Monday, July 21, 2008

Are You Afraid of Bohol Capitol Revamp of Government Workers?

By Romy Teruel

The success of reengineering in government, particularly in the provincial government of Bohol, will depend on the transparency with which it will be conducted.  People are always wary, if not fearful, of change especially if they do not know what or how this change will affect or impact on their lives.  But if they are assured of transparency, or more, if they are assured that they are part of the change process, then there is nothing really to be afraid of in change like the reengineering of the provincial government of Bohol.

The reengineering that is being contemplated and which has earned the go signal of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to proceed will impact on the people as they are the constituency of the province.  They are the beneficiary of the delivery of service of the provincial government.  

It will affect the municipal local government units as they are the extension arms of the provincial government in the delivery of services and in the implementation of development plans. Municipal local governments align their goals and objectives of development with that of the provincial government. They are the indispensable partners of the provincial government in serving the people.

The reengineering will directly affect the provincial government departments and offices as it will be their mandates, functions and duties, their business processes and operations systems that will go through review, assessment and improvements.  

But above all reengineering will affect the officers and employees of the provincial government for they are the very people who compose the organization that is the provincial government. Nobody can escape being affected by this reengineering.

But as I have pointed out earlier in this series, the reengineering is not being done to emasculate the provincial government.  It is not being done to throw people out of their jobs and livelihood.  It is not being done to deprive the Boholanos the government service they deserve. It is not being done to destroy business in the province.

On the contrary it is being done to enhance and improve the business processes and systems of service delivery.  It is being done to identify and clarify old and new mandates, functions and duties so that they are aligned with provincial and national development goals. It is being done to match competencies of employees with their job descriptions so that not only will they be comfortable doing their job but that they also become more productive. 

It is therefore clear that there is nothing to be afraid of in the objectives and purposes of reengineering for it is meant to improve government service.

Now let us see the process because it is in this that fears could draw basis from. How will the reengineering be conducted?  Is the process something that will be kept away from the stakeholders?  Will the plan suddenly appear lock-stock-and-barrel from nowhere ready for implementation in December?

It has been repeatedly said that the process will be transparent all the step of the way.  The public and employees will be informed regularly of updates on the conduct of the reengineering.  They will be consulted on changes that are being proposed.  They will be participants in the organizational assessment of their offices and in the redesign of their offices based on their mandates, functions and business processes. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials will be made available to all.

As part of this principle of transparency, the Change Management Team will conduct orientation activities on reengineering of the League of Municipalities (LMP) – Bohol Chapter, and the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) to assure them that they too have nothing to fear about reengineering. It is currently doing that to all departments and offices of the provincial government.

Other than the different teams that were organized from out of the Change Management and Sub-Change Management Teams, there is the Steering Committee that will review and pass on all proposals before the same is consolidated into a plan and transmitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for final approval.  

The Steering Committee is composed of the Governor, Vice Governor, two members of the SP, the Human Resource and Management and Development Officer, a representative of the Department Heads, a representative of the Local Finance Committee, and a representative of the Union of Employees.

What should be the clincher is that Gov. Erico B. Aumentado has assured the employees that no one will be forced to leave government service because of reengineering.

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