Organization

Pangasinan State University

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Research, Extension and Innovation

Year Implemented

April 2020

This is a GBPR for COVID-19 Response entry

Summary

The university realized it had strong monitoring practices, which prevented them from attaining continuous improvement. It conceptualized an array of strategies and processes for the university to engage in Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance. Strategies ranged from creating documentation tools to conducting regular gap analyses. Overall, the university has deemed these practices useful; not only have they improved the individual performance of the university personnel, but collectively, these have led to improvements in organizational performance.

Background and Problem

Pangasinan State University acknowledges the need to measure its organizational performance if it aims to implement effective projects and achieve continuous improvement. Notably, this sentiment has even been articulated by Dr. Dexter R. Buted, the university’s president, and Dr. Paulo V. Cenas, their Vice President for their Research, Extension, and Innovation (REI) Office.

This has been brought to light because it has been a pattern that their projects start with planning and end with implementation—more often than not, monitoring and evaluation of projects are not done. Review and trend analysis are also not taken into consideration. Overall, the university had strong monitoring practices, which has prevented them from their goal of continuous improvement.

However, the university understands that simply engaging in organizational measurement is not so easy. For instance, successful measurement is dependent on the knowledge and persistence of the people involved, and they may not have such expertise available. On top of this, while a measurement endeavor may expose some issues, they may only be surface-level if done poorly; likewise, the proposed solutions will also not address the root cause of an issue. Moreover, measurements may not be accurate since realities on the ground are dynamic and constantly shifting, particularly in large organizations like Pangasinan State University (PSU).

Solution and Impact

In line with the issues raised, PSU, through its REI office, conceptualized an array of strategies and processes for the university to engage in Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance.

A key component of their solutions was the creation of the Monitoring and Evaluation Office under the Office of the Vice President of Quality Assurance (OVPQA), which institutionalized the whole endeavor of measurement and continuous improvement. Additionally, they also institutionalized many organization-wide strategies involving data gathering and analysis.

Their strategies included:

  • Creating documentation tools to be completed within a specific period and submitted regularly (weekly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually)
  • Benchmarking against external criteria to gather comparative information from other universities and organizations at all levels.
  • Creating feedback mechanisms so the university’s management could better understand its students, stakeholders, and the rest of its clientele.
  • Ensuring that organizational performance is reviewed at different levels of the organization through the conduct of all sorts of reviews, planning sessions, and the compilation of accomplishment reports.
  • Conducting regular Gap analysis and Root Cause Analysis to evaluate the differences between the targets set and actual accomplishments

In terms of specific strategies they have implemented, one, in particular, is their utilization of a Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC shows how the campus performs vis-à-vis its targets. And every quarter of the year, the university uses it to evaluate its performance against its targets and likewise apply the necessary interventions.

Another specific strategy they have adopted is their utilization of performance reviews to identify priorities for improvement and opportunities for innovation. These have been instrumental for the university in identifying needs across all aspects, from mentoring and coaching, training and hiring, their instructional delivery system, research, financial management system, and even their response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Crucial to performance improvement is also sharing and implementing best practices. Hence, the university also monitors its high-performing units and incorporates their practices across the university.

Moreover, the university has expanded its efforts to adopt external bodies to measure its performance. In particular, the university submits its programs for accreditation to the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP). Through this, the university’s performance is evaluated against the agency’s standards.

Overall, the university has deemed these practices useful; not only have they improved the individual performance of the university’s personnel, but collectively, these have also led to improvements in organizational performance.

Milestones

PSU has been a consistent qualifier for Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) since the implementation of this project. The university has complied with all of the mandated indicators for the PBB based on performance and its fourfold functions: instruction, research, extension, and production. The university’s performance is based on targets and indicators. Monitoring and measurement strategies have helped the university keep sight of these targets and indicators.

Organization

National Library of the Philippines

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Leadership

Year Implemented

May 2018- present

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The Network of Emerging Filipino Library Innovators (NEFLI) is a three-year leadership training program for public library personnel in the Philippines. It is adapted from one of the Global Libraries (GL) initiatives, which is the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (INELI), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, wherein one of the staff of the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) and the NLP Director were innovators and sponsors respectively in their first implementation for the first international cohort in 2011-2013.

Background and Problem

In 2011, one effort that the Gates Foundation began to support was the INELI, a network of library leaders worldwide who have skills and experience in developing innovative services for users. The INELI’s first cohort was conducted from October 2011 to October 2013. In March 2014, the Foundation started the GL wind down. They began to tap regional implementers to provide opportunities to explore and be connected where stakeholders can share information and best practices and not reinvent the wheel. In June 2015, the Foundation decided to exit the field of global library leadership, wanting to leave the sector strong and identify legacy partners to carry forward GL’s strategic goals of improving lives through public libraries around the world, which they call INELI Regional Network Development or INELI Track.

There were seven existing INELI Tracks: INELI-ASEAN, INELI-Balkans, INELI-India, INELI -Latin America, INELI-MENA, INELI-Oceania, and INELI- Sub-Saharan Africa. On May 4, 2015, NLP received a grant from the Gates Foundation as one of the implementers of INELI in the ASEAN region. After the implementation of the INELI-ASEAN, the INELI-ASEAN Project Team decided to come up with an INELI-like program in the Philippines while promoting it at the same time to other ASEAN countries. Last quarter of 2017, the team kept on conceptualizing INELI-Philippines. It is called NEFLI until March 2018.

