DSWD starts consultations for 2012 budget

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has started crafting its proposed budget for 2012 by conducting consultations with civil society organizations (CSOs). In an article posted on the DSWD website on Tuesday, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said the consultations with CSOs are part of the "open budget" approach which promotes transparency and policy effectiveness. Under the open budget or "zero-based budgeting" approach, the DSWD will evaluate its programs and projects with the help of CSOs. Soliman said the approach will create headroom to fund meritorious programs or projects recommended by CSOs. The participation of the CSOs in determining the 2012 budget will help build ownership and consensus on the programs and projects the DSWD will submit to Congress, Soliman said. “The involvement of the private sector as well as other partner organizations in the budget process is a directive of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to help determine the relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness of government programs and curb corruption," Soliman said. She said open budgeting is now the trend in almost 100 countries in the world, where budget processes are being participated in by CSOs. The Aquino administration earlier espoused the zero-based budgeting approach to determine effective best-practice programs and weed out inefficient ones. The DSWD’s engagement of the regional CSOs and other stakeholders started in February 2011. It will then hold a national consultation with CSOs on March 18. – VVP, GMA News