PROFILE OF THE PROJECT
USAID/PHILIPPINES DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)
FOR FY 07 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007)
The USAID/Philippines Annual Program Statement (APS) solicits applications from prospective partners to implement democracy and good governance activities.
USAID will support democracy and governance (DG) programs at the national level and in
The USG, primarily through USAID, currently supports the reform of government budgeting and procurement at national and local levels; government anti-corruption efforts (particularly through the Office of the Ombudsman); initiatives to improve the efficiency of the judiciary and access to justice; greater transparency and public participation in governance; a fair and transparent electoral process; an empowered civil society; and the protection of vulnerable individuals from human trafficking. In
For Fiscal Year 2007, USAID/Philippines’ priority areas for support in the DG sector include: 1) improving the conduct and credibility of elections; 2) bolstering the protection of human rights; 3) strengthening of a range of key accountability mechanisms, including the Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan (anti-graft court), and civil society to perform a “watchdog” role; and 4) strengthening local governance in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. USAID is also interested in initiatives geared towards strengthening the Supreme Court and other judicial reform activities, and revitalizing channels for meaningful political participation, including parties and multi-partisan dialogue on key issues.
Pending availability of funding, USAID anticipates awarding a limited number of grants in response to the APS. Concept papers may be submitted at any time up to May 31, 2007. They will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All awards will be issued by September 30, 2007.
Funding requests should range from $250,000 to $2 million, for expenditure between one and two years. Organizations may submit additional requests for funding the same activities after year one. Applicants may be
The APS is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested parties have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding. Issuance of this APS does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor does it commit USAID to pay for the costs incurred in the submission of an application. Further, USAID reserves the right to reject any, or all, applications received. Finally, USAID has a limited amount of funding available activities, and anticipates that, at best, only a limited number of proposals will be funded.
GOALS
The purpose of the Annual Program Statement (APS) is to disseminate information about USAID/Philippines’ current DG activities and its priorities in the DG sector for FY 2007 to ensure that interested parties will have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding. The APS also explains the process and criteria for evaluating concept papers and full proposals.
The United States Government, primarily through USAID, currently supports their FY 2007 high priority DG areas:
1. Improving the conduct and credibility of elections;
2. Bolstering protections for human rights;
3. Strengthening a range of key accountability mechanisms, including the
Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan, and civil society watchdog efforts;
4. Strengthening local governance and mechanisms for conflict resolution in
conflict-affected areas of
USAID/Philippines also views the areas below as important. In light of existing programs and anticipated budget constraints, however, the
5. Supporting the Supreme Court and other judicial reform activities; and
6. Revitalizing channels for meaningful participation, including parties and multi-partisan dialogue on key issues.
Henceforth, the Democracy and Governance Annual Program Statement aims to the defending and spreading of a clean and anti-corrupt government ideology as well as the promotion of peace in the national and local levels, especially in
COUNTRY ELEMENTS
USAID/Philippines encourages grant proposals that creatively address the
USAID/Philippines will support applications that best address its DG priorities for FY 2007 in line with the new USG Foreign Assistance Framework objective “Governing Justly and Democratically.” This objective includes the following broad program areas: 1) rule of law and human rights; 2) good governance; 3) political competition and consensus building; 4) and civic participation.
DG activities of USAID in the
The DG activities also aim to change the qualitative points of policy makers and leaders. It also tries to promote the role of information and ideology in terms of its objectives on rule of law and human rights; good governance; political competition and consensus building; and civic participation.
The DG programs thus uphold the role of democracy and governance in the context of the new global order. Since in the present context, it is but a fact that the
Despite the challenges that remain, significant progress is being made and opportunities for bringing about systemic change are many. USAID has helped local partners to reform government procurement and improve tax and customs administration.
Support for the Ombudsman and other anti-corruption agencies of the government like the Sandiganbayan (anti-graft court) are beginning to bear fruit with the investigation and suspension of a number of high-level officials.
Support for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) concerned with electoral reform has facilitated first steps in reforming election administration and providing NGOs with the capacity to conduct voter education and monitor elections.
