General Procedures, Rules and Regulations in Planning, Programming, and Implementation of ODA-Funded Trainings and Scholarships

 
                                              
  FOREWORD
 
I.
 Planning and Programming
    A. Receipt of Scholarship Offers
 
B.

Interagency Sectoral Consultation Meeting
    C. Approval of the Training Offers by the SCS
    D. Programming of Institutions/Courses
  II. Processing and Validation
    A. Issuance of Invitations to Target Beneficiaries/Institutions
    B. Assessment and Validation of Nominations
    C. Release of Preselection Results
    D. Review of Official Nomination Forms/Endorsement of the Nomination Papers
    E. Acceptance of GOP Nominees
    F.. Predeparture Activities
  III. Monitoring and Evaluation/Management Information System
    A. Monitoring of Scholars on Course
    B. Assessment/Evaluation of Country Programs
    C. Data Management and Information System
       
 

FOREWORD
 

For over two decades now, the Special Committee Scholarship(SCS) has pursued its mandate of coordinating ODA- funded scholarships  and training programs to achieve the government's goal of generating foreign technical assistance for institution-strengthening and capability building.    

A set of policies and rules provides the direction in the implementation of processes involved in the availment of foreign scholarships and trainings.. This set of policies and rules is defined and articulated in this Handbook of General Procedures, Rules and Regulations in Planning, Programming, and Implementation of ODA-funded Trainings and Scholarship for the Information of Target Beneficiaries and Clientele.    

This handbook represents one of a series of published information on the SCS which the Scholarships Affairs Secretariat(SAS) has initiated for purposes of transparency and facility in the overall process

 
 
I.
 Planning and Programming
    The Planning exercise starts with the negotiation between the Government of the Philippines (GOP) through the Special Committee on Scholarships/(SCS) and the representatives of donor governments or between the SCS and the local representatives of donor governments. The negotiations usually concern the priority fields of study offered by donor and the recipient country and the number of slot allocations per year.
    A. Receipt of Scholarship Offers
     

1. SAS receives scholarship/training offers on a goverment-to-goverment basis through the Department of Foreign Affairs in a note verbale the local embassy of the foreign donor.
      2. The receiving clerk records all incoming offers for the Executive Officer's (EO) information, notation     and/or instruction to concerned desk.
      3. Desk makes initial evaluation on the training offers for courses on the general administration and management. Highly technical/specific courses are referred to the sector staff of NEDA for evaluation in accordance to relevance to course to the country's priority thrusts, the financial terms, and the donor's comparative advantage. The Desk shall ensure that prioritized courses are gender-responsive.
      4. Based on course evaluation, training offers considered as relevant/responsive to the thrusts and priorities of the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan are indexed and classified by development sector (economic, social, etc.) in a matrix form. Other salient information on the course, are indicated in said matrix. The matrix serves as the key sheet or working paper for every program.
      5. Scholarships directly acquired from donor country and/or donor institute are not administered/ endorsed by the SCS, though sometimes these are referred to the SCS Screening Committee for interview (if the slot is to be sourced from any of the current programs).
      6. Desk submits courses offered to GOP to the Data Manager for inputting to Foreign Scholarship Coordination Information System (FSCIS).
     
 
B.

Interagency Sectoral Consultation Meeting
      1. Forward planning is made annually prior to every country program fiscal period through the interagency sectoral and NEDA interstall consultation meetings. These meetings are participated in by agency directors, heads of foreign scholarship/training committees or their deputies and the SAS desk officers. The objective is to reconcile agency's training needs with the Foreign Scholarships and Training Program (FSTP) vis-à-vis gender-responsiveness as the key approach for tapping the appropriate beneficiaries. Consultation meeting accomplishes two major objectives; viz (a) prompt and timely information on the annual FSTP for dissemination to target beneficiary institutions thereby facilitating optimum responsive and availment; and (b) more effective networking with target beneficiaries.
      2. Institution transmits to SAS the list of courses of which it has interest based on the FSTP offers. Institutions which do not communicate are presumed to have agreed on the list of institutions to be invited in the program matrix.
      3. Desk evaluates/incorporates into the program matrix al indicative of the institutions on their respective agencies' training needs.
      4. Requests for participation are evaluated by the Desk and/or NEDA sector staffs for possible inclusion in the list of target beneficiaries.
      5. Desk submits final list to Data Manager
     
