Participation

Mainstreaming meaningfulstakeholdership in governance

JESSE M ROBREDOMayor, Naga City

Limitations and Challenges■ DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT

■ Not centrallylocated■ 377 kms southof Manila

(nationalcapital), 380 kmsnorthof Cebu (2nd biggesturbancenter)

■ The core of Metro Naga■ Afast-growingarea comprised

of 14 municipalities and NagaCity belongingto MetroNagaDevelopment Council(MNDC)

■ A medium-sized city■ 137,000population(2000

census)■ Daytimepopulationof around

250,000

“ACity for the People”(1988-95)

Confidence buildingphase which laid downgroundwork for reformswithin City Hall and in the

community

“Uswag Naga 1998”(1995-98)

Emphasis on economicgrowth; period of rapideconomic expansion

“An Maogmang Lugar”(1998 onwards)

Redefinition of sharedvision towards becoming

an inclusive city andmodel of participativeurban governance

PARTICIPATIVE VISIONING

Evolution of City Vision

Built around the concept of creating aniche for NagaRallying people on need to restorelocal prideInstitutionalized participativevisioning process facilitatescommunity ownership

“SELLINGTHE VISION”

Communication Strategy Various approaches

utilizedby leadership inpresentingthe corporatemission/visionto itsconstituencyGoal is securing theirsupport so that thecorporate vision becomesa shared communityvisionIncludes the use of logosand sloganeering

“KauswagankanNaga—KunBakoNgonian, Nuarin

Pa?”

Progressive developmentperspective. Seeks prosperity-buildingtempered by an enlightenedperceptionof the poorFunctional partnerships.Vehicles that enable the city to tapcommunity resources for priorityundertakings

Participation. Mechanisms thatensurelong-term sustainabilityoflocalundertakings

TheNaga Governance Model

THE NAGA GOVERNANCE MODEL

A guiding frameworkGuided by our own experience, wehave evolved our own governancemodel

THE IMPERATIVES FOR

People Participation

At the operational and practical level,partnerships work best among organizedgroups and institutions

Can exclude community at large (particularlymarginalized sectors) reducing them to merespectators

Partnerships must be complemented bymechanisms that mainstream the marginalized,and actively engaged them in governance

SHAPING, INSTITUTIONALIZINGFUNCTIONAL

Participatory Mechanisms

Continuing NGO accreditation

After the Code was passed, Naga was among thefirstto implement the provision mandating NGOaccreditation.During its first run in 1993, more than 40 appliedwith the city council and were duly accredited.

Multi-level consultation mechanisms

Under Naga SPEED component, multipleconsultation channels were set upSpecific sectors, groups, or the entire constituencycan participate in identifying and affirmingdevelopmental priorities

SHAPING, INSTITUTIONALIZINGFUNCTIONAL

Participatory Mechanisms

Referendum on development issues

On August 6, 1993, Naga pioneered the conduct of a citywidereferendumwhen three development issues were submittedtoNagueños for decisionInthe process, thecity government demonstratedthatparticipationevenat this scaleworks

The Empowerment Ordinance and the NagaCity People’s Council

Through a landmark legislation, the local government initiatedasystemof partnershipwherein it encouragedthe federation ofNGOs and POs into the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC)Institutionalizedasystemof self-regulationamong the rank andfile of NGOs and POs in the city

FUNCTIONSOF THE

Naga City People’s Council

The council

appoints NGO representativesto local special bodiesof the City Government

observes, votes and participatesin the deliberation,conceptualization,implementation and evaluation ofprojects,programs and activitiesof the CityGovernment

proposes legislation,participatesand votes at thecommittee level of the Sanggunian, and

acts as the people's representativesin the exerciseoftheir constitutional rights to information

2ND LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION: ENGAGING WITHINDIVIDUALS

The i-Governance Program

A program that identifies and uses varioustools to:

encourage participation in government decision-making, especially by individual citizens andhouseholdsconcretize the governance principles of transparencyand accountability

Allows the local government to meet thechallenge of sustaining innovative approachesby:

Doing more with lessImproving and ensuring equitable service delivery

3. Mobile Governance.Uses cellphones which havehigherpenetrationrate than dial-up internet. Around 67% ofhouseholds own a mobile phone.

