supports the ongo-ing construction of classrooms for elemen-tary and junior high schools in Africa andother countries. It is expected that supportwill be provided not only for educationalfacilities, but also for solving diverse prob-lems that a community is facing, such aswater supply, hygiene, farm developmentand other fields.

Under the Grant Aid for CommunityEmpowerment, a project plan is drawn upbased on JICA's outline design study, andfollowing the plan, necessary funds for exe-cuting the project will be provided collec-tively for the recipient government*. JICSenters into a procurement agent contract onthese projects on behalf of counterpart gov-ernments, selects and procures consultantsand builders needed for the projects, andmanages the whole project's progressincluding payment and fund managementthrough untied bidding (international com-petitive bidding), which does not limit toany particular country.

The big features of this Grant Aid coopera-tion are adoption of design based on localspecifications and the use of local consult-ants and builders. Thus, it is expected topromote local economy through employ-ment, training capable personnel, andimproving technical levels. The Ministry ofForeign Affairs also aims at a 30% costreduction in the Grant Aid for CommunityEmpowerment in 5 years by fiscal year 2010,as compared with the expenditures of theschool buildings constructed under theGrant Aid for General Projects.

With regards to the use of local consult-ants and builders, various ingenuities andefforts are necessary to secure the appropri-ate quality and construction period, as wellas ensure a high level of procurement man-agement (project management) capability.

Therefore, under this assistance, the partici-pation of lawyers, public testing organiza-tions, and NGO groups, which exercise softcomponent-type of support, is beingplanned in addition to consultants and con-tractors. Local lawyers can offer legal checksand advice on the contracts, which JICSenters into as an agent, to help preventproblems that the Japanese business culturemay be unable to foresee. Using public test-ing organizations, JICS is empowered withcarrying out projects with greater trans-parency as well as aiming to secure qualitywork by conducting spot testing at the con-struction site when necessary.

Under this assistance, so-called “custom-made” or flexible support, which takes intoconsideration local conditions of the coun-terpart country, is also required. For thesepurposes, JICS creates a “committee” wheredelegates from each related bodies, includ-ing the Japanese government and counter-part governments, get together to confirmoperation policies and adjust opinions.

Although this new support schemeinvolves some difficulties, JICS staff is work-ing hard to meet the large expectations oflocal residents and school authorities.

* Provided funds are actually deposited into an account inthe name of the recipient country first, and then paid to theprocurement account managed by JICS.

For Africa before Everything

Based on the perspective of promoting“human security”, the Japanese governmentplans to promote the building of schools inAfrica as the first step to achieve one of theMillennium Development Goals(MDGs)––the achieving “universal primary educa-tion” by 2015. Following this, in fiscal 2006when the Grant Aid for CommunityEmpowerment started, the governmentdetermined a plan to construct classrooms

in three countries –– Senegal, Niger andMadagascar –– and set another plan in fiscal2007 to construct classrooms in Ethiopia,Benin and Lesotho.

Building 314 Classrooms

SenegalProject for Construction of

Classrooms for Elementary and

Junior High Schools

The government of Senegal had set goals toachieve an increase of 50% in junior highschool enrolment by 2007 and 100% pri-mary school enrolment by 2015. For thesetargets, the government has allocated morethan 30% of the national budget to educa-tion to build 2,500 classrooms for elemen-tary schools and 500 classrooms for juniorhigh schools annually. However, since exe-cuting the plan had met with financial prob-lems, the Japanese government decided toprovide Senegal with the Grant Aid forCommunity Empowerment.

The Grant will be used to construct 314classrooms, 56 headmaster offices, and 288toilet buildings for 68 elementary and juniorhigh schools in the five Regions of Kaolack,Louga, Fatick, Dakar, and Thies in Western

Authorities inspecting a site planned for school construction in Senegal

Constructing a school in Senegal

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Senegal, and makes it possible to improvethe learning environment of 16,000 schoolchildren.

Construction and Rebuilding of 79

Elementary Schools

NigerProject for Construction of

Classrooms for Elementary and

Junior High Schools

Niger has a population of 12.1 million with alow GNI (Gross National Income) per capitaof 240 dollars. To improve this situation, theNiger Government has set a target of 70%school enrollment in the “Ten-yearEducation Development Program (2003-2013).” The rate improved to 52.4% in thenational average in 2004; however, itremained as low as 36.8% in farming vil-lages.

The Regions of Maradi and Zinder in theSouth have a large population after CapitalNiamey, and have a rapid populationincrease (3.2% annually); thereby, increasingthe number of children enrolled. However,because the government faced financialproblems, construction of the necessarynumber of classrooms was deterred.

Hence, Japan decided to provide theGrant Aid for Community Empowerment forNiger. The Grant will be used to constructand rebuild 284 classrooms of 79 elementaryschools, construct toilet buildings, and pro-vide school supplies; thus, improvement ofthe learning environment of 26,600 schoolchildren is expected. Under this project,NGOs, which can work on this site, will beselected to provide sustainable repairs andmaintenance for the constructed schoolfacilities, and provide hygiene education,especially on the use of toilets for local resi-

dents and school children as a soft compo-nent project.

For 12,600 children

MadagascarThe Regions of Antsiranana and

Toliara Project for Construction of

Classrooms for Elementary Schools

Madagascar is located on the Indian Oceanin southeastern Africa, with a population of18 million and a low GNI per capita of 290dollars. The Government of Madagascar hasset a target of 100% completion rate of stu-dents in primary school by 2015 and pro-vides free primary education; and yet thenumber of classrooms is far from enough.To achieve the target, 2,000 classrooms needto be constructed every year. However, likeother African countries, construction cannotcatch up with the proposed classroom num-ber due to the government's financial diffi-culties. In order to construct classrooms,procure furniture, and provide water supplyand sanitary facilities in the AntsirananaRegion of in the North and the ToliaraRegion in the Southwest, endowment of theGrant Aid for Community Empowermentwas signed by the Japanese and MadagascarGovernments on March 5, 2007.

The Grant will be used to construct andrebuild 200 classrooms of64 elementary schools, andis expected to improve thelearning environment of12,600 school children.

Aid for Latin America

and Asia

Besides Africa, the Grant Aidfor Community

Empowerment will be used to construct 30educational facilities in Bolivia and 27 inNicaragua in South America, as well as pro-vide school supplies. In Asia, in Ca MauProvince in Southern Vietnam, improvementof livelihood of the whole community affect-ed by a forest fire is underway, the firstmulti-component project which combinesforest improvement and the construction ofwaterways, roads, medical institutions, andschools. Also, in Bhutan, construction offacilities and provisions of desks, chairs andblackboards for four junior high schools areset to be implemented.

The Grant Aid for CommunityEmpowerment is expected to expand main-ly in Africa and other developing areas.

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Benin Project for Construction of Classrooms for Elementary Schools (phase IV)

SenegalProject for Construction of Classrooms for Elementary and Junior High Schools

NigerProject for Construction of Classrooms for Elementary Schools in the Regions of Maradi and Zinder

Madagascar The Regions of Antsiranana and ToliaraProject for Construction of Classrooms for Elementary Schools

EthiopiaProject for Construction of Classrooms for Primary Schools in Oromia Region

LesothoProject for Construction of Classrooms for Junior High Schools

The area for support in Lesotho

Children in an area in Niger eligible for support

(2) Grant Aid for Disaster

Prevention and Reconstruction

Using Diverse Experiences inReconstruction Assistance

The Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention andReconstruction also began in FY2006. TheGrant aims at realizing seamless support,from emergency relief which will be providedright after a big disaster, like an earthquake orhurricane, to the provision of full-scale reha-bilitation and reconstruction aid. Includingrehabilitation and reconstruction aid for theMajor Earthquake off the Coast of Sumatraand the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, it isexpected that the know-how, experiences,and technologies that Japan has cultivatedfor many years in the field of disaster and dis-aster prevention will be utilized.

In the Aid for the Major Earthquake off theCoast of Sumatra and the Tsunami in theIndian Ocean, adopting the method of Non-Project Grant Aid has made rapid projectimplementation and flexible deadlines ofconstruction to be possible. As a result,seamless assistance was realized by provid-ing emergency relief right after the disaster,followed by a full-scale rehabilitation andreconstruction aid, which was necessary forthe changing needs of the affected areas. Inaddition, provision of facilities by using avail-able local builders, equipment, and materialsfollowing local specifications, was imple-mented. Based on the experience, a newgrant aid scheme, the “Grant Aid for DisasterPrevention and Reconstruction” was initiatedto provide goods and services needed inreconstruction sites and to manage suchoperations comprehensively (procurementmanagement).

In the Grant Aid for Disaster Preventionand Reconstruction, the results of JICA's out-line design study has to be followed, where-by an operation program which involvesmultiple components is drawn up for reha-bilitation and reconstruction, and necessaryfunds will then be collectively provided forthe affected government*. JICS serves as aprocurement agent, managing the funds onbehalf of the counterpart government, aswell as managing the project's wholeprogress, including procurement of equip-ment, materials and human resources need-ed in the project.

Under this grant aid scheme, builders areselected through untied bidding (interna-tional competitive bidding), wherein choicesare not limited to any particular country,thus resulting in cost reduction and efficientassistance. In line with the purpose of

reconstruction aid, several assistance pro-grams may sometimes be carried out simul-taneously, according to the needs of theaffected areas. Therefore it is very importantto confirm operation policies and adjustapproaches among the concerned bodies,including both the Japanese and counter-part governments. For this purpose, JICSholds a plenary “committee” where the con-cerned parties get together to confirm poli-cies. Such assembly is indispensable andplays an extremely important role in theimplementation of timely and accessible aid.

