Part

I

Main Activities in FY2006

Part

6

I

Main Activities in FY2006

b

a

c

Responding toDiversifying Needs
for International
Cooperation
Humankind faces many threats: not only
famine and poverty but also natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes ortsunami, infectious diseases like avian flu
or AIDS, or mines in the aftermath of war.
All of these have a severe impact on
impoverished people in developing
countries.
In recent years, JICS has been actively
involved in international cooperation tomeet those diverse needs. In fiscal 2006,
JICS acted as the procurement management or procurement agent for Grant Aidfor Disaster Prevention andReconstruction, a new grant started after
the Major Earthquake off the Coast of
Sumatra and Tsunami in the Indian
Ocean in December 2004, Grant Aid forCommunity Empowerment, Grant Aid for

Research, for field testing of demining
and mine-detecting equipment in
Cambodia, support for measures against
avian flu for ASEAN and others. These
operations are often races against time influid situations requiring coordination
with many entities, making use of local
businesses, ensuring safety and acting
rapidly, flexibly, and in a transparent andfair manner while taking account of local
conditions. This is work that puts our field
capacity to the test; some examples ofrecent projects are described here.

Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention
and Reconstruction

Ensuring Seamless Support
Damage Caused by Hurricane
Stan, Guatemala
The first Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention
and Reconstruction project was the Projectfor Support for Reconstruction Efforts after
the Hurricane Stan Disaster, the agreement
concerning which was signed by theJapanese and Guatemalan governments on
August 10, 2006. Torrential rains brought by
Hurricane Stan caused widespread devastation, leaving 670 dead and affecting nearly
half a million people in Guatemala. Grant
Aid for Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction was used to reconstruct irrigation facilities for agriculture and bridges in
San Marcos Province, and to repair andmaintain facilities for supplying potable

BelizeMexicoGuatemala
San Marcos Province
Quetzaltenango

Honduras

Guatemala City
Photo a: House damaged by earthquake, Java, Indonesia
b: Children at a community empowerment projectsite, Niger
c: Demining equipment under field testing,Cambodia

El Salvador

Earthquake Disaster in Central
Java, Indonesia

Philippines
Malaysia

Repair work on a bridge damaged by Hurricane Stanwater in Quetzaltenango City.
Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention andReconstruction is a new scheme started infiscal 2006 and is also the first such project
for JICS staff. Because of this, detailed explanations concerning the aim and content of
this grant aid had to be given to the counterpart Economic Planning Agency, the government body in charge, along with information concerning procedures to be carriedout by the Guatemalan government and theduties assumed by JICS, when the contract
with the Guatemalan government was
signed.
JICS also had to set up a local office tooversee operations, a job that was carriedout by one JICS employee from Japan andtwo local staff members. Local staff are very
important in a small office like this one, butbriefing them on the project and on JICS'
position and duties was also time-consuming.
Regarding competitive bidding to selectlocal contractors, we obtained technicaladvice from a consultant, and while keeping
local customs in mind we made sure thatconditions relating to time, place andrequired documentation specified in thebidding criteria were strictly adhered to, inline with our priority on transparency andfairness to ensure that the bidding was conducted in a way proper to Japanese grant
aid. This was the first time for JICS to holdcompetitive bidding in Guatemala, and local
businesses, as they initially complained
about the strict bidding requirements, gradually came to understand how JICS conducts
bidding and the complaints ceased.
Between late December 2006 and January
2007, JICS signed building contracts with
contractors for three projects, and the projects got underway from January to February.
The Economic Planning Agency was surprised and pleased at the speed with which
JICS had conducted the process from bidding to contract and start of work.
The projects in all the main locations need
to be completed before the end of May,
when the rainy season sets in, so the work is
a continual race against time.

On August 15, 2006, around the same timeas the agreement was signed in Guatemala,the Japanese and Indonesian governments
signed an agreement for Grant Aid forDisaster Prevention and Reconstruction, following an earthquake in May 27, 2006 thatleft approximately 5,800 dead, 39,000
injured, 2.13 million citizens displaced and
610,000 homes damaged or destroyed.
On June 5, the Japanese government
decided to provide Emergency Grant Aid.
JICS also managed procurement for thisoperation, obtaining large tents, small tents
for family use, blankets and other supplies
which were delivered by July 16. After delivery of these relief goods, JICS arranged for athird party organization to monitor distribution and use of the goods, a survey that was
carried out for two months beginning from
August 2.
The large tents are being used as classrooms. An interview survey indicated that
school authorities were pleased that thetents had been distributed quickly, and that
schoolchildren were happy that they had asafe place to study while their schools werebeing rebuilt.
Soon after the commencement of theEmergency Grant Aid, it was decided to use
Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention andReconstruction to repair two elementaryand seven junior high schools as well as five
health centers (including provision of basic
medical equipment) in Bantul Regency of
Yogyakarta Special Region, the area most
severely affected by the earthquake. The
large tents provided to the schools under
the Emergency Grant Aid, technical assistance for improving education administration and for rehabilitation and trauma care,and reconstruction of school buildings using
Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention andSmall tent for family used after the earthquake on Java,
Indonesia

BruneiSingapore

Indonesia
JakartaJava
Yogyakarta

Reconstruction, made it possible to provide
aid seamlessly and can be expected to boost
the supportive effects of the individual programs.
All rebuilding projects were begun on
November 29, 2006. Repairs to the healthcenters were completed first in late May
2007 and all other projects are scheduled tobe finished by the end of November 2007.
JICS staff in charge included personnel
who had worked on the road sector program in Afghanistan, the first facilities project that JICS was involved with directly as anorganization, and others who had been
involved in facilities projects after the
Sumatra earthquake and Indian Ocean
tsunami disaster, which used local consultants and builders for the first time. Theirexperiences with these prior projects werevery useful and effective.

From the Field

A Grateful City Thanks JICS
Hurricane Stan caused extensive damage and hit
our water sources and water tank piping particularly hard. We also had to deal with polluted
water. We requested assistance from theJapanese government and with the cooperationof JICS' Guatemala office, repairs to our sources ofdrinking water were begun. In addition to this aid
for reconstruction, repairing the water pipe system from which the city's population of over
120,000 obtains potable water and also agriculture and education projects are underway withthe assistance of Japan. This is the first time that
our city has received
such wide-ranging aid,
and all the city's residents are grateful forthe cooperation
extended by theJapanese government
and JICS.
Jorge Rolando Barrientos Pellecer,
Mayor, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

6
7

Part

8

I

Main Activities in FY2006

Grant Aid for Community
Empowerment

Using Local Resources to the Full
The first project under Grant Aid forCommunity Empowerment, the Project forConstruction of Classrooms for Elementary
and Junior High Schools in Senegal, wasdecided on December 15, 2006. Following
this, the Japanese government signed
agreements with the government of Niger
regarding the Project for Construction ofClassrooms for Elementary Schools in the
Regions of Maradi and Zinder on February 1,
2007 and with the government ofMadagascar regarding the Project forConstruction of Classrooms for Elementary
Schools in the Regions of Antsiranana andToliara on March 5. To carry out these projects on behalf of counterpart governments,
JICS signed a procurement agent contractand is procuring the human resources suchas consultants and builders as well as theequipment needed for the project.