Improvements in local governance in
USAID support for the reform program of the Philippine judiciary has helped increase the capacity of judges and court personnel, reinforced the importance of ethics, and institutionalized alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as an acceptable mode of settling disputes. This includes a court-referred mediation process that is expected to help in decongesting the courts.
In conflict-affected areas, mediation efforts have also helped expand justice to the poor and prevent disputes from escalating into violent conflict.
MAKING OF FOREIGN POLICY
The authority for the APS is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. Awards shall be made in accordance with 22 CFR 226, OMB Circulars A-21 (for universities) or A-122 (for non-profit organizations), ADS-303, and USAID Standard Provisions.
The Annual Program Statement is authorized in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, (FAA) Sections 621 and 635(b.)
Obviously, the foreign policy has been subject for implementation under the power of diplomacy of the president and of the Philippine Congress as promulgated under Artcile II, Section 21, which clearly states that "no treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.
The agencies that are involved in the flourishing of this foreign endeavor range from the legislative, executive, and judicial institutions: Department of Foreign Affairs, Commission on Elections, Commission on Human Rights, Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, non-government organizations, among others.
Diplomatic ties have been established through the concurrence of diplomatic subordinate officials that coordinate in every programs made and announced at the American Embassy.
USAID's ability to achieve results depends largely on the quality of the partnerships it forges and facilitates. From the day-to-day delivery of grassroot services to intergovernmental collaboration on international mandates, the Agency has as partners a diverse array of institutions. It forms partnerships with other donors to ensure that policies are harmonious, goals consistent, and program complementary.
Effective partnerships not only ensure greater consistency of purpose and action, but also multiply USAID's own capabilities and resources. While effective partnerships are essential, the are not always easy, given divergent national and organizational interests. It takes time and effort to negotiate shared commitments to common goals and strategies among sovereign nations. It takes continuing attention to keep them on track.
As USAID/Philippines' resource levels decline in the past decade from over $350 million a year in 1990 to about $30-$35 million, the need for donor collaboration has never been greater. Frequently, USAID provides the technical assistance and grant support in order to achieve policy reforms, while larger donors and the private sector provide the core financing of commodities and infrastructure.
METHODS
USAID will support democracy and governance (DG) programs at the national level and in
The authority for the APS is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. Awards shall be made in accordance with 22 CFR 226, OMB Circulars A-21 (for universities) or A-122 (for non-profit organizations), ADS-303, and USAID Standard Provisions.
Funding requests should range from $250,000 to $2 million, for expenditure between one and two years. Organizations may submit additional requests for funding the same activities after year one. Applicants may be
The APS is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested parties have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding. Issuance of this APS does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor does it commit USAID to pay for the costs incurred in the submission of an application. Further, USAID reserves the right to reject any, or all, applications received. In addition, final award of any resultant grant(s) cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal USAID procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant; should circumstances prevent award, all preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.
USAID has a limited amount of funding available for this and other activities, and anticipates that, at best, only a limited number of proposals will be funded. USAID reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.
EVALUATION
1. Ensuring the credibility of elections and supporting comprehensive electoral reform
It is vital for Philippine democracy that elections not lose credibility as a means for changing administrations. USAID envisions a highly targeted approach for its support of electoral reform, focusing on areas where problems have been noted in the past and are likely to be in the future, where limited assistance may have strategic impact, and where assistance and reforms can be monitored by the public.
a. Ensuring the credibility of electoral administration.
a.1 Automation of the count. If automation will be implemented, this may entail support for the process from procurement, training and use, and voters’ education. Support for transparent, well-informed automation, with an emphasis on “getting the process right” in a few areas rather than thin support to many areas, and on improvements that are visible to voters may be considered.
a.2 Public scrutiny of automation. Any “pilot” automation could be documented and the lessons learned disseminated.
a.3 Wise-persons’ group. A well-respected, non-partisan organization could convene a small group of experts on both the technical and political challenges of automation to advise the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). COMELEC reportedly has an advisory committee on automation but its make-up and role are unclear. This should be explored before setting up another group.
