collaboration among implementing cooperation.

In October 2003, JICA turned itself into an independent administrative institution. As a result, the roles and responsibilities of the government and JICA are more clearly defined. The role of planning and establishing policies is allotted to the government, while that of implementing technical assistance projects and other projects pursuant to the policies is allotted to JICA. Having become an independent administrative institution, JICA has been given broader authority in the hope of making its assistance activities more effective and efficient.

In March 2003, in an attempt to strengthen the ties between the government and implementing agencies, there was a meeting attended by the Foreign Minister and the heads of four organizations (JICA, JBIC, JETRO, and the Japan Foundation), who used that opportunity to freely discuss Japan's economic cooperation.

JICA and JBIC, both of which are implementing agencies, have been exchanging information and opinions with regard to ODA. In order to further improve the relationships among implementing agencies, they need to promote information sharing among themselves within the framework of Country-based ODA Task Forces and work more closely with each other for the implementation of individual projects. Personnel exchanges would also contribute to the enhancement of relationships.

## (4) Enhancing Policy Consultation

Japan has long adopted the "request-basis principle," under which it provides a recipient country with assistance in response to a request from the country. To make development aid more effective, it is necessary for any donor to have frequent policy consultations with each recipient country about the details of the assistance so that both parties can share the same recognition and understanding of the assistance and implement the development projects based on the shared vision. The ODA Charter reflects this principle, and while it requires a request from a recipient country for the provision of assistance from the perspective of self-help efforts, the Charter specifies that, in planning and implementing ODA policies, Japan should start having active policy consultations with each recipient country even before such request is made by the country and get a full grasp of country's development policy and need for assistance. Japan has been making efforts to coordinate its assistance policy with the development policy of each recipient country in order to make its assistance more effective in the context of that country's development strategy.

To enhance policy consultation, Country-based ODA Task Forces were established in fiscal year 2003 consisting primarily of Japanese Embassies and local offices of JICA and JBIC. The establishment of the ODA Task Forces contributed to the strengthening the role and system of the field level in the implementation of ODA. It is intended that these Country-based ODA Task Forces will have active policy consultations with recipient governments so as to coordinate Japan's assistance policy and the developing county's development policy with the aim of making Japan's assistance more effective and efficient. As of July 2004, Country-based ODA Task Forces have been established in 64 countries. These Task Forces held policy consultations in 36 countries including Mongolia and Ethiopia during the period from April 2003 through July 2004.

The ODA Charter stipulates that Japan should take initiative in formulation of development projects for each recipient country even before a request for assistance is made by that country. The Charter also specifies that Japan should assist recipient countries to improve their policies and systems so that they can better form and implement projects. For the developing countries which do not have enough ability to formulate aid programs themselves, Japan has been assisting them to determine the direction of assistance programs by conducting a project formation study to identify and develop appropriate projects. Japan voluntarily dispatches from JICA project formulation adviser well-versed in the priority sectors of developing countries and has those coordinators cooperate with the recipient countries in identifying and developing good projects.

## (5) Strengthening of the Functions at the Field Level

To further improving ODA in terms of strategy, transparency, effectiveness, and accountability, strengthening functions at the local level is indispensable in determining country-specific aid strategies. Based on this understanding, the ODA Charter advocated the policy of "strengthening of the functions of field missions." The policy aims to strengthen the functions of local Japanese Embassies and local offices of implementing agencies so that they can play a leading role in determining and implementing assistance policies. In addition, the ODA Charter states that Japan shall make further efforts to understand comprehensively and accurately what priority development issues each recipient country faces and to which of those issues Japan should give the highest priority in providing assistance. It is important to fully grasp the local social and economic situations through utilization of outside personnel who have deep understanding of and wide experience with the recipient country in question such as personnel