Program and Project Evaluation Systems in Local Governments

This chapter examines the characteristics and overall landscape of policy evaluation activities in assessing the sustainability of local government management in Japan. It is widely recognized that local government evaluation activities are typically conducted independently of central government oversight. However, recent years have seen a growing level of central government intervention in these evaluations. Consequently, previous research that has exclusively focused on the evaluation activities of local governments has become increasingly narrow in its scope. This chapter explores the following research question: How has central government intervention influenced the evaluation activities of local governments? This chapter categorizes the evaluation of local governments in Japan into three categories: (1) administrative evaluations, (2) evaluations of decentralized servicesDecentralized services, and (3) intergovernmental evaluations. The first half of the chapter provides an overview of the historical background and systems associated with each evaluation type. The latter half offers a qualitative analysis of the content of 204 basic principles of the central government and includes a graphical representation of intergovernmental evaluations conducted by central government ministries. The analysis reveals that certain ministries are mandating local governments to formulate and evaluate plans for implementing national policies. This trend suggests an increase in evaluation activities by local governments, which may impact their autonomy and sustainability.