Innovative thinking was the theme for the month’s Public Sector Productivity Webisodes organized by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP). The free webinar series entitled, Innovative Thinking for Enhancing Public Sector Productivity, was held on 15-17 September 2021. It featured innovation champions, Adrian Ramirez, Leanne Lozanes, Anita S. Gubalane, and Paul Vincent Avecilla.


Co-Creation Innovation Process in DAP practice

Day 1 was an introductory course on innovative thinking. Adrian Ramirez, project manager of the Center of Excellence on Public Sector Productivity Innovation Laboratory Program, together with Leanne Lozanes, associate project officer with the Productivity and Development Center in DAP, facilitated the interactive talk attended by over two thousand participants from various government and private agencies.

The speakers discussed fundamental concepts on innovation and ideation tools and techniques such as Revolution, Opposite thinking, Crazy 4s, and Crazy 8s, SCAMPER Technique, and Related World. They also presented the co-creation innovation process that the DAP advocates in implementing innovative projects for the public sector.

Ramirez noted the central role of empathy in the co-creation innovation process. He shared, “we try to involve the stakeholder or the end-user every step of the way. Empathy is our tool to make sure that we include them every step of the way, and I think that is the heart and soul of the co-creation innovation process.”

Constant change calls for continuous intentional efforts to innovate and to improve present standards and practices in the government. As Ramirez explained, the needs of today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world are indeed becoming more and more complex each day, and innovation is key to addressing them. 

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To conclude the episode, Lozanes shared a short quote from Steve Jobs, one of the most successful innovators of all time: “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.” She added, “just like what we’ve experienced in the past months with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even [though] we experienced a lot of changes because of the pandemic, our government did not stop in delivering the services. We saw it as an opportunity to really improve the delivery of our services, change our approaches in the way we do things in the government, and, basically, revolutionize the way we approach things.”

DepEd Antique Innovation Project

On Day 2 of the webinar, the education program supervisor in Science in the Division of Antique and the Division Focal Person for Special Education, Anita S. Gubalane presented about Count on US, ANITA (United Stakeholders, Activate the Nurturing Intensive Teaching amidst Adversity), a project implemented by DepEd Antique in cooperation with the DAP Center for Governance.

According to Gubalane, the project was implemented to address problems in literacy and numeracy among Grade 3 learners in Antique. It aims to maximize learning support systems for non-readers and non-numerates in the new normal. She explained, “Project COUNT on US, ANITA depicts the true bayanihan spirit wherein our stakeholders collaborate and work together for our beneficiaries.”

In the test conducted by the Schools Division of Antique, it was found that many of the Grade 3 learners enrolled in the school year 2020 to 2021, especially from the vulnerable sectors, struggle with understanding self-learning modules due to factors such as the absence of face-to-face instruction, the inability of parents to provide learning support, and lack of access to technology. These identified factors served as the basis for the measures they carried out in the intervention, which include intensive remote teaching, the organization of a mentoring hub for parents, learners, and teachers, capacity building for teachers, a conference for the parents on their role in their children’s education, and the development of learning packages.

Gubalane proudly shared that through Count on US, ANITA, about 45 percent of the third-grade non-readers increased their reading level from non-reading to instructional level, while 56 percent increased in numeracy level. Another feat that she brought up was the replication of the literacy and numeracy project in other districts in Antique such as San Jose and Hamtic North.

OF-CORS

Digitization of government services is now becoming the new normal. Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) was one of the many government offices that recently started to offer online services to make transactions easier, safer, and contactless.

The Day 3 webinar topic, entitled Digitalization of Government Services in the New Normal: Overseas Filipinos CFO Online Registration (OF-CORS), was facilitated by Paul Vincent Avecilla, senior emigrant services officer at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

Avecilla shared how this innovation in CFO has revolutionized their service quality for their clients. With online systems and quality management systems in place now, transactions have become way more efficient compared to before wherein they entail tedious, time-consuming steps and many documentary requirements.

Salient features of OF-CORS include online registration, online verification, online payment, online PDOS, online feedback, and a digital certificate system.

Click here to read more about OF-CORS.

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How will governments be more productive? This is the big question addressed in the fourth installment of World Bank’s six disruptive debates and constructive conversations in the Future of Government series, held on 1 September 2021.

The forum aims to provide global leaders and thinkers an avenue to share views and ideas on how governments might seize the opportunity from the current global pandemic crisis and climate crisis to achieve greener, more resilient, and more inclusive future development (GRID) outcomes. It featured global experts such as Francis Maude, Peck Kem Low, Francisco Gaetani, Marta Arsovska Tomovska, Edward Olowo-Okere, and Raj Kumar.

Government Productivity

Government productivity is fundamental to the world’s future. The pressure to do more with less is heightened now more than ever, especially as the time frame for Sustainable Development Goals achievement nears its end and the global pandemic remains ongoing.

Maude, FMA chairman and former UK Minister, shared his insight on how this can be carried out. First is by ensuring efficiency. He shared about how he had helped in reforming procurement during his term in the UK government program in efficiency and reform. “We did a huge digital transformation program which saved a lot of money but also got the UK ranked best in the world by the UN for e-government,” Maude added.

Maude noted that the government’s procurement of goods and services from outside must be done better. Specifically, he highlighted the necessity of getting rid of restrictive practices that can, in the end, corner the government with an oligopoly of suppliers. He added, “In the UK, we got rid of a lot of the restrictive practices. That was a real factor in driving or enabling the huge growth upsurge in the tech sector. Startups were finally able to bid for and win government contracts and they grew off the back of it. So procurement, major projects, digital transformation, all of that– these are reforms available to every government that [are] crucial.”

