WHEREAS, under Executive Order No. 269, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) is empowered to provide an integrating framework and oversee the identification of all e-government systems and to manage and/or administer the E-Government Fund to be institutionalized and included in the annual national budget;

WHEREAS, under Chapter XLI of the General Appropriations Act of 2010, the CICT is tasked with the issuance of guidelines to define the criteria and procedures to be followed by Philippine government agencies in applying for funding through the E-Government Fund; to serve as reference for government agencies in preparing their proposals; and provide the basis for oversight agencies in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of approved projects.

NOW, THEREFORE, the CICT hereby promulgates the following guidelines:

ARTICLE I
Statement of Policy

It is the aim of the government to make use of ICT in government to facilitate governance - to strengthen accountability, enhance supervision and control and, in appropriate cases, facilitate collective decision-making; to improve internal administrative processes; to enhance the delivery of service; and to empower citizens to make informed decision. Towards this end, there is a need to streamline and simplify government processes, within and across agencies; integrate and eliminate redundant systems and networks thereby allowing swift exchange of information; and pave the way for conducting transactions online between government to citizens, government to business, and government to government.

ARTICLE II
  Purpose of the E-Government Fund

The E-Government Fund was created to address the need for a more integrated approach to implementing e-government projects and a mechanism to provide financing of high priority inter-agency systems. It is an alternative funding source for mission-critical, citizen centric and cross agency ICT projects that will help actualize the e-governance vision of the Philippine Government. The fund specifically aims to:

• Expedite the implementation of critical ICT projects that would accelerate the development and implementation of e-government in the country;

• Rationalize e-government by facilitating the integration of government information systems, leading to improved, and more effective and efficient cross-agency interfaces;

• Promote multi-agency collaboration to improve the delivery of services by integrating related and complementary processes;

• Ensure access of citizens to government services across multiple government agencies and increase citizen participation in government;

• Re-engineer processes within government agencies to be more efficient to reduce costs and burdens for the citizens and businesses and even with other government agencies;

• Promote informed decision making of policy makers; and,

• Promote transparency and accountability within government.

ARTICLE III
  Definition of Terms

1. Application System - refers to a group of related activities or processes designed to support a very specific function (e.g. DOH Hospital Management System, e-TIN, Electronic Filing and Payment System etc.) within an organizational unit. It also refers to a system prepared for an organization to process tasks that are unique to its particular needs.

2. Chief Information Officer (CIO) - is the highest ranking official who is responsible for the strategic use of information and communications technology in a department, bureau or GOCC/GFI, including legislative, judicial and constitutional offices. He/She is responsible for the development and maintenance of the IT and computer systems that support the goals of the organization.

3. CICT - Refers to the Commission on Information and Communications Technology singly, or any of its attached agencies, or both CICT and its attached agencies.

4. Citizen-centric - pertains to a project which is: a) Citizen-Focused - directly meets & satisfies service and information needs of citizens (i.e., frontline functions are computerized such as application for licenses, certificates, clearances, etc.); and b) Citizen-Friendly - can be accessed or used with ease.

5. Collaborative process - means that implementing agencies work together towards the delivery of public sector services that cut across several agency functions or jurisdiction. These are seamless services that are citizen centered, e.g. single window service, one-stop delivery, one-stop access, service clustering or multiple-service delivery channels.

6. Concept Plan - is the first document developed to introduce an EGF project. It broadly defines the scope of the proposed project (objectives, outcomes, outputs, components, benefits and timeframe), and provides an estimate of the resourcing and time associated with progressing the initiative. It should specifically identify what government processes or services are being proposed for computerization, and in broad terms the general systems architecture and design of the project.

7. Content Development - refers to the process of researching, writing, gathering, organizing, creating and editing information. It includes the process of addition, production, management, modeling, conversion, use and repurposing for wider usefulness and portability (across systems, networks, and organizations, time). It may consist of prose, graphics, pictures, recordings, movies, or other media sets that could be distributed electronically/digitally. Some example of content are research databases, educational materials, national heritage collections, government information and other resources on history and entertainment. Other examples are animation, comics, edutainment, mobile content, character design, games, music, films, performance and broadcasting.

