MANILA, Philippines - After setting forth a governance charter, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) went through a thorough self-assessment of where it is, what its strengths, and weaknesses are along with the opportunities and threats it faces, as it moves forward towards its BHAG or 2030 Vision. The results of its self-assessment should lead to a strategy map for DAP, which lays out the road map for it to follow on its way towards realizing its 2030 Vision. To draw up its strategy map, DAP chose to adopt the PGS.
It asked strategic questions about its people, its processes, the constituencies it serves, its financial parameters, and finally, its social impact or relevance (the outcome it said it was aiming for under its relevance framework). The strategic question it asked about people was: "How can we attract, develop, motivate, and retain the best in class talent?" This question is of great significance for a facilitator and service provider as DAP. It gives two answers to it: "To create an attractive work environment" and "to continuously develop competencies of people." These became the first two strategic priorities in the DAP strategy map: They fit into the character of DAP, given its mandate, mission, or core purpose. DAP attracts those who are desirous of continuous professional development, and who can thrive in an environment conducive to continuing personal and professional development.
The strategic question it asked about processes was: "How will DAP drive the attainment of its desired operational excellence?" First and foremost, it has to fully comply with all the rules and regulations that have been mandated by higher authorities. Then, it has to go beyond mere compliance; it also has to achieve global standards in several of its key processes. In serving its constituencies, DAP asked this strategic question: "How do we want our customers to see us in relation to our BHAG?" The answer it gives is as follows: "To deliver responsive and high quality developmental solutions." This becomes a strategic priority, which demands creativity, high standards of excellence, and responsiveness to real developmental needs of other national government agencies. This would call for DAP to be practically and realistically relevant to development issues, particularly those connected with governance and productivity. The strategic question that the DAP asked about finance was: "How do we ensure financial sustainability to support our developmental work/initiatives?"
The answer: Its observance of traditional financial discipline, which requires continued growth of revenue, attaining positive net income, and earning a reasonable return from assets. Finally, under social impact or relevance, DAP asked this strategic question: "What positive developmental changes can DAP significantly contribute to the Philippines and the regions of Asia and the Far East?" Having adopted the PGS, DAP commits using it internally, and then to spreading the PGS to other national government agencies: It is a system that uses governance as a framework for delivering breakthrough, developmental results. It thus becomes a tool for "significantly contributing to effect developmental changes." In all, DAP has listed only six strategic priorities, which came as answers to the traditional strategic questions it should ask while making a serious, introspective self-assessment.
Once connected together due to their close inter-relationship, those six strategic priorities make up DAP's strategy map. Furthermore, DAP has put on top of its strategy map three strategic themes: They provide a smaller number of umbrellas to cover those strategic priorities that are much more closely related to each other. The themes are: Innovation, internal efficiency, and impact and relevance. These strategic themes serve a useful purpose in that they further make the different strategic priorities cohere more strongly with each other. They also help break the usual silos that are naturally erected due to the different professional specializations that operations require.
