moreover, “the Internal Feedback Liaison Meeting on ODA Evaluation” (in which officials from JICA and JBIC also participate) was established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 2001. To create an ODA evaluation feedback system with even greater fairness and objectivity, “the Wise Men Committee for Evaluation Feedback” was established in December 2001 as an advisory panel to the director general of the Economic Cooperation Bureau to review and verify MOfA’s own ODA evaluations.

In addition, the “Japan Evaluation Society” was established in September 2000 in response to recommendations from the ODA Evaluation Reviewing Panel to train and create a network of assessment personnel, an indispensable element in upgrading the evaluation system. The society meets twice a year as a forum where members can exchange information among themselves and work on improving evaluation methods. Thus, the society provides opportunities to exchange views for evaluation researchers, consultants, and government evaluation officials. By actively taking part in the society’s meetings and other similar events, MOFA, in collaboration with the Japan Evaluation Society, works to find and train personnel to assume the task of conducting ODA evaluations.

Preparatory work on revising evaluation guidelines and manuals is currently proceeding, and efforts to make future ODA evaluations fairer and more objective will continue.

## (4) Coordination and Collaboration Within the Japanese Government

At present, the Cabinet Office and 10 government ministries have ODA budgets. Four ministries—the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology—account for most of the total ODA allotment. The bulk of each ministry's ODA budget, other than those of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, is devoted to technical cooperation. In order to maintain overall consistency in activities of this sort and to ensure that they are conducted effectively and efficiently, it is essential to strive for better coordination and collaboration among the government ministries and agencies and the various systems they employ.

In accordance with this recognition, “the Basic Law for Central Government Reform,” enacted in June 1998, set out a clear direction for the reform of Japan’s ODA implementation mechanism. The Law for the Establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, enacted in July 1999, assigned the Foreign Ministry jurisdiction over the coordination of planning and policymaking by each government agency in relation to a common ODA policy, technical cooperation, and yen loans as of January 2001. The new law also gives the foreign minister authority over the overseas economic cooperation activities of JBIC.

For some time now, various channels have been utilized in the effort to ensure sufficient collaboration among government ministries and agencies involved in ODA. In view of the trends noted above, in March 2000 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries established “the Inter-Ministerial Meeting on ODA” to serve as a forum for discussion on major ODA-related issues. In October 2001 the council discussed measures to be taken by Japan in reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and in March 2002 it took up the subject of support for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

The “Experts Meeting of Technical Coop-

eration” was established in April 1997, as all