8. Cross-agency - refers to an initiative wherein two or more (multi) agencies commit to undertake an EGF project which is characterized by the following: interconnectivity and interoperability, resource sharing, and collaborative processes.

9. DBM - refers to the Department of Budget and Management.

10. E-Governance - is the use of ICT to effect good governance through more efficient delivery of services to the citizens. This involves re-engineering existing processes in government to allow for connectivity of related government systems in the electronic delivery of these services direct to citizens.

11. E-Government - means the use by the government of web-based internet applications and other information and communications technologies combined with processes to enhance the access to and delivery of government services and bring about improvements in, among other things, effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, or transformation of government operations.

12. E-Government Fund (EGF) - refers to the fund allocated under the General Appropriations Act that shall be used to finance strategic ICT projects.

13. E-Government Fund Technical Working Group (EGF-TWG) - refers to the inter-agency committee created to perform the review of EGF project proposals in accordance with these Guidelines and identify opportunities for cross-agency projects.

14. Implementing Agencies - are those agencies directly executing the EGF project. These agencies may either be a national government agency, a constitutional commission, a government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), a State University and College (SUC), or a local government unit (LGU). The implementing agencies may also be referred to as participating agencies.

15. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - is defined as the totality of electronic means to collect, store, process, disseminate, propagate and present information to end-users in support of their activities. It consists, among others, of computer systems, office systems and consumer electronics, as well as networked information infrastructure, the components of which include the telephone system, the internet, fax machines and computers.
 
16. Information System - refers to a system of major processes or operations which facilitates the collection, storage, processing, retrieval of data and the generation of information for decision-making, planning, controlling and monitoring purposes. It also refers to a group of related processes designed to generate information for the exclusive support of a major functional area of an organization (e.g. National Government Accounting System, Case Monitoring System, Geodetic Surveying Information System, etc.).

17. Interconnectivity - refers to the interconnection and interdependency of all parts of a system.

18. Interoperability - The ability to transfer and use information in a uniform and efficient manner across multiple organizations and information (and communications) technology systems. It enables the many different applications of end users to be accomplished using the different varieties of computer systems, software packages, and databases provided by a variety of interconnected networks.¹

19. Lead Agency - is either a national government agency or a constitutional commission which shall be responsible for the overall management of the EGF project. It shall also receive and manage the fund given to the approved EGF project. The lead agency should be an implementing agency and thus will directly execute the EGF project.

20. Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) - refers to the results-based framework, concept and tools adopted by CICT in monitoring and evaluating EGF projects to ensure that targeted results are achieved by project proponents.

21. Outsourcing - is the contracting out of the management and operation of certain agency functions, processes and activities to the private sector, or to another government agency which has a mandate to be a service provider for other government agencies but with accountability remaining with it. Outsourcing aims to increase efficiency and reduce costs, and enables the agency to concentrate on core functions and activities.

22. Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) - is a structured plan for the collection and analysis of performance information over the lifetime of the project to assess and demonstrate progress made in achieving expected results. It documents the major elements of the monitoring system and ensures the performance information is collected in a regular basis. It also contains information on baseline, targets and the responsibility for data collection.

23. Project Plan - is the management document for the project. It expands upon the Concept Plan. It explains in detail the objective, scope, governance, budget, work plan and milestones of the EGF project. It also explains the project and quality management processes to be used throughout the implementation of the project.

24. Resource Sharing - is the sharing among the implementing agencies of their physical, financial, manpower and information resources (e.g., databases, networked resources, data center, etc.), among others.

25. Stakeholder - refers to any person, group, organization, institution or agency that (a) is affected by the implementation of the EGF project; (b) is responsible for the delivery of the EGF Project; (c) will be required to implement and utilize the EGF Project; (d) has influence/power over the EGF Project; (e) has an interest in the successful or unsuccessful implementation of the EGF project; or, (f) needs to review (or audit) the EGF project.

ARTICLE IV
Types of Funding

There are three types of funding that CICT may provide to agencies:

1. Project Plan Preparation (3P) - given to agencies that have submitted a concept paper and have passed the evaluation process of the CICT. This funding assistance is primarily used to finance the preparation of the project plans of E-Government Fund projects to ensure their successful implementation.

