Category: Capability Development

Today’s increasing pace of change and unpredictable circumstances have put pressure on the government to adapt to improve productivity and continue providing responsive services to citizens. As part of its mandate to enhance knowledge, skills, techniques, and technology to assist the public sector, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) implemented the Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service Improvements (DCCPSI) Program last August 9 to 20, 2021.

This course assisted national government agencies in identifying issues in their critical services based on their clients’ perspective and creating solutions that meet their clients’ expectations and needs. At the same time, it also trained the participants in developing innovative strategies to improve the services and increase the productivity of their respective agencies.

Staff and officers from the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) participated in the online lectures and workshops via Zoom.

Facilitators from the DAP conducted lectures to introduce new concepts, tools, and strategies from service design and innovation and guided the participants throughout the workshops where they could apply their new knowledge. The participants were also instructed on how to consult their services’ clients and stakeholders to identify pain points and test possible solutions.

Recognizing the client’s perspective

The first phase of the program, the “Introduction to Citizen-Centered Service Design and Data Gathering,” helped the participants better understand their stakeholders’ perspectives. Using the Client Journey Map, they broke down client experience in terms of channels, costs, distance, time, clients’ emotions, and identified pain points experienced when citizens availed of the agencies’ services. They also analyzed the internal processes of their offices to identify delays and unnecessary steps.

Many participants found the new concepts and tools, particularly the client journey map, helpful as they shifted their point-of-view from their organizations to their clients. DOF Dir. Angelica Sarmiento shared that “in the government system, we wisely take into consideration the standpoint of the agency, but we learn that we need to improve the system from the client’s standpoint.”

Designing with clients

The program also allowed the participants to unleash their creativity through brainstorming and prototyping activities. Guided by the DAP facilitators, the teams challenged their assumptions about their service, clients, and environment to generate ideas and synthesize these into possible solutions. Maricel Reduca, Officer-in-Charge of the Bureau of Philippine Standards – Standards Conformity Division, shared her experience in collaborating with her colleagues: “we came from different bureaus, and the good thing about the discussion is that one of the members asks about the process… Also, the data gathering helped us during the brainstorming since we already know the client’s expectations and needs.”

To convert their ideas into tangible solutions and determine if these work in practice, the teams developed prototypes and tested these on their stakeholders. During the user tests, the teams considered feedback and insights to identify improvements as they prepare further iterations of their solutions.

For the participants, the value of learning from clients and engaging them throughout the design process was an important lesson. TESDA Supervising Technical Education and Skills Development Specialist Ida Miape summarized her takeaway, “we journey with our stakeholders, so their input is essential to enhance the service, policies, and guidelines, and we would learn what is missing in our solution.” DPWH Project Evaluation Officer Vennie League also added that “the client’s peace of mind is important.” 

Beyond the workshops, the participants gained skills and knowledge which they can continue using when engaging with their clients and colleagues. For Engr. Myra Nazarrea of the MMDA, “applying the service design perspective is not all about applying it to a project. It is also about how you deal with others since there might be a possible solution, and you have to see it from other’s perspective.” 

For DOF Dir. Michael Aguinaldo, the workshops were a platform to see the bigger picture of their service. He shared that “the whole experience needs to be imagined. I learned about understanding what the clients would feel. Another thing is about the user tester. We usually finish the prototype first before gathering feedback, and now I can immediately gather feedback and make an adjustment. I will also make sure to review the tools that were introduced during the session for our future projects.”

READ: DCCPSI Program Batch 2

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Productivity and Development Center, in collaboration with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), has successfully conducted the Workshop on Modern Food Transportation and Regulation last 13 to 15 July 2021 via videoconference. This workshop was one of the virtual programs held under the APO’s Digital Multi-Country Program.

The three-day virtual event tackled relevant information on global trends, challenges, and opportunities on food transportation, best practices, relevant management system (ISO 23412:2020), and the impetus to modernize food delivery systems. It also delved into policies/regulations to seize the opportunities as well as cope with the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of smart transformation of food transportation in member countries to meet modern consumers’ needs such as timely delivery, high quality, and safe food from secure sources was also emphasized.

Welcome remarks by Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan Jr., President and CEO
Development Academy of the Philippines | APO Alternate Director for the Philippines

DAP President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan Jr. highlighted, in his welcome remarks, that the current pandemic exposed the vulnerability of the global food supply chain particularly in the area of food logistics, as evidenced by the delays and congestion created by border restrictions and other measures undertaken to contain the spread of the virus. Hence, industries were urged to embrace technology-based innovations to contribute to accelerating food system transformation in particular the use of big data, the internet of things, robotics, and automation. However, mainstreaming these innovations largely depends on how regulatory bodies steer the direction of its regulated actors to adopt smart approaches in operations and policies that underpin these regulations.

