End of Commitment Report – Harnessing Youth Power in Integrating Open Government Values and Mechanisms to Respond to Local and Community-Interest Issues in the Province of South Cotabato

Name of Evaluator

Raphael S. Tanseco, RPm

Email

rstanseco@addu.edu.ph

Member Name

South Cotabato, Philippines

Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title

Action plan – South Cotabato, Philippines, 2021 – 2022

CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action...

Harnessing YouthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... Power in Integrating Open Government Values and Mechanisms to Respond to Local and Community-Interest Issues in the Province of South Cotabato

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

Complete

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment “Harnessing Youth Power in Integrating Open Government Values and Mechanisms to Respond to Local and Community-Interest Issues in the Province of South Cotabato” had four milestones in total: (1) Open Government Youth Ambassador Program for the Youth of South Cotabato; (2) Issue-based Freedom of Activations; (3) Focus Issues Citizen ParticipationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More Drives; and (4) Issue-Based Open Government Capacity BuildingEnhancing the skills, abilities, and processes of public servants, civil society, and citizens is essential to achieving long-lasting results in opening government. Technical specifications: Set of ac... Activities. Each milestone showed a clearly indicated goal and output, as well as a responsible agency. However, the final outputs at the end of these milestones were the proposals coming from the youth participants who were involved throughout the implementation of the commitment. The attached Assessment Report presents this in detail.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

OGP Local Assessment Report (Table)

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

At the time of the implementation of the commitment, Youth Alliance for Freedom of Information (YAFOI), one of the partner agencies, had other commitments at the national level, etc., and were not able to provide their schedule for the activities in a prompt manner. There were also difficulties faced by both participants and implementers in the virtual and blended mode of delivery of most of the activities. Turnover of key personnel responsible for implementing the action plan due to promotions and subsequent departures was also observed in the Provincial Planning and Development Office.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

The commitment implemented was completely different from the plan.

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

Although all the milestones were implemented and its goals were achieved satisfactorily, they were implemented at a timeline later than intended as a result of the factors mentioned in 1.2.

Provide evidence for your answer:

OGP Local Assessment Report 2023

2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information; improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information; improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?

Yes

Degree of result:

Marginal

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

Especially regarding being able to disclose more information and improving accessibility to information, it can be said that the activities focused on equipping the youth sector of South Cotabato to Open Government and to OGP values, processes, and best practices, and thus, led to a youth sector that’s aware of the channels for accessing information from the government. However, regarding the impact of the commitment, none can be observed yet since the proposals prepared by the youth sector participants, the final output of the commitment, has not yet been implemented, though they have been presented to various stakeholders during the culmination activity.

2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?

Unclear

Degree of result:

Marginal

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

While the youths are now more aware of feedback avenues and are making informed decisions, there hasn’t been a clear change in improving existing channels or spaces for feedback or enhancing government and public capabilities in seeking feedback or enabling participation. These aspects weren’t the focus of the commitment. Also, lacking baseline data makes it challenging to draw conclusions on these matters. However, there’s a notable improvement in reaching the youth sector compared to previous commitments.

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

Did not change

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

As previously stated, the focus is on informing the youth about OGP values, processes, and best practices, and as a result, the proposals focused on making information about scholarships more accessible, connecting youth to more opportunities, increasing access to information in geographically isolated communities, and advocating for genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... equality in an adopted community.

Provide evidence for your answer:

Proposal Presentations – Youth Ambassador Program

2.1.4 Other Results

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

Did not change

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The commitment primarily focused on specific outcomes related to youth engagement and open government values. While these areas were the main focus, the commitment did not yield additional outcomes beyond those outlined in the assessment.

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Yes

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment effectively addressed the central public policy problem outlined in the action plan, which focused on harnessing youth power to integrate open government values and mechanisms. Through initiatives such as increasing youth awareness, facilitating feedback avenues, and influencing decision-making processes, the commitment directly tackled the targeted policy issue of involving youth in integrating open government values and mechanisms to respond to local and community-interest issues in the province as evidenced by the outputs. This contribution has played a significant role in fostering a more participatory youth sector.

3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.

One crucial lesson gleaned from the implementation process is the imperative of thorough planning, particularly in crafting contingency measures and preemptively identifying potential obstacles. This strategic approach not only mitigates delays but also enhances the overall effectiveness of initiatives. Additionally, appointing a dedicated focal person to oversee implementation plays a pivotal role in ensuring seamless execution, fostering adaptability, and swiftly addressing emerging challenges, thereby contributing significantly to achieving timely and successful outcomes.