Category: e-Government

Organization

Tarlac State University

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Operations

Year Implemented

2019

This is a GBPR 2021 Recipient

Summary

The PMERS was developed in 2019 through the in-house collaboration of the ESMO, MISO, and CCS. The system provides authorized users web-based access to extension information and documentation and enables them to monitor ongoing and completed projects, administer client evaluation and obtain summaries of such, and generate extension-related reports in no time and in the convenience of their personal spaces. The system is also being used during online program accreditation and the ISO 9001:2015 audit to provide accreditors and auditors with reliable online-based evidence about the extension service accomplishments of the University.

The PMERS aims to achieve greater productivity, more efficient use of government resources, positive environmental impact, and employee safety towards contributing to TSU’s vision of becoming a premier university in Asia and the Pacific and on a larger scale, contributing to other institutions’ development through the sharing of this best practice.

Log-in page of the TSU Extension Services Management Office PMERS

Background and Problem

As an active community partner, TSU engages in various extension programs, projects, and activities with its clients and beneficiaries. Since 2018, TSU has delivered 440 extension projects to more than 150 groups and 10,000 individuals. Such great numbers posed a challenge to ESMO in managing volumes of extension project information and documentation.

Among the issues that need to be addressed include the following: Repeating requests for and reproduction of project documents; considerable time spent in requests for access to information and generating reports; extension service time used for administering customer evaluation; substantial use of paper, ink, and other office supplies for printing documents; and physical contact between office personnel and requesting individuals.

Solution and Impact

The PMERS addresses the central problem of managing extension project information and documentation given the increasing number of extension projects of the University. Management in this context includes access, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting extension project information and documentation. In addition, paper-based management consumes large amounts of office supplies resulting in higher expenses and adverse environmental impact.

With the implementation of the PMERS, the following results were achieved:

  1. Decrease in the number of documented requests from 30 to 2.
  2. Information access took about one working day to only about 10 minutes.
  3. Report preparation and generation takes only about 5 minutes from about two working days.
  4. Extension service time used to administer customer evaluation surveys was reduced from 20 minutes to zero.
  5. Customer participation rate increased by 13.35% compared to pen-and-paper customer evaluation.
  6. The estimated number of sheets of bond paper used decreased from 3,378 to about 100. Ink consumption also decreased from about 33% of toner capacity consumed to only about 1%.
  7. Increased savings amounting to 4,510 Pesos.
  8. The number of visitors who requested documents decreased from 30 to zero.

The aforementioned results of the implementation of the PMERS contributed to the following impacts:

  1. Increased productivity among employees translates to savings on manpower.
  2. Financial benefit in the form of savings.
  3. Savings on potential employee Covid-related expenses.
  4. More learning opportunities for clients and beneficiaries as a result of increased learning time with the removal of the administration of customer evaluation on-site.
  5. Better employee well-being as a result of experiencing a more efficient system in accomplishing tasks.
  6. Minimized adverse impact of the University’s activities on the environment.

Milestones

In early 2019, ESMO conceptualized a system that would attempt to address the problems mentioned. The office requested the services of OJT students from CCS to design the system, which was initially intended to be a database of extension projects for exclusive use by the office. The PMERS became operational in July 2019.

However, ESMO realized there was room for improvement and additional features. The office met with deans, college extension chairpersons, and the MISO to conceptualize and design an improved system that would address further needs identified and accessible to more users. In March 2020, the system underwent improvement and upgrading while it remained operational to ensure it continued to address the needs of its target users. Finally, the improved and upgraded system was completed in January 2021 and was officially launched in March 2021. The intended users were then capacitated on the use of the system.

TSU was awarded 2nd place winner under the SUC Category in terms of the Best Practices and Initiatives in Mitigating the Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic during the Central Luzon-wide celebration of the 1st National Higher Education Day and 27th Founding Anniversary of CHED held in May 2021; the PMERS was one of the practices featured in TSU’s entry. Upgrading of the system is in MISO’s pipeline of projects for 2021-2022 to include new features such as online proposal and post-activity report preparation. Promotion of the upgraded system in 2022 for possible adoption by other SUCs in Central Luzon.

Organization

Department of Foreign Affairs

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Citizens / Customers Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management Operations

Year Implemented

15 May 2020

This is a GBPR 2021 Recipient

Summary

The Integrated Online Consular Service System for Appointment Scheduling, Service Delivery Monitoring, and Client Data Analytics was designed by the Philippine Embassy in Canberra to be a client-focused digital platform that evolves the standard appointment system into a holistic system that covers end-to-end service monitoring and delivery, provides data analytics to help anticipate challenging situations and make data-based plans and improvements.

Background and Problem

The Philippine Embassy in Australia’s services is open to the over 300,000 Filipinos living in the seven states/territories of Australia, especially the 100,220 Filipinos residing in areas under the consular jurisdiction of the Embassy.

The Philippine Embassy had a walk-in policy for all services before this initiative. This became unsustainable because of long waiting times and crowding during peak days, the unpredictable number of services and service hours per day, and the rapid increase in the workload of frontline personnel who were also handling back-office operations and addressing public queries.

The previous processes rely heavily on the client (a) remembering and understanding the procedures for releasing their passport and (b) constantly checking the Embassy website or calling the Embassy for an update on their passport. Alongside this, the Embassy staff needs to manually retrieve the consular documents each time a client queries are received on the status of their application.

