Manila, April 12, 2006 AEST (ABN Newswire) - A US$500,000 grant from Asian Development Bank (ASX: ATB) will use information and communications technology (ICT) to help provide more efficient and effective public services in the Philippines.
The project, financed by the Japan Fund for Information and Communications Technology, from the Government of Japan, will use ICT to help strengthen the training and development of third level government executives, as well as enable their more efficient and transparent operations.
The third level is the highest level in the Philippine civil service system, tasked with providing policy direction and leadership.
"The collective strength of this segment of the civil service is a potent force that can be mobilized for large-scale initiatives for civil service reforms," says Emma Yang, an ADB Senior Financial Management Specialist.
The project will develop, install, and operate a common database on personnel information to help insulate the civil service from political patronage and ensure the selection of the most competent candidates.
To enable third level government executives to perform their functions more efficiently, the project will develop a web portal offering interactive multimedia tools for acquiring and sharing information and transacting business with partner agencies.
Last, online training facilities that include modules on management concepts and tools will be developed. Through this, the project will contribute to ensuring a more rational, responsive, and cost-efficient policy and decision-making process.
"ICT, as a modern tool, has played a key role in public administration reforms," adds Ms. Yang. "It not only helps improve service delivery efficiency, it also helps introduce transparency and accountability."
The Government will contribute $250,000 toward the project's total estimated cost of $750,000. The Philippine Civil Service Commission is the executing agency for the project, which will be carried out over about 16 months.
The JFICT was set up in July 2001 with an initial contribution from Japan of Y1,273.3 million (about $10 million) to harness the potential of ICT and bridge the growing digital divide in Asia and the Pacific.
Contact
Graham Dwyer
Email: gdwyer@adb.org
Tel:+632 632 5253; +632 898 3413; +63 915 741 4363
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