Director Hosono Visits the Brookings Institution for Collaborative Research on Scaling-Up

From January 16 to 20, 2012, JICA-RI Director Akio Hosono visited Washington, D.C. for a workshop at the Brookings Institution and for a public seminar at JICA USA office. Currently, JICA-RI is undertaking a research project with the Brookings titled “Scaling-up: Pathways to Transformative Development.” [Read more on this project.] The workshop was to provide an opportunity for research members and invited experts to have face-to-face dialogues on the key scaling-up issues for a joint future publication, which the members are currently working on. At the seminar held by JICA USA, Director Hosono gave a talk on JICA’s long-term contribution to South-South and triangular cooperation before the audience including the media and public relations staff of aid agencies.

At the workshop with the Brookings, authors including its Senior Fellow Homi Kharas, made presentations on initial drafts of each chapter, all followed by a discussion session where commentators and other authors shared their views for possible improvements. Out of 10 chapters, Director Hosono discussed his paper for the section on technology transfer through South-South and triangular cooperation. He emphasized that, for effective scaling-up of South-South and triangular cooperation projects, it is important for donors to ensure that they select both countries and fields of cooperation appropriately.

Research Associate Shunichiro Honda, who also attended from JICA-RI, shared his thoughts on the chapter regarding capacity development (CD) in scaling-up process. In order to better illustrate the theme, he used a case from Niger. The country has adapted a resident-participatory school management practice in primary education and it has been nationally scaled-up through the CD process. Within the broad CD framework, Honda paid particular attention to the aspect of “multi-stakeholders learning” at various levels such as the education ministry headquarters, local administration and schools.

All the writers will further refine the drafts with the comments received and aim to finalize their texts by spring this year.

Additionally, Director Hosono spoke of JICA’s commitment to South-South and triangular cooperation and lessons learned from the experience at a seminar organized by JICA USA office. The event was the first of the public seminar series launched by the US office for the promotion of JICA’s work. There, he introduced two exemplary cases in detail including the triangular cooperation for agricultural development among Japan, Brazil and Mozambique.