REPORT
Grassroots Governance Project: Project Terminal Report
From 2018-2020 PTF Asia partnered with the LifeBank Foundation (LBF) to implement the Grassroots Governance Project. This project focused on improving basic barangay (local government) governance literacy and increasing opportunities for community participation in the Philippines.
In 2019, the project mobilized and trained a total of 180 Ikabuhi Microfinance Program (IMP) member beneficiaries of LBF in various training modules consisting of:
- Four modules on governance education and application of the community scorecard process
- Three modules on barangay governance, budgeting, and monitoring
- Five models on entrepreneurial development
The core objective of the Grassroots Governance project was to bring governance and citizenship to members of the IMP of LBF. This project focused on the engagement of IMP members with their local governments and its frontline service providers. The purpose was to bring about positive change in governance in several areas:
- Increased access to public services
- Changes in policies, legislation, and budgets
- Changes in practice
- Improved knowledge, skills, and attitudes of citizens
- Accountability for more response programs
- Transparency and access to information
The Expanded Grassroots Governance project is a development or offshoot of an earlier project implemented by
Bantay.ph in two pilot areas: Norzagaray, Bulacan and Bago City (Negros Occidental) in 2015- 2016. The external evaluation of the project concluded that Bantay.ph was able to develop the Grassroots Governance initiative into an effective and replicable model of citizen participation in their local community.
The project produced its intended results of a better informed citizenry through knowledge and skills training about government programs and processes, and a more responsive government through citizen monitoring and giving feedback for better implementation and delivery of public services provided by government agencies.
Download the report to read more about PTF’s work with the LifeBank Foundation and the positive effects of citizen engagement in the Philippines.
