GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION

GOVERNMENT
&
REORGANIZATION
 The word “government” derives from the Greek verb κυβερνάω [ kubernáo ] meaning to steer with a
gubernaculum (rudder), the metaphorical sense being attested in the literature of classical antiquity,
including Plato's Ship of State. In British English, "government" sometimes refers to what's also known as a
"ministry" or an "administration", i.e., the policies and government officials of a particular executive or
governing coalition. Finally, government is also sometimes used in English as a synonym for rule or
governance.
A government is the system to govern a state or community. The Columbia Encyclopedia defines
government as "a system of social control under which the right to make laws, and the right to enforce
them, is vested in a particular group in society". While all types of organizations have governance, the word
government is often used more specifically to refer to the approximately 200 independent national
governments on Earth, as well as their subsidiary organizations, such as state and provincial governments as
well as local governments. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of
legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a means by which organizational policies are enforced,
as well as a mechanism for determining policy.
 And the term “reorganization” as a noun comes from the verb reorganize, which adds the
"again" prefix re- to organize, from the Greek word “organon”, mean a tool or implement. It is
either an intensive or extensive alteration of the structure of a company or government. It is
defined by law and jurisprudence as: “A reorganization 'involves the reduction of personnel,
consolidation of offices, or abolition thereof by reason of economy or redundancy of
functions.”
 Government reorganization refers to the rearrangement or restructuring of administrative
structures within a government. It involves abolishing, merging, or creating governmental
bodies and removing duplicate and overlapping functions. It is a bureaucratic response to the
confluence of managerial goals set by an administration vis-à-vis the political currents and
reforms impacting the government. The term has been associated with concepts like
rationalization, reengineering, and rightsizing.
 Government reorganizations is a planned and deliberate efforts to systematically change the
existing organizational structure usually for the purpose of achieving government objectives
with more economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It is usually taken once a new government
assumes power. This is usually done to signal the new directions that the new administration
would want to take. For example: companies go through reorganization for various reasons.
Purposes include improving efficiency, cutting costs, repositioning the business, and dealing
with corporate changes such as mergers and acquisitions. The restructuring may involve
changes to departments, business units and employee roles, and often includes significant
layoffs. Changes to the organizational structure are often made to focus effort on a business '
core competencies and to minimize the use of resources elsewhere.
Legal Basis:

GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
All matters directly and principally relating to the reorganization of the government or any of its
branches, departments and instrumentalities, excluding government-owned or controlled
corporations, and the creation, abolition or change of the principal functions of any government
department, agency, commission or board.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 997

AN ACT CREATING THE GOVERNMENT SURVEY AND REORGANIZATION COMMISSION AND

APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR. REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1954.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 Section 2. (a) The reorganization to be carried out under this Act shall have the following objectives:
 (1) To promote the better execution of the laws, and the more effective management of the government
and expeditious administration of public business;
 (2) To promote economy to the fullest extent consistent with the efficient operations of the government;
and
 (3) To increase the efficiency of the operations of the government to the fullest extent possible.
 (b) The Congress declares that the public interest demands the carrying out of the objectives specified in
subsection (a) of this section and that such objectives may be accomplished in great measure and more
speedily by proceeding under the provisions of this Act, than by the enactment of specific legislation.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 Section 9. The term "government", "agency", instrumentality", or "office", used in this Act means the
executive department, bureau, commission, council, board, office, division, service, administration,
government owned or controlled corporation, authority, or any establishment of the government.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 Section 11. (a) Officers and employees whose positions are abolished or who may be separated or
removed from the service as a consequence of the reorganization provided in this Act shall not lose their
civil service eligibility for a period of ten years from the date of their separation or removal from the
service, nor their right to any existing gratuity or to any gratuity that the Congress may provide. In the
event that any government office needs the services of additional personnel, preference in the
appointment shall be given to the officers or employees who may be separated or removed from the
service as a result of this reorganization and in accordance with the recommendation of the Commission
on Civil Service.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1241

AN ACT TO AMEND A CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY-
SEVEN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1954. APPROVED ON JUNE NINE, NINETEEN
HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 All matters directly and principally relating to the reorganization of the government or any
of its branches, departments and instrumentalities, excluding government-owned or
controlled corporations, and the creation, abolition or change of the principal functions of
any government department, agency, commission or board.
 Important provisions of this act to amend includes the updation of approval and the
provisions on creation, abolition or change of the principal functions of any government
department, agency, commission or board.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 51
AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO REORGANIZE WITHIN ONE
YEAR THE DIFFERENT EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, BUREAUS, OFFICES, AGENCIES AND OTHER
INSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE CORPORATIONS, OWNED OR
CONTROLLED BY IT.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5435

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES, WITH THE HELP OF A

COMMISSION ON REORGANIZATION, TO REORGANIZE THE DIFFERENT EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS, BUREAUS, OFFICES, AGENCIES AND INSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE
GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING BANKING OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND CORPORATIONS
OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY IT, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS.
 The Commission on Reorganizations
 (1) Three members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall
come from the party having the second largest number of votes in the last general elections;
 (2) Three members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, one of whom shall come from the party having the second largest number of votes in
the last general elections;
 (3) Three members to be appointed by the President of the Philippines, who may come from within or
without the government service

 The President shall designate from among the members the chairman of the Commission.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
 Republic Act No. 6656

AN ACT TO PROTECT THE SECURITY OF TENURE OF CIVIL SERVICE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES IN
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION.
 Section 1. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect the security of tenure of civil service
officers and employees in the reorganization of the various agencies of the National Government and
of local governments, state colleges and universities expressly authorized by law, including
government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters, without sacrificing the need to
promote morale, efficiency in the civil service pursuant to Article IX, Section 3 of the Constitution.

