KOICA, Rated 'Excellent' in 2019 Public Institution Management Performance Evaluation with Grade A

Grade improved from E in 2017 to A in 2 years
Received high evaluation for strong business innovation and infectious disease response achievements

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) announced on the 19th that it received an A grade in the ‘2019 Public Institution Management Performance Evaluation’ announced by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Considering that none of the total 129 public institutions evaluated (36 public enterprises, 50 quasi-governmental institutions, 43 small and medium-sized institutions) received an S grade, KOICA’s A grade effectively places it in the top group among public institutions, including quasi-governmental institutions.

KOICA received an ‘E’ grade (very poor) in 2017, but under the leadership of Chairman Lee Mi-kyung, who took office at the end of the same year, an Innovation Committee was launched and high-intensity innovation was pursued. The innovation, which started with “Back to Basics,” brought about significant changes in management overall in 2018, including strategy, personnel, and organization. In 2019, the business sector led “Actions to Change” for innovation, which resulted in efforts and achievements in strategy-centered and field-centered project implementation.

KOICA’s Korea Aid project, which was involved in the 2017 Choi Soon-sil political scandal, was transformed into government New Southern Policy implementation projects such as the Korea-Mekong Regional Peace Village Construction Project and the Central Vietnam Smart City Valley Program. As Korea’s representative development cooperation agency, KOICA also discovered and promoted many cross-sector projects such as “gender equality and climate environment,” which had been relatively neglected, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the international community.

Additionally, KOICA’s collaboration system established with infectious disease specialized organizations such as the Global Fund and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) shone during the COVID-19 phase. The KOICA chairman’s role as chairperson of the International Development Cooperation Project Council (KOSA) leading 54 public institutions to discover convergence projects also stood out as an excellent achievement.

Furthermore, KOICA focused on strengthening cybersecurity and actively opening public data for digital innovation. As a result, it was selected as an excellent institution by recording a first-grade rating in all areas of the ‘Public Data Provision Operation Status Evaluation’ conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and secured a high rating (Good) in the ‘2020 International Aid Transparency Index’ for providing transparent and reliable data and information to the international community.

Chairman Lee Mi-kyung of KOICA stated, “This excellent grade is a proud achievement made possible by all KOICA employees united as one, and we will not be complacent but will continue to strengthen our internal capabilities to achieve continuous internal and external innovation and social value as a global development cooperation agency.”

She added, “If K-quarantine demonstrated Korea’s stature as an advanced country in protecting its own citizens, KOICA’s role is to show how much of that capability can be extended to the world,” and “To respond to the new normal in the post-COVID era, we plan to promote development cooperation that incorporates new ideas such as digital transformation and the Green New Deal.”

The Public Institution Management Performance Evaluation has been conducted annually since 2004 under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Finance to induce autonomous management improvement and establish an autonomous and responsible management system. In 2019, the evaluation was conducted on a total of 129 public institutions (36 public enterprises, 50 quasi-governmental institutions, 43 small and medium-sized institutions).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.