Expertise: Institutional Development
Expertise Group: Organization Management & Strategy Development
Consultant Source: National
TOR Keywords:
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
I. Project Background and Rationale
From 2018 to 2020, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) conducted a study that aimed to review
the mandates, functions, management systems, and processes of agencies in the Executive Branch, pursuant
to its mandate of promoting sound, efficient, and effective management and utilization of government
resources, and its functions to: (i) conduct continuing study of the bureaucracy, as well as make policy
recommendations on its role, size, composition, structure, and functions of its various agencies, and
(ii) undertake work simplification efforts and streamlining of systems and procedures to improve
efficiency and effectiveness in government operations. Specifically, the review focused on determining
functions, programs, and projects that are critical in the pursuit of the socio-economic development
goals and objectives of the country, and in enabling agencies to simplify/improve their respective
systems and processes through the adoption of management systems improvement and productivity
enhancement measures.
The project initially covered ten (10) priority sectors, namely: (1) agriculture and agrarian reform;
(2) culture, arts and sports; (3) education; (4) environment and natural resources; (5) interior and
local government; (6) labor and employment; (7) planning, programming, finance, and budgeting; (8)
tourism; (9) trade and industry; and (10) transportation. These sectors were identified by the DBM based
on the potential reforms/developments that could be implemented and the policy concerns/issues that
could be addressed in said sectors. The services of consultants were engaged to gather relevant data and
provide recommendations for their respective sectors.
The results of the study were intended to be used as inputs in developing policy recommendations on the
role, size, composition, structure, and functions of the government bureaucracy, as well as in
establishing rules and procedures in streamlining government systems and operations to improve
efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the recommendations of the study may be pursued by the
agencies concerned as part of their institutional strengthening efforts pursuant to pertinent General
Provisions (GPs) of the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) (i.e., GP Nos. 90 and 92 of the FY 2024
GAA or Republic Act [RA] No. 11975), and could likewise serve as inputs to the proposed National
Government Rightsizing Program.
In order to generate robust and useful information and data on the government’s mandates, functions,
management systems, and processes, it is recognized that there is a need to review the mandates,
functions, management systems, and processes of agencies in the Executive Branch, particularly those
covered by following remaining sectors: (1) health and social welfare; (2) information and
communications technology; (3) science and technology; (4) energy, public works, and infrastructure; (5)
water resources management; (6) land administration and management; (7) justice, security, and national
defense; (8) foreign relations; and (9) general government/administration. Thus, the DBM, in
collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), shall conduct the project, entitled, “A Study and
Review of the Mandate, Functions, Management Systems, and Processes of Agencies in the Executive
Branch,” as part of the small-scale technical assistance on the National Government Governance Reform
Program.
Scope of Work
The project aims to:
a) Determine the role of the government, as well as the suitable extent of government intervention on
the covered sectoral areas;
b) Identify the areas of dysfunctions and bureaucratic inefficiencies, among others, of government
agencies under the covered sectoral areas;
c) Assess the relevance of an agency’s mandates, functions, programs, and projects in pursuit of socio-
economic and developmental goals and outcomes; and
d) Provide recommendations on the appropriate roles, mandates, and functions of government agencies;
organizational actions that shall improve efficiency and interoperability of government agencies; and
necessary transformational and organizational changes that could be implemented in the sectoral areas
and/or in the agencies concerned.
Accordingly, the project shall be guided by the following principles:
a) The government’s role and scope, level, and prioritization of programs, activities and projects, and
the delineation of assignments and responsibilities, shall be clearly defined and shall focus on the
performance of core/vital functions of government agencies, in accordance with Constitutional and legal
mandates, political and socio-economic contexts and objectives of the government, and available
resources.
b) A whole-of-nation approach shall be adopted to ensure seamless operations of agencies within and
across sectors and to be more responsive to public needs.
c) Government systems, processes, and procedures shall be simplified, streamlined/rationalized, and
digitalized to improve government interoperability and a conducive policy environment to encourage
active private sector and civil society sector engagement, in order to provide higher-quality,
transparent, timely, convenient, undisrupted, and efficient delivery of public goods and services, with
no unnecessary regulatory and administrative burdens on the part of the government, citizens,
businesses, and other stakeholders.
d) The organizational structure of government agencies shall be designed to ensure effective, efficient,
and economical implementation of programs and projects in line with the attainment of organizational
outputs and outcomes, and raise the overall productivity of the public sector.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
III. Scope of Work and Expected Outputs
To realize the objectives of the project, the ADB shall engage the services of an Environment, Water,
Land, Other Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Agrarian Reform Institutional Development Expert with
research experience in aid of policy making in the said sectors.
