Institutional Mechanisms for Disaster Response (PH0053)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address?: The need for accurate and up-to-date data and information to support disaster risk reduction and management operations has long been recognized by DSWD. Ensuring the availability, quality and accessibility of disaster related data and information for all stakeholders before, during and after a disaster is critical in the improvement of mechanisms for effective and efficient disaster response. With this in mind, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, through the Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), has actualized the critical step towards continual improvement of disaster response mechanisms by establishing its Emergency Operations Center for disaster response and has developed its online version, the DROMIC Virtual Operations Center microsite accessible via the internet.; What is the commitment?: In support to the call for freedom of information embodied in Executive Order No. 2 Series of 2016, the DSWD is committed to improve its institutional mechanisms by the establishment and implementation of the DROMIC Virtual OpCen (Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information CenterVirtual Operations Center), to provide the general public with access to a comprehensive collection of data and information on the agency’s disaster preparedness and response efforts through information and communication technologies that facilitate transparency, accountability, citizen engagement, and good governance.; How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem?: To provide DSWD’s disaster preparedness and response related data, information, advocacies and efforts to Disaster Response Stakeholders and the general public through the use of popular information and communication technologies (ICTs) that facilitate transparency & good governance. Through the DROMIC Virtual OpCen, which incorporates a collection of comprehensive and reliable information related to disaster response management, the e-Reklamo Complaints Management Ticket System, and the Quick Response Team (QRT) Registry (with the prospective Disaster Response Surge Corps), the public will have access to DSWD disaster-related information, services, and resources that they can use to secure and promote their welfare and safety during disasters. The DROMIC Virtual OpCen, which highly contributes to a more open and improved government, allows the DSWD to bring information closer to the people and, in turn, with access to vital and valuable disaster response information and resources, empowers the Filipino people to become resilient and proactive against disasters.; Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?: DSWD’s commitment to improve institutional mechanisms for immediate and effective disaster response shall be possible through efficient disaster response efforts that further advance the Open Government Partnership values of access to information, public accountability, civic participation, and technology and innovation for openness and accountability. The Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), a division of the Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), manages the Virtual Operations Center (OpCen). This online facility provides the general public access to a comprehensive collection of information on the agency’s disaster preparedness and response efforts through information and communication technologies that facilitate transparency, accountability, citizen engagement, and good governance. The Virtual OpCen may be accessed directly at http://dromic.dswd.gov.ph where users can view and download information on: • Hazards through the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC); • Exposure Datasets from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the DSWD Listahanan; • Datasets of evacuation centers; • Situational reports on DSWD response to disasters, including the amount of assistance provided; • Status of relief resources and standby funds available for disaster response; and • Predictive analytics and maps for situational awareness and visualization The open access to these reports, datasets, maps, predictive analytics, and other information serves to support the Department’s commitment to ensure the immediate relief and early recovery of disaster victims/survivors. Through this open access to information, the transparency of the Department’s decision-making and carrying out of basic functions is promoted, the disclosure of non-sensitive metadata on institutional activities display public accountability, and the use of technology and innovation further enhances the openness and accountability of the Department. Also incorporated into the DROMIC Virtual OpCen are two platforms that allow the public to participate in how the DSWD manages and implements its disaster response efforts: the e- Reklamo Complaints Management Ticket System and the Quick Response Team Responder Registry. e-Reklamo Complaints Management Ticket System The DSWD is open to receiving any grievance regarding its disaster response services through the DReAMB’s e –Reklamo platform, a web-based complaints management ticket system designed to accommodate grievances on the agency’s disaster risk reduction management services. e-Reklamo may be accessed through the following ICT channels: • The e-Reklamo website at http://ereklamo.dswd.gov.ph/ wherein each complaint is assigned a unique ticket number that can be used to track the progress and responses online. A valid email address is required to use this system. • SMS/text using the following syntax and send to 3456 (any network). Each text message is charged PhP 1.00. DSWDereklamoName of Complainant LocationComplaint Message • Email to ereklamo@dswd.gov.ph. The e-Reklamo Complaints Management Ticket System is a citizen-centric mechanism which allows them to exercise their right to have their voices heard, formally express their grievances or report wrongdoing and achieve redress, and call upon the Department to justify its actions, thus promotes civic participation and public accountability. The support of the use of technology to receive and handle grievances, including maintaining an archive of these requests and responses and using a ticketing system to respond to and monitor these grievances promotes technology and innovation for openness and accountability. Quick Response Team Responder Registry As part of the Department's disaster preparedness for response measures, the DSWD has a database of Quick Response Team (QRT) Responders, composed of DSWD Central Office and Field Office employees who serve as members of Quick Response Teams when agency-wide disaster response is activated. Quick Response Team Responders are equipped with one or more of the following disaster management-related core competencies: Camp Coordination and Management; IDP Protection/Women and Children Protection; Management Food and Non Food Items; Emergency Telecommunications; Logistics; Disaster Information Management; Search and Rescue; Donation Management; Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis; Procurement; Finance; Early Recovery and Rehabilitation; Volunteer Management; Psycho-social Support Facilitation; Livelihood Assistance; ICS (Incident Command Systems: cluster coordination, collaboration and response management); WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene); and MEAL (monitoring, evaluation, accountability & learning) in disaster response. To further engage the private and public sectors, civil society organizations, other stakeholders and the general public to contribute to the disaster response efforts, and as an enhancement of the QRT, the DSWD through DREAMB shall establish the Disaster Response Surge Corps (DRSC), a total, purposive, coordinated, and inter-operable human resource capacity for quick, effective, adequate, and reliable communityoriented disaster response to deal with national, regional, or local hazard situations. The DRSC complements the functions and operations of DSWD and shall be organized and engaged through a multi-stakeholder partnership framework such as that which may actively involve GO/CSO/PO partners and a program for institutionalized and anticipatory disaster response surge deployment to create a network of Disaster Response Volunteers. Through the Disaster Response Surge Corps, civic participation will be fostered through formal public engagement in the volunteer network. In further advancing the value of technology and innovation for openness and accountability, this will be promoted through engaging multi-stakeholder partners such as those in other government organizations, civil society, people’s organizations as well as those in the private sector (e.g. business community) to be active participants in the identification of and contribution to effective practices and innovative approaches in the implementation of the disaster response services that will lead to empowering the people and promoting transparency in the government.

