assistance to neighboring countries with a view to resolving and preventing conflicts and ensuring regional stability.

### 4. Measures to Ensure the Efficient and Effective Implementation of Assistance

## (1) Position on Strengthening Systems for ODA Policy Formulation and Implementation

For efficient and effective implementation of assistance, it is important to strengthen systems for policy formulation and implementation of ODA so that a coherent approach can be applied from the policy planning stage through to the implementation stage. In the case of the main recipients of Japanese ODA, Japan formulates Country Assistance Programs and assistance policies for priority issues and/or specific sectors in a manner compatible with the development plans of recipient countries and international development goals. In the years ahead, Japan will strengthen policy-making capacity and systems for reflecting policy in the formulation, selection and implementation of concrete projects, while enhancing collaboration with other actors, such as international organizations and other bilateral donors. For this purpose, it is crucial to strengthen the functions of agencies in the field, such as Japanese embassies abroad and the overseas offices of aid agencies, which are in a position to most directly analyze the development needs and aid situation bearing in mind the bilateral relations between the recipient country and Japan, and the political, economic and social situation in the recipient country. The Medium-Term Policy identifies concrete actions and systems for strengthening functions at the field level.

## (2) Concrete Actions to Strengthen Functions at the Field Level

Japan has made efforts to strengthen functions at the field level mainly through the use of country-based ODA Task Forces (hereafter ODA-TFs). ODA-TFs consist primarily of Japanese embassies and the local offices of aid agencies such as JICA and JBIC. In order to further enhance functions at the field level, the following concrete actions will be promoted in the ODA-TFs and in Tokyo. In order for ODA-TFs to play a leading role in the process of policy-making and implementation of ODA, they will actively participate and will make proposals in relation to the following concrete actions. For its part, Tokyo will respect the proposals made by ODA-TFs.

Concerning recipient countries in which ODA-TF does not exist, similar efforts will be made by Japanese embassies abroad as much as possible by using communication tools such as IT in cooperation with Japanese aid agencies located in other countries that look after the recipient country concerned. Tokyo respects proposals made by the Japanese embassies.

### i. Research and analysis of development needs

ODA-TFs will scale up their functions in research and analysis of development needs and the recipient countries' own development efforts bearing in mind the political, economic and social situation in these countries. Japan will fully analyze local socio-economic conditions and other aspects through local interested parties. In such efforts, external human resources will be relied upon where necessary, and information will be exchanged with the local aid community, including other major bilateral donors and international agencies, NGOs and academia.

Tokyo will support such actions in the field by making more flexible use of policy-support studies and dispatching policy advisers.

### ii. Formulation and consideration of assistance policy

## (a) Participation in the formulation of Country Assistance Programs

Country Assistance Programs specify the direction, priority sectors and priority issues of Japan's ODA for a period of about the next five years based on an accurate understanding of the development needs of the recipient countries as described in (2) (i) above, bearing in mind the perspective of Japan's foreign policy. ODA-TFs will actively participate in the formulation and revision of Country Assistance Programs making maximum use of their knowledge and experience obtained at the field level, and will seek to align assistance programs with the development plans and development goals of recipient countries, as well as with the international development goals. Consideration will also be given to how best