Another factor he brought forward was impact investment, a strategy that aims to generate positive social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. A few examples of this are government partnerships with small social entrepreneurs and efforts to support environmental initiatives with economic benefits. The UK was the first in the world to set up a social investment bank, which offers another, more holistic option to address social problems other than providing in-house services or having to go full on conventional, commercial outsourcing.

Digital transformation toward improving productivity

Tomovska, director for Public Administration Reform and eGovernment at the Office of the Prime Minister of Serbia, shared how they were able to realize ‘doing more with less’ in Serbia through digital transformation. She underlined the value of investing in digital transformation given that there are still governments that are apprehensive about what such a shift may entail.

“Some governments are hesitant to take this road. Either they don’t have a vision or they don’t have enough talent in the government for digital transformation. Sometimes, investment is a challenge because digitalization itself is not a cheap toy. But the crisis showed that every single dollar invested in the digital transformation of the government paid off and then paid over big time,” she explained.

The director, who was also the former Macedonian Minister for ICT and Public Administration, pointed out that digital transformation not only makes services more efficient, more effective, and low cost, but more so it provides a safeguard against corruption. She said, “In some parts of the world where corruption is a challenge, digital government can be seen as an excellent tool to fight corruption. There is no physical contact, no discretionary decisions; everything is recorded in the system”

Tomovska also cited a few technologies that are now in the spotlight for digital transformation. One of which includes automated decision-making systems which use algorithms that sync across sectors in the government. Tomovska shared that, in Serbia, they were able to save millions of dollars annually and cut down costs in terms of time, electricity, water, and even paper sheets because of the said innovation. In the past two years alone, they were able to save around 180 million sheets of paper, which is equivalent to 18 thousand trees, 76 ml. water, and six thousand watt-hours of electricity. Another example she mentioned was big data and algorithms for data-driven policies, which contribute to better planning, improved outcomes, and increased savings.

She also shared about software robots that can do basic routine tasks. She added, ‘[The technology] frees up hours for some crucial things, for example, dealing much more with the citizens and understanding their needs. There are a lot of things to be done there. And we’ve seen some numbers, which are in billions of dollars, with what would be the cost savings if we introduce this kind of automation.” 

In her conclusion, Tomovska emphasized that digital transformation must be a collective effort. There are many avenues for cooperation to contribute to government productivity.  The private sector, startups, and innovative companies may play a significant role in this.

Singapore’s Example

Singapore, with its advanced technology and efficiency, may be a hint of what the future of government would look like. 

Fast service is one of the things that the country can take pride in. Chief human resources officer & workforce management advisor in the Singapore Government, Kem shared, “Today, in Singapore, when you land in Singapore airport, from the point you land to the point you’ve grabbed your luggage bag, checkout and get a taxi, [it would take] no more than ten minutes. That’s the level of technology that we have invested in.”

Kem spoke about how Singapore has been focusing its efforts in driving towards a smart nation. Given the country’s limited resources, going digital is not merely an option but is integral to its system.

She explained, “For us, going high tech or digital is not an option, mainly because we are so small and we really don’t have enough people. We don’t have natural resources. Our only natural resource is our people, even our people, we don’t have enough Singaporeans per se, and one-third of our workforce is really from all over the world… because we don’t have the warm bodies to fill those jobs, very often, we have to make use of technology in order to still deliver services, and yet, high touch.”

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), as the Asian Productivity Organization Center of Excellence on Public Sector Productivity, organized a free webinar series on knowledge management (KM) principles and processes in the public sector on August 11, 12, and 13. The series is part of the second season of Public Sector Productivity Webisodes, an initiative to raise awareness on relevant productivity and innovation topics and help mobilize public sector organizations.

Jon Del Rosario, supervising fellow and professor of Knowledge Management and Quality Management of DAP Graduate School of Public and Development Management, facilitated the first two installments, which provided a general overview of knowledge management and its application in the public sector. For the last episode of the series, Dr. Enrique Tayag, director of the Department of Health’s Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service, shared his office’s knowledge management experiences during the new normal.

Knowledge Management in the Public Sector

Del Rosario defined knowledge management as the management of the environment and the organizational and individual processes that assure that the application or use of knowledge produces the results that provide value for stakeholders. On the organizational aspect, this involves the acquisition or creation, storage, access and retention, transfer, application, and continual improvement of knowledge. Individual processes in KM, on the other hand, entail knowledge reflection and internalization, externalization and integration, and sharing and validation or revision.

The first day of the series, entitled Introduction to Knowledge Management in the Public Sector, mainly revolved around the basic concepts related to knowledge management. Del Rosario explained that the practice of knowledge management centers on ensuring that knowledge is used or applied, shared, and retained by those who work for and interact with the organization.

The speaker also stressed the importance of knowledge management in every organization. He noted that most, if not all, work in organizations is enabled by knowledge. Such knowledge when applied always leads to value creation to the organization, and it is through knowledge management that its retention becomes possible.

“The use  of [knowledge] is very fleeting if you don’t document it. It has to be captured with the use of [knowledge management]… When people leave the organization, they also bring their knowledge [with them],” Del Rosario added.

