The Philippine National Police is continuously embarking on a transformation strategy over the past five years to attain its vision of becoming a highly capable, effective, and credible police service. Using the Performance Governance System (PGS), the PNP translated its vision and governance statements into concrete and quantifiable outcomes under its Strategy Map; and aligned its operational activities with larger-scale and longer-term objectives, monitored through the Governance Scorecard.
Under the transformation agenda known as PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030: the “Peace and Order Agenda for Transformation and Upholding of the Rule of Law,” the PNP achieved meaningful strides in enhancing the procurement and budget systems, upgrading skills and capabilities, improving crime prevention and crime solution, and promoting active community engagement and partnership.
The PNP has been conferred three of the four stages of the PGS Governance Pathway—the Initiated Status in September 2009, the Compliant Status in October 2011, and the Proficient Status in September 2012—after complying and satisfying all the requirements of successful strategy execution; establishment of a fully-functional Center for Police Strategy Management (CPSM); formation of the National Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development (NAGPTD); ensuring alignment, establishing monitoring and reporting mechanisms; and, cascading of the PNP vision and strategy to all Units and down to individuals.
The breakthroughs that have been attained over the years clearly illustrate the PNP’s willingness and ability to transform and perform at optimum levels. Despite its sustained success in the implementation of its strategy, the PNP does not rest on its laurels and is now focused towards the future, as articulated in the vision for transformation which charts the organization’s course towards becoming a “highly capable effective and credible police service by or earlier than 2030.”
As the PNP sustains its momentum on the journey towards real and lasting transformation, the positive gains must now become a routine way of providing police services and the governance values deeply ingrained among the personnel. Thus, efforts are now aimed towards the attainment of the PGS “Institutionalized Status,” with the PNP needing to satisfy the mandatory requirements of establishing effective mechanism for data tracking and reporting of governance performance, the thorough conduct of impact evaluation to determine breakthrough results and the development of Individual Performance (IP) Scorecards.
Clear governance structures must be present (Replication of TWGs, PSMUs, and Advisory Councils)
In order to make transformation a reality from the National Headquarters down to the police station level, there is a need to develop transformation champions and Lead P.A.T.R.O.L.ers who will advocate the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 and are skilled at initiating, facilitating, and implementing it. Thus, the PNP created the Technical Working Group and Police Strategy Management Units at the Regional, Provincial, City and Municipal Police Stations to complement the work of its counterparts at the National Headquarters.
THE TWG AND PSMU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
- Alignment of dashboards and individual scorecards with the PNP Scorecard;
- Management of scorecards and dashboards;
- Conduct of strategy and operations reviews;
- Implementation of Communications Plan on PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030.
By developing transformation champions at all levels of the organization, the PNP encourages key officers and personnel to advocate the needed changes, involving them in transformation efforts, and actively involving them in helping other units and personnel in the efficient and effective implementation of the transformation strategy.
The PNP has always given particular emphasis on the active engagement of local government units, other government agencies, civil society, and the citizenry in its efforts on crime prevention and crime solution. Without the support of the community, the police can only do so much in maintaining peace and order and public safety. This premise is the lynchpin in the PNP’s creation of the National Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development (NAGPTD), composed of high-profile personalities from government agencies, business sector, the academe and community who are known for their integrity, probity and leadership and who will assist and support the PNP in the implementation of the P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030. To make PNP transformation a shared commitment, the same governance structure was replicated at the local levels through the establishment of Regional, Provincial, City and Municipal Advisory Councils.
Transformation requires data-driven discussion (Certification Process for PNP Offices/Units, Strategy and Operations Reviews, and Public Governance Reporting)
To deliver truly transformative performances, all PNP Offices/Units must be able to collate data from various sources, analyze them and then use the results to anticipate, prevent and respond more effectively to public safety concerns. Under this premise, the formulation of scorecards and dashboards, as well as its subsequent implementation must be driven by data analysis. Thus, TWG and CPSM organized the PNP Unit Certification and Performance Governance Reporting to validate the implementation of each PNP unit’s scorecards/dashboards and assess their overall performance based on the accomplishment of their set targets.