2. Project Development - given to agencies that have submitted their project plan and have passed the evaluation process of the CICT. This funding assistance is primarily used to finance the development of application systems, information systems and content development (i.e. elearning, sectoral portal development) that strictly meet all of the criteria determined by the CICT.

3. Research Grant - given to agencies to finance strategic e-government related studies and researches on areas such as those supporting e-government innovation in service delivery, identifying and removing common barriers to e-government, highlighting relevant best practices and leveraging shared solutions, and for evaluating the e-government strategy and/or oversight process.

The allocation for 3P assistance and research grants combined shall not exceed 10% of the entire E-Government Fund allotted for a specific year.

ARTICLE V
General Guidelines

1. Eligibility. Only national government agencies and constitutional commissions are eligible to apply for the E-Government Fund.

2. Limitations on Project Approval. There is no limit on the number of project proposals that a proponent agency may submit for funding. However, no approvals shall be made for new or follow-on projects until the previous one is completed.

3. Hiring of personnel. Where there is no existing expertise and skills within the lead and/or implementing agencies, the lead agency can use the funds to hire consultants or personnel on a contractual basis, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations. Said contractual services shall be co-terminus with the duration of the project.

4. Granting of honoraria to Program Managers/Directors/personnel is subject to existing laws, rules and regulations.

5. Provision of Counterpart Funds. All project proposals should include a counterpart fund from the implementing agencies. The following prescribes the percentage of counterpart fund required from the implementing agencies:

Project Cost % of Counterpart Fund

Less than P50M 10% P50M - less than P100M 8%

P100M - less than P150M

6% More than P150M 4%

6. Procurement Strategy. Subject to the requirements of Republic Act No. 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act), projects to be funded shall adopt outsourcing to the private sector, including but not limited to outsourcing of data center facilities, as a preferred strategy, unless the proponent agency can establish that alternative strategies are more beneficial to government. However, an implementing agency may be allowed to undertake the project, in whole or in part, on its own if it can demonstrate its internal capability through a skills inventory of its in-house technical staff, or if it is necessary to ensure the security and data privacy of the agency ™s systems. As provided by RA 9184, bid announcements/invitations will be posted in the agency and the PhilGEPs website.

7. Review of Terms of Reference (TOR). For transparency purposes, agencies with approved projects shall submit all terms of reference to CICT for assessment and approval prior to procurement. Should there be any variations or amendments to the approved TOR, the proponent agencies shall resubmit the amended TOR to CICT for re-evaluation.

8. Project Proposal Evaluation. As provided for in existing laws, rules and regulations, all project proposals that cost Php500 million and above shall be reviewed initially by CICT for endorsement to NEDA. NEDA shall evaluate the proposal based on its rules and regulations.

9. Ownership and Security. For projects that involve the purchase of information systems and application systems, the lead agency and implementing agencies shall ensure that the government acquires full and unencumbered ownership of hardware, and unrestricted right to access (either from the vendor or a software escrow agent) and use the source code for maintenance, upgrades, and modification of customized software. The lead agency and implementing agencies shall ensure that the vendor warrants full ownership of intellectual property rights to sell or license the software components of the project. It shall also ensure security of information systems and databases that shall be developed.

10. Changes in Project Scope and Schedule for Approved Projects

a. The following types of changes require prior approval by the CICT:

i. Changes in the scope, design, deliverables, and price updating, among other things that increase total project cost by at least 10 percent.

ii. Changes that involve an extension of the project beyond 12 months.

b. The following types of changes require prior submission to the CICT for notation or information: 

i. Changes in the design and price updating, among other things, that increase total project cost by less than 10 percent

ii. Changes that involve an extension of the project by less than 12 months iii. Any other material changes in project management not otherwise requiring CICT approval.

Refer to Annex A^* for the prescribed forms for project changes.

11. Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) - For project proposals which have passed the evaluation of CICT, a MOA shall be entered into by the lead agency and CICT detailing the requirements for the provision of assistance to the agency, e.g. submission of project reports, status reports, identification of roles and responsibilities, etc., prior to endorsement to DBM.

12. Designation of a Chief Information Officer (CIO). All lead and implementing agencies are required to recognize the CIO functions and should designate a CIO, preferably at least a third-ranking official of the agency.

