By Sharah Ibrahim
The Department of Science and Technology - Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) recently conducted a mid-year performance review and monitoring of its 2023 performance and outlined its future plans last July 18, 2023.
The review covered a range of topics, including the status of internal and DBM-approved physical targets, Institutional 10-year Roadmap position, financial standing, and future expectations.
The process of the performance review was initiated with a message from the DOST-TAPI Director, Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena. "Regarding the Institute's performance, the evaluation has been duly completed and submitted to the Secretary's Office," Atty. Decena stated. "I would like to announce that on the basis of that performance appraisal, it seemed that we have achieved our goal of 100% in terms of physical targets," she further added.
This statement from Atty. Decena was further validated by Ms. Janice W. Cornel, the Head of the Planning Unit. She reported that DOST-TAPI has demonstrated a strong physical performance for the first semester, aligning with DBM's output and outcome indicators. Furthermore, she provided a detailed overview of the met and ongoing implementation of targets as per the DOST-TAPI Roadmap.
Impressively, the first semester saw DOST-TAPI meet or exceed all of the DBM-approved targets. There was a 132% achievement in IP protection filing for local technologies in the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, a 120% accomplishment in commercialization and adoption by industry/community of technologies diffused supported, and an attainment of 106% in the number of pre-commercialization support provided for technologies, inventions, and innovations.
Furthermore, the Institute was able to achieve 125% from its targeted number of inventions, innovations, and technologies promoted and commercialized, accomplish 100% from the requests that were acted upon within three days, and a reach 115% from the number of technical advisory services rendered.
The Institute's financial performance was presented by Ms. Josephine Q. Reyes, the Budget Section Head. She reported that the budget allotment for CY 2023 is P177.6 Million and the obligated amount as of the first semester is P80.9 Million, leaving a balance of P96.7 Million or 54% of the total budget for the second semester. The actual disbursement was reported to be P69.6 million, achieving 66.07% for the first semester.
In terms of programmed amount in BED 1 (79.9 million) as compared to actual obligations (80.9 Million) for the first semester, the institute attained an obligation rate of 101%.
The review also included a reflection on the previous six months for the Institute to identify several concerns on some of its major processes and strategize for further improvement. A report on the Turnaround Time (TAT) of project proposals received was presented by the Citizens’ Charter Committee and possible streamlining strategies for the year were discussed. Also, the outputs from the Director's Hour, conducted with all divisions of DOST-TAPI which allowed the Director to identify and address issues and concerns within each division, were presented and conferred. Then, the Procurement Process Monitoring Team, the team created by the Director to oversee, guard and monitor the efficiency of the procurement process, reported their findings to the said process and presented their recommendations for its improvement.
Looking into the future, the review discussed Gender and Development (GAD) plans and activities, with a focus on integrating GAD initiatives into the existing DOST-TAPI programs for more effective attribution. The proposed budget and physical targets for 2024 based on the National Expenditure Program (NEP) were also presented, with a total budget of P186,090,000 projected for 2024.
Lastly, the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) outlined strategies for corporate branding, with a five-year timeline for brand building, execution, consolidation, expansion, and optimization. The DOST-TAPI brand guide was also presented.
In a message from DOST-TAPI Director, Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena, she emphasized the importance of the mid-year performance review and the need for continuous improvement. She congratulated everyone for the hard work done in the past six months and expressed her hope for maintaining the same level of performance in the future. She also announced the initiation of the Philippine Governance System (PGS) and the continuation of the ISO QMS, which she believes will help the Institute achieve its long-term goals.
The mid-year review provided a comprehensive overview of DOST-TAPI's performance and future plans, demonstrating the Institute's commitment to continuous improvement and strategic planning. The impressive increase in key performance indicators underscore the Institute's successful efforts in promoting and supporting local technologies and innovations.
