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By Marianne Fabian, Gov Data Initiative
Picture a nation where transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of governance, and every peso spent on public projects is accounted for with precision. Imagine the Philippines as a country where every infrastructure project–from roads to bridges to IT networks–is not only meticulously planned and everyone can check on its progress in real-time. This vision might seem utopian, but it’s within our grasp with the right tools and collaboration. This is the journey that we are following in the Gov Data Initiative (GDI), as we join the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in co-designing the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (DIME) platform.
The challenges we face in infrastructure sector governance
For many years, the Philippine government has been trying to build more infrastructure to improve our country. Yet, these efforts continue to be fraught with challenges. There are instances when bids to start projects fail, land issues arise, designs get delayed, and some contractors do not always deliver. These problems make it hard to complete projects on time and within budget.
In 2021, the Department of Public Works and Highways only used 57% of its budget. The Department of Transportation used 44%, and the Department of Information and Communication Technology used just 28%. Because of these inefficiencies, the Philippines fell behind its ASEAN-5 neighbors in the 2023 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking for infrastructure.
The solution to these persistent issues lies in robust planning and relentless monitoring. Imagine if we could track the progress of every project, every resource allocation, and every contractor's performance in real time. This level of transparency and engagement can revolutionize how we execute public infrastructure projects. However, the reality is starkly different – our current monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is fragmented, with inadequate performance assessments and inaccessible data, eroding public trust and accountability.
The solution: Project DIME
Image from the DBM presentation on "Project DIME, Transparency in Governance: Tracking Progress, Empowering Citizens" delivered by Undersecretary Maria Francesca del Rosario during the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Estonia on September 4, 2023.
In response to these challenges, the DBM initiated the redesign of the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (DIME) platform in 2023. This project aims to create an online portal for participatory validation and reporting of key government infrastructure projects. It’s a bold step and more ambitious commitment under the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) National Action Plan (NAP) 2023-2027.
What makes DIME revolutionary? It goes beyond following the money; it’s about real-time, on-the-ground insights into project progress. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies like satellites and drones, DIME empowers citizens to monitor projects and provide direct feedback. Imagine reporting on the progress of a local road construction via your smartphone. This level of engagement makes the system more transparent and accountable.
Together with the DBM, we are supporting the Project DIME to achieve several goals. The first aim is to create an interactive website where everyone can see, monitor, and report on key public infrastructure projects. This helps people keep track of what's happening. Second, the Project DIME portal shall also provide timely information so issues can be flagged and addressed quickly. Third, it will give accurate data for public debate, helping people discuss and provide input to government decisions. Lastly, it will encourage citizen engagement, allowing everyone to take part in monitoring and evaluating infrastructure projects.
The Gov Data Initiative is at the heart of this transformative journey. We’ve signed up as an OGP co-commitment holder with DBM to co-design and promote an online portal that’s not only smart but also user-friendly and accessible to all stakeholders – from civil society and think tanks to students, journalists, and the general public.
GDI's role and contributions
Over the past year, GDI has actively engaged in DIME activities, including:
PH-OGP National Action Planning Workshop: Co-designing Project DIME under the Open Government Partnership
Project Design and Implementation Team Meetings: Collaborating with DBM and service provider, Symph
Design Thinking Workshop: Shaping the portal’s features and functionalities.
These engagements have been pivotal, allowing us to infuse the portal with a civil society perspective. Using the Infrastructure Data Standard developed by the CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative and inputs from consultations with key stakeholders, we’ve identified the following priority datasets crucial for the DIME Portal’s success.
Project Identification: Reference number, owner, sector, subsector, name, location, purpose, description, brief or feasibility study, officials, and roles.
Project Preparation: Scope, environmental impact, land and settlement impact, contact details, funding sources, budget, approval date, multi-year program and budget, environmental and social impact assessment, resettlement and compensation plan, financial agreement, procurement plan, approval decision.
Tender Management: Procuring entity, contact details, process, number of firms tendering, cost estimate, contract type, administration entity, title, firms, price, scope of work, start date and duration, status, method, documents, evaluation results, design report, officials, agreement and conditions, registration and ownership of firms, specifications, and drawings.
Implementation: Variation to contract price, duration, scope, reasons for changes, list of variations, quality assurance reports, disbursement records, payment
Project Completion: Status, completion cost, completion date, scope, reasons for changes, reference to audit and evaluation reports, progress reports, budget amendment decision, completion report, evaluation report, technical audit reports, financial audit reports.
We will also be looking for interactive windows for the provision and response to public feedback as part of the DIME portal.
The way forward: Getting more people involved, engaging better
Our engagement with the DBM on the Project DIME has been meaningful. However, our journey is just beginning. To make the Project DIME co-creation process truly effective and responsive, we put forward the following recommendations to the DBM and Symph:
Improve stakeholder notification timeliness: Ensure early invitations for engagement opportunities, not last-minute alerts.
Enhance feedback loops: Publish a consolidated list of inputs from citizens and civil society, along with responses on how these inputs were considered.
Timely launch of the portal and establish partnerships: To develop practical use cases, we recommend ensuring the timely launch of the revamped portal, organizing workshops and training sessions for stakeholders, launching a comprehensive public awareness campaign, and fostering partnerships with tech companies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and international organizations.
Project DIME is a game-changer. It’s about using publicly available information to highlight issues that matter to the public, driving accountability. But we need every stakeholder – from government agencies and civil society to the private sector and the general public – to be more proactive in this endeavor.
Together, we can build a future where infrastructure projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet the needs and expectations of the Filipino people. Let’s make transparency and accountability the new norm. Together with the DBM, we are committed to making DIME a success story for the Philippines.
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