The institutional framework for the implementation of
the GISP will be in accordance with the following fundamental criteria:
2. Policy management of the GISP will be carried out at the highest
institutional levels to ensure highest levels of authority
Based on these criteria the following formal
institutional arrangements, and definition of roles of the various
agencies shall be adopted:
The NITC will be the central policymaking and
coordinating body for the implementation of the GISP. In particular, the
NITC shall perform the following functions:
Pursuant to Executive Order No. 125, dated July 19,
1999, the NCC will be the technical arm of the NITC in the overall
management and coordination of the GISP. It will report to the NITC
chairman who shall exercise policy and technical supervision over its
operations. The NCC will have the following functions relative to the
implementation of the GISP:
All government departments, agencies, local government
units, and other institutions and instrumentalities, including the local
government units (LGUs), as well as the private sector, will be active
partners in implementing the GISP.
1. Alignment of Department and Agency Information Systems
Strategic Plans (ISSPs) with the GISP
The heads of departments and agencies, as well as
local governments, will ensure that the their Information Systems
Strategic Plans (ISSPs) are aligned with the strategies and priorities
in the GISP, and the overall development plans and programs of
government as provided in IT21 and Angat Pinoy 2004.
In the design of the agency or LGU ISSP, the heads concerned will put in
place a process for the optimal utilization of existing and planned ICT
resources and solutions. This process will include a periodic monitoring
and assessment, through the NITC and the NCC of ongoing ICT projects and
activities pursuant to the priorities, strategies and objectives of the
GISP.
2. Performance and Results-Based Management
The department/agency/LGU head will establish goals for improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of department
operations and, when appropriate, the delivery of
services to the public through the effective use of information and
communications technology. He will:
q
Prepare an annual report starting on the first year of GISP
implementation, to be submitted to NITC and included in the
executive department’s budget submission to the DBM/Congress, on
the progress in achieving ISSP goals.
q
Ensure that performance measurements are prescribed for ICT used by
or to be acquired for the executive department to assess how well
ICT supports the programs of the executive departments and the
returns on or benefits realized from ICT investments.
q
Where comparable processes and organizations in the public or
private sectors exist, quantitatively benchmark agency process
performance against such processes in terms of cost, speed,
productivity, and quality of outputs and outcomes.
q
Analyze the missions of the executive department and, based on the
analysis, revise its mission-related processes and administrative
processes when appropriate before making significant investments in
information technology in support of those missions.
q
Ensure that performance on the GISP implementation is part of the
key results areas of the department offices, bureaus and attached
agencies.
q
Ensure that the information security policies, procedures, and
practices of the department are adequate and consistent with and in
pursuance of the objectives of the GISP.
3. Agency Authority to Procure ICT Resources and Services
The authority of the department/agency/LGU head to
procure ICT resources will include the following:
q
To acquire ICT resources, including solutions, for the requirements
of the department/agency/LGU as authorized by law;
q
To enter into contracts that provides for multiagency acquisition of
ICT resources in accordance with guidelines.
The government, through the DBM Secretary, will
enter into a multiagency contract for procurement of commercial items
of ICT resources, including software and services, that requires each
executive department/agency/LGU covered by the contract, when
procuring such items, either to procure the items under that contract
or to justify an alternative procurement scheme for the same type of
items or services.
Procurement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Resources and Professional Services
The DBM, in close consultation with the NITC, the
NEDA, Commission on Audit (COA), the implementing agencies, and local
governments, will undertake a continuing review of procedures on the
procurement of ICT resources, including professional services, with the
view of instituting reforms in procedures and policies, taking into
account the fast-paced developments in the ICT sector and the quick
obsolescence of technology and ICT resources. The reforms will aim to
facilitate the economical and efficient acquisition of ICT resources and
services in government.
Medium-Term Public Investment Program
The GISP will form part of the Medium-Term Public
Investment Program (MTPIP) of the government and will be aligned with
the programs identified in the Plan. Specifically, a separate section
will be devoted to government business process reengineering through use
of ICT and better information resource management. A corresponding
medium-term expenditure program will be prepared, which will be
translated into the Consolidated Annual Government Computerization
Expenditure Program. The NEDA will be responsible for ensuring that the
updated Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan of government, or Angat
Pinoy 2004, shall incorporate the strategies and programs in the
GISP.
