May 14, 2012

DSWD ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 005-12

I. Rationale

Pursuant to Section 36 of the

Hence, the issuance of this guidelines.

II. Legal Bases

The following laws and issuances served as guide in crafting this Administrative Order:

(1)

(2) ;

(3) Executive Order No. 273 ;

(4) The Guidelines for the Creation, Strengthening and Institutionalization of the Gender and Development (GAD); and

(5) PCW, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2004-1.

III. Coverage

This Administrative Order will cover all Offices/Bureaus/Services (OBSs) of Central Office (CO) and the Field Offices (FOs).

IV. Objectives

1. To adopt the Departments' GAD Mainstreaming Framework;

2. To strengthen the GAD Focal Point System of the Department;

3. To ensure that the programs, services, projects and activities being implemented, piloted and initiated by the Department are gender responsive;

4. To facilitate integration of GAD in the systems, structures, policies, processes and procedures of the Department; and

5. To guide the Department in monitoring and evaluating it's GAD mainstreaming efforts.

V. Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this Administrative Order, the following terms are defined:

1. Gender refers to roles, attitudes and values assigned by culture and society to women and men. These roles, attitudes and values define the behaviours of women and men and the relationship between them. They are created and maintained by social institutions such as families, government, communities, schools, churches, and media. Because of gender, certain roles, traits and characteristics are assigned or ascribed distinctly and strictly to women or to men. (Source: PCW)

2. Gender and Development (GAD) refers to the development perspective and process that is participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices and contends that women are active agents of development, not just passive recipients of development. (Source:

3. Gender Analysis refers to a framework to compare the relative advantages and disadvantages faced by women and men in various spheres of life, including the family, workplace, school, community and political system. It also takes into account how class, age, race, ethnicity, culture, social and other factors interact with gender to produce discriminatory results. (Source: Joint Circular No. 2004-1 of the DBM, NEDA and National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women NCRFW)

4. Gender Audit refers to a form of "social audit" or "quality audit" which determines whether the organization's internal practices and related support systems for gender mainstreaming are effective, reinforcing each other and are being followed. This tool or process assists organizations in establishing a baseline, identifying critical gaps and challenges, and recommending ways of addressing them. (Source:

5. Gender Awareness (GA) the ability to identify problems arising from gender inequality and discrimination, even if these are not evident on the surface and are "hidden", or are rare not part of the general and commonly accepted explanation of what and where the problem lies. (Source:

6. Gender Equality refers to the principles asserting the equality of women and men and their right to enjoy conditions realizing their full human potentials to contribute to and benefit from the results of development, and with the Senate recognizing that all human potentials are free and equal in dignity and rights. (Source:

7. GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) is an interacting and interdependent group of people in all government instrumentalities tasked to catalyse and accelerate gender mainstreaming. It is a mechanism established to ensure and advocate for, guide, coordinate, and monitor the development, implementation, review and updating of their GAD plans and GAD-related programs, activities and projects (PAPs). (Source: Joint Circular No. 2004-1 of the DBM, NEDA and NCRFW)

8. Gender Mainstreaming refers to the strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, programs and projects in all social, political, civil, and economic spheres so that women and men benefit equally. It is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programs in all areas and at all levels. (Source:

9. GAD Plan and Budget is a systematic approach to gender mainstreaming, carried out by all government instrumentalities, through the annual development and implementation of programs, activities and projects and addressing gender issues and concerns in their respective organizations, sectors and constituencies by utilizing at least 5% of their total budget allocation. (Source:

10. Performance-Based Budgeting is an approach to budgeting which involves a review of the agencies' existing budgetary programs and projects to ensure that these support their core mandated functions and produce the targeted outcomes and outputs. (Source:

11. Rights-Based Approach refers to the recognition of every human being both as a person and as a right-holder. It strives to secure the freedom, well-being and dignity of all people, everywhere, within the framework of essential human rights standards, principles, duties and obligations. (Source:

12. Women's Empowerment is a goal of and an essential process for women's advancement. It is the process and condition by which women mobilize to understand, identify and overcome gender discrimination so as to achieve equality in welfare and equal access to resources. In this context, women become agents of development and not just beneficiaries enabling them to make decisions based on their own views and perspectives. (Source:

VI. General Guidelines

1. The Department shall institutionalize its gender mainstreaming through a Framework consistent with its mandate as the lead in social protection and anchored on the balanced scorecard.

