Government Reform in JapanBy
Ms. Yuko Kaneko
Management & Coordination Agency
Government of Japan

Background of the Reform☺ A success story of the Japanese Public Administration up
to the 1980s
Social and economic changes : lower economic growth
mutual relationship with the world
achievement of the goal : no national consensus
A close-knit community formed around a ministry involving
its clienteles and other parties concerned
Tendency to protect existing interests
A Ministerial territory and wall
Decision-making involving
consuming procedure

manyministries:time-Insufficient assistance and support systems
organizations for the Cabinet and the Prime MinisterandBackgroundoftheReform-Continued< Drastic changes are needed for organizations,systems and practices
Widely recognized< Breaking ministerial walls
Abolition of the laws and/or enactment of new laws areindispensable
Needed enormous political energies< Inter-ministerial reorganization
Political taboo or untouchable

Process of the Reform
November 1996
< Establishment of the Administrative Reform Council

December 1997
< Submission of the Final report of the Administrative Reform Council

June 1998< Enactment of the Basic Law for the Reform of Ministries and Agencies

July1998< Establishment of the Headquarters for the Central Government Reform

April1999< Decision of the Headquarters on 17 bills, basic policies and plans< Submission of the bills to the Diet

June 1999< 17 bills passed through the House of Representatives

July1999< 17 bills passed through the House of Councilors

Major Points of Current Government
Reform< Reinforcing the Cabinet functions and leadership of
the Prime Minister< Drastic Restructuring of Ministries and Agencies< Reinforcing political leadership in every ministeriallevel organization< Slimming and streamlining government organizations
and operations< Other issues

Reinforcing the Cabinet functions andleadership of the Prime Minister< Reduction of Ministers except for the Prime Minister:Present 20 to 14 -17< Cabinet Secretariat : newly given initiative for basic
policy-making< Creation of the Cabinet Office with several hundreds
staff< Creation of advisory councils on economy and finance,
comprehensive science and technology policies

Drastic Restructuring of Ministries
and Agencies< Current 23 ministerial-level organizations to be
reduced to 13

Reinforcing political leadership inevery
ministerial-level
organization< The Deputy-Minister System: positioned between theMinister and Administrative Vice-Minister< The System of Political Aides: Specific policy-makingand planning, dealing with political affairs

Slimming and streamlining governmentorganizations and operations< Government-operated enterprises
 Postal Services
 The Printing Office and the Mint of the Ministry of Finance The National Forest Service< "Independent administrative corporation" system
 Independent legal status outside ministry or agency
 Transfer policy-implementing and other functions
 Research activities, national hospitals, national museums,
mint and printing operations, export-import insurance
activities etc,.
 Flexible management
 Preparation of a mid-term plan An evaluation committee of the supervising Ministry A central evaluation organ of the Ministry of General Affairs

Slimming
government
operations - 2

andstreamlining
organizations
and< Reduction of organizations of ministerial-level
organizations
 Bureau level units : From 128 to 96
 Division level units : From 1200 to 1000

< Reduction of the posts of full-time employees A reduction-in-force plan: At least 10% reduction

for a ten-year period starting from January 2001
 Expected to reduce 25% of its employees in ten years

Other issues< Civil service systems
 The reform of civil service systems and practices isindispensable A new government-wide system of personnel management< Evaluation function
 Strengthening

policyandperformance

evaluation

function A policy evaluation unit of every ministry A central evaluation organ of the Ministry of General
Affairs

Conclusion< The reorganization of central ministries andagencies: 23 to 13
 Never experienced in Japan in peacetime< Abolition or consolidation of ministerial-level
organizations
 Extremely difficult task in every developed countries< The reform of this time : highly appreciated< Organizational changes
 Changes of framework and process of decision-making
Changes of the contents of decision and the speed ofdecision-making

Conclusion - continued< Several points to make the current reform as
meaningful and fruitful as possible
 Changes in the mentality, attitude and culture of civil
servants, politicians and the people Strengthening the role of politicians in the decisionmaking

processandconstructing

thecooperative

relationship between politicians and administrators
 Follow-up of the reform efforts by the mass media and thepublic Public disclosure of the results of the reform