Villacorta, V. E. (2017). Online information and legal assistance on civil service law, rules and regulations (Unpublished master's thesis). Public Management Development Program, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Public Management Development Program Middle Managers' Class Batch 13 Thesis (MMC)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is mandated to render opinions on all personnel and other civil service matters. The Office for Legal Affairs (OLA), as the legal arm of the Commission, is empowered to prepare opinions in the interpretation and application of civil service law, rules, and regulations. It has been observed that the high number of requests for opinions received by OLA makes it a challenge to render legal opinions within 15 days. The causes of this problem include a) lack of available information on CSC decisions and resolutions; b) inaccessibility of OLA's telephones; c) lack of awareness and understanding of government officials and employees on CSC law, rules, and regulations and unmind fullness of the consequences of its non-compliance; and d) the CDRIS is incomplete because it contains only decisions and resolution of the Commission. The Online Information and Legal Assistance on Civil Service law, rules and regulations with frequently asked questions (FAQs) is an intervention to introduce an innovative way of decreasing the large number of requests for legal opinions being received by OLA and by implication comply with its commitment of responding to legal queries by providing an immediate answer to clients. The implementation of the Online Information and Legal Assistance on CS law, rules and regulations with FAQs requires the scholar to: a) conduct consultative meetings with the stakeholders of the Commission; b) select FAQs through a review of OLA's previously issued legal opinions from the 1st semester of 2014 to the 1st semester of 2016 to be uploaded in the Online Information and Legal Assistance; and c) installing a live support or chat facility through an online forum that may be accessed through the CSC website. The three (3)-month implementation of the Online Information and Legal Assistance on Civil Service law, rules and regulations with FAQs achieved the following a) reduced the number of requests for legal opinions filed with the Commission; b) provided an immediate answer to queries through previously resolved or answered opinions by OLA and comply with the commitment of responding to legal queries within 15 days from receipt; c) increased awareness of CSC rules and regulations; and d) reached out to CSC's stakeholders (government officials and employees). The Online Information and Legal Assistance on Civil Service Law, rules and regulations with FAQs gave the citizens a more accessible and cost-effective means of seeking advice or legal counselling on various civil service matters.