2026 First Expert Meeting for Policy Evaluation and Public Administration Project Review (Friday, April 24, 2026)

Overview

For an overview of the Advisory Panel, please refer to the Summary of the 2026 Policy Evaluation and Public Administration Project Review in , .

Date and time of the: Friday, April 24, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
US>: To hold a hybrid event
Committee Members Present: Chair, Mr. Iwasaki, Mr. Ohta, Mr. Kanbayashi, Mr. Sasajima, Mr. Sato and Mr. Utsuro

Agenda

1. Digital Agency Policy Evaluation and Public Administration Project Review Expert Meeting
2. Election of the Chair and nomination of the Alternate Chair
3. Management of the Advisory Council for the Review of Digital Agency Policy Evaluation and Public Administration Projects
4. Discussion on review and improvement of each business (explanation of each business)
- ① Digital Marketplace (DMP) Catalog Site
- (ii) Information coordination and utilization system for national qualifications, etc.

Material

Summary of the Proceedings

After the Secretariat announced the opening of the meeting, the Chair and the Deputy Chair were selected by mutual vote among the members. Then, the Secretariat explained the background of the establishment of the Association, its position, and the way to proceed in the future. Then, the person in charge explained the project, and the members made comments and answered questions.
The main comments and questions are as follows.

① Digital Marketplace (DMP) Catalog Site

Committee member: Since the As an initial confirmation, please confirm that this project started in 2023 and the appropriateness of the budget execution amount of 495 million in 2024.
In addition, is it correct to understand that the number of procurements is six in total? Although there is a possibility that the number has not increased due to the impact of the supplementary budget, etc., I have the impression that the number is small overall. In particular, among the central government agencies, only Digital Agency has achieved results in the end. What is the response of other ministries and agencies?
In addition, there are about 1,700 local governments, and it is believed that the number of cases of four is small. I would like to ask what kind of local governments are currently using it.

In-charge: This project started in 2023, but since it is a new mechanism, we have been verifying and demonstrating it for about two years before its release. On top of that, from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025, we built a catalog site system empirically, and actually had vendors register the software. Regarding the budget execution amount of 495 million yen in fiscal 2024, since we operated the demonstration catalog site and developed the production catalog site in parallel, there was a temporary cost overlap, and we spent time and money on verifying the mechanism.
The six cases of procurement represent the cumulative total for the previous fiscal year. The reason for the small number of cases is that because the procurement and selection system was released at the end of fiscal 2024, many of the procurement procedures for the initial contract for the following fiscal year (contract began in April 2025) had already been completed, and procurement was mainly carried out using the remaining budget.
As for central government offices, Digital Agency is the main user, but we recognize that other ministries and agencies were not fully informed, and we need to strengthen efforts to promote their use in the future. As for local governments, Miyakonojo City and other small and medium-sized local cities are the main users.

Committee member: Since the development costs, what other running costs do you estimate for this fiscal year?

In-charge: The operating expenses are about 110 million yen.

Committee member: Since the Lastly, I have one more question. It is my understanding that the recipient of the funds is Simplex Inc., which is in charge of development and operation. Will they continue to manage the fund?

In-charge: , and selected based on evaluation of cost and technical capabilities. On top of that, Simplex was in charge of the development of the final version last year, and Simplex was also in charge of the operation this year.

Committee member: Since the local government?

In-charge: , if we estimate that there are about 100 systems in medium-sized local governments, we estimate that there are about 170,000 systems in 1,700 local governments by simple calculation.
I don't have exact figures for the central government offices either, but I think it's around 1,000.

Committee member: Since the In other words, out of the total of about 170,000 cases, there are currently 6 cases. Please tell us how much you expect to expand your market share as a KPI in the future, as well as the outlook, strategy, and roadmap for achieving it.

In-charge: As a preliminary use case, we aim to increase the number to about two digits within this fiscal year. On the other hand, we recognize that we need to further consider how much growth rate we will expand after that.

Committee member: Since the Goal?

In-charge: This point has not been set as a KPI so far, but we will respond again after considering it in the future.

Committee member: Since the development from scratch or are not suitable for this platform, so it is important to analyze what level of system is suitable.
We also need to consider how much consolidation and cost savings will result.
In addition, if there is sufficient merit on the vendor's side, it is possible to collect usage fees to cover the operation expenses of about 110 million yen. Do you have any prospects for this?

In-charge: At the initial stage, if we charge fees, the registration of business operators will not progress, and from the perspective of priming the pump, I think it will be difficult. Since it will be difficult to collect fees if we do not accumulate procurement results, I would like to consider at an appropriate timing while watching the situation.

Committee member: Since the searches and deals?

In-charge: event platform.
In addition, we will create a new digital marketplace posting mark and attach it to vendor product introductions to expand recognition.

