In attempting to answer the question “Is there a Philippine public administration?” this article will present and elaborate on a framework which views the Philippine Administrative System (PAS), used here as synonymous to the Philippine public bureaucracy, as an enabling institution. This framework is then translated into a teaching methodology developed for a graduate course on the Philippine administrative system. The framework and the methodology are offered precisely to argue that Philippine public admi an academic discipline and a profe: ration, both as ion, is thriving and is continuously in search of way through which it can transform the Philippine bureaucracy to become a force for, rather than a deterrent to, people’s participation in decision-making processes in government. The ticle has four components. First, it shows that public administration literature has long recognized the value of people’s particig tion in governance, even as it also documents how the bureaucracy and its rules and regulations are identified as one of the obstacles to citizen and community participation in governance Second, it presents a framework where the Philippine administrative conceptualized as an enabling institution, with a tremendous power base which it can wield to empower communities. It shall provide a PAS Empowerment Che operationalizes the desirable attributes listed ir klist that the framework. Third, it describes a teaching methodology which was developed for the graduate course where this framework was first presented. Woven into a semester's course wa a community exposure where students get an opportunity to work with an organized urban poor community through its people’s organizations and barangay officials. This community exposure enables the students, who are mostly working in government organizations, to assist the community in resolving a specific problem involving the government. In this Reprinted from the Philippine Journal of Public Administration, 52(2008/2-4), 224-244.The central role of participation in human development is aptly captured in the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report 1993 when it stated: Participation, from the human development perspective, is both a means and an end. Human development stresses the need to invest in human capabilities and then ensure that those capabilities are used for the benefit of all. Greater participation has an important part to play here: it helps maximize the use of human capabilities and is thus a means of increasing levels of social and economic development. But human development is also concerned with personal fulfillment, So active participation, which allows people to realize their full potential and make their best contribution in society, is also an endin itself. (pp. 21-22) While the value of citizen participation is consistently acknowledged in the literature the bureaucracy’s being an impediment to facilitating citizen participation is also a continuing refrain, Thus, the list of obstacles to effective participation in the Human Development Report 1993 includes administrative rules and procedures. It contends that some countries ackled their people with innumerable regulations and controls, demanding all sorts of permits and permissions for even the most modest business initiative” (UNDP, 1993, p. 28). Schiavo-Campo and Sundaram (2001) echoed this view when they said ave avior, which tends to The biggest challenge to effective participation is usually bureaucratic bel conflict with participatory norms. Impatience with the long gestation period for commu mobilization should not lead government and donor agencies to avoid participation in fa of quick benefits from top-down approaches. . . . Greater responsiveness to community participation calls as well for bureaucratic reorientation and training to motivate government personnel to work effectively with the local groups. (p. 538) In an earlier work, I have shown how bureaucratic organizations can make themselve and their services inaccess are not flexible and responsive since hierarchical control tends to make them set and rigid; ble to citizens because of: (1) organizational structures which (2) procedures which routinize everything to simplify decision-making processes for frontline personnel; (3) personnel who by their loyalty to the organization become less sympathetic to individual clients’ needs; (4) undue emphasis on resource allocation for administrative scheme which ignores the titution’s interest (Alfiler, infrastructure rather than on client service; and (5) evaluation problems of accessibility because it is not consistent with the ir 2003a, p. 787). Acce in any way meaningfully participate, much less influence, public policies or services designed for them. citizens cannot is a prerequisite to participation and without acce— Table 1. Three Models of Public Administration ee Public Public Responsive Administration Management Governance : Citizen-state Obedience Entitlement Empowerment . relationship Accountability of Politicians Customers Citizens and senior officials stakeholders Guiding principles Compliance with Efficiency and Accountability, rules and results transparency, and reguiations participation Criteria for success Output Outcome Process Key attribute Impartiality. Professionalism Responsiveness Source: UN, 2008, p.7. Governance is labelled as “responsive governance” in this table. In its long list of what characterize good governance, participation gets top billing, Good governance s are participatory and all stakeholders