On Day 2 of the webinar, entitled The Practice of Knowledge Management in the Public Sector, the speaker delved into domains of practice of knowledge management. Del Rosario also shared his proposed model of integrated organizational-personal knowledge management process. In the model, he illustrated the process of knowledge management beginning at the identification of stakeholder needs and expectations, which determines knowledge and knowledge needs, and resulting in the satisfaction of such needs. In between these stages are the actual knowledge management processes, tools, learning, and interventions and performance and change in terms or decisions, actions, and practices. He also touched on an example of knowledge management in the DAP Public Sector Productivity Innovation Laboratory, which applies the co-creation innovation model in its innovation processes to ensure that key stakeholders are involved every step of the way.

DOH Knowledge Management in the New Normal

In his presentation, entitled The Pandemic Reboot of Knowledge Management in the Public Health Sector, Dr. Tayag presented the knowledge management framework of DOH, called KM4 Health, which involves four (4) components: knowledge acquisition, knowledge production, knowledge innovation, and knowledge utilization.

The transition to the new normal created by the COVID-19 pandemic posed new challenges on many processes and aspects of the department, including their knowledge management practices. Dr. Tayag shared a few of the knowledge management discrepancies that DOH has encountered in each of the KM4Health components, as well as the corresponding countermeasures that it has implemented to address them.

In the aspect of knowledge acquisition, the DOH created an e-Learning platform on their website to address training needs since in-person interactions have been restricted due to the pandemic. For the knowledge production component, the department has launched a COVID-19 Tracker on its website and DOH DataCollect App, which gathers data from hospitals on the availability of hospital beds, isolation rooms, ICU beds, mechanical ventilators, and other essential resources and supplies.

Disrupted medical services have also been a major problem with the surge of Covid-19 cases in the country. As a countermeasure, DOH implemented a telemedicine system for Covid-19 patients. The initiative falls under the knowledge innovation component.

Finally, as for the knowledge sharing component, DOH started a Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS) Virtual Daily Huddle among the department members, where they talk about operational matters and pandemic response strategies. Aside from this, they also conduct various webinars to promote correct information on COVID-19 amid the spread of fake news especially online. Other knowledge management efforts of DOH include leading the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, a conglomeration of various agencies and experts who view and analyze data and give recommendations for every activity on the management of emerging infectious disease, and the creation of technical working group on eHealthcare Services.

Dr. Tayag explained, “it is important that we change our strategy from knowledge exploitation to knowledge exploration. If we do things the way we [did] before to address our discrepancies, we will fail. We have to explore, or better, we [must] think collectively and change the way things are but not how we thought it to be.”

A series of virtual introductory courses, conducted by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Productivity and Development Center (PDC), was attended by a total of 714 participants coming from 48 government agencies to boost their competencies on leveling up their agency’s established Quality Management System (QMS). Undertaken through the Government Quality Management Program (GQMP), the courses covered concepts, principles, implementation, and integration strategies on different standards, approaches, and tools, as well as, best practices, to achieve better service delivery and performance excellence.

The introductory course on ISO 9004 standard, conducted on 14 July 2021, with Ms. Aileen Ricohermoso as DAP Resource Speaker highlighted some of the activities an organization should be looking at to gain the added benefits of having a quality management system. A total of 22 participants on Zoom and 154 viewers on YouTube gained awareness that ISO 9004 standard is not a certifiable standard, but a guidance document that fosters ideas and inspiration for improving a QMS.

QMS Internal Audit Using Remote Auditing with Doctor Ralph Sherwin Corpuz as DAP Resource Speaker, on the other hand, introduced remote auditing as an effective and efficient alternative to traditional face-to-face auditing. The use of technology, and remote auditing techniques have been going on for several years. However, few organizations are implementing them. With the emergence of COVID-19 and its related mobility restrictions, combined with the existing need to conduct regulatory-, legal-, or immediate need-driven audits, we are now finding alternatives to the traditional face-to-face audit that can be implemented. Conducted on 16 July 2021, with 39 participants on Zoom and 165 participants on YouTube, this course briefly discussed the challenges of remote auditing and offered strategies for overcoming them in each part of the audit engagement process — from planning, document review, fieldwork, interviews, to closing meetings. It also shared some ICT tools and platforms that can be utilized in a remote audit.

Organizational Knowledge Improvement Approaches using ISO 30401:2018 Knowledge Management System (KMS), was the 3rd course of the series conducted with Professor Jonilo J. del Rosario as the DAP Resource Person. Held on 29 July 2021 with 22 participants from Zoom and 134 from YouTube viewers, the course provided an appropriate guide in developing a knowledge management system that effectively promotes and enables value creation. Knowledge management was defined as a discipline focused on ways where organizations can craft the said management approach, with respect to their own business and operational environment, reflecting their specific needs and desired outcomes. With ISO 30401, sound knowledge management principles and requirements are available for organizations: a) to be competent in optimizing the value of organizational knowledge; and, b) as a basis for auditing, certifying, evaluating, and recognizing such competency by recognized auditing bodies.

The fourth and last of the introductory courses was the Introductory Course on Innovation Approaches using ISO 56002:2019 Innovation Management System, conducted on 30 July and 18 August 2021, with 32 participants joining Zoom and 146 viewers on YouTube. Participating agencies gained awareness on the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of an innovation management system. The guidance on ISO 56002 standard does not describe detailed activities within the organization, but rather provides guidance at a general level to a) all types of organizations, regardless of type, sector, or size and for temporary organizations and start-ups b) all types of innovations, e.g., product, service, process, model, and method, ranging from incremental to radical; and c) all types of approaches. Also discussed was the Co-creation innovation process which is a tool for ideation and innovative thinking. Patterned after the design thinking process, the co-creation innovation process will aid the participants to identify problems and creative solutions for their agencies’ issues.