During disasters like the bushfire crisis in Australia and the current COVID-19 pandemic, basic statistics about Filipinos in the various states/territories of Australia can be crucial in planning courses of action and providing urgent advice in critical situations, if needed.

Screenshot of the Philippine Embassy of Canberra Australia Online Appointment System.

Solution and Impact

The system was activated on 15 October 2020, covering the first three consular services: passport, notarial, legalization, and NBI fingerprinting. A test model was developed per consular service. Both management and staff members individually tested the model. Further consultative meetings would be held with the developer for technical adjustments.

Alongside this, the Embassy conducted an information dissemination campaign to inform the public of the expected changes with a step-by-step guide on navigating the system.

The system unifies the management of consular services providing a more comprehensive overview of consular operations. From an organizational perspective, the system produces quantitative data sets on clients and services, which can form the basis for future operational improvements and support policy formulation by the mother agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. Among others, the system generates the following data:

  1. Number and kinds of services availed per day, month, or year. The Embassy can determine if additional appointment slots or personnel are needed for particular periods or services at any given time;
  2. Disaggregated data on clients’ locations. As the Embassy’s clients can come from any of Australia’s seven states and territories, this feature allows the Embassy to prepare in advance if clients are coming from a state or area with active COVID-19 cases to provide additional care or consideration for clients coming from far away places The data will also be crucial during disasters and emergencies in a particular state in Australia.
  3. The system also allows supervisors to see the progress of a particular service’s completion and identify the stage and personnel where a backlog has occurred. It encourages accountability and provision of intervention or assistance on an objective basis.
  4. Gender-based data. In line with GAD, disaggregated data regarding PH-based gender is also available.

The consular services covered as of 07 July 2021 are:

  1. Passport applications;
  2. Notarial and legalization of documents;
  3. Fingerprinting for NBI clearance; and
  4. Overseas voter registration. Plans are ongoing to integrate dual citizenship and civil registry services within the month.

The system also provides flexibility and reliability in the work of the Embassy as any consular personnel can navigate the system. The system will also be particularly useful when the Embassy is forced to implement alternative work arrangements as contingency arises. For the part of the consular clients, it provides transparency and predictability in the availability and delivery of service. This transparency, alongside buy-in from the personnel, contributed to improved performance and customer service orientation of Embassy staff, as seen in the feedback forms and various forms of appreciation expressed by clients.

Finally, the system allows the Embassy to send updates to a specific group of clients when needed. As the COVID situation remains fluid, the Embassy can provide updated advice to affected clients on new regulations or restrictions and any delay in service delivery.

Milestones

In June 2021, this system was recognized by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila as among the DFA Best Practices for 2021 – Foreign Service Post Category as part of the DFA Quality Management Service performance. Among the immediate results was improved efficiency and productivity of personnel due to the significant decrease in the number of phone calls and emails inquiring about consular services under the system. The information on each transaction is sent to clients automatically as a matter of standard operating procedure. The auto-generated emails also provide detailed information for clients. Frontline staff has observed a higher compliance rate with the requirements reducing the back-and-forth communications between staff and clients. The time saved was used by personnel to answer phone calls and emails on other matters and to provide higher customer service quality to in-person clients.

The Embassy is continuously developing the system based on a regular review to ensure it continues to meet the client’s expectations and serves the effective delivery of consular services. At the same time, the Embassy also strives to develop this system into one that meets the modern standards of business service delivery. The future developments include (a) the inclusion of all consular services, (b) automation of more functions, (c) the option for updates via text, and (d) generating greater customer feedback.

Organization

Civil Service Commission Regional Office II

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Citizens / Customers Operations

Year Implemented

2015

This is a GBPR 2021 Recognized Best Practice

Summary

The e-NOA and its enhanced version, the e-NOAv2, are specially designed to provide fast, accurate, and paperless notice of school and room assignments to examinees taking the Career Service Commission (CSC) examinations in Region 2 (ROII). This application, which was exclusively developed and used in CSC ROII, aims to lessen the costly and tedious task of manually preparing, sorting, and mailing school and room assignment notice to career service examinees.

Background and Problem

The Civil Service Commission, in its mandate to ensure that appointments in the civil service shall be made according to merit and fitness, administers the nationwide CSE-PPT twice a year. Before the inception of the e-NOA in 2013, the CSC ROII received an average of 10,000 examination applications in one examination period or an average of 20,000 examination applications for the whole year. During those times, the ESD manually sends notices of school and room assignments to examinees through snail mail. Considering the large number of applications, preparing, sorting, and mailing the individual notice of school and room assignments was an ordeal for the Division, which was then manned by only five staff. The time spent by the staff in doing these tasks has affected their efficiency in performing the more important aspects of exam administration. Moreover, it was observed that thousands of mails have been “returned to sender” as the addressees have either moved places or did not provide the correct mailing address, thereby affecting the number of examinee attendance.

Screenshot of the CSC Electronic Notice of Assignment (eNOA)

Solution and Impact

The e-NOAv2 offers the CS examinees the easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to obtain their school and room assignments for the CS exam. All examinees, including those in remote areas without internet connectivity, can obtain information about their school and room assignments through the automatic sending of NOA. If the examinees changed their contact number or did not receive the NOA, they can simply request NOA through the CSC regional and field offices’ hotlines, to which the action officers may reply using the eNOAv2.