Project for Construction ofClassrooms for Elementary andJunior High Schools in Senegal
The Project for Construction of Classrooms
for Elementary and Junior High Schools in
Senegal provides grant aid for constructionof classrooms, headmaster offices, storerooms and toilet buildings at 68 elementaryand junior high schools, provision of schoolsupplies, repairs and maintenance of school
facilities and instruction for improving theschool environment. Following the agreement between the governments of Japanand Senegal, JICS signed a procurement
agent contract with Senegal's Ministry of
Education on December 18, 2006.
One of the features of grant aid for community empowerment is the active use of
local businesses. Having local workers who
are not accustomed to the scheme ofJapanese grant aid to meet quality standards and deadlines of construction requires
appropriate methods as well as ingenuity
and effort of JICS staff.
Under this grant aid program, lawyers andcertified testing organizations may be selected, in addition to consultants and contractors. Local lawyers can offer legal advice
regarding the various types of contracts JICS
enters into as an agent, which helps prevent
problems that Japanese staff may be unable
to foresee. JICS projects always include one
Japanese engineer, whose job is to oversee

Temporary classrooms made from broken branches and other materials. During summer vacation, they aredisassembled. (Senegal)

the quality of the work carried out, and thistechnical supervisor is supported by certified
testing organizations. These organizations
also serve as third parties who can act as abrake on collusion between consultants andcontractors. Letting it be known that certified testing organizations conduct spot testing is also an effective way of preventing dishonesty.
Under Grant Aid for Community Empowerment, JICS carries out procurement management based on JICA's outline design
study. Compared to basic design study for
grant aid for general projects, such studies

are carried out more quickly with more limited information. This lack of information
makes it very difficult to choose companies
with sufficient capabilities for carrying out
projects from among local operators thathave never been involved in Japanese grant
aid projects before. Accordingly, JICS carries
out its own studies, collecting additional
information to help choose contractors.
This new scheme involves various difficulties, but there are high expectations in thecommunities where classrooms are scheduled to be built, which is encouraging forstaff involved in this project.

Project for Construction of Classrooms for
Elementary and Junior High Schools in Senegal

Mauritania

Louga
Linguere
Kebemer
Tivaouane
Thies

Dakar

SenegalGossas

Mbour

Mali
FatickKaolack

Kaffrine
Koungheul

Nioro du Rip

GambiaGuinea-Bissau
Region 1
KaolackRegion 2
Louga

Region 3
Fatick18 schools
94 classrooms
18 headmaster offices
92 toilets

15 schools
67 classrooms
11 headmaster offices
62 toilets

11 schools
44 classrooms
7 headmaster offices
42 toilets

GuineaRegion 4
Dakar and Thies(Mbour)Region 5
Thies (Thies region
and Tivaouane)

9 schools
60 classrooms
7 headmaster offices
42 toilets

15 schools
49 classrooms
13 headmaster offices
50 toilets

ASEAN- Japan Project for the
Stockpile of Tamiflu and PPE

Preparing for Unpredictable
Hazards
Avian influenza is currently transmitted only
from fowls to humans, but health authorities
are concerned that a mutant strain of thevirus will appear that can be passed
between humans. The likelihood of thisoccurrence is considered high in the ASEAN
region.
If human to human transmission of thevirus is confirmed in the ASEAN region, theProject for the Stockpile of Tamiflu and PPE(personal protective equipment) against
Potential Pandemic Influenza will ensurethat stockpiles of medicines and equipment
are rapidly deployed to prevent infections
from spreading. Under this project, flu drug
Tamiflu for 500,000 persons and PPE (protective clothing, disinfectants and testing kits)
are stored in a warehouse in Singapore,using a part of the Japan-ASEAN Integrated
Fund (JAIF) created by Japan and ASEAN
member countries.
Acting as the procurement agent for the
ASEAN office, JICS handles procurement of
Tamiflu and PPE, stockpiling these supplies
in a warehouse in Singapore and shipping of
the stockpiled goods in the event of anavian flu outbreak. If stockpiling continues
until the end of 2010, the expiration date for
the Tamiflu in the stockpiles, JICS also plans
to handle arrangements for disposal of the
drug. Goods stored in the warehouse are
packed so that they can be shipped internationally in an emergency, and the warehouse is staffed around the clock to enable
immediate shipment if the need arises.
Following delivery of the first shipment of
Tamiflu and other procured goods to
Singapore on May 2, 2006, a handover ceremony was held in Jakarta, site of the ASEAN
Secretariat, together with a seminar on
measures for fighting new forms of influenza. JICS assisted in the preparations and execution of the ceremony and the seminar,
with the help of the ASEAN Secretariat and
the Japanese embassy in Indonesia.
Stockpiling at the Singapore warehouse of
all the goods procured was completed on
August 15.
Many entities are involved in this project:
the ASEAN Secretariat, which made the contract with JICS; the Japanese Ministry ofForeign Affairs and the Japanese embassy inIndonesia; the WHO Western PacificRegional Office; the Singapore warehouse
operator and its agent; and as necessary, theSingapore Ministry of Health; flu drug manufacturers and many others. Decision-making
requires liaising and coordinating with all
the parties and takes more time and effort
compared to the usual bilateral projects that
JICS is involved in.
Additionally, customs clearance procedures for the stockpiled goods need to be
confirmed among all 10 ASEAN member
countries, since human-to-human transmission could occur at any time. The ASEAN
Secretariat is handling this issue but since it
involves working-level matters, JICS, theASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN member
countries must continually be kept up to
date. Time is always topmost in everyone's
mind, since no one knows when an outbreak
could happen.
A tabletop exercise in containing an
influenza pandemic outbreak took place inApril 2007. The exercise, assuming an outbreak of pandemic flu in Cambodia, followed the same flow as actual emergency

Medical supplies stockpiled in a Singapore warehouseshipments, with the ASEAN Secretariat
deciding to carry out an emergency shipment based on the advice of the WHO
Western Pacific Regional Office and JICS
arranging for transport. The aim of the exercise was to determine whether decisionmaking and liaison among the parties
involved were being carried out quickly andefficiently.

ASEAN Operations in a New Influenza Pandemic

ASEAN
Secretariat

Pandemic●●

Makes the decision torelease medical
supplies
Informs about
emergency release

JICS●

Directs operation torelease medical
supplies

Transport of
medicalsupplies

Rapid
customs
clearance,
etc.

Singaporewarehouse holding
stockpiled goods●

Preparations forreleaseCounterpart
country
government

Medicalfacilities, etc.
Distribution of
medical supplies
●

9

Part

I

Main Activities in FY2006

From the Field

Testing of Mine Detectors andDemining Equipment in
Cambodia
Among the obstacles to reconstruction andeconomic development in post-conflictcountries are landmines. With the international community prohibiting manufacture
and use of anti-personnel mines, theJapanese government has also begun thinking of what it can do on the landmine issue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministryof Economy, Trade and Industry and theMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology have gotten
together to conduct field testing of mine
detectors and demining equipment, making
use of funds in the ODA budget for grant aid
for research.
Following field testing of similar equipment in Afghanistan in 2004, field testing
was carried out in Cambodia from July 2006
to January 2007. Compared to Afghanistan,which has sparse vegetation, Cambodia iscovered in dense shrubbery and bamboo
groves, and during testing, the Cambodian
Mine Action Centre (CMAC), which is incharge of landmine clearing in Cambodia,
reported having to spend 70% of the timeclearing shrubbery. This points to the needfor developing mine-clearing and detecting
equipment suited to local conditions.
The first landmines in Cambodia wereburied there in 1967, during the Vietnam
War. In the nearly two-decade long civil warthat followed, Cambodia was one of the

Testing of demining machines

10

Experience in Afghanistan
Proved Valuable

Mine detecting operations

world's most heavily mined countries, andeven today around 800 people are victimized by mines every year.
As the project management agent for
CMAC, JICS is involved in recruiting andselecting field testing participants. A selection committee composed of experts fromJapan and Cambodia chose four models of
demining machines and five types of mine
detectors for testing. JICS also drew up theplan for field testing, provided field testingsupport, oversaw safety for Japanese staff,
managed the testing and supervised funds
locally.
It is expected that this testing result will
be useful for further improving the equipment, with a view toward practical use. JICS
will continue to support grant aid forresearch for demining and technology
development.