Attended by overseas and local participants from Bangladesh, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Republic of China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the workshop had top-notch experts and practitioners in their field namely, Dr. Sahat M. Pasaribu of Indonesia, key officers of the Yamato Holdings Co. Ltd. of Japan, Dr. Rodney Wee of Asia Cold Chain Centre of Singapore, Dr. Florentin Blanc of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and our very own, Ms. Cherrie Atilano of the AGREA from the Philippines.

The last day of the workshop capped off with group presentations on the challenges and opportunities in food transportation, the needed regulations to address these challenges and opportunities, and the management systems, facilities, infrastructure, institutional mechanisms, and system requirements to be able to install or strengthen and modernize food transportation.

Closing remarks by Arnel D. Abanto, Vice-President and Managing Director
Productivity and Development Center | Development Academy of the Philippines

In his closing remarks, DAP Vice-President Arnel D. Abanto congratulated all the participants for completing the three-day workshop with the hope to be able to create a ripple effect as they apply their learnings from this multi-country program. To help transform and modernize food transportation, he underscored the following key considerations in identifying regulatory measures: a) achieving environment-friendly and sustainable development; b) implementing food traceability, and c) developing a viable food distribution channel. He further added that the biggest aid to strengthen modern food transportation and regulation does not only lie in the state-of-the-art technological advancements such as cold chain infrastructure and applications, but also in the innovative and collaborative action among agencies and organizations at the national, regional, and global scale in carefully designing a responsive food logistics plan which incorporates the necessary food safety requirements.

The DAP and APO, together with its partners in the government sector and the private sector hope to positively impact the food transportation sector and the overall food system in the coming years. For more information, visit www.dap.edu.ph, email pdc@dap.edu.ph or call 8632-2156/2137.

Click to see highlights of the three-day workshop: Click to see highlights of the three-day workshop: Integration Video_APO-DAP Digital Multi-Country Workshop on Modern Food Transportation and Regulation.mp4

This article was originally posted in http://pdc.dap.edu.ph/index.php/international-and-local-participants-learn-modern-food-transportation-and-regulation/

29 July 2021 – The Development Academy of the Philippines Center for Governance – Policy Research Office (CfG-PRO) continued its two-part discussion on full devolution in line with the implementation of the Mandanas ruling in the fourth installment of the Thursday Talks Webinar Series entitled “Devolution Ready: Realizing Meaningful Autonomy” under the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) program. 

Moderated by Dr. Maria Ela L. Atienza, local governance and devolution expert from the Department of Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman, the webinar featured Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla from Regional Development Group of the National Economic and Development Authority, who highlighted the inequity within the Philippines and enumerated the initiatives used in guiding offices to promote regional equity. 

The second session, led by OIC-Director John Aries Macaspac from the Local Government and Regional Coordination Bureau of the Department of Budget and Management, discussed the past and current computation of LGU shares in line with the Mandanas ruling. He also asked Congress to pass the proposed Income Classification Bill, which would aid the determination of the financial capabilities of LGUs to undertake development projects and provide different forms of assistance to LGUs.

Afterwards, in a panel discussion, Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua, National President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines and National Chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, stated that there should be clearer recognition of the inequity experienced by LGUs and raised concerns on the difficulties LGUs might face with the intended timeline for the devolution transition plan. 

Gov. Cua had emphasized that IRA shares from the Local Government Code 30 years ago allocated to LGUs were not enough to fulfill their envisioned responsibilities and mandates, and the additional financial shares for the devolution efforts are what the national government ‘owes’ the LGUs in the first place. 

Following this, Dr. Charlotte Justine Dikono-Sicat began by stating that it is an opportune time to devolve, especially since LGUs have always strived to fulfill their duties and responsibilities to their constituents. She then shared her four general recommendations for the strengthening of devolution which were strategic fund utilization, enhancing the generation of funds, alignment of funds, and improving institutional adjustment, alignment and coordination.

During the open forum, Dr. Diokno-Sicat explained that the economic principles behind devolution, decentralization, and federalism are essentially the same and that we have the tools to help us strengthen the goals of the Mandanas ruling. 