The e-NOAv2 works by installing the application on the laptop or desktop computer, android device, or mobile phone of all field offices and ESD personnel in the region so that they can be able to quickly disseminate the NOA in their respective jurisdiction or reply to queries on school and room assignment any time. Also, during the actual examination day, all testing centers are equipped with a pre-installed e-NOAv2 application to facilitate the quick search of room assignments of examinees, if needed.

The CSC ROII has observed a considerable decrease in exam administration costs. The cost of mailing allotted for each examinee was ten pesos. Hence, with 10,000 examinees, the Office saves more than Php 100,000 for mailing services using e-NOA. The e-NOAv2 has contributed to the environment by ensuring zero waste. The CSC ROII has also observed a boost in productivity from ESD staff since the tedious task of manual NOA preparation has been removed.

Furthermore, the CSC ROII communicated with its clients clearly and effectively, ensuring an error-free NOA because of limited human intervention. More importantly, it has facilitated locating school and room assignments on the part of the examinees as they receive their NOA at least a week before the examination day, giving them ample time to visit the school before the test. Moreover, the e-NOAv2 has an added feature that uses Google Maps to help examinees locate their school assignments.

Considering that almost everyone already possesses mobile phones, the CSC ROII has recognized that the e-NOA/e-NOAv2 is the most efficient and effective way to reach its examinees. As a result of the fast and reliable information given to examinees on their school and room assignments, the ESD has observed a remarkable improvement in the number of absent examinees during the examination day.

Milestones

The e-NOA, then later the e-NOAv2, is a distinct practice identifiable to CSC ROII. Because of its perceived advantages and impact, the Examination, Recruitment, and Placement Office (ERPO) of the CSC Central Office and the other Regional Offices have acknowledged the usefulness and efficiency of the e-NOA/e-NOAv2 in improving exam administration. As such, the proponent of the innovation, Mr. Anthony Jay L. Barruga, has been repeatedly invited during learning interventions at the CSC Central Office to share about the e-NOA and requested for possible replication of the application to be used by the other regional offices. Because of these innovations, Mr. Barruga was recognized and conferred the CSC PRAISE Gawad Kahusayan Award in 2015, and the CSC ROII PRAISE Most Outstanding Dependability Award in 2018. He was again awarded the CSC PRAISE Gawad Kahusayan in 2019 for the e-NOAv2.

Aiming to improve the innovation continuously, Mr. Barruga gathers feedback and studies the possibilities of upgrading the features of the current e-NOAv2. As an added new feature, the e-NOAv2 functions as a web-based application wherein information dissemination may be done through e-mail. Further, the e-NOAv2 is now incorporated in the Examination Application Information System (EAISY 2013), a system used in encoding examination applications and serves as a database of information of registered examinees.

Organization

Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Human Resource; Operations

Year Implemented

January 2017

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The BGHMC-HRMIS is a database system that keeps important information about the hospital’s employees. It contains all the data used for the different human resource (HR) functions, such as Electronic Appointment Preparation, Salary, Benefits and Payroll Management and Administration, Learning and Development, Rewards and Recognition, and Performance Management. It also offers self-service transactions for the employees, such as e-filing of leaves, online access to their leave credits, salaries, and benefits, and online updating of personal datasheets. 

Background and Problem

Before the institutionalization of the PRIME-HRM and the signing into law of the “Department of Information and Communications Technology Act of 2015”, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) had already aligned its dedication with this mandate. They have been focusing on easing hospital operations through transactions and processes of its employees through the development of systems resulting in employee satisfaction and better patient care. 

The BGHMC’s growth in terms of Human Resources for Health (HRH) is exponential. Because of the Rationalization Plan in late 2013, the HRH in BGHMC grew from 676 in 2013 to 1,379 in December 2018, or a 49% increase. In September 2018, the BGHMC was approved for upgrading to 800 beds by virtue of RA 11084.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the 994 positions as part of the 1st tranche last September 2019. To date, the BGHMC has 2,482 positions. Given the challenge, the BGHMC-Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) has to step up its processes to deliver efficient, effective, and timely services to its clientele. The HRMO is in charge of the following HRM functions: Recruitment, Selection and Placement, Employees’ Salaries and Benefits, Performance Management, Rewards and Recognition, and Personnel Records keeping. The inter-phase link of each function and the limited number of staff to deliver all the services and outputs was a challenge to HR. This motivated the team to develop the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS).

Solution and Impact

In the journey towards the  CSC’s PRIME -HRM, the primary goal of the BGHMC is to elevate the public sector human resource management to a level of excellence through a process of HRM systems and practices for service. This was done through the BGHMC-HRMIS, a database system that keeps relevant information about every employee in the hospital.

