NEDA to submit six-year plan in December

The National Economic and Development Authority is now nearing the completion of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and will submit it to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his Cabinet in early December, according to a report by Manila Standard.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, in a forum with government information and communication officers in preparation for the PDP’s completion next month, underscored the importance of effectively communicating the policies and strategies of PDP 2023-2028 to meet the Marcos administration’s goal of reinvigorating job creation and speeding up poverty reduction.

“As government information officers, you perceive the pulse of the Filipino people. Through various media and channels, you are the heralds who are crucial in ensuring that the link between the public and the government remains strong, truthful, and unbroken. As the launch of the PDP 2023-2028 approaches, we seek your thoughts and efforts to guarantee not only its effective implementation but also its successful communication to the public—our fellow Filipinos, for whom the Plan is formulated,” said Balisacan.

NEDA said the government should always ensure the communication of accurate and timely information to the public, especially on socioeconomic policies that have significant implications. It said that alongside public consultations, effective communication could enable useful feedback from stakeholders such that programs and policies are adjusted to become more impactful.

The forum is a continuation of NEDA’s PDP forums held in September, which convened stakeholders from the youth, private and government planning sectors.

The latest forum’s goal is to collect insights from the communication teams of various government agencies and units, which will be useful for the upcoming release of the new PDP.

Baliscan said that as NEDA was finalizing PDP 2023-2028, the agency was also working on a six-year evaluation agenda that would serve as the roadmap for fostering a culture of evaluation in the Philippines.

“In the next six years, we will endeavor to build the capacity of organizations to undertake high-quality evaluations for the public sector and initiate efforts to boost the public’s confidence in the evaluation process, results, and institutions of the government,” Balisacan said during the 9th Annual Monitoring and Evaluation Network Forum.

NEDA and the Department of Budget and Management launched the forum in 2015 to foster evidence-based decision-making in government.

“Over the years, concrete actions have been taken towards promoting M&E practices in the public sector,” said Balisacan.

“We will also aim to produce relevant data and evidence in a timely and responsive manner and communicate these more effectively to aid decision-making and encourage knowledge sharing. Accordingly, we firmly commit to deliberately seek out and act on evidence to better design, manage, and deliver government programs and services,” he said.

“While we recognize the challenges of creating a vibrant culture of evaluation in public policy, it is our firm belief that our persistent efforts to strengthen and invest in our M&E systems will ultimately result in smarter and more effective actions and initiatives that benefit the Filipino people,” he said.