Strategic plan (M.M.)-UP Mindanao, 2003

The Commission on Audit Regional Office No. XI being the representative of the Commission on Audit (COA) in Region XI has a jurisdiction covering 650 audited agencies composed of 482 national agencies; 73 local agencies, and 95 corporate agencies. It covers 6 cities, 6 provinces, 63 municipalities and 1,393 barangays. The cities and provinces are Davao City, General Santos City, Tagum City, Island Garden City of Samal, Koronadal City, Digos City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley, South Cotabato and Sarangani Provinces. On July 1, 2002, the entire COA underwent an organizational restructuring based on COA Resolution No. 2002-005 dated May 17, 2002 and with it the clustering of the different audited agencies on a nation-wide basis. Also, COA has implemented the National Government Accounting System in all national government agencies as prescribed in COA Circular No. 2001-004 dated October 30, 2001 to ensure the proper accounting of all financial transactions of the National Government. With these recent developments in the organizations, the issues pervasive and prevalent confronting the present situation are as follows: 1. the government agencies' bureaucracy in Region XI is still prone to the irregularities, waste, and fraud; 2. government in adapting to the development in technology and such has made the bureaucracy to implement computerization of some of the processes such as payroll, disbursement, remittances, and recording as well as its services; 3. absence of a strategic plan at a Regional Level. The issues are addressed through the strategic choices made using the Strategic Management Model of Pearce and Robinsons as the analytical framework for COA Regional Office No. XI Strategic Plan. The methodology includes gathering secondary data and information as well as inquiries and interviews from various resource persons. The strategic choices identified include: 1. intensification in the institution of adequate internal controls in all government agencies in Region XI through the audit tea approach program (ATAP) and the promotion of transparency in government operations; 2. full computerization of the COA RO XI; 3. intensify professional and personnel development. These strategies are the result of the internal and external environmental analysis of the organization which includes the organizational performance, mandate, and the human, financial and physical resources together with the external conditions regarding the national fiscal deficit, corruption in the government, and the developments in technology. With the strategies at hand for COA RO XI, it will position the organization in accounting and protecting the scarce resources of the government as well as enforcing the proper accountability of public officers thereby ensuring that government services in Region XI are delivered, thus, having enforced its mandate and laying its resources towards the improvement in public service.