ABSTRACT
BALMACEDA, CECILIA T.” THE IMPLEMENATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICES COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO.93-299 (LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM MASTERS’S DEGREE COURSE IN REGION V” ( Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Aquinas University , Legazpi City, March 2003)
Moving forward a globally competitive public service, the Civil Service Commission stepped up trainings and scholarship grants for the civil service workforce. Human resources being the best assets in the bureaucracy, it is necessary that we prepare them as they rice in the ladder of the bureaucracy.
For this purpose, in 1192, the Scholarship program in Government (SPG) was established. This program compliments the thrust of the Commission towards improving personnel standards such as the masteral degree requirements for Division Chief Position. IN 1993, the Local Scholarship program (LSP) was established as a component of the SPG. It specifically aims to provide education opportunities from the government employees’ professional growth.
This study is geared to evaluate the status of implementation of the Local Scholarship program for Master’s Degree (LSP-MD) in Bicol Region as perceived by the grantees (SY 1993-1994 to 2001-20022) and their heads of agency in terms of attainment of objectives; use of resources, program management, number of successful grantees and problems met by grantees. Further, his study would like to know the recommendations that could enhance the development of the Civil Service Commission Local Scholarship Program for Master’s Degree Course (CSC LSP-MDC).
Specifically it sought answers to the following questions: 1) what is the present status of implementation of the Civil Service Commission Resolution No.93-299 (Local Scholarship program for Master’s Degree Couse) in Region V as perceived by the grantees and their heads of agency in terms of: 1.1. Attainment of Objectives 1.2 Use of Resources 1.3 Program management including Application Procedure, Selection Procedure/ Awarding of Scholarship , Enrollment Procedure, Benefits, terms and condition of scholarship, penalties for violation of contract agency Support and other Responsibilities to Scholars, and the number of Successful Grantees?. 2) What are the Problems met by Grantees? 3) Is there a significant difference in the evaluation made by the two respondent groups? 4) What are the strengths and weakness of the program implementation? 5) What recommendations can be offered to enhance the development of the Civil Service Commission Local Scholarship program for Master’s Degree Course?
The study utilized a descriptive-normative method of research with a questionnaire as data gathering instrument. The Likert Scale was used to rate the status of implementation. The primary source of data are the responses given by all 206 grants/scholars and 62 head of agencies. The grantees /scholars for SY 1993-1994 to SY 2001-2002 and their agency heads constitute the population of the study and were all taken as respondents to determine whether there is a significant differences between the responses of the two groups of respondents, the analysis of variance was the statistical tool used.
Findings
The implementation of the CSC resolution No.93-299 ( Local Scholarship programs-Master’s Degree Course started in SY 1993-1194.The study dealt on the 9 batches from 1993-1994 to SY 2001-2002, . A total of two hundred six (206) grantees with 96 graduates.
The status of implementation was evaluated through the grantees and the heads of agencies and it was perceived as very good in terms of attainment of program objectives. The LSP-MDC provided educational opportunities to the grantees for their personal growth and career mobility in the government. Career advancement in the Civil Service is based on merit and fitness and this is influenced by one’s professional characteristics, influenced by trainings, experience and education.
With regards to the use of resources book/ thesis writing allowances were released on time; all other authorized fees under LSP-MDC within the course were paid by CSC; Salary/PERA and other allowances were timely released to scholar by his employer. Maximum utilization of benefits availed by the scholar, were all rated very good by both the scholar & agency heads.
The most critical was the imposition of penalties & violation, which was perceived as good by two groups of respondents. It means that majority of the scholars who did not finish their course were require to refund. Some of them went abroad, 3 passed away during the scholastic term, others had justifiable reason for not finishing the course, were condoned from penalties for violation of the terms and conditions of the scholarship.
Conclusion
As a whole, the implementation of the Local Scholarship Program – Master’s Degree Course, were rated very good by the respondents and they perceived that the CSC’s implementation of the LSP-MDC under Resolution No. 92-299 was well managed. Those who were not able to finish and the following problems: (1) Financial problem, (2) 12 units semester cannot cope with the 1- year scholarship term, (3) insufficient funds for tuition and other fees (especially the scholars who enroll in private institutions), (4) illness; (5) lack of support from the agency (some scholars report for work in the exigency of the service); (6) no regular meeting of scholar, (7) no dislocation and transportation allowance for those who enroll in another province; (8) uncooperative school official; (9) non-offering of subject required; (1) pregnancy or child delivery; (11) accident / family members; (12) emotional program; (13)failure in the comprehensive examination ;(14) one semester requirements for try-out of study,(15) lack of monitoring of scholar activities. These problems were also perceived by the Agency heads.
However both the grantees and the heads of agencies perceived the following strengths? The program is flexible (choice of school and course); program is service oriented; personal choice of course & subjects to take; program is multi-level, the scholar is made to decide to avail now or defer to another semester or school year. Followed by semester updates, enforcement of refund; scholars service obligation to the agency’s –MDC term of one year and maximum load of 12 units power semester;
The weakness perceived by the grantees and the heads of agencies were ranked as follows: absence of agency guidance and support; non-payment of allowances/inadequate stipend? Other benefits/transportation/dislocation by the agency; non-offering of the subject to require for the course; LSP-MDC term of one year; transfer/promotion to the province within the agency; enforcement of refund to those who were not able to finish the course, Comprehensive exam schedule every January of the year. All items were similarly perceived by both the grantee and the head of agency, except “enforcement to refund “which was perceived by the latter as weakest.
Recommendations
From the findings of the study the following recommendations are suggested to further improve the program: 1) continue the LSP-MDC for career advancement of government employees to have a professionalized bureaucracy, 2) release of financial obligations should be scheduled by both parties ( the scholar should submit all requirement on time for the early processing of checks) 3) wider dissemination should be made especially in island provinces –poster, information campaign thru the field offices 4) increase scholarship term because 1 year is not sufficient for those who start from zero units, 5) agency heads attend a briefing for common understanding of the guidelines on LSp,6) work for accreditation of intensive trainings attended by scholars to offset subjects requires by the course, 7) follow up with Heads agencies re-scholar contribution in the attainment of the goal of the agency and the nation as a whole, 8) Provide additional financial support; Transportation and relocation allowances should be provided to grantees while on scholarship specially for grantees who study in another province. 9) a continuing human resource intervention should be provided to the grantees to make them an arm towards the professionalization of the bureaucracy, 10) Gather scholar regularly where they can update ,get encouragement/ strength from each other ,frequent meeting by batch initiate programs for the development of human resource in the government utilizing scholars, 11) Give due recognition for those scholars who have worked on a thesis that contributes to the agency’s productivity and achievement of national goal-identify worthy thesis for implementation; and derived benefits should be recognized,12) included in the requirement that they are ready with their thesis before they avail the scholarship grant so that they can immediately work on the data needed while completing units required.
The CSC believes that LSP graduates will improve their capabilities to achieve a collective vision for a better society which is the main reason why the Civil Service Commission came up with this program. As an advocate of merit and fitness in the bureaucracy, the Local Scholarship Program-Master Degree Course to ensure competent and profession workforce.