of governance institutions must have a voice transparent decision-making processes The three models of public administration show how varying guiding principles underlie each school of thought. While compliance with rules and regulations is crucial f traditional public administration, the efficient production of results is central to public management, just as accountability, transparency, and participation are fundamental responsive governance. These principles are consistent with how each model views citizen state relationship. Citizens are expected to be obedient to the state in traditional pul administration. They are viewed lic ublic management and as citizens and stakeholders who must be empowered in governance What are the implications of these three models for a human resource management strategy for the public service? The 2005 World Public Sector Report suggests that customers who are entitled to s ervices in p traditional public administration .. . is anchored in the enduring principles of impartiality and merit; public management places particular importance on performance management and professionalism; and the governance paradigm stresses the need to make public administration more responsive to the demands of citizens and other stakeholders. (UN, 2005, p. 21) ‘Three human resources management unifying principles emerge from these values: impartiality, professionalism, and responsiveness (UN, 2005, p. 2): must be a conscious and continuous effort by members Neeser MENG ctirlcrsttt "rconcee ancien ditfe with ie public. Thied, the bureaucracy, in executing laws and implementing programs can work with and learn from the public or the community they serve. In doing this, they can use their attributes to enable or empower the public or community they serve. How do we define “PAS”? The “Philippine administrative system” refers to a “network of public organizations, with specific goals, policies, structures, resources, and programs.” It includes the internal processes of, and the interaction between and among, public organizations which are constituted to implement, help formulate, monitor, or assess public policies. This system encompasses the relationship of the PAS with its immediate public in contact with as well as its reactions to, or how it is affected by, the greater socio-politico and economic environment within which it operates. Traditionally, “PAS” refers to the “executive branch and all offices and instrumentalities thereof; local governments, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and chartered institutions, as well as state colleges and universities. Each of these public institutions has five elements ‘ganizations in that they have goals, structures, resources, polici common to most o: programs ‘The framework elucidates on: (a) the sources of power of P: attributes PAS must have in the exercise of this power: (c) how it can uti enhance the people’s power to relate; and (d) how communities that PAS can enable or empower can be transformed into active participants in governance. , and (b) what desirable ze this power to Sources of Power of PAS The power of PAS stems largely from: (1) its being an arm of the government, (2) its being an enforcer system, (4) its expertise, and (6) its extensive and nationwide presence at all levels of government PAS as an instrument of the State. The public bureaucra being an arm of the State. It is in effect the machinery through which the functions and the authority of the government are exercised nationwide. It is fully supported by laws that legitimize this authority and its actions. It is through the public that the government may exercise its power of eminent domain. Through nd implementer of public policy, (3) its operation as a service delivery its technical role as a participant in the policy formulation process, cy derives its power from its and state policie bureaucrac erci the exercise of this power, the government can, when the public interest so requires, expropriate private land for public use, provided government observes the requirements of due proce: erves SB Uttizing PAS Power to brograms Enhance People Power pOReTgest * acknowledges people as Capability Building instrument of state ultimate source and end Prot enforcer of law Se eae * problem identification implementor of public Te * objective setting * program planning policy 1 si vlements extensive structure aly offend * structure building policy efficiently * service delivery system * institutionalizes access © participation in policy to PAS services Outcome formulation * decentralizes and makes effective self-sustaining * technical knowledge operations transparent community Desirable Attributes * listens to and works organizations Speco * community problem just and falc ly problen enforcement of the law * uses local language/ solving capability . keeps procedures community, senselor ee Se eticacy and * accessible partnership/linkage with outside structures community elt management process installed + decentralized * efficient and service oriented * accountable pro-equity ENVIRONMENT Source: Aliler,2008. PAS as Enforcer and implementer of public policy. The Philippine administrative system ative enforces the laws and implements other public policies set by the executive and the legi branches of government. As the law enforcement arm and policy implementer of government, PAS has discretion as to how it carries out policies and enforces the law. The legislature cannot fully anticipate all the conditions under which cer enforced or implemented. Variations