Hence, the Environment, Water, Land, Other Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Agrarian Reform
Institutional Development Expert is expected to undertake the following activities:
1) Prepare and submit a Project Inception Report, which shall include the review of related
studies/literature on the assigned sector/agencies, such as, but not limited to, those provided in the
indicative list below; review of the Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and Environment and Natural
Resources studies conducted in 2018-2020 and identify areas for updating or revision; methodologies and
sources of data to be used; and the proposed work plan for the project.
Indicative List of Agencies Under Environment, Water, Land, Other Natural Resources, Agriculture, and
Agrarian Reform
A. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
- Office of the Secretary
B. Department of Agriculture (DA)
- Office of the Secretary
- Agricultural Credit Policy Council
- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
- Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority
- National Fisheries Research and Development Institute
- National Meat Inspection Service
- Philippine Carabao Center
- Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization
- Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries
- Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority
C. Attached GOCCs
- Philippine Coconut Authority
- Philippine Rice Research Institute
- National Dairy Authority
- National Tobacco Administration
- Sugar Regulatory Administration
- Philippine Fisheries Development Authority
- National Irrigation Administration
- National Food Authority
- Food Terminal, Inc.
- Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation
- Northern Foods Corporation
D. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
- Office of the Secretary
- Environmental Management Bureau
- Mines and Geosciences Bureau
- National Mapping and Resource Information Authority
- National Water Resources Board
- Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff
E. Attached GOCCs
- Laguna Lake Development Authority
- Natural Resources Development Corporation
- Philippine Mining Development Corporation
- Philippine Reclamation Authority
F. Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Land Registration Authority
G. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
- National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
H. Department of Public Works and Highways
- Office of the Secretary
I. Department of Health
- Office of the Secretary
J. Other Executive Offices (OEOs)
- Climate Change Commission
K. Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs)
- Local Water Utilities Administration
- Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
2) Prepare a profile of the assigned sector(s), as well as the various agencies therein, which shall
include the following:
a) General characteristics of the sector and the agencies which fall under the same;
b) Significance of the sector in the country’s socio-economic development goals and outcomes;
c) Appropriate role of government and delineation of the scope of public and private activities within
the sector;
d) Linkages with other sectors, as well as the extent of functional relationship between and among
agencies in the national government and local government units (LGUs), if any;
e) Government agencies involved in the sector, including their mandates, functions, programs, services,
structure, and staffing;
f) Critical governance and administration issues and dysfunctions in the sector including, but not
limited to, gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) concerns/issues;
g) Trends, institutional developments, and reforms in the assigned sector; and
h) Analysis of the challenges and opportunities of the said sector.
3) Conduct research and review on the mandates, functions, programs, services, structure, processes, and
staffing in the assigned sector(s) and the agencies concerned; invite/consult representatives from the
agencies concerned and relevant stakeholders in the sector; and provide recommendations on the following:
a) Strategic directions and core functions of each agency in the assigned sector;
b) Functions, programs, projects, and/or activities, including pertinent laws and issuances, which could
be (i) pursued, created, and/or strengthened since these are relevant and necessary in the pursuit of
the country’s socio-economic development agenda; (ii) scaled down, phased out, eliminated or
discontinued since the same are found redundant, unnecessary, duplicating/overlapping, and the same are
better undertaken by the private sector, or should be devolved to the LGUs consistent with the Local
Government Code of 1991 (RA No. 7160);
c) Possible organizational actions to improve efficiency and interoperability in government, such as
creating, merging, splitting, transferring, regularizing, and/or abolishing
agencies/functions/programs/projects, subject to careful evaluation of the possible/actual contributions
to the country’s socio-economic development agenda, Constitutional mandates, and performance, measures
to address identified GEDSI concerns/issues, among others;
d) Interim arrangements prior to the implementation of the recommended organizational actions, or
general guidelines on the formulation of the said interim arrangements to avoid possible disruptions in
the delivery of services and ensure effective transition; and
e) Areas for streamlining and process improvement consistent with improving productivity and ease of
doing business in the public sector;
4) Prepare and submit drafts and final sector review report containing the findings and recommendations
of the study.
5) Prepare and submit the proposed functional and organizational structures of agencies, and
corresponding executive issuances, administration bills, as appropriate and necessary, to effect the
recommended functional and organizational shifts/modifications in the assigned sectors and agencies.
6) Present to the DBM, through the SPIB, the results and recommendations of the study.
7) Prepare and submit a Project Terminal Report upon completion of the project, which covers the
following:
a) Overall experiences of the consultant under this project;
b) Factors that contributed to the successful completion of the project;
c) Problems/difficulties encountered in pursuing the project and how they were solved; and
d) Suggestions on how the government could do better in pursuing similar initiatives in the future to
ensure their smooth and successful implementation.
IV. Project Methodology
The project may employ various methodological approaches and tools to gather relevant data in the study,
as may be appropriate. This may include stakeholder analysis; key informant interviews; focus group
discussions (FGDs); desk review of applicable policies, plans, manuals, procedures, guidelines, records;
and process analysis tools and techniques, such as time and motion studies, value stream mapping, and/or
spaghetti diagram, among others. Other specific methodological approaches and tools that could be
employed in the project should be discussed in a joint consultation between the consultant and the DBM.