The operationalization of the HRMIS expedited all the works in HRMO with the following as its features:

  • HR Process and Services (Traditional/before the creation of the HRMIS) 
  • BGHMC-HRMIS Features
  • Preparation of Payroll (salaries, benefits, bonuses, Magna Carta benefit
  • Exporting a summary of leaves and performance evaluation as input to payroll preparation is reduced from 15 to 2 days. Requirements for entrance to duty leaves incurred, performance evaluation, etc., can be easily exported from the system.
  • MSWord preparation of appointment Automated Appointment preparation (CS Form 33)
  • Personal visit to HR to inquire leave balances and file a leave Automated Leave Application/filing 
  • Online access of individual employees earned leave credits and leave ledgers
  • Excel Version of leave Ledgers Automated version of leave ledgers. Updated on time are also tardiness, and undertime incurred is deducted from vacation leaves earned
  • Excel version of Service Record Automated Version of Service Record
  • Printed payroll per division, department, unit, office automated payslip. With records of previous salaries and benefits received since January 2017.
  • Excel version or handwritten filled-out CSC Form 212 Electronic and automated Personal Data Sheet including regular updating
  • Excel version of Summary per rating period only – Performance evaluation ratings of staff available per rating period since 2017
  • MS Word version prepared yearly Awards and recognitions received by staff (PRAISE)
  • Staffing Plan–with the minimum Qualification standards per position incorporated in the HRMIS. Next-in-rank employees in any position are easily identified. Vacancies easily monitored
  • As required by CSC, DBM, DOH, and COA, important reports can be easily generated and downloaded from the system.
  • Excel Version of Employees Licenses Validity Database Automated database of Employees Licenses Validity

With the online access of each employee to these HR services 24/7, hospital staff are more confident that all the needed information is accessible anytime they need it. Hospital staff can now focus more on their patient care services. 

The effectiveness of the HRIS system has reached different government offices, resulting in CSC’s recommendation to make it a learning laboratory where other government offices can benchmark. Since they developed the system internally, the office saved around 2.5 million pesos.

Milestones/Next Steps

In December 2018,  the CSC conferred BGHMC with the PRIME-HRM Maturity Level II. 

The office is continuously enhancing the features of the system to make it more relevant to the new normal; the HRMO is strategizing on the ease of doing HR business in such a way that HR transactions, i.e., request for Service Record, Certificate of Employment, viewing and printing of personal DTRs, and many more are done through the system.  They aligned all of these with their quest to achieve the highest level of PRIME-HRM (Level 4) soon,  which is equivalent to Strategic Human Resources.

They have requested the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for data management assessment to register it for copyright.

With the operational efficiency the system has brought in the delivery of HR services, the BGHMC plans to share the system with their DOH family nationwide to elevate the quality of service of the whole DOH.

Organization

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Strategy, Citizens / Customers, Operations

Year Implemented

2015- Present

This is a GBPR entry.

Summary

The uVote or Universal Voting System for student government elections has been extended to secondary schools in the Rinconada district since 2018. Each year, from January to March, the extension services team of the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC), spearheaded by the College of Computer Studies (CCS), facilitates the use of uVote, including the conduct of training among students and teachers on how to vote and operate the e-voting system independently. The uVote system was offered to secondary schools as a Voter Education alternative, grounded on the research finding that experiential voting in school increases the likelihood of voting in subsequent elections and eventually in government elections in adulthood. Similarly, this initiative aims to help educate voters about their role, responsibility, and civic rights and establish good election habits at a young age.

Background and Problem

The first e-voting system in the Philippines started in the 2010 elections. It was the most expensive election ever conducted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) due to the new electoral technology and massive voters’ education campaigns implemented.

This reality suggests that developing a mature and responsible electorate with strong democratic values depends highly on government institutions’ voter education approach and implementation mechanism. Viewed in this perspective, strengthening the democratic values of the electorate at an early age gravely hangs on the country’s educational system. Fortunately, Philippine lawmakers also see education as a useful vehicle to enhance voters’ consciousness and improve the election system and outcomes in the country; several bills have been proposed toward this end in Congress. These bills seek to integrate voter education with the mandatory inclusion of patriotism and nationalism into the high school curriculum in both public and private schools. Yet, the enactment of these bills has remained in the planning stage up to the present.

According to studies, experiential voting gives a positive attitude for students to build trust in the modern e-voting system. Yet several schools still deem student e-voting systems as inconsistent and expensive. This perception is reinforced by how a student e-voting system is often not affordable to underprivileged and technologically inept schools, such as the public secondary schools in Rinconada.

Given this challenge, uVote was developed to bridge the gap, offering the utilization of this innovation as an alternative Voter Education campaign tool, free of charge, in Rinconada’s secondary academic institutions.

Screenshots of the uVote System

Solution and Impact

Before the implementation and utilization of uVote, a needs assessment survey was conducted to learn the initiatives or strategies adapted in promoting and implementing voter education, assess current ICT infrastructure, and determine which uVote platform is appropriate for the partner school. The assessment resulted in a customized extension-training proposal for each school that included the target dates, venue, participants, training cost, materials or equipment needed, and training flow. The purpose of the training (Users Training) was to expedite the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills required for the main target groups-teachers and students, when using the uVote system. The training was divided into two sessions – the Teachers track and the Students track. The Teachers track introduced teachers to the basic functions of the uVote System as Administrator and Voter. It provided some pointers on exploring the uVote GUI modules and managing the system to generate reliable and secure election results.

On the other hand, the Students track introduced the process of pre-voting, voting, and post-voting to eligible student voters. This strategy was common to all partner schools. Several parallel sessions were facilitated for this track due to the number of students per grade level. The training also included a mock election designed as a practice exercise to assess if target users acquired the required skill in managing and casting votes using uVote from start to finish. The actual uVote utilization was the election day of the partner school after the training activity.

