26 towns undergo DSWD assessment

By Cet Dematera

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS) has recently started to assess for good governance some 26 local government units (LGUs) in Bicol.

The capacity assessment is aimed to determine the LGUs’ readiness and capacity to participate and undertake KALAHI-CIDSS’ implementation in 2021.

The assessment activities would measure good governance using the nine United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) characteristics as proxy and existing LGU performance assessment indicators set by different national government agencies (NGAs).

The UNDP-crafted key areas of assessment include: participation; rule of law; transparency; responsiveness; consensus orientation; equity; effectiveness and efficiency; accountability; and, strategic vision.

According to UNDP descriptions, participation means that all men and women should have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their interests; rule of law means that legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the laws on human rights; and transparency is built on the “free flow of information, processes, and institutions. Information is directly accessible to those concerned with it, and enough information provided to understand and monitor it.”

While responsiveness means that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders; consensus orientation means that good governance mediates differing interests to reach a broad consensus on what is the best interests of the group; and equity says that all men and women have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being.

Ranelle Sertan, DSWD KALAHI – CIDDS social marketing specialist, said that the towns now undergoing capacity assessment are Bombon, Camaligan, Magarao, Ocampo, Sagnay, Presentacion, Garchetorena, Milaor, San Fernando, Minalabac, Pasacao, and Cabusao, all in Camarines Sur.

Also included in the assessment are Batuan, San Fernando, Monreal, Mobo, and Claveria in Masbate; San Vicente, Talisay, Paracale, and Sta Elena in Camarines Norte; Prieto Diaz, Juban, and Irosin in Sorogon; and, Gigmoto and Caramoan in Catanduanes.

“These towns are selected by our central office based on their income classification and poverty incidence,” Sertan told Bicol Mail.

DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS also assesses and monitors the LGUs on sustainability and Community-Driven Development (CDD) Institutionalization initiatives.

The Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) already conducted the LGU Capacity Assessment in Manito, Albay as pilot municipality on Jan. 29, 2021.

DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS is a poverty alleviation program that uses the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach that helps communities in poor municipalities to identify challenges on poverty, make informed decisions, and gives control of resources to address local poverty.

This year, the program is slated to implement the Community-Based Response for COVID-19 (CBRC) modality as part of the recovery efforts from the pandemic.