DSWD is one of the few government agencies that has painstakingly honed its ability to create a core of competent specialists as part of its Knowledge Management (KM). This has drawn the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) interest to seek the Department’s assistance in benchmarking its process as basis for the Commission’s management of its Knowledge Experts. On 7 September 2023, CSC’s Integrated Records Management Office composed of Acting Director III Jilven T. Amar, Administrative Officer V Sheila N. Evidente, and Administrative Officer III Raymund G. Torres arrived for an orientation at the DSWD Knowledge Exchange Center (KEC), 4th Floor, Matapat Bldg., DSWD Complex, Batasan Road, Quezon City.
The CSC Team was then hosted by Training Specialist IV Norilix M. Razalan, who ably provided the information that they required. The discussion included guidelines and criteria for the selection of subject matter experts (SMEs) and Learning Service providers; a directory of subject areas with the corresponding CGS at the KM Pportal; and, other materials that they could use in crafting the CSC’s own guidelines. Ms. Razalan provided them a copy of Administrative Order No. 15 s. 2015, or the “Operationalization of the DSWD Core of Specialists. She then made further clarification through a slide presentation that explained said Order’s requirements, as well as the Standard Operating Procedure on the provision of resource persons.
The orientation covered the purpose of DSWD’s Core Group of Specialists (CGS) as experts on Social Welfare & Development who provide technical assistance to the Department’s intermediaries and partners. It is a mechanism that contributes to sustaining the agency’s leadership in the development and promotion of the vulnerable sectors and in Social Welfare & Development Organizational Competencies.
The CSC Team expressed their appreciation for what they claim as a thoroughly extensive and informative engagement. Accordingly, the benchmarking session was truly fruitful in providing ideas and concepts on how their agency would be able to emulate DSWD’s system. They also expressed appreciation on the first benchmarking they had with SWIDB that paved the way for the setting up of KM mechanisms in CSC. They also noted the improvements of DSWD’s KM mechanisms since their first visit in 2017.