The Introductory Courses on Productivity and Quality Improvement Approaches were one of the deliverables of the GQMP that aims to contribute to the enhancement of citizen satisfaction and public sector productivity through government-wide quality improvement.

The DAP, as the National Productivity Organization, seeks to empower leaders, strengthen institutions, and build the nation through pioneering, value-adding, synergistic ideas, concepts, principles, techniques, and technologies addressing development problems of local, national, and international significance. DAP – PDC offers capability building, technical assistance, and research related to productivity and quality improvement. For more information, visit www.dap.edu.ph, email pdc@dap.edu.ph or call 632-2156/2137.

This article was originally posted in http://pdc.dap.edu.ph/index.php/714-participants-from-48-agencies-attended-daps-introductory-courses-on-productivity-and-quality-improvement-approaches-to-boost-competencies-to-level-up-their-qms/

With the COVID-19 pandemic posing a great threat, various government offices have shifted their services online in order to continue serving their clients while ensuring efficiency as well as public safety.

One of the offices that went online was the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). OF-CORS, or the Overseas Filipinos – CFO Online Registration System, was developed by a team co-chaired by Ivy Miravalles, Director of the Migrant Integration and Education Division. The system, which was launched on March 14-25 of 2020, is intended to make easier and contactless transactions. This is for their main clients: immigrant visa holders, Filipino fiancé(e)/spouse/partner of a foreign national/former Filipino citizen/dual citizen with a visa, and CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate holders. Clients can take advantage of pre-departure services without having to visit a CFO office by registering online; they could also print their own OF-CORS Temporary Certificate and present it to the Bureau of Immigration on their departure day from the Philippines.

How it came to be 

Long before restrictions on face-to-face transactions were a challenge, Miravalles had already recognized the need for service automation way back in 2014. She stated that the concept had remained in the back of her mind since then, until they joined the Public Sector Productivity Innovation Laboratory (PSP InnoLab) bootcamp run by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), where a team composed of trainees from various divisions of the CFO were able to reinforce the idea of service automation. Her team’s trainee informed her of the opportunity, and she was asked to conceptualize the OF-CORS project.

Miravalles shared that they began planning for the project prior to COVID. When the pandemic struck, data and processes were moved online more easily and quickly, allowing the system to be operational as soon as the nationwide lockdown began on March 14 of last year. 

Ease of access

OF-CORS not only helps prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but it also makes the registration of Filipinos going overseas easier and less expensive.

The Director said that the CFO wanted to address the long lines and high registration volume which required significant manpower, as well as the cost incurred by the registrants in visiting their offices, which are currently only located in three areas. Users can register at OF-CORS from the comfort of their own homes, without the need for travel and waiting in long lines. They can also view and access information online.

Filipinos going to different countries who register in the system are given digital certificates that they can show to the Bureau of Immigration when they exit the country.

Continued optimization 

The Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar, or PDOS, is a pre-departure program organized by the CFO for immigrant visa holders, foreign nationals’ spouses, partners, and fiancé(e)s, youth migrants, and cultural exchange program participants who are exiting the country. This seminar has now evolved into a webinar that includes a facilitator, which can also be streamed live and is available on YouTube.

OF-CORS has seen numerous improvements to its system since its initial launch. Miravalles explained that after months of not having a registration fee as a response because of the pandemic, they realized that they needed one to support their operations and their mandate as an agency. Thus, they have coordinated with Bayad Centers and improved their system. Those who wish to receive digital certificates must pay a registration fee of Php 400 before receiving the certificate. They can also choose to have their physical certificate mailed to them, with the cost determined by the system based on their location and the courier they opt to use once paid the required fee. At present, clients may choose to courier options- LBC and Wide Express.

 The CFO strongly advises users to pay using GCash and Bayad Centers in their area. If neither of these options is available in their area, users must pay through CFO’s Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) account.

During the first few months of its implementation, she admitted that they had difficulty in checking the submissions in the online system. Miravalles explained that they realized they needed to improve the system once more. Now, when users submit the required documents, such as a copy of their passport or visa, it is now assigned to an officer who is in-charge to verify the documents.

The Director also revealed that OF-CORS is currently being translated into the Filipino language and Visayan, so that Filipinos who are not fluent in English can better understand the system and its content. An online chat bot on the website is also in the works.

Commitment to safety

Today, there are no more face-to-face transactions in CFO because registration can now be completed online. This, as per the Director, is ideal, particularly for their office, where a large number of people used to come every day. Every employee’s health, as well as the health of those who visit their offices, is important.

Of course, OF-CORS values everyone’s safety, not just in terms of health.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Law, or Republic Act 9208, as amended by Republic Act 10364, governs the mandatory seminars that the CFO is required to hold, particularly for Filipinos who are the spouse, fiancé(e), or partner of a foreign national, former Filipino, or dual citizen.

Because the CFO is unable to provide face-to-face counseling, Tele-counseling was established. Tele-counseling, which includes family counseling and individual counseling, is conducted over the phone, online, and even through the Zoom application. Miravalles stated that Tele-counseling allows them to be more hands-on with registrants, particularly those with problematic cases. Alternative options are available for those with difficult cases, and these cases can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to be worked on.

The light in the dark

“We had to see things in a different perspective,” Miravalles said. There were a few bumps in the road since OF-CORS was launched quickly and was implemented as soon as possible. She also stated that her team had to make do with what they had and that they chose to view the pandemic as an opportunity for growth. She was also able to understand the importance of collaboration between different units and stakeholders alike.

