CDP, MAVC lead roundtable on tools that back accountability of gov't emergency aids

The Center for Disaster Preparedness, with the support of Making All Voices Count, has recently concluded a research project entitled, “Revisiting tools and platforms that support accountability to affected population during emergencies in the Philippines.” A roundtable discussion and validation of results was held at the University of the Philippines College of Social Work and Community Development (UPCSWCD) on the afternoon of April 4, 2017. Various stakeholders from the local government, academe, private sector, and civil society organization were among those invited.

The research sought to explore what national and local government mechanisms, tools and platforms were needed in order to support the accountability and transparency of government interventions during disaster response in the Philippines, specifically during the Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda). Among those platforms examined were the Open BUB (Open Bottom-Up Budgeting), Open Reconstruction, OPARR (Office of the Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery), and eMPATHY (e-Management Platform: Accountability and Transparency Hub for Yolanda). The research also looked at how the Accountability to Affected Population (AAP) and Communication with Communities (CwC) Technical Working Groups (TWG) can be further enhanced and replicated both vertically – among all political levels of the government – and horizontally – across different agencies, sectors and institutions, – so as to ensure that accountability and transparency are observed principles during disaster response.

The research team is composed of Ms. Sheena Opulencia-Calub (Research Lead), Dr. Mel Luna (Research Consultant), Ms. Grace Molina (Research Knowledge and Exchange Management Program Head), and Ms. Gabriella Pontejos (Research Associate). The findings of the research will be released in the third quarter of this year.