(EID-011) “FIVE FORCES WORKING AS ONE”

I am very much impressed by the development work that the Canadian Executive Service Organization-Business Advisory Program (CESO-BAP) has done in the Philippines for the past three years. Working closely with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the Canadians recently turned over the program management to the latter; hence it will continue from now on as the PBSP-BAP.

I saw in the BAP experience a working model of effective cooperation between an embassy, a foundation, several local governments and a good number of beneficiaries. Inspired by the model, I see that it could still be improved by bringing in the universities as development partners, and this is where I think the University Consortium for Resource Networking (UNICORN) could have a role to play. By doing this, I think that it would form a complete supply chain of cooperation between and among embassies, foundations, universities, local governments and beneficiaries.

Over the years, I have seen a trend wherein embassies are now working through foundations to deliver and implement development programs, bringing in the local governments as well as cooperators. While it is true that foundations could very well hire their own people to work as local operators, the universities have the advantage of having qualified people who are already working locally.

As I see it, the prospective involvement of universities in the delivery of development programs would have a win-win effect, because they could use the extra income from more professional engagements, aside from the added advantage of having a sustainable source of dependable program staffers.

Starting with a member school in Quezon City, UNICORN is going to implement a community-based waste recycling project in cooperation with the local government, which at the same time would create livelihood opportunities for beneficiaries coming from the local community.

Following a model developed by Municipality of Los Baños, the project will exchange recyclables with coupons that are redeemable in cash or kind. Sad to say, this appears to be the only approach that could encourage popular cooperation, after seeing that voluntary or optional compliance has not worked over the years. As an innovation, the school will accept the coupons as credits in payment of tuitions.