13. EGF as local counterpart. The e-Government Fund may be used as a local counterpart for agencies that received foreign funding, provided that the proposed project is an ICT project subject to the EGF evaluation process. Prior to review and evaluation of a proposal, the proponent must present a certification reflecting the amount of the grant that the agency received.

14. Restrictions on the Use of the E-Government Fund. The E-Government Fund can only be used for expenses classified under Capital Outlay (CO) and Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE). The annual General Appropriations Act determines the specific categories of expenses for which the E-Government Fund appropriated therein can be used.

a. For Project Plan Preparation and Research Grant

Funds provided for project plan preparation and research grant shall NOT be used for the following:

• Capital outlay such as but not limited to hardware, software, etc.;

• Foreign travel of government officials and employees;

b. For Project Development

i. Projects that involve solely any of the following shall NOT be considered for funding: infrastructure development, civil works, acquisition of ICT equipment, LAN connection or training.

ii. Projects that involve the development of purely back-end systems shall NOT be considered for funding.

iii. Only a maximum of 10% of the approved project amount can be used for civil works and other non-ICT expenditures.

iv. The cost for project monitoring should be made part of the Project Development Cost.

v. The fund should not be used to finance any foreign travel by government officials and employees.

15. Deadline for Submission of Project Proposal. Applicants shall submit project proposals on or before the end of August of every year. Funding for the approved projects submitted within the said deadline will be taken from the E-Government Fund budget of the current year. Consequently, proposals submitted beyond the deadline will be considered for the following year ™s EGF budget.

16. Allocation of budget for the operations of the e-Government Fund Management Office (EGFMO). The budget for the operations of the EGFMO-CICT shall be taken from the E-Government Fund to cover expenses for technical assistance, monitoring and quality assurance activities that will be conducted by the office.

ARTICLE VI
  Project Plan Preparation

1. Application and Approval Process

a. First Step: The proponent agency shall submit a concept plan to the CICT for review upon which it shall be recommended for approval or disapproval to the CICT Commissioner for the E-Government Development Group.

b. Second Step: Upon approval of the proposed concept plan, the proponent agency shall submit to CICT a written request signed by the head of agency asking for Project Plan Preparation (3P) Assistance. The proponent agency shall also submit a work and financial plan (WFP) for the preparation of the project plan.

c. Third Step: The CICT shall then review and process the request, and shall coordinate with the proponent agency for clarifications and advice on revisions (if any) on the WFP.

d. Fourth Step: The request shall then be endorsed to the E-Government Fund Technical Working Group (EGF-TWG) for review and evaluation.

e. Fifth Step: If the request is approved, the concept plan and WFP will be endorsed by CICT to DBM for fund processing.

2. Requirements and Format

Concept Plan. The concept plan should provide the following information: Project Title and Project Rationale; Situational Analysis; Proposed Project; Project Benefits; Adherence to Government ICT Policy and Thrusts; Project Results; and Sustainability Strategy. Refer to Annex C^* for details of the concept plan.

Work and Financial Plan. The WFP shall contain the major activities with the corresponding cost estimates for the entire project plan development. Refer to Annex D^* for the sample WFP.

3. Selection Criteria

Concept Plans should meet the following criteria:

a. Basic/Qualifying Criteria:

i. The project must support the current priorities and thrusts of the government and/or the commitments set at the State of the Nation Address.

ii. The project must be consistent with the ICT plans and framework i.e. Medium Term Philippine Development Plan and the Government Information Systems Plan.

iii. The project must be included in the NCC-approved information system strategic plan (ISSP) or is consistent with the mandate and thrusts of the agency.

iv. The project must be an application system, or information system or content development which is citizen centric, transactional, interactive or mission-critical frontline services, and accessible through community electronic centers.

v. The project must be cross agency.

vi. The project must be sustainable. The agency must be able to provide a sustainability strategy that would ensure the continuity of the project after funding from the EGF has been expended.

vii. There should be a clear articulation of the results to be realized from the implementation of the project, as well as the indicators of these results.

ARTICLE VII
Project Development

1. Application and Approval Process

Initial steps shall follow the application and approval process for Project Plan Preparation. When the project plan has been prepared, this is submitted to CICT for review. The project plan will be reviewed by the E-Government Fund Technical Working Group (EGF-TWG) to assess its technical, operational and financial feasibility. Projects which pass the review of EGF-TWG will be endorsed by CICT to DBM for fund processing. For details, refer to Annex B^* for the process flowchart.