in implementation or enforcement may determine ain laws are to be who receives the service and what, when, and where the service may be provided. The of this discretion is a great source of power for PAS. PAS as a service delivery system. As a major service delivery system, PAS utilizes its authority, structure, and resources to produce specific services that it provides to specific exercis groups of clients. The public school system is a delivery system that provides educational services, while the public health system, through its health centers and hospitals, delivers health services, Through its network of public organizations operating in various areas of the country, PAS provides a wide array of services. In the delivery of these services, PAS exercises discretion as it decides on the quantity, quality, adequacy, and timeliness of the.’in some instances changes in the social environment, whi i ke some policies obsolete or inapplicable, While it may not directly make the decisions itself, PAS exerts influence on the policymaking process as it provides significant policy inputs that policymakers must consider when they decide on ctucial policy issues. The technical expertise of PAS. Another source of power of PAS is the accumulated technical expertise that it has gained over time as it deals with the myriad and complex issues that government must address. Most civil servants are hired for their professional training in their respective areas of competence. Beyond their personal know-how, however, they are backed by a systematic process of recording institutional decisions, practices, and related information that are passed on as organizational insights to members of PAS. Through this documentation, PAS has a builtin process of creating and enriching its reservoir of technical knowledge from which it draws, A significant part of this expertise is their understanding of the complicated rules and procedures of government. Its capacity to generate, use, and control technical information which are inputs ia the provision of services or in the production of more information is another source of power of PAS. This power is increased if the public las no ready access to this information and is dependent on PAS for every data that they need to transact business with government agencies. Nationwide presence of the PAS. The public bureaucracy has an expansive reach through which it can mobilize resources and support for its programs from all over the country. This network also provides the PAS with a wide base for its operations that it can utilize for any of its organized activities. Having offices, personnel, and other logistics that it can easily mobilize is another source of power of the PAS. Uses of Power Given its major power sources, how is PAS expected to use this power? Whose interest must it protect? Article II, Section 1, of the 1987 Philippine Constitution declares: “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates ftom them.” Under this provision, the people reposes power and authority in the State to act on their behalf, of the state likewise derives its power from the people, It is for and in behalf of the people that this power should be used, because it is actually their power that they collectively repose in trust in the hands of elected and appointed public officials to enhance their welfare Iris crucial that PAS consciously acknowledges the people as the ultimate source of its power. Ina developing country like the Philippines where a significant portion of the population falls below the poverty line and where the average number of years of schooling he bureaucracy or PAS as an armTable 2. Sources of Power and Its Responsible Use Sources of Power How itis Utilized with Responsibility PAS as an instrument ofthe State PAS to consciously acknowledge the people as the source and reason for the se of state power; be accountable; promote equity PAS as enforcer and implementer of public PAS must enforce the law fairly and justy, policy ‘must implement public policies efficiently PAS as a service delivery system PAS must institutionalize access to its service delivery system; it must be efficient and service oriented PAS as participant in the policy formulation PAS must be consultative and process participatory PAS technical expertise PAS uses loca language and keeps administrative procedures as simple as possible. PAS extensive and nationwide services PAS must be decentralized and transparent ints operations ¢ bureaucracy must As enforcers of the law and implementers of public policy, use its power with fairness and justice. This means that itis consistent in enforcing the law, ardless of who is involved. Sanctions are never imposed arbitr: of public policy must be dealt with in a similar fashion. Ifno one is unduly advantaged or disadvantaged because of PAS’s exercise of administrative power, then there is fairness and just enforcement of the law. ‘The implementatic Asa service delivery system, PAS can use its power to make these services accessible physically, financially, and administratively to its clients. This should result in fast and quality response for everyone, without exception. Being effici enable PAS to reach more people and provide more services for the money it gets from the government. ‘As an institution that has technical knowledge and is consulted in the formulation of public policies, PAS can make sure that it serves as a conduit for people’s ideas on how nt in its use of resources will government can serve the people’s needs