JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY News FROM Sri Lanka September - DeCember 2015 • NUmber 6 • SrI LANKA Are You Interested in Frontline Officers Lead Studying in Japan? Here We Offer a Great Community Development in Program for You! Conflict Affected Areas http://www.jds21.com/en/srilanka/ INSIDE Frontline Officers Lead Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas Pages–1 & 2 Maritime Connectivity Key to South Asian Prosperity Page–3 Participants during group activity at the MDTU Training hall, “JDS”- A Unique Educational Experience Anuradhapura North Central Province Page–4 The Japan International Cooperation project was to improve the capacity Bridging the Bridges Agency (JICA) funded the technical of Management Development Page–5 cooperation project titled “Project Training Units (MDTUs), under Learning from Japan: Management of Water for Training of Frontline Officers in the Provincial Councils to train and Supply Services Community Development in Conflict facilitate frontline officers (FLOs) Pages–6 & 7 Affected Areas in Sri Lanka.” on community development. The JICA Partners LBR LBO The project has an interesting project is in its final phase and is Infrastructure Summit acronym FORWARD (Training scheduled to close by end of March 2015 Project for Frontline OfficeRs 2016. Pages–8 Working to Actively Promote Rural SATREPS’ Final Development). The direct beneficiaries were the Workshop in Kandy Front Line Officers (FLOs) such as Pages–9 The main aim of the FORWARD Grama Niladharis, Development JICA Welcomes the 1,000th Volunteer Project Summary Blood Donation, the Supreme Act of Charity Project: Project for Training of Frontline Officers in Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas in Sri Lanka Page–10 Duration: 3 years (March 2013 – March 2016) Healthcare Camp Benefits Tangalle Executing Agency: Ministry of Public Administration and Management Residents Implementing organization: SLIDA, Management Development Training Units (MDTUs) in Page–11 Northern, North Central and Eastern Provinces. Geographical coverage: Conflict Affected DS divisions selected from Northern, North Central and 35th Anniversary of JOCV Eastern Provinces Page– 12 contd. page 2 Mr. Keisuke Ikuta, JOCV, with school children in an environment cleaning activity in Matale Project News OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2015 • NUMBER 6 • SRI LANKA Page 2 Officers, Midwives, Public Health with the support from Provincial JICA IN THE Inspectors and other field officers Councils and Divisional Secretariats attached to various government even after the project closes. MEDIA ministries and line agencies of JICA gives Lanka Rs.108m the Northern, North Central and The Project has created significant grant to construct concrete impact on FLOs working behavior tank in Beruwala Eastern Provincial Councils. Daily FT 5/9/2015 specially when it comes to Katunayake Airport Phase II This was a comprehensively interacting with communities, constructions to be completed in 2 years developed ten days training peers as well as supervisors in their Dinamina 9/9/2015 programme in cooperation with the organizations. Outer Circular Highway 2nd Sri Lanka Institute of Development Phase from Kaduwela to Number of FLOs Trained Kadawatha opens Administration (SLIDA). The Daily FT 18/9/2015 programme covered five modules Province Completed Original Airport development loan agreement signed in Tokyo in different disciplines related to Target Dinamina 8/10/2015 community development activities. Northern 354 210 Mitigating landslides: Sri Lankans shouldn’t repeat the Province Facilitators Produced by the same mistakes-JICA Daily Mirror 22/10/2015 FORWARD Project. North 335 360 Central JICA Alumni Association- Health Camp Province Tamil Sinhala Province Dinamina 18/11/2015 Northern 54 Eastern 278 330 22 billion for the Kandy City Province Province Wastewater Management Project North Central 30 Total 967 900 Dinamina 27/11/2015 Province National Day of Japan- Cultural Exchanges between Eastern 35 24 The following story illustrates Japan and Sri Lanka in 2015 Province how an ex-participant has made a Daily News 23/12/2015 positive change to a community: Total 89 54 CALENDAR The Project staff noted during a visit The Project produced 143 skilled to the Nittavur DS division, that JANUARy – MarCH facilitators (trainers) – 54 in the Mr. E.L.M. Abdul Salam, a former January Sinhala language and 89 in the participant of the FLO training Workshops on Disaster Tamil language from all three * programme had coordinated Management provinces. * Introduction of Disaster with the Disaster Management Imagination Games to DMC Until mid-December 2015, 62 Committee and the school principal February FLO training programmes were to organize an awareness Program * Study tour on bridge management