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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has an array of potential as an effective tool that can assist the development work. For one, AI can be a transformative force to accelerate sustainable development goal (SDG) targets such as climate change mitigation, healthcare, education, and economic growth. Through the lens of the public sector, AI can help enhance efficiency and productivity while improving decision and policy-making.

The public sector can learn from the experience of international organizations on how they have used AI to maximize efficiency and minimize risks, which, in the long run, can help boost productivity.

Marc Segone, Evaluation Officer Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in his presentation during the 2023 Asian Evaluation Week held in Thailand last 11-14 September, talked about the various stages in the evaluation process where AI can be applied, including data collection, analysis, interpretation, communication, synthesis, and report generation. The UNFPA also recognizes the importance of enhancing digital and AI literacy to bridge the digital divide, which can also be applied in the public sector.

Uyen Kim Huynh, Innovation Specialist at the Evaluation Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Martin Prowse, Evaluation Specialist of Green Climate Fund (GCF), also shared their insights on how AI has helped them improve their efficiency.

At UNICEF, AI is tapped in the organization’s evaluation processes, particularly through the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP), for a better understanding of the holistic impact of UNICEF’s interventions, especially in multidimensional goals. These include analyzing priorities of interventions, scoping and synthesizing evaluations, generating baselines, and examining social data from sources like X (Twitter). AI tools also assist UNICEF in processing and cleaning large volumes of data efficiently, making it ready for analysis. AI further helps integrate diverse data sets from various sources, which is crucial for constructing baselines and counterfactual values. This can also be applied in public sector organizations that help decision-makers develop informed, evidence-based policies and recommendations.

While GCF has not been using generative AI yet, it explores the tool’s potential utilization in the future, especially in addressing the challenge of measuring adaptation in climate interventions. One significant challenge in climate evaluation is measuring adaptation, as it has no concrete metric similar to mitigation’s carbon footprint. AI may be helpful in synthesizing existing Climate Change Adaptation’s (CCA) monitoring and evaluation frameworks and other CCA activities, such as ensuring transparency, longitudinal data usage, and its alignment with the national contexts.

Still, AI also has its known harms and potential risks. These include human-AI conflict (difference in interpretation between the two), loss of control and technological dependency, unemployment fears and socio-economic disparities, lack of legal and regulatory frameworks, and ethical concerns.

Strong ethical guidelines and international regulations are crucial to reduce potential harm and mitigate AI-related risks. Implementing activities such as robust testing, data quality control, transparency, regular monitoring, and human oversight are also essential. Finally, automation must be balanced with human expertise and oversight in AI-powered evaluation.

Watch the session recording here.

Key Takeaways:

AI holds promise in improving planning, decision intelligence, predictive analytics, and other systems that support evaluators in drawing more precise conclusions and making recommendations. As AI technology matures, its impact on evaluation practices is expected to grow. However, there is a need for regulation in using generative AI, ensuring data privacy, sensitivity, and responsible usage within organizations.
The evaluation community can be pivotal in ensuring responsible and ethical AI power evaluation. The transdisciplinary nature of evaluation can contribute to assessing AI technologies’ merit and impact while identifying biases and unfair outcomes. Collaboration with internal stakeholders and external partners and developing a clear vision and leadership are essential for successful AI integration into the evaluation function.

The participants exchange ideas during the Conversation Circles.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), led the Conversation Circles on public sector productivity last 13 September 2023 at the DAP Building in Pasig City.

Nine members from the Community of Practice on Public-Sector Productivity attended the event. These participants came from different government agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Education (Schools Divisions of Dasmariñas City and Mandaluyong City), Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, and National Youth Commission.

Class photo: The first batch of Conversation Circle attendees.

The COE-PSP organized the Community of Practice on Public-Sector Productivity as a platform for individuals who have undergone different capability development programs of the center. It aims to promote and sustain discussions about public sector productivity in the Philippines.

As the first activity, the members gathered in Conversation Circles to co-create possible activities and interventions to promote public sector productivity and help define the strategic position and role of the community.

The participants shared insights on how to promote public sector productivity.