    C. Approval of the Training Offers by the SCS
      1. The final list of priority courses for GOP availment are presented to the Scholarships Advisory Committee (SAC), a subcommittee of the SCS for deliberation. The SAC recommends to the SCS Executive Body the list of priority courses for its approval.
      2. A formal letter to the donor embassy containing GOP-proposed courses addressed to DFA is signed and transmitted by the SCS Chairman.
      3. DFA transmits said communication to appropriate local embassies for further transmittal to appropriate authorities of the donor country.
      4. Close coordination with the local embassies is maintained by the Desk Officer for the smooth implementation of the FSTP.
      5. Desk Submits final output to the coordination activity with local embassies to Data Manager.
     
    D. Programming of Institutions/Courses
      1. The EO and Desk review the results of the interagency consultation meeting and finalizes the basic program matrix.
      2. On the basis of evaluation, identified institutions to be invited are listed in the program matrix. This process also includes deletion of non-interested institutions.
      3. Institutions with pending nominations on the pipeline as a result of the previous year over subscription of slots are included among the programmable institutions to avail for the particular fiscal period.
      4. Desk submits final data to Data Manager for updating of Foreign Scholarships Coordination Information System (FSCIS).
     
  II. Processing and Validation
    A. Issuance of Invitations to Target Beneficiaries/Institutions
      1. Invitations are issued to institutions or agencies programmed by the deck and the EO based on identified institutions to avail and other official requests for participation. The number of invitations issued depends on the number of slots available per course. Each agency submit (1) candidate per course, unless otherwise specified in the invitation letter.
      2. Standard formats for invitation are adopted in all training programs. There is the invitation for national institutions; and there are those for the decentralized preselection.
      3. Invitations are addressed to the mother agency, copy furnished the attached bureaus/regional offices concerned, and " Attention: internal Committee on Scholarships/human Resources Development Unit (HRDU)" of the institution.
      4. Invitations for regular offered courses are disseminated in advance, copy furnished the Regional Screening Committee (RSC) and the HRDU of each agency, initially through fax and original invitation sent through delivery or mail (for Visayas and Mindanao nominees). Follow-up by the Desk required. Beneficiary institutions/agencies are expected to respond immediately based on the list of courses provided them during the sectoral consultation per program. The SAS provides the RSC with a monthly schedule of interviews which is basis for the interview schedule for the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
      5. Invitations indicate the deadline for submission of documentary requirements and the date of interview for nominees who meet the minimum requirements.
      6. Associations, councils and leagues from the government and private sector maybe directly invited by SCS, provided their nominees undergo the internal preselection conducted by the nominating institutions.
      7. The Desk coordinates closely with the Screening Coordinator on the interview schedule. Interviews are rescheduled for the following reasons: (a) natural calamity; (b) short lead time on notice of interview or a day before the date of interview (which requires strong proof of late receipt of advice); (c)renominations to a different program; and (d)availability of additional slots as indicated by the donor through the local embassy.
      8. The Desk ensures that all communications relative to invitations and requirements for preselection are cleared with the EO prior to release.
      9. Data are submitted to the ME/MISD for upgrading th FSCIS.
     