Upon approval of the project development proposal, the proponent agency shall submit to CICT a signed and notarized Memorandum of Agreement between the proponent and CICT detailing the responsibilities of both parties, including the submission of monthly progress reports, financial report and a final report (upon completion of the project) using the prescribed formats.

For details, refer to Annex B for the approval process flowchart.

2. Requirements and Format

Project Plan. The project plan shall propose the delivery of benefits through the use of ICT. It shall cover individual and cross-agency initiatives, and explain the approach and implications for the project, along with the costs, benefits and risks associated with the project, and the impact on staff, the agencies and their clients. The project plan should document the:

• Reasoning behind the desire to undertake project, indicating the problem to be solved or the opportunity to be gained. The project plan shall present a detailed explanation of the purpose and objectives for the project.

• Intended results of the project, i.e. the basis upon which the later measurement of actual outcomes and outputs will be undertaken

• Governance processes to be applied in the development phase

• The process for the future operation of the completed system, and

• Funding mechanisms for the project itself and potentially, for future funding needs.

The Project Plan template includes the following information: Project Title, Purpose and Description; Project Benefits; Technical Architecture/Feasibility; Project Management Plan; Stakeholder Management and Communication; Budget and Expenditure/Budgetary Accountability Form; Risk Management Plan; Quality Assurance Plan; Change Management Plan; Sustainability Plan; and Performance Measurement Framework. Refer to Annex E^* for the details of the required format in the preparation of the Project Plan.

Upon approval of the project plan, the proponent agency shall submit a Project Work Plan that would list down the deliverables of the project. See Annex F^* for the prescribed format of the Project Work Plan.

For requests for funding for local counterpart funds, the proponent agency is required to submit a copy of the funding approval from the international donor/ lending agency and the approved proposal to CICT prior to evaluation of the request. If CICT finds the request for funding meritorious, its endorsement shall be forwarded to DBM.

Proponent agencies must establish compliance of the proposed projects with the criteria established in these Guidelines. The proposals shall be evaluated and scored based on a core set of criteria. This scoring shall ensure that the proponent agency ™s planning and management of project funds are consistent with government policies and guidance.

Two (2) copies, both hard and soft copies in .doc format, of the project plan must be submitted to CICT.

Work and Financial Plan. In addition to the project plan, a work and financial plan itemizing project activities, output, funding amount with the breakdown shall be submitted to CICT for review, evaluation and processing. The form to be used is the same as the one described in Article VI.

ARTICLE VIII
Research Grant

1. Application and Approval Process

a. First Step: The proponent agency shall submit 2 hard copies and a soft copy of the research proposal (see Annex G^* for the research proposal template).

b. Second Step: The CICT shall then review and process the request, and shall coordinate with the proponent agency for clarifications.

c. Third Step. The request shall then be endorsed to the E-Government

Fund Technical Working Group (EGF-TWG) for review and evaluation.

d. Fourth Step. If the request is approved, a copy of the approved research proposal will be endorsed by CICT to DBM for fund processing.

Upon approval of the research proposal, the proponent agency shall submit to CICT a signed and notarized Memorandum of Agreement between the proponent and CICT detailing the following:

1. submission of monthly progress reports, financial report and a final report (upon completion of the project) using the prescribed formats;

2. published research document clearly states that the project has been made possible through the support of the E-Government Fund;

3. names of awardees, research meetings, research themes, and reports as well as the names of the principal researcher(s) from the partner agency are subject to public disclosure; and

4. CICT shall not be responsible for any sickness or accident of researcher(s) during the grant period.

2. Eligibility Criteria. To qualify for the research grant, the proponent agency must be a national government agency or constitutional commission. In addition, any one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

i. The proponent agency has submitted a Concept Plan which has been approved by the CICT.

ii. The proponent agency ™s proposed research supports any of the Philippine Government ™s (GOP) Priority Projects.

iii. The proposed research will provide inputs to the formulation of policies, guidelines and standards for the realization of e-Government.