“I am satisfied that the system is really functioning, but I need some important details,” the Director stated. “For example, ‘How do I monitor requests after a client has filed it? How can we manage data well considering the problems on internet connectivity? How can we improve data security?’, these proved to be difficult for me.” Miravalles shared that there are four biggest challenges that they are facing: time management, customer service, ICT (Information and Communications Technology) improvement, and communication. 

Despite the inevitable setbacks, Miravalles expressed gratitude to the DAP, from which she graduated, for their support and assistance in making the project a success. DAP provided training opportunities for her and her team, as well as assistance in quickly deploying the system. On a personal level, Miravalles expressed gratitude to DAP for reinforcing her desire and motivation to see the online system as important.

In this day and age, one’s health and safety should be a top priority. Filipino immigrant visa holders who wish to travel to another country can use the Overseas Filipino – CFO Online Registration System to protect their health and safety while also lowering the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus, all because they can now register online.

A famous self-development author, Brian Tracy, once said: “Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends.” Indeed, growth requires an examination of oneself, challenging how things currently are, and taking steps to improve things – no matter how big or small. We will never arrive at perfection; there will always be room for improvement.

In August 2019, Team ALAB of the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA), headed by Giovanni Platero, started the Cooperative Assessment Information System or CAIS, as an effort to improve their current system. It was intended to make the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance (COC) for cooperatives as simple as possible. The system upgrade also included a number of improvements that decreased turnaround time by allowing for more efficient, hassle-free, and user-friendly document processing. This project helps further improve the system for Philippine cooperatives.

How It Came to Be

CAIS Project Manager Giovanni Platero explained that before the conceptualization of the project, their then-existing system, which they use for submitting cooperative reports and used to issue COCs, does not comply with the requirements of Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. The CDA then came up with ways to streamline its processes, particularly with the issuance of COCs, through the development of CAIS, in support of RA 11032.

By virtue of Republic Act 6939, the CDA was established to promote the viability and expansion of cooperatives as tools of fairness, social justice, and economic development. Every cooperative in the Philippines is obligated to produce periodical reports of its program of activities – including those in support of its socio-civic initiatives – at the end of each fiscal year, detailing their development and accomplishments. As of December 2018, there were about 18,065 registered and functioning cooperatives in the country, but only 11,138 or 62% are reporting cooperatives or those who have been issued with a COC. Because of this, CAIS was born.

The project aimed to reduce the burden of complying with reportorial requirements to ensure that cooperatives are functioning in accordance with statutory and regulatory obligations; produce useful information from the cooperatives’ performance monitoring reports; and increase stakeholder collaboration to better promote the development of cooperatives in the country. 

From Finding Fault in Others to Improving Oneself

Platero shared that through CAIS, the system is able to reduce the effort of everyone involved in report evaluation and COC issuance. Not only this, CAIS also enhanced the speed with which services were delivered to the cooperatives. The process is smoother and faster than ever, with little to no issues experienced.

The project also helped the people working behind it. Platero said that their team’s ability to think of new concepts was further enhanced with the help of CAIS. He also mentioned that he learned that the key to a successful creative initiative is accepting others’ ideas, active engagement with stakeholders, and encouraging people to share innovative ideas.

As said by Platero, the mindset of the individuals involved in the system and processed transformations evolved to a new type of “regulatory” environment. “We viewed the regulation now as [an] enabler to advance our developmental initiative for 28,000+ cooperatives in the country,” the project manager explained. “Instead of using regulation to find “fault” on the practices of the cooperatives, we view regulation as [a] tool of finding the weaknesses in the operations of the cooperatives, [as it] gave us [an] opportunity to improve our services through responsive policy and program interventions.” That, he revealed, is the reason why they opted to change their system’s name from Cooperative Monitoring System (CMS) to Cooperative Assessment Information System.

The Deal with Davao

The project manager explained that the initiatives received top management support, and also sparked interest from some Local Government Units (LGUs). This resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Davao LGU and CDA to make CAIS be interfaced with Davao’s Cooperative Management Information System (CMIS), thereby establishing it as a pilot project that can be replicated in other LGUs.

Among the LGUs in the Philippines, Davao boasts a sophisticated Information Technology (IT) system. Platero claims that this is a huge factor for their decision to collaborate with the Davao LGU. The LGU identified an opportunity by integrating CAIS with their CMIS. The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the two parties in May.

In January of this year, Republic Act 11535 was signed into law, requiring the creation of Cooperative Development Officers across the country. As a result, the Davao initiative has the chance to be replicated by other LGUs. Because of this, Platero said that the CAIS project has a multiplier effect. He then revealed that 37 provinces have already appointed their Cooperative Development Officers, with the total number of officers expected to reach around 80 once the other LGUs have done so.

Key Characteristics

The Cooperative Assessment Information System includes a number of project features.

One of these is the full online submission of simplified reportorial requirements. The Authority will examine their current reportorial requirements to ensure that they are relevant and that the forms are easy to complete. Previously, they required reports to be submitted both online and in printed copy.

Another key feature would be the built-in standard evaluation tools for real-time results. The Authority previously had no standard evaluation tool and depended completely on the judgement of its evaluators. Moreover, the evaluation period’s turnaround time is also not defined. To add to that, the Authority still issues a Certificate of Compliance without properly evaluating submitted reports – revoking the COC once the Authority finds a deficiency and non-compliance later on. With all of these issues at hand, the Authority created a standard evaluation tool that was incorporated into the system, making it easy to use and producing real-time results.