Use of the Annual Budget Process
The DBM will develop, as part of the annual budget
process, a mechanism for analyzing, tracking, and evaluating the risks
and results of all major capital investments made by an executive
department for information systems. The process will cover the life of
each system and shall include explicit criteria for analyzing the
projected and actual costs, benefits, and risks associated with the
investments. At the same time that the President submits the budget for
a fiscal year to Congress, the DBM will submit to Congress a report on
improvements achieved as a result of major capital investments made by
executive departments in information systems and how the benefits relate
to the accomplishment of the goals of the executive departments.
Information Technology Standards
The NITC will oversee the development and implementation by the NCC
of standards and technology guidelines and benchmarks in the use and
application of ICT in government. Such standards will be
prepared jointly with the DOST-ASTI-PCASTRD, DOTC,
DBM, NEDA, and DTI. These ICT standards will be observed in the
procurement of ICT resources and services.
Designation Of Executive Agents For ICT
Acquisitions
The DBM Secretary will designate as executive agents
for government-wide acquisitions of information and information
technology.
Use of Best Practices in ICT Acquisitions
The DBM Secretary will encourage heads of the
executive departments to develop and use best practices in the
acquisition of information technology.
Solutions-Based Budget Plans
Department ICT budgets will be solutions-based, to
include all components (hardware, software, network, content/data,
training/organization, application, procedures) and make an information
system fully operational. Although components may be procured
separately, the necessary components for an information system to be
fully operational after a period of development should be budgeted
together. The DBM Secretary, in consultation with the NITC, then issues
guidelines on solutions-based ICT Solutions Planning and Budgeting.
Outsourcing of ICT Professional Services
As a general rule, government will outsource ICT
services instead of building a whole human resource infrastructure for
ICT development within the government. The NITC, in coordination with
the NEDA and DBM, will issue rules and regulations and standards on the
outsourcing of ICT services.
Leasing and Lease-to-Own Arrangements
Leasing and lease-to-own arrangements will be made an
acceptable mode of procurement for information and communications
technology. In some cases, this will be the preferred mode of
acquisition so that agencies which need to upgrade servers and other
computer equipment on the third or so years may do so when necessary
without further authorization, provided they have been planned for.
Leasing will also ease up the government’s cash flow requirements for
GISP implementation.
BOT Scheme for Procurement/Outsourcing of ICT
Resources/ICT Solutions/Services
Private sector participation in the establishment of
government database infrastructure is incorporated in the BOT law. A
separate handbook on implementing rules and regulations concerning this
will be issued by NITC in coordination with NEDA.
Guidance for Multi-Agency Investments
The NITC in coordination with NEDA, DBM and DOF will
issue guidelines for undertaking efficiently and effectively interagency
and government-wide investments in ICT to improve the accomplishment of
missions that are common to executive departments.
Periodic Reviews
The NITC and DBM will carry out, through the budget
process, periodic reviews of selected information resources management
activities of the executive agencies. This is in order to ascertain the
efficiency and effectiveness of information technology in improving the
performance of the executive departments and the accomplishment of the
missions of the executive departments.
Enforcement of Accountability
The DBM Secretary, in consultation with NITC, may
take any authorized action that is considered appropriate, including an
action involving the budgetary process or appropriations, to enforce
accountability of the head of an executive department for information
resources management and for the investments made by the executive
department in information technology.
Actions that can be taken by the DBM Secretary in the
case of an executive department may include:
1. Recommending a reduction or an increase in any
amount for information resources that the head of the executive
department proposes for the budget submitted to Congress;
2. Using other authorized administrative controls
over appropriations to restrict the availability of funds for
information resources; and
3. Designating for the executive department an
executive agent to contract with private sector sources for the
performance of information resources management or the acquisition of
information technology.
Private Sector Participation
The active and direct participation of the private
sector in the implementation of the GISP will be a key strategy in GISP
implementation. Among the areas for private sector participation are:
q
Advice and assistance to the NITC-NCC in the development of ICT
standards and benchmarks for government;
q Assistance to the
NCC/agencies concerned in the development/review and finalization of
project terms of reference (TOR), technical and functional
specifications, and requests for proposals (RFPs);
q
Development of and supply of application software for common
applications for national government agencies and local government
units;
q
BOT/BOO/BTO for large revenue generation and other systems, where the
returns on investment are clear or where there are obvious benefits in
the implementation of the systems but the agencies are constrained by
cash flow requirements of the project;
q
Supply of hardware and software through leasing or lease-to-own
arrangements;
q
Supply of maintenance and technical support, training and change
management services and system integration services;
q
Database buildup for major systems with large volume of data for
conversion from paper to digital form;
q
Data acquisition, such as inventory types of data collection that form
part of the database infrastructure of major systems;
q
Provision of communication systems for data and voice, and related
infrastructure; and
q
Supply of technical ICT personnel on short-term or long-term basis for
agency-defined work and outputs.