3. Selection Criteria. The following are the considerations and criteria in the screening of submitted research proposals:

i. Capability of the proponent agency (track record, financial management capacity, implementation capability and monitoring system) if research will not be outsourced but will be done in-house.

ii. The research is in support of a proposed project that is urgent, has high impact, sustainable and can be replicated.

iii. The requested research budget and duration is reasonable and cost-effective.

iv. The research targets any of the government ™s priority areas through the use of appropriate and innovative information and communication technologies.

v. If the proponent agency has a previous or ongoing E-Government Fund project, the agency must have complied and submitted all pertinent reports (e.g. accomplished e-Gov Fund Monitoring and Evaluation Form) as required by the CICT.

4. Research Duration. A research project that has been approved under the E-Government Fund can have a maximum duration of up to six (6) months.

5. Requirements and Formats

Research proposals must follow the format specified in Annex G.

Two (2) copies, both hard and soft copies in .doc format, of the research proposal must be submitted to CICT.

ARTICLE IX
  Cross-Agency Collaboration

The EGF is intended to finance the setting-up of integrated mission-critical systems that cut across different agencies. Hence, not only will it discourage the proliferation of œstand-alone  applications but it will promote resource-sharing among government agencies.

To ensure the efficiency and success of cross-agency initiatives of EGF projects, a strong commitment on the part of the implementing agencies to contribute to the success of the project must be institutionalized. All EGF projects shall be required to formalize the cross-agency collaboration by forming a special group, Cross Agency Committee, that would regularly meet to discuss the collaboration aspect of the project. To substantiate this collaboration effort, the lead and participating agencies shall sign a memorandum of agreement among themselves signifying their commitment and support to the project. A copy of the MOA shall be submitted to CICT.

The Lead Agency shall include in its proposed project plan the operation plan and budget for the collaboration component of the project. It shall include the ICT architecture of the collaborative processes of the project (e.g., common database, information system or application system, data/system/application interface, etc.)

ARTICLE X
  Roles and Responsibilities

1. CICT

As the agency accountable to Congress to other oversight bodies for the efficient and effective disbursement of the E-Government Fund, CICT shall oversee the overall management process of the Fund. Specifically, it shall:

i. Ensure that all projects approved for assistance from the E-Government Fund are consistent with the ICT plans and framework of the government, i.e., Medium Term Philippine Development Plan and the Government Information Systems Plan.

ii. Be responsible for the validation, review, evaluation and monitoring of the EGF projects. (Specific responsibilities of CICT with regard to Project Monitoring and Evaluation will be discussed in Article XII).

iii. Issue the necessary policies for the efficient and effective management of the EGF.

iv. Provide technical guidance to agencies applying for the EGF.

v. Review requests for changes in project management, project scope and schedule, project deliverables, and project cost, among others.

vi. Ensure the conduct of project monitoring and quality assurance for approved EGF projects by the proponent agencies.

2. E-Government Fund Technical Working Group (EGF-TWG)

i. Composition. The EGF-TWG shall be composed of the CICT Commissio ner for th e Gove rnment D evel opment Gro up and representatives from the Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Science and Technology, National Computer Center, and CIO Forum. The primary and alternate representatives must be authorized by their respective agency heads/department secretaries to act and speak in behalf of the agency.

The CICT Commissioner for the E-Government Development Group shall act as the Chairperson of the EGF-TWG.

ii. Functions. The EGF-TWG shall:

• Review all EGF project proposals and submit its recommendations to the CICT Chairman
  

• Review priority projects identified by CICT

• Recommend to CICT projects for closure or strengthening based on the monitoring and evaluation reports of CICT.
  

    iii. Secretariat. Technical and administrative support for the EGF-TWG shall be provided by the E-Government Fund Management Office of the CICT.

3. Department of Budget and Management - is responsible for the release of the SARO and NCA to the proponent agencies upon endorsement by the CICT. DBM shall furnish CICT with a copy of any release in SARO and NCA.

4. Chief Information Officer - shall oversee the implementation of the EGF project and shall take an active role in the collaboration activities with the participating agencies.