Recognizing the various challenges that the public libraries in the country continuously face, such as the lack of solid partnership and collaborations among them, specifically, the lack of a common and practical platform to enable easy access to vital information and a conducive venue for relevant knowledge and information exchange, the development of an effective and feasible mechanism to address the aforementioned issues and concerns becomes imperative. In this context, the NEFLI became instrumental in identifying, adopting, and innovating strategies for developing public librarians’ leadership capacities and technical skills. It created an opportunity to capacitate emerging public library leaders in undertaking relevant innovations for optimizing the roles and functions of public libraries. Likewise, it significantly enhanced the participants’ leadership skills and competencies. Further, NEFLI provided a venue for the exchange in addressing national public library issues that have the potential to stimulate, expand, and improve public library operations and services. Thus, NEFLI became an adoption of an international best practice in building capacities of public library personnel.

The NEFLI program aimed to (1) enhance the leadership skills and build capacities of emerging public library leaders in the country; (2) create a vibrant network of public library leaders; (3) foster collaboration and strong partnership among stakeholders; and (4) implement collaborative projects in the country that will help improve public libraries and their communities. Public librarians, officers-in-charge, and staff of public libraries affiliated with NLP are the target participants of this program.

The National Library of the Philippines and the Network of Emerging Filipino Library Innovators (NEFLI) conducted the 3rd Convening of NEFLI Cohort 2 last 14 September 2022.

Solution and Impact

Various methods and tools were employed to ensure that the program’s objectives would be realized.

  1. As an initial requirement of the program, applicants/innovators must evaluate themselves through a Self-Assessment Tool and submit their Self-Development Plans. This self-development plan will address the weaknesses of innovators that need to be strengthened through the conduct of various activities they plan to implement in their organization/library.
  2. Online Learning Modules through the Online Learning Portal. There were ten online learning modules to be administered during the duration of the program located on the online learning platform. Each module followed a schedule and was entailed to be finished within a given time frame.
  3. Convenings and Midway Meetings. The Convenings are the annual gathering of all the NEFLI Program participants–the innovators, mentors, co-mentors, learning facilitators, the organizing team, observers, partners, and guests. The goal is to continue building a strong network of outstanding emerging library leaders with a strong vision for the future of public libraries in the country through discussions, sharing, workshops, talks/meetings, library visits, and other activities.
  4. Collaborative Projects–the innovators will be divided into five groups with a mentor and co-mentor each to work on a project that has the following themes or key areas: (1) Libraries must meet the needs of their users by offering useful, relevant content and services; (2) Libraries must offer an inviting space; (3) Libraries must demonstrate their impact by measuring the benefit they provide to individuals and communities; (4) Libraries must advocate for the support they need to deliver strong, relevant programs over the long term; and, (5) Libraries must create high-impact partnerships that best leverage community resources.

The NEFLI Program demonstrates that interventions such as those used in the program’s online learning modules, self-development plans, and collaborative projects improved and built the capacities of the innovators. These were shown in the changes in their behavior, such as being more confident, gaining communication skills, leading teams, mentoring others, being a good team member, and being promoted, among others. The innovators also learned various topics in their learning modules, which they could use in their personal and professional lives.

The innovators could partner and collaborate with their colleagues in the country through activities and collaborative projects. These projects are hoped to be carried out as the teams already have sustainability plans. The camaraderie and relationships were developed. Stories of change can be viewed through the promotion pamphlet/brochure.

Milestones

For the first cohort, 14 innovators completed the said program and continuously innovated their library programs and services. These innovators have also been invited to act as subject matter experts in training offered by PLD to public libraries. Also, some of them are mentors of the second cohort. For the second cohort, 11 innovators are completing the said program, with almost ten observers from Malaysia and the Philippines as possible third cohort innovators.

This is NEFLI’s first attempt to apply for an award. The program recognizes deserving individuals and teams during the second and third convenings. The NLP, implemented in the ASEAN region in 2018, focused on implementing it in the Philippines. INELI-MENA was recognized as WSIS 2020 Champion.

Next steps: (1) Continue to implement and improve the program, based on the recommendation of innovators and existing conditions, every 2-year; (2) Look into the possibility of having a partner national library in the ASEAN Region to implement such a program to improve the communication skills of participants further; (3) Promote further the said program and asynchronous type of training to entice more public library personnel to join.

Organization

National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC)

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Human Resource

Year Implemented

1 September 2020 – present

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The NHMFC officers and employees use this to record their daily attendance. The creation of the daily attendance through Google Forms aims to record the NHMFC employees’ daily timekeeping. They also monitor each employee’s health assessment and record whether they will work from home or be part of the skeleton workforce.

Background and Problem

The challenge for this project is that not all employees are techy. All employees should also have an internet connection to submit their responses. An orientation before the implementation was conducted. The rank-and-file employees joined the Group Head, together with the other officers, and it was explained to everyone the importance of using the form and how to use it. Before the implementation, a Memorandum was released. It was officialized that they will use the form for the employee’s daily attendance record, health assessment, and contact tracing.

Solution and Impact

The daily attendance is being used and implemented by the NHMFC Head Office personnel and the Regional and Satellite Office personnel, including all regular and agency-hired employees. Health Assessment is also included in the form. Employees are aware that this will be used as a contract tracing tool. All employees should strictly comply in filling out the form daily. Employees get used to using it due to filling out the form daily and seeing to it that they submitted the form successfully. In the event that there will be a missing log, the employee will email HRD on the reason why there is such. Implementing the Daily Attendance was able to organize the employees’ whereabouts. This approach ensured that all employees were accountable and showed the employees’ health status.

