Need for Independent International Cooperation Initiatives in Seoul
In response to the urban challenges arising from rapid urbanization, the City of Seoul has implemented excellent policies in areas such as transportation, water supply and sewage, and health and welfare. However, despite ongoing efforts to datafication for policy sharing, there is a lack of in-depth policy sharing initiatives, resulting in a reliance on central government-led KSP projects or KOICA collaborations. These central government policies tend to focus on intergovernmental goodwill, revealing limitations in the discovery of follow-up projects at the urban level. Thus, an independent international cooperation initiative led by Seoul is essential, along with the development of effective inter-city policy sharing collaboration models.
Limitations of Existing KSPs and Implications from the 2024 Seoul ODA Challenge
The government-led Knowledge Sharing Programs (KSPs) have delivered meaningful results by aiming to share Korea’s development experience in response to the needs of developing countries. However, institutional and procedural limitations have, at times, hindered the ability to fully align with the actual aid demands of partner countries. As a result, some ODA projects have leaned heavily on Korea’s own development model, making it difficult to offer customized consultations that reflect local contexts. Although the involvement of multiple stakeholders promotes inclusiveness, it can also reduce the flexibility needed for effective project implementation.
To address these challenges, the Seoul-type KSP offers a promising alternative through city-to-city cooperation. By closely reflecting the specific needs of recipient cities and focusing on early-stage demand identification and tailored solutions, the Seoul-type KSP has the potential to significantly improve development effectiveness. Pre-consultation with local governments ensures that priority development needs are adequately understood and incorporated, thereby enhancing the efficiency of international cooperation and promoting sustainable development.
As Seoul’s global presence continues to grow, so too does international demand for sharing its policy experiences. However, the lack of established procedures and guidelines for policy-sharing initiatives can increase administrative burdens and result in insufficient understanding of partner cities’ needs during the project selection process. To overcome this, it is essential to develop clear operational guidelines and diversify project selection criteria. In particular, tailored evaluation frameworks should be introduced to reflect the unique characteristics of each partner city—combining both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Consistency in evaluation standards and implementation processes must be maintained, while post-project management systems should be reinforced to support long-term sustainability. Finally, establishing a robust monitoring and feedback mechanism will be crucial for tracking project performance and recommending timely improvements.
Conceptual Framework for the Seoul KSP: SSP(Sharing Seoul Program)
The Seoul-type KSP is a city-based development cooperation knowledge-sharing initiative that provides tailored policy recommendations for partner cities based on Seoul’s economic development experiences. Aiming at sustainable economic and social development and regional economic cooperation, the initiative seeks to address the rigidity and complexity of existing central government KSP projects while fostering closer inter-city relationships through the sharing of Seoul’s policy experiences. Under the tentative title SSP, the following strategies are proposed:
1. Emphasizing Active Participation in Project Selection: By adding diverse channels and validation steps, the project selection process aims to reflect the needs of cities, overcoming the limitations of qualitative assessments through prior consultations with stakeholders.
2. Developing Collaborative Project Plans: The program will assess the requirements and capacities of partner cities, utilizing the SSP Challenge to invite selected city officials for short-term training in Seoul. Tailored consulting services will be provided to enhance project effectiveness by applying Seoul’s experiences.
3. Managing a Pool of Partner Cities: Continuous opportunities for participation will be offered to cities not selected, allowing policy officials to learn from Seoul’s policy cases and fostering knowledge exchange to strengthen Seoul’s international cooperation network.
This foundational plan is expected to contribute to establishing sustainable relationships between Seoul and partner cities through a phased approach in the selection process.
Developing a Sustainable International Cooperation Model through a Comprehensive Approach
The successful operation of the Seoul-type KSP requires thorough execution of exchange cooperation, project selection, post-management, and specific project implementation directions, laying a foundation for enhancing Seoul’s competitiveness. Through collaboration with global cities, better development opportunities for Seoul’s citizens will be provided, ultimately leading to improved quality of life. By discovering ODA initiatives, Seoul can expand its collaboration with overseas cities in developing countries and establish itself as a leading model for international cooperation. Moreover, through ODA initiatives, the program will support domestic enterprises’ entry into developing countries, contributing to Seoul’s economic growth and international competitiveness. This independent international cooperation initiative will facilitate Seoul’s effective development of a policy-sharing collaboration model aimed at resolving urban challenges. It is anticipated that the Seoul-type KSP will overcome the limitations of existing KSPs and governmental institutional inadequacies while reflecting the actual needs of recipient countries and promoting sustainable development.