Contributing to Common Goals

 

At the beginning of the year, Department Heads of the Provincial Government of Bulacan come together to report their accomplishments.  While this also happens in other local governments, what makes the Bulacan experience stand out is that they do not simply talk about what each Department has done the previous year; instead, they talk about how each Department contributed to certain common goals.

This is how it works.  During the annual planning process, the entire Provincial Government sets strategic objectives.  Each and every Department is asked to commit what they can contribute to these objectives, and a Department can make a commitment to more than one objective. 

One such objective could be “increased local revenues”.  The Provincial Assessment and Treasury Office (yes, they have combined their Assessor’s Office and Treasurer’s Office) can say they will contribute by targeting an increase of so much percent in real property taxes.  The Provincial IT Office could also say that they will develop an online tax payment facility.  Other offices will commit whatever they can contribute to achieving the objective.  All offices that will work together for a certain objective will be grouped into a cluster.  For the rest of the year, they will make and implement plans to reach their common objective.  At the beginning of the next year, an assessment is conducted to see how much the individual offices have contributed to realizing this objective. 

This program is called “Bayanihan” because it is based on the premise that different Departments have to work together to achieve common goals.  It is premised on the existence of a clear and practical vision of what the local government leadership wants to accomplish at the end of a planning period (long-term visions for three years, immediate visions for one year).  From these practical visions, specific objectives are established.  Then the contribution-commitment process can begin.

The beauty of this approach is that it creates synergy in the projects and services of the different Departments, as these are directed towards common goals.  Because these efforts converge on the same objective, they become more effective, as enough resources, time, and attention are focused on the same subject.  Departments do not run around like headless chicken doing their own thing. 

The experiential benefit is that it reinforces the need to work together.  If replicated in other local governments, this has the effect of making Department Heads who may not like each to still work for the same objective, as each one is accountable for his/her contribution.  Sooner or later they learn to cooperate, as they realize that no Department is an island.