Milestones

The implementation of the approach resulted in the real-time checking of attendance of all the employees. This is paperless, and with just one click, they can already do the contact tracing of their employees. The QR Code and the link used are still being used as of this time. Officers and employees are now used to using the daily attendance.

Organization

Municipal Government of Carmona, Cavite

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Citizens / Customers, Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management Operations

Year Implemented

July 2021

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

Carmona Centralized Communications System (CENCOMMS) is an in-house developed computer-based document management system intended to streamline document workflow and minimize paper-based transactions within the Municipal Government of Carmona, Cavite. This system includes several innovative features, such as document tracking, digital archiving, and an automatic alert system for municipal departments and clients.

Background and Problem

The document management system in the Municipal Government of Carmona, Cavite, was mostly manual and paper-based. Archiving, approval, tracking, and transferring documents from one office to another involved a lot of effort and paper. This tedious process made the feedback and approval system complicated, slow, and inefficient. Hence, the Municipal Government of Carmona developed CENCOMMS.

Screenshot of the CENCOMMS Dashboard

Solution and Impact

The Municipal Government of Carmona, through its Information Technology (IT) Office, started implementing CENCOMMS in July 2021. Through this system, the document workflow in the municipal government has significantly improved. Traditionally, letters are photocopied and personally delivered to concerned municipal departments for them to evaluate, give comments/recommendations, or take appropriate actions. Now, this process is done digitally through CENCOMMS. This led to immediate responses and actions to communications received by the municipal government.

Milestones

Since the launching of CENCOMMS in July 2021, the feedback and approval system within the municipal government has become faster and more efficient. Numerous clients have also commended the LGU for this innovation. According to them, they are amazed by how fast the process is and how they are provided with automatic SMS updates regarding their transactions.

Organization

Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC)

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

Year Implemented

June 2017

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The Learning and Development program of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) works in parallel with the many changes that are unfolding in the hospital processes. Its mandate emanates from the Civil Service Commission’s PRIME-HRM (Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management) to celebrate and recognize excellence in human resources. As a health institution whose vision is to be the premier referral center of the North, it keeps track of learning and development interventions of medical, nursing, allied, and nonmedical personnel. These services are vital to health delivery, and these training programs ensure that the health service is delivered beyond expectation. To prepare and analyze the impact of training on hospital personnel, the BGHMC started monitoring all these interventions in 2017.

Background and Problem

This best practice intends to systematically evaluate the hospital’s workforce skills after learning and development interventions, evaluate interventions that addressed competency gaps identified in 2017, and revisit training plans to target the hospital’s training needs. Many training courses were conducted in the hospital in the previous years. Examples were training for doctors on procedures, updates of practice guidelines, intravenous (IV) therapy for nurses, and updates in government procedures for accountants, which only targeted improving skills for those who needed it.

The BGHMC started implementing the training cycle by accomplishing the evaluation of the individual development plan for evaluating the training needs analysis for those requesting training, preparing training sessions that answer competency gaps and evaluating these thereafter, accomplishing Level 1 and Level 2 evaluations of training, and improving on training programs that they conduct. All these were following the training plan for the year (using the allocated budget from the hospital’s MOOE).

The following were the training objectives of the training cycle: ensure that all hospital personnel will at least have eight (8) hours of learning and development intervention for the year; evaluate requests for training courses based on the individual development plan and their training needs analysis; develop or outsource training and development interventions to help narrow down the employees’ training competency gaps; assess the hospital personnel’s competency and job fit.

Solution and Impact

Realizing these scenarios can be channeled to better directions, a separate training manual for the hospital was made from the clinical Quality Manual. This training manual was ISO 9001:2015 certified. The PRIME HRM program was introduced to the Human Resource Department, requiring processes and procedures for hospital training and employee growth. The ISO Certified training manual answered the call for Learning and Development.

After doing these for three (3) years, the BGHMC had to evaluate the impact of these interventions on the organization. Thus, the paper on Level 3 and Level 4 evaluation of Learning and Development was conducted in the hospital.

The internally conducted Learning and Development activities had the following organizational impact: it decreased complaints; it reduced waste (responses include: decreased water shortage occurrences, decreased demand for resources from supplier, decreased waiting time, decreased surgical complications, fewer hospital stay, fewer encounters with patients, fewer simulations); it increased production, performance and higher employee morale (responses include: Improved staffs’ quality of mental health, healthier work environment, a lower degree of burnout, well-rounded surgical residents, happy consultants/ mentors, harmony in the workplace, Increased participation, reduced absences of staff).

These reflect that more employees are better equipped and more responsible for their personal growth in their work environment. Meanwhile, the external training sessions made employees stay on their job because they became more equipped to do their work, made them perform better, and contributed to increased hospital quality ratings. There was better patient care, improved quality service, better clinical and radiologic correlation, and proper assessment and reporting.

Milestones/Next Steps

All employees’ individual development plans (IDP) in 2017 were gathered and analyzed. The gaps were ranked according to frequency and which among these needed the most attention. For 1,113 employees with different competencies and job skills, the training office addressed training of competency gaps falling under core, organizational, and leadership skills, which were common to all professions and job skills. Technical skills training for different job skills was either provided as internal training conducted by hospital subject matter experts or external (provided by other training venues and subject matter experts).

