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FTAD The Schools Divisions’ major responsibility is to proactively provide technical assistance to schools towards continuous improvement. So are the Regional Offices’ towards the Schools Divisions; and the Central Office’s towards the Regions. In essence, Technical Assistance is any form of professional help and guidance or support towards helping “other” to be more effective in the performance of their functions. It can be carried out either directly by sharing information with those in need of assistance or by coming to aid to learn a particular area of “expertise” or indirectly, by disclosing the source of information and competence as needed. The “other” referred to here is the client. Further comprising, technical assistance is a journey with the client towards achieving the latter’s set goals for continuous improvement, which is the foremost responsibility and accountability of the consignee as a field organization (DO/School) of Department of Education. In delivering technical assistance, one should consider and respect the capacity and pace of the client. Technical assistance ensures that the atmosphere or environment encourages the client not only to set goals but also to determine the process of achieving its intents. Technical assistance encourages the client to see everything as a learning process. Thus, in this atmosphere, the client can express themselves freely, explore new ideas and even admit and correct mistakes in the pursuit of achieving goals. Pursuant to its objectives settled, technical assistance seeks to facilitate in providing broad-based capacity building opportunities to the school to ensure the effective delivery of services for the improvement of learning outcomes. It complements as well in the conduct of monitoring evaluation and aids in tracking the progress and results; helping address concerns and enhancing performance, Technical Assistance Mechanism Handbook, (2015) One of the established subdivisions by the Rationalization plans at the DepEd Regional Office is the Field Technical Assistance Division, Niepes (2016). It must fortify the administration and superintendents, each of which corresponding schools, under the schools divisions to head toward consummation and achievement of their performance outcomes. Moreover, the specific

functions of the Field Technical Assistance Divisions are itemized as the following, DepEd CAR (2015): 1. Coordinate the formation and maintenance of cross-functional TA teams by ensuring that all RO divisions are represented in each TA team and each Schools Division is provided with technical assistance 2. Consolidate and submit an annual Regional Technical Assistance Plan (RTAP) for approval by the Regional Office management team 3. Provide support to the “cross-functional” TA teams in terms of responding to the needs of target clients 4. Provide research based feedback 5. Consolidate and integrate feedback and reports from technical assistance teams for policy considerations and management decisions 6. Monitor and evaluate outputs and outcomes of TA interventions in the schools divisions towards continuous learning and process improvement. 7. Submit quarterly and annual reports on the results of monitoring and evaluation of TA interventions with recommendations for management action.

On top of these, the Department of Education Region XI (DepEd RO-XI) has organized the Regional Field Technical Assistance Composite Team (RFTACT) in response to R.A. No. 9155 encouraging the use of local initiatives for improving the quality of basic education. The team had been composed of leaders and members from the cross functional divisions (CLMD, QAD, PPRD, FTAD, ESSD, HRDD, Finance, Administration) while the Schools Divisions aligned a counterpart called Division Field Technical Assistance Composite Team (DFTACT). One of the functional divisions, the Field Technical Assistance Division (FTAD), has been assigned to be the leading office handling the activities of RFTACT of Region XI. RFTACT has been tasked to monitor, to assess, and to evaluate the implementation of the different projects,

activities, and programs (PAPs) among the different Schools Divisions. Further, RFTACT has been mandated to conduct in-depth engagements with the Schools Divisions, as well as other offices, to gain deeper appreciation of the situations, needs, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses among. DepEd RO-XI even suggested of a call for coordination among RFTACT members. However, RFTACT mobilization of RO-XI has been found to be challenging and complicated due to apparent lack of specific guidelines and to its existing practices. It was found out that there was an unequal access to its services and absence of proper and effective coordination between the RFTACT and the DFTACT. Due to lack of the needed coordination/collaboration mechanisms among concerned offices, there has been a failure in the facilitation of the needed Technical Assistance. Thus, the FTAD, as the leading functional Division, has not fully been effective in providing essential TAs. Furthermore, the organized DFTACT in some Schools Divisions were not fully functional. Accordingly, the SDOs have waited for the operating mechanisms and guidelines that are supposed to be provided by RFTACT. The notion is that the DFTACTs are interdependent of the RFTACT. With its current state, the RFTACT’s reorganization, clarification of its functions and operations must be given due attention and of highest priority, DepEd Region XI (2017) Hence, the above proclaimed attestations laid claim to assess further about the FTAD in Region IV bringing its corresponding schools division to observe a better facilitation of the TAs.

References: Technical

Assistance

Mechanism

Handbook,

(2015).

Retrieved

from

https://ehubftadbicol.files.wordpress.com Department of Education CAR (2015). Field Technical Assistance Division (FTAD). Retrived from https://www.depedcar.ph/ Department of Education Region XI (2017). RFTACT: Affecting Processes in Giving Technical Assistance in Deped RO XI. Retrieved from http://ci.depedroxi.ph/

Bibliography: Niepes, C. (2016). Technical Assistance: Its New Paradigm. Retrieved from http://www.deped.gov.ph/ Deped Iligao City (n.d.)

Technical Assistance Mechanism Handbook. Retrieved from

http://depedligaocity.net/ Department of Education Regional Office VIII (2019, January 7) Regional Order No. 1, s. 2019: Strict Implementation of the Provision of Technical Assistance (TA) to Schools Division Offices Through the Regional Field Technical Assistance Composite Teams (RFTACTs). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QOhRbGZgM3IJAY1hGSs4RxlGrr9oWJZe/view