Report from on-site staff

Grant Aid for Research

I believe I was able to put the experience I
acquired in Afghanistan to good use during fieldtesting of mine detectors and demining equipment in Cambodia. In Afghanistan, which was myfirst time for participating in field testing, I learned
that safety is the foremost priority and had a hardtime making sure everything was all right.
First, we had to be sensitive to picking up local
information, in order to protect and ensure thesafety of the Japanese personnel who were participating. This meant always maintaining safety
precautions and carrying out testing smoothly.
JICS made a contract with a local security firm,
arranging through them to protect the Japanese
taking part in the testing during the day.
Second, we had to make sure that everyone onsite–a maximum of 100 people, including 60
Afghans–were protected from injury due toexplosives and mines being blown apart in theminefield and the test site. A relatively low-risk
minefield was chosen, which was gone over several times by JICS and a local demining organization before Japanese personnel and project
members were allowed in.
It was a frightening experience for me. With
the smell of explosives in the air, I felt confident
but anxious when identifying areas where mines
were laid and demining machines could be used.
Advancing step by step in the minefield and theprevious few seconds replaying in my mind likean ever-changing panorama, I knew my fate wasin the hands of the gods, but we also had tomake a success of the project.
A Japanese demining machine succeeded in
destroying 60 mines in one hour–our faith had
been rewarded. A real feeling of accomplishment, wonder and excitement after completing adifficult job, mingled with the fear of walking in aminefield, brought tears to my eyes.
The success of the test made me feel that thewishes of the Japanese involved in the project
had been brought together, and that was worth
exchanging 10 years of my life for. Conditions on
the minefield were relayed to waiting Japanesepersonnel in real time by wireless transmission,and after the test I was very moved when people
who had not even been on the site wanted toshake my hand.
It's true that I risked my life to help remove
landmines–even if only for an instant–but to me
it felt like a truly universal experience, with no differences in ethnicity or social status, no fabrication or vainglory. I thanked everyone for having
had a chance to participate and for being able tocomplete this test safely.
Those feelings and experiences encouraged
me throughout my work on field testing in
Cambodia.

Various Projects

ZambiaZAMBIA
Improving the Cold Chain to
Promote Vaccination
Grant Aid for Infectious Diseases
Prevention and Treatment
The under-5 mortality rate in Zambia is 182
per 1,000 live births (as of 2004), placing thecountry eighteenth from the bottom of thelist worldwide. In 70 percent of cases, deathis caused by malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal
diseases, measles, malnutrition and otherpreventable conditions. Diseases spreadbecause of insufficient knowledge about
infectious diseases, a weak health care support system, and an aging cold chain (refrigerators for vaccines, etc.), which means thatvaccines cannot be stored at the proper
temperature and often have to be discarded.
The goal in Zambia is to raise the vaccination rate for regular vaccinations (BCG,
DTP+Hib, measles, polio and tetanus, which
is given to pregnant women and women ofchild-bearing age to prevent neonatal

tetanus) to 90 percent by 2010 throughwill be installed in health centers throughintroducing improved cold chain equipout the country. We hope that this project
ment. To this end, following the project forwill contribute to storing vaccines at the
improving the vaccination system impleproper temperature to reduce discards andmented in 2001, the Zambian government
cut down on mortality and morbidity rates
requested grant aid from Japan for replacing
by ensuring that the population are inocuold cold chain equipment in 531 health cenlated with effective vaccines.
ters and installing new
equipment in 49 healthcenters that had not been
covered by the project in
2001.
JICS made a procurement management contract with Zambia's
Ministry of Health inNovember 2006 and assisted with equipment procurement. The entity
procuring the cold chain
equipment was selected in
December 2006 after bids
were taken; all the equipment was delivered toZambia in August 2007 and Mothers waiting to have their children inoculated at a health center

Honduras

HONDURAS
Improving Productivity on
Small Farms
Grant Assistance for Underprivileged
Farmers (2KR)
Honduras, located in Central America,
devotes considerable inputs to achieving
self-sufficiency for its grain crops. But many
farmers cultivate small plots, growing only
enough to feed themselves and remain low
productivity. To improve this situation, thegovernment of Honduras concentrates on
supporting small farmers through policies
such as providing improved seed stocks andselling fertilizer at low prices. Japan was
requested to provide fertilizer under 2KR
grant aid. JICA conducted a field study in
October 2005, in which JICS also participated. The study examined the validity of therequest, and after confirming that fertilizer
provided under past 2KR grant aid had beenused effectively, the governments of

Honduras and Japan agreed on procurefor this meeting, and staff dispatched for thement of fertilizer valued at approximately
meeting helped coordinate the meeting390 million yen on January 23, 2006.
schedule, take minutes and contribute to its
Following this, JICS dispatched three staff
smooth operation.
members to Honduras in March 2006 to sign
The fertilizer sold to the farmers will help
a procurement agent contract with theboost yields of maize and other principal
Honduras Ministry of Agriculture andgrain crops in Honduras.
Livestock and discuss and decideon specific procurement conditions. Following this, JICS made aprocurement contract with thecompany selected through bidding at JICS to provide the fertilizer, which arrived in Honduras in
September.
On January 24, 2007, the two
governments' Committee met in
Honduras to confirm how the fertilizer procured through 2KR grant
aid would be distributed and soldand the Honduran side's arrangements for this purpose, and discuss what improvements could be Farmers applying to receive improved seed stocks bought with promade. JICS acted as the secretariat ceeds from the sale of fertilizer

11

Part

I

Main Activities in FY2006

Niger

NIGER
Contributing to Stable Supply
of Food
Food Aid (KR)Two-thirds of Niger, which is just south of
the Sahara Desert, is desert terrain. Even
though fully 90 percent of Niger's population is engaged in farming, only 12 percentof the land area is arable. It is difficult for thecountry to ensure stable food production, as
rainfall is scarce, the soil is poor, grasshoppers and other pests damage crops, andsevere droughts occur.
Japan has been providing Niger with ricefor food aid (KR) since 1993, and on
November 25, 2005, these two countries
agreed to procurement of rice valued atsome 410 million yen. Following this agreement, JICS dispatched staff to Niger inJanuary 2006 to make a contract with the
Niger Office for Food Products (Office desproduits vivriers du Niger: OPVN), the public
body in charge of managing food aid

received from abroad, for procurement
meeting of the two countries' Committee
management of the rice, and to discuss andwas held in Niger to discuss food aid in gendecide on detailed procurement conditions.
eral. JICS acted as the secretariat and staff
After JICS staff returned to Japan, the biddispatched for the meeting helped coordiding session was prepared in Japan and connate the meeting schedule, took minutes
ducted by JICS on June 26, 2006, in the presand contributed to its smooth operation.
ence of the president of
the OPVN, who had cometo Japan for the occasion.
Following this, JICS made aprocurement contract
with the company selected through bidding andthe rice shipped fromJapan reached Niger via
Benin at the end of
February 2007. During thattime, JICS supervisedtransport of the rice, maintaining close contact withthe procuring company
and Niger officials toensure the shipment's safe
arrival.
Warehouse workers happily greeting the arrival of the rice (procured
through JICS)
On February 14, 2007, a