The participants engaged in discussions about the productivity challenges and opportunities within their respective government agencies. They emphasized the importance of involving everyone, from top-level management to individual employees, in efforts to enhance public sector productivity. This includes the involvement of those from the national level down to individual offices. From this event, the participants suggested bringing the discussion of public sector productivity into their own offices.

A total of 124 participants joined the Productivity Challenge Workshop: Discovering and Designing Productivity Solutions held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial University (DMMMSU), Bacnotan, La Union, on 11-15 September 2023.

Class Photo: COE-PSP Program Dir. Baon, with participants from 10 government agencies

Batch 22 participants came from the DMMMSU faculty and staff, while batch 23 consisted of participants from different DMMMSU campuses, the National Power Corporation, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Local Government Unit of Bacnotan, Abuyog Community College, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Education Regional Office 1, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., Department of Public Works and Highways-CAR, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.

DMMMSU Offices of the Vice Presidents ideating

Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP) Program Director Peter Dan Baon introduced public sector productivity to the participants and taught them how to use tools for discovering productivity problems and gaps, formulating productivity problems, and discovering and designing productivity solutions. The application of these tools in public sector innovation was discussed as well.

DMMMSU staff during the first half of the workshop

“Draw a chair. Then draw it the way you think you can make it better.”

The participants worked on problems related to their departments or organizations. They were closely guided through the process, which helped them identify problems they could handle with their resources and authority. The workshop then carefully examined how to solve these problems and develop creative solutions.

The Productivity Challenge is a multi-year project spearheaded by the DAP COE-PSP. It intends to foster awareness and boost the productivity and innovativeness of public sector organizations (PSOs) in the Philippines. It also envisions an advancement in the productivity movement by raising awareness and enabling a culture of innovation to improve productivity performance and quality service delivery.

We invite more government agencies and offices to participate in the Productivity Challenge Program. This multi-year project intends to foster awareness and boost the productivity and innovativeness of the public sector.

Participants’ acceptance is on a first-come, first-served basis. Want to learn more about this workshop? Check out the Course briefer here: http://bit.ly/ProdChallengeWorkshop-CourseBriefer

To learn more about the Productivity Challenge, visit https://productivitychallenge.dap.edu.ph and subscribe to our Facebook page https://web.facebook.com/APOcoepsp for updates on upcoming workshops.

A total of 44 participants joined this year’s second batch of the Designing Citizen-Centered Public Services (DCCPS) Upskilling Phase held at the Development Academy of the Philippines Conference Center in Tagaytay City last 14-18 August 2023.

The participants came from 11 national government agencies, including Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Toll Regulatory Board, National Authority for Child Care, Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, News and Information Bureau, National Conciliation and Mediation Board, Council for the Welfare of Children, Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, National Meat Inspection Service, and National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

For the Upskilling Phase, the participants went through sessions and workshops on creating a stakeholder persona, reframing problems, idea generation, prototyping, user testing, and pitching.

DAP Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity Program Director Peter Dan Baon, Project Officer Gianne Karla Gaoiran, and Associate Project Officer Alvin Bilog were lecturers who guided the participants during the workshops.

DAP COE-PSP Program Director Peter Dan Baon delivered the session on idea generation.

Robert Caampued, Section Head at the Council for the Welfare of Children, shared his learnings from the 5-day training workshop.

“My main takeaway is that all ideas are important. No matter how small or how little the idea is, it could contribute to the end goal, which is improvement. If we have a lot of ideas, we can generate enough solutions for the problems that we have, and we can innovate those solutions to tailor fit our current agencies,” said Caampued.

He said the DCCPS program made him think of ways to improve as his agency becomes more IT-driven.

User testing the design: The participants acted as users of the prototype service designs and provided their fellow participants with valuable feedback on where their design succeeded and needed improvement.

After completing the upskilling stage, the participants will proceed to the next three phases of the DCCPS program: pitching, project incubation, and knowledge and experience-sharing sessions.

Hosted by the DAP COE-PSP, the DCCPS program is a two-month-long intensive course that aims to assist government agencies in developing solutions so that their services address their client’s needs and expectations.

This year’s Batch 2 of the DCCPS program.