    B. Assessment and Validation of Nominations
      1. Documents required for the preselection are submitted to the Desk Officer on the deadline indicated in the invitation.
      2. All nomination letters are addressed to either the SCS Chairman or the Executive Officer and duly signed by the head of the agency or its deputized official. For LGUs, the signatory could be the incumbent Governor or City Mayor but properly coordinated with the local government academy (LGA); and in the case of private sector/non-government organization, head of the firm and/or organization.
      3. All documentary requirements submitted must be up-to-date and certified by the authorized issuing official.
      4. Nominees with non-permanent status of appointment are required to present a strong justification and guarantee from the nominating institution of his/her continuity of service after the training. No nominee with non-permanent status will be interviewed or screened without the justification from the nominating agency.
      5. The submission of the certificates of: (a) no pending nomination in other local or foreign scholarships; and (b) no outstanding service obligation form previous trainings attended, are strictly enforced.
      6. The Desk Officer conducts preliminary paper assessment of the candidate to be interviewed. If the candidate does not meet the minimum requirement of the course, he will not be interviewed. Only principal candidates are interviewed. Alternate candidates are only interviewed when the principal candidate is disqualified or withdraws his nomination which is supported by an official withdrawal letter from the nominating institution. replacement of candidate is done immediately in case of sudden withdrawal of nominations. This is feasible only if donor embassies extend the deadline. Government nominees with the rank o Director IV or above are exempted from personal interview. In the case of the private sector, presidents/managers and chosen of equal rank are exempted from the interview.
      7. Assessment sheets must be duty signed by at least three members of the Scholarships Screening Committee (SSC)/Regional Screening Committee. If for strong reasons only one member of the SSC conducts the interview, assessment sheets are referred to the other members of the SSC/RSC for their confirmation. The signatures of at least three (3) members of the SSC/RSC is a prerequisite before nominations are officially endorsed to the local embassy through the DFA.
      8. In the case of candidates renominated to the same course/donor country, the Desk Officer attached the previous assessment sheet used when the candidate was earlier evaluated. Candidates are required to submit a renomination letter from the institution together with an up-to-date GOP and donor requirements.
      9. The SSC/RSC members and the Screening Coordinator record the names of the interviews and the number of interviews conducted for monitoring purposes.
      10.Data are submitted to the ME/MISD for upgrading the FSCIS.
     
    C. Release of Preselection Results
      1. Assessment sheets should be duly signed by the legitimate members of the SSC/RSC and the EO
      2. Members of the screening panel, the concerned Desk Officer, the Screening Coordinator, the EO and the SCS members are exclusively authorized to have access on the preselection results.
      3. Only nominees who have passed the preselection process shall be given official application forms. The Desk requires completeness and neatness in accomplishing the application form. Donor requirements are required to be submitted on time.
      4. The Desk always attaches a check-list of donor's requirements on the application forms. The GOP and donor requirements are explained by the Desk to the qualified candidates.
      5. The Desk assists the preselected candidates in accomplishing official nomination forms.
      6. The Desk sets the deadline for submission of donor's requirements before the Embassy deadline.
      7. The nominating institutions are provided with the preselection results/status through an official form. Request for data/information may only be allowed subject to clearance from the EO.
      8. Data are submitted to the ME/MISD for updating the FSCIS.
     
    D. Review of Official Nomination Forms/Endorsement of the Nomination Papers
      1. The Desk ensures completeness and neatness in the accomplished forms and other pertinent documents.
      2. Only complete and updated documents are endorsed to the donor embassy. Late official nominations will not be entertained unless the embassy indicates that it has extended the deadline in which case this should be indicated in a letter.
      3. Other documentary requirements including medical examination results are attached on the nomination forms. Nominees from Metro Manila are required to undergo medical examinations at the Department of Health Infirmary or DOH retained hospitals; regional candidates can have their medical examination at the designated DOH regional health centers. Only candidates who passed the physical and medical examination conducted by DOH and its retained hospitals are endorsed to the donor government. Any false statement on medical and physical examination either committed by the physician or the nominee will cause automatic disqualification of the nominee. Anomalies may be further investigated.
      4. A standard letter of endorsement is adopted. The accomplished official nomination forms and other pertinent documents are endorsed to the donor government through the Department of Foreign Affairs.
      5. The documents for endorsement to the donor embassies are reviewed by the Desk and signed by the EO and/or the chairman or his deputized official with the SCS official seal. Only complete documents are endorsed to the donor embassy.
      6. Documents of all qualified nominees are altogether released to the donor embassies to ensure early receipt. Individual documentary endorsements may only be allowed: (a) upon advice of donor for additional nomination;(b) when the program is specific/special to the institution and to the qualified candidate where no prioritization is indicated; and (c) for exceptional cases upon approval/clearance from the EO.
      7. Data are submitted to the ME/MISD for updating the FSCIS.
     