The following policies and actions will be adopted
to encourage private sector participation in the implementation of the
GISP:
1. Formulation of clearer implementing rules and
regulations on the BOT/BTO/BOO law for ICT projects;
2. Articulation of the policy of outsourcing
system development and other ICT services as an alternative to
in-house development or development-by-administration arrangements;
3. Development of performance-based service
contracting procedures that clearly define the performance
specifications and deliverables for the acquisition of ICT products
and services;
4. Provision of incentives on intellectual
property rights for systems that can be used by many agencies;
5. Development of clearer user and system
specifications available to those offering services or products; and
6. Implementation of pilot projects for private
sector participation to be funded from an ICT Innovation and
Development Fund to be administered by the Secretary of Science and
Technology.
Intellectual Property Rights
The Government will comply with the International
Convention of Intellectual Property Rights in the implementation of the
GISP. This means that license agreements to use commercial on-the-shelf
software (COSS) will be honored if the licensing agreements are
standardized for worldwide distribution.
Likewise, locally produced application software where
the agencies merely purchased license to use will not be required to
provide source codes; however, suppliers must provide warranties on the
software as well as software maintenance when required.
In the procurement of system development services,
which are quoted at full development cost, the supplier will be required
to provide all the source codes developed. However, the agency is
encouraged to continue working with the supplier to improve the product
for the agency’s use and if the product is also useful to other
agencies, the two parties may enter into an agreement for the commercial
dissemination of the product.
All intellectual property that is pre-identified by
ICT suppliers during the negotiation or bidding for services will be
honored by the agency if, in its opinion, there is no need to own the
source code and if the price of the application software is reasonable.
The NCC will continue to ensure that government
agencies use only licensed copies of software in all their ICT
applications. It will designate an executive agent to negotiate for the
supply of standard software that could be used throughout the
bureaucracy.
The Department of Trade and Industry will issue rules
and regulations covering intellectual property rights in the
implementation of the GISP.
Information Systems Project Development
1. Incremental Approach to Information
Systems Development
Some of the information systems identified in the
GISP are complex systems in terms of development and implementation.
There is a high degree of risk in completing the systems on time, on
budget and in the quality desired. To reduce this risk, the incremental
approach to system development and acquisition of technology will be
standard practice in the implementation of the GISP. This means that
agencies will divide large systems into modular and scalable parts,
which can then be integrated into existing ones, and can likewise be
integrated with modules to be developed in the future.
Information and communications technology will also be acquired
through the incremental approach. This is to ensure that government will
benefit from technological developments introduced in the marketplace
and will not be saddled with obsolete technology.
The DBM will ensure that an ICT investment proposed
by an agency is a complete system that can be made to work and improve
a government business process within a period of 18 months from
release of the budget. The practice of requesting funds for equipment
outlay without a corresponding plan and budget for other components of
an information system shall be discontinued.
2. ICT Project Development Templates
As a matter of policy and practice, the DBM shall
provide funding for complete projects, which have gone through the
project preparation and development process. The release of
appropriations shall be to fund information systems, not only
information technology. There will be rhyme and reason in the
allocation of funds for information technology and this will be driven
by content development and/or system development activities.
The DBM in coordination with NCC will develop a
manual with templates on Standards for Information Systems Project
Development. DBM as well as agency staff shall be provided training on
the use of the manual.
3. External Consultants
for ICT Project Preparation
Information technology is changing at a rapid pace
and if the procurement process takes a long time, the IS project may
be overtaken by events such that projects are further delayed by the
need to repeat the procurement. The government will, to the extent
possible, reduce risks for contracting parties, particularly for
complex systems. As a matter of standard practice, an external
consultant’s service will be procured to assist the agency in
defining the specifications of the project in a clear way that will
allow performance-based and results-based service contracting in the
development and delivery of systems. Systems shall be designed not to
exceed a maximum of 18 months and the award of contract should not
exceed three months from issue of the bid documents. This is to reduce
risks for the contracting parties.
