STREAM III: SEMINAR-WORKSHOP SERIES ON ENSURING LOCAL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

I. Streamlining Local Government Regulatory Systems

Course Description: This is designed to enhance the efficiency of local government systems and procedures to ensure more transparency and greater accountability. This shall include among others, streamlining the following systems: procurement and contracting bids and awards and community feedback system.


II. Urban Leadership and Management Project

The development trends and challenges resulting from urbanization have brought with it both gains and setbacks that confront local governments as service providers and local development managers. LGUs are faced with issues on migration, housing, waste management, traffic and employment but are admittedly not prepared to adequately respond to these issues.

Recognizing the need to redefine the present urban management framework and build the capacity of LGUs in managing urban changes, LGA developed the Urban Leadership and Management Project.

The project aims to formulate and establish standards on urban management, develop a course that will equip LCEs and functionaries with the rudiments of urban management and establish a certification system that will ensure a constant assessment and evaluation of the quality of urban management capacities of urban managers in the Philippines.


III. Local Procurement

This program intends to encourage more efficient, transparent and accountable procedures in the acquisition of goods and services for the agency and works toward the betterment of values and attitudes in the performance of the processes. With the advent of present-day technology and the widespread use of the internet as a faster, cheaper and more efficient alternative to do transactions, most if not all private or public institutions are turning to computerization of several of its operations.

This time the procurement process takes a step higher as it paves the way to the computerization process. This will curb graft and corruption and prevent red tape in the process.


IV. Solid Waste Management

Course Description: This course shall deal on the various strategies and approaches in managing solid waste in urban areas. This shall include ways of generating community participation in solid waste management and determining financing for solid waste management activities. The course shall include best practices in solid waste management.

V. Gabay sa Mamamayan Aksyon Center (GMAC) in the Barangay

A pre-condition in making local governance work effective is to have an informed citizenry. Hence, the challenge is how to relay information from our government down to the citizenry in order for the people to make use of the information in improving and empowering themselves. The GMAC is just about the answer to this challenge.

The GMAC is a facility that will readily respond to requests and other concerns of the residents where it will be established. It is an information center on the latest issues in barangay governance, services and other assistance provided by various government agencies and other institutions. It is also an action center on livelihood and job opportunities, peace and order and public safety, health and sanitation, education and social welfare, agricultural support services, infrastructure development, environmental management and sports development.

VI. Building the LGU Project Development Capacity

As an evolving learning institution, LGA veers away from the usual classroom type of capability building and will introduce the clinic method to assist LGUS in accessing ODA windows in funding development initiatives. With the assistance of trained DILG coaches and specialists from the Regional Project Development and Management Unit, LGUs will be able to do diagnostic assessment, identify projects/programs, prepare feasibility study, mobilize resources, implement and manage project/program.

VII. Public Service Ethics and Accountability

Course Description: The program is designed to promote more ethical and accountable service in local governments units, by empowering LGU officials and functionaries to work with the people, to make the work culture more friendly, participative, efficient and effective.

VIII. NGO-Civil Society Participation in Local Governance

Course Description: This is designed to strengthen the participation of NGOs and civil society. It shall also include enhancing the involvement of NGOs and civil society in local government service delivery and operations.

Target Participants: Mayors, Department Heads/Functionaries, Sanggunian Members

IX. Urban Management for Sustainable Development

Course Description: The program will provide a range of strategies which may be used to tackle the most urgent problems in pursuing urban management and development. This will familiarize the participants with their existing, plans, practices and policies and set up a group to review their existing plans and others to be aligned on sustainable development. This will also enable them to assess the environmental sustainability by using a range of tools of implementation and enforcement and be able to prepare proposals and finally, to apply to funding agencies to finance projects aimed at sustainability.

X. Environmental Codification

Course Description: This is to provide the local sanggunians the necessary skills to enact ordinances and systematically revises existing local ordinances related to environmental issues and concerns. It primarily aims to contribute to the attainment of sustainable development by instituting legislative measures and reforms that can facilitates the effective implementation of local environmental management programs. The policies formulated herein are in line with the operationalization of the Philippine Environmental Policy (PD 1151), thus affirming the right of the citizenry to live in a healthful and ecologically sound environment.