我が国の科学技術政策の形成過程とその推進体制の構造的枠組み : 科学技術会議と学術審議会を中心として

Policy making process, in most cases, consists of the following steps. First, policy making organizations establish the policy goals, principles and guidelines. Second, administrative organs formulate the definite plans and carry out them. Third, the executed policies are reviewed by these organizations/organs. Science and technology policy is also formed through the similar process above mentioned. In Japan, for the purpose of policy making of science and technology, the Council for Science and Technology (CST) is established as an advisory body to the Prime Minister, and the Science Council (SC) is an advisory body with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MESC). Reports or counsels submitted by CST are settled to be put into practice by the Science and Technology Agency, MESC and other agencies or ministries; reports or proposals by SC are carried out by MESC. In addition to these two Councils, the Science Council of Japan makes recommendations or proposals to the Government or to the other agency/ministries on occasion. However, there still remain the following problems, especially within CST’s policy making system. First, discussions within the Council are apt to be limited and oriented by the materials prepared by secretariats. Second, administrative organs’ comments tend to be taken account into CST’s reports/counsels to the highest degree. Third, administrative organs do not always adequately accept CST’s reports/counsels. Fourth, CST’s reports/counsels does not suitably take into account of the relevancy with other policies. Moreover, although it is necessary to adopt the most suitable plan in policy making process of science and technology, the scientific approach for that is not still exploited in Japan. This is one of the important problems for the future.departmental bulletin pape