Next, Gov. Cua stated that LGUs have been ready and keen to spend on projects as LGUs have been waiting on funding to come in for decades. Undersecretary Sombilla discussed that all LGUs will be affected by the Mandanas ruling and highlighted the importance of utilization of funds from the national government among the LGUs as well as the budget preparation and optimization of IRA/NTA so it may be efficiently managed.Director Masapac added that it is up to LGUs to prioritize projects that they feel are important for their development and that projects cannot be imposed on the LGUs.

In her synthesis, Dr. Atienza highlighted the importance of capacity building for LGUs and the importance of stakeholder involvement in the devolution efforts. She also expressed her hope that with the Mandanas ruling, LGUs will have the ability to maximize their available resources and undergo successful harmonization within the different levels of government.

The livestream of this event can still be accessed through the Policy Research Office Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/DAPCFGPRO. – by Rion Cairus Reyes

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Productivity and Development Center, in partnership with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), an intergovernmental organization in the Asia-Pacific region, is conducting the Workshop on Modern Food Transportation and Regulation on 13 to 15 July 2021 via Zoom.

The workshop will highlight the importance of smart transformation of food transportation in member countries to meet modern consumers’ needs such as timely delivery, high quality, and safe food from secure sources. This goal is anchored on the commitment and key result areas of the APO in reference to its newly launched Vision 2025 striving for an “inclusive, innovation-led productivity growth in Asia and the Pacific.

Moreover, the three-day virtual activity will discuss highly relevant topics which mainly focus on Global Trends, Challenges, Policy/Regulatory Responses, and Opportunities in Food Transportation, Modern Delivery System with the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Cold Chain Logistics in Response to Covid-19, and International Standard on Temperature-Controlled Parcel Delivery Service (ISO23412). The duration of each day’s sessions will be around four hours comprising of presentations, interactive group discussions, and other relevant collaborative learning methods.

Expected to be attended by some 30 foreign and local participants from Bangladesh, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Republic of China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and Philippines, the workshop will also be graced by experts and presenters on agricultural economy, cold chain management using state- of-the-art technologies, and relevant management systems, particularly ISO 23412:2020.

This initiative is part of the virtual programs conducted under the Digital Multi- Country programs of the APO. This is pursuant to the unified goal of the DAP and APO to promote innovative interventions, approaches and best practices across all sectors of the economy, foster the development forces at work both in national and regional scale, and bolster the institutional infrastructure crucial to sustained productivity improvement. Indeed, the APO and the National Productivity Organizations (NPOs) have continuously lived up to their commitment to contribute to the socioeconomic development of Asia and the Pacific through the enhancement of productivity.

The DAP, as the country’s National Productivity Organization, and the APO,
hope to continuously impact food transportation and logistics at all levels — national, local or even global in the coming years. For more information, visit www.dap.edu.ph or email pdc@dap.edu.ph.

This article was originally posted in http://pdc.dap.edu.ph/index.php/dap-and-apo-to-conduct-a-workshop-on-modern-food-transportation-and-regulation/

The Development Academy of the Philippines, in partnership with the Asian Productivity Organization, conducted the APO Course on Development of Public-Sector Productivity Specialists held virtually on March 1-5. Twenty-nine representatives from APO member countries attended the online workshop. The workshop aimed to introduce concepts, issues, tools, and strategies related to public-sector productivity improvement.

Dr. Lizan E. Perante-Calina, Dean of the Graduate School of Public and Development Management of DAP, rendered the welcome remarks. Dr. Perante-Calina emphasized the role of public-sector organizations in improving the overall quality of life as the world faces many interlocking societal issues. 

Throughout the five-day course, the resource persons shared their expertise and mentored the participants on public-sector productivity. Dr. Shin Kim, Director & Senior Research Fellow of Center for International Public Cooperation of the Korea Institute of Public Administration, talked about the public sector role and global trends in improving productivity, performance management, e-government, and regulatory reform. 

Dr. Brian Marson, Co-Founder and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Citizen-Centred Service in Canada discussed public sector leadership and change management, citizen-centric service, development of productivity improvement plan, and approaches for improving organizational productivity. Lastly, VicePresident Arnel D. Abanto, Productivity and Development Center of DAP, explained measuring public-sector productivity, particularly identifying key considerations and appropriate methodology in estimating PSP.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) conducted five (5) batches of Advanced Course on RIA for priority agencies of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) composed of one hundred forty-eight (148) regulation authorities and key officers from twenty-four (24) regulatory agencies. This training course was conducted from 27 April – 4 June 2021 as part of the project on Phase II: Capability Development Assistance on Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for Priority Agencies of the ARTA that is being implemented by the DAP through its Modernizing Government Regulations (MGR) Program.

