Field Assistance Visitation Program

August 25, 1966 REVENUE MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 52-66 SUBJECT : Field Assistance Visitation Program To narrow the horizontal and vertical communication gap between the National Office and the field offices, to bring to the fore interrelated and intertwined problem areas among units, and to provide an opportunity for the National Office to present and explain personally to the field offices the policies and programs of the present administration, a Field Assistance Visitation Program is hereby launched. Field assistance visitations will likewise enable regional offices to easily present their problems to the National Office, and vice versa, with the expectations of expeditious results, thus providing an atmosphere of friendly interchange of ideas and matters of significance. It is also a means to brainstorm for solutions to problems not only in the regional scale but also on the national level. It is expected therefore that when fully implemented, cooperation at all levels shall be enhanced and efficiency and effectiveness of operations shall be improved. PROCEDURES: a. Preparation of "Pulse Items " Every department head and division chief shall prepare "pulse items" for their respective areas of functional jurisdiction. ("Pulse items" are statements, usually in question form, of necessary activities or actions which serve to determine the extent of compliance to instructions, regulations or rules). These "pulse items" shall be submitted to the Management and Planning Department, upon call by said Department in BIR Form 1.78 (sample attached). After submission, any amendments or changes in the pulse items by the revenue Operations head shall be submitted to the Management and Planning Department for updating purposes. The Revenue Operations Head (Management & Planning) shall be responsible for prescribing the form and manner of presentation of "pulse items." The Management and Planning Department shall consolidate and coordinate the "pulse items" submitted by revenue operations heads and division chiefs and shall prepare therefrom in the same Form 1.78 the "pulse items" that are relevant and necessary for assistance visitation purposes. The Management and Planning Department shall prepare sufficient copies of the "pulse items" list so that every member of the visiting team shall have a copy. Sufficient number of copies shall also be sent to the region to be visited for distribution to all branch chiefs and chief revenue officers within the region. The copies for the regions shall be sent at least two weeks before the arrival of the national officers in the regional office. This will give the regional officers the opportunity to check on the past activities of their own men and take whatever action is warranted in connection with the "pulse items" preparatory to meeting the visiting team. b. Visitation Teams The visitation assistance team shall, whenever possible, be headed by the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner to insure the availability of a person of authority for the definition and discussion of the problems. However, when the Commissioner or the Deputy Commissioner is unable to make the visitation, a revenue operations head shall be designated by the Commissioner, to personally represent him, as head of the visitation team. One or two division chiefs shall complete the composition of the team. The choice of division chiefs shall be based mainly on the prevalence of the problems within the region under the functional jurisdiction of such division chiefs. The Commissioner, however, may designate as many other members of the team as he deems necessary. The Management and Planning Department shall prepare the schedule of visitations to regional offices and recommend the officers who are to compose the team. A visitation may last from one to five days. Advance copies of the schedule shall be sent to the regional directors concerned for their information. c. Conduct of Visitation The regional director shall see to it that all branch chiefs and chief revenue officers under his jurisdiction shall be present during the field assistance visitation meetings. The meeting shall start with a general group meeting. If the Commissioner is not present, the head of the visitation team shall read a letter of greeting from the Commissioner. The general or group meeting should not be sidetracked to small issues or individual complaints so it shall be the duty of the team leader to guide the discussion along pertinent and important topics only. The concept of the program is full assistance to the regional offices so that all criticisms of findings shall be withheld although notes thereof may be taken for further study. After the general group meeting, the visitors shall meet individually the regional officers to take up matters under their respective areas of operation to nail down problems to basic components. To wind up the visitation, a closing conference shall be held by the visitation team with the regional director and assistant regional director. The branch chiefs and chief revenue officers concerned in the discussion during this closing conference may be present. This closing conference is intended to mold the course of action for the solution of the problem brought up or identified. In all visitations it shall always be stressed by the visiting team that there is an imperative need for the regional director to lead, manage and control the operations and men under his supervision. Within a month or two a "division chiefs' assistance task force" shall visit the region for purposes of checking on the measures taken by the region to correct the deficiencies or problems taken up during the visitation and/or to take whatever corrective steps or actions that may be needed. After each visitation, the visitation team shall prepare a report to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, c/o The Revenue Operations Head (Management & Planning). The Revenue Operations Head (Management & Planning) shall then prepare a digest of the report for the attention of the Commissioner and other members of the Conference Staff. d. "Pulse Items" Records The Management and Planning Department shall maintain a systematic file by office or region of all "pulse items" as well as of the visitations made. The Internal Audit personnel may refer to these records for purposes of evaluation follow-up. lexlib EFFECTIVITY This order takes effect immediately. MISAEL P. VERA Commissioner of Internal Revenue