REFLECTION PAPER

The Practicum on Operations Planning (POP) Module has provided me with

valuable learnings and insights which I consider very relevant and useful to me and my
organization. The discussions did not only impart theoretical knowledge about planning,
target setting, risk assessment, and other related concepts but it also paved the way for
practical application of these concepts because of the testimonials on the best practices
of other agencies and the various exercises that allowed us to demonstrate our
learnings.

Diving deeper into actual operations planning through the exercise on preparing
our own agency’s operational plan for the year was very challenging for me. But, it also
yielded the biggest impact in terms of learning. As a non-medical hospital employee
with limited knowledge of the operations of a 300-bed teaching and training State
University and Colleges (SUC)-owned hospital, I had to talk to various key players and
stakeholders, gather all the data that I can access given the limited time, read-up and
study about health and medical matters, and dig up historical information about our
institution in order to comply with the class requirement. It was like taking a crash
course on Nursing, Medicine and Hospital Administration. The Panay-wide blackout
made the process even more challenging. Nonetheless, everything was well worth it
because the learnings were priceless.

I gained a better understanding of my own organization through the POP

Exercise. What I perceived at the start as a mere class requirement became a
document that outlined how my organization is supposed to function in order to achieve
the targets set in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and translate these to better
services to the clients that we serve. It showed how each unit and department
contributed to the attainment of the targets set by the agency in the Performance
Informed Budget- Program Expenditure Classification (PIB-PREXC), what activities will
be undertaken ho will be responsible and accountable for each deliverable, what
resources are eeded and when these activities will be accomplished. More importantly,
through the exercise, I now recognize how proper planning and programming can unify
the
functional elements of the entire organization’s system and each individual’s output
because as the operational plan evolved, I saw the necessity of coming-up with other
complementary plans like the Learning and Development Plan, Risk Management Plan,
Transition/Contingency plan, the Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP) and
the Annual Procurement Plan (APP) to complete the entire picture. With the
assignment, I have learned to appreciate the value of being more strategic in order to
make my organization more effective and efficient in service delivery. Though the
process was just a simulation, I felt the excitement of actually envisioning how the entire
organization will function once the plan is set into motion. I realized that if only we are
intentional in doing this in our organization then we will be able to save a lot of
resources, address the problems of “kanya-kanya” and acting in silos, and unify
everyone towards a one purpose and direction. The plan for me is not only compliance
anymore but a roadmap, a blueprint of our trajectory for a year towards creating impact
both internally and externally. It will not only deliver results but create a more synergistic
organizational culture.

What then are my key takeaways and how I might use these insights in
improving planning and operations management in my organization?

Much needs to be done in my organization, the West Visayas State University

Medical Center (WVSUMC) in terms of planning and programming. During the
discussion on mediocre performers in the Philippine Public Sector, it dawned on me that
we are guilty of token compliance, misaligned objectives, inappropriate performance
indicators, sandbagged targets and weak accountability for results. Since the
assumption to office of our new Medical Center Chief (MCC) in 2020, the hospital has
not come up with its strategic plan, there is no intentional and purposive planning
process, no performance targeting and proper performance assessment. Units and
departments are acting in silos in delivering results. Year in and year out, our
organization thrives in a fire-fighting mode without understanding its true purpose, or
where it is heading. The COVID 19 pandemic and the shortcomings of the previous
administration became convenient excuses for the failure to institute changes. But, now
that we have transitioned into the new normal, there should be no room for excuses in
order to not only survive but to be more competitive in this volatile, uncertain, complex
and uncertain environment.
With this, I would like to see that intentional planning and programming is
done in our organization through an institutionalized planning process and the
identification of who will be responsible for it. At the moment we only have a designated
Planning Officer who simply cascades information from the university and consolidates
data for reportorial processes. There is a need to clearly define responsibility areas on
planning and programming in our organization and to come up with policies and
guidelines on our planning process which would outline the timelines, deliverables,
measurements, monitoring and evaluation. This is the first step in changing people’s
mindset in our organization on what proper planning and programming is all about to
ensure their appreciation of and participation in the process.
To say that data and information in planning is important is an
understatement. We need historical data of our performance and accomplishments, we
need census and statistics of transactions, services rendered, clients catered, resources
mobilized, etc. All these must be taken into account in planning to ensure that the
targets are realistic and attainable. There is a need to consolidate data and information
in our organization because in the absence of a data banking system, each unit and
department acts in silos. Hence, seamless and smooth data-sharing is not possible. I
experienced this when I prepared my agency’s operational plan. It was tedious going
from one office to another to gather information when in this age and time of
globalization, everything is supposed to come in handy at a click of the mouse.
Having a clearly defined organizational structure for the organization is
essential so tasks and deliverables are properly cascaded, accountable units are
identified and process ownership is established. For WVSUMC, the shift from a 150-bed
to a 300-bed hospital happened in 2001 but until now there are overlapping functions,
employees hired for a different purpose but doing other tasks in a different unit, unclear
lines for reporting and supervision and the like. Hence, come performance targeting and
assessment, there is also confusion. The structure will not only help facilitate a smooth
planning process but will also make sure its link to the Strategic Performance
Management System (SPMS) is clear.

Vertical and horizontal alignment of the plan is also an important takeaway in

the POP Module. The examples given by the Department of Budget and Management
and the Department of Labor and Employment on their planning practices show how
results are achieved on the ground to meet higher level outcomes from the top and how
each element of the plan connects with the other elements shows coherence and
clarity. Part of this is the proper crafting of success indicators which spells out quality,
quantity and timeliness for each performance area. These things I learned have
equipped me with a more analytical perspective in looking at the key performance
areas, targets and quality objectives of the different units and departments of our
organization which are key requirements to the maintenance of our Quality
Management System. With this I will be able to provide guidance on how they craft their
quality objectives and key performance indicators.

Lastly, the POP Module equipped me with confidence and hope that indeed we
can do something to change the situation for the better in our respective organizations if
we work on being strategic in our planning and programming practices and if we
continuously seek ways to improve productivity and performance.
Before I returned for my last week at DAPCC, I had an encounter with our Legal
Officer in the hospital when I made a follow up on my long overdue Scholarship
Contract. She told me, “What can I do? That is our system here!”. And I answered her
back, “Don’t tell me we cannot help improve the system, Atty. We can. There are ways
to improve. You’ll see…”
The tools that were taught to us are valuable resources we can apply to help
improve our organizations and it gives me hope that these are available for us to access
and to apply in our own organizations.
Six months ago, I wouldn't be that confident in answering our Legal Officer back.
But now, with all the knowledge gained in our POP Module which puts together all other
learnings in the various modules we had during the entire PMDP-MMC journey, I have
gained confidence in saying that yes, we can, because I see hope for the public sector
with all the knowledge that we gained in making these positive changes happen.