2. The Departments' GAD Focal Point System shall be strengthened to ensure and advocate for, guide, coordinate and monitor the development, implementation, review and updating of the Departments' GAD plans and GAD-related programs, services, activities and projects.

3. The cost of implementing GAD plan shall be included in the Departments' annual Work and Financial Plan. GAD planning and budgeting shall be conducted annually as part of the Department's programming and budgeting exercises.

4. The Department shall undertake orientations and capacity development on GAD for its officials and employees.

5. A Department wide participatory gender audit shall be conducted periodically to determine the effectiveness of its internal practices and support systems for gender mainstreaming.

6. An assessment of the Department's core social protection programs as to their gender responsiveness shall be undertaken by concerned National Project Management Offices (NPMOs).

7. The Department shall adopt a mechanism to monitor the progress and evaluate the impact, at various levels, the implementation of its GAD plan especially GAD-related programs, services, and projects.

8. A separate guideline will be issued to cover gender mainstreaming in the social protection programs initially for the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program; Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan: Community Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS); and the Sustainable Livelihood Project.

VII. Specific Guidelines

A. On GAD Mainstreaming Framework

Figure 1: DSWD GAD Mainstreaming Framework

The GAD Mainstreaming Framework of the Department (see Figure 1) ensures that all programs and projects are aligned with the achievement of the end goal of Gender Equality. The Framework tracks the DSWD's performance against a set of gender perspectives and strategic objectives anchored on the agency's mandate, vision, mission and core values.

To achieve gender equality, the framework provides for four (4) perspectives which include (1) process excellence; (2) organizational excellence; (3) resource stewardship; and (4) social impact. These processes as perspectives aim to: (a) ensure alignment of targets and resources; (b) improve organizational performance; (c) align organization strategy with what work people do on a day-to-day basis; (d) focus on the drivers of future performance; (e) improve communication of the organization's Vision and Strategy; and (f) prioritize projects and initiatives.

The GAD Mainstreaming Framework will be realized through their respective strategic objectives that will ensure excellence in a balanced process. Strategic measures on the other hand will be identified to assess the realization of the strategic objectives.

1. Process Excellence

This perspective ensures that all mechanisms, systems, policies and strategies are supportive to GAD. All activities of the Department should be gender sensitive from the planning stage, policy and program development, social marketing, implementation and reporting, knowledge sharing to monitoring and evaluation. Process excellence will be addressed through the following strategic objectives:

Enhancing internal process, systems, and strategies that will support gender mainstreaming

Systems will be developed to assess gender responsiveness of the Department's programs and services, policies and standards. Annual assessment will be conducted to monitor and update the said system while knowledge sharing activities will be conducted at all levels. Each office, bureaus, services, units and regional offices shall have a GAD functional team that will facilitate the implementation of the gender mainstreaming efforts.

Enhancing mechanisms for a gender responsive programs and services

Programs and projects will be subjected to gender analysis to determine their level of gender responsiveness.

2. Organizational Excellence

This perspective aims that with the GAD mainstreaming strategies, the organization as a whole will be more sensitive to the public as it performs its rowing and steering functions geared towards excellence. By applying the GAD principles, it aims to instil a culture of change by buying-in a more sensitive interaction to the actors of the organizations. It further aims to minimize, if not obliterate, biases against GAD with in the culture of the organization as well as eliminate labelling and discrimination based on one's gender, race, status or beliefs. Organizational excellence will be achieved through the following strategic objectives:

Re-engineering organization to address staff gender competency requirement

A ladderized approach shall be adopted to harness staff skills, knowledge and competencies and to thereafter produce gender specialists and champions within the organization. Related policies will be revisited to require personnel to undergo capability building through GAD trainings such as but not limited to gender awareness, gender analysis and gender planning.

