Summary
1. Outline of the ProjectCountry: Malaysia
Project Title: Project for the Capacity Building of National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health in the Field of Occupational Safety and Health
Issue/Sector: Social security
Cooperation Scheme: Technical Assistance Project
Division in Charge: Human Development Department, JICA
Total cost (aid only):
Period of Cooperation (Duration):(R/D): November 15, 2000–November 14, 2005
Partner Country’s Implementing Organization: Department of Occupational Safety and
Health, Ministry of Human Resources
Supporting Organization in Japan: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan
Industrial Safety and Health Association
Related Cooperation:
1-1 Background of the Project
While the real GDP of Malaysia showed an average annual growth of 7%
between 1988 and 1997, the number of serious occupational accidents and diseases inindustries has also been increasing.
The Seventh Malaysian Plan 1996-2000 mentions the upgrading ofoccupational safety and health programs (in the fields of transportation, manufacturing
and construction in particular) and the reinforcement of the capacity of the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In the Eighth Malaysian Plan
2001-2005, the continuous reinforcement of this sector based on the Occupational Safety
and Health Act is being planned.
With such conditions in mind, the Malaysian government recognized that theestablishment of occupational safety and health is a critical issue, and requested
technical cooperation from Japan in order to upgrade the NIOSH’s training andresearch

capacities

andimproveoccupationalsafetyandhealthingovernment-affiliated organizations, private companies and factories. In response tothis request, the Japanese government decided to implement this project.
1-2 Project Overview

(1) Overall Goal
To decrease the rate of occupational accidents and illness in Malaysia’s industrial sector(2) Project Purpose
To upgrade the capacity (technical support, human resource development, collection anddissemination of information) of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH)(3) Project Outputs
Capacity of technical support
1) To acquire methods to assure working environment controls
2) To develop preventive measures related to occupational and work-related diseases
3) To improve work control system from an ergonomic perspective
Capacity of human resources development
4) To improve Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training programs and researchand development activities
Capacity of public information
5) To improve the function of collection and dissemination of information in order toraise awareness of occupational safety and health6) To strengthen functions aimed at providing necessary information for policy
development(4) Project Inputs (as of March 31, 2005)
Japanese side:
Long-term experts

9 persons in total (Chief Advisor, Health Control/Ergonomics,

Industrial Hygiene, Coordinator)
Short-term experts

37 persons in total

No. of trainees received in Japan 30 persons in total (21 persons for Individual
Training and 9 persons for Group Training Course)
Equipment supply

approx. 160 million Japanese yen (planned for FY2000-2005)

Local cost

approx. 34 million Japanese yen (planned for FY2000-2005)

Malaysian Side:
Assignment of counterparts:

60 persons (increased due to increase in the number

of NIOSH staff)
Procurement of land and facility for the project:
within NIOSH
Local cost
2. Evaluation Team Overview

