Sub-national advisory councils
THE experience with, and the positive contribution of, the National Advisory Group for Police Transportation and Development (NAGPTD) led the Philippine National (PNP) to consider replicating in some way the idea of an advisory council at the subnational level. Each office or unit of the PNP had to come up with its own strategy map, with corresponding performance scorecards; it was but natural that each major PNP office or unit should also consider putting up an advisory council for its commander or chief.
The Center for Police Strategy Management (CPSM) pushed for the establishment of these sub-national advisory councils. Based on the report from Noel Baraceros, “the NAGPTD was replicated with the establishment of Advisory Councils for the National Support Units (NSUs), Police Regional Offices (PROs), Provincial Police Offices (PPOs), City Police Offices (CPOs), City Police Stations (CPS), and Municipal Police Stations (MPS).”
This has been an enormous undertaking, involving literally a “cast of thousands” spread all throughout the country. It is a veritable network, made up of private citizens who are committed to working with the PNP in securing peace and order in their respective areas. According to the table presented by Noel Baraceros, “the profile of the sub-national Advisory Council Members nationwide, actively supporting the implementation of its transformation, is as follows:
The spread of ordinary citizens working closely with the PNP in their respective communities is very wide; and it currently includes 15,935 individuals, who have been chosen for their commitment and competence (as well as their openness) to “work closely with the PNP Technical Working Group (TWGs), the Center for Police Strategy Management and Police Strategy Management Units (PSMUs). Unknown to most people in NCR, the involvement of so many people in collaborative work with the PNP has been a “major success factor in the sustained effective implementation of the PNP PATROL Plan 2030.”
In addition, PNP has been proactive in trying to give substance to the forging of alliances, impelled by a deep sense of social responsibility. It is for this reason that the PNP has openly shared “best practices” with other agencies and local government units involved in the public governance advocacy. Noel Baraceros reports: “Joint advocacy & sharing of best practices and lessons learned from pursuing a governance and transformation program have been undertaken with a number of other agencies. These include: the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP); Philippine Navy (PN); Philippine Army (PA); Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR); Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC); National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), etc. Furthermore, PNP’s closer interaction and continuing engagement with the National Police Commission has encouraged the NAPOLCOM to undertake the PGS Pathway as well. In this regard, PNP has been among public sector enterprises that are showing the way for sustained transformation of the entire Philippine public sector.”