How did JaLoGoMa begin?
• In 2002, Tokyo Foundation’s Board of Directors requested that the foundation’s Scholarship Division create a program to meet the needs of municipalities (in more than 3,000 cities, towns and villages) throughout Japan in line with the central government’s decentralization reform.
• The goal was to provide substantive learning and highly relevant experiential opportunities in Japan and abroad to selected participants in order to increase their knowledge, strengthen their existing skills and acquire new perspectives that are directly applicable to their roles in municipal government.
• The foundation had a vision but no in-house skills, knowledge and experience to implement a professional training program that was substantive and delivered in an informed manner. Thus, it was important to engage academic institutions who had demonstrated enthusiasm, knowledge and the ability to organize professional education programs. Both Waseda University and Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government, Center for Public Service met the criteria and became partners with the foundation. The 7-week program began in 2004 and provided Project Management based contents.
Program shift in 2009
• Based on an evaluation on the 7-week program, the foundation decided to change the Portland program format to 1 week, and increased the number of participants to more than 30 from about 10. The focus of the program became “Citizen-Centered Governance” and Project Management was no longer provided.
• PSU provided case studies, site visits, synthesis sessions, and reception within a week. It became an intensive training program, but received tremendous support from Portland metropolitan area’s community members who became content providers to the program.
Current format began in 2017
• PSU continues to provide the program in Portland even after the partnership ended with the Tokyo Foundation. The program is now delivered in 5 days and is open to anyone who is interested in community engagement. Participants are responsible for paying the program costs.
• Program provides case studies from Portland metropolitan area with current-event updates. Case studies are presented to highlight the process of community engagements and importance of those development.
• In addition, JaLoGoMa collaborates with Mitsu Yamazaki (President/CEO | Mitsu Yamazaki, LLC) to provide “Creative Business Workshop”. JaLoGoMa participants have the opportunity to add this one-day workshop and learn about innovation in the workplace.