Bulgaria

BULGARIA
Procuring Musical Instruments
for a Symphony Orchestra
Cultural Grant Aid
The Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian
National Radio, which is under the national
radio organization, is considered the best in
Bulgaria. In addition to playing 24 regularconcerts in Bulgaria every year, the orchestra
also tours abroad. Performances recorded
daily in the studios of the national radio network are aired over the radio from Monday
to Friday every week, reaching approximately 4 million listeners. Many Bulgarians are
exposed to the arts through the orchestra's
performances.
The orchestra, however, does not receive
sufficient funding from the government, andonly thorough maintenance ensures that its
old instruments can still be played. Even so,many instruments have reached the end of
their useful lives, and new instruments are12

needed. Furthermore, the orchestra does
Musical Instruments for the Symphony
not have enough types or sufficient numOrchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio.
bers of instruments, which limits its reperFollowing this, JICS prepared invitations totoire and performance schedule.
bid on procurement of musical instruments
Accordingly, Bulgaria requested culturaland bidding documents, held the bidding
grant aid from Japan to buy the necessary
session and performed other related duties.
musical instruments.
JICS conducted a fieldstudy in July 2005, under acontract with the Japanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegating it to do so. The study
collected information on theorchestra's activities, inquired
about its repertoire, checked
the condition and the maintenance of all the orchestra's
instruments and also surveyed which instruments theorchestra needed. Based on
the findings of the field study,
on October 5, 2006 Japan andBulgaria signed an agreement The Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio recording a perfor cultural grant aid forformance

Six Pacific Ocean States

OCEANIASupport for Economic
Restructuring Plan
Non-project Grant Aid

The Pacific has many island states, but mostare very small and have permanent balanceof trade deficits. To support economic
restructuring plans by six of thesenations––Nauru, Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati,
Vanuatu and Tonga––Japan entered into
agreements with each country's government to provide non-project grant aid in
FY2005 and FY2006. Among Pacific Ocean
states, Papua New Guinea has been receiving non-project grant aid but this is the first
non-project grant aid for the six countries inquestion. Following the bilateral agreements, JICS made contracts for procurement
management with each country.
The rising price of oil in the past few years
has meant skyrocketing prices for diesel oil
used for power generation and fuel for fishing boats, making it difficult for companies

and fishermen to use electric power andinternational payments, and under austerity
fishing boats to go out to sea. For Tuvalu,
measures imposed by the World Bank or the
Kiribati and Samoa, where fishing is one ofInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), pay forthe few industries, and Nauru, whose nationemergency imports of supplies. JICS firstal economy is unstable because the phosserved as procurement agent for non-projphate deposits on the island are nearly
ect grant aid in 1993 for Mongolia and has
exhausted, the high cost of fuel is affecting
played the same role since then for counterthe core of the national economy and they
part countries.
are taking active measures torestructure their economies.
Non-project grant aid will be
used to procure diesel fuelneeded by Nauru, Tuvalu andKiribati, construction equipment for Samoa and medicines for Vanuatu.
Non-project grant aid,
which has been used in recent
years to assist reconstruction
after natural disasters, wasstarted in 1987. It was originally intended to help developing
countries in serious economic
difficulties such as increasing
Equipment for unloading diesel fuel in Nauru
debt or worsening balance ofCambodia

CAMBODIA
Phase II of Arms Retrieval and
Destruction
Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention andPeacebuilding
After an agreement on January 18, 2005
between the Japanese and Cambodian governments to carry out grant aid in theamount of 466 million yen for thePeacebuilding and Comprehensive Small
Arms Management Programme (Phase II),JICS signed a project management (procurement agent) contract with the Cambodian
government on February 3.
Numerous small arms that spreadthroughout the country during Cambodia'slong civil war threaten public safety and are
an obstacle to building a stable and peacefulsociety. The programme's Phase II aims toencourage local residents to turn in illegal
small arms they possess, and provides development (construction of wells, schools,

bridges) that meets their needs. The prototal of 27,872 small arms (as of July 2007)
gramme carries out comprehensive small
have been recovered and destroyed sincearms measures, such as holding arms
Phase I began. We hope that this prodestruction ceremonies, supporting small
gramme's activities will contribute toarms management and registration by the
improving public safety and building a
Cambodian government, assisting thepeaceful society in Cambodia.
national committee overseeing small arms, and carryingout projects to promote
understanding and raiseawareness of the small arms
issue among local residents
and government officials.
Phase II of the programmefollows Phase I (April 2003September 2005). It is being
carried out by JSAC (Japanese
Small Arms Control supportteam), which includes
Japanese staff, in two
provinces in central andnorthwestern Cambodia(Kompong Thom andSmall arms burning at a destruction ceremony in Kompong Thom Province
Battambang provinces). A

13

Part

I

Main Activities in FY2006

Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives

INDONESIA, SRI LANKA, MALDIVES
Repairing Roads and Facilities
Support for the Sumatra Earthquake
and Tsunami Disaster

On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.0
earthquake occurred off the northwest coastof Sumatra in Indonesia, triggering a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean and causing catastrophic destruction in Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, the Maldives and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
In response, Japan provided non-project
grant aid totaling 24.6 billion yen toIndonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. JICS
entered into procurement agent contracts
with the three countries and has beenprocuring goods and services. The contracts
will expire soon, and efforts are concentrated now on completing construction andhanding over facilities as soon as possible.
Grant aid to Indonesia was 14.6 billion
yen, for procurement of equipment andfacilities construction projects mainly in

Aceh Province and on Nias Island in North
tively, and is working now toward rapid
Sumatra Province. The largest of these projcompletion of construction projects so thatects is repair work to the western coastal
they can be handed over to the respectiveroad. The tsunami affected an 800 km
governments for the benefit of local resistretch of the northwestern coast ofdents.
Sumatra, wiping out roads along the coastand bringing economic activity to a standstill. In this project, 122 kilometers of roadbetween Calang and Meulaboh
were repaired and handed overto the Indonesian government ina ceremony on December 27,
2006. The portion between
Calang and Banda Aceh is being
rebuilt by the United States but
is not ready yet, and local residents hope that the road will
open soon.
Sri Lanka received a total of 8billion yen and the Maldives 2
billion yen, and projects there
are proceeding smoothly. As the
procurement agent for the twocountries, JICS handled contracts
Before and after: a bridge in Aceh Province destroyed by the tsunami and rebuilt
for 100 and 20 projects, respec-

Afghanistan

AFGHANISTAN
Building Roads Linking Major
Regional Cities
Road Sector Program Grant Aid
Mazar-i-Sharif, in the northern part of
Afghanistan, is a verdant city with relatively
good public safety. As a religious site, it
attracts pilgrims from all over the country.
The city is still heavily damaged, however,after invasion by the Soviet Union, civil war
and bombarding by the United States.
Roads in the city, in particular, are in a very
poor state, and this is having negative
effects on economic activity in and aroundthe city and is making it difficult for pilgrims
and visitors to travel.
Against this background, on November 28,
2005 Japan and Afghanistan agreed on road
sector program grant aid to repair 10.7 kilometers of road on 12 routes in the city. Aftera survey by JICA, JICS, as an agent for theAfghan government, signed a procurement

