Name of Client:
Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Country:
Philippines
Length of Consultancy Assignment:
Start Date: June 2021
Completion Date: April 2022
Detailed Narrative Description of Project:
The primary objective of this PPS is to build consensus with DILG and agree on a policy matrix, based on specific policies and a results matrix, which will constitute the backbone of a program financed by a policy-based loan from AFD. The loan-funded program will support DILG in the devolution of DRRM functions and services to the local government units (LGUs) and address DRRM issues at the local level. It will also help build DRRM capacity at the national (mainly DILG) and local levels and support ongoing reform programs. The program will support the Philippine Government in the further implementation of the National DRRM Plan (NDRRMP) 2011-2028, which is aligned with the disaster risk financing framework. The program will be a continuation of the current DRMIS Project but will also include new components of other national public entities providing support to LGUs. The PPS was implemented in four stages: (i) Stage 1: Policy and institutional assessment focusing on devolution and DRRM; (ii) Stage 2, Preparation of the policy and results matrix; (iii) Stage 3: Preparation of the institutional and capacity development (ICD) roadmap and design of the TA; and (iv) Stage 4: priority project identification.
PRIMEX, as the Lead Firm, was primarily responsible for the implementation of the PPS in close coordination with DILG, AFD, and CDIA and the delivery of the expected outputs in a timely manner.
PRIMEX provided the services of a team of national consultants led by the DRRM Policy Specialist/Team Leader. The other specialists were: (i) Decentralization and Governance Specialist/Deputy Team Leader; (ii) Institutional and Capacity Development Specialist; (iii) Social and Gender Specialist; (iv) Financial and Fiscal Management Specialist; and (v) Climate and Urban Development Specialist. An international Public Administration Specialist was fielded by SOGEROM.
The national DRRM Specialist/Team Leader was mainly responsible for the overall management and coordination of the PPS activities and the preparation of the required reports. He also conducted the DRRM assessment and the appropriate recommendations as well as the preparation of a policy matrix and the design of the TA, ensuring that climate change adaptation was mainstreamed throughout the PPS.
The national Decentralization and Governance Specialist handles the devolution assessment and recommendations and works with the International Public Administration Specialist in preparing the implementation framework, policy matrix, and TA design of the TA.
The national Institutional and Capacity Development Specialist prepared the Institutional Capacity Development (ICD) Roadmap and design of the TA based on a prior assessment of the organizational, performance management, human resources, and capabilities of DILG and the LGUs.
The national Fiscal and Financial Specialist was responsible for the assessment and recommendations to improve fiscal and municipal finance management.
The national Social Safeguard and Gender Expert were responsible for preparing the framework for gender equality issues and DRRM, based on a social and gender impact assessment, and for ensuring the mainstreaming of pro-poor and gender-sensitive measures in the policy matrix and TA design.
The national Climate and Urban Development Specialist had overall responsibility for the identification of priority cities and projects for inclusion in the program.