Other notable milestones were: accreditation and re-accreditation of the ISO 9001:2015 Training Manual; recognition in 2018 as the first Government hospital to reach Level II in the PRIME-HRM where Learning and Development is one of the pillars; Trailblazer Awards for Performance Governance System Golde (2018) and Silver (2018) because of the Learning and Development’s strategic contribution to training and research; received the Hall of Fame for Best Institution for Research from the Cordillera Regional Health Research and Development Consortium in January 2019.

In 2020, the BGHMC gathered feedback on how the previous interventions affected their present work in the hospital. Feedback evaluations were retrieved within six (6) months to one (1) year after Learning and Development activities were analyzed. External training that employees attended made them stay on their job because they became more equipped to do their work, made them perform better, and contributed to increased quality ratings of the hospital Examples of responses were: better patient care, improved quality service, better clinical and radiologic correlation, proper assessment and reporting.

Organization

Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST)

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Strategy

Year Implemented

2007 to present

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The NEUST and LGU partnership as affirmative action towards greater access to education for poor but deserving students was adopted as a major strategy for the university and the LGUs concerned, aligning with the SDG to achieve universal quality education. This partnership aims to reach those who cannot access formal education by bringing the university closer to their locality.

This university strategy is also in accordance with the desire of local chief executives to help their constituents produce more professionals in the family so they can help their families improve their quality of life. To pursue this end, NEUST partnered with the municipalities of Careranglan, Talavera, San Leonardo, Peñaranda, Gen Tino and San Antonio, and the City of Gapan. Programs offered are Bachelor of Information Technology, Bachelor of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Bachelor of Secondary Education, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Elementary Education. Aside from these course offerings, the Accelerated Vocational-Technical Program is also offered on these campuses.

Background and Problem

As producers of knowledge and hubs of innovations, it is paramount that academic institutions deliver affirmative actions to their stakeholders to deliver development goals. Affirmative action policies guarantee the admission of students belonging to minority groups in higher education since, according to Greenawalt (1983): ‘Affirmative action is a phrase that refers to attempts to bring members of underrepresented groups, usually groups that have suffered discrimination, into a higher degree of participation in some beneficial program’. Many academic institutions, particularly at the tertiary levels, are engaged in various collaborations with different community partners.

In line with this, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recognizes a pertinent provision of Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 for Municipalities, Article 3, Section 447, par (5) (x) “subject to the availability of funds and existing laws, rules and regulations, establish and provide for the operation of vocational and technical schools and similar post-secondary institutions and, with the approval of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, fix and collect reasonable fees and other school charges on said institutions, subject to existing laws on tuition fees.

With the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, the Administrators, from the deceased Dr. Gemiliano C. Calling to Dr. Hilario C. Ortiz and currently under the administration of Dr. Feliciana P. Jacoba, have partnered with six (6) municipalities and one (1) city in the province for the establishment of academic extension campuses of the university. Said partnerships intend to make education accessible to the residents and constituents of neighboring towns who would like to access educational opportunities under the academic extension program similarly offered in all partner municipalities.

Dr. Jo Neil T. Peria (top-left), Dr. Salvador Loria (bottom-left), Dr. Racheal R. Moralde (center), Dr. Noel Florencondia (top-right) and Engr. Jeric Aduna (bottom-right) on their research presentation and messages during the 1st National Conference in Engineering, Science and Technology

Solution and Impact

Generally, all partner LGUs of NEUST agreed (through a MOA) to sustain collaboration with the university by providing a venue from which Accelerated Vocational Training Program (AVTP) and other degree programs may be offered. Moreover, partner LGUs are committed to providing the necessary infrastructures, complete with classrooms, laboratories, offices, libraries, and other ancillary facilities required of an academic campus to serve as a venue for the academic undertakings of the NEUST in the different loci of operation.

As agreed, the facilities made available by the partner LGUs are for the exclusive use of the university. All academic extension campuses established under this arrangement are under the university’s full administrative and academic supervision and control. Specifically, it was agreed that the university should take charge of the following major activities, to wit:

  1. Hiring and selection of officials and personnel;
  2. Hiring and selection of faculty members;
  3. Design and implementation of curriculum for each program;
  4. Issuance of Transcript of Records (TOR) and Diplomas;
  5. Issuance of grades;
  6. Safekeeping and maintenance of records through the Office of the Registrar;
  7. Implementation and enforcement of the university retention policy for academic deficiencies;
  8. Issuance of identification cards;
  9. Guidance and counseling services; and
  10. Collection of tuition and other fees as prescribed by the university shall be spent to defray expenses.

The responsibilities of the LGUs are as follows:

  1. Construction of buildings, laboratory, library, offices, and other facilities;
  2. Maintenance of all the facilities in accordance with the building code of the Philippines;
  3. Provision of subsidy for the honorarium of the university’s administrators and officials directly responsible for the administration of the program;
  4. Provision of the honoraria of the faculty members of the University subject to the rate prescribed by the university as stipulated in the TOR;
  5. Provision of subsidy for payment of water, electric, and telephone/internet bills;
  6. Provision of all necessary office supplies and other needs in the classrooms and offices; and
  7. Close collaboration with the university to ensure quality education.

