FOR SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT , I g?-=-.-:-----::._ , ~ ·i::;;...~.........,i,i)l;_ · _., ,..,,, _.--..- ~ ----:::::/,.,, ~ , .-.i,_._,_, , ---- An Integrated Paper On The Highlights Of Four Regional Consultation Workshops On Governance For Sustainable Human Development Community Organization Training and Research Advocacy Institute {COTRAIN) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme {UNDP)-Philippincs ! / ,~ ,,' 19 '; :,_ __,,:,. for Sustainable Human Development An Integrated Paper On The Highlights Of Four Regional Consultation­ Workshops on Governance for Sustainable Human Development Community Organization Training and Research Advocacy Institute (CO-TRAIN) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Phllippines © 1997 Community Organization, Training, Research, and Advocacy Institute (CO-TRAIN) 80-A Malakas Street, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City, The Philippines and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) NEDA sa Makati Building Amorsolo Road, Makati City The Phtl1pp111es All rights reserved Manufactured in the Philippines first pnntmg September 1997 Artworks. Cover lllustrat,on and Design Nelson A de Castro Glen A de Cas\10 Governance for Sustainable Human Development Table of Acknowledgements 2 Contents Forward 3 Executive Summary 4 Background of the Consultation Process 6 Public Sector Reform 1 0 Local Governance and Area-based Management 24 Civil Society-Private Sector-Government Partnership 36 Technology 44 Mechanisms for Further Collaboration 48 Conclusion SO Appendices 5 5 Acknowledgements This book was prepared by the Community Organization, Training, and Research Advocacy Institute (CO-TRAIN), in particular by Jocelyn R. Hermosa and Diane Respall, under the guidance of Corazon Juliano-Soliman. The ·contents of this book are the results of four regional workshops on Governance and a national consultation attended by various stakeholders. The consultations were made possible by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Philippines. Valuable advice was given by Cesar Liporada of UNDP-Philippines, Fernando Aldaba of the Ateneo Center for Social Policy and Public Affairs (ACSPPA), Cesar Villanueva of BALAYAN - University of St. La Salle, Fr. Eliseo Mercado, Jr. of Notre Dame University, Joel Mangahas of the University of the Philippines College of Public Administration, and Kenneth Ellison of the Associates in Rural Developmen~ (ARD) GOLD Project. Agnes Balatayo and the rest of CO-TRAIN's Administrative Staff provided production support. - Preface The Philippines has come a long way in promoting participatory governance since the February 1986 Revolution. The participation of civil society and tpe business community in governance has been demonstrated and formalized. Likewise, the decentralized mechanisms for governance and sustainable human development have been installed. The results are noteworthy. However, revelling on the country achievements and laurels is not the objective of this document. Rather it highlights the issues on governance obtained through a series of consultations nationwide among various stakeholders from the ground level. The results focus on three areas of concern, namely: One, the need to further re-orient the perspective of the national government agencies (NGAs) and the legislative branch towards local autonomy. This implies building on and promoting mechanisms that support local governance and flexibility, rather than sustaining a bureaucracy oriented in centralized decision-making. Two, the need to enhance the absorptive capacity of local government units and other stakeholders. This implies a coherent Human Resource Development (HRD) package for LGUs and their counterparts in the NGAs, the civil society and the business community. Three, the need to further strengthen the collaboration among the government or state, the NGOs/Pos or civil society, and the private or business sector. This implies highlighting the mainstreaming models of synergy among the three sectors towards local development. Towards sustainable human development, the UNDP assistance proposes to help build relevant capacities of public and private sectors and civil society to apply a people centered approach. UNDP can only do so in partnership with institutions and individuals willing to take the risk to promote change for the better. With this message is our appreciation for the participants and the institutions involved as conveners. We would also like to challenge the various stakeholders - the government, the business community, th~ civil society organizations, the donors, and the people in general - to undertake further studies and anchor their programs accordingly. Sally Timpson UNDP Resident Representative A Nation-wide Consultation Series on Governance was held in Executive April 1997. There was a total of four regional consultation workshops Summr1ry on governance and one national integration meeting sponsored by the United Nations Development Program, in coordination with the Community Organization Training and Research Advocacy Institute (COTRAIN). The national integration meeting was held in mid May 1997. The regional conveners of the workshops were the University of the Philippines-College of Public Administration for Luzon, BALAY AN-University of St. La Salle for the Visayas, the Notre Dame University for Miindanao, and the Ateneo de Manila University for the National Capital Region. CO-TRAIN was the convenor of the integration workshop. The Nationwide Consultation Workshops on Governance was conducted as part of the process shift towards a strategic UNDP Governance Programme anchored on Sustainable Human Development and Poverty Alleviation, and the establishment of a Governance Network among representative stakeholders from the government, civil society, and the private sector. The main objective of the process was to solicit the points of view of representatives from the government, civil society organizations, the business community, and the donor community in Luzon, the Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The first part of this paper includes an outline of governance issues in relation to public sector reform, local governance and area­ based management, and tripartite partnership as summarized during the integration meeting and as expounded further by the ad-hoe committee composed of the conveners of the consultations. Some issues cut across the different areas. Each section discusses the key issues identified for that particular area of governance as well as the other issues surfaced in the regional workshops. These are followed by suggestions for program ideas which donor agencies can support, mechanisms for further collaboration, and the role of the UNDP. Public Sector Reform Of the list of concerns raised in the four consultations about public sector reform, there were four key issues identified by participants in the national consultation. These are public management, public order and the administration of justice, local autonomy and governance, and public accountability. Aside from these, there were other sub-issues articulated by the participants concerning public sector reform. - Local Governance and There are six key issues identified in terms of local governance Area-based Management and area-based management. These are the need for genuine local autonomy, the rationalization of the use and allocation of the Countryside Development Fund CDF/CIA, the lack of a wholistic development framework, the exploitation of natural resources, the non-recognition of ancestral domain, and the erosion of indigenous socio-political systems of governance. Tripartite Partnerships This section relates to the partnership among the government, the business community, and the civil society organizations (i.e. NGO's/PO's) The key issues identified can be clustered according to the following themes: adversarial relations, meaningful participation, and transparency and accountability. Mechanisms for further Based on the program ideas surfaced during the regional collaboration workshops and the integration meeting, the following mechanisms for further collaboration were raised: 1 . Building on existing initiatives • Mapping of initiatives • Capacity-building • Information exchange • Issue advocacy • Centralization of information Z. Global exchange through MAGNET 3. Citizens' Watch 4. Data-based to facilitate the flow of information • Media • Information exchange and dissemination • Inter-facing of initiatives Background of the Consultation Process UNDP Strategy Paper On In the past, the concept of governance has been strictly limited Governance to the spheres of politics and public administration; however, in recent years, there has been a growing interest globally in the issue of governance, particularly among sectors involved in development work. Various paradigms and theories on governance have been discussed and debated on by different theorists and practitioners alike. A number of development-oriented agencies have also undertaken numerous consultations with stakeholders on issues of governance. By the same token, UNDP has taken a similar attention to governance issues and how they relate to development. In its Human Development Report, UNDP has been pushing vigorously for sustainable human development, which it defines in broader terms than conventional economic indicators. Development promotes increased quality of life and increased choices for people, particularly the vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors. UNDP's