9. Improve Institutional Mechanisms for Immediate and Effective Disaster Response

Commitment text from action plan:

“The need for accurate and up-to-date data and information to support disaster risk reduction and management operations has long been recognized by DSWD. Ensuring the availability, quality and accessibility of disaster related data and information for all stakeholders before, during and after a disaster is critical in the improvement of mechanisms for effective and efficient disaster response. With this in mind, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, through the Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), has actualized the critical step towards continual improvement of disaster response mechanisms by establishing its Emergency Operations Center for disaster response and has developed its online version, the DROMIC Virtual Operations Center microsite accessible via the internet.

In support to the call for freedom of information embodied in Executive Order No. 2 Series of 2016, the DSWD is committed to improve its institutional mechanisms by the establishment and implementation of the DROMIC Virtual OpCen (Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center-Virtual Operations Center), to provide the general public with access to a comprehensive collection of data and information on the agency’s disaster preparedness and response efforts through information and communication technologies that facilitate transparency, accountability, citizen engagement, and good governance.”

Milestones:

1. "Enhancement of the DROMIC Virtual OpCen through the integration of the e-Reklamo CMS Platform
2. Partnership building with two (2) regional and international space agencies for immediate access to satellite imagery for damage assessments (MOU with Inmarsat and Sentinel Asia)
3. Issuance of policy/ies and guidelines to establish the National and Regional Disaster Response Surge Corps (DRSC)
4. Establishment of Multi-Stakeholder Framework that will organize and support the DRSC at the subnational levels/LGUs
5. At least three (3) Civil Society Organizations/Multi-Stakeholder Partners engaged to support the DRSC -membership to the disaster response volunteers network"

Editorial Note: For the complete text of this commitment, please see Philippines’ action plan at https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Philippines_-Action-Plan_2017-2019_updated.pdf

Context and Objectives (Commitment Design)

The Philippines is prone to hazards such as cyclones, floods, earthquakes, and landslides. The 2012 World Risk report ranked the Philippines third out of 173 countries in terms of disaster risk. ^[128] It is therefore critical to provide timely, accurate, and useful information about disasters to stakeholders, especially citizens, and provide a citizen-friendly online platform for coordination and government-citizen engagement to support disaster preparedness and resiliency. ^[129]

The commitment aimed to incorporate platforms for citizen feedback in the “virtual version” of the Department and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s Emergency Operations Center for disaster response, the “DROMIC Virtual OpCen,” accessible at http://dromic.dswd.gov.ph. ^[130] The website provides downloadable information pertinent to disaster preparedness. ^[131] DSWD intended to enhance this by adding the e-Reklamo Complaints Management Ticket System that receives and tracks complaints and grievances pertaining to government response to disaster and the Quick Response Team Responder Registry that allows citizens to volunteer for DSWD’s disaster response. The commitment was aligned with OGP values on civic participation, access to information, and use of technology. ^[132] Although the commitment would provide a public-facing mechanism to register and track complaints, it did not specify any requirement for government response and was thus not relevant to public accountability as defined by OGP Values.

