15 officers off to Japan for D-by-D knowledge sharpening

A TOTAL of 15 high-ranking Tanzanian government officers have left for Japan to participate in the two-week Knowledge Co-Creation Programme (KCCP) in Japan on Strengthening Decentralisation by Devolution (D by D) Implementation in Regional Secretariats and Local Government Authorities (LGAs).

Branded ‘OSAKA Training’ the programme aims at enabling Tanzanian officials to adopt a suitable approach for local economic vitalisation.

Participants of this year’s programme will include among others, three permanent secretaries and one deputy permanent secretary, two-Regional Administrative Secretaries, six-commissioners, and directors from various ministries and LGAs.

During their stay in Japan, under the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the participants will be able to share knowledge and experiences with Japanese experts on local government reforms in Tanzania.

They will also pay visits to successful Japanese villages with the One-Village- One-Product (OVOP) movement. The programme will enlighten them on how villagers can use the concept of self-help to add value to what is available in the community, as well as the local government structures needed to make it a reality.

Speaking on the programme, Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office, (Regional Administration and Local Government) Prof Riziki Shemdoe said they will learn the OVOP approach and consider replicate it to the district level in Tanzania.

“We are 15 high ranking government officers from different ministries and local government authorities. Our goal is to learn from Japan and later share the approach to our fellow officers and consider applying the concept in our districts,” he said.

For his part, the JICA Senior Advisor in Governance and Local Administration who is the training course leader Shimoda Michiyuki said the OVOP movement     changed many Japanese villages from poor to rich status.

“Through the course, Tanzanian officers will get training from two Japanese prominent lecturers on decentralisation and local government administration and later visit villages that are applying OVOP movement,” he said.

In essence, the decentralisation process, according to him, was not at all easy reform, however, beneficial towards Japanese industrial development.

Chief Representative of JICA Tanzania Office, Yamamura Naofumi commended the government for having an interest to participate in the programme that will help to upgrade various systems in local government administration.

“We are truly grateful to the government of Tanzania for its efforts and strong interests to have this programme. It is our hope that the knowledge they are going to attain will provide Tanzania with adequate tools for implementing decentralisation and local administration policies,” he said.