Policies on Decentralization of Administrative and Financial Management Functions, Role and Authority of Court Administrator

May 17, 2010

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 087-10

PRESCRIBING POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS TO GUIDE THE DECENTRALIZATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS, DEFINING THE ROLE AND AUTHORITY OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR AND CREATING THE OVERSIGHT UNIT

WHEREAS, the decentralization of administrative and financial management functions, based on the principle of subsidiarity, is intended to improve efficiency in the management of limited resources and provide prompt and responsive services to the first and second level courts;

WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 135-2009 provided for the establishment of a Regional Court Administration Office (RCAO) in the 3rd and 11th Judicial Regions, and the creation of an oversight unit;

WHEREAS, the insights gained and findings from the implementation of the RCAO in the 7th Judicial Region indicated that the installation of an oversight system will be able to effectively contribute to and manage the roll-out of the decentralized operations, including administrative changes in these judicial regions (and other RCAOs which may be established thereafter) and implementation of systems, along with sustained capacity development support for the decentralization process;

NOW, THEREFORE, the following policies and implementation arrangements are hereby adopted:

SECTION 1. The Court Administrator. — The Court Administrator shall be responsible for the overall management of the implementation of the decentralization process. He shall exercise overall authority over administrative and financial management functions involving the 3rd, 7th and 11th Judicial Regions and the RCAOs therein, and such other RCAOs which may be established thereafter. In the implementation of the decentralization process, the Court Administrator shall have the following functions:

(1) Recommend the administrative structure and staffing of the RCAOs, the administrative and financial management policies, standards, rules and procedures that will guide operations; and upon approval, be responsible in managing its implementation. To this end, the Court Administrator may issue directives or circulars to guide the RCAOs; ensure the provision of capacity building and training of RCAO personnel and personnel from other offices.

(2) Recommend to the Chief Justice the annual allotment program and annual cash program for the 3rd, 7th and 11th Judicial Regions and the RCAOs and, upon approval exercise authority to administer the same; DTaAHS

(3) Recommend to the Chief Justice budget realignments that are not within the authority of RCAOs to approve;

(4) Administer the centrally managed funds within the approved allotment and cash programs of the judicial region and its RCAO, including the timely review and approval of requests by RCAOs for releases from these funds;

(5) Approve award of bids and contracts by the Regional Bids and Awards Committees (RBAC) to be constituted for each judicial region, for the procurement of goods and services and for capital outlay for the said judicial regions within the approval thresholds of the Court Administrator;

(6) Approve personnel actions within the approval thresholds of the Court Administrator; and

(7) Perform such other related functions as may be assigned.

SECTION 2. Establishment of an Oversight Unit. — The Oversight Unit (OU) is hereby established to act as the coordination and capacity-building arm of the Court Administrator for the implementation of the decentralization process. The OU shall be headed by the Court Administrator, as its Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be assisted by a Vice Chairperson who will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the OU.

The OU shall be composed of the following:

(1) The Court Administrator — Chairperson

(2) The Deputy Court Administrator or Assistant Court Administrator Supervising the Judicial Region Concerned — Vice Chairperson

(3) The Chief, Fiscal Management and Budget Office

(4) The Judicial Reform Program Administrator, Program Management Office

(5) The Chief, Management Information Systems Office

(6) The Chief, OCA-Office of Administrative Services

(7) The Chief, OCA-Financial Management Office

SECTION 3. Functions of the Oversight Unit. — The Oversight Unit shall perform the following functions:

(1) Through its members, provide guidance to the RCAOs in the formulation of their proposed annual budgets, annual work and financial plans, allotment programs and cash programs; EIaDHS

(2) Act as the coordinating unit for the resolution of issues relating to the application of decentralized administrative and financial policies and processes;

(3) Coordinate actions on common transactions emanating from the regions which require integrated or coordinated action or decisions;

(4) Develop and implement a capacity development program including training, and provision of manuals and/or issuance providing policies and procedures, work tools, and related support to effectively guide RCAO personnel in the conduct of their tasks;

(5) Implement in an incremental manner the decentralization of specific administrative and financial management functions consistent with the competencies and absorptive capacity of the RCAO personnel;

(6) Coordinate technical support in the design and implementation of the physical assets management, human resources development, budgeting, revenue management, cash management and financial accounting systems and in overseeing operations within a decentralized frameworks; and

(7) Perform such other functions that will ensure synchronized execution of all operations within the decentralized setup.

SECTION 4. Preparatory Activities and Action Plan. — The Oversight Unit shall prepare and submit the following for approval by the undersigned, prior to the opening for business of the Oversight Unit:

(a) An action plan and work program to operationalize the Oversight Unit, establish as well as operationalize the RCAOs in the 3rd and 11th Judicial Regions, and

(b) improve the design and capacity of RCAO-7.

SECTION 5. Separability Clause. — All orders or specific provisions thereof that are contrary or inconsistent with the provisions of this order are hereby modified or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. — This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately. SECATH

Issued this 17th day of May 2010.

 

(SGD.) REYNATO S. PUNOChief Justice