Through the Grant Aid for DisasterPrevention and Reconstruction, the “Projectfor Support for Reconstruction Efforts afterthe Hurricane Stan Disaster” for Guatemalaand the “Project for the Reconstruction ofthe Area Affected by the Earthquake inYogyakarta and Central Java” for Indonesiawere carried out in FY2006. In FY2007, thenew “Project for the Reconstruction of theArea Affected by the Earthquake in theRegion of Ica” following the earthquake dis-aster in Peru was undertaken.

* Provided funds are actually deposited into an account inthe name of the recipient country first, and then paid to theprocurement account managed by JICS.

Reconstruction of Bridges,

Waterways and Irrigation Systems

GuatemalaProject for Support for Reconstruction

Efforts after the Hurricane Stan

Disaster

Guatemala was hit hard by major hurricane“Stan” in October 2005, whence torrentialrains were experienced as a result of the hur-ricane. Flooding caused by overflowing ofrivers and landslides killed 670 people, withthe number of casualties rising up to 494,000people altogether. Reports of total damagecaused by the disaster amounted to about970 million dollars, which was about 3.4% ofthe GDP of Guatemala in 2004. In responseto this disaster, the Government of Japanimmediately extended emergency aid toGuatemala, and on August 10, 2006 decidedto provide a Grant Aid for Disaster Preventionand Reconstruction to reconstruct bridges,water supply and irrigation facilities. JICSworked as the procurement agency for theseprojects.

As far as reconstruction of water supplyfacilities in Quetzaltenango City was con-cerned, JICS worked as the procurementagency for services, materials and equipmentrequired for the project, and also worked forthe resources and progress management of

the project. The city of Quetzaltenango,located 200 km west of the capital city ofGuatemala City, is the second most populouscity in Guatemala, with a population of some130,000. The water supply that is the life lineof half of the population, i.e. 65,000 people,was damaged due to the disaster. This aidprogram helped to reconstruct the damagedwater supply facilities to ensure a watersource to the population of Quetzaltenango.JICS received a massage from the Mayor ofthe city, stating “Each and every citizen ofQuetzaltenango is grateful for the generousaid of the government and people of Japan.”

The reconstruction of the Aldea LasBarancas Bridge and Sobre Rio Cabuz Bridgein San Marcos Province in the western part ofGuatemala was completed in October 2007,and both bridges were opened to traffic onOctober 11 and 12 respectively. The deputymayor of San Marcos City, JICS officials, andnumerous residents were present at theopening ceremony to celebrate the comple-tion of the Barancas Bridge. The deputymayor expressed words of gratitude towardsJapan, and the bridge was decorated withJapanese flags of various sizes prepared bythe residents along with the Guatemalanflags. The opening ceremony for the CabuzBridge was held the next day, and feelings ofgratitude towards Japan for providing aidwere also expressed in a message from themayor of the city and a commemorative giftfor JICS was presented during the ceremony.

Promptness in the completion of thereconstruction work before the next rain andtyphoon season was of paramount impor-tance for the Guatemalan government, andthus was their major demand. Initially, an out-line design study was conducted by JICA, butthe plan had to be altered due to various rea-sons, such as change in natural conditionsand occurrence of new disasters. Despitesuch difficulties, close cooperation amongrepresentatives of both countries resulted inthe smooth operation of the plan.

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Inauguration of the Aldea Las Barancas Bridge

Health Centers and Schools

IndonesiaProject for the Reconstruction of the

Area Affected by the Earthquake in

Yogyakarta and Central Java

On May 27, 2006 an earthquake of magni-tude 6.2 struck off the shores of Central Javain Indonesia. The number of dead due to theearthquake rose up to 5,800, and the BantulRegency of Yogyakarta Special Region wasreported to be the hardest hit. As a responseto this disaster, the Government of Japanprovided aid in various forms, such as dis-patch of a Japan Disaster Relief Team andmaterials as extension of the EmergencyGrant Aid, etc.

Based on the contract with theGovernment of Indonesia, JICS worked as theprocurement agency in extending theEmergency Grant Aid and the Grant Aid forDisaster Prevention and Reconstruction forBantul Regency.

JICS was prompt in procuring and distrib-uting large-size tents, small-size tents forhouseholds, blankets, etc., and also moni-tored distribution of materials and culmina-tion of activities carried out by third partiesthereafter.

JICS was able to complete reconstructionof two elementary schools, seven junior highschools and five health centers, as part of theGrant Aid for Disaster Prevention andReconstruction, in a period of time shorterthan initially planned. At present, these insti-

tutions are used to the fullest extent by thestudents and the residents of the region, andto show their feeling of gratitude towardsJapan, the residents wish for continued long-term use of these centers. Also, JICS was ableto enter into a new contract with the biddersat a price lower than that stated in the initialplan and was able to restore one moreschool that was damaged in the disaster.

As for support for central Java, immediate-ly after the provision of the emergency aid,JICS started reconstruction of schools andhealth centers through the Grant Aid forDisaster Prevention and Reconstruction, andthe transition was seamless. The JICS staff incharge of the operation included personnelwho were engaged in reconstruction assis-tance for Afghanistan and disaster assistancein the Indian Ocean tsunami; such experi-ences were very useful in this operation.

For Children's Smiling Faces

PeruProject for the Reconstruction of the

Area Affected by the Earthquake in

the Region of Ica

On August 15, 2007, a magnitude 8.0 earth-quake struck the Pacific coastal Departmentof Ica in Peru, killing more than 500 peopleand causing a great deal of damage to theregion. In response to the disaster, theGovernment of Japanextended the EmergencyGrant Aid in the form ofmaterials such as tents,blankets, and mats.Furthermore, on March 17,2008, the Government ofJapan decided to providethe Grant Aid for DisasterPrevention andReconstruction.Accordingly, JICS signed aprocurement agent con-tract with Peru on April 18,2008. As a procurementmanagement agency, JICSis carrying out procure-ment of services andmaterials along with man-agement of funds neces-sary for the implementa-tion of the project.

The intended recipientsof the aid are theProvinces of Chincha,Pisco, and Ica in the IcaDepartment, south of thecapital city of Lima, where

five elementary schools and a water towerwould be reconstructed. At present, most ofthe children are accommodated in prefabri-cated temporary classrooms, as their schoolshave been damaged in the earthquake. Thechildren are eager to attend school in thenew school buildings, and the principals ofthe schools, with much hope, expressed theirgratitude towards Japan for extending aid forthe reconstruction of the schools.

8

The new Sewon No. 2 Health Center

Peru

Brazil

ColombiaEcuador

Canete

Lima (Capital)

Bolivia

ChinchaUmai

IcaPisco

An elementary school immediately after the disaster.

The building was thoroughly destroyed.


Reconstructed Pleret No. 2 Junior High School

Water tank with visible cracks. As there is danger of the

tower collapsing, a new water tower will be constructed

in a new site.

22.. CCoollllaabboorraattiioonn wwiitthh IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall AAggeenncciieess

Fighting Avian Flu

Pandemic of infection

In recent years, the highly pathogenic avianflu virus (H5N1) that infects poultry, such aschickens, has posed a global threat. By April2008, an outbreak of avian flu was confirmedin 61 countries and regions, and since 2003,human infection of the avian flu was con-firmed in 15 countries and regions. Threehundred eighty-three (383) people wereinfected by the virus, out of which 241 dieddue to the illness, thus increasing the fatalityrate to 63% (May 28, 2008 WHO). At present,it is evident from the confirmed cases thatthe infection spread to human beings fromfowls, but there is potential danger of sud-den mutations occurring in the avian fluvirus and forming a new virus that canspread via human-to-human infection.Especially in the ASEAN region in Asia,where most of the cases have been of bird-to-human infection, there is a high possibili-ty of human-to-human infection due to amutation in the virus.

Prompt Containment

Prompt containment is extremely essentialat the initial stage to prevent a pandemic ofthe avian flu. As a measure of realizingprompt containment in cases of confirmedevidences of human-to-human infection inthe ASEAN region, the Government of Japanhas made a contribution (70 million dollars)

towards establishing a Japan-ASEANIntegration Fund (JAIF) within the secretariatof the ASEAN, which works towards the inte-gration of the ASEAN members, and a partof JAIF is being provided as avian flu assis-tance package. In this project, JICS is work-ing as a procurement management agencyfor the secretariat of the ASEAN and isinvolved in managing the stockpiles ofmaterials necessary for the prompt contain-ment of the avian flu and the implementa-tion of 24-hour round-the-clock emergencytransfer, in case such infection is detected inany of the countries or regions. Singapore isthe stockpile-base, and has stockpiles ofTamiflu that can treat 500,000 people andmaterials such as protective suits, disinfec-tants, and masks that can be used by700,000 people. There are plans for theadditional procurement of materials as andwhen the need arises.

This project involves a variety of organiza-tions, including the ASEAN Secretariat, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy ofJapan in Indonesia, the Western PacificRegional Office of WHO (WHO/WPRO), theMinistry of Health of Singapore, and drugmanufacturers. Moreover, as there is needfor emergency arrangements for customsclearance of material stockpiles among allmembers of the ASEAN, JICS is maintainingclose contact not only with the ASEANSecretariat, but also with each of the mem-ber countries.