Furthermore, a notification via SMS or e-mail feature is included in the system. Cooperatives receive an SMS or e-mail notification with the results of the evaluation and when the COC is ready for pickup. Previously, they simply provided the cooperatives with a claim stub that specified when they would need to return.

Other features include an online payment facility; e-signatures and barcodes for COCs; performance monitoring and data analytics capability; mapping, visualization, and geo-tagging capability; and web services that have interoperability features with other stakeholders.

Room for more improvements     

Despite being the initial success of CAIS, Platero shared that further improvements are needed so that it can better address the demands of the organization.

The first improvement Platero mentioned was the conduct of a more in-depth technical analysis of the system’s efficiency in terms of performance, accuracy, and dependency. Another would be completing a regulatory cost compliance study, so that CDA will be aware of the expenses associated with rules imposed on cooperatives. Lastly, they would need to further develop the system in order to meet cooperative compliance obligations that are the bare minimum required to satisfy CDA policy objectives.

The process of improvement is, in fact, a long road. With the global pandemic that is going on, efforts to enhance the system were hampered due to the shift in priorities.

Platero said that the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Innovation Laboratory, helped them to conceptualize the project, as well as in developing an action plan to help implement it. The Innovation Laboratory uses the design thinking method to help organizations identify possible opportunities for improvement and co-create solutions. DAP continues to conduct online collaboration meetings with CDA in order to monitor the progress of the implementation of CAIS.

As of now, the project is in its “transition stage “, as said by Platero. Currently, they are transferring all physical data they have and fully converting it into its digital forms. 

Everything in the world is a work in progress. The Cooperative Assessment Information System, though already a feat by itself, still has a large potential of becoming even better. As the saying      goes, “Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.” The key is to always have a humble, curious, and innovative mind. 

“The only thing that is constant in life is change.” Cliché as it may sound, but it is true. Change is inevitable in one’s life, but to be able to be the one to bring a good change to a lot of people is something noble to aspire to.

Take Edward Bana, for example. He is the team leader of the group which created TROPHY, or the Transformed Human Resource Office through Proficient Hiring System, and the developer of the Document Tracking System (DTS). Both of these projects aim for one thing – to provide a faster and much more proficient system for the people and offices involved in the Department of Education (DepEd) in Antique.

The Future with Technology

Technology plays a big role in our lives. It makes everything more efficient for us, from doing simple tasks to running complex processes. The future, in all of its uncertain glory, includes the involvement (and evolvement) of technology.

One of the main factors that contributed to the birth of TROPHY is the desire for change. Data processing can be complicated, and it frequently results in undesirable outcomes such as lost documents or slow updates. TROPHY’s main goal is to organize and quicken the processes of recruitment, selection, and placement within the division of Antique. With the help of technology, Bana and his team were able to come up with TROPHY to make the accessing and processing of data faster.

TROPHY is established to raise the division’s level of excellence in governance and public service efficiency, while following its principles. The division was able to create numerous technology-based systems, some of which are the following: a recruitment, selection, and placement manual which improved the hiring system; created an online system of recruitment and application; and created a database of all teaching and non-teaching personnel of the division office to fast-track the release of benefits.

Moreover, there is a reward system called Pasidungog, where they honor or commend outstanding teaching and non-teaching employees in the division – something to motivate and give back to those who are doing great in their jobs.

Fast-track, Faster Tracked

Much like a shipment made, documents circulating the division office of Antique now haves their own tracking numbers, all thanks to Bana’s Document Tracking System.

The Document Tracking System, which was launched on the 22nd of February this year, is a program that is installed in every functional unit of the division office, district office, and public schools. It is an automated routing and monitoring system for all papers submitted to and handled by the different sections in the division office. As a computer programmer, Bana explained that as it has been his hobby to create systems, and the DTS is one of his pet-ideas for technology-based innovations in their office.

Bana also shared that he felt very happy to hear how important the DTS has been to school heads and the district staff. “It is fulfilling to hear stories,” he said, “they are happy that because of this system, they need not to go to the division office just to check the status of their MOOE requests, DTRs submitted, reimbursements, appointment papers, and all other documents that need action from the different service providers in the division office.” The positive feedback from the software users themselves are solid proof that the DTS is of huge help in making processes more fast-track.

As to how the project came to be, Bana mentioned that at a workshop conducted by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), another participating team identified the need for a technology-based project that intends to improve the internal procedures in their office. They underlined the need for a Document Tracking System to improve the efficacy, efficiency, and transparency of document processing, particularly in the areas of finances, teacher hiring, and the promotion of employees. Similar to the concern of the other team, lost papers, the difficulty of tracing documents for follow-ups, and a reliable communication medium between service providers and document owners, have all been mentioned as issues in their division.

Because of the said problems within the office regarding the loss and negligence of other documents, Bana shared that the employees who are handling these documents are now more careful than ever. “Previously, we cannot impose accountability on those documents,” he said, “but this time, the different personnel in the different offices [who] have become very conscious and cautious in handling the documents.” Bana further explained that the reason why the employees are more cautious than before is that with the help of the internet-based component of the DTS, the history of a document can be accessed by just inputting its tracking number in the system.

Changes in Oneself

From working alone to leading a whole team, it can be implied that there is more than one thing that has changed for Bana.