350,000 ringgit

Establishmentofproject

officeMembers of the evaluation team(Area in charge: name, title)
Team leader:
Akira Hashizume
Executive Technical Advisor, Human Development Department, JICA
Occupational safety administration:
Eiichi Moriyama
Head of International Office, Industrial Safety and Health Dept., Labor Standards
BureauIndustrial hygiene:
Yoshiyuki Fukuzawa
Deputy Director, Technical Dept., Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association
Health control/ergonomics
Hideki Igisu
Professor, Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of Occupational andEnvironmental Health, Japan
Planning evaluation:
Ayumi Suzuki
Social Security Team, Group II, Human Development Department, JICA
Evaluation analysis:
Yukiko Saito
OPMAC Corporation
Evaluation Period
From September 28, 2005 to October 15, 2005
3. Overview of Evaluation Results
3-1 State of output achievements
The overview is as follows.
(1) To acquire methods to assure working environment controls
Methods aimed at improving working environments and activities through theacquisition of technical skills, including the acquisition of methods and technologies for
identification, sampling, measurement and evaluation of chemicals in the working
environment, evaluation methods pertaining to workers’ exposure to chemicals andmethods pertaining to local ventilation systems, were implemented, and related
technologies were acquired through technical transfers from the Japanese experts totheir Malaysian counterparts. Also, standard operational procedures necessary for theoperation of the aforementioned equipment were transmitted.
(2) To develop preventive measures related to occupational and work-related diseases
Activities aimed at facilitating the acquisition of technical methods for survey
and analysis of the state of occupational diseases and the state of medical checkups andadequate systems for the evaluation of the health effects of the occupational risks
uncovered by the aforementioned surveying and analysis, the acquisition ofdiagnosis-based treatment methods, and the acquisition of adequate skills pertaining to
the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) (protection against dust and noise) were
implemented, and related technologies were acquired through technical transfers fromthe Japanese experts to their Malaysian counterparts. Also, handbooks for the standard
operation of the related equipment were developed.
(3) To improve work control system from an ergonomic perspective
From the perspective of ergonomics, activities aimed at acquiring technicalmethods for identifying and analyzing problems in the workplace and ensuring
adequate health effects evaluation in relation to risk factors based on the results of said
analysis, and the consideration of methods to ensure occupational safety and healthbased on ergonomic considerations were implemented, and related technologies wereacquired through technical transfers from the Japanese experts to their Malaysiancounterparts. Also, handbooks for the standard operation of the equipment in question
were developed.
(4) To improve Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training programs and researchand development activities
The initial plan was to review the existing NIOSH training program so as toascertain the problems and needs in the area of training, and to improve the current
curriculum. However, the operation of the training program, the preparation of
educational materials and the review of curriculum are being implemented
independently by the Training Division of NIOSH, and as such there was little necessity
for the Japanese experts to be directly involved in this reviewing. On the other hand, it
has been confirmed that the technologies acquired by the counterparts through thisproject are being utilized effectively for reviewing the training program and thecurriculum. As a result, the number of training courses provided by NIOSH during the
project period increased significantly. Research activities were also initiated.
(5) To improve the function of collection and dissemination of information in order toraise awareness of occupational safety and healthSeminar workshops were held, attracting many participants. Publications suchas NIOSH newsletters were issued, and information aimed at raising the level ofawareness of safety and health-related issues was disseminated. Equipment provided
for the purpose of preparing digital educational materials dramatically upgraded thecapacity to prepare educational materials as well as the capacity to disseminate
information. In terms of information collection, collaboration with government-affiliatedorganizations, including DOSH (Department of Occupational Safety and Health),
SOSCO (Social Security Organization) as well as private companies, is being sought.
(6) To strengthen functions aimed at providing necessary information for policy
development
NIOSH personnel are participating in the Working Group for the Preparationof Safety and Health Guideline as members of the group, with DOSH serving as
superagency. In addition, the latest information on occupational safety and healthadministration from Japan has been provided on occasions such as visits by theJapanese short-term experts.
3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) RelevanceThe project conforms to Malaysia’s development policy and industrial needs aswell as to Japan’s ODA policy for Malaysia. Therefore, the relevance of the project isconfirmed.
Firstly, Chapter 17 “Health” of the Eighth Malaysian Plan 2001-2005 mentions
the importance of OSH at workplaces and states that the introduction of OSH programs
should be approached as one of the strategies. There has been no policy change to date.
Secondly, the increase in the number of cases of technical guidance and surveys
of working environments implemented by NIOSH as well as increase in the number ofpeople undergoing medical checkups shows that the services provided by NIOSH meetthe needs of the industrial sector.
Thirdly, the project is consistent with the JICA Assistance Plan for Malaysia in
which “development of human resources in the field of OSH” is stated under the“Human Resources Development” section.
Fourthly, it was considered reasonable that the project employ an approach
wherein the capacity of NIOSH (in terms of technical skills, human resource
development and collection and dissemination of information) is improved and OSH
awareness is raised widely among those involved, including private companies, so as tomark the inauguration of support for Malaysia in the field of OSH.