Simulation Exercise

A tabletop exercise (simulation) in contain-ing an influenza pandemic outbreak tookplace in April 2007. The exercise assumed anoutbreak of a new type of avian flu inCambodia, wherein the secretariat of theASEAN decided on an emergency shipmentof materials as advised by WHO/WPRO.Upon receiving instructions from the secre-

tariat of the ASEAN,JICS carried out a sim-ulation of the actualflow of transportationand verified whetherthe decision-makingand liaison among theconcerned agencieswere prompt andeffective.

On February 7 and8, 2008, the con-cerned agencies thatare to counteract theavian flu crisis met atthe JICS headquartersfor a forum toexchange informa-tion. This project is

highly complicated in nature as it involvescoordination among a number of agenciesand different countries. However, JICS, withits accumulated experiences, is able tosmoothly work out the logistics involvingconsistency in procurement, stockpile andtransportation management, and is highlyappreciated for it.

Cooperation with OIE

Similarly, as far as avian flu is concerned, tohelp facilitate prompt judgment as towhether there is an occurrence of avian fluinfection among its poultries, the WorldOrganization for Animal Health (OIE:Headquarters in Paris) has entrusted JICSwith the procurement of testing and analyz-ing equipment, such as mobile laboratoriesfor the research institutes in eight countries,including Thailand, Cambodia etc.; and withan upgrade of a research institute inThailand. It is pointed out that the threat ofa mutation of the avian flu virus, causinghuman-to-human transmission, is heighten-ing day by day. With such a situation, JICSthus plays an important role in combatingthe avian flu in Asia.

Cambodia, Laos, andVietnamDevelopment Aid for the Mekong Region

Development Triangle

A summit meeting of the Heads of State ofCambodia, Laos and Vietnam was held inNovember 2004, and it was decided thatthey would cooperate in developing theborder regions of the three nations, whichthey called the “Development Triangle.”This region is a forest area and, until now, ishome to many minority tribes. The region isnot well connected to the major cities oftheir respective countries, and has inade-quate social and economic infrastructures.

The Government of Japan has attachedgreat importance to providing aid to theMekong Region, among the areas of theASEAN nations, and has been extendingassistance in various forms centered onODA. The Government of Japan announcedits willingness to cooperate in the develop-ment of the “Development Triangle' anddecided to provide assistance amounting to20 million dollars out of the Japan ASEAN-Integration Fund (JAIF). Taking the initial let-ters from the names of the three countries--Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam––the assis-tance package is entitled the “Japan-CLVCooperation.”

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Stockpile warehouse in Singapore

Challenges for JICS

A four-nation working-level meeting washeld between Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, andJapan in June 2007, where developmentassistance for the “Development Triangle”through the JAIF funds was discussed. Thethree countries presented a proposal of afeasibility study (F/S) for a project to improve(and partially construct new roads) theentire length of the 570 km highway net-work that will require 1.5 million dollars(approximately 170 million yen) in funding.This project is of the utmost priority, accord-ing to the three countries. In the Japan-Mekong Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held inJanuary 2008, the Foreign Ministers of thefour nations approved the execution of theF/S and the implementation and manage-ment of the project by JICS. Following this,in March 2008, a procurement managementcontract was signed with the ASEANSecretariat, and the work now is being car-ried out.

In the past, JICS has been involved in theprocurement management of many aidprojects in these three countries. Takingadvantage of past experiences, JICS is readyto take on new challenges.

US Aid in MongoliaJoint Acceptance of MCA

What is MCA?

In January 2008, JICS accepted responsibilityas the procurement agency for MCAMongolia, together with the Crown Agents(CA), a procurement agency of the UnitedKingdom.

MCA is the framework of a new type ofgrant aid, started by the United States, calledthe “Millennium Challenge Account”. Theaid, presented by the US, will be awarded todeveloping countries that meet the criteriain three categories - “Governing Justly,”“Investing in People (health, education),”and “Promoting Economic Freedom”--inclu-sive of 16 indicators. The aid program is of alarge-scale measure aimed at poverty eradi-cation.

In Mongolia

On October 22, 2007, a Compact (basic aiddocument between the US Government andthe Government of Mongolia) worth nearly285 million dollars was signed with theGovernment of Mongolia as the MCA forMongolia. The aid package is valid for 5years starting from January 2008. TheCompact is designed to contribute to pover-ty reduction and sustainable economicgrowth through the following four projects:1) Railroad Upgrading, 2) Property RightsReform, 3) Vocational Education, and 4)Health Services.

After the signing of the Compact, JICS setup a project office in Ulaanbaatar in

February 2008 asthe procurementagent team for“MCA Mongolia,”formulated bythe MongolianGovernment asthe main imple-mentation body.Thus, work onthe project hasstarted.

A major part ofthe work consistsof support forprocurement

procedures for services and materials pro-cured by MCA Mongolia. In concrete terms,the support involves making bid announce-ments, preparing bidding documents, andhandling of bid evaluations, contract docu-ments, etc. The first bid was announced onJune 9, 2008, which marked the actual startof procurement work.

JICS, with its rich experience of working inMongolia in various projects such as Non-Project Grant Aid, Food Aid, Grant Assistancefor Underprivileged Farmers, etc., aims for asmooth run of the project.

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Vientiane

Hanoi

Phnom Penh

VietnamLaos

Cambodia

Compact is signed between the USGovernment and Mongolian Government.

Mongolia sets up MCA Mongolia.

MCA Mongolia selects the financial agency, the procurement agency and the external

auditing agency through open recruitment.

The procurement agency selects theconsultants, suppliers, etc. for each project

through open recruitment and bids.

Work flow of the MCA Mongolia project

Road close to the national borders of Vietnam and

Cambodia, which is difficult for traffic

Members of the MCA Mongolia procurement agent

Measuring the width of the road from the border of Laos to Cambodia.

The road is inaccessible to vehicle.

11

Japan provides official development assis-tance (ODA) as an important national policyin response to the expectations of the inter-national community.

JICS plays an important role in imple-menting ODA through various supportingoperations, mainly grant aid projects, techni-cal cooperation projects and yen loan proj-ects. Since its establishment in 1989, JICS, asa fair and impartial procurement agency, hasbuilt on its experience in equipment pro-curement to provide services appropriate forconditions in developing countries and thattruly meet their needs. JICS will continue tocontribute to promoting a high standard ofinternational cooperation by providing time-ly support for appropriate and effectiveimplementation of assistance. The informa-tion below describes the main projects inwhich JICS is involved.

Grant Aid

Grant aid is a form of assistance wherebyfunds are provided to a developing countrywithout repayment obligation, for a specific,agreed-upon purpose. JICS is involved in thetypes of grant aid described below.

Grant Aid for Infectious DiseasesPrevention and Treatment

Grant aid for infectious diseases preventionand treatment provides aid for vaccinationand procurement of therapeutic drugs tocontrol various infectious diseases such aspolio, tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS andothers that threaten lives in developingcountries.

JICS has been delegated by JICA since1997 to carry out studies in Japan and onsite concerning equipment needed in thefield of infectious diseases control. Followingthese studies, JICS carries out procurementmanagement based on contracts with thedeveloping countries' governments.

Since infectious diseases control must beput into action without delay and the validi-ty periods of vaccines and drugs are also lim-ited, project management always demandsswiftness and accuracy.

Grant Assistance for UnderprivilegedFarmers (2KR, formerly known as GrantAid for Increase of Food Production)

Grant Assistance for UnderprivilegedFarmers (2KR) is aid provided for purchasingagricultural equipment such as machineryand fertilizer to help increase production offood crops (rice, wheat, maize, etc.) in devel-oping countries where there are food short-ages. This grant aid, begun in 1977, is imple-mented yearly in Asia, Africa, Latin America,Eastern Europe, CIS countries, and others.

Grant aid for increase of food production(2KR) has been changed since FY2005 togrant assistance for underprivileged farmers(2KR) in order to show that Japan will pro-vide more effective support to developingcountries in their self-help efforts for achiev-ing food self-sufficiency. By clarifying thataid recipients are poor, small-scale farmers,Japan will strengthen its efforts to supportincrease of food production in those coun-tries.

Since its founding in 1989, JICS has beendelegated by JICA to carry out studies con-cerning this grant aid in Japan and on site.

Since FY1997, JICS, in accordance withcontracts with developing countries' gov-ernments, has been serving as a procure-ment management agent contributing tofair and rapid procurement of agriculturalequipment. It also acts as the secretariat forintergovernmental committees following upon how the equipment procured was dis-tributed and monitoring accumulation ofcounterpart funds (Note). Additionally, sinceFY2004, JICS has been carrying out manage-ment of funds.

Note: Developing countries’ governments set aside localcurrency funds equivalent to a certain amount of thevalue of equipment procured by grant aid. These fundsare then used for local economic and social developmentprojects after consultation with the Japanese govern-ment.

Food Aid (KR)

This grant aid is provided to developingcountries with food shortages for the pur-pose of buying rice, wheat, maize or othergrains. Based on the food aid rules of theInternational Grain Agreement, which cameinto effect as part of the Kennedy Round (KR)at GATT in 1967, food aid began in 1968 andis referred to as “KR” because it came out ofthe Kennedy Round.

Since FY2001, JICS, in accordance withcontracts with developing countries' gov-ernments, has been serving as a procure-ment management agent helping ensure

the fair and rapid procurement of food. Ithas also been acting as the secretariat forintergovernmental committees following upon how the food procured was distributedand monitoring accumulation of counter-part funds. Additionally, since FY2007, JICShas been carrying out management offunds.