better. Technical knowledge is valuable but the bureaucracy must realize that the people or communities, who know their needs and the realities prevailing in their arcas most, may have more critical information in formulating’conscious thatthe use of a foreign language may adversely affects frontline communication with citizens in rural communities. Using the local language in signage and public notices and keeping procedures for over-the-counter transactions with the public as simple as possible make the bureaucracy more accessible and less intimidating to the public. Desirable Characteristics of PAS Having described how PAS is expected to use its power, there is a need to identify desirable characteristics that it must develop as it institutionalizes the responsible use of its power. We hope that PAS will work on acquiring the following attributes: 1, PAS isa just and fair enforcement body if it treats all its clients in the same way, regardless of their profession, position, income, and status in society. PAS is participatory and consultative when, as far as practicable, it listens to and works with the people in the local language and keeps its procedures simple. PAS is accessible if it identifies and minimizes access problems that stem from physical distance, complicated administrative rules and requirements, and financial costs that the clients or the public must bear in availing themselves of ny services. 4. PAS is for decentr levels closest to those who are affected by the decision. ion if it recognizes the value of decisions made at the 5, PASis efficient if it provides more and quality service at less cost to the people. 6, PAS is accountable for the use of all its power if ivexplains and makes regular reports to the public and political leaders. This report should illustrate how it and information placed at its disposal to carry has used the authority, resourc out public policies. PAS promotes the cause of equity if itrecognizes the needs of the disadvantaged in Philippine society and systematically reviews how its programs n with alternative services when goods and services in the can provide th market are not within their means.community? . Are there instances when politicians interfere in the enforcement of laws or rules to favor their friends, relatives, of other influential parties? » Isthere enough support for violators who may not have the resources to hire the services of a lawyer? Isthere enough information provided to clients so that they are fully aware of the rules and regulations and their rights? Are they not disadvantaged by the organization's control over information? 2. Participatory and Consultative A. In the identification of the prob mind? B. If there was such a group of clients, was client analysis done to get information about the group in terms of how homogenous they are and what interest groups exist among them? Was there a deliberate effort on the part of the administrators to get clients involved in the formulation or identification of the problem? , was there a particular target clientele in D. To support clientinvolvement in the definition of the problem, were clients cilities for their use? representatives given time, resources, and Did the organization provide ways through which clients can participate in the determination of the strategy to be adopted for dealing with the problem? 3. Accessible A. Are services made available to clients at a time convenient to them rather than to the public officials? B. Are more resources spent on client services rather than on administrative infrastructure (e.g, office furnishing) Are office staff deployed in such a way that frontline offices have more staff during peak hours? D, Isthere a conscious effort to put better qualified personnel in frontline service areas where there are more opportunities to serve clients? Is there continuous effort on the part of the organization to mak staff show how service oriented they are in their dealings with clients? F. Are the rules and procedures for frontline transactions simple enough for clients to comprehend and comply with? frontlineA. Are offices grouped primarily on the basis of functions/clientele areas to achieve simplicity, economy, and efficiency in government operations and minimize duplication and overlapping of functions? Is the organizational structure flexible enough to accommodate the needs of clients and not simply the efficiency consideration of the organization? C. To what extent was the decision on where to locate the department’ field offices guided by the need to reduce physical distance between the organization's frontline offices and the clientele they must serve? 6. Accountable A. Is there a mechanism through which the PAS reports to its clientele regularly on the status of services it provides, how resources are used, and what its future plans are? B. Is there a way for citizens or clientele to ask the PAS for information on the problems which they are trying to solve? C. Is there too much stress on the statistics and other reports such that attention is deflected from the service needs of clients? D. Do the procedures provide for ways of checking possible abuse, misuse, or non-use of administrative power or for grievance mechanism through which clients can seek redress? 