The technical workshop session served as a venue for the participants to learn, develop, discuss, and improve their respective theory of change (TOC), coalition maps, and/or political action plans. The panel of session mentors consisted of Ms. Krisza Lorrain “Krish” Enriquez of The Asia Foundation Philippines’ Coalition for Change (CfC) and Mr. Filomeno “Men” Sta. Ana, III of the Action for Economic Reforms (AER).
Participated in the technical workshop session were six DOST-PCAARRD policy advocacy project teams from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), namely: (1) Advocating Science-based Policy Reforms for the Sustainable Production and Consumption of Non-Timber Forest Products in the Philippines: The Case of the Almaciga Resin Industry; (2) Assessment of Policy Constraints to the Effective and Efficient Conduct of Public R&D in the Philippines; (3) Policy Advocacy for the Adoption of Ecotourism as a Local Sustainable Development Solution for Laguna de Bay’s Resource Use and Management (Project LEAD); (4) Policy Advocacy for Enhancing the Science of Integrated Land Use Planning using Watershed Integrated Area Land Use Planning and Watershed Ecosystem Management Framework (WILUP Project); (5) Research for Development: Payment for Ecosystem Services Outcome for Sustainable Water Provision (R4D: PESO SWaP) in Barobbob Watershed, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines; and (6) Development Innovations and Policy Laboratory (DIPLab): Capacity Building Toward Innovative and Inclusive Policymaking for Development in the AANR Sector.
The workshop was divided into two major topics: (1) Theory of Change and Measures that Matter and (2) Coalition Mapping and Political Action Plan. The first part of the workshop was a lecture-discussion by Ms. Enriquez on creating the theory of change of policy reform. It was followed by a breakout session allowing the advocacy project teams to discuss among themselves and consult with the mentors as they proceeded with their TOC development and writeshop.
After the breakout session, the teams presented their outputs to which the mentors shared their feedback and recommendations. For the second and last part of the workshop, Ms. Enriquez introduced a timeline tool and gave a lecture-demonstration on coalition mapping and political action planning. Another breakout session for coalition map and political action plan development, writeshop, presentation of outputs, and provision of feedback and recommendations followed.
At the end of the workshop, all advocacy project teams developed their respective TOC, coalition maps, and political action plans. Ms. Mia Barbara DV. Aranas, SERD Policy Analysis and Information Management Unit (PAIMU) Head at that time, concluded the session with her closing remarks, suggesting that the session's outputs could be used in enhancing their reform strategies. She also highlighted that a policy reformer should be mindful of the possible changes as the advocacy progresses and be able to adapt to such changes.
The technical workshop session of the DOST-PCAARRD Development Entrepreneurship (DE) Hybrid Course was conducted by the Council, together with The Asia Foundation, on May 22, 2023 at the R.D. Guerrero Hall, DOST-PCAARRD, Los Baños, Laguna. The Course, led by the DOST-PCAARRD Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD) in collaboration with the Foundation, was launched on May 8, 2023.