Committee member: Since the market as a whole, or if there are similar services in the private sector. If so, I think you will consider dividing the market. You mentioned earlier how much quantitative share you would like to capture. Do you have a blueprint for targeting high-quality software?

In-charge: First of all, regarding whether there are competing services, we recognize that there are currently no services that can search SaaS specializing in administrative work, although there are sites that introduce public procurement results and SaaS search services for private companies. We also believe that the fact that we post products after confirming their Supply Chain Risk Management in cooperation with related ministries and agencies is a unique strength of this platform (a guarantee of a sense of security).

Committee member: Since the That means we can define the market by that segment.

Chairman: 's specialty is labor economics, so I believe your question was based on various issues such as the division of labor mediation between Hello Work and the private sector.

Committee member: Since the : The first fundamental question is that you do not fully understand the significance of this marketplace. If you want to promote its use, it may be more efficient for the government to present a certain pattern, but I would like you to explain why it is a selective system.
Second, please tell us if there are any examples of similar efforts in other countries.

In-charge: Regarding the first point, at present, systems are developed tailor-made by each local government, and I understand that the direction pointed out by the committee member is assumed to be the provision of a common system by the national government.

Committee member: Since the will increase, I think so.

In-charge: However, it is difficult for the national government to establish a common system for all local governments in all areas because of the large burden. On the other hand, some administrative work is common with that of the private sector, and it is efficient to utilize private SaaS for chat and BI tools. Since users of SaaS benefit more as the number of users increases, the cost of each administrative agency is lower than that of development from scratch. Therefore, we believe that a marketplace mechanism that allows users to choose packaged services is effective.
As for the second point, this initiative is based on the Digital Marketplace in the United Kingdom, which is an example of a similar mechanism promoting the use of cloud services.

Committee member: Since the At present, I am not fully convinced, so please explain again so that I can understand the purpose. In addition, I would like you to share again the status of penetration in the United Kingdom.

Committee member: Since the generative AI has made software development easier, it is expected that there will be issues such as problems at the operation stage and increased maintenance costs. In light of these points, are there any efforts already being made, such as ideas or prospects, to appropriately evaluate the quality of registered operators and to appropriately select good operators while retaining them?

In-charge: evaluation will undermine the fairness of public procurements. As an alternative, we have established a mechanism for disclosing the procurement results in DMP. By accumulating procurement results, we believe that the business operators who are often procured and those who are not will be naturally visualized, and as a result, more preferred business operators will be used.

Committee member: Since the .

Chairman: There are two points I would like you to explain next time.
The first point is that you emphasize the effect of contributing to SMEs, but I would like you to show the percentage of SMEs among the six orders with actual figures. While entry barriers to portal services are lowering, there is a possibility that orders will be skewed toward large companies, so it is necessary to present figures related to SMEs.
Second, regarding the fact that there were 6 contracts for 1,200 search queries, please explain next time whether this was due to a mismatch between providers and demand, or due to institutional factors and constraints on procurement rules.

(ii) Information coordination and utilization system for national qualifications, etc.

Committee member: Since the . Of the space that can be used for renewing and certifying qualifications, to what extent is it currently being used? Please also tell us whether the use of the space is commensurate with the cost of approximately 3 billion yen.
In addition, please tell us your outlook on the scope of eligibility, including to what extent national qualifications are expected to be covered in the future and whether all national qualifications will be introduced in an integrated manner.

In-charge: In fiscal 2025, the number of online applications was 47680 in total for 21 qualifications against the initial target of 36000.
"Although it is difficult to obtain a clear picture of overall use of the system, approximately 50% of all applications for top qualifications, which are frequently used, were made online."
In the future, we plan to expand the number of qualifications from the current 21 to a total of 128, including 107 scheduled for introduction in April 2026.

Committee member: Since the I would like to ask one last question. Will the budget increase as a result of the increase in eligibility? Also, is it correct to consider the ¥ 3 billion cost as a fixed cost, or will it increase in the future?

In-charge: introduction qualifications increases, corresponding repairs, etc. will be required, and maintenance expenses, etc. will increase.

Committee member: Since the costs? If so, please tell us the breakdown of fixed costs and maintenance costs.

In-charge: I would like to make an additional confirmation as I have not grasped the details. I will also arrange the breakdown of fixed costs and maintenance costs.

Committee member: Since the , in relation to what you pointed out earlier, I would like to ask whether you are aware of the current situation regarding Kostovihevia. For example, it is necessary to organize the cost structure, such as how much cost is incurred for each transaction per application, or the cost over time.
Based on the premise that the annual amount is about 4 billion yen and the number of applications is about 40000, the cost per application is about 100,000 yen. Is this correct?

In-charge: That's our understanding at this point.

Committee member: Since the I have the impression that the cost of about 100,000 yen per case is a little high, but please tell me to what extent you expect to be able to lower the unit price in line with future expansion.