Cultural Grant Aid

Cultural grant aid provides funds for pur-chasing, transporting and installing varioustypes of equipment used for cultural andeducational activities, with the aim of pro-moting mutual understanding and friend-ship between Japan and developing coun-tries through support for the developmentof culture and education.

Delegated by the Ministry of ForeignAffairs of Japan, in FY1993 JICS began carry-ing out preliminary studies both in Japanand on site concerning equipment request-ed for this grant aid. Since FY1995, in accor-dance with contracts with developing coun-tries’ governments, JICS has assisted withtendering (public notice, implementationand evaluation of the tendering process) forequipment procurement. Additionally, sinceFY2000, JICS has been carrying out follow-up activities by procuring repair parts anddispatching technical experts to ensure thatthe equipment procured is used continuous-ly and effectively.

Since FY2004, JICS has been analyzingproject applications for general culturalgrant aid and grassroots cultural grant aid.The main types of equipment procured bythis grant aid include sound and lightingequipment for theaters, sports equipment,equipment for excavating and preservingarchaeological sites, musical instruments,equipment for producing cultural and edu-cational programs, materials related toJapanese language education, and others.

Grant Aid for Research

This grant aid supports research activities

Bilateral Grants

Bilateral Loans

Subscriptions andContributions to

International Organizations

Grant Aid

Loan Aid

TechnicalCooperation

Study of projects, etc.

Procurement management service*

Follow-up

Compilation of equipment technical specifications,

procurement and transportation of equipment, etc.

Examination of documents, etc.

Areas handled by JICS

* Through contracts with the developing country’s government, JICS manages and supervises the overall tendering process for procuring equipment and services in connection with grant aid. In some cases, JICS supports the developing country’s government, which implements projects, while in others it acts as the developing country’s agent, handling all duties, from managing grant aid funds provided to making contracts with equipment suppliers. The latter system is referred to as the procurement agent system and is used for KR, 2KR, non-project grant aid, emergency grant aid, grant aid for conflict prevention and peacebuilding, grant aid for community empowerment, and grant aid for disaster prevention and reconstruction.

Official DevelopmentAssistance (ODA)

Japan’s ODA and the Role of JICS

The Role of JICS in ODA

12


into various problems affecting developingcountries, and supports research and devel-opment and commercialization of new tech-nologies for products intended for develop-ing countries.

Since FY2001, in accordance with con-tracts with the governments of developingcountries, JICS has been managing grant aidprovided for research and development

activities, and offering coordination and sup-port to ensure that activities amongresearchers and manufacturers in Japan anddeveloping countries are carried outsmoothly.

Non-Project Grant Aid

Non-project aid is grant aid intended to pro-vide rapid support to developing countries

with economic difficulties such as growingaccumulated debt or a rising internationalbalance of payments deficit, as part of assis-tance to improve the country's economicstructure. Since this aid is not earmarked forspecific projects when a decision is made toprovide it, it is called non-project grant aid.

Since FY1993, JICS, in accordance withcontracts with developing countries' gov-

Areas Handled by JICS in the Case of Grant Aid Projects

Cultural grant aid

Equipment usage begins

Completion

Tendering assistance service

Preliminary study

Decision to implement study

Preliminary screening

Follow-upPost-

projectevaluation

Support for study onsmall-scale equipment

Temporary measuresfor equipment andfacilities provided

Dispatch ofrevitalization experts

Grant aid for general projects(grant aid for infectious diseases prevention and treatment)

Grant assistance forunderprivileged farmers

(2KR, former grant aid for

increase of food production)

Request, confirmation


Project formation

Project finalevaluation and approval

Project implementation

Operation

Evaluation, follow-up

Project formulation study

Master plan studyFeasibility study

Start ofprovision

Confirmation study ofconditions for

equipment provided

Post-projectmonitoring study

Follow-upstudy support

Completion

Expediting projectimplementation

Procurementmanagement service


(procurement agent system)

Basic design study

Preparatory study

Decision toimplement study

Instruction toimplement service

Study

Completion Completion

Advisory services inconnection with the Committee

Selection of projects

Study of newproposals

Final screening by Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Cabinet decision

Agreement between governments

Food aid (KR)

Advisory services inconnection with the Committee

Requests for aid from developing countries




13

ernments, has been helping procure thenecessary equipment, such as raw materials(petroleum products, steel products, paperproducts, etc.) needed to improve the coun-try's economic structure, machinery (vehi-cles, construction machinery, etc.) requiredfor public works projects and others, as wellas managing the funds provided for this pur-pose.

Emergency Grant Aid

Emergency grant aid is provided for emer-gency assistance in the following threeareas:(1) Emergency disaster assistance

Support for rehabilitation after natural disas-ters or man-made disasters such as civil war.(2) Support for democratization

Support for establishing democracy after the

collapse of undemocratic regimes or in theaftermath of long-running civil conflict.(3) Assistance for reconstruction and devel-

opment

Support for smooth implementation of therehabilitation and reconstruction process incountries and areas involved in conflicts. It isbridge support implemented in the periodbetween emergency and humanitarian sup-

Grant aid for researchGrant aid for community

empowerment(program-type assistance)

Handled by JICS

Completion

Non-project grant aid

Completion

Monitoring ofcounterpart funds

Emergency grant aid

Completion

Cabinet decision

Exchange of a noteverbale

Agreement between governments



Completion



Completion

Preparatory study


Completion

Screening by Ministry of Foreign Affairs


Outline design study Outline design study


Preparatory study

Project managementservice


Grant aid for disasterprevention andreconstruction

(program-type assistance)

Grant aid for conflictprevention andpeacebuilding





Screening by Ministryof Foreign Affairs

Decision by Ministry of Foreign Affairs

14


port for refugees and affected people beforethe restoration of peace, and developmentassistance after a certain period after peacehas been restored.

Since FY1997, in accordance with con-tracts with the governments of developingcountries, JICS manages procurement offood, medical equipment, drugs, vehicles(water tank trucks, ambulances, etc.), con-struction equipment and so on, and alsomanages the funds provided. Depending oncircumstances, JICS also carries out its ownmonitoring of how the equipment is beingused after procurement.

Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention andPeacebuilding

Grant aid for conflict prevention and peace-building is intended for assisting social rein-tegration of former soldiers, helping recoversmall arms, and promoting ethnic reconcilia-tion in developing countries. It providesfunds for procuring the necessary equipmentand services for conflict prevention andpeacebuilding programs in developingcountries. This grant aid has been providedsince FY2002 as part of non-project grant aid.

Since FY2002, in accordance with con-tracts with developing countries’ govern-ments, JICS has been serving as a procure-ment management agent, managing fundsand overseeing and supporting activitiesappropriate to various program formats.

Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention andReconstruction

Grant aid for disaster prevention and recon-struction is intended to provide seamlessassistance, from emergency relief for naturaldisasters to full-scale rehabilitation and recon-struction aid. It began in FY2006, aiming atproviding multi-component assistance such asrestoration and reconstruction of schools,medical institutions and roads, according tothe changing needs of the affected areas.Since disaster response requires speed andmulti-faceted support simultaneously, a high-er level of procurement management capabili-ties and knowledge of diverse fields are need-ed. JICS supports the smooth and effectiveimplementation of grant aid for disaster pre-vention and reconstruction as a procurementmanagement agency, and has been managingthe funds, in accordance with contracts withthe governments of developing countries,since FY2006.

Grant Aid for CommunityEmpowerment

Grant aid for community empowermentbegan in FY2006, aiming at supporting com-prehensive capacity development of com-munities facing threats such as poverty,

hunger and disease. This grant aid is expect-ed to reduce costs and make communitiesmore competitive by using local businesses,equipment and materials adopting localspecifications and design, allowing flexibleresponse to various situations according tolocal conditions. On the other hand, a highlevel of procurement management capabili-ties is necessary since close attention isrequired to ensure quality. Since FY2006,JICS, in accordance with contracts withdeveloping countries' governments, hasbeen conducting procurement manage-ment including fund management.

Technical Cooperation

The aim of technical cooperation is to pass onJapan's skills and knowledge to create humanresources that can be productive for thefuture, in order to promote nation-building indeveloping countries. JICA plays a central rolein carrying out technical training of partici-pants from developing countries, dispatchingexperts and volunteers to developing coun-tries, and implementing technical coopera-tion projects, development studies and oth-ers. Provision of equipment needed for theseprojects also constitutes an indispensablecomponent of technical cooperation.

Since its establishment in 1989, JICS hasbeen delegated by JICA to handle equip-ment provision. At the request of JICA head-quarters, overseas offices, dispatchedexperts, volunteers, and staff working intechnical cooperation projects, JICS providesvarious services including direct assistancefor procurement-related duties, such as writ-ing out technical specifications necessary forequipment procurement, selecting suppliersthrough tendering, etc. and handling equip-ment transportation, providing informationabout equipment, and carrying out variousstudies in Japan and abroad.

Yen Loans

Yen loans, also referred to as loan aid, arelong-term, low-interest loans of develop-ment funds to developing countries throughthe Japan Bank for InternationalCooperation (JBIC).

Since FY2004, JICS, delegated by JBIC, hasbeen carrying out basic verification to exam-ine whether procurement procedures, docu-ments and decisions made by borrowingcountries are appropriate in conformity withprior agreements at the time of signing loancontracts, according to guidelines, standarddocuments and others stipulated by JBIC. InFY2007, JICS also provided support toensure the smooth progress of yen loanprojects' initial steps, such as procedures forselection of consultants by the borrower

country's implementing agency in commis-sioned studies on development projectsimplemented by JBIC, by dispatchingexperts to the countries concerned.

