Overview
Increasing attention is now being given to the third sector as one of the key actors in addressing social problems and needs, along with the government (public sector) and commercial enterprises (corporate sector). Against this backdrop, this research project seeks to reveal an overall picture of the third sector in Japan, examine the management problems of third-sector organizations, and identify management and institutional challenges that must be overcome to enable Japanese third-sector organizations to become efficient providers of public services. This research project is to build on findings from our preceding one from the previous fiscal year, in which we delineated the overall picture of the third sector in Japan, and we will take a closer look into the management problems of Japanese third-sector organizations by type. By doing so, we will seek to identify management issues faced by third-sector organizations as providers of public services in terms of improving efficiency and service quality and institutional challenges, i.e., issues faced in reforming relevant institutional systems (contracts, the designated manager system, the voucher system, etc.) and their implementation rules.
August 30, 2011 - March 31, 2013