Milestones/Next Steps

The following are the dates of implementation:

  • Gapan City – 24 May 2007
  • San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija – 8 July 2008
  • Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija – 03 March 2011
  • San Antonio, Nueva Ecija – 26 June 2012
  • Talavera, Nueva Ecija – 11 July 2012
  • Carranglan, Nueva Ecija – 21 March 2013

Since the partnership was forged between NEUST and the concerned LGUs, the following have been notable milestones: the university produced a total of 19,505 graduates; has established six (6) academic extension campuses; produced one (1) top notcher in the LET, and constructed school buildings and other facilities.

Organization

Municipal Government of Padre Garcia

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Leadership; Strategy; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

Year Implemented

September 2013

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

Education Governance or E-Governance is an educational practice in the municipality of Padre Garcia which involves projects for its public schools. It is aligned with the vision, “Walang Kabataan Ang Dapat Maiwan” of former Municipal Vice Mayor Noel Cantos, who assumed office in 2014. Since then, he has made his vision uplift the quality of education–the core of all his work. He gives his utmost support to every stakeholder, ensuring time and effort to determine the needs and develop relevant resolutions for the education sector’s struggles.

Background and Problem

The municipality of Padre Garcia is a second-class municipality with a very rich culture and history. It is an agricultural community composed of 17 rural and one urban barangay. It is best known as the “Cattle Trading Capital of the Philippines.” This locality is fortunate to have 17 public elementary and three public high schools. The local government of Padre Garcia wanted to improve the land and society by producing knowledgeable and highly skilled citizens with virtuous characters. The goal is to secure the future of the young Garcianos with values formation coupled with spiritual nourishment. With this goal comes a mission: “To nurture the human spirit in its purest essence for the youth.”

Similar to other schools in the country, problems and struggles were unavoidable in the schools within the municipality of Padre Garcia. Some of these were the following:

  • Establishing harmony and camaraderie among stakeholders. Communication plays a vital role in the overall success of education.
  • Teachers’ needs in the fulfillment of their duties. The teacher also needs support from the government for the successful utilization and execution of their lessons and activities for improved learning.
  • Students’ needs in various aspects. Students should not be simply sent to school; they need proper guidance, enough materials, and a secure environment.
  • Lack of Facilities. As time passes, the number of enrollees is increasing, and the number of rooms has become insufficient, while other facilities and equipment need repair.
  • Funding. To provide high-quality education, it is undeniable that the school needs funds to develop student activities. Less funding means fewer resources for the students to use.
  • Technology Advancement. Technology has many advantages and is a critical help in the education sector. However, there is an inability to acquire new technologies for schools, teachers, and students.
  • Poverty. There are still undergraduates of grade levels in the adult population and out-of-school youth because many need to work at an early age because of poverty rather than pursue their studies.
  • Tertiary Education. The municipality envisions offering tertiary education to support its aim to provide quality education for every Garciano. Unfortunately, the municipality has no schools yet offering a college degree.

Solution and Impact

To respond to the problems of limited facilities, the local government unit of Padre Garcia continuously seeks possible ways to have school buildings. The locality provided enough room and facilities for students through outsourcing and asking for donations from the national government.

Each school was allotted an amount for its programs and activities from the local government unit for the school funding. If the funds were insufficient, the Sangguniang Bayan passed resolutions and coordinated with school principals to identify possible ways to help the schools. Moreover, technology is now accessible to schools. Mr. Cantos responded to the need for computers and printers and provided the schools with this equipment through the help of the Sangguniang Bayan. The teachers highly used the equipment in doing their teaching designs and printing important documents.

To help constituents pursue education despite their poverty, Mr. Cantos helped fund a hundred scholars in partnership with the Alay-Lakad Foundation. The local government unit also allocated a budget to provide scholarships for Garcianos to help indigent students with their education.

To elevate education, Mr. Cantos also proposed the creation of a community college for the municipality of Padre Garcia. Located in Castillo, Padre Garcia, Batangas, it is expected to be operational by 2022.

Mr. Cantos is very participative in different school activities. He has been participating in the Brigada Eskwela program and together with the Sangguniang Bayan, he has been helping provide useful materials by donating paint and cleaning materials. He also helps with the renovation of the facilities needing repair.

One of his well-known programs is the Gulayan sa Paaralan. Through this initiative, Padre Garcia could landscape creative gardens consistently inside the school premises. Moreover, Gulayan sa Paaralan was not only for beautification. It also aimed to produce nutritious fruits and vegetables for feeding programs.

These solutions to the identified problems have positively impacted the education sector.

Milestones/Next Steps

Padre Garcia was proud to be one of the 20 cities and municipalities recognized for promoting and sustaining education among its citizens. The municipality received the 2019 Seal of Good Education Governance award, which came with a sealed marker and P100, 000 worth of call, text, and data services from PLDT-Smart. The package was intended to provide communications support to LGUs in conducting education initiatives.

It was also a recipient of Gawad Balisong Parangal, an award given by the Department of
To realize the goal of improving society and the citizens of Padre Garcia, the LGU of Padre Garcia is taking the initiative to improve the education sector responsible for forming and educating the youth so that they can fully participate in the attainment of a well-developed and highly organized society. The partnership and participation of the Garciano community paved the way to an excellent education system in the municipality. The present administration of the LGU of Padre Garcia concerns itself with the development of human society by providing the proper education to the people of Padre Garcia. The focus of action is on the children and youth.