“To be involved in a project that is successfully implemented brings fulfillment to my life as a public servant,” the developer shared. Bana revealed that the DTS project pushed him to put in extra hours of study and research into figuring out how to translate the expectations and ideas of the system’s target clients into complex codes. He also shared that his position has shifted slightly from a full-time source code programmer to a major project manager and source code developer. 

No I in Team

Matt Mulleweg once said, “Technology is best when it brings people together.”

In the past, Bana was fond of working alone, developing systems all by himself. However, being part of a team and being able to collaborate with others changed his perception. “Working with a team and with a lot of ideas pouring in through consultations and collaboration, and with distribution of tasks among the team members in terms of administrative and technical works,” he shared, “we realized that our development became faster and our product became more relevant and responsive to the needs of our target clients.”

He also mentioned that through DAP and its Education, Training, Capacity Building, Seminars (ETCBS) Program, he was able to join and produce the DTS with the help of his team. “It remained as an idea with an initial framework until I found my team and had an opportunity to work on it and make it a reality,” Bana admitted. 

Collaboration is indeed important in getting the job done. Bana expressed his gratitude on behalf of his team and all those behind TROPHY and DTS to Deputy Speaker Hon. Loren Legarda for her support, and the Development Academy of the Philippines for the workshops and training that the team was able to attend, which helped in strengthening their camaraderie as a group and improve their knowledge as individuals. 

Like what Elon Musk said, “Your will is the most accurate way to predict your future.” The future is somehow scary – full of uncertainties, a lot of things will change along the way. But, if you really want to see change, you must start to gather up the will to do so.

In these trying times, it is important to see others just as significant as you see yourself. For one who wishes for change to happen – for yourself or even those around you – one must be clear of what future they want to have. As long as you dream for change, change will definitely come.

As Elizabeth Warren once said, “A good education is the foundation for a better future.” However, not all children are guaranteed of a good education and consequently, a good future. This has been a challenge for children living in far-flung areas who face different difficulties in going to school – such as walking great lengths to reach their destination, including going up the mountains, or crossing rivers and lakes. Thus, a team from the Department of Education (DepEd) – Schools Division of Antique came up with the project B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo (BKSN), which means “Kinabukasan Ko, Nakasalalay Sa’yo” in the Filipino language, which aims to help children living in far-flung areas in the district of Antique to overcome these challenges and have the chance to receive proper and quality education.

Roselyn Abuela, the Team Leader of Group #10 – D’Mobilizers (the group heading BKSN) was very hands-on with the project. From its conceptualization, planning, until its implementation, Abuela gave everything she got to help make the project a success.

Education for All

Abuela shared that her team believes that “Education is a right, not a privilege.” True enough, their team shares the same belief with many – education should be given to all, and not just the privileged few. For children living in far-flung areas, receiving quality education seems to be a long shot as they grapple with lack of resources.

In February of this year, the B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo project finally came alive. Abuela clarified that BKSN is not only a mere project, but is something that holds a much deeper significance for them. “This is, in reality,” she stated, “a whispering voice of a child seeking, pleading, and yearning for love and support for his/her brighter future.” With children living on mountainsides and some across seas and rivers lacking resources needed to receive proper education, this painful reality became an eye opener for Abuela and caused the spark inside of her to burn brighter than ever.

Last Mile Schools, as defined by DepEd, are public schools which are located in remote and isolated places with intermittent or no electricity or internet access. Out of 175 Last Mile Schools in their division, 10 of which are among the most underprivileged in Antique, owing to their unique geographical and cultural contexts, and thus making them the perfect target recipient of the project. B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo aims to give every indigenous child an accessible, relevant, quality, and life-changing education. The B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo project aims to maximize the involvement of stakeholders in the improvement of basic services and learning outcomes of 10 priority last mile schools. Particularly, the project aims to close at least two resource gaps of the 10 identified schools through active, strategic, and sustained resource mobilization.

Not-so Overnight Changes

Like they say, Rome was not built in a day. You cannot finish a work of art in a day. More importantly, you cannot make and rush changes over night. Like all things, change also takes time.

Abuela shared how the B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo project came to be. She shared that there were two stages of the process: the Pre-Implementation Stage and the Implementation Stage. The first stage included the conceptualization of the project and finalization of its design, data collection and validation, introduction to the school and stakeholders, and the establishment of Division Partnership Council and Technical Working Group. The latter stage included the mobilization of stakeholders and potential partners, and the on-going monitoring and adjustment of the program.

Ever since its implementation, the project has already reached numerous milestones, which have greatly helped in easing the burden of the priority schools which are already behind other schools in terms of their basic services and facilities.  Some of the accomplishments that came about through the project are: facilitation of the repair of the Teachers’ Quarter of Caloy-ahan Primary School; generated funds from Juan Huwaran books for the 10 Last Mile Schools;  secured commitment of support for the “Kain Po” Feeding Program from the RSPo Foundation, Grollier International, Inc. and Rotary International, Inc.; received a cash donation amounting to 20,000 pesos from Friends from Korea for the repair of the comfort rooms of Caloy-ahan Primary School; strengthened commitment of parents and barangay officials to establish Teachers’ Living Quarters at Caloy-ahan Primary School; secured approval for the proposal for one additional teacher item for P. Javier Primary School;  endorsement to the One Meralco Foundation electrification project to address the electrification gap of P. Javier Primary School; secured budget allocation for land titling of the Capayas Primary School; provided laminating film for instructional materials for the Caloy-ahan Primary School; and conducted First Aid Training for the Capayas Primary School.

