Vertically Integrated Initiatives in the Philippines An Ongoing Research. Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, Pasig City 5 August 2015

Transcription

1 Vertically Integrated Initiatives in the Philippines An Ongoing Research Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, Pasig City 5 August 2015

2 The Research Team Joy Aceron Francis Isaac Marlon Cornelio Benedict Nisperos

3 Objectives 1. Provide a narrative of the ongoing exploratory research on vertical integration in the Philippines. 2. Gather evidence on monitoring and advocacy initiatives that were able to deliver positive results. 3. Understand how vertical integration contributed to the delivery of results and the overall success of these initiatives.

4 Background The Philippines has a long experience of state-society engagement meant to make governance more responsive, to introduce policy reform and/or make government more accountable.

5 Background One prominent approach in state-society engagement is the bibingka strategy, coined by Saturnino Borras, Jr. Used as a framework to push for agrarian reform implementation in the Philippines, the bibingka strategy is predicated on the symbiotic interaction between autonomous societal groups from below and state reformists from above (Borras 1999: 134).

6 Background The outcomes of the land reform policy are not determined by either structural or institutional factors alone, or by the actions of state elites alone, but that the political actions and strategies of a wide range of state and societal actors also bear on the outcomes of the reform process. (Borras 1999: 125)

7 Background Civil society actors have also begun utilizing the concept of social accountability (SAcc) in 2000 to fight corruption. SAcc integrates civil society monitoring in government processes as a transparency mechanism to improve performance and deter corruption in the bureaucracy.

8 Background Civil society actors have also begun to transcend the formalistic state-society divide by engaging in partisan work (i.e., openly campaigning for reform candidates) and by accepting ministerial positions in government (crossover leadership).

9 Background Questions are now emerging question on how to sustain these initiatives and ensure their impact on governance and politics. There are also efforts to identify the campaigns/initiatives that have been most effective and must therefore be sustained.

10 Background Jonathan Fox argues that vertical integration of local, regional and national civil society oversight has the greater potential of addressing corruption and exclusion. This is so because corruption and social exclusion are produced by vertically integrated power structures and that effective responses require parallel processes that are also vertically integrated. (Fox 2014: 31) Vertical integration is a coordinated, multi-level, multiactor, citizen-led approach using a variety of strategies and action to advance policy reform.

11 Background Challenges How to widen the network of civil society actors? How to maximize existing participatory and accountability mechanisms? How to strengthen the said mechanisms to sustain reform?

12 Exploratory Research General Research Question How do reform gains exactly happen? How do we establish that the results are due to vertical integration?

13 Exploratory Research First Phase The research was exploratory in nature. It aims to develop the framework and the methodology for investigating vertically integrated initiatives in the Philippines. Involved a rapid scanning of the environment and a broad profiling o existing initiatives that are potentially verticallyintegrated. Investigated at least 7 case studies by looking at their general profile and preliminary findings for further development. Output: Synthesis paper on emerging findings and insights on how to research and learn about vertical integration in a given country.

14 Exploratory Research Selection of Cases 1.General scanning of the history of state-society engagement in the Philippines in introducing reforms and strengthening governance accountability. 2.Identified campaigns that have been relatively successful in terms of: Passing progressive policies Ensuring representation and voice for marginalized sectors accounting for government spending/service delivery 3.Organizations/ initiatives that have: National prominence Willingness to take part in the study diversity of issues/sectors

15 Exploratory Research Research Approach The research began by first investigating successful policy advocacy campaigns that employed bibingka strategy, such as: Agrarian Reform Reproductive Health (RH) Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) DRRM Law

16 Exploratory Research The study has also been looking at successful civil society initiatives using the SAcc approach such as: Textbook Count Anti-mining campaign CheckMySchool Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Housing