The accomplishments above reveal how uVote is dynamic, universal, and adaptable to any form of student government election procedure. Any public or private school interested in converting the traditional paper ballot system to an automated electronic voting system may avail of the extension service. Downloads and citations of the published article on uVote increased. This boosts the potential to expand the use of uVote to secondary schools beyond Rinconada.

Post evaluation per extension activity is conducted to determine uVote’s Quality of Use (based on ISO 25010 metrics), which will serve as a basis to improve the uVote system and future extension initiatives. The uVote process allowed the partner school to save money and time that would have been spent printing, distributing and counting paper ballots. Since vote casting and tabulation were completed within the same election day, the process was faster by 300% compared to paper balloting, which took two to five days to complete. Voter turnout increased by 30.47 percent. Lastly, the speedy process encouraged transparency and election integrity.

Milestones/Next Steps

Very few secondary schools were interested at the beginning of the uVote extension service, and most were hesitant to adopt the uVote system. However, after a year of campaigning (and informing the schools that the system was free-of-charge) and as word-of-mouth spread the news of the effectiveness of uVote, Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) and/or Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) of CSPC with schools interested to adopt uVote increased by 100%. Downloads and citations regarding the uVote research article also increased as posted by ResearchGate, Academia, and Google Scholar. Moreover, the uVote extension paper was accepted as an official entry for the Outstanding Research Paper on Extension Award during the 2019 Philippines Extension and Advisory Services Network Inc. (PhilEASNet) Biennial AFFNR Extension Symposium held in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, on October 8-11, 2019.

Expanding the use of uVote to secondary schools beyond Rinconada is the ultimate extension goal of the CSPC-CCS. For this reason, post-evaluation of the extension activity is being conducted to determine uVotes’ Quality of Use (based on ISO 25010 metrics). The general result of the evaluation shall be the basis for improving the uVote system and future extension initiatives.

Organization

Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC)

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Human Resource, Operations

Year Implemented

31 March 2020

This is a GBPR for COVID-19 Response entry

Summary

The vision of Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) is to provide quality multispecialty end-referral care to the people and for the hospital to level up to be the center of health capacity and response system, particularly during this pandemic. Using digital innovation to improve health access and service delivery is one important strategy to address the gaps affecting micro and macro socio-economic activities.

The innovation started with an online social media platform called “E-Konsulta Mo Kay Dok,” which later developed into a web application for the pre-hospital coordination Outpatient Department Appointment System. This online communication increased awareness of ITRMC as one of the few institutions that provided such services during this pandemic. It also enhances the patient experience with the hospital, provides a sense of pride, and boosts the morale of the medical team who developed the project. It has evolved to include clinical specialty and subspecialty services.

Background and Problem

Before the pandemic, the hospital caters to a daily average of five hundred (500) to six hundred (600) outpatients in a limited single-floor outpatient building that houses several specialty and subspecialty clinics. Notifiable risks include overcrowding, poor ventilation, long queues, prolonged turnaround time, inefficiency, and patient discomfort.

As the nation transitions into the “new normal,” following the Department of Health (DOH) and the directive of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the basic minimum health standards, hospital operations must be streamlined to ensure the safety not only of the patients but also all health-care workers and the stakeholders who will visit the hospital for non-medical concerns.

Public health information is clearly and regularly given. ITRMC wants to ensure that even the most vulnerable population seeking its services will not contract the virus and other emerging infectious diseases inside hospital premises.

Solution and Impact

Last 8 June 2020, the hospital reopened its Outpatient Service, considering the five pillars of preparedness defined by the Inter-Agency Task Force: reducing vulnerability, reducing transmission, reducing contact, reducing the duration of infection, and governance and accountability in the streamlining of its operations. The initiatives include using the conceptual framework of integrated pre-hospital coordination, departmentalized and facilitated consultation, and post-hospital coordination and follow-up.

In the pre-hospital coordination, one platform used was the online consultation via e-Konsulta, which was used during the height of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) beginning 31 March 2020. The basic principle of e-Konsulta is to provide health access using information technology via chat box through Facebook. They used it as a mechanism for surge management and to assist a patient where transportation and mobility are a concern. Another pre-hospital coordination is via call and car navigation, used by the Operation Center under Marvin Munar’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

The entire hospital’s internal business processes are currently being reviewed across all levels to address issues on quality, particularly in the following areas: safety, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and people-centered care. All quality procedures across divisions, departments, offices, and units are in the process of review and revision with an emphasis on understanding the changes and considering the different internal and external issues brought about by the pandemic. This will be a big step in identifying mitigating actions addressing risks and using opportunities for improvement.

The post-hospital coordination with all health care facilities, including institutions involved in public health, will be strengthened by establishing a unified database of information technology, capacity-building activities, and financial integration embedded in the Universal Health Care Act. The impact is the improvement in hospital operations, thus ensuring delivery of quality care along with the following major areas: safety, effectiveness, efficiency, equitability, timeliness, and people-centeredness.

Milestones/Next Steps

Before the official opening of the OPD, a two (2)-day dry run was held to observe for process flow, compliance with basic health standards, avoiding overcrowding, turnaround time, and compliance with infection control and triage protocols. The dry run result and the effect after less than a month of implementation will be reported under the performance measures and impact.

Congruent with this, the Operation Center has launched a data-collection system on pre-hospital coordination relative to the operation of the Health Care Provider Network with the Local Government of La Union. They will use the information captured as a way forward to improve pre-hospital coordination not only among healthcare facilities but also with the community at large.