During the Certification Process, PNP Offices/Units present the prevailing realities in their areas of responsibility, the current state of their organizations as well as the desired future they want to attain using “Process Check” and management tools such as, Customer, SWOT, and Gap Analyses. The PNP Offices/Units then address these realities through the strategic initiatives that they have identified in their respective scorecards/dashboards. By requiring all PNP Offices/Units to undergo the Certification Process, the knowledge and understanding of all key personnel involved in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 were further strengthened. To date, 189 PNP Units/Offices have already been conferred with the “Initiated Status” after successfully complying with the requirements.
In executing the PNP strategy, Strategy Refresh is conducted every 6 months by the CPSM and TWG, or whenever there are leadership or “environmental” changes, wherein the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 is re-examined with the expectation that there will be a significant change in strategic direction.
Strategy Reviews are also conducted on a quarterly basis by the CPSM and TWG for the scorecards of the 16 Directorial Staff, 23 National Support Units and 17 Provincial Police Offices. The strategy is evaluated on the implementation of initiatives, notable process improvements and determination of the level of performance of the organization based on the targets achieved using the measures reflected in the scorecard to gauge actual performance or accomplishment.
Operations reviews are conducted regularly on a monthly basis by the PSMUs to the 80 Police Provincial Offices and 1,766 City/Municipal Police Stations nationwide with the objective of assessing short-term performance and to respond to problems that require immediate actions.
The PNP also regularly delivers its performance reports on the implementation of its strategy before a select panel of local and international balance scorecard experts and good governance practitioners during the Public Governance Forums organized by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia and the National Competitiveness Council every 6 months. Since its initiation into the PGS in 2009, the PNP is the only government agency to have been conferred with four Trailblazer Awards in March 2012, September 2012, October 2013 and April 2014.
A TRANSFORMED ORGANIZATION PROVIDES A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
One of the hallmarks of a transforming organization is the creation of an environment in which members can develop themselves to realize their full potentials and thereby contribute to the attainment of organizational goals. In the face of rapid societal and technological changes, organizations that are able to adapt maximize the use of learning to shape new structures, processes, and systems and are better able to thrive and prosper. Under the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030, the PNP fosters and encourages innovations at all levels, and commits to continuously improve using the lessons learned and best practices to meet current and future policing demands.
EXECUTIVE SERIES
The CPSM in partnership with the TWG launched the “Development Management for Police Executives” Lecture Series designed to enhance the competencies of the members of the TWG, focal persons from the PNP Directorial Staff, action officers of the National Support Units and members of the Regional Police Strategy Management Units through lectures, case studies and workshops. Topics on “Executive Leadership,” “Strategy Management,” “Creative Thinking and Innovation,” and “Critical Thinking and Achieving Excellence in Work and Life” were provided by distinguished Management consultants.
BOOT CAMP
Two PGS Boot Camps were conducted for key police officers and personnel involved in the implementation, promotion and sustainability of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 enhanced with the Chief, PNP’s Strategic Focus “CODE-P: 2013 and Beyond.” Lectures on cultural transformation, change management, strategic communication, strategy execution and inter-agency collaboration were provided by competent speakers. The learning experiences of the participants were supplemented with group activities as participants were divided into several groups and were given different mental and physical activities to test their camaraderie, creativity and the practical application of the concepts they have learned. A third PGS Boot Camp for female PNP personnel is planned to be conducted soon to empower them to become active implementers of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030.
E-LEARNING
The e-learning program, a software designed to house reference materials and test one’s level of awareness and knowledge of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L Plan 2030 through an on-line examination, covers a wide range of pertinent topics such as the history of the PNP ITP-PGS, the stages on the road towards institutionalization, the Strategic Focus CODE-P of the Chief, PNP, and, even process check tools such as Customer Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Gap Analysis.
The exam is modular, and that the examinee must obtain a score of at least 70 percent in each module before he or she is permitted to proceed to the next stage. The test is conducted under the supervision of designated proctors to ensure the integrity of the results.
The Chief, PNP, in recognition of the merits of the initiative, has ordered that the e-learning program be replicated and implemented nationwide not only to educate police personnel on the concepts of PNP P.A.T.R.O.L Plan 2030, but also, to enhance the ability of all police units to accurately evaluate the awareness level of their own personnel. As of June 30, a total of 116,636 Uniformed and Non-Uniformed Personnel have already passed the e-learning exams. An advance e-learning course is being developed to further enhance understanding of individual personnel of the succeeding stages of the PGS and the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 Certification Process.
INNOVATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP MUST BE EMBODIED (BEST PRACTICES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS)
Under the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030, all PNP Offices/Units are encouraged to develop or adopt best practices that increase the effectiveness of programs, enhance and improve the delivery of police services, in particular crime prevention and crime solution, and create better customer value by ensuring a safer place to live, work, and do business.
BREAKTHROUGHS PER PERSPECTIVE
The vigorous and sustained implementation of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 resulted in the following breakthrough results which have created positive impact to the PNP’s constituencies.
Resource Management. the increased Logistics Capability Index Fill-up particularly in investigative and communications equipment, firearms, and mobility assets provided our units and personnel with mission-essential and enabling logistical requirements for them to perform their mandated functions at the optimum level.
The optimized utilization of PNP financial resources ensures that all strategic initiatives are linked with the approved General Appropriations. The institutionalization of the PNP Participatory Budgeting Process (PPBP), wherein the annual budget preparation adheres to the bottom-up and activity-based budgeting concepts, resulted in the allocation of required funding of all initiatives in the PNP Scorecard.
Learning and Growth. The PNP puts emphasis on developing highly competent personnel in order to excellently perform their individual functions. The breakthrough in the number of police personnel trained in investigation and intelligence greatly impacts the PNP’s core functions of crime prevention and crime solution.
With the acquisition of computer hardware and communication equipment as well as the improvement of internet connectivity, more police stations are now “ICT compliant,” thus enhancing the administrative and operational capabilities of our frontline units.
The PNP also recently activated the Anti-Cybercrime Group to serve as the primary unit responsible for the implementation of pertinent laws on cybercrimes and anti-cybercrime campaigns of the PNP and the national government. The creation of ACG also highlights the Organizational Development component of the Chief, PNP’s Strategic Focus “CODE-P” to have a centralized body that is dedicated in handling cybercrimes to enhance the overall efficiency of the PNP to solve and prevent criminality.
To be a highly capable, effective and credible police service, the principles of internal discipline and values-orientation are always adhered to by strictly enforcing disciplinary policies; fast tracking the resolution of administrative cases; and, complemented with sustained moral enhancement programs. Since the implementation of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030, the agency has put a strong emphasis on molding values-oriented and disciplined personnel which greatly reduced the administrative and criminal cases.
Process Excellence. The PNP continues to vigorously perform its core operational processes of investigation, operations, intelligence and police community relations. Through the implementation of strategic initiatives such as the Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS); “Pulis Sa Barangay;” intensified operations to recover loose firearms; and, utilization of technology such as the e-CIRS, e-Rogue, e-Warrant, and GIS, the PNP significantly reduced the Index Crime Rate while increasing Crime Clearance and Crime Solution Efficiencies.
Community. Due to the continuing campaign to better serve and protect the community as a result of the sustained implementation of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030, the PNP continues to post positive satisfaction ratings in the opinion polls conducted by survey firms, thereby providing our citizenry with a safer place to live, work, and do business.
APPLICATION FOR ISLANDS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
The PNP committed to reduce by 50 percent the incidence of street crimes in major areas of Metro Manila and in other highly-urbanized cities of the country and to increase by 5 percent Crime Clearance and Crime Solution Efficiencies in time for the Philippines’ hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in 2015. The 2015 PNP commitments are expected to contribute in the attainment of peaceful, orderly and safer communities—an indispensable factor for sustainable economic development, social order and political stability—for the promotion of the Philippines as progressive and competitive investment and tourism site.
WAY FORWARD
As the work towards attaining the vision continues, the PNP will continuously communicate the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 to internal and external stakeholders to gain their active support and participation. The PNP will also implement the e-PGS which will provide an automated scorecard monitoring infrastructure to assist the CPSM in gathering, and analyzing data to help create a discipline of scorecard implementation and institutionalize accountability in the organization.
The PNP has achieved significant milestones in its transformation journey, devoting extensive resources and effort to bring about positive change in the country. With renewed focus and commitment, the PNP will continue to transform to be a highly capable, effective and credible police service, that the country rightly deserve and be truly proud of.