14

management contract with Afghanistan's
workers and the governments of the city and
Ministry of Urban Development and Housing
the province, the project was completed
to supervise road improvement, overseeing
without incident in March 2007. Traffic jams,
funds, arranging bidding procedures, makpoorly defined roadways and sidewalks, poting contracts with construction companies,
holes and so on have been eliminated. The
and managing the project's progress.
Afghan government expressed its gratitude
Following this, consultants and construction
to Japan for the construction and JICS also
companies were selected and the work
received a certificate of appreciation frombegan in April 2006.
the Afghan government.
This is the third road project, following the Kabul-Kandahar road
(KK road) and the Kandahar-Heratroad (KH road), that JICS is involved
with in Afghanistan. After the startof construction, the governmentsof Mazar-i-Sharif city and of Balkh
Province requested many changes
and additional work, which weresuccessfully accommodated
because of the well-organized
nature of the sector program.
Thanks to smooth cooperation
among consultants, construction
companies, hard-working AfghanChildren happily walking along one of the repaired roads

Iraq

IRAQ
Continuing Efforts to Support
Reconstruction
Emergency Grant Aid, Grant Aid for
Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding
In October 2003, the Japanese government
announced that it would provide 1.5 billion
dollars in grant aid to support reconstruction in
Iraq. This includes bilateral support for Iraq andsupport through international organizations.
With regard to direct bilateral support (equivalent to 800 million dollars), JICS has been acting
as procurement agent for the Iraqi government, overseeing funds and projects. Since
FY2003, JICS has handled equipment procurement (nine cases), facilities rehabilitation (11cases) and one peacebuilding grant, whichwere continued in FY2006.
Under the Projects for the Provision of
Equipment for Solid Waste and Sewage
Management, garbage collection vehicles weredelivered to Baghdad municipality, theMinistry of Municipalities and Public Works,

and Samawah municipality and are being used
for public sanitation. The Project for theProvision of Ambulances has delivered 700
ambulances which are being used throughout
the country for medical emergencies. Under
the Project for the Provision of Police Buses
and Motorcycles, 480 police motorcycles and150 buses have been delivered, which arebeing used to maintain public safety.
In the Projects for Rehabilitation of General
Hospitals in the Northern, Central andSouthern Regions of Iraq, 10 main hospitals in
the northern, central and southern regions of
Iraq have been refurbished and equipment
was procured, delivered and installed.
Refurbishing work and equipment handoverwere completed in June 2007. In the Project forConstruction of a Diesel Power Station in
Samawah, the Project for Rehabilitation of TajiGas Turbine Power Station, the Project for
Rehabilitation of the Mosul Gas Turbine Power
Station, the Project for Rehabilitation of the
Mosul Hydroelectric Power Station No.1, theProject for Improvement of the TrunkCommunications Network, the Project for

Improvement of Transit Switches and the
Project for Improvement of Water Supply in
Baghdad, transport of equipment has begunand some has already been installed. The projects are underway and hopefully will be completed soon.
In the Execution of the Police Training &Mentoring Program in Al-Muthanna Province
being provided under grant aid for conflict prevention and peacebuilding, a six-month training program is being conducted for 6,200
policeofficers,
to contribute torestoring
publicsafety.

Patient monitoring equipment and a
refurbished medical oxygen supply system provided under the Projects for
Rehabilitation of General Hospitals in
the Northern, Central and Southern
Regions of Iraq

Vietnam

VIETNAM
Study of Micro-finance inFarming Villages
Grant Aid for Japanese NGO Projects
Since FY2003, JICS has been delegated tocarry out studies related to the Japanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs grant aid forJapanese NGO projects. This involves evaluating the appropriateness of projects submitted by NGOs in a fair and objective manner. For some projects, field studies are carried out to check how they have been conducted, conditions after the end of the project, effectiveness and so on. In FY2006, JICS
evaluated 16 projects in eight countries suchas Ghana, Vietnam and the Dominican
Republic. In Vietnam, a field study was carried out on a micro-finance operation run by
Save the Children Japan.
In Vietnam, economic growth has benefited mainly urban areas, and many people infarming villages in the mountainous northand highland areas still live in poverty.
mother and child nutrition and living condiAmong children under age 5, one-third aretions. Furthermore, the ability of the women
malnourished. This project is extending
to earn cash improved their position andmicro-loans of a few thousand yen (equivastimulated their independence. One woman
lent to a month's earnings) to poor families
tearfully related that “If I could travel towith malnourished children or pregnant
Japan, I would like to thank the Japanesewomen mainly in farming villages aroundpeople.”mountain areas in the north of
Yen Bai Province. Borrowers
then use the micro-loans toearn cash income by growing
vegetables or raising livestock.
The field study examined thecurrent status of the microfinance program and checked
on results by interviewing village women who were the borrowers. Many women said thatthe loans had enabled them tosell pigs or eggs for cash, allowing them to feed their children
adequately and send them toschool. The program has had amajor impact on improving
A child being weighed when the mother receives a loan

15

Part

I

Main Activities in FY2006

Uzbekistan

UZBEKISTAN
Supporting Local Procurement
by JICA Overseas Offices
Technical Cooperation
Ever since JICA became an independentadministrative entity in October 2004, procurement methods have changed fromprocuring in Japan and shipping to local
areas to local procurement. Field-based
management has also been adopted by JICA
for equipment procurement, to speed up
and improve efficiency of procedures. In
conjunction with this, in FY 2006, JICS dispatched local procurement support personnel to JICA overseas offices in France,
Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Sri Lanka,
China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz, Serbia and Kenya
for one to three months to help with procurement work, training of national staff andestablishment of systems and procedures.
In January 2007, JICS dispatched a support staff member for one month to
Uzbekistan to assist local procurement ofborder control and implementation equipevaluate documents submitted for bidding
ment in central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz,
and write draft contracts. This staff member
Tajikistan) under the BOMCA program foralso prepared forms for company lists andimproving the management of national borheld a seminar for Japanese and national
ders in Central Asia carried out by the UNDPJICA office staff on preparing documents cirwith EC funding. The equipment to be proculated for approval aimed at improving thecured—X-ray inspection equipment andaccuracy of the documents, by explaining
computer-related equipment to be installed
their purpose and how to draw them up.
at airports, and vehicle weighing
scales to be installed at bordercrossings—was very expensive
for a technical cooperation program, costing as much as tens of
millions of yen and construction
was involved for installing someof the equipment. In addition,
contract procedures had to becompleted within a limited time
before the end of the fiscal year.
JICS staff dispatched to the officehelped decide the equipmentwith the local body involved in
implementation, draw up specifications, prepare requests for estiSupport staff (right) having a meeting with the Customs Committee,
mates and answers to questions,the implementing body in Uzbekistan

YEN LOANS
Basic Verification of
Procurement Documents andProcurement Seminar Lecturer
Yen Loans
Yen loans, also called loan aid, refers to longterm, low-interest loans made to developing
countries (borrowers) based on an agreement between Japan and the counterpart
country. Most of these loans are made by
Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC). Borrowers use the funds to build economic and social infrastructure, such as forelectricity, gas, transport or telecommunications, but must undertake procurement procedures following procurement guidelines
and consultant hiring guidelines laid down
by JBIC to obtain the necessary goods andservices. In FY2006, JICS, delegated by JBIC,
carried out basic verification of procurement
documents prepared by borrowers to confirm that their contents followed JBIC guide-

16

lines.
Through this work, JICS helps countries
JBIC also holds procurement seminars to
set up efficient systems for handling thegive governments and implementing bodies
work, so that yen loan projects can conin borrower countries a better understandtribute to more effective development assising of the yen loan system and procedurestance.
and of the basic philosophy behind the system. In
FY2006, JICS personnel
served as instructors inprocurement seminars inIndia, Egypt, Romania andPeru, imparting the knowledge and experience
gained through basic verification of procurement
documents to officials inthe borrower countries
and offering suggestions
for improving the qualityof documents prepared, inorder to improve the procurement capacity of theimplementing bodies in
JICS personnel lecturing at a procurement seminar for borrowing countries(Romania)
borrower countries.