(2) EffectivenessThe project purpose, namely the upgrading of the capacity (technical support,
human resource development, collection and dissemination of information) of NIOSH,
was achieved. The project counterparts acquired knowledge and technical skills fromthe Japanese experts and gained confidence in the performance of their duties as aresult. The counterparts are putting these technical skills to use in their daily work, insuch capacities as the provision of training, technical assistance services, informationcollection and dissemination services, research and development, and the formulation ofpolicy recommendation to DOSH and other organizations.
Firstly, in order to improve technical skills, the project saw the first-time
preparation of four handbooks by NIOSH, and the Occupational Medicine Center was
established in June 2002 (which has been used by approx. 3000 people to date). In 2003,
occupational medicine mobile services initiated the first trials of this kind in Malaysia(used by 928 people as of August 2005), demonstrating the high level of effectiveness ofthe project. The number of cases of technical assistance is similarly increasing, andcompanies have been expressing a high level of satisfaction with such assistance.
Secondly, in terms of human resource development, NIOSH has expanded thebreadth of its training contents, revised some courses and increased the number ofparticipants being accepted as a result. In addition, the project oversaw cooperation in
NIOSH’s research activities, including the provision of 79 technical books on OSH as
reference material (the current number of books on OSH in the NIOSH library is thelargest in Malaysia). These activities resulted in NIOSH staff members becoming
involved in national-level research projects and the publication of a NIOSH Journal(from 2004).
Thirdly, in terms of the collection and dissemination of information, it isconsidered that the effectiveness of the provision of equipment in the project issignificant. The Information, Services, Communication and Technology Unit of NIOSH
produced thirteen videos on OSH. By storing these educational materials together in an
optical jukebox, NIOSH became able to provide these materials to its branches on
demand through its computer network. NIOSH is also actively engaged incommunicating OSH information via the Internet. The NIOSH website is updated daily
and receiving approximately 35,000 hits per month. Furthermore, based on the
feedback from the participants of the training program, NIOSH has implemented
quality control on its own services. Based on the aforementioned facts, the effectivenessof the project has been confirmed.

(3) Efficiency
It has also been confirmed that the project is, for the most part, being
implemented efficiently. The nine long-term experts and 37 short-term experts as wellas the equipment provided, equivalent to about 160 million yen in total, are being
utilized efficiently. In particular, as for the short-term experts, it is considered that the
selection and sequencing of topics for technical transfer were highly appropriate. The
definite and clear objectives of each course provided by the short-term experts fulfilled
the needs of the counterparts. The equipment provided by Japan was also appreciatedin Malaysia and is being utilized efficiently. Although the frequency of the usage of said
equipment depends on the demand in terms of analysis in industries, it is necessary to
introduce even relatively less-frequently used equipment, considering the fact that
NIOSH is the country’s core institute in the field of OSH and it is expected to beprepared to meet any future demands. No particular problems in terms of efficiency
were found in the implementation of this project.
(4) Impact
Contributions to the achievement of the overall goal of the project, namely
decreasing the rate of occupational accidents and illness in the industrial sector in
Malaysia, will be affected by various factors outside the ambit of this project, such as
the state of the enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as well as
economic conditions, industrial composition, the presence of foreign workers andawareness within industrial circles in Malaysia. Therefore, it is difficult to verify thecausal chronology of the project. However, based on interviews with stakeholders on the
Malaysian side, it can be concluded that the activities undertaken through this projectare definitely having a positive impact for the achievement of the overall goal. As forother impacts, it can be pointed out that the number of guidelines published by DOSH
increased during the project implementation period, which suggests that the project
was an influencing factor.
(5) Sustainability
The level of sustainability of the project was confirmed in terms of policies,
organization, finance and technical skills.
Firstly, in terms of policies, DOSH is continuously engaged in the formulationof new acts, regulations and guidelines pertaining to OSH. This shows the active
commitment of the government in regards to OSH in the workplace. In an interview

with DOSH, it was mentioned that further enhancement of the enforcement of related
acts and regulations and the supervisory framework thereof would be undertaken. Thus,
the significance of NIOSH as the national core institute in the field of OSH will also be
maintained from the political perspective.
Secondly, in terms of organization, NIOSH has extended its services in its four
branches and is increasing the size of its staff. In addition, it is planning to open a new
NIOSH branch in Sabah. Therefore, the organization is expanding.
Thirdly, in terms of finance, NIOSH reliably covered the operating costs of the
project each year during the project period. The amount in question increased on a
yearly basis by about 10,000 ringgit. Thus, it can be said that NIOSH has been
responsible for the operation of the project. As for future expectations, NIOSH is putting
forth active efforts to increase the number of participants in its training program aswell as the number of service users, and the top management of NIOSH has also agreed
to disseminate the effects of the project.
Fourthly, in terms of technical skills, it is considered that the counterparts
acquired useful technical skills and knowledge through the project and gained
confidence in the conducting of their everyday work. Some NIOS staff members havebeen actively promoting collaboration with universities and other organizations on theirown. Therefore, it is expected that the technical level and evaluation of NIOSH as a
research institute will be maintained in the future.
3-3 Factors Contributed in the Production of Effect(1) Planning
While seminars and workshops were held as part of the project, cooperation
was also achieved outside the context of seminars that was not directly related to theproject. For example, seminars aimed at doctors and medical workers were held inpartnership with the Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (SOME)(with the project covering the cost), and meetings were participated in by DOSH andJapanese-affiliated companies who served as lecturers. It is considered that thesevarious activities implemented outside the parameters initially prescribed by the
project framework contributed to the achievement of the overall goals of the project.
Also, apart from technical transfers to NIOSH, the project implemented the
publication of a JICA-NIOSH newsletter aimed at raising the awareness of OSH in theindustrial sector, which was an effective approach that also led to the satisfaction of
NIOSH’s industrial needs.