In the same way, the data encoding system was reviewed and revised to strengthen intrahospital or interdepartmental referral and communication to improve the Outpatient consultation for follow-up care after hospital discharge.

The ITRMC is planning to enhance further and improve the technology to include a unified database sharing of electronic medical records with their existing partners in the province-wide Health Care Provider Network, including but not limited to Provincial and District Hospitals and Rural Health Units. This will be an excellent opportunity to further gather health information for translational research to improve healthcare service delivery and partnership.

Organization

Department of Science and Technology – CALABARZON

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Citizens / Customers; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Operations

Year Implemented

2011 to present

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The Department of Science and Technology – CALABARZON (DOST-CALABARZON) fosters an innovative and serviceable environment. With this, back in 2011, the agency’s Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit initiated the development of the Smart Office Systems, a group of internally developed information systems that aim to boost efficiency by innovating internal processes and service delivery through digitization.

Background and Problem

The development of the information systems was initially due to the Office of Civil Defense IV-A’s request for assistance in crafting an information system for the dissemination of disaster-related bulletins. At that time, the MIS unit of the DOST-CALABARZON was just beginning to gather a team of ICT experts. Upon delivering OCD’s request and after a thorough evaluation, the evolution of the agency’s information systems started.

Below are the other challenges and opportunities that the agency considered in creating and implementing this best practice:

Human Resource
  • More than 70% of staff are millennials, generally technology-savvy
  • About 80% of the workforce are on a WFH arrangement during the ECQ and GCQ period
  • About 30% of staff are baby boomers who may have problems coping with the new technologies
Resistance to change
  • Legal adherence and compliance with new policies and laws
eGovernance
  • EO No. 2, series of 2016, Freedom of Information
  • Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012
  • Transparency Seal
  • Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018
  • House Bill 6623 or the proposed New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Act
Technological
  • Obsolescence of previous versions of information systems
  • Coping with emerging technologies
  • Internet being a disruptive technology, changed the way of doing business
Social
  • Effects of COVID-19 pandemic and Taal volcanic eruption on working
  • Social distancing, mobility restrictions, health measures, social activities, etc.,

Solution and Impact

The best practice employs internally developed information systems to monitor activities and evaluate outputs/results, thereby impacting the organization’s productivity, transparency, and resiliency.

The systems development follows the usual Software Development Life Cycle process, but the following approaches were practiced by the MIS Unit that ensured successful internal implementation and replicability for systems adopters.

  1. Need-Based Solutions — Identification of problems and opportunities for improvement in processes to develop high-impact application systems;
  2. Top-Management Commitment — Top management’s approval and support establishes responsibility, accountability, and political will;
  3. Generic Info-systems Approach — Core functionalities suited to the basic requirements of DOST ROs and other government agencies;
  4. Collaboration Mindset — Consultation with system/process owners and project partners to ascertain and integrate their needs into the ICT projects;
  5. Standardized Programming Strategy — Uniformity in the use of industry-standard programming languages, tools, frameworks, and models for easier systems development, updating, and customization;
  6. Future Proofing Considerations — Usage of the latest versions of system development software to prolong software life;
  7. Iteration Method —The concept that all systems are not bug-free and that continuous enhancement is a necessity.

Milestones/Next Steps

Since 2011, DOST-CALABARZON has already produced 12 information systems that benefit DOST-CALABARZON alongside 112 agency adopters (39 national government agencies, 49 local government units, 21 academic institutions, two private organizations, and one public organization).

The results and impact of the Smart Office Systems have further been recognized through the awards given to the organization, which highlighted this best practice. These were the following awards:

  1. Very Innovative Person Award from the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) 2016
  2. Civil Service Commission (CSC) Pagasa Award 2017
  3. Philippine Quality Award 2017 Level 1 Recognition for Commitment to Quality Management conferred by PRRD
  4. Innovation Award received from DOST-CALABARZON PRAISE Committee 2018
  5. Gawad Kalasag Award from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD IV-A)

Agency

Bureau of Patents – Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (BOP-IPOPHL)

Summary

The Early Issuance of Search Report (ESR) is the patent filing system created by the Bureau of Patents – Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (BOP-IPOPHL) to facilitate and hasten to file of patents of Filipino scientists.

The ESR requires the issuance of Search Reports (SR) on the patentability of inventions within six (6) months from the filing.

Fully implemented in 2018, the ESR streamlines and hastens the procedures for filing patents at the BOP, effectively allowing Filipino scientists to simultaneously apply for international patents as prescribed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Background and Problem

As the filing for patents in the Philippines traditionally takes 18 months on average, many Filipino scientists are unable to submit their applications for international patents due to the 12-month requirement of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Through the ESR, the BOP-IPOPHL sought to expedite the local patent procedure from 18 months to 6 months on average, allowing Filipino inventors to file international patents within the prescribed 12-month period.

The ESR implementation was inspired by the European Patent’s Office (EPO) practice of issuing ESRs.

Intellectual Property Rights Specialist Ma. Cristina De Guzman, IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago, and Bureau of Patents Director Lolibeth Medrano at the Government Best Practices Recognition (GBPR) 2018 at Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas Center, Pasig City last 18 December 2018.