JICS Recent Events
Management Planning
Department Created

In line with amalgamation of ODA implementing bodies planned in FY2008, JICS created an Office of Management Planning on
January 1, 2007 to handle the planning necessary to operate JICS in accordance with
the JICS Vision.
The Office of Management Planning,which reports directly to the Secretary
General, was created to allow more specialized and effective measures related to organizational change, reform of operations, personnel system reform, new project planningand other matters which had previously
been handled by the Advisory Council on
Management, the General Affairs Division,
the Planning and Coordination Division andother JICS departments or divisions.
JICS will be 20 years old in 2009. To markthis milestone, the Office of Management
Planning will take the lead in guidingchanges at JICS to make it a more specialized international procurement organization.

JICS Participates in One
World Festival

The One World Festival took place atInternational House, Osaka on February 3
and 4, 2007. This event, held since 1993,
attracted 12,600 visitors over the two days.
The theme this year, “What Each Person Can
Do to Create a World for Everyone Living

Visitors to the JICS booth

Together,” attracted participatory andhands-on workshops, offering opportunities
for those not so familiar with international
cooperation to learn about this subject andabout cross-cultural understanding.
The JICS booth at the One World Festival
described JICS' role within ODA and provided information on our support for research
into demining equipment in Cambodia andfor measures to contain the spread of avian
influenza, through panel displays and an
exhibit of procured equipment. These highprofile topics attracted many interested visitors to the JICS booth who asked questions
and offered comments. In particular, students with an interest in ODA noted thatthey appreciated the clear information in thepanel displays.

JICS Guidelines for theProcurement of Consultant Services Drawn Up
and Implemented
In recent years, an increasing number ofprojects where JICS provides procurement
management services involve construction
work for reconstruction after natural disasters and so on. Contractors handling theseprojects are generally selected by international competitive bidding. However,depending on the project, the work involvedor the construction environment may differ,and since contractors large and small, frommany countries and of varying technicalcapability, participate in the bidding, highly
specialized knowledge and extensive experience are required to set down bid conditions, conduct technical evaluation of thebidding and supervise the work.
Thus, in cases where the help of a consultant is deemed necessary to carry out the
project in question appropriately and effectively, grant aid funds are used, with theconsent of the recipient country, to hire a
consultant to handle the work, and selectionof such consultants is also generally done
through international competitive bidding.
Given that JICS foresees handling moreprocurement of consultant services in the
future and the need to set clear consultant
selection criteria, JICS Guidelines for theProcurement of Consultant Services wereadopted and implemented in April 2006.
These guidelines set out general principles for observing impartiality, fairness andcompetitiveness when selecting consultants. JICS procurement guidelines for equipment procurement were implemented in
April 2005.

Meeting and Discussion:
JICS Support for NGOs

NGO participants reporting on how they
had benefited from JICS' support

On September 4, 2006 a meeting took place
among JICS, officials from NGO recipients ofsupport from JICS in FY2004 and experts inthe field, to hear progress reports on theNGOs' activities and discuss various issues.
The progress reports submitted described
the status of each NGO's activities andresults achieved by JICS support. It was confirmed that support funds were used effectively and initial goals of the projects weregenerally achieved. Groups participating in
the meeting said they would utilize theexperience they had gained and specificissues that had come up through project
implementation for future activities.
Participants discussed issues such as fundraising and institutional building of NGOs
under the theme of strengthening the foundations of NGOs. JICS will continue holding
similar meetings, and plans to continue tooffer support that meets the needs of NGOs.

Participants listened attentively to the presentations

17

Policies for project implementation
in FY2007- Respond quickly and appropriately
to needs for implementing ODA- Give JICS a stronger foundation
appropriate as an international procurement organization- Improve JICS financial condition

Global Festa Japan 2006

The Global Festa Japan 2006 event took
place at Tokyo's Hibiya Park on September
30 and October 1.
In line with this year's Global Festa themeof “food,” the JICS booth presented a panel
exhibit and samples of procured materials
relating to recent projects we have been
involved in––grant aid for food and grantassistance for underprivileged farmers, aswell as support for reconstruction and rehabilitation in Pakistan, and support measuresfor preventing the spread of avian flu. The
timely nature of the information on avian flu
measures attracted particularly strong interest from visitors to our booth.

Board of Trustees meeting

The changes concerning the Articles ofFoundation were made to Articles 3(Purposes) and 4 (Operations), with theapproval of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, to reflect the more diverse and complex nature of projects JICS is being expected to undertake and allow us to operate in a
broader field, as a result of changing conditions in the international cooperation environment.
At the meeting, 11 executives, including a
new executive director, were chosen for the
next term of office running from April 1,
2007 to March 31, 2009.
The Board of Directors meeting held on
March 20 approved the first four agenda
items discussed by the Board of Trustees theprevious day. The assembled members alsochose the president, president and Board ofTrustees members. It was agreed that president Takahisa Sasaki and vice president
Yukihisa Sakurada would continue in theirpositions for the new term. A total of 13
Board of Trustees members, including one
new member, were also chosen.
New executive director

Visitors at the JICS Global Festa boothYozo Kaneko, President, Japan Overseas
Cooperative Association
New Board of Trustees member

Board of Directors andBoard of Trustees
Meetings Held

Tomoyuki Sakurai, Managing Director,
General Affairs Department, JapanFoundation18

To contribute to the development of NGOs
involved in international cooperation and to
mark the 10th anniversary of its founding, in
FY1999 JICS began offering support for NGOs
active in that field. Eligible NGOs receive a
grant of up to 1 million yen for equipment andmaterials, transportation expenses, local projects or operating funds for bolstering thegroups.
In FY2006, the eighth year of this program,
JICS placed recruitment ads for NGOs throughits website and other media. Eleven applications were received and after examination byexperts in the field, seven groups were selected
to receive support totaling 5.75 million yen.
Compared to earlier years, more groups thisyear applied for funds for strengthening thefoundations of NGOs. JICS believes that building a firm foundation by conducting public
relations activities, raising funds or training personnel is essential for allowing NGOs to
improve their operations, and we place importance on strengthening the foundations ofthese organizations in our support activity.
JICS will continue doing its best to keep
abreast of the needs of NGOs and study how it
can extend helpful support.

NGOs Supported by JICS in FY2006 (in alphabetical order)
NGO Name

The second regular meetings of the Board ofTrustees and the Board of Directors for
FY2006 were held on March 19 and 20, at
JICS's office. The Board of Trustees meetingon March 19 discussed and approved agenda items on operations planning and therevised budget for FY2006, project policy
and planning for FY2007, the FY2007 budget, a draft of changes to the Articles ofFoundation of JICS, and selection of executives.