(2) Implementation Process
The recommendations in the Mid-term Evaluation (in which active
participation in project activities by NIOSH staff was considered a favorable element interms of personnel evaluation) have been incorporated. At the same time, theintroduction of the “Training Bond” aimed at preventing staff turnover as well as
introducing “Technical Talks” for the promotion of technical transfers between staff
members were implemented in concrete form.
In addition, flexible measures were taken to encourage the participation ofpeople other than NIOSH counterparts (such as DOSH employees) to the training
programs aimed at technical transfers in Japan.
3-4 Problems and Factors that Raised Problems(1) Planning
As confirmed in the evaluation of the “Relevance” of the project outlined above,the selection of the target group of the project (NIOSH staff) was reasonable. However,
the NIOSH staff members were recent university graduates and many of them had
limited experience. Therefore, it is undeniable that it took some time in order for themto acquire advanced technical skills from the Japanese experts. On the other hand, the
NIOSH staff members have realized categorical improvements in their own capabilities,
and are satisfied that they are now able to provide services of higher quality. Thus, theproject is considered to have been effective.
(2) Implementation Process
Because NIOSH is an organization with a self-support accounting system,
NIOSH staff members are required to secure profits through activities such as
implementing training and providing technical support services, which take up a great
deal of time and effort. Therefore, it was difficult for them to focus exclusively ontechnical transfers from the Japanese experts.
3-5 Conclusion
The project conforms to the development policy of Malaysia, the needs of theindustrial sector and Japan’s assistance policy for Malaysia, and thus the relevance ofthe project can be confirmed. The project purpose, namely the upgrading of the capacity(technical support, human resource development, collection and dissemination of
information) of NIOSH, has been achieved and it is considered that project has beeneffective.
It has also been confirmed that the project is being implemented efficiently. It
has been confirmed that nine long-term experts and 37 short-term experts in total, as
well as the equipment provided, which is equivalent to approximately 160 million
Japanese yen, have been utilized efficiently.
In addition, in terms of the project impact, contribution to the achievement of
the overall goal, namely decreasing the rate of occupational accidents and illness in
Malaysia, will be affected by various factors outside the ambit of the project, such as thestate of the enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as well as economic
conditions, industrial composition, the presence of foreign workers and awareness inindustrial circles in Malaysia. Therefore, it is difficult to verify the causal chronology ofthe project. However, it is considered that the project activities are definitely having a
positive impact towards the achievement of the overall goal. The sustainability of the
project has also been confirmed in terms of all aspects of policies, organization, financeand technical skills.
3-6 Recommendations (Specific Measures, Recommendations and Advices on thisProject)(1) Improvement of research functions of NIOSH
Research plays an important role in improving OSH. NIOSH has beenstrengthening its capacity as the country’s primary institute in the field of OSH, and it
is also engaged in interdisciplinary research activities. It is now one of the few
institutes in Malaysia that are able to conduct comprehensive research in the field.
Therefore, further capacity building of NIOSH in terms of research implementation isessential for the improvement of OSH in Malaysia. Upon doing so, it is expected thatthe results of research will be utilized in the training curriculum provided by NIOSH ina timely manner, in order to increase the number of participants in the training
programs as well as the number of companies involved and to bring about a higher
evaluation of the program, and thus to contribute to the strengthening of the NIOSH’s
financial base.
Although some within the NIOSH opined that, as an organization with aself-support accounting system, it is difficult to secure budgetary resources for researchthat is not necessarily linked directly to profits, an active, long-term approach toresearch is desirable.
(2) Improvement of capacity for information collection

