Tokyo visit

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Facilitating Knowledge Transfer for Better City Management

Knowledge sharing between Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) Indonesia and local government of Saitama Perfecture (Japan).

UCLG ASPAC in collaboration with Council for Local Authorities and International Relations (CLAIR) of Japan assisted local governments of Indonesia to gain insight regarding transformation of administration and bureaucracy system as well as solve challenges faced in environment.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), representing all local governments in Indonesia, garnered valuable inputs during a five-day-visit to Tokyo Metropolitan Area, particularly Saitama and Kanagawa prefecture on 10-14 July 2017.

Visitation was conducted to Saitama and Sagamihara local governments, Japan’s CLAIR Office, and Ministry of Home Affairs and Communication.

From discussion undertaken, it was found out that local governments in Japan

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utilized multi-faceted approach in addressing the pressure of their daily working routine: from optimizing roles of culture (using positive words more often), conducting online meeting, applying flexible working hours, establishing satellite office in the middle of residential area (to reduce travel time to office), up to including public in giving recommendation (through competition).

Regarding the administration and finance reformation, local governments in Japan have applied efficiency in managing the organization; included are reducing number of administrative officials, boost work effectivity, and inclusion of private sector’s role.

Insight on tackling environment issue is also worth noted. Local governments in Japan, through the Okuba Water Plant project, welcomed participation of private sector in managing waste of water purification. The partnership is built on build-transfer-operate scheme; in which, constructing fund and operation is by private, while ownership of facilities is local governments.

The discussion also revealed potency of cooperation between local governments of Indonesia facing challenges with disaster risk mitigation (for example Banda Aceh) by forming Sister City with local authorities in Japan.

Related parties agreed that transfer knowledge is one of most effective ways in to find solution in facing challenges. Therefore, it is a strong recommendation to send more Indonesian delegates to Japan to learn and further replicate best practices implemented.