Follow-up Activities

JICS undertakes the follow-up activitiesdescribed below, to ensure that equipmentprocured with ODA funds is being usedeffectively.

Support for Database Creation

Delegated by JICA, JICS provides support forbuilding a database related to past recordsof grant aid and equipment provisionthrough technical cooperation.

Operation of the Technical InformationCenter

To remedy the shortage of technical infor-mation required for operating and maintain-ing medical equipment procured to devel-oping countries through grant aid, JICS hasestablished the Technical InformationCenter in cooperation with OverseasMedical Equipment Technical Assistants(OMETA), to provide one-stop access for staffin charge at local medical institutions.

NGO-related Projects

JICS supports NGO activities from several dif-ferent perspectives.

Grant Assistance for Japanese NGOProjects

Grant assistance for Japanese NGO projectsis grant aid provided for economic andsocial development or emergency humani-tarian support projects, etc. by JapaneseNGOs in developing countries.

From FY2003 to FY2006, delegated by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, JICSevaluated the goals, content, and appropri-ateness of size and funding requirements forproposal applications submitted by NGOs. InFY2007, JICS prepared and tested a “stan-dard sheet for effectiveness verification” toverify the effectiveness of projects under thisgrant aid.

Support for NGOs

JICS, as part of its social contribution activi-ties, provides funding of a maximum of onemillion yen per year per NGO to relativelysmall Japanese NGOs to support their activi-ties. This funding is made available to approx-imately ten NGOs per year. JICS has imple-mented Support for NGOs totaling 70 millionyen to 88 organizations using its own fundssince FY1999, the tenth anniversary of JICS.

15

Continuing Efforts to SupportReconstructionEmergency Grant Aid

In October 2003 the Japanese Governmentannounced that it would provide 1.5 billiondollars in grant aid to support reconstructionin Iraq. The grant aid was provided with thefocus on reconstruction and improvementof the local infrastructure including electrici-ty, health care, hygiene, public safety, etc. Inconnection to the direct bilateral support(equivalent to 800 million dollars), JICS hasbeen acting as procurement agent for theIraqi Government, overseeing funds andprojects. Since FY2003, JICS has handledequipment procurement (9 cases), facilitiesrehabilitation (11 cases), and one peace-building grant. So far, all of the equipmentprocurement cases, six of the conflict pre-vention and peacebuilding grant cases andthe facilities rehabilitation cases have beencompleted.

Significant cases completed in FY2007include the “Project for Rehabilitation of theTaji Gas Turbine Power Station” (completedin December 2007) and the “Project forRehabilitation of the Mosul Gas TurbinePower Station” (completed in March 2008).These power stations play a significant rolein supporting the life of thepeople in the capital city ofBaghdad, and Mosul, thesecond largest city. Poorsecurity made it difficult forJapanese engineers to getinto the cities, and theengineers had to supervisethe operations by remotelycommunicating with Iraqicontractors who actuallycarried out the engineeringwork. During the projects,progress was often hin-dered due to sudden inter-ruption of security in theregion. However, the proj-ects were completed due

to the valuable efforts of the Iraqi contrac-tors and other concerned parties.

JICS, along with other concerned parties,will continue its efforts to maintain thesmooth flow of the projects related to recon-struction in Iraq.

IRAQIraq

Aiming to Complete ProjectsSupport for the Sumatra Earthquake

and Tsunami Disaster

On December 26, 2004 a magnitude 9.0earthquake occurred off the northwest coastof Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a massivetsunami in the Indian Ocean and causingcatastrophic destruction in countries border-ing the Indian Ocean. In response, Japanprovided a non-project grant aid totaling to24.6 billion yen to Indonesia, Sri Lanka andthe Maldives. JICS entered into procurementagent contracts with these three countries,and has been engaged in reconstructionefforts.

In Sri Lanka, which received a total of 8 bil-lion yen in aid, projects were carried out invarious sectors and centered on the southeastern region, which was affected the mostby the disaster. These projects focused onequipment procurement and construction

of facilities. Among them the education sec-tor received 20% of the funding which wasused for reconstructing and repairing 13schools. Although a number of schools weredamaged in the Batticaloa District in theeastern part of the country, the grant aidwas instrumental in the reconstruction offour schools. At present, 1,300students are attending schoolin the new buildings.

In January 2008 a memorialceremony, titled “IndonesiaThanks the World,” was held inthe city of Jakarta, Indonesia, toexpress gratitude towards gov-ernments of various countries,aid organizations, NGOs, andagencies that assisted in recon-struction. PresidentYudhoyono punctuated hisspeech with the Japanesephrase “arigato” (thank you),giving great attention to themeasures taken by Japan in

providing aid.Three years have passed since the earth-

quake and almost all projects are nearingcompletion. JICS will continue its work sothat the projects will be completed as soonas possible and that people will be able toutilize the facilities.

Ceremony at a reconstructed school in Sri Lanka

INDONESIA, SRI LANKA, MALDIVESIndonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives

Taji Gas Turbine Power Station

Various Projects

16


Saving One Million Peoplefrom MalariaGrant Aid for Infectious Disease

Prevention and Treatment

The infant mortality rate is quite high inMozambique and the main cause of infantdeaths is malaria. As malaria spreadsthrough the Anopheles mosquito, the mosteffective preventive method is to protectoneself from mosquito bites. It has beenrecommended that “long-lasting insecticidalnets (LLINs)” with an insecticide incorporat-ed into the net fabric, and having a long-term effect, be used, as it is a low-cost andeffective way. Therefore, Mozambiquerequested Japan to provide aid for suchmosquito nets, to be distributed free of costto pregnant women. JICS was the procure-ment agency that conducted the local sur-vey and all the business procedures, frombidding to validation, as part of grant aid.

It should be kept in mind that mosquitonets are bulky. Initially, after they were deliv-ered to the central store by the Japaneseside, the Ministry of Health of Mozambiquewas to distribute the mosquito nets fromprovince to districts, then, to the health cen-ters. However, both central and provincialstores had inadequate storage space andthe number of vehicles used for transporta-tion was not sufficient.

Thus, after repeated consultationsand negotiations with concerned par-ties, JICS was able to obtain coopera-tion from the local NGOs and formulat-ed a new framework of operation.Under this new arrangement, theNGOs, with assistance from theDepartment for InternationalDevelopment (DFID) of U.K., arrangedfor storage and transportation of thenets to districts in the five provinces ofCabo Delgado, Nampula, Manica,Sofala, Inhambane, and also arrangedfor the training of health workers,

monitoring of the operation, etc. Delivery ofthe mosquito nets from each province to therespective health centers, seminars to preg-nant women on how to use the nets, andtheir distribution were carried out by localhealth service bureaus. More than one mil-lion pregnant women and unborn childrenare expected to be protected from malariathrough such measures.

MOZAMBIQUEMozambique

Invaluable Food AidFood Aid (KR)

In the western African nation of Gambia,approximately 1.6 million people live in the11,300km2 territory along the river Gambia.Eighty percent of the working population isengaged in agriculture. As most of agricul-ture depends on the rainfall, agriculturalproduction decreased in FY2007 when therainy season was unusually short. Food self-sufficiency ratio for rice was about 20% andthat of grain, as a whole, about 60%. Ashelp, the Japanese Government adminis-tered Food Aid for FY2006 (commodity item:rice) to improve the food shortage situation.

Japan had been providing food aid toGambia, from FY2002 to 2006, and bothcountries also agreed on Food Aid to be pro-vided for FY2006 on March 6, 2007.Following this agreement, JICS became theprocurement management agency for theGovernment of Gambia, and was in charge

of administering and selecting companies totransport and deliver government-con-trolled rice.

A bidding session was conducted in thepresence of Dr. Amadou Sowe, theDepartment of State for Agriculture, and therice shipment that left the port of Maizuru,Kyoto in August 2007 reachedthe capital city of Banjul,Gambia at the end ofSeptember 2007. The ricewas sold to the citizens ofGambia through the Ministryof Agriculture cheaper thanthe market rate, and proceedswere accumulated as coun-terpart funds that are beingused for social developmentthrough, for example, thepurchase of fertilizer, etc.

When the rice reachedGambia, anIntergovernmentalCommittee for Food Aid was

formed in Gambia, and the committee dis-cussed implementation status, points ofimprovement, etc. The Government ofGambia issued a statement expressing grati-tude towards the Government of Japan andthe Japanese people, saying, “The food aid isinvaluable for the citizens of Gambia.”

GAMBIAGambia

A nurse explaining the use of the mosquito net to a pregnant woman

Officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and the staff of JICS interviewing a

woman purchasing rice from the store

17

MOLDOVAMoldova

Effective Use of CounterpartFunds Increased the Numberof Tractors SixfoldGrant Assistance for Underprivileged

Farmers (2KR)

Moldova is one of the states that formed theformer Soviet Union; since the collapse of theSoviet Union, supply of energy and materialswas cut off, resulting in economic disorder.Continuous conflicts and disasters plungedthe country into severe hardships. Despitethere was no significant industry other thanagriculture and tourism, agricultural produc-tion declined. And because agriculturalmachinery became obsolete and people arenot able to purchase new machinery, manyfarmers abandoned their agricultural land.