Eight government agencies completed the Upskilling Phase of the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course (DPSPS-FC) held in Quezon City last 31 July to 4 August 2023.

This training program was hosted by the Development Academy of the Philippines, the focal and implementing organization of the country’s designation as the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP).

Thirty-eight participants from various government agencies joined the event, including the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office I, Department of Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Education Regional Office XI, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Presidential Communications Office, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, and the National Water Resources Board.

The DPSPS-FC has four phases: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot-testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing Sessions.

The training course covered topics such as Understanding Productivity Concepts; Measuring Productivity in the Public Sector; Diagnosing and Analyzing Productivity; and Identifying Productivity Improvement Solutions.

Former DAP Center for Knowledge Management Vice President Ms. Elena Cruz, Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Productivity Expert Ms. Niña Estudillo, and DAP Resident Fellow Director Maria Rosario Ablan stood as resource persons. Aside from providing lectures, they also served as panelists for the participants’ proposals.

Former DAP Center for Knowledge Management Vice President Ms. Elena Cruz, during her lecture on Diagnosing and Analyzing Productivity

Batch photo with the resource persons – panelists

The conference sessions concluded with a presentation of various digitalization efforts of the Bureau of Internal Revenue – Information Systems Group. These innovations include:

The Electronic Audited Financial Statements (eAFS), a web-based application financial system where clients can submit their audited financial statements, cutting cueing and time spent on face-to-face transactions;
ONETT Tracking System (OTS), a time tracking system that ensures there won’t be delays in processing ONETT transactions;
One-Time Transactions (ONETT), an internal server where all the data are secured;
eONNETT, which is the client-end of the ONETT— user-friendly web-based application system for specific tax transactions outside of the audited financial statements (like the sale of real properties classified as capital and ordinary assets);
ONEHUB, an employee engagement platform that uses Microsoft 365 for employees to be able to communicate across different departments and offices;
The eAppointment System enables clients to book certain services and schedule appointments online for an ensured time slot.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue – Information Systems Group

Class photo with the Bureau of Internal Revenue – Information Systems Group

At the end of the Upskilling lectures, the agency representatives shared their proposals with the Resource Persons – Panelists. The next step will be the online Pitching session, where the participants present their proposals to their agency heads.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), in cooperation with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), conducted this year’s first batch of the APO Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists (APO DPSPS) training program.

The 5-day course was held online last 10-14 July 2023. Thirty-eight participants from twelve APO member countries joined the course, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Turkiye.

Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan Jr., MNSA, President and Chief Executive Officer of DAP, welcomed the participants, emphasizing during his speech the vital role of capability development in enhancing public sector productivity.

During the opening day of the course, Dr. Shin Kim, Senior Research Fellow at the Division of Regulatory Innovation Research, Korea Institute of Public Administration, Republic of Korea, shared an enlightening session on the “Role of the Public Sector and Global Trends in Improving Productivity.” Meanwhile, the “Public-sector Leadership” session was conducted by Dr. D Brian Marson, President of Public Service Excellence Institute Canada.

The following day, Dr. Marson delivered an insightful presentation on “Citizen-centered Service and Opportunities for Improving Public Service Delivery in the New Normal.” At the same time, Dr. Kim talked about “Performance Management,” emphasizing productivity and accountability for results.

A group discussion after the sessions followed. The participants looked into a case study and identified key service performance challenges during the pandemic and the strategies used to maintain excellent service delivery and public trust.

The participants also attended sessions that helped them translate productivity concepts into actionable plans.

On the third day, Dr. Marson delivered a session on the “Development of Productivity Improvement Plans.” At the same time, Mr. Arnel D. Abanto, Vice President of the Productivity and Development Center of the Development Academy of the Philippines, shared his expertise on “Measuring Public-sector Productivity.”

During the fourth day, the participants and the productivity experts engaged in in-depth discussions on concepts and practices of change management, tools and techniques to improve productivity, and the regulations and functions of the government.

In the “Change Management” session, Dr. Marson presented ways to overcome challenges in the change process.

Ms. Magdalena Mendoza, Senior Vice President for Programs of the Development Academy of the Philippines, discussed the “Approaches for Improving Organizational Productivity.” The session highlighted practical tools and techniques for raising efficiency and effectiveness in utilizing resources and operations by public-sector organizations.

