Guidelines and Operating Procedures in the Administration of the Scholarship for Government

January 28, 1993 REVENUE MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 09-93 SUBJECT : Guidelines and Operating Procedures in the Administration of the Scholarship for Government TO : All Revenue Officials and Employees and Others Concerned For the information and guidance of all revenue officials and employees, quoted hereunder is Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 44, d. 1992 dated November 17, 1992. casia "The Civil Service Commission, under CSC Memorandum Circular No. 34, s. 1992 established the Scholarship Program for Government and provided for its administration. In order to ensure a uniform interpretation of the policy contained therein, the following guidelines and operating procedures are hereby prescribed for the guidance and information of all concerned. 1. Each department of agency shall prepare a list of their priority needs for organizational and manpower training, education and development at the beginning of each calendar year for submission to the Commission. These priority needs shall be properly ranked and classified into such specific areas as training management, manpower planning, animal husbandry, remote sensing, structural design, pipefitting, child and maternal care, school administration, judicial administration, and the like. 2. Under each priority need, the agency shall identify, select and rank the employees who have been determined to require further training and education, formal or otherwise, to assist in their career and personnel development pursuant to Section 31 of Executive Order No. 292. For this purpose, the agency's Personnel Development Committee (PDC) shall conduct the initial screening and selection of employees. Such selection/screening shall consider the alignment of the manpower skill and competency requirements supportive of the development goals and objectives of both the agency and the government. 3. Based on the recommendations of the PDC, the agency head of each central and regional office, bureau and service unit shall submit to the Civil Service Commission Regional Office (CSCRO) in their area, a list of their candidates in each of their priority needs for organizational and manpower training, education and training and development. 4. The CSCRO shall assess each candidate in the agency list through a review or validation of credentials/qualifications and the conduct of an interview. The names of those who pass the regional assessments shall be forwarded to the Officer for Human Resource Development of the Commission for inclusion in the National Scholarship Pool (NSP). Agency candidates who are included in the National Scholarship Pool shall be eligible for scholarship grant or program which matches their specific qualification. The list shall be valid for two years and may be updated not more than twice a year if there are good or valid reasons to do so. 5. In cases where the agency, on its own initiatives, has secured and arranged training and scholarship grants for its staff, whether institution-specific, program-specific, project-specific, or person-specific, the agency must award the scholarship to an employee whose name is already included in the list submitted to the CSCRO and in the National Scholarship Pool. These grants shall no longer be matched with other nominees in the National Scholarship Pool. A grantee in any of the aforementioned categories shall be issued an endorsement by the Commission only if his/her name appears in the National Scholarship Pool. 6. Allocation of scholarship or training grants shall generally be based on the highest priority need of agencies requiring assistance in the training, education and development of their employees as shown by the ranking of priorities. 7. If several agencies have equal ranking for similar or common priority needs, the awardee shall be selected based on the following: a. Nominees must meet the donor requirements relative to education, experience, age, language proficiency, and others. b. Field personnel or, in their absence, those performing line functions shall be given preference/priority. c. The nominee shall not have enjoyed a scholarship/training grant in the immediate past two (2) years. 8. Employees attending training, education and other development programs in the form of study/scholarship grant will be considered on official time and credited as continuous service only in the following instances: a. The nominee-grantee is among the employees whose name appears in the agency list and finally included in the National Scholarship Pool after passing the assessment conducted by the CSC Regional office; b. The contract between the agency and grantee, which contains their respective obligations, has been approved by the Commission; 9. Only employees attending training, education and other development programs on official time shall enjoy the following privileges. a. Receive an appropriate official endorsement to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the donor institution from the Civil Service Commission. b. Be entitled to an official passport and an exit clearance. c. Continue to receive their salary plus appropriate allowance such as clothing, pre-departure expenses and other emoluments. d. Credit as continuous government service the period of time devoted to the program or grant. 10. The privileges mentioned in the preceding paragraph may be withdrawn by the Commission in case the grantee willfully violates any of the provisions of the scholarship contract. 11. Each scholarship contract shall contain at least the following obligations of the grantee: a. After completion of the local or foreign scholarship grant and/or foreign training grant, to render the compulsory service obligation equivalent to the period of scholarship/training as indicated below: Duration Service Obligation For every years 2 years or a fraction thereof, exceeding six (6) months. A fraction of a year 1 year not 1 year exceeding six (6) months, but not less than two (2) months. A fraction of a than 6 months two (2) months. b. Within sixty days from completion of the scholarship program, turnover or submit to the agency all materials and academic work, or copies thereof, received and prepared in connection with the scholarship. Such materials shall form part of the agency's reference library. c. Within thirty (30) days upon return to duty, deliver a lecture or share the highlights and other vital information relative to the course attended with colleagues in the agency. d. Within sixty (60) days upon return to duty, submit a written report to the head of office and one's immediate supervisor which describes a plan to apply relevant aspects of the course/programme on the job, including a discussion with them on the support he/she needs for proper implementation of the plan. e. Within one hundred eighty days (180) upon return to duty, submit to the Commission a one-page report duly attested by the head of agency that the grantee has accomplished the preceding items. In case of item (a), that the grantee is in the process of rendering the service obligation. f. Repay the government all expenses incurred relative to the grant in the event of failure of the grantee to fulfill the terms and conditions of the contract. 12. Each scholarship contract shall likewise contain the following obligations of the agency: a. Grant temporary release to the employee/grantee from all official duties and responsibilities for the duration of the program; b. Shoulder the necessary expenses required by the grantee and pay all the benefits/remuneration due him or her for the duration of the program; c. Based on the grantee's completion report, facilitate the process of sharing and applying newly-acquired skills and expertise among colleagues or staff in the agency. Every opportunity shall be provided by the agency for the application or practice of skills, knowledge or behavior acquired from training. 13. All agencies shall submit to the CSCRO a year-end report on the status of its scholarship activities to be incorporated in the "Agency Report on the Implementation of HRD Programs". aisa dc 14. Effective January 1, 1993 only grantees whose names appear on the National Scholarship Pool shall be issued travel authority or endorsement by the Commission. cd i This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately. (Sgd.) PATRICIA A. STO. TOMAS Chairman All revenue officials and employees are enjoined to give this circular as wide a publicity as possible. (SGD.) JOSE U. ONG Commissioner of Internal Revenue