TY - GEN AU - Mina, Ruth Eunice L. AU - Urbiztondo, Cassandra M. (Institutional Partner). AU - Manugue, Elizabeth Y. (Faculty Adviser). AU - Caluen, Imelda C. (Program Representative). TI - Online forum/consultation and training on administrative procedures for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional/field offices KW - Department of Social Welfare and Development KW - Misconduct in office KW - Philippines KW - Administrative procedure KW - Officials and employees KW - Discipline N1 - Public Management Development Program N2 - Pursuant to and in accordance with Executive Order (EO) No. 292, also known as the Administrative Code of 1987 and the Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Administrative Order (AO) No. 13 (Rules of Administrative Procedure in the DSWD) was promulgated to cover administrative procedures against DSWD employees, and all administrative cases against DSWD employees except presidential appointees. EO No. 292 vests to the Regional Directors the power and authority to discipline first level employees of their respective Regional Offices based on DSWD Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 17 Series of 2009 (Guidelines on Progressive Disciplining in the DSWD). The Civil Service Commission (CSC) on 18 November 2011 promulgated the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RRACCS), amending the Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service. It prescribes rules on all disciplinary and non-disciplinary administrative cases brought before the Civil Service Commission (CSC), agencies and instrumentalities of the national government, local government units, and government-owned and controlled corporations with original charters except as may be provided by law. DSWD Field Office Directors, Assistant Directors and other Field Office personnel involved in administrative procedures may not be able to carry out immediately and effectively the mandates of the said rules since they are not trained and experienced to handle administrative procedures and cases. Furthermore, DSWD Field Offices do not have the organic legal unit to assist them with the needed legal support. There is a need therefore to cascade and roll-out AO No. 13, MC No. 17 and RRACCS to the DSWD Field Offices in order to carry out the objectives of the rules. The fusion of online forum/discussion and trainings/workshops - a process simply called "blended learning" - was initialized to address this concern. After approval by the DSWD Secretary, the Field Offices were accordingly oriented on the implementation of this Re-Entry Project. Consequently, the online forum system was established to serve as venue for tutoring, coaching and consulting of Field Office Directors, Assistant Directors and other personnel involved in the implementation of administrative procedures on the essentials of case handling, hearing, prosecuting, evidence management, and other fundamentals in relation to AO No. 13, MC No. 17 and the RRACCS. In this regard, a Google Groups account (Administrative Procedure Workshop 2013) was created which membership is exclusive to the DSWD Field Office Directors, Assistant Directors (or their authorized representative) and selected personnel of the DSWD Legal Service. As of the present, there are already twenty-six (26) members in the Group, twenty-two (22) of whom are the Directors and Assistant Directors of Field Offices. The Google Group account is a setting for the Field Offices to lodge their concerns and queries in carrying out their functions mandated by laws, rules and regulations which the Legal Service shall answer or discuss accordingly. It is a pre-requisite to the training/workshops to be conducted. The Training Program for the training/workshops to be conducted was developed. During the training/workshops, the focus will be on the conduct of actual practicum of Field Office participants in the application of the essentials of case handling, hearing, prosecuting, evidence management, and other fundamentals. Such innovation in the internal operations of th DSWD Legal Service with the Field Offices capacitates the Directors and Assistant Directors with Legal knowledge and skills on the conduct of administrative procedures and cases which leads to the speedy and judicious disposition of cases and consequently, the effective and efficient delivery of public services to DSWD constituents brought about by DSWD employees who are whole-heartedly dedicated to public service ER -