4. In-House ICT Services
Departments will retain and develop a core staff of
ICT professionals for in-house development. The in-house projects will
be limited in scope so that it can be completed in one fiscal year.
There is the very real risk of turnover of ICT staff, which is known
to be a principal cause of delay and noncompletion of many in-house IS
project development initiatives. Even for in-house development, staff
will be trained to follow a project development approach that clearly
defines the final outcome of the system development effort and
includes a quality assurance plan. For in-house efforts, the head of
the OIRM will ensure that all the elements needed for implementation
are available as planned.
Selection and Hiring of ICT Experts
and Consulting Services
Many government ICT projects were not completed by
contractors, some resulting in legal cases, because of the lack of clear
specifications of performance, the quality requirements, and the rule on
lowest complying bid. More often than not, lowest bidders complain when
not awarded the contract because of allegations that they met the
minimum requirements described in the Project Terms of Reference.
A continuing review of existing government guidelines
on the procurement of consulting services will be made, especially with
respect to their application to ICT services. In particular, the
guidelines will be improved to include the following:
1. The procedures for the outsourcing of
application system development services, which should provide for the
completion of the application software based on the user
specifications.
2. Guidelines to help agencies go into
performance-based service contracting, where payments are based on
agreed upon performance standards for the contracted ICT services.
Quality requirements shall be made part of the bid terms of reference.
In the absence of an in-house capability, agencies
will be encouraged to procure the services of qualified individuals and
companies, duly accredited by the NCC, and approved by the NITC, using a
simplified process not requiring bidding. The PEAC will be constituted
to be able to assess quickly the capability of institutional consultants
for ICT services. The NCC, in consultation with the agencies and
departments concerned, particularly NEDA, DBM, and COA, will formulate a
prequalification procedure and enrollment system for prequalified ICT
consultants and their areas of expertise to simplify the search by
agencies for qualified consultants.
Interoperability, Interconnectivity
Among and Across Systems and Databases
Interoperability and interconnectivity can be accomplished by using
open ICT standards and data standards that are published and known to
users and the ICT professionals involved. It can also be accomplished
through the development and adoption of ICT stan
dards in government. The Internet is also a good
means of accomplishing this through web browsers.
As a matter of policy, the executive agencies will
ensure that within their organizations, they adopt technology that is
open and can be interfaced with other systems.
The department shall use the internal budget process
to control the acquisition of technology that does not conform with this
policy. All ICT plans, whether implemented by contractors in
foreign-assisted projects, grant or otherwise or regular agency funds
should conform to the approved Information Technology Architecture
designed to meet the business needs of the department. Grant projects
involving ICT will be aligned with the approved Department ICT
Architecture. Waivers will be requested for nonconforming projects,
which should be approved only if the criteria for issuing waivers are
based on DBM guidelines on the matter.
Data Standards
Data standards will be developed to facilitate data
sharing and information exchange among agencies, and to promote
efficiency of information systems, subject to privacy rights of
individuals.
All departments will participate in Inter-Agency
Working Groups to be created for GISP implementation, which will work on
developing data and other standards for the GISP. The NCC, with
recommendations from the CIO Forum and approval of NITC, will issue and
enforce ICT Standards for the whole government.
The NCC will oversee the development and
implementation of data standards and guidelines, by the various
departments and agencies. For this purpose NCC will coordinate with the
National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), and other data-producing
agencies whose information products are widely used by government
agencies and the public.
Every department will have its own internal data
standards, to be approved by NITC and applied to all bureaus, attached
agencies, and regional offices under its supervision and control. GOCCs
will ensure that their systems also use OPEN Technology and they use
relevant data standards of the department.
Public Access to Government Information
As a matter of policy, the government will make
government information created or generated in the GISP accessible to
the public to empower them to proactively participate in nation
building, subject however to national security requirements where
certain information and transactions cannot be made public.
As initial steps, basic information that provide
public guidance and improve public access to government services and
transactions will be made available through the Internet in two
languages: English and Filipino. This will be part of the RPWEB Program
of the Government in Year 2000. The NCC will be responsible for
monitoring the implementation of this program.
Public requests for data that have been created in
digital form and are not considered classified information shall be
provided in digital form at cost of reproduction or reasonable fees. The
proceeds of such operations shall be used for the maintenance and
updating of databases.
