JICA Nepal Office News Letter No.60
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QUARTERLY January to March, 2011 | VOLUME 60 JICA Nepal Office www.jica.go.jp/nepal/english ‘One Nation, a Culture of Cultures, and One Economy’: JICA’s Support for State Building continues ‘Development Potential for Nepal’s water resources for electric power’ by JICA Expert, Mr. Yukiyoshi Ozaki. The program also provided a platform for open discussions and Q&A session amongst the participants. The discussions covered various relevant topics such as the lack Asanuma notes that the idea of ‘one nation’ of land reform initiative in Nepal and its embodies the idea of power sharing such impact on agriculture development, legal that power is diffused from the center to development and its relation to the economic several social, regional and political groups growth of the country, decline in budget epal is engaged in a democratization spread over Nepal without impairing allocated to agriculture and the persistence Nprocess after a decade-long conflict. national integrity and effectively addressing of subsistence farming in Nepal, etc. The economic recovery has been slow but the double identity of the Nepalis in the New stable. On the other hand, still facing the Nepal - that of being a Nepali and that of This follow-up dialogue program is highly highest poverty rate in Asia, it is evident that belonging to their ethnic, social or religious expected to make a significant contribution Nepal requires a solid strategy for a steady group. He explained that this can be done in influencing Nepal’s planning for economic growth and development. As a by enabling local governments to encourage economic growth and development strategy continued support to Nepal’s effort in the cultural, social and even political diversity, in the coming days. state building process, the Japan International however, leaving economic strategizing Cooperation Agency (JICA) implemented to the center. He further elaborated on the Third dialogue programme its third dialogue program on ‘Nepal State idea of ‘one economy’ by encouraging the Building, Economic Growth and Development concept of open and integrated internal Strategy’ on January 25 in Kathmandu. market across federal structures, which The previous ones were held in Japan and allow free movement of inputs and good Vietnam in 2009 and 2010. The main objective and services and discouraging federal of the seminar was to provide thought fragmentation of the economy. provoking ideas to Nepali policy makers and government officials through knowledge Similarly, another key resource person, enhancing presentations and discussions Dr. Hisanobu Shishido highlighted the from Japanese and Nepali experts in importance of studying other high growth the field of economic growth and economies in the world in order to learn development strategy. lessons about strategies that led to their economic development. He discussed in One of the key resource persons of the length about key policy ingredients that program, Professor Shinji Asanuma lead to high growth and gave valuable encouraged the current political actors to recommendations in regards to Nepal’s develop a multi dimensional and robust context. The participants of the dialogue vision that is achieved after discussion program were further presented with on various frameworks and one that is insightful topics such as ‘Agriculture acceptable to the people of Nepal. He for Development-Options for Nepal’ by presented his own vision of ‘One nation, a Dr. Gayatri Acharya, ‘Legal foundations culture of cultures and one economy’ as a for economic growth and development’ broad based framework for Nepal. Professor by Professor Hiroshi Matsuo, and During the event, two papers were presented: ‘Legal and Judicial Reform in Nepal’ by Mr. Raju Man Singh Malla, Joint Secretary of MoLJ, and ‘Basic Elements of Working Legal System as the Infrastructure for State Building’ by Professor Hiroshi Matsuo, Keio University of Japan. Mr. Malla said that reformation and amendment are the need and demand of modern time. Legal reform has to be done in accordance with the people’s interest and socio, cultural and economic situation of the society. Professor Matsuo, through his presentation, stated that the establishment of the circumstances on the basis of which the substantive law and procedural law may function should be well recognized as basic institutions, which have the first priority in the legal reform plan. He also stressed on consideration of a strategic use of the law to attain In Search of Reforms in Legal positively the national development policies. and Judicial Sectors The presentation was followed by open discussion. There were many questions and issues raised related with the laws, rule of law and good governance. The workshop ICA and the Ministry of Law and Justice (MOLJ) jointly addressed critical issues of inconsistencies between Jorganized a Brainstorming Workshop on Legal and Judicial existing laws, which might hinder the development of the Reform Agenda for Development Strategy in Nepal on February nation, and tried to bring awareness of the issue among 25. Taking on a different approach in comparison to previous the participants. The workshop that facilitated an active such events, the main objective of this workshop was to brainstorming among the participants clearly established discuss priority issues related to legal and judicial reform the importance of legal foundations and reform of legal in line with national development strategy by means of agendas for economic growth and development of the brainstorming among participants who came from varied nation. JICA pledged to continue the support to this disciplines, playing different roles. reform process. During the meeting, JICA and ADB resources/rural water and road, finance/ The Follow up made presentations on current program governance, and gender social inclusion. of ADB and JICA activities and thematic areas such as public procurement management reform, risk The group discussion was highly interactive Collaboration management measures, and results-based with positive responses and identification of framework. Moreover, sector and issue- specific agendas for collaboration. Follow- wise discussion was conducted separately up activities are currently being conducted second in-country consultation focusing on energy, urban water, strategic respectively and collaboratively by the staff Ameeting between Asian Development roads/urban transport/tourism sectors, of both organizations. The third meeting is Bank (ADB), JICA and the Embassy of education, agriculture/irrigation/natural aimed to be held after six months. Japan (EoJ) was held on 17 January. The purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of collaboration and explore further possibilities of collaborative areas. Altogether, there were 57 participants from EoJ, ADB and JICA, including five ADB HQs participants through video conference. The key progress was recognized in sharing of information, consultations, exchange of missions, joint field visit, joint policy dialogue with the Government of Nepal, and meetings on Japan Fund on Poverty Reduction (JFPR). 2 Contributions of the SISM project to the education sector in Nepal nstitutional capacity building and Key approaches of the SISM project was Ienhancing management efficiency are strengthening school management by cross cutting issues across education sector. promoting the already existing elements Management capacity entails the effective rather than introducing something new; utilization of resources for attaining energizing SMCs and PTAs by equipping SMCSIP Training in Non-pilot Schools quality education. Empowerment of local them with simplified SIP and school self- stakeholders like School Management assessment; and clarifying the roles and as a minimum requirement for schools and Committee (SMC), Parents Teachers responsibilities of different stakeholders for communities to get the necessary resources to Association (PTA), head teachers, etc. are improving school-based management. Based accomplish quality education in their schools. crucial for their meaningful involvement on the practical experiences with the pilot and contribution to the school governance. schools and communities, the SISM project The SISM project completed its planned The School Sector Reform Program (SSRP), prepared some recommendations for: implementation period in February 2011 and Nepal government’s education sector plan, i) the continuation of SISM Model it is expected that the best practices produced puts the capacity building of the local i.e. cascade training approach, SIP by the project in two pilot districts, Dhading stakeholders as one of the priority areas in orientation and updating workshops, and Rasuwa, would be continued and spread this regard. monitoring and guidance by school out to the other VDCs and districts with supervisors and resource persons, strong initiatives from the MoE/DoE. In these contexts, the Government of ii) preparation and implementation of the Nepal (Ministry of Education (MoE)/ action plan of capacity development of Details of the SISM project can be accessed @ Department of Education (DoE)) SMCs, www.sism.org.np (available until Feb 2012) implemented a project titled ‘Support iii) provision of further support to schools for Improvement of Primary School and SMCs Management in Nepal (SISM)’ for the duration of 36 months from 26 February Findings and outputs of the project were shared 2008 to 25 February 2011 in collaboration and discussed among the different levels with JICA. The aims of