Under such circumstances, Japanlaunched the Grant Aid for Increase of FoodProduction (2KR, presently the GrantAssistance for Underprivileged Farmers) forMoldova since FY2000 to support theirefforts in revitalizing agriculture and stabiliz-ing production in Moldova. JICS has workedas the procurement agency for proceduraladministration for the purchase of agricultur-al machinery by the Government of Moldovaand has been instrumental in the procure-ment of tractors and combine harvesters sixtimes.

In the Grant Assistance forUnderprivileged Farmers, aid-receivingcountries are required to save a part of theproceeds earned through sale of aid materi-als as counterpart funds for gaining greater

benefits from the aid. In thecase of Moldova, the fund pro-duced exceptionally goodresults. A total of 296 tractorsthat were procured and deliv-ered at the initial stage weresold domestically in Moldova.Funds created by this transac-tion were used to procure newtractors and these tractors weresold again. Such repeated pro-curement and sale resulted inthe procurement of about 1,700tractors, which is nearly six timesmore than the initial procure-ment until FY2005.Furthermore, the total number of agriculturalmachines that was procured during this peri-od, including combine harvesters, reachedup to 2,135. Aid from Japan became the ini-tiating agent that spun the wheel of money-making through the cycle of procurementand sale. A lot of people have expressedtheir gratitude towards Japan for providingaid.

The Ministry of Agriculture and FoodIndustry has established a project office (PIU)for seeking and selecting sale destinationsfor these machines, handling the proceeds ofthe sale, and conducting activities toenhance aid effectiveness such as holdingmaintenance and repair workshops. An exhi-bition of agricultural machinery (MOLDA-GROTECH), held in October 2007, displayedthe contribution made by various organiza-tions towards mechanization of domesticagriculture and the PIU was awarded thegrand prix.

A procured tractor

The Most Effective Project sinceIndependence

Japan's Grant Assistance for UnderprivilegedFarmers has been the most effective project sincethe independence of Moldova in 1991. The proj-ect that was started in 2000 has spread through-out the country within 4-5 years of its com-mencement. It was such that small-scale farmers,who had no collateral, were unable to borrowmoney from the bank for the acquisition of farmmachines. However, with the project they canown a tractor even without collateral and addi-tional interest. They can pay for the tractor ininstallments, making them eligible right away toown the tractor.

Thus, more than 1,000 farmers or farmers'organizations now had access to agriculturalmachines and tools that gave rise to new types ofwork. Capital generated through such activitieswas invested in land clearing that would sustainmore than 200,000 peasants. These practicalaccomplishments were highly appreciated byeach of the aid-giving nations and by internation-al organizations.

The JICS procurement work involved assessingdemands of the farmers through interview, man-aging properly thebidding of prices, etc.There were many les-sons learned, andsuch benefitsbrought about majorchanges in Moldova.Millions of people ofMoldova are gratefulto Japan.

Bumacov VasileTechnical Director of 2KR Project

(Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industryof the Republic of Moldova)

From the Field

A tractor maintenance workshop held by PIU

18


Protecting Valuable FossilizedHuman RemainsCultural Grant Aid

Ethiopia has excavated abundant fossilizedremains, presumably as old as 1 to 5.6 mil-lion years of ancient life, including fossilizedremains of human beings, and is attractingworldwide attention for being a countrywith rich reservoirs of such fossils. TheNational Museum, which is visited by100,000 people annually, displays thefamous “Lucy”, the 3.2 million years old fos-silized human, and many other domesticallyexcavated fossils and artifacts that are of thesame value as a world heritage. Researchersin the Museum are working jointly withresearchers from Japan and other countriesand are contributing to international acade-mia.

However, the Museum building and facili-ties used for preservation and research offossils were quite old, lacking in earthquake-

resistant and fire-resistant features, andhence, not a suitable environment for valu-able excavated fossils and artifacts. As aresult, the Government of Ethiopia began arenovation of the Museum building, and hasbeen preparing to start activities with thenew research facilities since the summer of2008. Parallel to these plans, theGovernment of Ethiopia presented itsrequest for Cultural Grant Aid to theGovernment of Japan so thatEthiopia could purchase a robustarchive warehouse for the preser-vation of important fossils, micro-scopes and digital microscopesbuilt using Japanese technology,facilities for presenting researchoutcomes, etc.

Under the consignment con-tract with the Ministry of ForeignAffairs, JICS carried out a local sur-vey for the “Project for theImprovement of Equipment forHominid Fossil Related Facilities ofthe National Museum of Ethiopia”

in August 2007, and assessed the presentcondition of activities and repair work of theMuseum and gathered information on theselection of equipment. On June 9, 2008,based on survey results, an implementationplan was agreed upon between the twocountries. JICS will assist in bidding proce-dures by announcing bids, preparing bid-ding documents, holding competitive bid-ding, assessing, etc.

ETHIOPIAEthiopia

Protecting People fromLandminesGrant Aid for Research

As a result of the long civil war in Cambodia,the land in 40% of farming villages is strewnwith millions of landmines and duds thathave not yet been cleared. In Cambodia,where agriculture and animal husbandry arethe major industries that provide livelihood,people have to use the potential mine-infested land for farming and animal hus-bandry. Even today, about 5 million peopleare living under the threat of landmines.

Manual removal of landmines is a danger-ous and time-consuming operation. Thus,removal of all landmines will require a sub-stantial amount of time. The Government ofJapan has been carrying out research anddevelopment of demining equipment, aspart of the Grant Aid for Research, withcooperation from Japanese manufacturers

of construction machinery for speedyremoval of landmines and ensuring safety ofthe personnel involved.

Following the development aid for demi-ning equipment in Afghanistan in FY2002-2003, the “Research Project for theDevelopment of Demining ActivitiesSupport Equipment” was imple-mented in Cambodia in FY2005and FY2007. In the second phaseof the project, which started in2007, the demining equipmentdeveloped in Japan has been putto the test in the actual mine-fields of Cambodia to check itsefficiency and safety. The demi-ning equipment in combinationwith demining personnel andmine detecting dogs have beenput to test for study and determi-nation of more efficient demi-ning methods, and for gatheringof information. These tests are tobe conducted for six months,

starting April 2008 in Battanbang Province,which has huge quantities of buried land-mines. The Grant Aid for Research will con-tribute towards improving efficacy of thedemining equipment, and is considered tobe the cornerstone in the economic devel-opment of Cambodia.

CAMBODIACambodia

The National Museum of Ethiopia under renovation

The Japanese demining equipment

19

Improving Hospital FacilitiesEmergency Grant Aid

The infant mortality rate in Afghanistan isvery high, and it is said that one in every fourchildren succumbs to death by the age offive, an extremely serious problem indeed.One of the causes of death is the collapse ofthe social infrastructure due to the conflictwhich has continued for more than 20 years.Bereft of the opportunities of education andemployment, people are untrained in themedical field. Afghanistan is also facingproblems of insufficient human resources,hospital facilities, medical equipment andlack of budget for the purchase of drugs.

To cope with this situation, the Ministry ofPublic Health of Afghanistan requested inFebruary 2006 for Japan to construct andrenovate facilities of the Dasht-e-BarchiDistrict Hospital located in the western partof the capital city of Kabul. The remainingmoney from the “Second Emergency GrantAid for Afghanistan” was used to construct

training facilities, including accommoda-tions, kitchen facilities, and laundry facilities,as well as renovate the maternity ward.

In this project, JICS carried out the selec-tion of a construction company in Kabulthrough bidding andsupervision of con-struction work. Thework was started onAugust 1, 2007 andwas completed inApril 2008.Completion of thefacilities is expectedto facilitate smoothrunning of essentialtraining, provision offood for the inpa-tients, washing oflinens, etc.

JICA is said to beplanning to conducttechnical cooperationprojects in the nearfuture in this hospital.

By human resource development throughtechnical cooperation as well as reinforce-ment of facilities through the Grant Aid,more effective use of the facilities is expect-ed.

AFGHANISTANAfghanistan

Opening a Way to theDomestic Production ofNotebooksNon-Project Grant Aid

Since FY1988, and subsequently for nineoccasions, Japan has provided the Non-proj-ect Grant Aid, to Madagascar for theimprovement of economic structure of thecountry. JICS, as a procurement manage-ment agency for the Grant Aid, has carriedout services related to procurement for theGovernment of Madagascar since FY1999.

The procurement of equipment for thesmall- and medium-scale industries is a spe-cial feature of the Non-project Grant Aid forMadagascar, from the point of view of sup-port and development of domestic indus-tries.

In the projects carried out in FY2005, JICS,as a procurement management agency, wasinvolved in the preparation of bidding docu-

ments, such as specification documents, con-clusion of sales contracts, administration ofdelivery and payment, etc. to procure equip-ment, including notebook manufacturingmachines.

In the past, inMadagascar, notebooksfor children were import-ed from overseas. Thedelivery of the notebookmanufacturing machinespaved the way for thedomestic production ofnotebooks in Madagascar.The machines procuredthrough the Non-projectGrant Aid produced thenotebooks and the chil-dren received them in thenew semester of FY2007.

The Non-project GrantAid is the financial aid pro-vided by Japan sinceFY1987. JICS started work

as a procurement management agency in aproject for Mongolia in FY1993, embarkingon its mission of supporting developingcountries through procurement for grant aidprojects.

