Recipient Institution:
Galing Pook Foundation, Inc.

Suite 1604 Jollibee Plaza, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila
Philippines

Tel/Fax: 0632-687-1347 ro 48

Project Leader:
Luz Lopex Rodriguez
luz.rodriguez@galingpook.org

URL:
http://www.galingpook.org

Amount and Duration: US$ 30,000 / 24 months

Commencement Date:
1 December 2003

Abstract of Project
A wealth of knowledge has been accumulating in various Philippine government and non-government (NGO) institutions useful for local development planning and management. A mix of databases and knowledge bases have been started by these institutions at various levels of conversion to electronic format, for various purposes and at various stages of web readiness. At the same time, the Philippine e-Commerce Law of 2000 had mandated all government agencies to develop e-governance capabilities. Although slowly, local government units (LGUs) are starting first-stage websites, sending their staff to ICT training and learning from each other and from those LGUs who are ahead.

Galing Pook Foundation is a non-stock non-profit NGO that has been conducting yearly screening and awarding of LGUs who are best practitioners in various categories of performance. It is one of the institutions that has accumulated a wealth of useful knowledge in local governance and local development.

Galing Pook Foundation, the main proponent, will be assisted by two other non-stock non-profit NGOs, namely the Philippine Sustainable Development Network Foundation (an Internet Service Provider and ICT training institution) and the Center for Conscious Living Foundation (a provider of services in personal and organizational learning and change, and in knowledge management and innovation).

The project will test an ICT-mediated mechanism for knowledge sharing among local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines, particularly among municipal planning and development officers/coordinators. The project will have five components:

• Pooling of existing knowledge of best practices local governances and local development: WHERE ARE THE BEST PRACTICES?
• Inventory and starting an e-Directory of existing expertise in local governance and local development: WHICH BEST PRACTITIONER KNOWS WHAT BEST PRACTICE?
• Action research and piloting of an e-group among local (municipal, city and provincial) planning and development officers/coordinators (LPDOs) to develop a knowledge sharing culture and to uncover what are their priority knowledge needs for local governance and development at the local level: HOW CAN AN ICT-ENABLED NETWORK CREATE KNOWLEDGE PULL FROM USERS?
• Developing a bottoms-up portal where LPDOs themselves will specify their priority knowledge needs (combining 1 and 3): WHAT WORKS IN A USER-DRIVEN PORTAL?
• Developing a top-down Help Desk where experts on various technical areas/subareas of local governance and local development volunteer to give freely their expertise through on-line consultation for those who need information and knowledge in the local level (combining 2 and 3): HOW USEFUL IS A DEMAND-DRIVEN HELP DESK?