Scaling Up Local Successes

Scaling up local successes JESSE M. ROBREDO Mayor, Naga City

Outline □ Local good practices: State of the art □ LGU exemplar: The case of Naga City □ Issues in scaling up local successes □ The innovations paradox

□ What needs to be done

Opportunities □ Policy environment □ Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160) – local autonomy law adopted decentralization as development strategy; devolved powers, authority, resources and accountability to local government units □ Supreme Court rulings affirming local autonomy – IRA impoundment (vs national government), utilization of SEF (vs COA), etc

Opportunities □ LGU exemplars □ Local authorities and communities that continue to ‘push the envelope’ of innovations in governance: □ Naga, Cebu, Marikina, San Fernando, La Union (cities); □ Bulacan, Nueva Vizcaya, Oriental Negros, Bohol, Pampanga (provinces); □ Concepcion, Iloilo; Upi, Maguindanao; Irosin, Sorsogon (municipalities) □ Lahug, Cebu City; Calag-itan, Hinunangan, Leyte; Tabuk, Mandaue City (barangays)

Opportunities □ Support systems □ LGU awards programmes: Galing Pook, Clean and Green, Most Competitive Cities etc □ Grants, technical assistance programmes: □ WB’s Panibagong Paraan; AusAID, ADB, CIDA programs for local development initiatives (foreignassisted) □ Synergeia Foundation; Foundation for Worldwide People Power; etc (local + foreign assisted) □ Kilos Asenso –grants matching program in GAA of the national government. Conceptually sound. Implementation mechanism, implementors’ credibility are suspect

Types of local governments □ Barangay - the smallest political subdivision of the country □ City and municipality consists of a group of barangays, usually covering a contiguous area □ Main difference lies in the level of urbanization. Indicated by the minimum requirements for conversion into a city: □ Average annual income of at least P100 million for last two consecutive years based on 2000 constant prices □ Population of at least 150,000, and □ Territory of at least 100 sq. kms.

□ Province - the biggest political subdivision comprises of a cluster of municipalities and component cities

Operating environment Three forces interact with local governments: □ NGO/private sector. By and large, an active non-government sector in the Philippines □ Especially true in Naga, where NGO accreditation has been in place since 1993. Close to 100 accredited NGOs and POs of various ideological persuasions. Most belong to Naga City People’s Council (NCPC).

□ Media. Philippine media reputed to be Asia’s freest. True both at the national and local levels □ In Naga, three local TV stations, around 7 radio stations and 7 local newsweeklies

□ National government. A political factor, especially if chief executive belongs to the opposition. Very little resources from the top

The setting Naga a typical Philippine city: □ medium-sized, not big □ 137,000 population (2000 census) □ Daytime population of around 250,000

□ landlocked, not a port city □ has no shipping industry

□ peripheral, not central □ 500 kms away from Metro Manila, Metro Cebu

PARTICIPATIVE VISIONING

Evolution of city vision □ Built around the concept of creating a niche for Naga □ Rallying people on need to restore local pride □ Institutionalized participative visioning process facilitates community ownership “A City for the People” (1988-95)

“Uswag Naga 1998” (1995-98)

“An Maogmang Lugar” (1998 onwards)

Confidence building phase which laid down groundwork for reforms within City Hall and in the community

Emphasis on economic growth; period of rapid economic expansion

Redefinition of shared vision towards becoming an inclusive city and model of participative urban governance

Service quality improvement □ PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (PIP) □ Sought to improve both processes and procedures (systems change) and values and culture (people change) □ “Performance Pledge” □ Annual Very Innovative Person Award for cost reduction measures □ Productivity Improvement Circles

Service quality improvement □ PUBLIC SERVICE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM (PSEP) □ Linked service values and orientation with existing procedures. Continually proposed improvements whenever possible □ Documentation of City Government’s frontline services. Laid down foundation for Citizen’s Charter □ Expanded service listings in the Performance Pledges

The Citizens Charter GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY IN SERVICE DELIVERY

□ A guidebook on 130 key services being delivered by the City Government to customers □ Procedure □ Response time □ Personnel responsible for each service □ Requirements checklist to facilitate service delivery □ Schedule of fees (if applicable) □ Location maps sketching office/s handling the service

□ A “contract” that can be enforced through feedback □ Provides customer feedback form □ Directory of city hall agencies

Naga Governance Model Guided by experience, Naga City evolved its own model anchored on strong institutions □ Progressive Bureaucracy Civil Society development perspective. Seeks Progressive prosperity-building tempered by an enlightened perception of the poor

□ Functional partnerships.

perspective

STRONG

Vehicles that enable the city to tap community resources for priority undertakings

INSTITUTIONS

Good governance Partnerships

Participation

Citizenry

□ Participation.