for senior officials completed and 967 FLOs were on Disaster Management at the of the RDA and the Ministry of trained in all three provinces. Out Madina School. The Supervisor of Highways in Japan Mr. Salam said such a programme * Commencement of the of the total, 37% of FLOs were construction of Waste Water from Northern Province and 34% was essential for that area to Treatment Plant in Kandy and 29% of FLOs respectively prepare people for the rainy season. * Signing of Aide Memoir for Anuradhapura North from North Central and Eastern Mr. Salam is highly motivated Water Supply Project Phase II Provinces. The Project aims to and Kalu Ganga Water by the lessons he has learnt and Supply expansion Project reach the 1,800 FLOs target when * is now aware of the importance Football clinics by Kiba San at the current implementation phase Gampaha and Colombo of networking with relevant ends by March 2016. March government officers to use * Signing of the Loan Agreement Sustainability is built into the local resources for community for the expansion of the development activities. He Bandaranaike International project as facilitators are due to Airport conduct training programmes maintains strong relationships * Hosting of the Asian and enthusiasm to work with the Development Forum in Colombo Signing of the Record of community. Discussion for electricity sector master plan Project News SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2015 • NUMBER 6 • SRI LANKA Page 3 Maritime Connectivity Key to South Asian Prosperity South Asia Discusses Key Findings of a JICA Survey of South Asia, Mr. Toru Arai, The Secretary of the Ministry Director General of South Asia of National Policies and Department of JICA said in his Economic Affairs, Mr. M I M opening address. He reiterated Rafeek delivered a message JICA’s continued support to from the Minister and the achieve a win-win situation in H.E Ambassador of Japan the region. Mr. Kenichi Suganuma also addressed the participants. The Survey team in their presentation stated that the Since 1980, Colombo Port GDP of the South Asian region The “Seminar on JICA Survey has reached a level comparable has been developed with on Cross-Border Maritime to the ASEAN region and will both financial and technical Traffic in South Asia” held on experience a rapid expansion support from Japan, with 14-15 December 2015, discussed of consumption. A key point total assistance exceeding interim results of the “Data is the need to strengthen the Collection Survey on Cross- 78 Billion JPY, equivalent international transportation border Maritime Traffic in South to LKR 90 Billion at the trunk line network not only to Asia.” Ninety representatives current exchange rate. The enhance land transportation including senior officials from Seminar was co-hosted by within South Asia, but also Bangladesh, India, Pakistan the Japan International to improve the maritime and the SAARC Secretariat transportation through ports Cooperation Agency (JICA) participated in the seminar. and sea routes. This entails and the Ministry of National The strategic development reinforcing connectivity with Policies and Economic Affairs, of maritime transport land transportation through the Ministry of Ports and infrastructure in South Asia both “hard” and “soft” port Shipping and the Sri Lanka will play an important role infrastructure development. Ports Authority. in the formulation of supply chains in and out of Asia and also to support international business community planning to expand into the markets in South Asia and surrounding regions. “Maritime connectivity is a key to regional prosperity Project News SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2015 • NUMBER 6 • SRI LANKA Page 4 “JDS”- A Unique Educational Experience Mr. Arandara is attached to the Sri Lanka Administrative Service and is currently working as an Assistant Secretary in Charge of Development and Special Projects at the Presidential Secretariat. He followed the 2-year Masters Degree program at the International University of Japan majoring in Public Policy and Public Finance. His study focus was on “The Effects of Child Friendly Schools: Evidence from a School Mr. Mayura Arandara, delivers the valedictorian speech at his Renovation Program in Sri graduation in Japan. Lanka.” His study evaluates the “Yesterday, it seemed as if analytical skills necessary to effectiveness and impact of the today would never come, but clearly identify the issues and Child Friendly Schools Program we finally graduated after find solutions for formulating of the government on Student spending two memorable better policies. I also should Enrollment in Sri Lanka, a case and fruitful years in Japan, mention that, the interactions study on the Sabaragamuwa which I treasure as a very with other International Province. Mr Arandara unique