Bicol River Basin Pilot Project: the Philippines
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URBAN FUNCTIONS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT-- BICOL RIVER BASIN PILOT PROJECT: THE PHILIPPINES FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT: PROJECT DESIGN Dennis A. Rondinelli Consultant Contract No. AID/ta-C-1356 Office of Urban Development Technical Assistance Bureau Agency for International Development U.S. Department of State Washington, D. C. November 1976 CONTENTS TRIP REPORT--SUM4ARY OF ACTIVITIES ............................... 1 MAJOR ACTIVITIES, ISSUES AND PROBLEM AREAS ......................................................... 5 Clarification of Project Activities and Results ................. 5 Project Initiation .............................................. 8 Staff Organization .............................................. 8 Organization and Duties of GOP Senior Consultants ............... 9 Geographical Area of Project Coverage ............................. 10 Data Availability ............................................... 10 Coordination, Participation and Training ........................ 13 Directly Related Activities ..................................... 18 PLAN OF IHPLEIENTATION AND CONTRACTOR WORK PLAN .................. 22 GOP Plan of Implementation ...................................... 22 U.S. Consultant Activities and Work Plan ........................ 24 URBAN FUNCTIONS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT--BICOL RIVER BASIN PROJECT FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT: PROJECT DESIGN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Purpose of Visit: The visit was scheduled to discuss preliminary organization and design of the project with the Government of the Philippines (GOP) staff of the Urban Functions project, to determine data availability and methodological requirements for implementing the project, and to establish a detailed work plan, integrating the activities of the U.S. Consultant with those of the project staff and GOP senior consultants. Places Visited: Manila; University of the Philippines--Los Banos, Laguna; Bicol River Basin (Naga City and Pili) Length of Stay: October 23-October 30, 1976 Summary of Activities: October 23 Meetings with Project Staff -- Manila Participants: D.A. Rondinilli, U.S. Consultant; M. McNulty, project manager for USAID/W,TA/UD; E. Astillero, GOP deputy project director, R. Nasol, GOP project director, J. Ragragio, project staff member. Discussion of overall progress in organizing, staffing and coordinating the project, contractual relationships between the Bicol River Basin Council (BRBC), the study team and the GOP senior consultants, major issues to be resolved in initiating the project, and agenda for U.S. consultant's visit. October 24 Meetings with Project Staff--Manila Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Astillero, Ragragio Review and clarification of objectives and purposes of the project, identification of expected results; discussion of alternative means of utilizing GOP consultants, arrangements for coordinating project activities with BRBC staff, provincial and local governments, GOP line agencies, and other groups in the Bicol. Discussion of data and analysis needs, preliminary discussion of U.S. Consultant's work schedule and of possible U.S. technical assistance needs during the project. - 2 - October 25 -- Meetings with Project Staff and GOP Consultants-- University of the Philippines-Los Banos, Laguna Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Nasol, Astillero, project staff, GOP Consultants Review of the aims and objectives of the project by the study director; presentation on overall conceptual framework and general orientation by Rondinelli; discussion of AID/W objectives and international implications by McNulty. Discussion of GOP consultants' interests and roles in the project. Review of existing data in the Bicol by the projedfstaff, discussion of levels and forms of data and potential data gaps. October 26 Meetings with BRB Program Office Staff--Naga City Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Astillero, project staff, GOP Consultants Tan and Quebral, BRBC-PO staff Briefing of U.S. and GOP consultants and orientation for staff on overall Bicol River Basin Program (BRBP) and discussion of general trends and problems in the Bicol development program as related to the "Urban Functions" project. Presentations by Rondinelli and McNulty on the conceptual framework and international implications of the project; preliminary discussion of .RB-PO participation. )ctober 27 Meetings with BRBC--Coordination Committee (BRBCC)-- Naga City Participants: Rondinelli; McNulty; AID/W, AD/RD, Bicol Office staff; BRBC Executive Director Pejo; Governors of Camarines Sur and Albay Provinces, Regional Directors of Government Agencies, Nasol, Astillero. Project Staff, Consultants Tan