Description
Reform Description
Creating and institutionalizing people empowerment mechanisms that will improve people participation in the LGUs (Barangay and Municipal) development process. It intends to create reforms through the use of participatory situational analysis using gender tools in planning and ensuring the engagement of recognized volunteers in the development councils of both barangays and the municipality. The mechanism will create an open budgeting process utilizing the community-driven development model where CSO can freely and actively participate in the programming and not as mere observers. It will open a certain extent of partnership with the CSOs in the implementation of development programs and projects. The people-led monitoring and evaluation mechanism will ensure adherence of the projects to its purpose and intended benefits. Reporting mechanism involves a discussion with the people through its institutionalized “”Municipal Talakayan”” where it serves as a platform for the government and the people to discuss what the LGU did and how it fared in the previous implementation year. The results of the discussions are inputs to the succeeding planning period. Alongside these reforms is a program to improve the capabilities of the Civil Society Organizations through the CSO Academy established by the LGU.
Problem(s) Addressed by Reform
1. Limitations in the membership of planning mechanism where marginalized sectors, which are neither accredited or recognized cannot be part of the local development councils.
2. Absence or limited capacities to engage in governance.
3. CSOs only serve as observers in the budgeting and authorization process.
4. Limited participation in the project monitoring committees, which often times are led by elective or appointive officials.
5. Weak feedback mechanism and availability of information to the public.
The mechanism will ensure the participation of marginalized groups that do not have the capacity to formalize their organization (SEC registration, CDA, etc) in the local development councils by providing equal representation with the accredited or recognized organizations. This will pave the way for the marginalized sector’s concerns to be considered in the development agenda.
The mechanism offers a capacity development opportunity for the organizations through its CSO Academy implemented in partnership with the Municipality of Bula People’s Council providing the CSOs the knowledge and skill to engage in a governance.
It offers a more open budgeting and authorization processes where the public can engage in the budget prioritization process through its elected representatives. This opens the budget to people scrutiny and suggestions.
The Project Monitoring Committee will be led by elected CSO representative and co-chaired by the elected LDC member from among the Punong Barangays. During the monitoring and evaluation activities, respondents will include a good mix of beneficiaries from various sectors in the community getting the projects’ impact at the beneficiaries purview.
Annual assessment of the LGU accomplishment with the public provides better appreciation of the actual performance of the LGU along governance, socio-economic development, environmental management and status of people empowerment. This will improve the public’s access to information. This includes LGU officials’ reporting to the people, conduct of focus group discussions to evaluate the reports, preparation of gallery of reports and posting to the LGU webpage and social media account.
Relevance to OGP Values
This reform improves transparency of the LGU processes and transactions, enhances public accountability and provides wider space for civic participation.
Intended Results
1. The Local Development Councils (Barangay and Municipal) will include volunteers as members with equal number as that of the accredited or recognized CSOs.
2. At least three (3) representatives of the accredited and recognized CSO graduated from the CSO academy.
3. With regular CSO members in the LFC and SB Committee on Appropriations.
4. 100% of the development fund are prioritized and programmed with the CSOs.
5. At least 20% of the Development Fund is being implemented by the Municipality of Bula People’s Council.
6. Improved people participation in the monitoring and evaluation of the projects.
7. Sustained conduct of Municipal Talakayan with integration of its results in the ensuing year’s plan and budget.
Milestones
1. Enactment of an ordinance establishing the various mechanisms.
2. Development of engagement framework between the LGU and the CSOs along different development processes.
3. Development of monitoring framework and mechanism.