Assessing NSTP-CWTS organizational development process: ODETE's challenges and opportunities

Department/Unit

NSTP and Formation Office

Document Type

Archival Material/Manuscript

First Page

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Last Page

65

Publication Date

1-26-2015

Abstract

The Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) has formalized partnership with different organizations to ensure an effective NSTP-CWTS implementation since AY 2002-2003. In 2009, COSCA conducted program evaluation to gauge its impact among partner communities and program stakeholders, i.e., students, facilitators, partner organizations, etc. Results show that the program contributed in the thrusts of the partner organizations and provided immediate and long-term solutions to partner communities. However, it revealed the lack of mechanism for project sustainability even when the exit phase comes in (COSCA CWTS Impact Evaluation, 2009).

Consequently, the organizational development (OD) component was created to strengthen partner organizations' capacities to manage themselves and realize their long-term plans. Since 2009, COSCA's OD program evolved and implemented by NSTP-CWTs unit through its OD coordinator, organizational development team (ODETE) and the participating organizations. OD interventions include orientation development and enhancement that aims to assist the partner organizations in the enhancement of their thrusts based on their current situation; program development which intends to mobilize them to come up with program based on their needs; and organizational management that aims to guide them in improving their systems for organizational efficiency and effectiveness (COSCA CWTS OD Manual of Operations, 2011). In 2013, OD's thrusts were refocused to community profiling, capacity building, scaling up and standardization, and documentation of good practices. Furtehr, the strong commitment and collaboration of COSCA, ODETE and partner organizations led to the formation of day care partners network (DCPN) in 2014.

Being the core of the community engagement initiatives in the university, COSCA continues to generate innovative ideas and mechanisms to ensure that everything is undertaken to achieve its goals and align this to the university's vision of being "in service of society especially the poor" (DLSU Vision-Mission Primer, 2012). Thus, this evaluation study aims to find out the significant OD contributions among partner organizations involved and to describe the level of appreciation and rich experiences of ODETE stressing on the challenges and opportunities along program implementation. It also allows enhancement of ODETE's thrusts, improvement of existing OP processes, and serves as benchmark for replication. The evaluation process involves in-depth interviews, participants' observation and focus group discussion among ODETE members.

The results are then categorized as ODETE members' outstanding on OD, salient contributions of COSCA's OD interventions among partner organizations, factors affecting the implementation of OD interventions, prioritization of OD interventions, the advantages and challenges of being part of ODETE. Generally, results revealed the need to scale up current mechanism in terms of empowering individuals and communities through OD activities. Erstad (1997) described all these as creating "synergy of outcomes" where people should be channeled to work together on initiatives to respond to organizational issues affecting them. To enhance its ability to meet its objectives, the following are the recommendations for modifying or supplementing the program: standardization of organizations, install monitoring and evaluation scheme, enhance existing CWTS OD materials, conduct deepening sessions on Lasallian spirituality and tapping of internal resources.

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Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement

Keywords

De La Salle University (Philippines). National Service Training Program-Civic Welfare Training Services; Service learning--Philippines--Manila; Organizational change

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