With the partnership of the LGU, LSB, DepEd, SGC, PTA, NGOs, the barangays, and the entire Garciano community, the municipality of Padre Garcia was able to provide and implement projects and programs that aim to improve the quality of education, helping the school in guiding children towards the achievement of their dreams.

Organization

Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Strategy; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Operations

Year Implemented:

13 August 2020

This is a GBPR Entry

Summary

In response to the provisions of CMO No. 4 Series of 2020, supporting RA 7722 and RA 11469, Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBESMSCAT) came up with its mechanism of Flexible Learning (FL) Implementation and Management to adapt to the present educational needs of Masbatenyo students. The FL of DEBESMSCAT considered the varied needs of its continuing students and first-year students who cannot attend face-to-face classes due to the raging pandemic. It also considered the delivery of service of its personnel as mandated by the supervising and regulatory agencies and, more importantly, the adherence to the health protocols required by the IATF.

Background and Problem

Like any other educational institution in and out of the country, the pandemic threatened to hamper the delivery of higher and graduate education instruction of DEBESMSCAT. Therefore, the administration has to innovate or find novel ways to evade the worst scenario of suspending classes to avoid compromising the students’ future. The Masbatenyo students, like any other Filipinos, consider education as an avenue to lift their families economically; hence, finishing schooling is crucial to them. Banking on the practices of highly developed countries and the recommendation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), DEBESMSCAT had to embrace a significant change in its delivery of instruction through FL.

As of the moment, FL is the best and safest way to provide continuous or unhampered delivery of DEBESMSCAT’s instruction mandate to Masbatenyos during this time of pandemic and beyond. The need to shell out an amount from its budget and source financial assistance from granting agencies to implement an FL system is now of utmost consideration for DEBESMSCAT. The need to shell out an amount from its budget and source financial assistance from granting agencies to implement an FL system is now of utmost consideration for DEBESMSCAT. However, while DEBESMSCAT was able to take advantage of the modest budget spared by the government and is raring to go full steam, the need to look at the situation of the students and the community college serves as another important consideration.

Solution and Impact

The FL technology utilized by DEBESMSCAT using Macalde’s Webinar presentation dated 22 May 2020 is classified under the Medium Level Technology category. This category is characterized in terms of available devices, mainly consisting of mobile phones. Furthermore, the internet connection under this category is rated as slow (40 Mbps in DEBESMSCAT and 4G connections in selected towns of Masbate province), and the level of digital literacy of the students are primarily advanced, while the faculty and DEBESMSCAT employee’s level is classified as a mix of advanced and proficient. The learning approach is macro and microlearning, or a mix of online and offline activities. After a thorough analysis of the prevailing situation, DEBESMSCAT implemented a version of FL that it believes is tailored to the needs of its personnel, students, and stakeholders. This FL solution is anchored on the Theory of Change that encourages individuals to reflect on personal aims and plans, discuss them with others, and make them explicit. Using Noble’s (2019) work as a reference, DEBESMSCAT has already/is currently taking the following steps:

  1. Conduct of situation analysis to determine the affordances, predicaments, and needs of the students and the faculty and personnel of the institution;
  2. Identification of the target group of people in the organization who have the technological and pedagogical know-how in FL implementation;
  3. Determination of the outcomes of FL once the decision to implement it has been given;
  4. Determination of the possible impact of FL on the academic and personal activities of the students and the DEBESMSCAT personnel;
  5. Planning of activities for the pre-implementation and implementation stage;
  6. Consideration of change mechanisms that involved mind setting of faculty and personnel and the students on the good attributes and even the downsides of FL;
  7. Sequencing wherein the faculty, personnel, and students’ responses and activities related to FL implementation is recorded for analysis and decision making;
  8. Creation of the theory of change diagram for the institution;
  9. Identification of stakeholders and “enabling factors” for the continued implementation of FL; and
  10. Formulation of assumptions in terms of delivery and impact of the FL system.

As of this writing, DEBESMSCAT is currently in the sixth step. The succeeding steps could later provide learnings and experiences that could further improve the institution’s FL delivery. The institution sees the present mechanism it implemented as contributory to the ultimate goal of the Philippine government to stand once again and even stronger under its battle cry “We Heal as One.”

Milestones/Next Steps

Referring to the identified steps related to the Theory of Change, the DEBESMSCAT has already conducted, as the first milestone, a situation analysis that involved the determination of the category of the level of technology in the province of Masbate, which was found to be in the Medium Level Category. Upon determining the institution’s category, the administration tapped faculty members with experience in distance education and specialization in information technology. This was when the administration formed its LMS Project task force composed of a Team Leader and a coordinator from each of the six colleges and the graduate school. This was the second milestone of the FL program of the institution.

For the third milestone, possible outcomes were determined by the faculty based on the prescribed course outcomes and the college outcomes. The administration also supervised the relevance of the identified products to the institutional outcomes. This is to ensure that each level is working towards attaining the institutional results despite the major change that the pandemic brought to the delivery of the instruction mandate of DEBESMSCAT. The fourth milestone involved determining the possible impact of FL on the academic and personal activities of the students and the DEBESMSCAT personnel. In the series of meetings conducted by the administration, the academic and administrative councils, the dean, and department chairs, several issues such as access to ICT, unstable electric services, and the dire financial situation of the students, faculty, and student readiness to FL were raised.