Solution and Impact

Along with more than 150 contracting nations/states, the Philippines is a signatory to the PCT. The Treaty allows an inventor to get international patent protection for an invention in multiple countries simultaneously within 12 months from the filing date of their first patent application in their home countries.

ESR improves the efficiency of patent searching and examination process at the BOP-IPOPHL. This ensures that the inventors receive early and accurate initial assessments of their inventions’ patentability (novelty, inventive step & industrial applicability). As such, it contributes to the agency’s mandate to provide timely and quality patents since the search report is a substantive requirement for publication of the application.

The issuance of search reports is monitored by the automation system installed that helps the agency follow up on existing applications.

Through the early release of search reports, Filipino inventors are provided ample time to reply to the assessments done by BOP-IPOPHL on the patentability of their work, as well as the opportunity to improve their applications (e.g., amendments, claims, etc.) Furthermore, faster patent protection processing means inventors can commercialize their technology at earlier dates.

The ESR was inspired by the European Patent’s Office (EPO) practice of issuing ESRs. So far, BOP-IPOPHL is the only ASEAN state implementing the ESR in patent applications.

The ESR is sustained through an automated system as an effective monitoring system and through monthly monitoring by the division chiefs; monthly reporting of the performance of the examining divisions to the Management Committee and division chiefs; and the even distribution of applications to examiners within the divisions. For example, when an uneven load of applications is due for examination, some are delegated to related divisions.

Milestones

The IPOPHL is the only medium-sized IP Office that implements the ESR. Despite its institutional limitations, the BOP-IPOPHL, through the ESR, was able to issue 146 SRs of 182 applications filed from July – Dec 2017 and 191 of 239 from January – June 2018.

Organization

Department of Labor and Employment – National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR)

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Strategy, Citizens / Customers, Operations

Year Implemented

Preview release / soft launching on 01 June 2020; Official launching on 12 June 2020\

This is a GBPR for COVID-19 Response entry

Summary

The Department of Labor and Employment – National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR) created a free online platform called the Electronic Filing (E-Filing) Service, an adaptation of the Google Forms technology. It is designed to provide the convenience of digital filing, applying, or submitting any labor-related requests for employers and workers.

Background and Problem

The DOLE-NCR is the premier Regional Office responsible for implementing policies and programs that promote gainful employment opportunities and human resource development to protect workers’ welfare and advancement and maintain harmonious industrial relations among workers and employers.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) cases in the country last 2020 compelled the government to enforce preventive measures to ensure the health and safety of the citizens by regulating physical distancing, community quarantine, and travel restrictions, among others. The pandemic also caused some industries and several establishments in the National Capital Region (NCR) to shut down temporarily, which affected millions of workers and employers with existing labor and employment issues and concerns.

Similarly, the Department’s key frontline programs and services that required physical transactions were suspended. Under normal circumstances, the Department’s processes were voluminous. However, recent events challenged them to develop a new operational strategy using digitization that would still provide a fast and efficient implementation in addressing the needs of its employees and clients amidst the pandemic.

Screenshot of the DOLE-NCR Client Portal

Solution and Impact

Apart from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) & DOLE’s Interim Guidelines on Workplace Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease, the creation of the E-filing service is preparation for DOLE-NCR to adapt to the new normal. The e-Filing Service covers 16 key frontline services such as:

  1. Request for Assistance;
  2. Request for Certificate of Involuntary Separation for SSS (local employees);
  3. Request for Certificate of Involuntary Separation for SSS (for OFWs);
  4. Registration of Establishment under Rule 1020;
  5. Application for Alien Employment Permit (AEP);
  6. Registration of Job, Service Contractor, Subcontractor (DOLE Department Order 174-17);
  7. Construction Safety and Health Program Application (Simplified);
  8. Construction Safety and Health Program Application (Comprehensive);
  9. Request for Technical Safety Inspection;
  10. Annual Medical Report;
  11. Report of Safety Organization;
  12. Company Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Program;
  13. Minutes of the Meeting of Safety and Health Committee;
  14. Application for Working Child Permit;
  15. Application for DOLE Clearance (Certificate of No Pending Case); and
  16. Application for DOLE Clearance (Certificate of No Pending Case on Child Labor).

By utilizing today’s technologies and online services, clients and employees would experience long-term benefits, including:

  1. Improved Timeliness and Collaboration: DOLE-NCR provides the tools to document management processes. Their employees will easily view, download, and evaluate documents while checking the online status. For example — adding the application status of responses on the Google online spreadsheet will easily track and monitor the action on every online submission of clients. This will also help resolve bottlenecks and ensure the timely generation of documents. Targeted Process Cycle Time (PCT) will be achieved because of its quick turnaround. Gone are the traditional ways of filling-out forms, submitting printed copies, enduring long application queues, sorting out inaccurate requirements, and encoding submitted data in computers. The online filing would significantly reduce the time spent on manual activities, making client registrations automatically recorded and categorized accordingly in the system. DOLE-NCR employees can now solely focus on reviewing, validating, and evaluating processes.
  2. Data Security: Digital storage reduces the risk of data loss as files are securely protected and backed up, ensuring data recovery during property damage or natural disasters. This assures DOLE-NCR and clients that the data provided by customers are safely stored. By adopting this practice, employees would capture and access data securely and consistently.
  3. Data Accuracy and Standardization: The Google Form captures the registered information and data submitted by employers and workers. It provides customers with the latest prescribed DOLE forms with specific steps to ensure consistency of online filing. It can also detect omitted fields made by clients to ensure they complete all the required information.
  4. Improved Customer Support: The DOLE-NCR can easily access all the information to answer any E-filing-related questions of clients. The focal can easily provide status updates on customer concerns through the client’s registered contact info.
  5. User-Friendly: DOLE programs and services can easily be accessed by different devices connected to the Internet, which will benefit clients and DOLE-NCR Regional and Field Offices while quarantine orders remain in effect. Furthermore, it is easier to use since most clients are familiar with Google Form technology.
  6. Economical: Accessibility of online forms would save the use of paper in DOLE-NCR. In the long run, this saves time and resources and promotes employee efficiency. For example – responses can just be downloaded or viewed at any time. Gathering data becomes an easier task.