TxtServeNaga

4. Network accessimprovement. Addressesdigitaldivide through strategicITinvestments

Cyberschools(ClickProject)

Cyberbarangays

1. Analog or paper-based tools. Addressesneed of around 67% of populationwithout ICT access

PerformancePledges CitizensBoard NagaCityCitizensCharter

2. Digital or ICT media(eGovernance)

naga.govinitiative, throughthecity’s websitewww.naga.gov.ph

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Delivery mechanisms

The Naga City Citizens Charter■ GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY IN SERVICE DELIVERY

■ A guidebook on 130 key servicesbeing delivered by the CityGovernment to its customers

■

■

■

■

■

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ProcedureResponse timePersonnel responsiblefor each serviceRequirements checklist to facilitate servicedeliveryScheduleof fees (if applicable)Location maps sketching office/s handlingtheservice

■ A “contract” that can be enforcedthrough feedback■

■

Provides for customer feedback formDirectory of city hall agencies

City Website■ A DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT TOOL

Maximizesweb technology

Within reach of local resourcesand capability in a developingcountryOffers access to information onNaga, including city governmentfinancial reports

• proposed and approved annualoperating budget

• quarterly financial statement ofoperation

• bid tenders, and• outcomes of every bidding

process completedPlatform for communicatingrequests and complaints in cost-effective and efficient mannerContains a digital version of theCharter (called NetServe) and theCitizens Board

Allows citizens to sendcomplaints, otherconcerns to City Hallthrough SMS or textmessaging

Inpartnershipwith SmartTelecommunications,aleadingPhilippine telco

Other SMS applicationscurrently beingdeveloped Owned by city government, instead

of being Smart network dependent

WHY IS D YOUTH CNTER\'SPOOL W/C S SUPPOSD 2 BPUBLC POOL BEING CLOSEDCOZ PRIVATE SKOLS\' P.E.STUDENTS R USING D WHOLEPOOL EXCLUSIVELY? why?

TxtServe Naga■ A MOBILE GOVERNANCE ENGAGEMENT TOOL

Outcomes

Information openness engenderscriticalengagement with citizensWidespreadavailabilityof informationenables transparency in governmentoperations Citizens Chartera performancemetricstool

that enables greater transparency in servicedelivery

Customers haveall information required toexactaccountabilityin servicedeliverythroughdocumentedfrontline services

Stimulatesgreater stakeholderparticipationand facilitatesthe flow ofinformation,which further drive downoperating cost

…by putting upthe numbers for

everyone tosee, the cityis “requiringfrom us more

than greetings.They are asking

us, for thesake of the

city, to lookat the numbers,

study them,question them.”

- A Nagueño,after lookingat the city’s

budget and finances at thecity website

Outcomes Made the procurement system work for government

through reduced costs

Roadconstruction–38% lower than national governmentstandardsAsphalt overlays – 47% lowerPublic school classroom– 36% cheaperMedicine– 19-70% lower than other local government units, 62%lower than branded products imported by the nationalgovernmentSupplies – up to 33% lower than local government standard.

City Accountant’s Officeestimates at leastP10 millionayear in savings through transparent procurementAs a result, World Bank considers Naga thePhilippines’model city for good practices andinnovations in procurement

Consists of

a PCa GSM/GPRSmodemTXTNAGA hotline withGlobeTelecoms(0917-TXTNAGA or0917-8986242), andSMSapplicationsdevelopedby a localprogrammer

ADVANTAGES:■ Locally managed, and therefore moreflexible, insteadof being networkdependent■ More accessibletoordinary citizens.P1.00 per SMS sent vs. P2.50 under the2960 service■ More cost-effectivein the long-run

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

■ TXTNAGA Hotline – alocally managed andcontrolled SMS messagingsystem

The Challenges Ahead

Sustaining our gains

Ensuring stream of competent leaders

Continuing corporate strengthening

Continuing community organizing, peopleempowerment

Sharing our gains

Attainment of vision: economic empowerment

“Inclusive” development: everybody benefits in theprocess