For the fifth milestone, the LMS Coordinators were tasked to cascade the training to all faculty members. Concurrent to the conduct of the training is the completion of the crafting of course modules by each faculty that is designed to cover one month of lessons. These modules were immediately uploaded on the LMS, at the same time, printed for distribution to the students. The second milestone of the flexible learning program was reached after the successful distribution of printed modules to students who requested a copy due to poor internet connectivity and the successful interaction of the students with good internet connectivity to the DEBESMSCAT LMS. Per coordinator reports, some faculty were already able to conduct a course forum, give LMS-based assignments, and conduct LMS-based quizzes and other graded student activities. Alongside this milestone is the approval to implement the LMS Use Policy of DEBESMSCAT. More innovations are expected from the faculty and the students in the coming months and towards the end of the first semester.

Organization

Visayas State University

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Human Resource

Year Implemented

2018-present

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

The Visayas State University is following a problematic traditional system of recruitment, selection, and placement. Two of its HR personnel attended a Competency-based HR training on 7-8 December, conducted by the Civil Service Institute of the Civil Service Commission in Quezon City. The university produced a Competency-based Human Resource Management System (CBHRMS) manual approved by the National Library. The university has also conducted an in-house Competency Based HR Workshop. From then on, vacancy announcements for faculty and administrative staff became competency-based. Based on the training, personnel committees and boards conduct interviews already using the STAR method.

Background and Problem

The main objective of the university’s Competency-Based Recruitment, Selection and Placement System is to hire the right person with the right qualifications for the position. The system hopes to hire a potential performer over an average performer. The university has been known for imposing higher qualifications, especially in hiring faculty members, because they are the ones who deliver the primary product of the university. However, by doing the usual way of assessing applicants for a position, a candidate’s capability and potential cannot be determined by focusing only on the skills and minimum qualifications. Another vital component necessary in hiring is attitude, which has been left out most of the time. Typically, the genuine attitude of an employee can be displayed only after they are already hired, and it is a burden for the organization to change it.

Therefore, assessing competencies is very important before deciding whom to hire. The combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes should be measured to differentiate an average from superior performers. Introducing competency-based HR into the university was an enormous challenge. Most of them, particularly the HR personnel, do not know about it and do not have the expertise to initiate the change. By implementing a competency-based HR, the university qualifies for the deregulated status in Human Resource Management under the CSC PRIME-HRM Program. They need to submit to the university for assessment between 2020 and 2021. Another problem is that there are no manuals available to be used as a guide, and even the people who are supposed to implement it have no knowledge of how to operationalize it.

Solution and Impact

As a solution, the university sent two (2) VSU HR personnel to attend a Competency-based HR training last 7-8 December 2017, conducted by the Civil Service Institute of the Civil Service Commission in Quezon City. From the learnings acquired, the HR Director prepared a draft Competency-based Human Resource Management System (CBHRMS) manual using the “borrow and build” concept from other sources, specifically from the CSC Generics Competency Dictionary, where the competencies and behavioral indicators of some of the commonly used competencies are defined. The next step was to conduct an in-house Competency Based HR Workshop, wherein an HR expert from Metro Manila was invited. This was attended by supervisors, members and chairpersons of Personnel committees and Personnel Board, and Vice Presidents. The workshop included an orientation on competency-based HR. The participants also commented on the draft CBHRM manual, identifying specific competencies related to academic functions and its behavioral indicators per level. There was also role-playing among the participants on conducting interviews using the STAR method and other methods to assess applicants’ competencies. They revised the draft CBHRMS Manual for faculty and staff and subjected it to review/deliberation. Then an ad hoc committee was created to edit the manual. The Board of Regents approved the final manual. The vacancy announcements for faculty and administrative staff became competency-based. The assessment of applicants using the STAR method.

The HR Director prepared/submitted to the National Library two Operations Manual (ISBN: 978-971-592-087-2 for administrative staff and ISBN: 978-971-592-087-2 for the faculty). The CBHRMS Manual was likewise issued with ISBN: 978-971-592-086-5. The two Operations Manual are due for printing but still awaiting completion of the review by the English critic. Soft copies of the Operations Manual and the CBHRMS manual were already disseminated to the Personnel Boards and the external campuses for their use in hiring faculty and staff. The final printing of the three manuals will follow the final English editing by the English critics. As a result, since implementing competency-based recruitment in hiring faculty and staff, the complaints regarding the attitudes of new hires significantly decreased.

Milestones/Next Steps

The university even received recognitions from the Civil Service Commission: 2018 Best Competency Based Merit Selection Plan given by CSC Region 8 at Summit Hotel in October 2018 and a Bronze Award by the CSC in September 2019 at PICC, Metro Manila. The assessment and rating by personnel committees/boards shall only be done through the Human Resources Information System (HRIS). With the operationalization of the VSU HRIS, the competencies and behavior indicators are already incorporated into the system. Recently, the vacancy announcements specified in the application should be lodged online through jobs.vsu.edu.ph.

The Competency-based Recruitment, Selection, and Placement of additional faculty and staff took off right after the 4-6 July 2018 competency-based training among supervisors since they are the ones who initially assess applicants for faculty positions. The full-swing implementation was in October 2018, after the Board of Regents approved the system. The CBHRMS has been installed in the HRMIS, where applicants must lodge their applications online at jobs.vsu.edu.ph. The assessment of their competencies was immediately encoded by the panel of interviewers/assessors effective July 2020.