5. Lead Agency. The Lead Agency shall:

a. Be responsible for the implementation of the EGF project based on project timetable and scope.

b. Be responsible for the conduct, administration and management of the procurement process for common or shared resources needed for cross-agency collaboration. This may include but is not limited to the following: drafting of request for proposals (RFP), terms of reference (TOR), infrastructure for data sharing or integration, etc.

c. Enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with all the participating agencies for the collaboration component of the project. This is tangible manifestation of the agencies ™ commitment to the cross-agency requirement. The MOA will contain the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of the lead agency and the participating agencies.

1. Be responsible for the execution and monitoring of the collaboration component by heading the Cross Agency Committee, and convene regular meetings and workshops as needed for the cross-agency matters.

2. Create a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Team composed of the Project Manager, Agency ™s Budget Officer, ICT Specialist and other members that may be assigned by the Project Manager as deemed necessary.

3. Submit periodic performance information to CICT using the prescribed M&E forms on a quarterly and yearly basis.

4. Attend regular conferences on EGF projects for updates on emerging good practices and challenges.

6. Implementing Agency. The Implementing Agency/ies shall:

a. Assign the appropriate representative to the Cross-Agency Committee for the collaboration component and attend regular meetings and workshops convened by the lead agency.

b. Participate in the procurement process for common or shared resources as a member of the technical working group.

c. Provide required inputs in the collaboration component of the project.

d. Actively support the lead agency in successfully carrying out the collaboration initiative.

e. Create a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Team composed of the Project Manager, Agency ™s Budget Officer, ICT Specialist and other members that may be assigned by the Project Manager as deemed necessary.

f. Submit periodic performance information to CICT using the prescribed M&E forms on a quarterly and yearly basis.

g. Attend regular conferences on EGF projects for updates on emerging good practices and challenges.

ARTICLE XI
  Budget Flow/Release of Funds

After evaluation and approval of the Project Plan for funding, CICT shall endorse the approved Project Plan and Work and Financial Plan to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for SARO release. DBM will issue the SARO to the lead agency. Upon receipt of the SARO, the lead agency will submit to DBM a monthly cash program detailing the breakdown of the project requirements and activities with the corresponding budget allocation for each month covering the project as approved by the head of the lead agency.

DBM then releases the Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) to the agency on a monthly basis. The amount of the NCA will be based on the monthly cash program submitted by the proponent agency. Fund recipients are required to open a modified disbursement scheme (MDS) sub-account for debit/credit transaction for the approved project. Cash releases will be credited to this account on a monthly basis. The MDS sub-account shall be administered and managed by the proponent agency, subject to the usual accounting rules and regulations. The NCA must be obligated/expended within a month. Otherwise, it will be forfeited and shall be reverted back to the national treasury.

ARTICLE XII
  Project Monitoring and Evaluation System

CICT shall provide consultation and project monitoring and quality assurance to lead implementing agencies from the project ™s initiation phase to the post implementation or termination/closure of the EGF projects.

1. Performance Measurement Framework

The elements of the Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) shall be mapped out and finalized. The PMF shall be included in the agencies ™ project plan to be submitted to the CICT. (Refer to Annex I^* )

2. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Team

The creation of the projects ™ Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Team shall be required and shall be composed of the Project Manager, Agency ™s Budget Officer, ICT Specialist and other members that may be assigned by the Project Manager as deemed necessary. The team will be responsible for establishing, documenting and reporting the actual outputs and outcomes of the project at the project completion phase. They will also be responsible in providing information to critical stakeholders during the project implementation stage to better manage and steer the project towards the attainment of desired and targeted reports. The M&E Team shall conduct its activities in accordance with CICT ™s established M & E framework and tools.

The M & E Team shall be created at the onset of the project to establish roles and requirements in the installation of the project M & E system. Such responsibility will be reflected in the MOA between the CICT and the proponent agency. A percentage of project funds for M & E system installation shall be included as a provision in the MOA.

3. Reporting

To ensure that the policies and conditions for approving the EGF projects are strictly followed by the implementing agencies, these agencies shall submit periodic performance information to CICT using the prescribed M & E forms on a quarterly and yearly basis. These reports shall be CICT ™s basis for review and assessment of the agencies ™ EGF project, as well as in evaluating agencies ™ request for changes in project management, project scope and schedule, project deliverables, project costs that resulted to savings, among others.