Adopt a gender responsive culture

A checklist to measure change of behaviour of DSWD personnel will be developed as part of the mechanism to discourage gender stereotype images, sexist languages and gender discrimination among others, within the organization.

3. Resource Stewardship

This perspective ensures availability of resources which not only includes financial allocation but also covers other infrastructures such as but not limited to information communication technologies (ICTs), networks, structures and assets needed for the implementation of programs and projects geared towards gender equality. This will be facilitated through the following:

Guaranteeing equitable allocation and utilization of GAD budget

GAD Mainstreaming Budget of FOs and CO OBSs will be included in the organization's Annual Work and Financial Plan. The GAD-TWG will monitor utilization of allocated budget.

Mobilize resources to support gender mainstreaming

Resource opportunities with partners under the CSO engagement GABAY, TULAY, KAAGAPAY and BANTAY will be pursued to support initiatives and projects on GAD mainstreaming.

4. Social Impact

This perspective aims that the Department will eventually evolve to be a gender responsive organization by changing its gender perspective in its dealings with its employees, sectors and stakeholders. This will be facilitated through the following:

Gender responsive organization

GAD will be mainstreamed in the manpower, enabling mechanisms, policy, programs, activities and projects of the Department.

Empowered sector advocating for their equal rights

Various sectors being served by the Department are capacitated to participate in the Department's processes along planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, policy formulations, standards and regulation, as well as programs and services implementation.

Stakeholders implementing gender responsive programs and projects

The stakeholders will be contributing to the GAD agenda of the agency through an active exchange of knowledge and technologies. Stakeholders are able to actualize GAD mainstreaming in their programs and activities and assists the DSWD in reaching gender equality as a social impact.

B. On GAD Focal Point System

Figure 2: DSWD GAD Focal Point System

Structure and Composition

The DSWD GFPS shall be composed of the Secretary as Chairperson and the existing EXECOM as the GFPS EXECOM.

The TWG at CO will be chaired by the Assistant Secretary for PPG while the Assistant Regional Director (ARD) will Chair the TWG at FO. It shall be composed of the heads of offices, technical staff, and the representatives from the Social Welfare Employees Association (SWEAP) of CO and FOs. The Secretariat will be the Policy Development and Planning Bureau (PDPB) for CO and the Planning Unit for FOs.

Functions:

1. Lead in mainstreaming gender perspective in policies, plans and programs of the Department. In the process, they shall ensure the assessment of the gender-responsiveness of systems, structures, policies, programs, processes, and procedures of the agency based on the priority needs and concerns of constituencies and employees and the formulation of recommendations including their implementation;

2. Lead in setting up appropriate systems and mechanisms to ensure the generation, processing, review and updating of sex-disaggregated data or GAD database to serve as basis in performance-based gender responsive planning;

3. Coordinate efforts of the different Central and Field Offices and advocate for the integration of GAD perspectives in all their systems and processes;

4. Spearhead the preparation of the agency annual performance-based GAD Plans, Programs and Budget and be responsible for submitting the consolidated GAD Plans and Budgets of the Department and as needed, in responding to PCW's comments or requests for additional information;

5. Lead in monitoring the effective implementation of GAD-related policies and the annual GAD Plans, Programs and Budget;

6. Lead the preparation and consolidation of the annual GAD Accomplishment Report and other GAD Reports that may be required under the

7. Ensure that all personnel of the agency including the finance officers (e.g., accountant, budget officer, auditors) are capacitated on GAD.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. The DSWD Secretary as GFPS Chairperson shall:

a. Issue policies or other directives that support GAD mainstreaming in the policies, plans, programs, projects and activities, budget, systems and procedures of the Department including the creation, strengthening, modification or reconstitution of the GFPS; and

b. Approve the GAD Plan, Program and Budget of the Department as duly endorsed by the Executive Committee, with the assistance of the Technical Working Group, and ensure its implementation.

