1. Introduction: the administration of the National Diet Library and new projects

The National Diet Library has gone through unprecedented changes these several years: the inauguration of the International Library of Children's Literature (2000) and the Kansai-kan (2002), splitting of holdings and the transportation of materials, reorganization and reform of work to fit the new tripartite service system, the start of new services to respond to the needs of users, such as the digital library project and the remote services, improvement of the infrastructure through the Electronic Library Infrastructure System, etc.
After this phase of major changes leading to a new system, the NDL worked out "NDL Vision 2004," in order to define our mission and roles, and our policies for the future, with the objective of a solid management for a steady advance.
In addition, we introduced an evaluation system in FY2004 to manage our activities and programs appropriately and to account for them to the people. 
 

2. The Vision

"NDL Vision 2004" sets out mid-and-long-term basic policies for 5 to 10 years as an ultimate objective for the library as a whole.
In this Vision, as well as defining our mission and roles, we set four priority areas: "enhancement of legislative support function," "creation of digital archives," "improvement of access to information resources" and "promotion of cooperation."

>>NDL Vision 2004http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/aboutus/vision_2004.html
 
 

3-1. Process of introducing activity evaluation
From January 2001, a policy evaluation system was introduced to the national administrative organs in Japan in consideration of the severe national fiscal situation. The purpose of this evaluation system is as follows: (1) To realize an efficient and high quality administration that focuses on the people, (2) To shift to output-oriented administration in the people's interest, (3) To achieve thorough accountability to the people about the national administration. Although the NDL belongs to the legislative body, we think that it is essential to introduce an evaluation system for an efficient administration and in order to achieve accountability to the people as a national organization.
However, the evaluation system we need should be different from that of the administrative organs because the objective of their activities is not the same as ours by its nature. So we built our own system under the heading of Vision 2004 and decided to call it "activity evaluation," not "policy evaluation." 

3-2. Objective of introducing activity evaluation
The NDL introduced activity evaluation with the following two aims:

(1) Appropriate management of activities and programs
We will establish a total operational management system for the appropriate management of the activities and programs of the NDL, first by building objectives based on an examination of their adequacy and allocation of resources and then by developing  action plans.

(2) Achievement of accountability about our activities and programs as a national organization
The results of the evaluation of our activities and programs will be published on our web pages after being reported to the presiding officers of both Houses.

3-3. Organization and hierarchy of activity evaluation

3-3-1. Setting objectives

The NDL sets two objectives for different levels: one for the whole organization, intended to be published (the Vision, priority objectives, service standards), and the other for each department (departmental objectives, project goals).

(1) The Vision
Demonstrates mid-and-long-term basic policies for 5 to 10 years

(2) Priority objectives
Set objectives for 1 to 3 years for the projects to which the NDL attaches importance as an organization. These objectives should be concrete and achievable, with a clear time limit set for their achievement, based on departmental objectives and project goals.

>>Priority objectives FY2004 
  http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/aboutus/vision_PriorityObjectives.html

(3) Service standards
Set out specific figures in order to guarantee the quality of our service to the users (people and libraries).

>>Service standards FY2004http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/aboutus/vision_service.html

(4) Departmental objectives and project goals
Support the Vision and the priority objectives as lower level targets. These objectives   outline our short-and-medium-term direction for 1 to 3 years. Project goals are set out in a special framework in order to carry out a project of great importance in the administration of the NDL.

3-3-2. Evaluation and redefinition of the objectives

We will review achievement of the objectives at the beginning of the next fiscal year. Each department will undertake a primary evaluation of achievement and based on that, a secondary evaluation for the organization as a whole is to be done. The objectives for the next fiscal year will be redefined based on the achievement of the previous year.
 
 

On introducing the activity evaluation system, we are conducting a user questionnaire survey and updating the statistics in order to assess our performance.
In FY2003, the NDL carried out a first large-scale user survey since 1989. Continuing this, in FY2004, we have conducted a survey targeted at remote users, of which the results are presently being tabulated and analyzed.
As for the statistics, the NDL aims to finish the updating before the end of the FY2004 in order to make available all the necessary data for setting out objectives and evaluations, and to take statistical data in a new form from April 2005.
 

5. Conclusion: for the future

As explained above, the NDL has merely taken the first step in the evaluation system of the library. Hereafter we intend to improve this system by addressing the various issues and gradually improving it.
The NDL also intends to achieve accountability as a national organization and to consolidate the importance of our being the only national library in Japan by a solid implementation of the Vision.