Batch 1 of the Advanced Course on RIA for Agencies in the Logistics Sector (BOC, DILG, LTFRB, LTO, and PPA) conducted on 27-30 April 2021

Batch 2 of the Advanced Course on RIA for Agencies in the Starting a Business Sector (BIR, DTI, PHIC, SEC, and SSS) conducted on 4-7 May 2021
Batch 2 of the Advanced Course on RIA for Agencies in the Starting a Business Sector (BIR, DTI, PHIC, SEC, and SSS) conducted on 4-7 May 2021
Batch 4 of the Advanced Course on RIA for Agencies in the Common Towers Sector (CAAP, DHSUD, DPWH, and NCIP) conducted on 25-28 May 2021
Batch 5 of the Advanced Course on RIA for Agencies in the Food and Pharmaceutical Sector (DA, DABAI, DA-BPI, DANMIS, and FDA) conducted on 1-4 June 2021

The said capability building intervention sought to raise awareness for the recognition and appreciation of the value of RIA in formulating, implementing, and assessing effective and efficient regulations; and urged regulatory authorities to apply what they have learned when formulating and implementing regulations.

Through the Advanced Course on RIA, participants learned about regulation, the RIA steps, and the elaboration of RIA Step 3 or evaluation of options, including utilization of the DAP Regulatory Cost Model Calculator. In the succeeding weeks, panel presentations of the RIA results will be conducted to conclude the project.

This article was originally posted in http://pdc.dap.edu.ph/index.php/dap-conducts-advanced-courses-on-ria-for-priority-agencies-of-the-arta/

gilbert lumantao policy research office
CFG-PRO Director Gilbert Lumantao delivered the Opening remarks to the Thursday Talks conducted last 29 April 2021 with 138 new and returning participants from the Philippine Congress

The DAP Center for Governance-Policy Research Office launched its Thursday Talks Webinar Series under the 2021 Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Program last April 29, 2021. The first installment of the Thursday Talks entitled “Road Towards Herd Immunity: Where Does the Philippines Stand?” had speakers from University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center, the Department of Health, and the Asian Development Bank.

Dr. Marc Edsel Ayes from the UP – Philippine Genome Center described the implications of the emerging COVID variants in public health policies and the current vaccination program of the government. He stressed the need to reach herd immunity thru vaccination as we move forward to live with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The concurrent Director of Health Promotion and Communication Service and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the DOH, Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho, said that the Philippines could achieve herd immunity by working hand-in-hand with non-government organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. She said that it is vital to have shared ownership in disseminating COVID-19 response strategies and verified information. She cited current examples of online materials and traditional media used to convey information and guides for medical and non-medical heads and local government leaders.

Lastly, Dr. Eduardo Banzon, Principal Health Specialist from the Asian Development Bank shared his insights on the socio-economic effects of the pandemic especially on badly hit industries such as the tourism sector. He pointed out the need to look into the possibility of yearly vaccinations and its impacts on the current vaccination strategy of the country and the COVID-19 situation in five years.

Top L-R: Dr. Beverly Ho from the Department of Health and Dr. Eduardo Banzon from Asian Development Bank. Bottom L-R: Dr. Mark Ayes from UP Philippine Genome Center and Dr. Albert Domingo, a health systems specialist served as the webinar moderator. Photo collage by Natalie Joy Narciso

The Thursday Talks, implemented from June to November 2021, is one of the three components under the 2021 CBILLS Program that aims to broaden participants’ perspectives on key trends in socio-political and economic spheres of the country and deepen their understanding of these impacts on governance.

CBILLS Program learners may access the talks through the Zoom platform while the non-CBILLS participants and the public can participate in the webinar through the live stream from Policy Research Office Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/DAPCFGPRO – written by Jeannine Tan, edited by Maria Rosario Ablan

BACKGROUND

The Government Best Practice Recognition (GBPR) is an initiative of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) to promote and showcase outstanding and innovative practices demonstrated by the public sector organizations. It is one of the Academy’s strategy responses to the rising call for public sector organizations to further enhance the quality of service delivery.

The GBPR annually recognizes successful and validated practices demonstrated by public sector organizations. Government institutions at all levels of governance and all fields of practices are invited every year to submit their institutions’ best practice.