7. Pro-equity A. Are there requirements that make demands on and result in the exclusion of poorer clients (e.g., request forms in English not being understandable to applicants who may not have gone beyond six years of schooling, or a minimum user fee which a needy applicant m: 2 B. In dealing with the problem or providing the service, are the clients (travel time, loss of income, lack of access to someone who can take not be able to other costs to care of kids or other tasks that need to be done) that are not considered? C. Are the procedures of the institution biased against those who are without formal education or at a low level of income or resources? D. Does the program provide for ways through which fees paid by clients who can afford to pay can subsidize the cost of service for those who are less able to pay for the service? At this point, two of the three boxes in the framework (Figure 1) have been described. ‘The next question is how does the “capability building approach as the empowerment process” occur when PAS utilizes power in the responsible manner, once it has taken on its desirable attributes as being (a) just and fair enforcer of the law, (b) participatory andorg Process ts working with the community, through the use of the learning by doing exercise, enable the community to define their problems, set realistic change targets, plan and implement community programs and set up community based structures to ensure the continuity of its problem-solving capacity” (Hernando, 1985, p. 9). A documentation of the Community Management Program of the Development Academy of the Philippines in the eighties described and reflected on its attempt at a program of community change through two separate but interrelated projects. The first is contained in an account of the first barrio immersion program of Career Executive Service Development Program participants (Carifio & Vifieza, 1980). The second volume from which the capability building process is drawn is the “tuklas-yaman” project which sought to establish how the computer-based exams exercise can be utilized as change technology at the community model, as it equipped four client communities with community problem-solving skills (Hernando, 1985, p. 2). Adapting the community building approach from this experience, the framework secks to show how PAS, through its responsible use of its power, can contribute to help organize communities sustain their capacity to deal with their problems and to empower these communities to participate meaningfully in government development programs Before PAS can work with organized communities, however, it must appreciate the characteristics of organized communities, their strengths, and their sense of e power. Empowered communities envisioned in the capability building approach are organized, have a clear vision of their desired state, and are critically aware of the forces in their environment. They are capable of identifying their problems, determining how they can deal with these problems, planning for a specific course of action, and setting up structures in the community to carry out and sustain these problem-solving mechanisms As a result of these processes, the community emerges with a sense of efficacy and power as it has self-sustaining community organizations through which it develops linkages with outside structures (Hernando, 1985, pp. 10-11). icacy an TRANSLATING THE FRAMEWORK INTO A TEACHING METHODOLOGY ‘The use of the framework which envisions the Philippine administrative s closely with communities prompted the use of a specific teaching methodology for a graduate course on the PAS. This one-semester course integrated a community exposure tem as working in an organized urban poor barangay.a specific problem that the community/barangay ance on, and (2) tap the class's technical expertise and access to government to acquire information and seck its advice on how they deal with a specific community problem. The choice of the community. In keeping with the requirements of having a critically aware community, the barangay selected for the class’ exposure activity was chosen for the following reasons: (1) it has strong people’s organizations which were assisted by the College of Social Work and Community Development of the University of the Philippines Diliman; (2) leaders of these people’s organizations were eventually elected as barangay officials; and (3) the barangay had a clear idea as to how it intended to seek the class’s assistance in dealing with a specific community problem. The community exposure for all of the classes proceeded along similar activities. The first visit was usually an exploratory meeting with the community/barangay leaders where the latter orient the class about the community. On the second visit, the class gets to familiarize itself with the barangay, walking through all of its streets and meeting some of its household heads. After its second visit, the class breaks into teams, depending on how they plan to assist the barangay on the problem to be resolved for the semester. The working teams then work on the class’s action plan, visiting the community and various local or national government offices as required by the plan. Towards the end of the semester, the class consolidates the outputs of its various teams into a class report written in English and Filipino, The semester ends with a class presentation of its report, in Filipino, to the barangay, a discussion, and the class giving the barangay its copy of the English and Filipino versions of the class report. Copies of these reports are also kept in the NCPAG library and are used as a reference for other Public Administration (PA) 208 classes. Among the class reports for this community exposure experience are those on the following topics: 1, Strengthening GO-NGO-PO