EROPA LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER

Contact Information

LOCAL AUTONOMY COLLEGE
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS
10-1 Midori-cho, Tachikawa-shi
Tokyo 190-8581, Japan
Tel.: 81 425 404500
Fax: 81 425 404504
Email: sym-ken-jdai@soumo.go.jp

Historical Background

The EROPA Local Government Center was established on 1 October 1964 in the Local Autonomy College (LAC) of the then Ministry of Home Affairs in Tokyo, Japan, on the request of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA). The group training course in the local government likewise started. The Center is housed in the Local Autonomy College (Jichi-Daigakko).

Since then the Group Training Course in Local Government was held once a year under he sponsorship of the EROPA Local Government Center and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Rationale

To establish sound local government system, such as local public administration, finance and personnel system, which is regarded to be essential for stable civil life in each country, is the rationale behind the establishment of the Center. In addition to this, local governments play important roles to implement agricultural development, industrialization and various new policies coping with environmental change. In this sense, it is very important to learn local government system and its function.

Course Outline

Duration: two to three months
Number of participants: ten or more

Purpose

The purpose of the course is to contribute to the development and improvement of local government administration methodology in developing countries through the introduction of the roles, systems, and functions of Japanese Local Government and providing opportunities to exchange ideas and information among the participants.

Objective

By the end of the training period, the participants are expected to:

  1. obtain general knowledge about the history, present system, functions, and operation of local government in Japan

  2. comprehend the local public personnel system and the local tax / finance system in Japan,

  3. understand the outline of national policies relating to local governments in Japan,

  4. recognize the role of local governments in the process of regional development, and

  5. learn functions and roles of local governments from comparative study of participating countries.

Curriculum

The following major subjects will be covered in the course.

  1. Lectures
    Purpose: To understand the local government system and its functions in Japan

    1. Local Public Administration
      1. Local Government System
      2. Local Public Personnel Administration
      3. History and Current Issues on Local Government
    2. Local Public Finance
      1. Regional Development in Japan and Role of Local Government
      2. Rural Development and Local Government
      3. Urban Policy and Local Government
      4. International Exchange by Local Authorities

  2. Comparative Report Writing
    Purpose: To deepen participants' comprehension of the local government in the aspect of the chosen theme by comparing their countries' systems with the Japanese system on the tutorial system.
    Examples of the theme:

    • Local Public Administration

    • Local Public Finance

    • Regional Developing Policy of Local Government

  3. Discussion with Japanese trainees at Local Autonomy College
    Purpose: To exchange views and opinions about the problems in the field of local Government that exist in the countries concerned.

  4. Observation tips
    Purpose: To gain a clearer understanding about local government in Japan

    1. Important institutions of public administration such as the Ministry of Home Affairs

    2. Other significant facilities for local public administration development

  5. Field study in local governments
    Purpose: To gain first hand experience in the actual activities and the functions of local governments through the field training in typical local governments.

    1. Orientation

    2. Field study in local governments

    3. Review seminar

Note: Every participant is required to submit a final report to the Local Autonomy College by the end of the course. This report should consist of about 15 sheets of A4 size paper. The theme of the report is to be decided by each participant in consultation with the tutor.

In addition, each participant is requested to fill in the Daily Evaluation Sheets and a Questionnaire for the Final Evaluation and submit them to JICA by the end of the course.

Methodology

  1. Instruction Method
    The course will be conducted in the form of lectures, discussions, comparative report writing, observation trip, field study and so on.

  2. Language
    The Course is generally conducted in English.

Training Institution

The Course will be held at:

LOCAL AUTONOMY COLLEGE
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS
10-1 Midori-cho, Tachikawa-shi
Tokyo 190-8581, Japan
Tel.: 81 425 404500
Fax: 81 425 404504
Email: sym-ken-jdai@soumo.go.jp

Certificates

  1. Participants who have successfully completed the course will be awarded a certificate by JICA
  2. Participants who have successfully completed the course and have submitted the final report by the end of the Course, will be awarded a certificate by the Local Autonomy College.

Accommodations

The Tokyo International Centre (TIC) is available for participants in and around Tokyo. If no room is available at TIC, JICA will arrange accommodations for participants at other appropriate places.

Qualifications

Applicants should be:

  1. Nominated by their government in accordance with the procedure below.
  2. Be a university or college graduate (or equivalent) with occupational experience of more than seven years in the civil service relating to local public administration.
  3. Be between thirty (30) and forty (40) years old.
  4. Be a civil service personnel holding responsible government position (managerial or supervisory) and be a promising candidate for the post of top management in the local government or that o senior management in the central government in the future.
  5. Be a person having sufficient command of spoken and written English,
  6. In good health, both physically, and mentally, to undergo the training, pregnancy is a disqualifying condition for participation in the Course.

Notice: Applicants are requested to submit the Medical History Questionnaire together with the Nomination Form.

Procedure for Application

  1. A government desiring to nominate applicants for the course should fill in and forward five (5) copies of the Nomination Form for each applicant to the JICA office of the Embassy of Japan within the date set by the organizer.
  2. The JICA office (or the Embassy of Japan) will inform the applying government whether or not the nominee's application has been accepted by a date set by the organizer.