Mechanisms that ensure long-term sustainability of local undertakings

The Naga Governance Model

i-Governance Program
Identifies, uses various tools to encourage participation in government decision-making by individual citizens and households
Concretize governance principles of transparency and accountability

DELIVERY DELIVERY MECHANISMS MECHANISMS 1. Analog or paper-based tools. Addresses need of around 67% of population without ICT access
Performance Pledges
Citizens Board
Naga City Citizens Charter

2. Digital or ICT media (eGovernance)
naga.gov initiative, through the city’s website www.naga.gov.ph

3. Mobile Governance. Cellphones which have higher penetration rate than dial-up internet. Around 67% of households own a mobile
TxtNaga

4. Network access improvement. Addresses digital divide through strategic IT investments
Cyberschools
Cyberbarangays

NCPC in policymaking Selects own representatives to the following entities:

Local Localspecial special bodies bodiesunder under 1991 1991LGC LGC Development Development Council Council● ●Health Health Board Board● ●Peace Peaceand and Order OrderCouncil Council● ● School SchoolBoard Board● ● Bids Bidsand andAwards Awards Committee Committee

Other Othermandated mandated special specialbodies bodies Investment InvestmentBoard Board● ● Housing Housingand andUrban Urban Development DevelopmentBoard Board ● ●Other Othersectoral sectoralcouncils councils ● ●Other Othertask taskforces, forces, committees committeesand andother other bodies bodiescreated createdbybythe the city citygovernment government

31 31Standing Standing Committees Committees of the of theCity CityCouncil Council Rules Rulesand andPrivileges Privileges● ●Blue BlueRibbon Ribbon ● ●Appropriations Appropriations● ●Infrastructure Infrastructure ● ●Land LandUse Use● ●Social SocialDevelopment Development ● ●Education Education● ●Health Health● ● Agriculture Agriculture● ●Trade Tradeand andIndustry Industry ● ●Market MarketAffairs Affairs● ●Public PublicSafety Safety● ● Youth YouthDevelopment Development● ●Manpower Manpower Development Development● ●Sports Sports Development Development● ●Laws, Laws,Ordinances Ordinances and andReorganization Reorganization● ●Barangay Barangay (Village) (Village)Affairs Affairs● ●Tourism Tourismand and Foreign ForeignRelations Relations● ●Public PublicUtilities Utilities ● ●Cooperatives Cooperatives● ●Culture Cultureand and Heritage ● Family ● Games and Heritage ● Family ● Games and Amusement Amusement● ●Consumers’ Consumers’ Protection Protection● ●Women Women● ●Public Public Affairs Affairsand andInformation Information● ● Environment Environmentand andEcology Ecology● ● Children Children● ●Urban UrbanPoor Poor● ●External External Affairs Affairs● ●NGO/PO NGO/POAccreditation Accreditation

City website □ Maximizes web technology □ Within reach of local resources and capability in a developing country □ Offers access to information on Naga, including city government financial reports □ proposed and approved annual operating budget □ quarterly financial statements □ bid tenders, and bidding outcomes □ Platform for communicating requests and complaints in cost-effective and efficient manner □ Contains a digital version of the Charter (called NetServe) and the Citizens Board

TxtServe Naga A MOBILE GOVERNANCE ENGAGEMENT TOOL

□ Allows citizens to send complaints, other concerns to City Hall through SMS or text messaging □ Previously uses Smart Telecommunication’s 2960 facility

□ Reconfigured early this year to meet local needs more fully □ Owned by city government, instead of being Smart network dependent

WHY IS D YOUTH CNTER\'S POOL W/C S SUPPOSD 2 B PUBLC POOL BEING CLOSED COZ PRIVATE SKOLS\' P.E. STUDENTS R USING D WHOLE POOL EXCLUSIVELY? why?

TxtServe Naga, Reloaded i-GOV’S MOST PROMISING FRONTIER

□ TXTNAGA Hotline – a locally managed and controlled SMS messaging system Consists of □ a PC □ a GSM/GPRS modem □ TXTNAGA hotline with Globe Telecoms (0917-TXTNAGA or 0917-8986242), and □ SMS applications developed by local programmers

ADVANTAGES: □ Locally managed, customizable and therefore more flexible, instead of being network dependent □ More accessible to ordinary citizens. Less than P1 per SMS sent vs. P2.50 under the 2960 service □ More cost-effective in the long-run

The Innovations paradox A POLICY ISSUE IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE

□ “But if [innovation] sounds so simple, why is it so difficult for institutions to innovate?” □ Peter Senge, senior lecturer at MIT, after listening to Peter Drucker describe three elements of the discipline of innovation in 1998

□ Philippine institutions also need to ask a similar question – especially 15 years after enactment of 1991 LGC □ “In spite of the opportunities described above, why it is difficult for innovative ideas and endeavors to be scaled up and adopted by the mainstream?

