DOLE online system vies for best innovation in government

The labour department’s monitoring system on labour laws compliance is vying as one of the finalists in the Government Best Practices Recognition (GBPR), an annual selection of outstanding and innovative practices in the public sector.

GBPR is a recognition program of the Development Academy of the Philippines which seeks to promote, showcase and share outstanding and innovative practices demonstrated by public sector organisations.

Above all, GBPR serves as a harmonising strategy to attain the objective “to advance the public sector productivity movement” among Asian Productivity Organization (APO) member countries.

What is the DOLE system?

DOLE’s innovative Online Systems is a web-based program. Its reason for development is to monitor compliance of private establishments on labour laws and other relevant issuances.

A few sub-systems make up the DOLE system. Firstly, the Labor Inspection – Management Information System (LI-MIS). Secondly, the Establishment Report System (ERS). Lastly, the Joint Monitoring System (JMS).

Underscoring the unique qualities of the system as DOLE’s best practice, Labor Undersecretary Ana C. Dione said their development is part of the department’s Information Systems Strategic Plan.

“DOLE was able to immediately constitute and convene a team in developing the JMS and ERS,” Dione said. “This despite the pandemic”, she added.

To showcase the innovations to supplement the standard compliance monitoring, Dione and representatives from the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) presented the DOLE Online Systems as its entry to the 2020 GBPR.

“Perhaps we can take pride in the fact that we did not have this outsourced. Above all, these systems were developed by our people, [our] employees,” Dione said.

Only 26 qualified finalists for the government award

Out of 71 applicants for the recognition, 26 were chosen as finalists. The finalist presented their best practices before the panel of judges. The panel of judges includes Civil Service Commission Director Alma Flores-Foronda, Department of Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Clarito Alejandro D. Magsino, and National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Academician Engr. Raymond R. Tan.

The LI-MIS and JMS systems used by labour inspectors in monitoring compliance of private establishments allow users to access digital checklists and note compliances and deficiencies, among others, of inspected establishments.

Furthermore, it enables the inspectors to input and generates real-time data with the use of any portable electronic device with internet connectivity.

The recent report of the LI-MIS has noted a registry data of 196,670 establishments.

“They give on the spot advise on the findings. I know your inspectors are doing very well with their job when they audit [inspect],” NAST Academician Engr. Tan said.

In conclusion, the JMS was developed in support of the guidelines on prevention and control of COVID-19 at workplaces. It submits contactless reports with just a few clicks.

For more information on the DOLE system, visit the link here.