Localizing the MDGs

Mainstreaming the MDGs
MDG Monitoring, Localization and Budgeting

The Bohol Project Experience

While the Philippines has made some progress in meeting the MDG targets, there is wide disparity in accomplishment across regions and provinces. The poorest among them will more likely miss most of the targets set for 2015 unless positive intervention is done.  In particular, Bohol faces serious development constraints due to widespread poverty, limited livelihood opportunities and physical vulnerabilities. Yet, it is one province where government and people are determined to address poverty on a comprehensive and sustained basis.

The MDGs offer significant opportunities to develop a realistic approach to addressing poverty- related concerns. The realization of these goals can be boosted by local initiatives and processes designed to promote awareness, strengthen advocacy and effectively monitor development trends and performance. The ability to operationalize the millennium goals requires localization to facilitate monitoring, planning, resource mobilization, budgeting and program implementation given the local situation.

It is within this context that this project Local Monitoring System on the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) was designed and implemented. The project, supported by the European Union (EU) and Novib (Oxfam, Netherlands) is a joint undertaking of the Province of Bohol and the municipal governments of Tubigon, Bilar and Jagna and implemented in cooperation with non-governmental organizations Action for Economic Reforms (AER), PROCESS-Bohol, Inc., Social Watch Philippines (SWP), La Aldea (A Spanish NGO) and the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP).

The project’s goal is to improve LGUs’ capacity for MDG monitoring, localization and budgeting and thus, contribute to meeting MDG targets by 2015. The project entails policy setting, capacity building, MDG monitoring and status reporting, MDG financing and budgeting, and partnership building.

The project was officially launched on April 22, 2005 in a forum keynoted by Bohol Governor Erico B. Aumentado and First District Representative Edgar Chatto. Immediately after the launch, the Project Management Team, together with the representatives of the three pilot municipalities, convened to work out the details of project implementation.

This report presents the training course and budgeting activities which are key components of the MDG mainstreaming project.

Training Course Description

The training course is about improving local capacities to localize the MDGs through monitoring, planning and budgeting. Thus, the learning objectives and processes revolve around equipping participants with knowledge on the MDGs, the tools to localize and finance the MDGs, and necessary skills in status reporting.

Target participants to the training course are representatives from the local government and local NGOs active in development work in the area. Specifically, these are development planners, poverty action officers, information staff, social welfare officers, health officers, education officers, resource managers and financial officers. Among the NGOs, target participants are those involved in health, education, environment and livelihood or those who work among children and women.

The training package, covering a span of 12 days, consists of two training courses with 6 sessions (modules) each. The first course is on MDG Local Monitoring System and the second course is specifically on MDG Financing and Budgeting (see attached training course program).

The first training course consists of the following modules:

Session 1.1:  Refresher on the MDGs

Session 1.2:  The Philippine Poverty Situation and the MDG Challenge

Session 1.3:  On Social Indicators, Poverty Measures & Monitoring System In the Philippines

Session 1.4:  The Research Process 

Session 1.5:  Briefing on DevInfo MDG Monitoring Software Tool 

Session 1.6:  Introduction to the Geographic Information System (GIS) 

Session 1.7:  The MDG Planning Matrix

The first set of modules are largely orientational as they provide the MDG context at both global and national levels as well as introduces efforts at localizing these goals. They are designed to generate the participants’ collective appreciation of their local situation using the MDG framework. In addition, the participants are also expected to come out with an MDG matrix for their respective local areas which contains, among others, proposed local targets and priorities.

The second set of modules, essentially technical in character, presents a menu of tools to monitor the MDGs at the local level. Participants are shown the basic features and local applications of various software using geographic information systems (GIS). With the ensuing exercises, the participants are expected to come out with local maps which reflect road and river networks as well as health and education facilities and other relevant landmarks in their respective areas. These hand drawn maps can be digitized using the open source GIS and stored in the MDG database that they will build up.

Should the participants express the need for more hands on practice in using these GIS tools specially when customizing the tool to their specific areas, another complementary module is available. This complementary module is designed to hone the skills of participants in locally applying specifically the survey tools, the Open Source GIS, Variants of DevInfo and customized to suit local color, and the MDG Planning Software.

On the whole, the training combines input from resource persons with group sharing and discussions, case analysis, problem solving exercises and critiquing. More importantly, the training incorporates planning workshops that concretely set MDG local targets and identifies corresponding programs geared towards integrating these into the local development plans. Thus, from the initial MDG matrix, the participants are expected to substantiate these matrices and refine plans to operationalize the MDGs in the local areas.

Training on financing strategy and budgeting

The second training course utilizes a participatory approach in designing the financing strategy and crafting the local budget that incorporates the MDG as the development framework. The training covers a whole range of concerns related to financing starting with setting the framework; review of specific goals and programs; and discussion of the local budget process. The overall objective is to institute participatory mechanism in the budget process, to develop an appropriate financing strategy and formulate local budget that is supportive of the MDGs. Overall, the training consists of six sessions:

Session 2.1: MDG Localization: Framework-Setting, Goals, Indicators, Targets,  Programs and Budget

Session 2.2: Local Budgeting Process

Session 2.3: Special Education Fund (SEF)

Session 2.4: Gender and Development (GAD) Budgeting

Session 2.5: On External Assistance and the ODA

Session 2.6: Budget Tracking

The training uses a combination of input from resource speakers, interactive discussions, sharing, simulation exercises, workshops and critiquing sessions. Consultations and researches are also done in-between the training sessions. Local stakeholders are consulted (specifically, local offices, barangay officials, NGOs and community leaders) concerning their proposed programs and budgetary concerns which, then, feed into the training sessions.

At the end of the training course, the participants, which constitute the MDG Technical Working Group, will be able to develop a financing strategy – identification of the medium-term funding requirements to support the MDG programs; sectoral allocation schemes and priorities; internal and external sources of funds; estimated funding mobilization; sustainability measures; and specific proposals for the annual investment plans and the local budget.

Preparing the MDG Status and Financing Reports

A key output of this project is the MDG Status and Financing Report prepared by each of the pilot municipalities. With the integrated MDG database at hand, it became much easier for the local areas to prepare their respective MDG reports which present the current status, the trends, the plans and the financial requirements to meet the MDG targets. 

The reports were subjected to peer and panel critiquing to identify gaps and pinpoint areas for improvement.  The same reports were also presented in a public forum attended by over three hundred leaders and representatives of various NGOs and people’s organizations including farmers, fisher folk, students and youth, women, professionals and church-based groups. Representatives from the Church, the youth, women, professionals and NGOs gave their reactions to the reports. This was followed by an open forum, highlighted by questions raised by the participants on relevant economic, social and governance issues. The forum was a good moment for sharing and interaction between the local government, civil society organizations and community representatives on the MDGs. The preliminary reports were, subsequently, shared with national agencies (NEDA, DILG, NSCB and NAPC) and the UN family (UNDP, UNICEF and UN Habitat).

The final MDG Reports were prepared by the respective Technical Working Groups and presented during the Bohol Conference on Local Monitoring System on the MDGs. The Conference was organized to also present the project experience and encourage its replication in the other municipalities of Bohol. The said event was attended by the Mayors and representatives of the other municipalities in the Province of Bohol. A panel of reactors representing civil society organizations, the Provincial Government of Bohol and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) commented on the reports and presented their suggestions on how to improve the reports. These comments were considered and integrated in the final report.

The MDG status and financing reports were submitted to the Municipal Mayors, the local legislature and the Municipal Development Councils for appropriate action. The reports were used to firm up the strategies for poverty reduction and for charting the long-term development path of the respective municipalities.

^ Back to top