The information dissemination capacity of NIOSH has been steadilystrengthened. By utilizing the digital information distribution system provided throughthe project to its fullest extent, NIOSH has created digital information/imaging, OSH
materials and a web system.
However, in order to further strengthen its information dissemination capacity,
improvements are also necessary in the area of information collection, such as
workplace OSH information and data on various disasters. It is recommended that
NIOSH, in collaboration with the relevant departments and institutes such as DOSH,
SOCSO and the Department of Labor, establish an efficient and integrated informationcollection system. It is also recommended that NIOSH actively grasp the state ofworkplaces, by, for instance, fully utilizing the occasion of information exchanges withthe participants in NIOSH training courses in order to collect workplaceinformation/data. Through these activities, it is expected that the information
dissemination capacity of NIOSH necessary for formulating policies will be further
upgraded.
(3) Completion of standard operating procedures for equipment
It has been recommended that NIOSH complete preparations pertaining tostandard operating procedures (SOP) for equipment as soon as possible, particularly in
relation to preparation currently underway. Upon doing so, priority should be placed on
equipment which relatively few people know how to use. By preparing SOP, the risk oflosing technical know-how will be minimized even in cases of staff turnover.
Furthermore, since the techniques required for the preparation of biological samples
prior to analysis are often complicated, these techniques should be shared widely among
NIOSH staff members.
(4) Follow-up of the participants of NIOSH training courses
NIOSH operates the OSH Forum on its website and promotes the networkingof companies. It is recommended that NIOSH utilize this OSH Forum in order toactively exchange opinions with the participants of training courses who recognize
various problems regularly occurring at their workplaces, and to implement follow-up
activities pertaining to said problems, and at the same time collect information fromworkplaces.
3-7 Lessons Learned (Matters Helpful for Discovering/Forming Similar Projects Derived
from this Project and Implementation, Operation and Administration Thereof)

(1) Effective utilization of Japanese experts
Japanese experts made significant contributions to the upgrading of thecapacity of NIOSH by holding seminars, workshops and conferences, as well as throughdaily technical transfers. In this project, they also lent assistance to seminars held byNGOs, such as SOME, which are not the direct counterparts of the project such as
NIOSH, by dispatching lecturers and providing financial support. As a result, OSH
awareness was enhanced among the seminar participants, which made a positive
impact to NIOSH activities in such ways as increasing recognition of NIOSH and its
importance.
(2) Numerous publications
The project produced many publications, including the JICA-NIOSH
newsletter and handbooks. These publications have been distributed widely among
companies, contributing to an increased awareness of OSH in the industrial sector. As aresult, positive impacts such as an increase in the number of company participants in
NIOSH activities were generated.
(3) Implementation of recommendations in the Mid-term Evaluation
NIOSH made various approaches in response to recommendations proposed in
the Mid-term Evaluation. For instance, by incorporating involvement in JICA projects
among the criteria in staff performance appraisals, counterparts were given motivation
to improve their performances in work related to the project, and they became more
actively engaged in such work. As for secondary technical transfers of the outputs of the
training program in Japan, the importance of Technical Discussions (training sessions
wherein technical skills are transferred to other staff members upon the trainees’
return to their home country) was emphasized. In addition, the Training Bond system,
which requires that staff members not leave their job for a certain period afterparticipating in training in Japan, was introduced so as to prevent turnover among thecounterpart personnel. These approaches contributed in large part to the achievementof the project purpose.
(4) Flexibility of the project
Although the main focus of the project was industrial hygiene, occupational
health and ergonomics, the beneficiaries of the project also included staff members inother divisions of NIOSH (such as the Occupational Safety Division) and DOSH. Suchflexible operation, wherein people other than those belong to institutes and divisions

directly in charge participation in project activities, contributed to the capacity buildingof OSH practitioners in Malaysia as a whole, and made a positive impact in regards tothe achievement of the overall goal.
(5) Religious factors related to OSH
While the recognition of various factors, including companies’ and workers’
actual working practice, is essential in order to assure an adequate approach to OSH,
working practices may be influenced by cultural and religious matters. A large portionof Malaysia’s working population is Muslim, with distinctive practices in life and workthat are tied to religion. For example, there are practices that seem to be common to acertain extent among Islamic countries, such as the frequency of accidents whereintudungs (head scarves worn by Muslim women) get caught in machinery, or working
habits involving special prayer times and working habits specific to the month of
Ramadan. It is recommended that the experiences of this project also be used as
reference material in relation to such aspects upon the future implementation of similar
projects by JICA in other Islamic countries.