MADAGASCARMadagascar

The newly constructed training facility of the Dasht-e-Barchi District Hospital

The notebook manufacturing machines delivered to Madagascar

20

Peacebuilding Activities ofJSACGrant Aid for Conflict Prevention and

Peacebuilding

In Cambodia small arms have proliferated allover the country due to the civil war thathad continued for 21 years since 1970, andcontinued possession of these even after thecivil war has posed a threat to the people.Therefore, in FY2003, Japan began to extendthe grant aid for Peacebuilding andComprehensive Small Arms ManagementProgram. Following this, JICS launched theJapanese Small Arms Control Support Team(JSAC) which, together with the InteriorMinistry of Cambodia, has been working onpeacebuilding activities, including therecovery of small arms.

Since its launch in April 2003, JSAC hasbeen successful in recovering about 30,000small arms, and almost 120,000 explosivesand ammunition. Furthermore, as part of an

awareness campaign, activities were con-ducted, like the burning of recoveredweapons in a ceremony called the “Flame ofPeace”; the holding of a workshop for theunderstanding of arms issues; and the build-ing of a peace monument by Cambodianartists using the recovered small arms.

In this program, local resi-dents were encouraged tovoluntarily surrender theirarms, and communitiesdeemed to have surrenderedall their weapons were pro-vided with development aidin the form of projects likebuilding roads, schools, andpolice boxes. In February2008, in a ceremony handingover facilities held inKampong Thom Province ofCambodia, the Governor ofthe province presentedawards to seven staff mem-bers of JSAC and expressedgratitude for JSAC's work.

JSAC has finished its work in Cambodia,and the work of recovery of small arms isnow continued by the people of Cambodia.JICS shall put to good use its experiencegained through JSAC's activities inCambodia in peacebuilding aids in otherregions.

CAMBODIACambodia

Supporting JICA's LocalProcurement Proceduresthrough SeminarsTechnical Cooperation

Ever since JICA became an independentadministrative entity in FY2004, a big shiftwas made in the procurement of equipmentfor JICA”s technical cooperation -- from pro-curement within Japan to procurement inthe country granted aid. JICS has also car-ried out various cooperative procurementactivities for overseas offices of JICA as well.Besides dispatching speakers for procure-ment seminars, JICS” cooperative procure-ment activities involve the sending of sup-port staff to overseas offices, carrying outactual procurement procedures, guidingnational staff, preparing internal regulationsfor the offices, preparing related documents,etc. JICS also offers support by providingadvice based on documents prepared in the

past. In FY2007, JICS sent support staff to 14countries for 11 projects.

A local procurement seminar was organ-ized in South Africa where JICS staff memberswere dispatched to the country's JICA office.The seminar was attended by staff fromsouthern African countries such as SouthAfrica, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar,Malawi, Namibia, Botswana and Kenya.

The seminar was organized inSouth Africa, which is planning tohold the World Cup matches in 2010.The seminar commenced in an ami-able and relaxed atmosphere. Thelectures started with basic topics, suchas “flow of local procurement proce-dures” and “preparation of specifica-tion documents,” and included somehigher level topics, such as a mockpractice of a designated bidding. Inthe latter half of the seminar, lectureswere held in the form of quizzes thathelped to deepen the understandingof the topics. Some feedback from

the participants was: “We learned somethings which we had not understoodbefore,” and “We had a problem of deliverydelay and we were benefited by possiblesolutions gleaned from each other's experi-ences.” JICS intends to indirectly supportlocal procurement procedures hereafterthrough such seminars and the dispatchingof procurement support staff.

Procurement seminar organized by JICS-dispatched staff, held at the

JICA Kenya office

“Naga,” the peace monument made from recovered arms

SOUTH AFRICASouth Africa


21

Verifying Projects Run inCoordination with NGOsEffect Measurement Program for

Grant Aid for Japanese NGO Projects

The Effectiveness Verification Program,which started in FY2007, was created todevelop a practical tool in verifying theeffectiveness of the Grant Aid Projects forJapanese NGOs -- aids that are granted inpartnership with NGOs, the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, and scholars in the field. TheGrant Aid for Japanese NGO Projects is thegrant aid for economic and social develop-ment projects and emergency humanitariansupport projects run by Japanese NGOs fordeveloping countries and regions. The verifi-cation program aims at improving thecapacities of the effectiveness verificationand project execution of the NGOs, in addi-tion to improving the accountability of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs and the NGOstowards the citizens of Japan. In FY2007, the

first year of the program, a standard sheetfor effectiveness verification was preparedand its reliability was tested.

Effectiveness verification using the stan-dard sheet was carried out for a “well con-struction project” of the Bridge Asia Japan(BAJ) and for a “health insti-tution renovation project” ofthe Japanese Organizationfor International Cooperationin Family Planning (JOICFP),after which a report was pre-pared and presented in ameeting. With the knowl-edge gained from variouskinds of Grant Aid forJapanese NGO Projects, JICShas functioned as the secre-tariat for the effectivenessverification program, and hascompiled the effectivenessverification results andreports.

At present, the standardsheet for effectiveness verifi-

cation and the program report are releasedon the website of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs. The examples of actual applicationare also open to public viewing, and theirresults have given impetus to activities ofvarious organizations.

MYANMARMyanmar

Applying the Know-how onBasic VerificationYen Loan

Loan aid is usually called “Yen Loan,” an aidextended to developing countries in theform of development funds with easy condi-tions of low interest rates for long terms, andprovided by the Japan Bank for InternationalCooperation (JBIC). When a borrower coun-try needs to build socio-economic infrastruc-tures such as electricity, gas, transport, com-munication, etc., the borrower country isrequired to abide by the procurement pro-cedures, based on procurement guidelines,consultant employment guidelines, etc., ofthe JBIC for the procurement of the neces-sary goods and services. Since FY2004, JICS,delegated by JBIC, has carried out basic veri-fication of procurement documents pre-pared by borrowers to confirm that they arein accordance with the JBIC guidelines and

procedures.JBIC has been organizing “yen loan semi-

nars” and “procurement seminars” for betterunderstanding of the implementing agen-cies in the borrower countries in undertak-ing yen loans. In FY2007,JICS staff spoke in semi-nars organized in India,Costa Rica, Panama, andGuatemala.

JBIC organizes a “com-missioned survey relatedto project-monitoringexperts” to expedite theprojects. This survey isdone to support theimplementing agency toensure the smoothprogress of the procure-ment procedures at theinitial stage of the projecttask, such as selection ofconsultants by the bor-rower country. JICS was

entrusted with surveying the projects inIndonesia and Iraq in FY2007, wherein JICSapplied the knowledge it gained in “basicverification” and supported the implement-ing agencies in the borrower countries.

A well constructed in a project in Myanmar

JICS staff coaching local staff on the preparation of documents

YEN LOAN

22

Contributing to the

Dissemination of VVM

Recognized by WHO

JICS commenced and made a clear notifica-tion regarding bid specifications on the useof the Vaccine Vial Monitor (VVM) seal at thetime of the vaccine's procurement, which ledto its recognition by the World Health Organ-ization (WHO) in May 2007 for contributingto the dissemination of the VVM seal.

VVM is a seal that is stuck onto the vaccinecontainer, the color of which changes when-ever there is a change in temperature.Requiring stringent temperature monitoringduring the vaccine's transport and storage,sticking the seal onto the container of a vac-cine makes it easy to identify if the vaccinehad been stored at a controlled temperatureand is safe for use.

In the “Tanzanian Polio EradicationProgram” in 1997, JICS clearly mentioned theVVM seal on the bid specifications, ahead ofany other donor, and continued to do sothereafter, which resulted in its dissemina-tion.

At present, awareness of the VVM seal hasbeen disseminated quite widely, and varioustypes of vaccines, such as tetanus, combineddiphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT), com-bined DPT-polio-Hib, and yellow fever vac-cines, can be procured with the VVM seal.

Support for Reconstruction

Efforts after the Earthquake

Disaster in Central Java

Procurement and Project

Appraisal by JICS

JICS formulated the “Guidelines on ProjectAppraisal Implementation by JICS” inNovember 2006. The first project appraisedbased on these guidelines was carried outfrom May 18, 2007 to May 23, 2007. The proj-ect that was subjected to the appraisal wasthe emergency grant aid provided for the“Earthquake Disaster in Central Java.” Priorto the appraisal, documents related to pro-curement were reviewed, questionnaires dis-patched, interviews held with the internaland external personnel, and the processassessed taking into consideration theappropriateness and efficiency of the pro-curement work and whether the work pro-ceeded according to plan.

In the appraisal, although it was pointedout that there were some aspects that shouldbe improved in the process - from the sign-ing of the contract to the delivery of goods -the decision-making processes about thearticles to be procured, their specifications,releasing of public announcements, prepar-ing the bidding procedures, etc. had becomefaster as compared to previous cases.

JICS will continue to carry out projectappraisals based on the guidelines for a moreefficient flow of projects.

Participation in the Global

Festa JAPAN 2007

JICS participated in the Global Festa JAPAN2007 held at Hibiya Park in Tokyo on October6 and 7, 2007.

In its booth, JICS introduced the structureof the organization, and some of the grants,like the “Grant Aid for Infectious Disease

Prevention and Treatment” and the “GrantAid for the Research Project for Research andDevelopment of Mine Clearance RelatedEquipment in Cambodia.” The visitors to thebooth showed a great deal of interest in theprotective gears and helmets that were usedduring the demining in Cambodia and themock landmine that were used for theresearch and development of a landminedetecting device.

Visit of the Iraqi

Ambassador

On October 18, 2007, Mr. Ghanim Alwan Al-Jumaily, the Ambassador of Iraq to Japan,met with Mr. Sasaki, the President of JICS.The Ambassador expressed his gratitudetowards Japan for providing assistance forthe reconstruction of Iraq, and to JICS for itswork. Furthermore, they exchanged viewsregarding the present condition of Iraq andthe projects that are in progress in the coun-try. They also exchanged views regardingfuture cooperation in the smooth implemen-tation of projects related to assistance forreconstruction.