In-charge: qualifications will increase from 21 to 128. However, we are unable to make detailed assumptions regarding the expected increase in the number of applications and the resulting cost per online application.

Committee member: Since the With a five fold increase in the number of qualifications, tens of thousands of yen per application is expected to be borne by the public.

In-charge: The initial infrastructure development includes a My Number linked infrastructure and a mechanism for using electronic payment as a common infrastructure, and a certain amount of cost reduction effect can be expected from the development of individual qualifications. The specific period and amount of reduction will be presented next time.

Committee member: Since the I understand. Please submit detailed figures and future prospects next time.

Committee member: Since the There are two points. The first point is that this system is very useful in practice. From the perspective of foreign labor policy, as the importance of presenting qualifications increases with the start of the human resources development and employment system next year, and in light of the fact that the grade of certified skilled workers and skill training courses will change in a short period of time, I believe that the ability to immediately present it in a reliable form will contribute to improving convenience. Therefore, I think that the use of 800,000 to 1 million people, which is expected for human resources development and specified skills, is also expected.
The second point is that the line chart in the document says "starting in February or March 2026." It is already April, but while coordination with the ministries and agencies in charge of the eligibility has begun, has it not been realized for some reason, or is it just a future plan?

In-charge: Route Table is as of today. The 10 qualifications starting from February to March have already been introduced.

Committee member: Since the So it's already in the system.

In-charge: Your understanding is correct. Coordination has also been completed with the competent ministries and agencies for the use of skill training and skill training courses. However, since there are many categories of skill training and skill training courses, more will be added in due course.

Committee member: Since the My Number is more than I imagined, and from the perspective of those involved in the discussion of the Government Data Hub, there was also recognition that it could be implemented more easily, so I would like you to organize the breakdown of the cost and how the data integration should be.
In addition, please tell us about the number of people using the system, and if you have any views on the appropriateness of requiring those who are not qualified to pay tax, while the beneficiaries are assumed to be those who are qualified and those who use the system, including the cost burden.

In-charge: , the number of online applications I mentioned earlier along with the number of qualifications includes cases where one person made multiple applications, so it is believed that the number is higher than the actual number of users.

Committee member: Since the (the applicant) is a duplicate.

In-charge: That's right. So, I'd like to confirm if we can figure that out.
Also, regarding the scope of benefits, as you pointed out, to what extent will it be considered? In the narrowest sense, I think it will be a part of the people who are using each qualification. I also think it will be the qualification management organization that operates it. I think this is the scope of direct benefits. I would like to sort out how and to what extent the beneficiaries will be considered based on your point.

Committee member: Since the From a policy perspective, I have no objection to the improvement of convenience through the linkage of credential information. On the other hand, as the cost has been borne by individuals, I think it is necessary to design a system based on the balance between burden and benefit, such as who will bear the cost to what extent and to what extent in the future.
In addition to ensuring that the entire structure is transparent through the promotion of digitalization, it is also necessary to consider how to divide the roles of the national government, local governments and the private sector, and how standardization should be based on the differences in qualifications.
In addition, national qualifications are not only for the benefit of individuals, but also support the safety and quality of life of society as a whole. Therefore, I think it is reasonable to support them as a public foundation with tax burdens. I also suspect that it is important to develop such a foundation from the perspective of promoting reskilling and recurrent education.
In overseas countries such as Denmark, there are cases where a system to view education and qualification information is built on national portals, so I think it will be helpful.

Chairman: There are three points that I would like you to explain after the next meeting.
The first point is the definition of beneficiaries. There are many qualifications that do not require presentation of qualifications. While it is convenient for holders of multiple qualifications, the benefits for others are limited. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the scope of beneficiaries in relation to the tax burden.
Second, with regard to KPIs, we believe that it is necessary to review the indicators from the perspective of emphasizing the actual utilization status rather than the number of eligible qualifications.
Third, it is important to analyze the issues of not only high-use qualifications but also low-use qualifications, and I would like you to organize not only the overall online rate but also the status by qualification.

Questions and opinions throughout

Committee member: Since the , is not directly related to individual projects, but it is possible that issues similar to defense procurement will arise, such as the large amount of cost required for system development and the limited number of prime contractors as the procurement scale of Digital Agency as a whole is expected to expand in the future.
In defense procurement, based on the fact that contractors have an information advantage over government agencies, a system has been developed to conduct pre - and post-audits to ensure the validity of initial estimates and control overcharging. In light of these points, it is desirable to consider an audit system to appropriately control development costs in anticipation of future procurement expansion.

Committee member: Since the government is aiming to reduce digital-related work costs by 30%, it is necessary to ensure consistency with this in each project. For example, it is important to show a comparison with overall budget restraint while taking into account the cost increase due to service improvement, such as the cost reduction effect of moving national qualifications online and building a marketplace.

Greater than or