Milestones/Next Steps

The DOLE-NCR’s e-Filing Service is still in its infantile stage as it was only launched in June 2020, but improvements are already underway. The DOLE-NCR is the first regional office to provide an online facility that is free and user-friendly which gives it a major advantage that other DOLE regional offices may replicate. The service’s primary goal is to ensure that clients can file online requests and that the data submitted strictly follow the Data Privacy Policy. It comes with an instructional video that guides the clients in using the system and can be used as an educational material during DOLE-NCR webinars.

The DOLE-NCR intensified its campaign on 12 June 2020, using its official Facebook Page and YouTube Channel to gather client engagement and feedback. The DOLE-NCR’s official Facebook Page alone reached 21,871 users since the posting of the e-Filing Service link with 182 positive reactions (e.g. “Like,” “Love,” and “Wow” remarks combined) and 132 shares. Hence, as of 31 July 2020, viewers from DOLE-NCR’s YouTube channel grew to 5,196. Additionally, various media organizations such as the Philippine News Agency, Philippine Information Agency, and Daily Tribune have already featured the DOLE-NCR e-Filing Services on their respective websites.

Organization

City Government of Parañaque

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Strategy, Citizens / Customers, Operations

Year Implemented

19 March 2019

This is a Recognized Best Practice

Summary

The City Government of Parañaque implemented the Project Express Lane Operation (ELO) as part of the reform strategies to address the current pressing issues and concerns on local permits and licenses while improving the City’s responsiveness to increase business and consumer confidence delivery of public services. The Project successfully simplified and integrated all concerned departments and office processes into three procedures: application, payment, and releasing. The Project was institutionalized with Executive Order 18-14 dated 24 May 2018, 4 days before RA 11032 was enacted.

Background and Problem

The Government of the Philippines has been advocating for reducing red tape in both national and local governments since 2001. The government issued a directive to reduce the number of procedures and requirements in every government transaction to achieve a business-friendly and investor climate following the country’s performance in various global competitiveness reports. The issuance of Executive Memorandum Order No. 117, series of 2003, served as the preliminary legal basis of the local government to simplify and rationalize the distribution of local permits and clearances such as business permits, building permits, certificates of occupancy, and other clearances in terms of documentary requirements, procedures, processing time, signatories, and costs.

Following the directive of the national government to further streamline regulatory processes and requirements in local permits and licenses and improve the country’s competitiveness ranking, the Project ELO Team has identified the following challenges: 1) process complexity, i.e., multiple forms/documentary requirements/signatories, redundancy in requirements, 2) high cost of doing business, 3) the number of unregistered business establishments, 4) inter-department collaboration/coordination, 5) harmonization of policies and regulations at the national and local level, 6) building trust and confidence between local government and customers/taxpayers.

Unveiling of Smart Kiosk self-service facility.

Solution and Impact

The City Government of Parañaque, through the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), conducted a series of consultations and workshops to understand and map out the process and requirements relative to the business permitting process. A detailed Department Analysis Process Observation and Action Plan were presented to the local chief executive (LCE).

Project ELO 2.0 was launched as an enhanced system to integrate the occupational permit process and use technology-enabled applications and systems to promote the digital economy at the local level. The Project also introduced innovative features on unified application forms and requirements, co-locating all departments/offices, including BFP, integration of barangay clearance, one-time assessment, payment, smart kiosk machine, document management system, and application tracking system.

  • Reduction of procedures and time from 19 steps, seven days in 2013 to 3 steps, one day in 2019
  • Increase in business tax and fees collection from 1.041B in 2013 to 3.023B in 2019
  • Increase in business registrations: From 23,447 to 26,945 or increase of 15% or 3,498 new business registrations in 2019.

Milestones/Next Steps

  • The City Government implemented Executive Order No. 018, series of 2013, to create an interdepartmental task force that will manage, execute, and enforce business-related reforms to reduce the number of procedures from 19 to 4, processing time from 7 to 3 days, and signatories from 3 to 1
  • By 2016, the administration’s 10 Point Socio-Economic Agenda emphasized the need “to increase competitiveness and ease of doing business” by addressing bottlenecks in business registration at the national and local governments.
  • Institutionalization of the BPLO under Ordinance No. 17-43 dated 14 December 2017
  • Institutionalization of the Project ELO under Executive Order No. Order 18-14 dated 24 May 2018
  • This was followed by the passage of RA 11032 or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018”.
  • Development of new features such as Online Appointment System, Online Business Application, Use of Online Courier and Delivery Services, Adoption of e-Payment Facilities, and e-Receipts for local government transactions.