Innovation in Gov’t Crucial for PH Resilience and Economic Recovery – NEDA

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 – Innovation in government is needed to recover and build resilience from crises, according to Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua in the virtual opening ceremony of the 6th Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) held on September 15, 2020.   

Noting risks to the country’s growth outlook, Chua said that the task ahead requires innovative and creative solutions that can effectively balance health and other objectives.

“What this crisis has made apparent is the need for us to innovate governance and the importance of effective coordination if we hope not just to outlast but also build resilience against adversities such as this. Government must be the one to provide the direction and impetus for innovation to prosper. We must set the example by recalibrating our systems and processes to suit the needs and demands of the new normal,” he said.  

Chua added that this can be done through the use of new technologies in developing tools that can make the delivery of public services more effective and efficient.

“The task ahead requires innovative and creative solutions that can effectively balance both COVID and other objectives. That is why the government’s response is a phased and adaptive recovery approach that prioritizes health as well as the recovery of consumer confidence towards opening up more of the economy,” he said.  

He also underscored the importance of effective coordination and dynamic multi-stakeholder partnerships to maximize all available resources to respond to the pandemic. 

“Building strategic partnerships with different sectors is an effective way to address resource constraints and tap all available wealth of ideas, technologies, expertise, and networks. These are crucial for governance innovation to happen especially in the new normal,” Chua said.

The APPC is the main and culminating activity of the Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) organized by PIDS. The DPRM is an annual event held every September to promote awareness and understanding of the importance of policy research in formulating evidence-based policies, programs, and projects.