and Quebral. Presentation of the Urban Functions Project to BRBCC by Nasol and Astillero; McNulty explained international implications of Bicol project as first pilot in a series of three projects; Rondinelli discussed importance of interagency, provincial and local government support for and participation in the project and of establishing a planning process that will benefit decision-makers in the Basin. -3 3RBCC approved a staff proposal to establish an Interagency Technical Staff (IATS) to be chaired by a representative of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Region V and of a BRBCC Subcommittee on Urban Development to advise the project, chaired by the Regional Director of the Department of Local Government and Community Development (DLGCD). Meeting with Project Staff--Naga City Participants: Nasol, Astillero, Project Staff, Rondinelli, McNulty, GOP Consultants Tan and Quebral Discussion of data availability, methodological requirements, working arrangements among project staff, GOP consultants and U.S. consultant; preliminary discussion of selection and implementation of market center studies as input for analysis and linkage identification stages of the project; formulation of proposed work schedule. October 28 Workshop for Line Agencies, Provincial and Local Government participants -- Camarines Sur Agricultural College - Pili Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Nasol, Astillero, BRB-PO staff, Project Staff, GOP Consultants Tan and Quebral, DLGCD Regional Director Jose Delvo, Mayors of Iriga and Legaspi Cities, City Administrator of Naga, NEDA regional economist, Provincial Development Staffs of Camarines Sur and Albay Provinces, Lin- Agency repre.entatives. Purposes, objectives and activities of Urban Functions Project discussed by Nasol and Astillero; international implications stressed by McNulty; conceptual framework, importance of government participation and support, and major tasks discussed by Rondinelli. Role of BRBCC Subcommittee on Urban Development explained. DLGCD Director Delvo expressed strong support for the project and urged participation by agencies and local governments. Formulation of the Interagency Technical Staff (IATS) to work with project staff in data collection and analysis; discussion of methodology, scheduling and procedures for project implementation. -4- Meetings with Project Staff-- Naga City Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Astillero, Ragragio, Tria Briefing of AID/P-AD/R0 Bicol Officer Don Wadley on progress of the project; detailed discussion of data collection and analysis procedures, role of U.S. Consultant between field visits, and GOP work schedule for analysis. October 29 -- Meetings with Deputy Director-General, NEDA, and Director of External Funding -- Manila Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Asti.lero, Dr. Manuel Alba, Dr. Villevincencio Informal briefing of Dr. Manuel Alba, Deputy Director General of NEDA on the international and national implications of Bicol project by Rondinelli and McNulty; discussion of inter regional implicationo by Astillero; discussion of need for national support of Urban Functions project through interagency cooperation; expression of interest by Dr. Alba in holding a future meeting of NEDA regional directors in Bicol; discussion with Dr. Villevincencio of procedures for releasing USAID funds through NEDA to begin the project in November. Debriefing of USAID/P, AD/RD Bicol Office Director Marinelli -- Manila Participants: Rondinelli, McNulty, Astillero Discussion with Lawrence Marinelli of the implications of the weekts events for future activities, relationship of Urban Functions project to Integrated Area Development activities, plans for implementing Urban Functions Project. - 5 - MAJOR ACTIVITIES, ISSUES AND PROBLEM AREAS The primary purpose of the U.S. Consultant's visit was to evaluate and provide technical assistance in the design and organization of the Urban Functions Project. The following areas of activity reflect the major issues involved in initial design stages and organizational progress made to date: Clarification of Project Objectives and Results Discussions among the U.S. Consultant, the USAID/W project manager and the Bicol project staff led to a major clarification of the purposes and expected results of the project. Rondinelli and McNulty strongly emphasized that the project has two equally important purposes: first, as outlined in the USAID-GOP grant agreement, "to develop a planning process--potentially valid for application elsewhere in the Philippines and in other countries," and second, to develop "a plan for strengthening the contributions of urban centers (functions, activities and services) to rural development in the Bicol." Although the project staff was aware of the need for participation and training in the planning process, initial efforts in organizing and designing the project stressed