The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) at the World Bank

The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) was established in June 2000 by the Government of Japan (GoJ) and the World Bank as a united mechanism for providing direct assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in eligible World Bank group member countries. Since inception, GoJ has provided $396 million to the JSDF program, and 278 grants with a total value of $295 million have been approved.

SDF funded activities will benefit the most fragile and vulnerable groups in World Bank client countries who were directly impacted by the 1997-1999 global economic and financial crisis.

JSDF can finance activities providing direct relief measures and improvement of services and facilities for poorer population groups, and innovation and testing of new approaches to assist these groups, particularly in the social sector which could be replicated on a larger scale or included in operations financed by the World Bank. For example, JSDF activities could include, but are not limited to:

• Establishing or scaling up the activities of a social fund which is directed at poverty alleviation or relief of financial crisis problems.
• Developing public employment programs that will benefit the poor.
• Supporting activities to enhance participation of local communities, particularly vulnerable groups, in development and implementation of community development plans.
• Funding activities that assist in the establishment of programs to safeguard or improving the living conditions of vulnerable groups such as the disabled, children, or the unemployed.

JSDF can also finance capacity building measures such as increasing the participation of local communities and NGOs in World Bank-financed operations. Activities could include, but are not limited to:

• Providing basic services by community groups because the public and private sectors cannot adequately respond to the demands for such services.
• Developing local capacity to enable the affected groups in undertaking community driven public works projects.
• Improving the delivery of needed public services through community groups or NGOs to those groups affected by the crisis.

The procurement of goods and services for JSDF-financed activities is carried out in accordance with the World Bank procurement guidelines (accessible in the World Bank guidelines at the website).

Only activities that complement an existing World Bank Group-financed operation in an eligible country are eligible for JSDF funding (for a list of current projects, please go to the InfoShop or the World Bank Monthly Operational Summary).