Diffusion of Innovations Theory (E.M. Rogers, 1995) media and interpersonal contacts provide information, influence opinion and judgment

□ Predicts that

□ Innovation consists of four stages: (1) invention; (2) diffusion (or communication) through the social system; (3) time, and (4) consequences Consequences

Individual variables Invention

Continued adoption

Communication sources

Discontinuance

Knowledge

Social variables

Adoption

Persuasion

Decision

Diffusion through social system

Confirmation Later adoption

Rejection

Continued rejection

Time

The theory says… □ Information flows through networks □ Nature of networks and roles opinion leaders play in them determine likelihood that the innovation will be adopted □ Opinion leaders exert influence on audience behavior via their personal contact □ Additional intermediaries (i.e. change agents and gatekeepers) also play a key role the process of diffusion

Consequently…

S-curve rate of adoption 5 categories of adopters

□

1. Innovators (2.5%) 2. Early adopters (13.5%) 3. Early majority (34%) 4. Late majority (34%), and 5. Laggards (16%)

Stated differently…

McKeown’s Pencil Metaphor □

The lead-ers □ The first to take on the technology, the early adopters who usually document and enthusiastically share what they have tried - warts and all.

□

The sharp ones



People who see what the early adopters have done, willingly grab the best of it, learn from the mistakes of others and do great stuff with their students

Stated differently…

McKeown’s Pencil Metaphor □

The wood (Would) □ These people would use technology if someone would just give them the gear, set it up, train them and keep it running. All they need is some help from some sharp person and they'll be doing it too.

□

The dead wood



This part of the pencil can never be sharpened no matter how hard you try. Even when the point is still sharp, what is left doesn't seem to be of much use for the task at hand.

Stated differently…

McKeown’s Pencil Metaphor □ The eraser □ Used to undo as much if not all the work done by the lead-ers

□ Optional extra: the hanger-on □ Hangers-on know all the right lingo, attend all the seminars, but just don't actually do anything

My sense □ Decentralization flattened government structure -- from vertical top-down orientation towards broad-based horizontal one □ Contributes to tremendous resiliency of the Philippines

□ There are less self-reliant communities □ But self reliance should be measured in terms of outcomes, not just IRA dependency

□ Lack of focus, weak policy support at national level. National government still competes with LGUs in service delivery □ National agencies should focus on quality assurance □ Impels need for best practice-driven policymaking

What needs to be done □ Human development indicators (HDI) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have become primary outcome-oriented public accountability measures □ Implications: □ We should promote and mainstream them as a tool to exact public accountability □ This will require thrusting these indicators into the political realm: □ as part of the political discourse □ as primary issue over which citizens judge

their leaders during elections

What needs to be done □ “Best practices” driven policy making □ Next logical step to local awards programmes and ongoing efforts to replicate best practices over the last 15 years □ We should set the bar higher for local governments. If not now, when?

What needs to be done □ Link innovation by local authorities to public accountability □ According to Drucker, the discipline of innovation has 3 elements: (1) focus on mission, (2) define significant results, and (3) do rigorous assessment □ Rigorous assessment requires abandoning what doesn’t work after assessing results □ In the Philippines, it should include ditching political leaders who are not able to deliver results

What needs to be done □ Promote and enforce information openness as fundamental public policy □ In Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory □ Free flow of information is paramount □ Opinion leaders exert strong influence in the process, and □ Change agents/gate keepers also play a key role

□ Under “information openness” regime □ National leaders become lead change agents by setting the primary example of transparency and accountability □ The role of gatekeepers is minimized

Is the Naga case replicable? □ Naga today is not alone □ Gawad Galing Pook already on its 13th awards cycle: more than 250 outstanding local government programs □ Being implemented among provinces, cities, municipalities and even barangays □ Led by outstanding local leaders– governors, mayors; program managers +partner institutions

□ Kaya Natin! Movement: seeks to bring this as front-and-center issue in Philippine governance

What about the rest? □ The solution also lies in the local community itself □ If LGUs are not up to the task, then local community leaders must emerge to show the way □ Naga and Galing Pook experience can become the norm only if local communities – including leadership associations and professional organizations – are willing to invest their time in making it so