Relations: The Pasay City Experience (Second Semester, 1996-1997) (housing) 2. Return to Roots: Learning to Improvement of the PAS (First Semester, 1997-1998) (training of barangay officials) 3. Towards an Increase of the Barangay Coffers (First Semester, 1998-1999) (training on barangay finance) 4, Acquiring Private Property for Public Us (Gecond Semester, 1998-1999) (acquiring land for a barangay hall) 5, Proposed Strategies on Waste Management (First Semester, 1999-2000) impower the Community Towards the Identifying Options for Barangay Xtis through our active interaction with the community that we become socially ‘aware of the realities of their condition and the difficulty of the community in relating with the governmentand its intricate procedures and processes. ‘We and the institutions we represent have become virtual strangers to them (the community) and the PAS itself, which in the eyes of the common citizen has become an intimidating, unftiendly, uncharted, and unnavigable area. ‘The teaching methodology enabled us to see the bureaucracy from a different perspective and the people’s perception of it. We were given the opportunity to know how its to feel as an outsider. This should serve as a challenge to us when we get back to our respective offices. The collective talents and motivation of the Barangay X community would do well to serve their own needs, With the partnerships forged between the community and other government entities, they are not anymore beneficiaries but key players who deserve the right kind of services from both government and nongovernment entities. “The knowledge gained did not come solely from the theories and concepts learned in the classroom, nor simply from the views and ideas exchanged, More importantly, by imparting knowledge gained to help others better themselves, we also gained valuable lessons from those we seek to serve ‘The PA 208 class has experienced to not only touch base with people in community but in the process also develop within ourselves a deep sense o} awareness and commitment in serving them in a way that is convenient to them: QUESTIONS FOR NCPAG AND THE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE PHILIPPINES ‘The call of the times is for participatory governance. This call has placed new demands on public service officials, who are now expected to foster more dialogue between and among the state, private sector, and civil society, three actors with key roles in the political, economic, and administrative affairs of the country. The bureaucrac open to its stakeholders who ate to be directly involved in decisions that concern theit welfare. ‘The 6 Global Forum on Reinventing Government held in Korea in 2005 picked participatory and transparent governance as its theme. Indicative of the growing importance attached to participation of citizens and stakeholders in government affairs, this conference concluded, among others, that “participation and transparency can cach improve the ability to govern and the quality of governance within a society” (UN Department of, Economic and Social Affairs, 2007, p. 83). is now to be morec administration, lowing are the questions that NCPAG and nsider given these new developments: ow can existing frameworks that explain the nature of the interaction between the bureaucracy and its publics be reformulated to make mote explicit the need fora stronger service orientation among public officials, particularly those who are directly in contact with citizens in front line transactions? 2. Ina nation like the Philippines where a greater portion of its population secking services from the governmentare likely to have less schooling than members of the bureaucracy, should training for public officials prepare thera to have a bias for service specifically for, but not limited to, the marginalized and disadvantaged secto: 3. Is experiential learning in rural and urban poor communities yaluable for both graduate and undergraduate students, to ensure that their professional training sensitizes them to the context of Philippine communities’ interface with members of the local and national bureaucracy? 4. Should NCPAG and ASPAP consider the development of a community exposure module to promote the systematic transfer of values and skills to the bureaucracy so that public organizations’ processes and systems are client friendly and sensitive to participatory approaches? 5. If experiential learning is to be considered vis-a-vis the theories discussed in the classroom, is it a mode of learning that should be integrated in NCPAG or other ASPAP schools’ preferred teaching methodology? As an institution of learning for public and civil society organizations, the NCPAG has had a long tradition of reexamining its curricular offerings regularly to assess its relevance and responsiveness to perennial and emerging concepts in the field. At this time, the concern is how NCPAG and other ASPAP schools can enrich their curricular offerings and array of innovative teaching methodologies. These institutions must ensure that the academic preparations of their students reflect a balance of technical expertise and a sensitivity to “voice” the clamor to be open to and to take the initiative in developing mechanisms which will allow greater involvement of its clients, citizens, and other stakeholders in governance NOTES 1 This portion draws from modules 4, 5, and 6 of Alfiler, 1999. 2 In the interest of the community, we decided not to disclose the identity of the barangay we worked with for this community exposure project.