On the other hand, another major and innovative feature of the project is the creation and eventual institutionalization of the Resource Needs Management System (RNMS). It was conceptualized by the Social Mobilization Unit under the School Governance and Operations Division, and developed by the Information Technology students of the University of Antique. As said by Abuela, the RNMS “will have a great impact on resource generation activities not only of the last mile schools, but of all those schools in the Division of Antique.” Abuela’s team believes that this will further contribute to the accomplishment of the mission and goals of DepEd.

Then and Now

Of course, if you are part of something as honorable as B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo, you get to have new learnings along the way, and even a new perspective in life.

Aside from her realization upon seeing the children’s ways of life, Abuela further shared how the project helps her in becoming a better person. “The BKSN project helped me discover and develop my capabilities, inspired me to take the extra miles in doing things, taught me to face the challenges squarely, made me conquer my fears, and made my journey of making a difference in the lives of the Last Mile Schools children, teachers, and communities more fulfilling and meaningful,” she explained.

Abuela also explained that B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo gave her a sense of fulfillment which gave her a purpose in life, which is to serve the underprivileged young learners. A leader’s job is to influence its team, and that is what exactly Abuela was able to do, along with gaining more confidence in dealing with other groups and people. Aside from these intrinsic impacts the project was able to give her, external factors were also brought about by it such as additional grade level offering and teaching items; additional school supplies; Balay-Darayunan (Teachers’ Quarter); and tapping multiple potential partners like Nestle Philippines for MILO PE kits, and Friends from Korea.

Pandemic Blues

Ever since the global health crisis struck the Philippines, it definitely caused many missed opportunities.

The COVID-19 pandemic is indeed a huge struggle for everyone. Abuela and her team feared that even though preparations were already made, the quality of education might get compromised because of the virus.

Furthermore, Abuela explained that because of the pandemic, they were not able to move easily and get things done in an instant. Because of the rising number of COVID-positive cases and the restrictions brought by the pandemic, the timeline of their projects was affected, causing them to reschedule some activities. Even so, Abuela assured that the implementation of their activities are still on-going. “Tuloy-tuloy lang yung implementation natin kahit na, syempre, may pandemic,” she said.

In the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo would not be possible without the efforts and support of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and its leadership development program for the DepEd Antique which was sponsored by the Office of Deputy Speaker Hon. Loren Legarda. Abuela expressed her gratitude to both, calling them “God-laden instruments toward the desired changes.” She also thanked her team, the Local Government Units (LGUs), School Heads and personnel, the parents, partners, and everyone who did their parts in making the project a success.
The children are the future – and as much as they are the future, they need good education to help them build a better future for themselves. With the help of B’was-Damlag Ko, Sakdag N’yo, underprivileged children living in remote areas are given the chance to build a better future by getting proper education. They, too, are given the chance to have coloring books no money could ever amount to, and they are ready to paint their future by the number, one color at a time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably disrupted how employees traditionally worked. It forced organizations, both public and private, to adopt alternative work arrangements to sustain productivity and efficiency amid the ongoing crisis. For the public sector in particular, much is expected from the national and local government agencies to keep the unhampered delivery of key public services as the country grapples with the ramifications of the pandemic. It is against this backdrop that this case study attempts to situate the productivity of government agencies from the perspective of 2,756 civil servants as they adopted alternative work arrangements during the community quarantine period in May 2020.

Conducted through an online survey and focus group discussion, the findings showed that the alternative work arrangements adopted during the community quarantine period under study, regardless of what type, had positive effects on the perceived performance and productivity of government employees. The satisfactory level of self-perceived productivity of government employees reflected their agility in adjusting to non-traditional forms of work arrangements and resiliency in remaining productive and efficient amid an unprecedented external shock. The expected outputs from the respondents were still delivered, although the individual and organizational targets have unavoidably changed to suit the evolving new realities. From the agencies’ viewpoint, some savings were reportedly realized but there were also additional expenses incurred. There were adjustments pursued by the agencies which also signified the extra effort they exerted to ensure that their core services are delivered despite the disruptions while also safeguarding the health of their employees.

Unsurprisingly, the availability of ICT tools and equipment provided by the agencies and the availability of strong internet connectivity facilitated the employees’ accomplishment of their tasks while working under alternative work arrangements. Aside from these ICT-related factors, organizational culture—particularly high levels of trust and support from management, and an ethos of communication and collaboration within the organization—also plays a pivotal role in maintaining employee productivity.

However, alternative work arrangements, especially remote work, come with additional personal costs which can be a burden to many. A majority of the non-managerial employees were using their personal computer/laptop and internet connection to work on their assigned tasks while at home. The physical environment at home also affected their productivity performance. Those who work-from-home reportedly get easily distracted by personal matters such as household chores and childcare. However, having a conducive work environment at home is already within the control of the employees but might prove to be extra difficult given the pandemic situation.

Finally, while government employees reported satisfactory levels of productivity during the community quarantine period, providing them adequate support to help them remain productive while safeguarding their overall well-being during this uncertain time is of utmost importance. From the case study’s findings, the key recommendations include 1) maximizing the use of digital technologies and leveraging individual competencies in using these technologies; 2) establishing concrete performance standards for functions and tasks done remotely; and 3) recalibrating policies and guidelines in relation to human resource and performance management.

For a copy of the report, please email coe_psp@dap.edu.ph.

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

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

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

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

Recognizing the client’s perspective

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

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

Designing with clients

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

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

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

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

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

READ: DCCPSI Program Batch 2