Valenzuela City gov't signs GovTech Acceleration Program agreement with NZ Embassy
The Valenzuela City government on Tuesday, Dec. 21, signed an agreement with the New Zealand (NZ) Embassy to implement the "NZ GovTech Accelerator Program" that will boost innovative response to any governance issues in the city.
Mayor Rex Gatchalian and New Zealand Ambassador Peter Kell signed the agreement.
The program aims to capacity build local government employees to become creative thinkers of innovative solutions which will bring "citizen-centered" social services to the city.
It will be launched in the City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) where a seven-man team will undergo an innovation process allowing them to come up with better outcomes for complex issues.
According to the mayor, the team will soon infect "in a good way" other local government employees to become innovation champions themselves in their respective departments.
"Here in Valenzuela City, when you talk about innovations, we understand it clearly. That's the lingo we try to talk about every single day, that's the ideal that we try to strive for," Gatchalian said.
The NZ GovTech Accelerator Program which started in New Zealand in 2018 focuses on developing capability within different government agencies, provide space for learning innovation methods, and value collaborations, according to Creative HQ (creativehq.co.nz).