By DIANN IVY CALUCIN
The Valenzuela City government and the New Zealand Embassy held the Philippines – New Zealand Government Innovation Exchange Showcase at the Allied Evacuation and Emergency Response Team (ALERT) Center, Multi-purpose Center in Barangay Malinta on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Former Valenzuela City Mayor Rexlon “Rex” Gatchalian and New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Kell signed a memorandum of arrangement in December 2021 to recognize the relevance of innovation in the public sector through the “GovTech Acceleration Programme” of the Creative HQ, New Zealand.
The move aims to enhance the city's social services and overall governance.
The city’s Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) formed a four-person team of social workers who underwent 12 weeks of innovation workshops under the trainers of Creative HQ.
During the workshop, CSWDO used human-centric innovation tools and processes to develop better support systems for constituents who seek Assistance from Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS).
The city government said that the AICS programme, which involves around 30,000 constituents monthly and pays about P80 million from the government's funds, is a key to the improvement of social workers and clients' efficiency and experience in public sector services.
The challenges experienced by the constituents, including confusion in requirement submission for assistance applications, were identified using the program.
"I am proud to see Valenzuela City embracing human-centered innovation as we progress our goals on behalf of all our citizens. Excellent quality services are a norm at the City Hall, but we have long been wanting to have them delivered to our constituents in a timely and a more convenient way for them. With this programme, we hope to eliminate whatever perception they have that availing our services is taxing and difficult," Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian said.
CSWDO's team in the GovTech Accelerator Programme intended to create a project that will be accessible and efficient in the claims application and approval process for the city's social welfare services.
The team came up with an AI messaging platform called "DotBot" that will help identify the requirements needed in applying for different social welfare services before going to the CSWD office personally for submission.
The Dotbot will help CSWDO have a centralized database that will keep all the information of the clients who sought and availed of social service assistance from the local government. It is also an initiative that aims for future paperless transactions in the city hall.
The other project that was introduced at the event is the nine-month Innovation Masterclass Programme with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), which provides formal training in innovative methods and human-centered design for organizations.
This project aspires to equip ARTA with the skills needed to implement a culture of innovation across the bureaucracy.
"Innovation has an important role in how nations navigate challenges and prepare for the future and it has always been key to Aotearoa New Zealand's economic development. I am pleased that this has also played a prominent role in the relationship between the Philippines and New Zealand. I am pleased to see Valenzuela City and ARTA steer this course for the Philippines and I look forward to seeing other government agencies join us in our journey towards a culture of Innovation." Kell said.
“As head of the CSWDO, listening to the voice of our clients and frontline workers is a constructive criticism for me, it opens our eyes that our system needs to be improved," CSWDO head Dorothy Evangelista shared.
"Our future ambition is for our clients to have an ease in applying social service assistance and a paperless transaction system that is aligned in the government's aim for digital transformation," she added.
The partnership of Valenzuela LGU, ARTA, and Creative HQ was supported by the New Zealand Embassy in Manila and New Zealand G2G.
New Zealand G2G is a New Zealand government organization that helps local and national governments worldwide access public-sector expertise. The organization has negotiated more than 105 projects across 21 countries.
The GovTech Accelerator programme, which was run by globally Creative HQ since 2018, works with public servants to present how innovation at the policy level can facilitate systemic improvement both for the city and the citizens.
The Creative HQ provides assistance to people in developing businesses by sustaining entrepreneurial talent and innovation for high growth, according to Creative HQ (creativehq.co.nz).
Read more: Valenzuela City gov't signs GovTech Acceleration Program agreement with NZ Embassy