a.4 Voter registration. COMELEC has already cleaned the voter rolls in the ARMM and found major discrepancies (around a third of the names were duplicates or otherwise incorrect). COMELEC could be supported, indirectly, to prioritize regions in which the rolls are suspected of being especially faulty and to clean them. Other voter registration activities could also be considered. Any such activities should be paired with a monitoring activity and the results disseminated.
a.5 COMELEC budget allocation in Congress. Support could be provided to help COMELEC prepare for the budget process in Congress, and to support public monitoring of the funds it receives and how they are allocated.
a.6 Support key “low-tech” reforms. Simple reforms like the redesign of the ballot so that it is not a “write in” ballot, if that is allowed under existing law, could be supported.
b. Election monitoring organizations
There is a need to encourage major Filipino poll watching/electoral reform organizations to work together. The possible activities below could benefit more from closer coordination among these organizations.
b.1 Voter education and protect-the-vote campaigns. More generic campaigns to explain elections to voters and encourage “ethical” voting are already underway. Resources could also be used on “protect the vote” campaigns in areas where elections results have been particularly disputed, if such campaigns can safely be developed.
b.2 Monitoring of vote counting. Monitoring of the “canvass” especially at the national level will be helpful in preventing election fraud and enhancing the credibility of the election process.
c. Media
The importance of media as a partner of the poll-watching community in safeguarding the integrity of the election process is particularly important.
Some observers regard the cost of elections in the
2. Strengthening human rights monitoring, investigations and advocacy
This includes both short term responses to the rise in human rights abuses, and a longer term view of protecting human rights. Work in this area should ideally undertake a holistic approach that involves government policy, the Commission on Human Rights, the AFP and PNP and human rights groups.
a. Support for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Support for efforts at the national level to process information efficiently and for enhanced field operations in targeted areas, particularly those where both human rights violations are rising and where the CHR can leverage other resources, such as civil society, to address violations could be considered.
b. NGO monitoring, investigation and advocacy.
Human rights groups could be supported to improve the coordination of data collection and merger, the analysis of data, and the dissemination of reports, including to the media and international audiences.
c. Media protection. Support to media organizations to monitor and publicize attacks on journalists could be provided.
3. Strengthening the effectiveness of key accountability mechanisms in order to ensure the democratic “rules of the game” are followed and to combat corruption and other abuses of power
This is an area in which USAID has been most active. For example, USAID has supported procurement monitoring through trainings for members of Bids and Awards Committees, civil society organizations, and business. It has also supported the development of procurement manuals, e-governance, and the monitoring of “pork-barrel” allocations. Projects in this area have shown results; the process of textbook procurement, for example, has been significantly cleaned up. In building on this work, USAID is considering adopting a broader approach to accountability to include aspects of political accountability, as well as public service accountability. This is an area that will need to be closely coordinated with The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program in the
a. The Office of the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman’s office is crucial to exacting accountability and it has received support from a number of donors including USAID and the European Union. The Ombudsman will also receive significant assistance from the MCC. Further support for the Ombudsman may be considered if additional gaps can be identified and their importance clearly demonstrated.
b. The Sandiganbayan (
Currently, USAID-supported technical assistance to the Sandiganbayan includes the establishment of continuous trial system, case-flow management and other capacity-building activities. Additional support may also be considered if further gaps are identified and their importance clearly demonstrated.
c. Building capacity to monitor the national government budget process.
Civil society groups monitor various aspects of government budgeting and spending. However, some observers note that these efforts are partial and uncoordinated. Nor do they address the overall process of national budget preparation, allocation and authorization. There are a number of issues related to government budgeting at the national level, such as the “re-enactment” of past budgets, which could be scrutinized. Illustrative activities include: Identifying gaps in monitoring; consolidating and disseminating budget analysis; and more public monitoring of the budget process. The Center for Budget Analysis in the
d. Civil society/ business/ media.
Support for civil society, business and media initiatives to act as “watchdogs” of government operations to make them more transparent and accountable.
e. Other accountability bodies.