    E. Acceptance of GOP Nominees
      1. Upon receipt of notice of acceptance (i.e., note verbale, notice of award) from donor, the Desk immediately notifies the nominating agency by telephone and/or official communication.
      2. The staff assigned to assist the Desk must immediately fax and/or release for delivery for institution within Metro-Manila area) or mailing (for provincial institution) the notice of acceptance letter and its attachments. This notice shall be the basis for issuing travel order/authority signed by the grantee and the nominating agency.
      3. The Desk informs the scholar on documents needed in applying for an official passport, visa requirements, travel tax exemption, ticketing instructions and setting of appointment for the predeparture briefings at SAS/Embassy.
      4. The desk regularly updates his/her respective key sheets and submits the same to the Data Manager of the SAS for updating of the relevant information i.e., name, course and official status of the scholar.
      5. Data are submitted to the ME/MISD for updating the FSCIS.
     
    F.. Predeparture Activities
  1. The Desk briefs the scholar on the preparation of other documents needed for his/her travel as well as the training materials to be brought to the program.
  2. The Desk prepares and conducts pre-departure briefing for each scholar. The briefing provides the following:
    a.  information on:
      a.1. country of destination i.e., language, history, currency, climate, etc.
      a.2. details of training program to be attached;
      a.3. conduct and behavior of the scholar while on training;
      a.4. itinerary of level and arrival details in country of training (if provided by Embassy/Donor);
      a.5. reminder to the scholar to report his/her presence to the Philippine Consulate/Embassy where training program is to be conducted;
    b.  availability of a national dress and suitable clothing for temperature  countries;
    c.  submission of post-training report to SCS/ NEDA and nominating institution;
    d.  reminder to the scholar to report his/her presence to the Philippine Consulate/Embassy where the training program is to be conducted.
  3. The Desk likewise provides a copy of the SCS pre-departure briefing guidelines to the scholar. The scholar is expected to go over the guidelines. He is advised to attend the pre-departure briefing at the local embassy on other details of his travel and award.
  4. The Desk monitors the scholar's flow of documents from request for issuance of official passport, travel tax exemption and ticketing to actual departure.
  5. Data are submitted to the ME/MISD for upgrading FSCIS.
     
  III. Monitoring and Evaluation/Management Information System
    A. Monitoring of Scholars on Course
      1. The Desk maintains a life copy of each scholar's foreign travel order and duly accomplished scholarship training contract.
      2. The Desk evaluates and facilitates action on request of scholar for the extension of validity of passports. transfer to another course and/or another institution, extension of training period and travel of family members to the country of training with the local donor embassy and mother agency/institution of the scholar with the following considerations:
        2.a. Validity of passport is based on the length of training;
2.b. Transfer to another course outside of the original award or to another institution could only be effected upon issuance by the SCS of an official communication to the local embassy on said transfer
2.c. Extension of award may only be allowed for very strong reasons like natural calamities affecting completion of thesis or SCS of an official communication to the local embassy on said transfer;
2.d. Travel of family members to the scholar's country of training may only be allowed if it is within the terms of reference of the grant as provided for by the donor country 
2.e. No scholar is allowed to apply for another award from another institutions in the donor country while on course;
      3. The Desk evaluates performance report (s) of the scholar submitted by the training institution and sends one copy to the mother agency/institution of the scholar.
      4. The Desk evaluates the post training reports of scholars and substantive ideas are inputted in the status report prepared for country sectoral consultation. These are used especially for planning purposes and for future acceptance of program offers;
      5. The Desk continuously updates his/her respective program key sheets and submits to the Data Manager of the FSCIC for updating of the final status of the scholar and training course viability.
     
    B. Assessment/Evaluation of Country Programs
      1. The Desk, through the EO, consults the NEDA sector Staff, if necessary, on each scholar's report of training course attended. The Sector Staff may recommend continuation/discontinuation of availment of such training course;