NGOs to Receive Support
from JICS in FY2006
Selected

Country

Action with Lao Children (ALC)
CARA (Association pour la Coopération et l'Autogestion Rurale en Afrique de l'Ouest)

Laos
Mali

Caring for Young Refugees (CYR)

CambodiaIntercommunication Center for Asia and Nippon

Philippines

Japanese Association for the Promotion of Health in Myanmar (JAPHM)

MyanmarTerra People Act Kanagawa (TPAK)

Thailand

TICO (Tokushima International Cooperation)

ZambiaSupport Description•Funds for strengthening the foundations of NGOs
•Funds for strengthening the foundations of NGOs
•Equipment and materials purchasing expenses/
transportation expenses•Project operation expenses•Project operation expenses•Funds for strengthening the foundations of NGOs
•Equipment and materials purchasing expenses/
transportation expenses•Equipment and materials purchasing expenses/
transportation expenses•Project operation expenses•Funds for strengthening the foundations of NGOs

Amountgranted (yen)684,650
694,890
1,000,000
975,620
1,000,000
485,600
900,000

The Role of JICS in ODA
Japan provides official development assistance (ODA) as an important national policy
in response to the expectations of the international community.
JICS plays an important role in implementing ODA through various supporting
operations, mainly grant aid projects, technical cooperation projects and yen loan projects. Since its establishment in 1989, JICS, asa fair and impartial procurement agency, hasbuilt on its experience in equipment procurement to provide services appropriate forconditions in developing countries and that
truly meet their needs. JICS will continue tocontribute to promoting a high standard ofinternational cooperation by providing timely support for appropriate and effective
implementation of assistance. The information below describes the main projects inwhich JICS is involved.

Grant Aid

(2KR) has been changed since FY2005 togrant assistance for underprivileged farmers(2KR) in order to show that Japan will provide more effective support to developing
countries in their self-help efforts for achieving food self-sufficiency. By clarifying thataid recipients are poor, small-scale farmers,
Japan will strengthen its efforts to support
increase of food production in those countries.
Since its founding in 1989, JICS has beendelegated by JICA to carry out studies inJapan and on site.
Additionally, since FY1997 JICS, in accordance with contracts with developing countries’ governments, has been serving as aprocurement management agent contributing to fair and rapid procurement of agricultural equipment. It also acts as the secretariat for intergovernmental committees following up on how the equipment procured was
distributed and monitoring accumulation ofcounterpart funds (Note).

Grant aid is a form of assistance whereby
funds are provided to a developing country
without repayment obligation, for a specific,
agreed-upon purpose. JICS is involved in thetypes of grant aid described below.

Note: Developing countries’ governments set aside local
currency funds equivalent to a certain amount of thevalue of equipment procured by grant aid. These funds
are then used for local economic and social development
projects after consultation with the Japanese government.

Grant Aid for Infectious Diseases
Prevention and Treatment

Food Aid (KR)

Grant aid for infectious diseases prevention
and treatment provides aid for vaccines andadministration of therapeutic drugs to control various infectious diseases such as polio,
tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS and others
that threaten lives in developing countries.
JICS has been delegated by JICA since1997 to carry out studies in Japan and onsite concerning equipment needed in thefield of infectious diseases control. Following
these studies, JICS carries out procurement
management based on contracts with thedeveloping countries’ governments.
Since infectious diseases control must be
put into action without delay and the validity periods of vaccines and drugs are also limited, project management always demands
swiftness and accuracy.

Grant Assistance for Underprivileged
Farmers (2KR, formerly known as Grant
Aid for Increase of Food Production)
Grant Assistance for Underprivileged
Farmers (2KR) is aid provided for purchasing
agricultural equipment such as machineryand fertilizer to help increase production offood crops (rice, wheat, maize, etc.) in developing countries where there are food shortages. This grant aid, begun in 1977, is implemented yearly in Asia, Africa, Latin America,
Eastern Europe, CIS countries, and others.
Grant aid for increase of food production

This grant aid is provided to developing
countries with food shortages for the purpose 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 of
the Kennedy Round.
Since FY2001, JICS, in accordance with
contracts with developing countries’ governments, has been serving as a procurement management agent helping ensure
the fair and rapid procurement of food. It
also acts as the secretariat for intergovernmental committees following up on how thefood procured was distributed and monitoring accumulation of counterpart funds.

Cultural Grant Aid
Cultural grant aid provides funds for purchasing, transporting and installing various
types of equipment used for cultural andeducational activities, with the aim of promoting mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and developing countries through support for the developmentof culture and education.
Delegated by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Japan, in FY1993 JICS began carrying out preliminary studies both in Japanand on site concerning equipment requested for this grant aid. Since FY1995, in accordance with contracts with developing countries’ governments, JICS has assisted withtendering (public notice, implementationand evaluation of the tendering process) for
equipment procurement. Additionally, since
FY2000, JICS has been carrying out followup activities by procuring repair parts anddispatching technical experts to ensure thatthe equipment procured is used continuously and effectively.
In FY2004, JICS began analyzing projectapplications and also project applications forgrassroots cultural grant aid. The main typesof equipment procured include sound andlighting equipment for theaters, sports
equipment, equipment for excavating andpreserving archaeological sites, musicalinstruments, equipment for producing cultural and educational programs, materials
related to Japanese language education,and others.

Grant Aid for ResearchThis grant aid supports research activities
into various problems affecting developing
countries, and supports research and development and commercialization of new technologies for products intended for developing countries.
Since FY2001, in accordance with contracts with the governments of developing
countries, JICS has been managing grant aid
provided for research and development
activities, and offering coordination and sup-Japan’s ODA and the Role of JICS
Areas handled by JICS

Study of projects, etc.
Bilateral Grants
Official Development
Assistance (ODA)

Government Loans(yen loans)
Subscriptions andContributions toInternational Organizations

Grant Aid
Technical
Cooperation
Loan Aid

Procurement management service*
Follow-up
Compilation of equipment technical specifications,procurement and transportation of equipment, etc.
Examination of documents, etc.

* Through contracts with the developing country’s government, JICS manages and supervises the overall tendering process for procuring equipment andservices 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 lattersystem is referred to as the procurement agent system and is used for non-project grant aid, emergency grant aid, and grant aid for conflict prevention andpeacebuilding.

19

Areas Handled by JICS in the Case of Grant Aid Projects
Grant aid for general projects(grant aid for infectious diseases prevention and treatment)

Grant assistance forunderprivileged farmers(2KR, former grant aid forincrease of food production)

Food aid (KR)

Cultural grant aid

Requests for aid from developing countries

Request,confirmation

Project formulation study
Study of new
proposals

Master plan study
Feasibility study

Selection of projects

Preliminary
screening

Preliminary screening

Preliminary screening

Instruction to
implement service
Decision to
implement study

Project formation

Preliminary screening

Decision to implement study

Preparatory study

Support for study onsmall-scale equipment

Basic design study

Study

Preliminary study

Project final
evaluation andapproval

Final screening by Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Cabinet decision

Agreement between governments

Project
implementation

Expediting project
implementation

Procurement
management service

Procurement
management service

Procurement
management service(procurement agent
system)Tendering assistance service
Completion

Completion

Start ofprovisionOperation

Evaluation,
follow-up

Post-projectmonitoring study

Temporary measures
PostDispatch of
Follow-up
for equipment andproject
study support facilities provided revitalization experts
evaluation

port to ensure that activities among
researchers and manufacturers in Japan anddeveloping countries are carried out
smoothly.

Non-Project Grant Aid
Non-project aid is grant aid intended to provide rapid support to developing countries
with economic difficulties such as growing

20

Confirmation study ofconditions forequipment provided

Equipment usage begins

Advisory services inconnection with the Committee

Advisory services inconnection with the Committee

Completion

Completion

accumulated debt or a rising internationalbalance of payments deficit, as part of assistance to improve the country’s economic
structure. Since this aid is not earmarked forspecific projects (e.g. building schools, etc.),
it is called non-project grant aid.
Since FY1993, JICS, in accordance with
contracts with developing countries’ governments, has been helping procure theFollow-up

necessary equipment, such as raw materials(petroleum products, steel products, paper
products, etc.) needed to improve the country’s economic structure, machinery (vehicles, construction machinery, etc.) requiredfor public works projects and others.

