To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Chiefs of Divisions
All Others Concerned

1. The Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda is the evolving agenda of DepED to systematically, institutionally and sustainably improve nationwide basic education outcomes. As disseminated through DepED Memorandum No. 83, s. 2007 dated 26 February 2007, the implementation of BESRA is a priority responsibility of DepED’s management. The DepED Secretary is overall director of BESRA implementation, with implementation coordinated by existing organic structures of the DepED organization, namely, the Executive Committee (EXECOM), Management Committee (MANCOM), Program Committee (PROGCOM), and the Finance Committee (FINCOM), as appropriate fora for raising policy issues, discussing options, finalizing policy and program recommendations and sharing information essential for decision-making. The regional and divisional functional equivalents of these central-level structures shall likewise serve as field coordinating mechanisms for BESRA implementation under the respective authorities of regional directors and division superintendents.
2. Considering, however, the reality that these organic management structures of DepED also coordinate all on-going basic education programs, projects and activities, there is clear necessity for establishing additional mechanisms specifically dedicated to facilitating institutional actions under BESRA. Such additional coordinating mechanisms shall as a whole assure timely, sustained, effective and coherent implementation of policies, programs and activities related to BESRA by working with and through, not outside of or bypassing, DepED’s organic structures.
3. To provide central-level staff coordination essential for overall implementation of BESRA, a Technical Coordinating Team (TCT) is hereby created to be co-chaired by the Undersecretaries for Regional Operations and for Finance with the participation of the Assistant Secretary for Planning, the Chairs of the BESRA Technical Working Groups, Director of Office of Planning Service, and Director of EDPITAF. The TCT shall report directly to the Secretary. The TCT will be responsible for i) bringing all BESRA-related matters to the attention for decision and action of the Secretary, EXECOM, MANCOM, PROGCOM, and FINCOM, as appropriate; ii) undertaking necessary staff work necessary for informed discussion/decision by DepED management on all BESRA-related matters; iii) following-up actions taken on decisions made regarding BESRA-related matters; and iv) building a pipeline of well-prepared proposals and consultatively formulated
   recommendations that will enable DepED management to promptly decide and effectively implement actions under BESRA .
4. To create proper division of dedicated attention and sustained effort over the various spheres covered by BESRA, various Technical Working Groups (TWGs) are hereby established. Each TWG shall be responsible for corresponding aspects of BESRA outlined in appropriate sections of the BESRA PIP version 2006, until otherwise revised.
5. Previously organized TWGs created during the BESRA preparation phase are hereby revised according to the following instructions:
   TWG Composition
   1. School-Based Management (SBM) TWG: for SBM activities
      Chair Director of the Bureau of Elementary Education
      Co-Chairs: President of the Philippine Elementary School Principals Association (PESPA)
      President of the National Association of Public Secondary School Heads, Inc. (NAPPSHI)
      Members: Director (or permanent alternate), BSE, NEAP, EDPITAF
      President (or permanent alternate), Association DepEd Directors, Philippine Association of Schools Division Superintendent (PASS), Philippine Schools District Supervisors Association (PSDSA)
      Chief, Planning and Programming Division-Office of Planning Service
      Representative from NEDA, DBM and LCF
      TWG Secretariat: Bureau of Elementary Education
   2. Teacher Education and Development Program TWG: for TEDP activities
      Chair : Director, Teacher Education Council
      Co-Chair: Director, Bureau of Secondary Education
      Members : Director (or permanent alternate), BEE, BALS.NEAP
      Chief, HRDS
      Representative (or permanent alternate), Association of DepEd
      Directors, PASS, PESPA, NAPSSHI Representative
      Director, CHED-OSS
      Director, CSC
      Representatives of PRC, NEDA, TEC, TEI
      TWG Secretariat : TEC Secretariat/OPS
   3. Quality Assurance and Accountability Framework TWG: for QAAF activities
      Chair: Assistant Secretary for Programs
      Co-Chair: Director, NETRC
      Members: Directors (or permanent alternate) BEE, BSE, BALS, IMCS, President (or permanent alternate), Association of DepED Directors (ADD)
      Representatives from ADD (1 each from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
      Chief, PPD-OPS
      Chief, PDED-OPS
      PESPA Representative