As one of the components of the Academy’s Business Excellence Program, which also include the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) and the Government Excellence Class (GEC), the GBPR supplements and complements the Academy’s efforts to improve organizational productivity and performance in the public sector by recognizing innovative best practices of government institutions and organizations.

The Academy has developed a set of criteria for evaluating remarkable government practices. Entries from government organizations are assessed based on these criteria to select the government institutions that will participate in the presentation and have the chance to be recognized for the year.

OBJECTIVES

The GBPR seeks to recognize successful and validated practices demonstrated by all public sector organizations. It provides a platform to showcase and promote best practices as a way to foster knowledge sharing and to contribute in sustaining performance results in the entire bureaucracy. Ultimately, this collaborative learning mechanism envisions improving the quality of service and competitiveness of government institutions.

The GBPR serves as a harmonizing strategy to attain the objective of the APO’s designation to the Philippines, with DAP as the implementing arm, as the Center of Excellence on Public Sector Productivity (PSP), “to advance the public sector productivity movement” among APO member countries.

The GBPR complements the Public Sector Innovation Laboratory under the Government Quality Management Program (GQMP). Through the GBPR, public sector organizations will be able to capture innovative and transformative ideas, approaches and solutions which have been proven effective and helpful by other government agencies in improving the quality and impact of their respective services to the public.

Working closely with the Academy’s Center of Excellence for Public Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), the GBPR fosters innovation and futures thinking in the public sector and widens access to quality by integrating the COE-PSP’s knowledge management. GBPR is a direct resource of COE-PSP Knowledge Bank for content.

Eligibility and Entrant Qualifications

  1. The competition is open to ALL public sector organizations:
    • National Government Agencies (NGAs) and their regional and provincial offices and attached agencies,
    • Interagency bodies including national councils, consortia, and task forces;
    • Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs),
    • Local Government Units (LGUs) – including provincial, municipal, city and barangay offices, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), LGU-led civic organizations such as Senior Citizens and Barangay Women’s groups, special committees such as municipal health committees, and similar bodies;
    • State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) and research institutions and laboratories, and,
    • Other government agencies.
  2. Each participating agency may submit a maximum of three (3) entries.
  3. The applicant needs to fill-out the Government Best Practice Recognition 2019 Entry Form and describe their best practice related to a managerial practice, a process, a system or an initiative within the organization (please refer to the detailed questions on the Entry Form).
  4. By joining this activity, it is understood that applicants signify their willingness to make the necessary travel arrangements in time for the scheduled presentation to the judges of the best practice entries.
  5. Winners are not allowed to join the competition again for the same or similar best practice for a period of 3 years.
  6. Please sign the attached Certification and Authorization of Release of Information.

NOTE: Avoid submitting an entire program or an end-product/service as best practice entry. As much as possible, focus only on a single aspect that has made that program or service delivery successful, for example, Leadership Commitment Scheme, Stakeholder Communication and Building of Relationship, Staff Meeting Policy, Using a Work Environment Survey Tool, and Core Values Reinforcement System, etc.

Round 1: Submission of Entries

  1. The entry form must not contain graphs or pictures, only TEXT. Graphs and pictures can be submitted as attachments to the Entry Form.
  2. Relevant documents that could show related results attributable to the implementation of the best practice entry must also be submitted together with the entry form. These may include but are not limited to the documentary requirements being submitted to oversight agencies (e.g. DBM, DILG, CHED, GCG, COA), as applicable.
  3. Submission of entries starts on July 15, 2019 and ends on August 30, 2019. Applicants may send entries to govbestpractices@dap.edu.ph and/or acostar@dap.edu.ph with Subject: GBPR2019_Name of Organization and Unit/Division/Department.
  4. You may download the Entry Form by clicking this link: DAP – GBPR 2019 entry form
  5. Submitted entries received after the deadline will no longer be accepted, unless extension of submission will be announced.
  6. Submitted entries will be subjected to initial screening and evaluation on September 2019.

Round 2: Presentation to the Panel of Judges

  1. Representatives of selected entries will be invited to deliver a video or a PowerPoint Presentation (minimum of 5 minutes and maximum of 8 minutes) to a panel of judges to any of the following schedule of regional legs of the Best Practice Forum for the Public Sector:
    • October 2019 for Visayas entries
    • 1st week of November for Mindanao entries
    • Last week of November for Luzon 2019 entries
  2. Entries will be screened by a panel to be formed by the Academy.
  3. Instructions on the presentation format will be provided separately, upon qualifying for the next round.
  4. At most two representatives (presenter and assistant staff) from each participating organization are allowed to attend the presentation to the judges.