 “The Civil Service Commission (CSC), as the central personnel agency of the Government, shall
establish a career service and adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity,
responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service.”
 Ten (10) Things to Know About Government Reorganizations
The “soft” stuff turns out to be the hard stuff.
1. Reorganization is not a cure-all.
At times, a careful analysis would have shown that a problem is caused more by faulty processes, a
poorly trained workforce, or weak leadership than by the structure. Maybe the cause is a combination of
the three. Success with large-scale reorganizations depends on the extent to which all three of these
basic elements are addressed in tandem.
2. Lift the veil of secrecy quickly.
Reorganization plans often need to be crafted relatively secretly, to ensure ideas don’t emerge
stillborn. But once released, the circle should be expanded quickly to engage employees, unions, key
stakeholders, substantive congressional players (not simply the government operations committees),
and so on.
3. Reorganizations are often overhyped.
Reorganizations are usually “designed” to simplify and streamline, bring about greater efficiency and
economy, eliminate fragmentation, and so on. These goals are consistent with traditional public
administration doctrine and characteristic of what Harold Seidman regarded as “administrative
orthodox.” But it will be difficult, if not impossible, to measure success in terms of such proverbs or
organizational platitudes.
4. There’s savings! What savings?
Reorganizations always are justified in terms of a traditional public administration doctrine: economy
and efficiency. But tracking agency savings, as almost any seasoned budget officer would tell you, is
dealing with funny money. Most reorganization assessments have verified Rufus Miles’ assertion that
savings, as a ground for a major reorganization, is a will-o’-the-wisp.
5. Implementation doesn’t follow automatically after policy formulation.
Results will deviate from expectations. Any reorganized agency undertakes a heavy load of bureaucratic
activities—budget, finance, grants, personnel, acquisition, security, real and personal property, and
other administrative services. The magnitude of these endeavors can only be understood by someone
familiar with the complexity and arduousness of federal management systems. But implementation
often seems the missing link in reorganization.
6. Reorganizations have traumatic effects.
Related to the above, serious concern with implementation is typically too little and too late. Enormous
attention is devoted to analyzing and deciding what changes should be made. The problem of getting
from here to there is addressed only belatedly. Government reorganizers must pay special attention to the
problems that can be caused by excessive tinkering.
7. Measure twice, cut once.
The executive and legislative branches need to strike the right balance: a high-level blueprint, same
flexibilities for the new leadership team to work out the details, engagement of empowered career
executives as “co-owners,” with specifics on critical administrative authorities. It is important to get the
newly created entity off on the right foot.
8. The “soft” stuff often turns out to be the hard stuff.
This ties back to my earlier points that reorganizations often are driven by hard-nosed finance and budget
types who want to focus on “savings” and capture those up front. I was one of them when I was in
government. But when you are phasing out programs and processes and standing up new ones—in effect,
running them in parallel—costs will increase for a short transitional time before they level out. If one tries
to make cuts then, programs are disrupted, services suffer, employees and customers are dissatisfied, and
the reorganization falls under additional scrutiny and criticism. So patience, avoiding the thirst for instant
gratification, treating employees properly, putting customer service at the forefront, all these “soft things”
often have the larger impact on ultimate success and hence the bottom line.
9. If you do it, do it right.
These encompasses all the points I’ve made earlier about the importance of implementation, but also
includes using a reorganization to re-engineer, to rethink the field structure, and to use technology to
transform the way one does business.
10. Finally, build a 21st century government.
In his State of the Union address in January 2011, then-President Obama noted, “we cannot
win the future with a government of the past.” Months later, he proposed a 1950’s or 60’s box
shuffling trade reorganization “designed to eliminate government redundancies and
consolidate overlapping functions.” Instead, as Chris Mihm of the Government Accountability
Office has argued: “Federal reorganization should be more focused on creating and sustaining
what has been referred to as ‘virtual organizations’ that use collaborative mechanisms to knit
together various related programs and efforts that cut across federal agencies, levels of
government, and even sectors.”
 Why do we need to reorganize?
 Often, company reorganization occurs in response to financial threats or pressures
on the company. By making organizational changes, companies can reduce
costly inefficiencies, respond to new competitive markets, and develop strategies
to move forward successfully. Potential benefits include: Improving
competitiveness.
o What is the purpose of reorganization?
 Reorganization, in a business context, is an overhaul of a company’s internal
structure. Companies go through reorganization for various reasons. Purposes include
improving efficiency, cutting costs, repositioning the business, and dealing with
corporate changes such as mergers and acquisitions.
o What is reorganization process?

 Reorganization, or business restructuring, is a process where a company or a

government does an overhaul of its current strategy, setup, and operations.
Typically, businesses go through reorganization when they have financial troubles,
new owners or staff, or a structural change.
o What is reorganizing the bureaucracy?

 Reorganizing the bureaucracy has been in the agenda of every administration since
1940s. While it has been called by various names—streamlining, reorganization or
reengineering, the overarching reason for the reform is to reduce the wage bill ,
which has crowded out resources for vital social services.
o What happens during a reorganization?

 A reorganization is a significant and disruptive overhaul of a troubled business

intended to restore it to profitability. It may include shutting down or selling divisions,
replacing management, cutting budgets, and laying off workers.
 How to organize departments, bureaus, agencies and instrumentalities?

1. Define each department's purpose.

2. Identify core functions and job titles.

3. Collect data

4. Plan your department's organizational structure.

5. Implement the new structure

6. Evaluate the changes.

o How are administrative agencies reorganized and abolished?

 An office created by the Constitution may only be abolished by Constitutional

amendment or revision, unless the Constitution itself provides for another mode of
abolition. Likewise, an office created by Statute, may, as a general rule, be only
abolished by Congress, unless this power is delegated.
Thank you for listening !