Grant Amount: US$ 30,000

Keywords: GOVERNANCE, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, DATABASE, PHILIPPINES

Geographic coverage: Philippines

Objective

The objective of this project is to test an information and communications technology (ICT)-mediated mechanism for knowledge sharing among Local Government Units (LGUs).

Research context

The Philippine e-Commerce Law of 2000 mandated all government agencies develop e-governance capabilities. LGUs have since started a range of databases, knowledge bases and websites. LGU staff is receiving ICT training and learning from one another’s efforts. As such, a wealth of technical and practical knowledge useful for local development planning and management has been accumulated in various Philippine government and non-governmental organizations. This project aims to inventory and classify this knowledge, to define and test best practices, and create systems for sharing and integrating innovative strategies and practices at the national and local level.

Target beneficiaries

Philippine LGUs and national government agencies.

Outputs

• Inventory of existing local governance practices and development of a knowledge base;
• Design a classification system and an e-directory of existing expertise;
• Action research and piloting of an e-group among local planning and development officers (LPDOs), to define priority knowledge needs and promote a knowledge sharing culture;
• Develop a bottom-up system allowing LPDOs to design and maintain a knowledge base system;
• Develop a top-down ‘Help Desk’ where experts on various technical areas of local governance and development contribute their expertise through online consultation; and 
• Launch LOGOSHARE, including the above components.

Research results and outcomes

The project is being implemented on a co-management and partnership basis between the Galing Pook Foundation, Philippine Sustainable Development Network (PSDN) and the Centre for Conscious Living Foundation (CCLF). Galing Pook Foundation serves as the repository of best practices in good local governance. Much of the expertise and best practices are drawn from Galing Pook’s chest of awarded programmes. The PSDN is tasked to undertake all ICT-related activities, including the creation of an experts’ directory, design and execution of a web-based knowledge database, the development of a portal and help desk, and the corresponding workshops and training that the initial users of the network require. CCLF provides advisory services to the partner organizations in the areas of knowledge management and organizational learning. The implementing partners used a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to define a clear programme of work and scope of responsibilities.

So far 15 LGUs have signified their willingness and commitment to enter into partnership on the ICT-enabled knowledge-sharing project. Eleven of these have consistently participated in project activities. The project performed a participatory LGU needs assessment to determine the information requirements and the capacity of the users. The results of the assessment formed the basis for the preliminary system design. The project also consulted the LGUs to facilitate the process of identifying priority areas of knowledge that would be most helpful to the LPDOs.

Two major workshops were held. The first was LOGOSHARE Consultation Workshop held on 8 September 2004, at the National Computer Centre(NCC), University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. This workshop organized a core group of users composed of selected LPDOs that would help define the LOGOSHARE ICT infrastructure contents and protocols. Results from this meeting helped determine the information requirements and define the capacity of users. The second workshop was the LOGOSHARE Project ICT Training Workshop, held at the NCC of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City on 3 - 4 November 2004. A follow-up workshop was held on 28 March 2005 at the NCC to test run the portal and LOGOSHARE website (http://www.logoshare.ph).

Based on interim reports the remaining months of the project were devoted to completing the technical aspects of the project, developing a sustainability plan and strengthening the network. The following components were in progress: a knowledge base of best practices in local governance and development called the e-Kaban Galing (“Kaban” means storage chest), an e-directory of expertise in local governance and development, piloting an e-group among LPDOs, set up of the bottom-up portal, design and testing of an LGU Help Desk, and launching of LOGOSHARE. The project notes that the establishment of the physical infrastructure (website), although an end in itself, is more appropriately understood as a means to reach the desired outcome; a core group of people able to identify and resolve local governance issues aided by a network of practitioners providing knowledge and expertise.

Duration

Start Date: February 2004
End Date: March 2006
Total Duration: 26 Months

Contact information

Pamela Grafilo, Programme Officer
Galing Pook Foundation
Room 1604 Jollibee Plaza, Emerald Avenue
Ortigas Centre, Pasig City 1605, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 687 1347 / 48
Fax: +63 2 687 7719
Email: pehm.grafilo@galingpook.org

Website: http://www.galingpook.org

Reference website: http://www.logoshare.ph