This document outlines a framework called ACCESs (A Community- and Child-Centered Education System) that is meant to guide education reforms in the Philippines. It discusses ACCESs as the guiding philosophy that connects the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) to specific policy initiatives. ACCESs emphasizes community involvement in education governance and making the needs of learners and learning outcomes the central focus of the education system. It provides features of what a community-centered and learner-centered education system should entail and discusses how ACCESs can be operationalized through participatory planning, budgeting, and evaluation.

1. Office of the Undersecretary for
Regional Operations

2. Presentation Outline
1. ACCESs as Touchstone of Reforms
2. BESRA and ACCESs Connection
3. Defining ACCESs
4. Operationalizing ACCESs
– SBM & PASBE
– Re-engineering Planning and M&E Systems
5. Next Steps
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

3. ACCESs as Touchstone of Reforms
 It started from a need of a harmonizing
policy or statement that will guide reform
initiatives
 Then, a necessity to flesh-out a paradigm
that will drive behavior and performance
measures
 Ultimately, a demand to operationalize and
bring to reality the aspirations of RA 9155
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

4. Rationale for ACCESs
• Articulate the mandate of RA 9155
• Clarify roles and accountabilities per level of
governance
• Broaden the role of community in education
management and delivery to emphasize
“stewardship”
• Emphasize centrality of learners and learner’s
outcome
• Guide program development and evaluation
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

5. BESRA and ACCESs Connection
• BESRA must be synchronized by a clear
philosophy and value statement
• ACCESs provides clarity for BESRA to
streamline and identify priorities
• BESRA is the package of policy reforms;
ACCESs is a policy or statement that
concretize/operationalize the policy reforms
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

6. Defining ACCESs
Philosophy
• Belief and value that the
Department espouses
• Concept of an ideal
state
• Guide to strategic and
day-to-day affairs
• Culture among
stakeholders
Approach
• Method or process of
service delivery
• Measure to examine
consistency of policy,
program, project or
activity vis-à-vis thrust &
mandate
• Guide to examine
relevance & value of all
other policies, programs,
projects
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

7. ACCESs is about being child(learner)- and
community-centered
Community-Centered
• Mandate derived from RA9155, EFA National Plan and BESRA
• Community as source of strategic thrust, crucial resources for
learning, curriculum development
• Community as “rights-bearer” of rights to education
Child(Learner)-Centered
• A concept derived from the framework of rights-based
education that is characterized as: “inclusive, healthy and
protective for all children, effective with children, and involved
with families and communities - and children" (Shaeffer, 1999).
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

8. Features of ACCESs
Community-Centered
• Shared vision & mission
• Shared decision-making &
governance
• Collaboration
• Community ownership
• Autonomy,
• Accountability
• Transparency
Child(Learner)-Centered
• Learning-focused
• Developmental-stage
appropriate
• Gender- & culture-sensitive
• Environmentally (physical,
emotional, psychosocial)
safe
• Accessible regardless of
gender, race, culture, social
& economic status
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

9. CHILD (LEARNER)-
CENTERED
COMMUNITY-CENTERED
Collaboration
Shared Governance
Transparency
Shared V / M
Autonomy
Ownership
Accountability
Gender and cultural
sensitivity
Development appropriate
Learning-oriented and Learner-
focused
Environmentally Safe
Accessible
LGUs
NGOs
Private
Sector
Community
D
E
M
A
N
D
Central
Regional
Division
District
S
U
P
P
L
Y
ACCESs Framework
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

10. In sum, ACCESs provides..
A framework to advance the philosophy
of shared governance of education and
to ensure a strong culture of effective
leadership & management in the provision
of basic education
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

11. ACCESs is about an education system…
• Network of leadership
• Learner-centered and context-based learning
systems and processes
• Transparent and community developed
accountability system
• Mutually reinforcing and harnessing education
targeted resource management
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

12. Operationalizing ACCESs
1. Re-creating school (learning community) systems into
community-based and learner-centered
2. Re-engineering the system through participatory
planning and “demand-driven” monitoring and
evaluation
3. Linking planning and budget processes with
appropriate LGU and other local participation
platforms at each governance level
4. Strengthening accountability system by leveraging on
the involvement of the “demand-side” of education
ACCESs: A Community- and Child (Learner)-Centered Education System (June 2012)

13. Why Change
• Highlight children/learner as the center of SBM
practice
• Continuous improvement process
• Break old habits
• Respond to clamor of field implementers
• Promote shared governance and strengthen local
participation
• Improve the school system’s capacity towards
attaining EFA/MDG

14. Type of Change
 Homeostatic change - band aid- just to close gap in
performance, firefighting if there’s fire
 Incremental change – gradual, progressive, slow
when there’s little information about the subject /
object of change
 Neo-mobilistic – innovative, to introduce a different
/ much better formula, e.g. pole vaulting
 Metamorphic – revolutionary, to change the whole
system [Mao Tze Tung]

15. To align and strengthen SBM
• Paradigm shift
– From the old practice of “bean-counting” documents to
strengthening systems and processes
– From tokenism to genuine participation
– From contrived practices to evolving relationships
– From mere compliance to conscious effort of doing things
right
– From a mere strategy to a way of life in school
• Systems-thinking and systems-orientation
• Focus efforts on achievement of the twin outcomes:
– organizational effectiveness
– improvement of learning outcomes

16. Getting Ready to Implement
• Organize your team (First WHO, then WHAT)
• Level off and set performance contract
• Plan and strategize to advocate
• Initiate dialogue with LGUs, private sector,
NGOs and PTA
• Spot a champion (maybe a team)

17. Getting Ready to Implement
• Check your realities and negotiate goals and
targets with stakeholders
• Train, coach and support team
• ID problem areas and prioritize
• Listen and collect information from stakeholders
• Invest time on working for common
understanding and shared goals

18. Office of the Undersecretary for
Regional Operations