17 Exploratory Research Advocacy/ Monitoring Campaign Agrarian Reform (AR) Social Accountability in Education Reproductive Health (RH) Disaster Risk and Reduction Management (DRRM) Social Accountability in Education Anti-Mining Indigenous People s Rights (IP) Housing/ Urban Poor Initiative/ Organization Katarungan/ RIGHTS NETWORK G-Watch s Textbook Count Project Likhaan/ Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) Buklod Tao/ Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP)/ DRRNetPhils CheckMySchool ALG/ Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force (ABAKATAF) Teduray-Lambaingan Women s Organization (TLWOI) Damayan ng Maralitang Pilipinong Api, Inc. (DAMPA)

18 Exploratory Research Research Questions What is the political context/ background that inspired/ informed the initiative? Who are the key actors and players and what are the roles that they have played? What are the goals and objectives of the initiatives? How do these address the broader political context/ background that led to the problem the initiative is trying to address? How vertically-integrated are these initiatives? What factors make organizations integrate their actions in a given initiative? What are the drivers of vertical integration? What are the results attributable to such strategy/ approach? What are the limitations of such strategy/ approach and how do the initiatives address these challenges? What are the pre-requisites to an integrated, comprehensive and systematic policy monitoring and advocacy initiative that delivers results?

19 Exploratory Research Research Methodology The research utilized both primary research, including key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGD). It also utilized secondary by looking at reports on the various campaigns, as well as published documents related to the said initiatives.

20 Exploratory Research Data Gathering Activities Reviewed and processed related literature and secondary materials. Conducted interviews with at least three (3) key informants, covering at least one area/ site per case using an interview guide. Preliminary processing of data conducted to see emerging findings and to reflect on the conduct of research so far. Emerging findings and insights on learning prepared for validation and initial sharing.

21 Initial Observations 1. Integrated approach is key to achieving positive results. Civil society actors must be able to engage the state at various levels to gain attention and multiple their strength. 2. Results vary according to the nature of the campaign. Policy advocacy (e.g., agrarian reform, RH) seek policy change Policy monitoring demand effective policy implementation (e.g., Textbook Count, CMS)

22 Initial Observations 3. Different campaigns engage different levels of the state using different actions/ strategies depending on the actors and levels. E.g.: agrarian reform, anti-mining and IP rights advocates engage the state from the village to the national level using confrontational tactics. E.g.: CMS and Textbook Count engage the national and school-level actors using problem-solving approaches.

23 Initial Observations 4. Drivers of Integration: Agrarian reform and anti-mining to elicit response from state authorities and counteract resistance from powerful interests by multiplying one s strength DRRM, NCPC replication of scattered good practices on the ground DRRM, Housing, CMS access to available resources (DRMM, DAMPA (national network, international org), AR - capacity-building as a driver, to learn technical matters, organizing from national organizations/ NGOs Favorable policy context/ environment

24 Initial Observations 5. Emerging pattern of differences: Those engaged mainly in policy advocacy have greater spread (more horizontally integrated). Those in policy monitoring are more focused in their engagement and tend to use problem-solving approaches.

25 Initial Observations 6. Challenges to Vertical Integration There will be still be resistance/interference from certain interests even if there is already an existing policy that facilitates integration (e.g., DRRM) Sustainability of resources (i.e., Anti-mining, IP, agrarian reform, housing campaign, Namfrel s MMP, Textbook Count) Existing dynamics within/among civil society organizations (e.g., splits within the agrarian reform community, lack of federated organization among IP groups) Capacity of civil society groups (e.g., IP campaign)

26 Initial Reflections It is not easy to identify a case because the language (vertical integration) is not commonly used, even if this is already being practiced/ applied. Delays in setting of appointments. Perceived hesitation by some groups/ leaders to take part/ provide information, especially those pertaining to scale (membership, base, etc.). There is a need to build ownership of the language/ framework. While results can be generated, attribution is not definitive. (We are basing such attribution, for now, to how the key informants appreciate the significance of their "integrated approach" or the integration of their engagement in different levels of governance to the achieving results/ impact.)