In the third session, Dr. Kim presented the basic concepts of “Regulatory Reform” and how the regulations and functions of the government can improve productivity.

On the last day of the APO DPSPS training, Dr. Kim discussed how e-Government could improve the efficiency of public-sector programs, regulations, and services; enhance citizen engagement, including transparency of decision-making and government operations; and reduce the potential for corruption.

Mr. Adam Bert A. Lacay, Information Systems Analyst II from the City Government of Baguio, Philippines, shared their experience building the city’s innovative Command Center and its efforts towards becoming a smart city.

The training program concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Lilia Jadie from the Philippines and closing remarks by Mr. Armand Tristan Suratos, Head of the APO-DAP Secretariat.

The Development Academy of the Philippines, through its Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity Program Office (COE-PSP PMO), is inviting representatives from National Government Agencies to participate in the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course (DPSPSFC). The DPSPS-FC is one of the Academy’s strategies to help raise the productivity performance of public sector organizations, as stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 (Chapter 14, Outcome 3).

What is the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course?

The DPSPS-FC is a two-month hybrid training program designed to equip technical staff and officers in National Government Agencies and Local Government units with the knowledge and skills in measurement, analysis, planning, and troubleshooting to increase their organizations’ productivity. Read the full program here.

DPSPS-FC activities are divided into four phases:

The DAP, through its COE-PSP PMO, is inviting representatives from NGAs to participate in the DPSPS-FC.

Who can join?

Target participants are Management Division personnel involved in improving organizational systems, processes, procedures, and services, or those whose functions involve:

recommending measures to improve systems, processes, procedures, and services;
reviewing and implementing of recommended improvements;
conduct of training on systems/process improvements; and
supervising staff supervision in implementing systems and process improvements.

Requirements from the participants:

Certificate of Completion will be issued to those who:

attended all the phases of the program: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot Testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing;
submitted the required outputs, including the Productivity Improvement Plan (PIP);
implemented and presented initial results of their productivity improvement initiative in the Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session; and
submitted and entry to the DAP Productivity Challenge

How to join?

Sign up by completing the Nomination Form and submitting the signed Letter of Commitment, which you can download here: DPSPSFC Forms.

Please send the accomplished forms in PDF format to capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph

Each NGA can send 3-5 participants for this batch and sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for application is on 18 July 2023. Confirmation emails for accepted NGAs will be sent on 21 July 2023.
This course is free of charge and only requires the full commitment of nominated participants including participation in the scheduled catch-up sessions.
DAP will be arranging for the participants’ meals and accommodation during the face-to-face lectures and workshops on 31 July – 4 August, 2023 to be held in Metro Manila.

For inquiries and clarifications about the DPSPS-FC program, please email us at capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph.

The Development Academy of the Philippines is inviting representatives from government agencies to participate in the Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service (DCCPS) Capability Development Program. The DCCPS is one of the Academy’s strategies to contribute to the effort to raise the productivity performance of agencies, as stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 (Chapter 14, Outcome 3).

What is the Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service Program?

The Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service (DCCPS) is a three-month hybrid program to assist government agencies in developing service solutions that address their client’s needs and expectations. Read the full program here.

The DCCPS program is divided into four (4) phases:

The DAP is inviting representatives from government agencies to participate in the DCCPS Capability Development Program.

Who can join?

To join, you must form a team of three (3) to five (5) members who satisfy the following qualifications:

Currently working in the same National Government Agency (NGA) and/or attached agencies.
Delivering the same service; and
Performs the following functions: decision-making, client support or frontline service delivery, administrative, logistics, and IT.
Optional: A Division Chief or high-ranking official.

Requirements from the participants:

Certificate of Completion will be issued for those who:

Attended all sessions under each program phase: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot Testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing.
Submitted the required outputs; and
Implemented and presented initial results of their innovation project in the Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session.

How to join?

Sign up by completing the Nomination Form and submitting the signed Letter of Commitment, which can be downloaded at DCCPS Forms.