Public access policies shall be covered under a
proposed Freedom of Information Act clarifying the Constitutional policy
on access to government information, particularly in an environment
where information and data are in digital form and are accessible
through the Internet.
A policy study shall be required on the pricing of
information assets of the government when made to the public,
particularly when ICT Projects are carried out under the BOT law.
Other Policy Areas for Further
Study and Formulation
1. Computer Security
As the government becomes more and more dependent on
ICT for most of its information processing and management requirements,
it must develop the necessary institutions, policies, legal framework
and other related security measures to secure its systems and networks
from hacking and other illegal and destructive entry into the government
systems. This will be ensured through legislation where the law shall
have penal provisions governing illegal acts on government online sites.
The government will determine the feasibility of
establishing physical and virtual security infrastructures for
government computers and network systems. The NITC will undertake a
study on the economics, as well as various options, of either
establishing or authorizing a government institution, or a private firm
or organization that will clearly establish the integrity, security and
legitimacy of government electronic information and transactions.
2. Privacy
As more databases are built involving individuals who provide
information to the government, and as data standards are adopted by the
agencies that will enable the systematic sharing of information and
matching of records of individuals, the government
will address issues concerning the privacy of
individuals as provided in the Constitution. Policies will be issued
by Congress to guard privacy of persons through a Privacy Act.
3. Electronic Commerce
Electronic commerce laws will address the use of
this technology in legal matters and work towards acceptance of
electronic data as evidence in the courts. Likewise, e-commerce laws
will resolve such issues as the use of electronic signature
authentication systems and electronic documents to guide the judiciary
in cases involving electronic transactions of government with the
public. Legislation may also cover general nongovernmental
transactions.
The E-Commerce Bill which provides the legal basis
and policy framework for the conduct of electronic transactions in the
country, has been passed by Congress, and recently signed into law by
the President.
4. Government Reengineering
ICT programs of government must go hand in hand
with business process reengineering. The GISP supports business
objectives and processes of government. Computerized Information
Systems can result in the following:
q
Zapping of clerical functions that need the use of typewriters and
calculators, resulting in the reduction of the workloads of clerical
personnel;
q
Increase of available time for developmental work and better quality
plans and decisions due to better information support;
q
Reduction or removal of redundancies in the collection and
processing of information among agencies and within agencies,
reducing paperwork and workload of existing staff;
q
Simplification and streamlining of procedures allowing the quicker
completion of transactions with the public;
q
New jobs and tools for knowledge-based and ICT work; and
q
Reduction of messengerial and related functions and activities, such
as travels and face-to-face meetings.
The implementation of the GISP will be
synchronized with and in support of the Government reengineering
program of government.
5. Government Performance and Review
The benefits from computerization and better
management of the information resources of government have to be
determined through periodic assessment of performance of agencies. As
business processes are improved, these will be reported to the public
and to Congress to keep the GISP implementation on track.
One of the key result areas of departments will be
the implementation of an IRM Program in their respective
organizations. The management of government information resources will
be given the attention it deserves. Government information will be
considered a national resource that must be managed. Heads of agencies
will be made responsible for the management of their departmental
information resources aligned with the management of funds, people,
and equipment resources required to do their jobs.
The GISP will be consistent with and supportive of
the current efforts of developing a performance monitoring and
evaluation system in government.
6. Standards and Technology
There is need for government agencies to develop,
maintain and upgrade standards for products and services on
information and communications technology, including their
innovations. The NITC will direct the conduct of a study on the
desirability and feasibility of establishing a National Institute of
Standards and Technology which will be responsible for the development
of quality and technical standards on ICT products and services.
Implementing Guidelines,
Rules and Regulations
Finally, the NITC, as the highest policy body on ICT matters, will
promulgate the necessary guidelines, rules and regulations to implement
the GISP and realize the vision of an electronic bureaucracy, or
"Philippine Government Online." For this purpose, the NITC
will enjoin the support and cooperation of Congress, the Judiciary, the
Constitutional bodies/commissions, local government units, and
government-owned and controlled corporations, and all other agencies and
instrumentalities of government, in ensuring the successful
implementation of the GISP and the realization of its objectives. For
this purpose, the NITC will work out with the agencies and authorities
concerned, including the private sector, the necessary resources
required, including manpower, to ensure the timely execution of priority
GISP activities and projects.