Innovation is essential to any organization for it stirs creativity, increases productivity, and produces greater output.

But for the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga, the program did not only see innovation as an instrument to improve their services. Innovation also became a mechanism for the program to strengthen its ties with its partner stakeholders, especially with the local government units and national agencies.

Of stepping up

The Sustainable Livelihood Program of DSWD Field Office Caraga has strengthened its efforts to implement the program.

As it welcomed 2023, the Regional Program Management Office launched “Project PagUsbong” – an initiative and innovation of the program which seeks to intensify the program implementation by strengthening ties with partners in the community while promoting the program.

DSWD-SLP sees the need to establish ties with partners as they serve as allies or champions in the program’s advocacy in their respective communities. The program believes that by mobilizing the partners, the dissemination of information will be quicker and have a wider reach.

Further, in this innovation, SLP meets with stakeholders and conducts consultative dialogues to discuss the program implementation and accomplishments in the previous year. On top of this, SLP also orients the partner stakeholders about the 2023 implementation process – including the partner’s role in the rollout of this initiative.

From idea to reality

With the aim of having an impactful implementation for 2023, the program has already begun its rollout of Project PagUsbong in February. The first Project PagUsbong activity was conducted on February 16 in the municipalities of Alegria and Mainit, Surigao del Norte.

DSWD-SLP has also met with the officials of the local government units (LGUs) of Gigaquit, Bacuag, Claver, Placer, Taganaan, Sison, and Surigao City.

The next leg of Project PagUsbong was conducted in the Province of Dinagat Islands. With the coordination of the Regional Program Management Office and Provincial Operations Office, the team was able to meet with the officials of the municipalities of San Jose, Dinagat, Cagdianao, Tubajon, Libjo, Basilisa, and Loreto during the first week of March.

In a span of two months, Project PagUsbong has already reached many partners. True enough, these consultative dialogues served as a collaborative space for the DSWD-SLP and partner LGUs to work together and reach a common goal of uplifting the lives of individuals and families at the grassroots level.

By April, DSWD-SLP aims to complete its target for Project PagUsbong and meet with partners from the LGUs of Agusan del Sur and national agencies.

Of building greater and long-term impact

As they continue to meet with the partners from the local government units and national agencies, the program implementers hope that this initiative will serve as a jumpstart to more effective and impactful program implementation.

With the right people, resources, and relationships, Project PagUsbong is a promising mechanism that will serve every poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged individual and family in the community.

In Project PagUsbong, no one is left behind. (Social Marketing Section/DSWD Field Office Caraga)