Entry Fee

  1. There is no entry fee requirement.
  2. Submission of entries is completely free of charge.

Awarding and Prizes

  1. A Certificate of Participation will be issued to all participating organizations.
  2. Best Practice trophies will be awarded to the winners during the awarding ceremony.
  3. The awarding will be done at the end of the the Luzon leg of Best Practice Forum for the Public Sector on the last week of November 2019.
  4. Decisions of the panel of judges are final.

Summary of dates to remember

  • Submission of entries starts on July 15, 2019 and ends on August 30, 2019
  • Presentation to the Panel of Judges:
    • October 2019 in Visayas
    • 1st week of November in Mindanao
    • last week of November in Luzon

For the full details and information of the Government Best Practice Recognition 2019, you may refer to the pdf document below.

  1. Government Best Practice Recognition 2019 Mechanics
  2. DAP – GBPR 2019 entry form  

For clarifications, please get in touch with Mr. Richmond Q. Acosta, Project Manager, at (02) 631-0921 local 135/ (02) 631-2156 / 09065611861 or email at acostar@dap.edu.ph / govbestpractices@dap.edu.ph.

May 11, 2018 marks the end of the 2-week Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists course. Twenty-six aspiring productivity specialists from different Philippine public sector agencies learned about the different productivity concepts, tools & techniques, and best practices in improving public sector productivity.

The participants of the DPSPS Local Run 2017.
The participants coming from 8 agencies - Food and Drug Administration Philippines, Land Transportation Office, DOST Regional Office No. IX, Department of Education, Land Bank of the Philippines, LGU Davao City, Business Permits Licensing Office Paranaque City, Department of Social Welfare and Development – are expected to implement their Innovation and Productivity Improvement Projects in their respective organizations in the succeeding months.

Strong institutions, accountable governments, disciplined citizens as well as participatory governance play a big part in a country’s long-term growth and development. This was the gist of the messages delivered by resource persons Dean Ronald Mendoza of the Ateneo School of Government and Director Aida Maria Talavera of the Commission on Audit during the Development Academy of the Philippines’ Kartilya Session entitled “Citizen-Engaged Governance” last April 6 at the DAP headquarters in Pasig City. Mendoza presented a cross-country comparison of economic setbacks and recoveries in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines and pointed out that a country recovers faster when its institutions are strong because they serve as an economic foundation for that country.  He said that institutions or behavioral norms, values and unwritten rules play a big part in a country’s long-term growth and development.

Dean Ronald Mendoza and COA Director Aida Talavera pose with participants of the Kartilya session.
Plans and policies not enough Mendoza further explained this by stressing that plans and policies alone do not make a country prosperous if there is continuous corruption and “rent-seeking” in the government – a practice where individuals or companies secure certain projects, positions or protection by virtue of connection to government officials in return for political support or campaign funds – or there is a lack of discipline on the part of the citizens. Development and stability, he said, occur when they are built on the foundation of transparent and accountable governments, disciplined citizens, and a stronger social cohesion and sense of community in the country.  Thus, in order to build this kind of institution over time, Mendoza affirmed that it is imperative to continually push for improving transparency and participatory governance. Talavera, on the other hand, presented an example of a participatory governance project in discussing citizen-participatory audit or CPA, which involves civil society organizations and citizens as partners in auditing government projects at the grassroots level. ‘Stronger and wiser when together’ “Government and civil society are stronger and wiser when working together and this has served as the core philosophy of the CPA,” she said. Talavera then cited some best practices such as the audit of a farm-to-market road project in Palawan.  The CPA, which won the 2013 Bright Spot award at the Open Government Partnership Summit in London, is deemed to be the first of its kind in the world. DAP Senior Vice President for Services Bernardo Dizon had opened the session by saying that citizen-engaged governance aims to ensure representation, empowerment, accountability and transparency in the government.  “When citizens are involved in the government, they feel more valued, more empowered, and more active in contributing to the country’s development, which will result in an increase in citizens’ satisfaction and a better quality of life,” he said. The Kartilya Session on citizen-engaged governance was attended by 32 participants from different public sector agencies.  It is the fourth installment to the Productivity Series that aims to stimulate thinking and spur collaboration between public sector agencies and other stakeholders on issues that are key to improving public sector productivity.