Approval of Framework for 1998 Transition Management Plan

March 17, 1998

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 385

APPROVING THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE 1998 TRANSITION MANAGEMENT PLAN

WHEREAS, it is the declared policy of the government to ensure a peaceful, orderly and smooth transfer of powers to the next duly-elected President;

WHEREAS, the duly-elected President and his incoming Cabinet members should be given full support and cooperation by the outgoing Cabinet to allow for their smooth assumption into office; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to prepare a Transition Management Plan to ensure a proper and orderly transition of government into the next Administration.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, by the power vested in me by Law and the Constitution do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Approval of the Framework for the 1998 Transition Management Plan. — The Framework for the 1998 Transition Management Plan, hereto, attached, is hereby approved.

SECTION 2. Immediate Implementation of the Plan. — All Heads of Government Departments, Agencies, Bureaus, and Instrumentalities including Government-Owned-and-Controlled Corporations shall adopt and implement the Plan immediately.

SECTION 3. Funding. — Funding for the transition plans and other transition activities shall be sourced from the respective budget of the departments/agencies.

SECTION 4. Submission of Reports. — All departments/agencies shall submit progress reports on the status of their transition activities on a monthly basis.

SECTION 5. Effectivity. — This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 17th of March, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Eight.

PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR THE 1998 TRANSITION MANAGEMENT PLAN

I. RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The preparation of a Transition Management Plan has to be undertaken and implemented to ensure a proper and orderly transition of government into the next Administration. The Plan has the following objectives:

1. Provide an overall framework to ensure an orderly and smooth transfer of power to the next Administration;

2. Ensure continuous and improved service delivery at the transition stage; and

3. Document the accomplishments and legacies of the Ramos Administration.

II. STRATEGIES

1. The Transition Plan shall cover all government departments, agencies, bureaus and instrumentalities including GOCCs.

2. The Transition Plan shall focus on all aspects of governance namely, policies, programs, and administrative concerns (e.g. organizational management, resource allocation and systems review).

3. The transition process shall adopt a decentralized process of implementation.

III. COMPONENTS

The Plan shall have three components, namely, setting up of transition teams, preparation of transition documents, and preparations for Presidential turnover.

1. Setting Up of Transition Teams

1.1 Departments/Agencies

a. All government departments, agencies, bureaus, and instrumentalities including GOCCs shall establish their respective transition committees. The transition committee shall be chaired by the Secretary or Head of Agency and Vice-Chaired by a Senior Undersecretary or Deputy Head of Agency.

b. The functions of transition committees are as follows:

i. Formulate and implement a Transition Plan to include:

• Preparations of Transition Reports;

• Establishment of systems and procedures for transition to ensure continued operations;

• Facilitate and coordinate resolution of issues that may arise in the preparation and implementation of activities related to the transition;

• Oversee turnover activities;

• Conduct briefings for incoming officials; and

• Extend technical and administrative assistance to the incoming Head of Office and his or her staff.

ii. Transition committees may organize other support groups as may be deemed necessary.

iii. Transition committees shall be authorized to use funds and resources for transition activities.

1.2 Office of the President

a. An OP Transition Committee shall be constituted to be chaired by the Executive Secretary with Head, PMS as Vice-Chairman. The OP Transition Committee shall have the following members:

i. Chief, Presidential Protocol Office;

ii. Director, OP Finance;

iii. Director, OP Personnel;

iv. PA for Palace Internal Household Affairs, and

v. Director, Malacañang Records Office

b. The OP Transition Committee shall oversee the preparation and implementation of the transition plan and the necessary transition reports and serve as official representatives of the Office of the President to meetings which may be called by the Transition Team of the President-elect. The Office of the Executive Secretary and PMS shall jointly provide technical support to the Committee.

c. The OP Transition Committee may organize other support groups as may be deemed necessary. Appropriate funding for transition activities shall be supported by the Department of Budget and Management.

2. Preparation of Transition Documents

The Transition Committees shall prepare the following:

2.1 Organizational and Administrative Transition Reports which will provide the following:

a. Information on the organization;

b. Critical linkages;

c. On-going major programs/projects;

d. Areas for action of new head of office; and

e. Resources

2.2 Functional Transition Reports which will include status of policies, programs/projects, accomplishments, issues and critical pending matters.

3. Preparations for Presidential Turnover

3.1 The following documents shall be prepared for turnover to the President-elect:

a. Legacy Documents

i. Organizational and Functional Transition Report which includes information on the history, the mandate and functions, structure, accomplishments, resources and critical pending matters in the Office of the President.

ii. Technical Reports of the Ramos Administration depicting the accomplishments of the Ramos Administration during his six-year term.

iii. Philippine National Development Plan for the 21^st Century (PNDP) which provides the vision and broad strategy that shall guide the development process of the Philippines from 1999-2025.

iv. UP Public Lecture Series which provides the lectures and accomplishment reports of the Ramos Cabinet and the report of the President to the nation.

v. Pictorial History of the Ramos Administration which features selected photographs of major events that took place immediately prior to and during the Ramos Administration, and government projects and beneficiaries.

vi. Videotape/CD-ROM Series which is composed of several videotapes/CD-ROMs depicting a multimedia historical documentary on Malacañang.

b. Organizational Management Documents

i. "Red Book" containing the data base of "political appointments" which can be made by the new President to be prepared by the OP Personnel Group, in coordination with the DBM.

ii. "Blue Book" containing a computerized database of Career Executive Service Officers to be prepared by the Career Executive Service Board.

iii. Documents on Governance Mechanisms including the various mechanisms of governance adopted by the Ramos Administration such as the following: Cabinet and Cabinet Cluster System, LEDAC, CORD System, Office of the President Coordinating Center, immediate Presidential Staffs, Presidential Visits and Regional Cabinet Meetings, Summits/workshops, and doctrine of completed staff work (CSW).

3.2 Following are the proposed activities for Presidential transition:

a. Formal Turnover of Documents and Reports including the Office of the President Organization Transition Report, the Philippine National Development Plan for the 21^st Century, UP Public Lecture Series, Videotape/CD-ROM Series, Red Book, Blue Book, and Documents on Governance Mechanisms.

b. Cabinet Level Briefings. The Executive Secretary/Presidential Management Staff may conduct briefings for new Cabinet Members to familiarize them with the workings of the bureaucracy, Congress and the media. These briefings may include the CSC, COA, DBM, OPS and PLLO.

c. Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies. Culmination of the transition where the outgoing President shall join the incoming President, and both shall ride together en route to Rizal Park for the inaugural ceremonies.

4. Timetable. Following is the proposed timetable of activities for the transition:

 

Approval of Transition Management Plan	17 March
by the President
Creation of Department/Agency	18-20 March
Transition Team
Formulation/Preparation of Transition	21 March–14 May
Systems/Processes and Reports
Submission of printed reports of database for	15 May
Red Book and "Blue Book" to OP
Submission of Final Drafts of Organizational	15 May
Transition Reports and Functional Transition
Reports to OP
Briefings for Incoming Cabinet Members	15-20 June
By Outgoing Cabinet Members
Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies	30 June
Turnover Ceremonies/Installation of	30 June-3 July
Incoming Cabinet Members