Organization

Visayas State University

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Human Resource

Year Implemented

2012

This is a Recognized Best Practice

Summary

The VSU SPMS is an organized, systematic, and standardized system for evaluating delivery units and their employees within the department concerned. It is administered to continuously foster organizational effectiveness; and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the faculty and staff in their instruction, research, extension, production, and other functions assigned to them by the University President. The system is administered by the university’s Performance Management Team (PMT) following the rules, regulations, and standards established by the Civil Service Commission per CSC Memorandum Circular No. 6, series of 2012, and other policies issued by the commission.

With the guidelines issued by CSC, the university immediately crafted its own (BCLIBC)SPMS and conducted a 3-day workshop to prepare the list of Major Final Outputs (MFOs) and Success Indicators. The VSU SPMS, the required forms, Table of MFOs, and Success Indicators were submitted to the Civil Service Commission and were approved on 8 October 2012. The VSU SPMS improved university performance and its employees with a series of orientations and target-setting workshops.

Background and Problem

In 2010-11, the university used the Performance Management-Office Performance Evaluation System (PMS-OPES) of the CSC, which assigns a points system per activity of one (1) hour spent in one training equivalent to 1 point. However, the university met the following challenges using the PMS-OPES:

  1. Time-consuming and tedious system. Calibrating and computing points was a time-consuming and tedious process. The system promoted an activity-oriented mindset because tangible outputs that required greater points mattered the most. It failed to account for the service that was not delivered or demands could not be satisfied, as these concerns were overshadowed by the goal to acquire points simply. The original goal of showing the connection between individual and organizational performance was not met. While drawing objective measures effectively, the points system approach was not widely implemented.
  2. Discouragement. A performance appraisal needs encouragement, positive reinforcement, and celebrating a year’s worth of accomplishments. PMS-OPES did not show how an employee’s performance has contributed to or hindered organization effectiveness. The employees were also rarely given feedback on their performance. It emphasizes more on activities and does not focus on the desired effect of activity. Employees tend to focus on counting the number of activities per time they perform. The employees become concerned about performing more activities and, in most cases, no longer care if it impacts the university.
  3. Inconsistent message. As a performance evaluation system, employees did not care about organizational effectiveness in PMS-OPES. Employees became concerned that they had plenty of activities to get a higher performance rating. Supervisors tend to require employees to design and implement actions to make their unit more relevant with so much work without considering whether these activities are appropriate to the university.

Solution and Impact

The HR department then prepared the write-up of the system and the required forms based on the CSC guidelines. What was lacking was the standard of performance. To ensure that there will be ownership of the system, the university conducted a 3-day workshop on 4-6 September 2012 to craft the standard of performance officials of the university who will be involved in making the system operational. The Table of Major Final Outputs and Success Indicators as performance standards was finalized. Because they were involved in crafting the performance standard, everybody welcomed the SPMS as an improved version of the PMS-OPES and because they felt ownership of the system.

VSU immediately implemented the SPMS in 2012, a few months after the Civil Service Commission approved it. Reasons for its fast acceptance instead of resistance to change from all sectors. Thus, it was a relief shifting to the outputs/outcomes-oriented SPMS. In addition, to ensure its acceptability, we involved everybody by conducting a three-day university-wide workshop just to prepare the table of success indicators with SPMS, units, and its people were told to review their mandate. Standards of performance per unit/sector were agreed upon and approved. Delivery units were required to prepare office targets on what they were expected to do. In addition, a percentage weight in ranking units was designed and approved. Specifically, the percentage weight is incorporated in the OPCR target template for academic departments and research centers for academic teams. The percentage weight per function is as follows:

Academic departments

  • Instruction functions –70% (20% of which is for graduate degree program offering and the remaining 50% for undergraduate degree offering)
  • Research functions –10%
  • Extension functions –10%
  • Other initiatives such as accreditations, etc. 10%

Research centers

  • Research functions and extension functions –70%
  • Instruction functions –20%
  • Other industries such as accreditations, etc. 10%

Administrative units

  • Doing mandated procedures –70%
  • Customer-friendly services –10%
  • Innovations/changes for improved effectiveness & efficiency –10%
  • Best practices/manuals –10%

With those percentage weights, departments and faculty members who refuse to conduct research become pressured or motivated. In contrast, faculty members in research centers become interested in having at least two class sections per semester. Administrative units will avoid having dissatisfied clients and introduce innovations in the workplace and the procedures.

Milestones/Next Steps

  • CY 2010 -11 – Use of PMS-OPES
  • CY 2012 – April-September- Crafting of VSU’s SPMS through workshops
  • CY 2012 – Approval of VSU SPMS by CSC Reg. VIII, 12 October 2020
  • Certificate of Recognition for having met the Maturity Level 2 indicators in Performance Management under the CSC’s PRIME-HRM Inclusion of VSU’s SPMS as one of the Model SPMS in the Compendium of Agency
  • SPMS, which was published on the CSC website
  • CY 2013 – Full Implementation
  • CY 2014 onward – The gains
  • One of the first few agencies that qualified for the PBB in 2012 and yearly until 2015
  • Produced yearly Presidential Lingkod Bayan/Pag-asa Awardees at Heroes Hall of Malacanang from 2014 until 2019 and is hoping to have another awardee this September
  • The only agency in Region 8 and possibly in the Visayas, if not in the entire country, to give two (2) steps increment yearly based on merit since 2016 (based on 2015 performance)
  • Benchmarked by SUCs