Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON AUDIT Commonwealth Avenue, Queson City, Philippin MEMORANDUM Now: 081-020 Date: D7 SEP 2021 TO —_:_Alll Assistant Commissioners, Directors, Officers-in-Charge, Division Chiefs, Supervising Auditors, Audit Team Leaders, Audit Team Members, Members of the COA Gender and Development Focal Point (GFP) System in the Central Office and the GFP Sub-Systems of COA Regional Offices, and Other Concerned Personnel SUBJECT: Dissemination and Use of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019-2025 in Gender and Development (GAD) Planning and Budgeting of the COA GAD Focal Point System The GEWE Plan 2019-2025, Annex A hereof, is the government's guide and key reference in formulating GAD plans and budgets. It is the third time-slice framework plan that government has formulated in support of the long-term perspective plan, the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD) 1995-2025!, The GEWE Plan 2019-2025 covers four years of the Updated Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 and the remaining years of the PPGD 1995-20257. Chapter 16%, Part IV of the GEWE Plan 2019-2025 presents a structured approach to achieve strategic results through “all of government” plan which is aligned to and supports the vision of the Updated PDP 2017-2022. Through the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the efficiency of the GEWE Plan 2017-2022 will be determined in terms of how the interventions and activities of national government agencies, local government units, private sectors, civil society, and development partners have been guided by the intended outcomes in the plan. On the other hand, its effectiveness will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which the quality of life of Filipino women and girls, especially the poor and marginalized, has improved, using standard gender indicators, Pursuant to Chapter 16, Part IV of the GEWE Plan 2019-2025, the following mechanisms and strategies for the plan implementation and monitoring, Annex B hereof, have been presented by the PCW during the virtual conference on August 4, 2021 of oversight and implementing agencies: ‘+ Improving the practice of mainstreaming and use of the GAD budget; ‘+ Mobilizing resources to finance the Plan; * Continuing monitoring to assess achievement of results, effectiveness of reporting and coordination mechanisms, and accountability of oversight; Sacral Onion Fay ua ev, Ged Egy nd Woes mponeme (EWE Pan 20182025 2 The Pigone Dome i (DP 2179 he oat No wo Beep ry EON) ee ee a ea ioc Gino iy Nears Enoyemen (EVE Pan 20192028, Chr” Pa nce nd ostinato chev Glt al Te te GWE Pn 7* Committing key stakcholders to accountabi responsibilities; ‘+ Encouraging local civil society organizations and women’s organizations to partner with government; ‘* Mobilizing support from stakeholders through a communication and knowledge management plan and strategy; Localizing strategy and local GAD resource program implementation; Managing risks to implementation; and Aligning agencies’ GAD planning and budgeting with the GEWE Plan 2019- 2025. s, and their roles and Under the foregoing mechanisms and strategies, the PCW identifies items | to 4 where this Commission has critical role as an oversight agency. On item 4, the PCW specifically mentions the following direct roles and responsibilities of this Commission: (1) conduct of annual audit of GAD funds of all government agencies; and (2) building the capacity of COA auditors to ensure more meaningful audits that contribute significantly to the improvement in the situation and condition of women and girls. Accordingly, the conduct of audit and capacity building in the audit of GAD funds, which are already considered in the COA GAD Agenda 2020-2025 and in the annual GAD Plan and Budget (GPB) and Accomplishment Report (AR), need to be enhanced and strengthened in compliance with the implementation and monitoring of the GEWE Plan 2019-2025. ‘The Committee on Audit and Gender Issue Analysis and the Committee on Training and Advocacy of the COA GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) shall take the lead and collaborate in enhancing and strengthening the conduct of audit and capacity building in the audit of GAD funds, i.e. use of gender statistics and sex-disaggregated data in audits. Moreover, the Committee on Audit and Gender Issue Analysis shall include GAD in the audit of: foreign- assisted projects, in compliance with Republic Act Nos. 7192° and 9710°; in the conduct of en participatory audits in accordance with the Updated PDP 2017-2022; and in the audit of programs implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, Bayanihan Acts | and 2 and the Vaccination Program’. Meanwhile, the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Database and Website Development and Maintenance shall incorporate a module in the enhanced version of the GAD Planning, Budgeting and Accomplishment Information System (GPBAIS) to monitor the implementation of audit of GAD funds and capacity building of auditors, in compliance with the GEWE Plan 2019-2025. ‘The Technical Working Group, COA GFPS, shall conduct a virtual briefing on the GEWE Plan 2019-2025 and the enhanced GPBAIS to all the members of the COA GFPS of the Central Office and the GFP Sub-Systems of all COA Regional Offices and the Regional Satellite Office of Negros Island and Siq For the guidance of all concerned. MICHAEYG. AGUINALDO ‘hairperson Women ia Development and Natio Bulg Ac approved on February 12,1992. By ,cemion on na {Magne Casta of Women approved on August 14, 2008 ‘fie ofthe Chaiparson SSS i hl