Please send the accomplished forms in PDF format to capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph

We have 40 slots for this batch, and sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for Nomination Forms for this batch is on 25 July 2023.
This course is free of charge and only requires the nominated participants’ full commitment, including participation in catch-up sessions after the workshop.
If slots are filled, nominees will be asked to join another batch.

For inquiries and clarifications about the DCCPS Workshop, please email us at capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), welcomed 27 participants from 8 local government units (LGUs) from the Visayas region to the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course (DPSPS-FC) held in Iloilo City last 29 May to 2 June.

The training is designed to equip technical staff and officers of public-sector organizations with the knowledge and skills in measurement, analysis, planning, and troubleshooting to increase their respective organizations’ productivity. It has four phases: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot-testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session.

The training course covered sessions on Understanding Productivity Concepts and Measuring Productivity in the Public Sector; Measuring Productivity in the Public Sector; Diagnosing and Analyzing Productivity; and Identifying Productivity Improvement Solutions.

Dr. Raul Banias, Provincial Administrator, welcomed the DPSPS-FC participants during the courtesy visit at the provincial capitol.

Meanwhile, Ms. Salvacion Sibonga of the Information Communication Technology Management Office presented their own initiatives that boost productivity through the use of ICT. Their initiatives such as the electronic document tracking, Bayad Center queuing, and electronic assessment and collection systems helped reduce the processing of transactions and organized retrieval of important documents and information.

DAP Resident Fellow Director Maria Rosario Ablan represented the Academy and expressed gratitude to the Provincial Government for welcoming the DPSPS-FC participants and for sharing their ICT best practices that promote public sector productivity.

DAP Resident Fellow Director Maria Rosario Ablan with Ms. Salvacion Sibonga of the Iloilo Provincial Government’s Information Communication Technology Management Office.

Iloilo Provincial Government’s staff welcome the DPSPS-FC participants.

Representatives from the following LGUs are part of this batch: Municipality of Maydolong (Eastern Samar); Municipality of Batad (Iloilo); Municipality of Leganes (Iloilo); Municipality of Mina (Iloilo); Municipality of New Lucena (Iloilo); Municipality of Sara (Iloilo); Municipality of Javier (Leyte); and Municipality of Hinoba-an (Negros Occidental).

DPSPS-FC participants from the 8 local government units.

Participants representing Local Government Units (LGUs) from the Visayas region came together for the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists-Foundation Course (DPSPS-FC) pitching session held online last 9 June 2023.

The session allowed this year’s second batch of DPSPS-FC participants to present their Productivity Improvement Plans (PIPs). The participants presented their PIPs to their respective Local Chief Executives (LCEs). Productivity experts of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) provided their insights and inputs as well. The PIPs were crafted to address specific areas of improvement and enhance productivity within their LGUs.

Participants from the Municipalities of Batad, Leganes, Mina, New Lucena, and Sara from the Province of Iloilo; Municipality of Hinoba-an from Negros Occidental Province; Municipality of Javier from Leyte Province; and Municipality of Maydolong from Eastern Samar Province joined this pitching session.

DPSPS-FC participants presenting the details of their Productivity Improvement Plan.

Each PIP demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by the respective LGUs, offering unique approaches to overcome them. The plans encompassed a wide range of initiatives, such as streamlining administrative processes, optimizing resource allocation, and implementing technology-driven solutions.

Following the presentations, the LCEs expressed their appreciation for the hard work and dedication exhibited by the participants. They acknowledged the effort put into developing the PIPs and provided constructive feedback to refine the proposed strategies further. As a testament to the proposed plans’ quality and feasibility, most LGUs received the go signal to proceed with the implementation of their PIPs. This validation from the LCEs served as a vote of confidence in the plans’ potential to enhance productivity and promote sustainable development within their respective municipalities.

The LGUs that received approval will enter the pilot-testing and coaching phase. During this period, the PIPs will be implemented, allowing the LGUs to gauge their effectiveness in a real-world setting. Designated coaches will also provide guidance and support to ensure the successful execution of the PIPs.

The DPSP-FC aims to equip public sector organizations with the knowledge, skills, and tools to drive productivity and efficiency in the public sector.