Different stakeholders of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga successfully conducted the Sustainability Evaluation Test (SET) on February 22-23, 2024 for the community projects of the four (4) barangays in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte which are part of the program’s first cycle implementation (2023).

The SET is conducted in three (3) rounds periodically (after 6 months of project turn-over and a year after for 2 consecutive years) to monitor and evaluate community sub-project utilization so that the progress of services and benefits of communities will be determined.

With indicators on sub-project sustainability, the test utilizes the Sustainability Evaluation Tool. The tool examines whether the project was implemented as planned and assesses its functionality in three key areas: organization/institution, financial management, and physical condition. The tool also includes the actual data and basic information on whether the planned sub-project was implemented and evaluates the functionality of completed sub-projects; it assesses the impacts and benefits generated from the sub-project and is also used to evaluate the compliance and performance of communities, LGUs, and other stakeholders to sub-project sustainability.

To strengthen relationships with the different stakeholders of the program as development partners, the evaluation was actively facilitated by the Area/Municipal Coordinating Teams (A/MCTs) in Magallanes, spearheaded by the Municipal Stakeholders Inspectorate Team (MSIT), led by the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC), Mr. Alexander Ariel A. Eleaza, ENP – in close coordination with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) / Area Coordinator, Ms. Mydel Anne P. Peteros, the Community Development Officer IV of KC NCDDP RPMO, Ms. Elsa Montemor, and the Supervising Administrative Officer of KC NCDDP RPMO, Ms. Maricris Cuenca, and the Sanguniang Bayan (SB) Members, Barangay Officials, and Community Volunteers.

Kalahi CIDSS is one of the government’s programs implemented through DSWD that helps communities plan, manage, budget, and sustain community sub-projects. It utilizes the Community-Driven Development strategy, which empowers communities and encourages partner-implementers to be more active in community building.