Technical assistance to other accountability bodies – for example, the Commission on Audit or the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission – may be beneficial and considered.
f. Witness protection plan.
Technical support to the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Justice, human rights groups and other relevant agencies and groups to develop an effective witness protection plan for “whistle-blowers” on corruption, reporters, and other victims of harassment may be considered.
g. Party institutes and other think tanks and media.
This could include research and outreach on the role of parties, campaign finance and elections in corruption. Possible initiatives here are not intended to support party-building per se, but to examine and publicize the role of campaign finance in corruption and associated constraints on sound policy-making and public accountability.
h. Mining: Monitor contracting processes & implementation.
Mining has been prioritized by the government as an economic growth area, and new mining projects are proceeding apace. Given the history of mining in the
4. Strengthening local governance and mechanisms for conflict resolution in conflict-affected areas of
USAID/Philippines currently has a substantial program supporting local governance and conflict resolution in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and other conflict-affected areas. The
Mission support for the institutionalization of barangay (community) justice systems in conflict-affected areas of
USAID/Philippines will consider funding proposals in these areas that reflect lessons learned and build on the
5. Supporting the Supreme Court and Other Judicial Reform Efforts
USAID will to consider building on its programs in this area and on the Supreme Court’s reform initiative. Reform initiatives that support judicial independence and improved decision-making in the judiciary are possibilities.
a. Judicial capacity-building and accountability.
This may include support for backlog reduction, modernization of trial practices, enforcement of judicial ethics, and the establishment of mechanisms to exact more transparency and accountability from the courts.
6. Revitalizing channels for meaningful participation in politics and governance
a. Strengthening political parties
USAID does not envision supporting long-term and/or large scale party-building programs but opportunities to build the institutional capacity of party reform experts and activists to support party reform efforts when they take off could be considered.
USAID does not fund political parties or individual members of political parties, but can provide nonpartisan technical assistance and training to a range of democratic political parties. The purpose of these interventions is to enhance the role of democratic parties as vehicles for civic and political participation, especially at the grassroots level.
The results would be a stronger capacity of political party leaders to: wage effective campaigns; develop more democratic and representative internal structures and clearer platforms; monitor the integrity of the electoral process; and develop dialogue with civic leaders to build momentum for political reform.
a.1 Multi-partisan analysis & dialog on party reform legislation. This may include current efforts to institute public financing of parties. Other topics like the monitoring of public finance, segmenting and appealing to particular constituencies, and the implications of floor-crossing legislation could be considered.
a.2 Party institutes/ consortium of party institutes. This may involve building capacity to support party members, particularly through policy analysis and development. Supporting joint institute activities, such as policy roundtables, is also a possibility.
b. Supporting multi-partisan dialogue on key issues in politics and governance
b.1 Consensus-building on reforms between government and opposition, government and non-government, across sectors. Respected, non-partisan organizations with convening power could be supported to hold these types of dialogues.
b.2 Polling on substantive issues of concern to voters. The information from these polls can be widely disseminated and used to structure constructive dialog among key players within and outside government.
In addition to the major programs discussed, USAID/Philippines is engaged in a variety of Other Activities including:
Humanitarian Assistance. In times of calamity, USAID provides short-term humanitarian assistance to the
Gender and Development. USAID recognizes that effective development assistance strategies which stimulate economic growth, promote good governance, peace and development, alleviate poverty, prevent environmental degradation, improve health and quality of life, and support human rights, must take into account the situation of men and women. USAID programs in the
Conclusion
The program also eyes for strengthening a range of key accountability mechanisms including the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan, and civil society watchdog efforts, strengthening local governance and mechanisms for conflict resolution in conflict-affected areas in
Changes on these areas of the
We, the researchers believed that the goals of this program would be met because the program links some agencies as aids to its fulfillment. Thus, it is practicable.
With this program working and functioning, the benefits would enjoyed by the masses, since it is their rights and needs which would be regarded. With the presence of this program, justice, equality and morality will replace wrongful results of inappropriate governance.
REFERENCE
INTERNET
www.grants.gov
Lsusi@usaid.gov
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/75121.pdf
http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/303.pdf
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