Recognition from JANIC

On December 14, 2007, the Japan NGOCenter for International Cooperation (JANIC)

Delivered vaccine with the VVM seal on the cap

Certificate from WHO

Interviews done for the “Earthquake Disaster in Central

Java” project

Visitors at the JICS booth

Ambassador (center), Jassem Al-Janabi, Diplomat (right),

and JICS President

JICS Recent Events

conferred honor on JICS. As a cooperatemember, JICS has extended support toJANIC, in its role of strengthening the NGOnetwork, for a period of 16 years since 1991.This honor was in appreciation of the longyears of JICS' support.

Moreover, JICS has a separate program forsupporting NGOs that are working in theinternational arena. Encouraged by thehonor, JICS will continue its support for NGOsin a variety of ways.

Participation in the One

World Festival

JICS participated in the One World Festival atthe Osaka International House Foundationon February 2 and 3, 2008. Organizationsrelated to ODA exhibited jointly in onebooth, the first of its kind, whereby the posi-tion of each organization in the ODA systemand its specific operation were explained.

In the JICS booth, displays on the “Supportfor Reconstruction of Iraq,” the “Support forReconstruction of Afghanistan,” the “Grant Aidfor the Research Project for Research andDevelopment of Mine Clearance RelatedEquipment,” the “Project for the Stockpile of

Tamiflu and PPE for the ASEAN,” etc. wereexhibited as specific examples of its projects.When difficult issues or those that demand alot of attention for procurement services wereexplained to the visitors, they commented, “Wedidn't know that such a special organizationexisted for procurement work, but we realizedthe difficulties in procurement and hence theneed for a special organization,” and “Do yourbest for the effective utilization of ODA.”

Projects Commissioned

by International

Organizations

JICS is also involved in assistance programsto developing countries that are extended byinternational organizations and others work-ing in international cooperation.

In addition to the “Project for the Stockpileof Tamiflu and PPE” delegated by the ASEANSecretariat, JICS undertook the support forthe avian flu measures delegated by theWorld Organization for Animal Health (OIE) ,and in FY2007, together with the CrownAgents (CA), a procurement agency of theUnited Kingdom, accepted a MongolianProject implemented by the MCA(Millennium Challenge Account) of theUnited States.

Procurement Training at

the Crown Agents

Two JICS staff members received training onrisk management in project monitoring atthe headquarters of the Crown Agents of UKfrom February 13 to 17, 2008.

The training consisted of the need for andapproaches to riskmanagement and casestudies regarding fundmanagement opera-tions, payment, and theresponsibility and juris-diction over the pro-curement agents.Through the variety oftraining exercisesundergone by its staff,JICS will be able tostrengthen its function-al skills and improve itscompetitiveness as aninternational agencyspecializing in procure-ment.

Second Regular Meetings

of the Board of Trustees

and the Board of

Directors

The second regular meetings of the Board ofTrustees and the Board of Directors forFY2007 were held on March 24 and 25, 2008respectively. In the meeting of the Board ofTrustees, the following points were discussedand approved: (1) operations planning andrevised budget for FY2007; (2) project policyand planning for FY2008; (3) budget forFY2008; and (4) selection of new members ofthe board. On the next day, March 25, 2008,the Board of Directors approved the above-mentioned points (1) to (3), and discussedand approved matters regarding (4) theselection of the Trustees.

The establishment of the “new” JICA inOctober 2008 is expected to greatly affectthe environment surrounding JICS. Underthe new ODA system of Japan, JICS will aimfor further effective, efficient, and promptimplementation of ODA projects.

23

Ingenious three-dimensional display of JICS

Policies for project implementation in

FY2008

- Respond quickly and appropriately to the changing needs in ODA

- Improve capability towards a betterinternational procurement organiza-tion, and expand project operations

- Strengthen the project implementa-tion system

- Improve JICS financial condition- Strengthen or improve publicity

campaigns and information disclosure

New Member of the Board of Directors:

Mr. Kazuhisa Matsuoka, President, JapanInternational Cooperation Center

New Member of the Board of Trustees

Mr. Takamasa Hayase, Vice President, JapanInternational Cooperation Center

Meeting of the Board of Trustees

Conferment of the certificate of merit

24

A Meeting for the Report andExchange of Views on theNGO Support Activities of JICS

JICS launched NGO support activities inFY1999 to support the development of NGOsthat are working in the international arena.JICS provides a maximum of one million yenfor equipment and materials, transportationexpenses, operation expenditures and rein-forcement of the organizational infrastruc-ture.

The meeting for the report and exchangeof views on the NGO support activities of JICSin FY2007 was held on September 10, 2007,attended by ten organizations that receivedsupport in FY2004 and FY2005, examiningcommittee members, experts, etc.

At the meeting for the reporting of activi-ties, the NGOs gave accounts of the projectsthat had received support from JICS and theiraccomplishments.

A lively discussion took place at the meet-ing, where the theme was “Feedback on theassessment and evaluation results.” Here,the experts commented that the review ofthe appropriateness and exchange of infor-mation among the bodies involved shouldbe more focused, and emphasized the needfor better accountability in various activities.

NGO Participants: Asia Mind, Community Action

Development Organisation (CanDo), Africa Japan

Forum, Institute of Environment Rehabilitation and

Conservation, Japan NGO Center for International

Cooperation (JANIC), Services for the Health in Asian &

African Regions (SHARE), Tanba Green Force, Terra

People Act Kanagawa (TPAK), Nagoya NGO Center, and

21st Century Association

NGOs Selected to ReceiveSupport from JICS in FY2007

In FY2007, 20 organizations applied for assis-tance from JICS, out of which 10 organiza-tions were selected to receive supportamounting to 9.71 million yen.

JICS will continue to support the develop-ment of NGOs working in the internationalarena in the future.

Students from the TokyoMetropolitan Oshima Kaiyo-kokusai High School visit JICSfor Work Exposure

Two second-year students from the TokyoMetropolitan Oshima Kaiyo-kokusai HighSchool visited JICS on August 13 and 14,2007 for work exposure, and participated inclerical work for public relations activities andinterviewed the staff.

They were very surprised to find out fromthe in-charge of the Iraqi project that theambulances, fire engines and patrolling vehi-cles used in Iraq were part of Japanese aid,and that JICS was instrumental in procuringthose vehicles. The two students, who wantto work in the field of international coopera-tion in the future, commented that after thework exposure at JICS, their interest in work-ing for international cooperation hasincreased.

Accepting UniversityStudents as Interns

JICS has been accepting university studentsfor internship since FY2004. In FY2007, JICSaccepted one student each fromRitsumeikan University, Ibaraki University,

and Osaka University of Economics as internsduring the period of September 3 to 14,2007.

One of the students conveyed his impres-sion, saying: “My work experience regardingtechnical cooperation, food aid, grant assis-tance for underprivileged farmers, NGO assis-tance, and public relations has created theimpression that different actors are playingtheir roles behind the scenes in internationalcooperation, and that everyone can playtheir part to contribute to peace.”

Lecture for IntegratedStudies at the Junior HighSchool Attached to the JapanWomen's University

On February 16, 2008, during the integratedstudy period of a second year class of theJunior High School attached to the JapanWomen's University, one JICS staff memberwas invited as guest lecturer, and impartedthe need for ODA and the role of JICS withinthe ODA implementation system in the con-text of aid for reconstruction in Afghanistan.In the panel discussion, entitled, “What WeCan Do for International Contribution,” heldafter the lecture, issues such as “Japan seenfrom the outside” and “what kind of aid isuseful for the local people” were vigorouslydiscussed. The students were happy to knowthat Japan was doing something for devel-oping countries, and that their country's taxcollection was used for such projects. Thestudents strongly affirmed the need forpeace in the international community.

High-school students interviewing the staff

Student interns with the JICS Staff

Panel discussion at the Junior High School Attached to

the Japan Women’s University

Name of NGO

ACE Africa Reconciliation CommitteeAtelier for Development and the FutureCommunity Action Development Organisation (CanDo)

CORE Community Road Empowerment

DIFAR

Ehime Global Network

Japan International Center for the Rights of the Child

Nagoya NGO Center

Second Hand

Country

IndiaRwanda Mongolia

Kenya

Papua New Guinea

Bolivia

Mozambique

Cambodia

Japan

Cambodia

Support Description

•Funds for strengthening the foundation of NGOs•Funds for strengthening the foundation of NGOs •Project operation expenses

•Project operation expenses

•Project operation expenses•Funds for strengthening the foundation of NGOs•Equipment and material purchase-related expenses / transportation expenses•Funds for strengthening the foundation of NGOs•Equipment and material purchase-related expenses / transportation expenses•Project operation expenses

•Funds for strengthening the foundation of NGOs

•Project operation expenses•NGO operation expenses•Equipment and material purchase-related expenses / transportation expenses

Amount Granted(yen)

954,600 960,000

1,000,000

1,000,000

1,000,000

800,000

999,036

1,000,000

994,140

1,000,000

NGOs Supported by JICS in FY2007 (in alphabetical order)

Social Activities of JICS

Documents

Main Activities in FY2007 - JICS · Conflicts/Wars: Iraq Emergency Grant Aid / Afghanistan Emergency Grant Aid / Cambodia Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding ... and