2. The Executive Committee shall:

a. Provide direction and give policy advice to the Chairperson to support and strengthen the GFPS and GAD mainstreaming activities of the Department.

b. Direct the identification of GAD strategies, programs, activities and projects based on the results of the gender audit, gender analysis and according to the identified priorities of the Department in response to the gender issues faced by its clients and employees;

c. Ensure the timely submission of the agency GAD Plan and Budget, Accomplishment Report and other GAD-related reports to the PCW and to DBM;

d. Ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the agency GAD programs, activities and projects and the judicious utilization of the GAD Budget;

e. Build and strengthen the partnership of the agency with PCW, GAD experts, advocates, women's groups and other stakeholders in pursuit of gender mainstreaming; and

f. Recommend approval of agency GAD Plans and Budgets and GAD Accomplishment Reports.

3. The Technical Working Group (TWG) shall:

a. Facilitate the implementation of the gender mainstreaming efforts of the Department through the GAD planning and budgeting process;

b. Formulate Department's GAD Plans, Programs and Budget in response to the gender gaps and issues faced by their clients and constituencies, women and men employees, following the conduct of a gender audit, gender analysis, and/or review of sex disaggregated data;

c. Work with the Capacity Building Bureau (CBB) on the development and implementation of an appropriate capacity development program on gender equality and women's empowerment for its employees.

d. Initiate advocacy activities and work with the Social Marketing Service (SMS) in the development of IEC materials to ensure critical support of agency officials, staff and relevant stakeholders to the activities of the GAD Focal Point System and GAD mainstreaming activities;

e. Monitor the implementation of GAD-related programs, activities and projects and suggest corrective measures to improve implementation of GAD PAPs and GFPS activities; and

f. Endorse GAD Annual Accomplishment Report to the EXECOM.

4. The GAD Secretariat shall:

a. Give notices of meetings and/or relevant information to all GAD-TWG members;

b. Keep all official records and documents of the GAD TWG;

c. Document minutes of the GAD TWG meetings; and

d. Consolidate the FOs and CO GAD Plans and Accomplishment Reports.

C. On Preparation of Annual GAD Plan, Budget and Accomplishment Report

1. In support of the implementation of the annual GAA on GAD budget, the GAD Plan shall be integrated in the Work and Financial Plan (WFP) of the Department, the cost of which shall be at least five percent (5%) of the total budget.

2. Activities currently being undertaken by the Department which contribute to poverty alleviation, economic empowerment especially of marginalized women, protection, promotion and fulfilment of women's human rights, and practice of gender-responsive governance are considered to be part of the Department's GAD Plan.

3. Allocation for capability building activities for the employees of the Department shall form part of the WFP of the following:

a. National Project Management Offices;

b. Capacity Building Bureau;

c. Social Technology Bureau;

d. Protective Services Bureau; and

e. Field Offices.

4. All GAD Plans shall be submitted to the PDPB on the 10th day of December prior to the start of the GAD Plan Year (e.g., December 2011 for 2013 GAD Plan) based on the schedule of the National Budget Call (NBC). (refer to Annex A for the format)

5. All GAD Annual Accomplishment Reports should be submitted to the PDPB on the 10th day of January of the succeeding year (e.g., January 2012 for 2011 GAD Accomplishment). (refer to Annex B for the format)

D. On Capability Building

1. The Department shall ensure that its officials and employees will be engaged in Gender Sensitivity Training (GST).

2. A ladderized GAD capability-building plan will be developed by CBB to address the Department's GAD mainstreaming competency requirement.

3. Gender perspective shall be integrated in the training designs.

VIII. Effectivity

This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Issued this 14th day of May 2012.

(SGD.) CORAZON JULIANO-SOLIMAN
Secretary
Department of Social Welfare and Development

Attachments available upon request.