## Programs for Promoting Citizens’ Participation

The government’s programs for promoting citizens’ participation include the following (see also Information Disclosure and Transmission on page 142 for further details):

## (2) Human Resources Development and Development Research

## (a) Human Resources Development

Due to the increasing diversity and complexity of development issues, recruiting and developing personnel with sophisticated knowledge, abundant experience, and communication skills in foreign languages is essential today for effective and efficient implementation of international cooperation. In 1990, the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID) was established to serve as an organization for promoting the concept of an international development university. FASID provides various types of training for capacity building relating to development theory, policy, and operation to a broad segment of society including government-related persons, NGOs, and persons associated with private sector enterprises. It also conducts research concerning important topics in the development assistance field and widely publishes the results of this research. $ ^{13} $ In April 2000, in cooperation with the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), FASID established a joint international development program in the master's course of this university. Furthermore, FASID dispatches experts for giving lectures to development cooperation related university departments.

Since before its merger with the former JBIC, JICA has expanded training for assistance personnel, ranging from the junior specialists system for the development of young

National Graduate Institute For Policy Studies (GRIPS) implementing an international development program in English (Source: GRIPS (Photographer: Masao Nishikawa))

specialists who possess a certain degree of expertise yet lack experience and an international cooperation specialists system for those who already possess a certain degree of specialization and experience. These efforts can promote human resource development for Japanese ODA projects, and meet the immediate staffing needs of NGOs, international agencies, and other organizations.

In addition, the JICA International Cooperation Personnel Registration System has been established to provide an effective means of recruiting and utilizing motivated personnel with specialized skills. This system provides information on job openings, staff registration, information on various types of training and seminars, and career development consultations for international cooperation-related bodies such as JICA, NGOs, and international organizations. Furthermore, the Institute of Developing Economies Advanced School (IDEAS) of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) provides training aimed at developing highly-skilled development experts, so as to contribute to the economic and social development of developing countries. The activities of this school are broad and diverse in scope, with training provided to foreigners as well as Japanese people.

## (b) Development Research

In order to provide effective and efficient assistance, it is essential to ascertain the needs of developing countries and assistance trends in the international community. For this reason, Japan is engaged in proactive efforts directed toward research studies and application of the knowledge acquired through such studies.

JICA’s former Institute for International Cooperation has organized study groups that consisted primarily of