The commitment’s milestones were generally verifiable. The milestones were comprehensive in terms of the aspects needed to ensure the DROMIC Virtual OpCen platform worked, but some milestones lacked specificity. The scope of the first milestone around the enhancement of the DROMIC Virtual OpCen, for example, was difficult to assess, as it was unclear how to measure “enhancement.”

If fully implemented as written, this commitment was expected to have moderate potential impact on increasing public access to information on disasters and improving opportunities for citizens to participate in related processes. The commitment involved engagement with civil society for uptake of the participatory platforms, provision of up-to-date and useful information and partnership with other core international, national, and local stakeholders on this issue. It sought to address real gaps in this area of governance, including citizens’ lack of access to up-to-date and accurate information on disaster preparedness, the lack of mechanisms to register grievances on disaster response, and insufficient opportunities to meet quick response needs with volunteers.

However, the commitment was limited in its scope, as it did not include measures to ensure that the information provided was easily usable and satisfied citizen needs. While the milestones included activities to ensure uptake (engagement with CSOs, engagement with stakeholders from different levels, and a multisectoral forum), there was a need to ensure scale—in other words, that these activities could reach a broad group of citizens. It was unclear whether these mechanisms (e.g., multisectoral forum mentioned in milestone 4) would serve as venues to generate response to grievances or to address grievances, particularly at the subnational level where they are supposed to support DRSC.

Commitment Implementation

This commitment’s implementation was substantial at the end of the implementation period. According to the government’s end-of-term self-assessment report, citizens could access new data released by the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), including reports about specific disaster events in the country, links to updated information in DROMIC’s Twitter account, and weather information, among other indicators. ^[133] Citizens could also access the Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) e-Reklamo platform, which allows citizens to make complaints to the government around six topics: relief assistance, cash for work, food for work, emergency cash assistance, core shelter assistance, and DROMIC reports (milestone 1). ^[134] Milestones related to civic participation and engagement of CSOs showed less progress: milestone 3 (“Establishment of Multi-Stakeholder Framework that will organize and support the DRSC at the subnational levels/LGUs”) was not started, and only two CSOs (RETT Philippines and REACT Philippines) were engaged to support the DRSC (milestone 5).

This commitment produced a positive change for government practices in the disaster prevention field, particularly the implementation of the e-Reklamo platform. Although outside the implementation period of this action plan cycle, government figures suggest that 108 inquiries ^[135] or complaints were received between June 2020 and 25 September 2020, of which 76.8% were “resolved” whereas the rest were “acted upon in close coordination” with state agencies (including local government units). ^[136]

While the implementation of the commitment led to increased access to new information and new platforms for civic participation, there was limited citizen engagement in shaping these efforts. There was also scant evidence that the commitment promoted a significant increase in citizen or civil society engagement and participation in disaster-related processes. ^[137] Apart from the formal participation of two CSOs to support the DRSC, it is unclear whether the commitment promoted engagement with civil society to increase use of the participatory platforms, or raise educational awareness, about disaster preparedness among communities in the Philippines. According to a recent assessment by the Development Academy of the Philippines, “since the Virtual OpCen remains a relatively new project, the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) that manages this platform is still in the process of improving features, content, and reporting mechanisms for disaster response.” ^[138] This may explain the lack of more substantial results. The resolution of cases of the E-Reklamo platform, on the other hand, is not released to the public; rather, it is shared exclusively with the complainant and the concerned state agencies. ^[139]

Next steps

The IRM shared the following recommendations with stakeholders during the prepublication review period for the design section of this report. They are included below for public record. ^[140]

The IRM recommends that, if continued in future action plans, the milestones should be more detailed and include a component to make information citizen-friendly and responsive to data/information needs of citizens and civil society. This component could include a more specific link between the information and database already existing in the website and the available participatory platforms.

In addition, the e-Reklamo platform can be enhanced by generating reports and data to measure response times, user satisfaction with case resolution, the percentage of cases properly resolved and the cases unresolved, the volume of cases submitted in a period of time, and what areas account for most of the complaints (cases open), to mention some examples of metrics. The DSWD can make this information publicly available, and in this way, it would be sharing how effectively it is managing the cases the public has placed.