Emergency Grant Aid
Emergency grant aid is provided for emer-

Handled by JICS

Grant aid for research Non-project grant aid

Emergency grant aid

Grant aid for conflict
prevention andpeacebuilding

Grant aid for disasterprevention andreconstruction(program-type assistance)

Grant aid forcommunity Grant aid for Japanese
NGO projects
empowerment(program-type assistance)

Applications from NGOs

Screening
Screening by Ministryof Foreign Affairs

Preliminary screening

Preliminary
screening

Preliminary survey by athird-party organization

Preparatory
study

Preparatory study

Outline design study
Outline design
study

Screening by Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project management
serviceCompletion

Procurement management service(procurement agent system)

Screening by overseas
diplomatic missions

Decision by Ministryof Foreign Affairs

Cabinet decision

Approval and adoption by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Exchange of a noteverbaleAgreement between governments

Making of contracts for
grants between NGOs
and overseas diplomatic
missions

Monitoring ofcounterpart funds

Procurement
management service(procurement agent
system)Project management
service

Procurement
management service(procurement agent
system)Procurement
management service(procurement agent
system)Completion

Completion

Completion

Completion

Completion

Start of projects by NGOs

Monitoring

gency assistance and support in the following areas:(1) Emergency disaster assistance
Support for rehabilitation after natural disasters or man-made disasters such as civil war.
(2) Support for democratization
Support for establishing democracy after thecollapse of undemocratic regimes or in theaftermath of long-running civil conflict.

(3) Assistance for reconstruction and development
Support for smooth implementation of therehabilitation and reconstruction process incountries and areas involved in conflicts. It is
bridge support implemented in the period
between emergency and humanitarian support for refugees and affected people before
the restoration of peace, and development

assistance after a certain period after peace
has been restored.
Since FY1997, in accordance with contracts with the governments of developing
countries, JICS manages procurement offood, medical equipment, drugs, vehicles(water tank trucks, ambulances, etc.), construction equipment and so on. Dependingon circumstances, JICS also carries out its

21

own monitoring of how the equipment isbeing used after procurement.

Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention andPeacebuilding
Grant aid for conflict prevention and peacebuilding is intended for assisting social reintegration of former soldiers, helping recoversmall arms, and promoting ethnic reconciliation in developing countries. It provides
funds for procuring the necessary equipment and services for conflict prevention
and peacebuilding programs in developing
countries. This grant aid has been provided
since FY2002 as a scheme within non-project grant aid.
Since FY2002, in accordance with contracts with developing countries’ governments, JICS has been serving as a procurement management agent, managing funds
and overseeing and supporting activities
appropriate to various program formats.

Grant Aid for Disaster Prevention andReconstruction
Grant aid for disaster prevention and reconstruction is intended to provide seamlessassistance, from emergency relief for natural
disasters to full-scale rehabilitation and reconstruction aid. It began in FY2006, aiming at
providing multi-component assistance such as
restoration and reconstruction of schools,
medical institutions and roads, according to
the changing needs of the affected areas.
Since disaster response requires speed andmulti-faceted support simultaneously, a higher level of procurement management capabilities and knowledge of diverse fields is needed.
JICS supports the smooth and effective implementation of grant aid for disaster prevention
and reconstruction as a procurement management agency.

Grant Aid for Community
Empowerment
Grant aid for community empowerment
began in FY2006, aiming at supporting comprehensive capacity development of communities facing threats such as poverty,
hunger and disease. This grant aid is expected to reduce costs and make communities
more competitive by using local businesses,
equipment and materials based on local
specifications and design, allowing flexible
response to various situations according tolocal conditions. On the other hand, a highlevel of procurement management capabilities is necessary since close attention isrequired to ensure quality. JICS has been
conducting procurement management ofschool construction projects since FY2006.

22

Technical Cooperation
The aim of technical cooperation is to passon Japan’s skills and knowledge to createhuman resources that can be productive forthe future, in order to promote nation-building in developing countries. JICA carries out
technical training of participants from developing countries, dispatches experts and volunteers to developing countries, and implements technical cooperation projects, development studies and others. Provision ofequipment needed for these projects also
constitutes a major component of technicalcooperation.
Since its establishment in 1989, JICS has
been delegated by JICA to handle equipment provision. At the request of JICA headquarters, overseas offices, dispatchedexperts, volunteers, and staff working intechnical cooperation projects, JICS provides
various services including direct assistancefor procurement-related duties, such as writing out technical specifications necessary forequipment procurement, selecting suppliers
through tendering, etc. and handling equipment transportation, providing information
about equipment, and carrying out various
studies in Japan and abroad.

Yen Loans
Yen loans, also referred to as loan aid, arelong-term, low-interest loans of development funds to developing countries throughthe Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC).
The role of JICS, delegated by JBIC, is primarily to examine whether procurement
procedures, documents and decisions madeby borrowing countries are appropriate inconformity with prior agreements at thetime of signing loan contracts, according to
guidelines, standard documents and others
stipulated by JBIC. JICS also examines estimates of operations costs and basic designs
formulated by borrowing countries in commissioned studies on development projects
implemented by JBIC, by dispatchingexperts to the countries concerned.

Follow-up Activities
JICS undertakes the follow-up activities
described below, to ensure that equipment
procured with ODA funds is being usedeffectively.

Follow-up Examination
Once cooperation in developing countries
has been completed, various projects aremaintained and operated by the developing
countries themselves. However, project
implementation is sometimes hampered byequipment breakdowns or lack of funds. To
help in this situation, JICA carries out followup cooperation as needed, providing support to ensure that the effects of support todeveloping countries can be sustained.
JICS, delegated by JICA, examines
whether documents concerning technicalspecifications and cost estimates that consultants have submitted are properly prepared in conformity with JICA standards, in
JICA follow-up studies.

Support for Database Creation
Delegated by JICA, JICS provides support forbuilding a database related to past records
of grant aid and equipment provision
through technical cooperation.

Operation of the Technical Information
CenterTo remedy the shortage of technical information required for operating and maintaining medical equipment procured to developing countries through grant aid, JICS has
established the Technical Information
Center in cooperation with Overseas
Medical Equipment Technical Assistants(OMETA), to provide one-stop access for staff
in charge at local medical institutions.

NGO-related Projects
JICS supports NGO activities from several different perspectives.

Grant Aid for Japanese NGO Projects
Grant aid for Japanese NGO projects is grant
aid provided for economic and social development or emergency humanitarian support projects, etc. by Japanese NGOs indeveloping countries.
Since FY2003, delegated by the Ministryof Foreign Affairs of Japan, JICS has been
evaluating the goals, content, and appropriateness of size and funding requirements for
proposal applications submitted by NGOs. If
necessary, local studies are also conducted.
Through this activity, JICS contributes tostrengthening the partnership between theJapanese government and NGOs and to thefurther development of NGO activities.

Support for Non-Governmental
Organizations
JICS provides funding of a maximum of one
million yen per year per NGO to relatively
small Japanese NGOs to support their activities. This funding is made available toapproximately ten NGOs per year. Support
for NGOs has been implemented, as one of
JICS’ own projects, since FY1999, the tenthanniversary of JICS.