V. Project Management
The consultant will be engaged for a period of six (6) months. The consultant is expected to deliver
the following outputs and submit the same to the DBM Office of the Secretary and the DBM Systems and
Productivity Improvement Bureau (DBM-SPIB), in digital format (Microsoft Word and PDF versions) through
email addresses osec@dbm.gov.ph and dbm-spib@dbm.gov.ph, within the specified timeframe:
Outputs:
1) Project Inception Report – Month 1
2) Profile of the Sector – Month 2
3) Drafts and final version of the Sector Review Report – Months 2-4
4) Presentation on the results of the studies and reviews – Month 5
5) Proposed functional and organizational structures of agencies, and corresponding executive issuances,
administration bills, staffing complement, as appropriate and necessary – Month 6
6) Project Terminal Report – Month 6
A formal presentation on the key findings and recommendations of the study to the DBM shall also be
conducted. Regular meetings shall likewise be conducted to inform both the DBM and the consultant of the
progress and key issues that may arise during project implementation.
The DBM, through the SPIB, as the focal bureau, shall review, evaluate, and provide comments on the
outputs submitted by the consultants within twenty (20) working days upon receipt of the output. The DBM
shall then inform the consultant regarding the results of its evaluation for consideration and/or
inclusion in the subsequent outputs to be submitted.
In case of delays in the submission of project outputs/reports, the consultant shall inform the DBM,
through the SPIB, in writing, providing the reasons for the delay and the proposed revised date of
submission, subject to approval by the Department, through the SPIB Director, of the said request.
VI. Institutional Responsibilities and Arrangements
A. Extent of DBM Assistance
In pursuit of this project, the DBM, through the SPIB, shall provide assistance and support to the
consultant in the conduct of the study in terms of the following:
• Provision of access to available data and reference materials related to the sector;
• Provision of templates of reports and other materials relative to the expected outputs of the project;
• Coordination with relevant personnel of agencies concerned as regards their participation in the study
(e.g., key informant interviews and FGDs);
• Preparation of an endorsement letter to agencies concerned which aim to introduce the consultant and
seek the former’s cooperation and assistance in the conduct of the study; and
• Provision of comments and/or recommendations on the outputs of the consultant to ensure its
completeness, clarity, consistency, and acceptability.
B. Performance Expectations from the Consultant
To avoid any undue misgivings and speculations that may arise once the studies are inadvertently
disclosed, the work of the consultant is highly technical/proprietary, primarily confidential, and
policy determining in nature. Hence, trust and confidence are the primary consideration for engaging the
consultant.
The consultant shall conduct themselves in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for
Public Officials and Employees (RA No. 6713). Relatedly, the consultant shall not disclose to another
party any confidential information relating to his/her engagement in this project without the prior
consent of the DBM, even after the termination of his/her contract. These shall be observed even after
the termination of the contract.
The consultant shall carry out the services with due diligence and efficiency in accordance with the
highest standards of professional and ethical competence and integrity.
C. Intellectual Property, Data Privacy and Confidentiality
All materials/data/information and outputs arising from the project must be treated by the consultant
with utmost confidentiality. All information shared by informants and stakeholders shall likewise be
treated with the same level of confidentiality.
Furthermore, the ownership of the deliverables/outputs, reports, and other materials produced by the
consultant shall be owned exclusively with the DBM. Copies of such materials, including the data
gathered, could be retained but the consultant shall seek permission from the DBM should the consultant
wish to use/reproduce these materials in part or in their entirety. Furthermore, upon completion of the
deliverables, the consultant shall turn over to the DBM all relevant resource materials and references
generated from the conduct of the study.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
The Environment, Water, Land, Other Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Agrarian Reform Institutional
Development Expert must have the following qualifications:
i. Undergraduate and Advanced Degrees and Professional Licensure, if applicable, in Public
Administration, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Water Resource Management, Land
Administration and Management, Agriculture, Economics (Agriculture and/or Environment), Urban Planning,
or Management. Advanced degrees in Organizational Development or Organizational Change Management
preferred;
ii. At least ten (10) years of experience in the practice of public administration, environmental
management, water resource management, land administration, agricultural economics, environmental
economics, urban planning, or management;
iii. At least ten (10) years of collective experience with government agencies in water management, land
management, environment and natural resources, agriculture or agrarian reform as personnel or consultant
or both;
iv. Knowledge and/or experience on research and process management concerns is preferred;
v. At least two (2) years of consulting experience with development partners in the Philippines or
abroad is a preferred; and
vi. Presence of work exhibiting competence in technical report writing.
Minimum General Experience: 10 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 10 Years