Regardless of the amount, complexity and number of components of a project, the proponent agency shall submit ONE monitoring report per project. It is the responsibility of the lead agency to consolidate all reports of all the project components before submitting it to CICT. Reports given on a per component basis shall be considered as incomplete submission. Monitoring results of the components including those that are managed by partner/implementing agencies may serve as attachment to the consolidated report.

Within sixty (60) days upon completion of the project, the implementing agencies ™ M&E Teams are required to submit a project completion report to CICT, together with the liquidation of the amount given for the project. Only agencies that submitted a completion report and has been validated by CICT shall be considered as completed.

A. Reports

1. Quarterly Project Status Report. This report is prepared quarterly by the lead agency and submitted to CICT on a quarterly basis. The report shall cover major output, milestone, activity status, issues encountered, budget usage and future actions. There will be three (3) quarterly reports submitted in a year. Please refer to Article XII. 3.A.3 for the schedule of submission.

2. Annual Monitoring and Accomplishment Report. The report shall cover major output, milestone, activity status, issues encountered, and budget usage for the past year, as well as future actions for the succeeding year.

3. Schedule of submission. Deadline for the submission of monitoring reports will be as follows:

1^st Quarter Status Report         April 30
2^nd Quarter Status Repor         July 31
3^rd Quarter Status Report        October 31
Annual Report                         January 31
Completion Report                   60 days after completion of the project

4. Completion Report. The proponent agency shall submit this report to CICT upon completion of a project for validation. The report shall account all deliverables, accomplishments, budget usage and other project documentation.

5. Termination Report. A Project Termination Report is required in the event a project is closed without being completed. It explains why a project is being closed and describes how the project will be closed. The Project Termination Report specifies the accomplishments (if any) and what was not completed in relation to the project objectives and deliverables.

Aside from M&E report requirements, CICT may also conduct site visits to address problems brought to its attention for appropriate action. Proponent agencies will be notified if there are unsatisfactory/negative findings by the CICT and shall be advised to undertake corrective measures.

4. Project Termination

The CICT reserves the right to pre-terminate a project based on the result of the monitoring and evaluation activities.

Pre-termination of projects may be done based on but not limited to the following: 

• Projects with anomalous findings based on CICT monitoring results and COA findings/observation. These are projects found to have inconsistencies and/or questionable activities/transactions/deviations in the project conduct, as a result of COA audit and/or CICT monitoring. The usual due process shall be implemented.

• Delayed projects. These are projects that extend beyond its approved target completion date without the approval of CICT.

• Projects that deviated from the approved plan without the approval of CICT. These are projects that adopted certain variations in the project scope, design, deliverables, and project cost without informing CICT, either for approval or notification.

• Non-submission of reports.

Agencies with projects that have been identified for pre-termination will be notified of the monitoring result and the basis of pre-termination. The proponent agency may request for reconsideration by submitting a formal letter to the Chairman of the CICT.

5. Feedback Processing

Information gathered from the project monitoring and evaluation shall be used as basis for CICT management ™s recommendations and decision making in terms of corrective actions on project ™s failure/closure; support such as M&E training; possible justification as to additional EGF allotment; and as basis for policy formulation. M&E information shall also be the basis for CICT ™s generation of reports to be submitted to the Department of Budget and Management and other oversight agencies.

Agencies shall be required to attend regular conferences on EGF projects for updates on emerging good practices and challenges. Project Managers of completed projects are recognized and encouraged to share lessons learned during these conferences. All salient M&E performance information, including case studies of emerging good practices, and completed EGF projects shall be uploaded in the EGF website.

ARTICLE XIII
Other Provisions

These Guidelines may be supplemented with specific provisions by the CICT, as necessary, provided said provisions are consistent with the provisions of the General Appropriations Act.

ARTICLE XIV
Effectivity and Coverage

These Guidelines shall take effect immediately and shall cover all on-going and future E-Government Fund projects.

Approved by:

(SGD.) SEC. RAY ANTHONY ROXAS-CHUA III
  Chairman, CICT

---

¹ Chapter 6. Managerial Overview: Telecommunication, Module II Information Technology: A Managerial Overview, p. 191. paper and have passed the evaluation process of the CICT. This funding assistance is primarily used to finance the preparation of the project plans of E-Government Fund projects to ensure their successful implementation.

^* Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman, Quezon City