      NAPSSHI Representative Representative from NEDA, DBM and LCF
      TWG Secretariat: PPD-OPS
   4. Monitoring and Evaluation : for M&E activities
      Chair: Assistant Secretary for Planning
      Members: Directors (or permanent alternate) BEE, BSE, BALS and
      NETRC
      Chiefs of PPD, PDED, RSD of OPS
      Director, TSD
      Representative from NEDA, DBM and LCF TWG Secretariat: PDED-OPS
   5. Resource Mobilization and Management:
      Chair: Assistant Secretary for Finance
      Members: Assistant Secretary for Planning
      Chief, Budget Division
      Chief, Accounting Unit
      Chief, PPD-OPS
      EDPITAF
      Representative from NEDA, DBM and LCF
      TWG Secretariat: EDPITAF TWG Functions
6. The above-mentioned TWGs will each be the main forum for overall coordination and monitoring of the implementation of their respectively assigned areas of BESRA and for developing recommendations in terms of standards, policies and operational guidelines related to BESRA implementation for eventual decision by the EXECOM, PROGCOM, FINCOM, MANCOM and the Secretary of Education, as appropriate. Specifically, the TWGs shall be responsible for:
   1. reviewing and prioritizing the recommendations from different BESRA Formulation TWGs, consultant reports and stakeholder proposals for official adoption by the Department;
   2. recognizing and identifying those specific proposals for BESRA action that are ready for decision and action by DepED management and communicating these proposals to the Secretary, EXECOM, MANCOM, PROGCOM or FINCOM, as appropriate
   3. preparing corresponding action plans (with specific deliverables and timelines) to work on other proposed recommendations of the BESRA Formulation TWGs which need further study and/or discussion within the TWG or with other relevant groups. The action plan will be regularly updated to incorporate critical activities to operationalize the adopted policy actions; and
   4. identifying specific requirements (financial, technical, legislative; etc) of activities in the action plan and possible sources (DepED, WB, AusAID, etc.)
7. The TCT shall arrange to provide necessary staff and budgetary support for the operation of the TWGs. As necessary, the services of a technical assistance contract shall be procured competitively under the National Support for Basic Education Program (NPSBE) with World Bank and/or AusAID’s Trust Fund in order to supplement DepED’s support to these TWGs.
8. In order to assure that as much of current and future foreign-assisted projects in basic education move towards support for BESRA, EDPITAF shall continue to serve as Central Secretariat of BESRA. As BESRA secretariat, EDPITAF shall provide staff support as necessary for implementation of any and all BESRA-related actions. It shall also serve as the DepED unit to which the TWGs created for various PIP concerns relate and which also administers all technical assistance or service provision contracts procured to support their activities. It shall also be responsible for tracking and reporting actions and decisions related to PIP activities.
9. The coordinating mechanisms specifically assigned for facilitating Department-wide implementation of actions under BESRA as outlined above, consist of (i) the Technical Coordinating Team (TCT), (ii) the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and (iii) EDPITAF. These mechanisms shall generally operate as follows: (i) The TCT shall provide overall staff guidance and directions for BESRA efforts throughout DepED; (ii) the TWGs shall generate well-prepared proposals for decisions or actions by DepED management; (iii) EDPITAF shall mobilize appropriate sources to provide the administrative and financial support necessary for these activities. These coordinating mechanisms, in turn, shall then assist DepED management (namely, Secretary, MANCOM, EXECOM, PROGCOM, FINCOM, regional directors and division superintendents, as appropriate) to exercise their appropriate authorities to adopt and implement the actions under BESRA. Once working at full capacity, these organizational arrangements should demonstrate the power and benefits of administratively disciplined execution by DepED of the BESRA reforms across the country at all levels of the basic education sector.
10. The TCT is hereby instructed to lead in the organization and mobilization of the coordinating mechanisms provided under this order. EDPITAF shall forthwith prepare an inception report on the organization of the four TWGs, preparation and adoption of their respective workplans, and for regular reporting on implementation of activities and output mentioned in the BESRA-PIP. This inception report shall be submitted to the Office of the Secretary to signal that this memo has been fully implemented.
11. Immediate dissemination and appropriate action by all concerned is desired.

Reference: None
Allotment: 1—(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
BUREAUS & OFFICES
COMMITTEE
OFFICIALS
PROGRAMS

DO_s2007_069