Legislative Agenda
Formulation
Prioritizing policies on FP/MCH, TB, Vitamin A Supplementation and
HIV/AIDS
(Source: Philippines- Canada Local Government Support Program
(LGSP))
LEAD FOR HEALTH ORDINANCE WRITING WORKSHOP
ON FP/MCH, TB, VITAMIN A AND HIV/AIDS
Angeles City
June 28-30, 2005
RENE A. LLORIN
PLCPD Manager, Local Advocacy Program
The Stages in the Policy Making Process
AGENDA SETTING
POLICY
ASSESSMENT/
EVALUATION
POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION
Problem ID
POLICY
FORMULATION
Budget
POLICY ADOPTION
What is an Agenda?
Webster defines agenda to mean a list of
things to do, subjects to discuss or
business to transact
Local Legislative Agenda
 Is a package of priority legislative measures
designed to support local development
priorities, particularly those defined in the
executive-legislative agenda (ELA);
 serves as the road map to guide the
sanggunian in identifying, analyzing and
formulating solutions to problems and issues
requiring public policy action; and
 is a list of prioritized ordinances and resolutions
for enactment during a specified period, usually
three years, contributing to the attainment of the
LGU vision and mission.
Usefulness of the LA
 Organizing and prioritizing the work of the
sanggunian
 Ensuring convergence of the LA and ELA
 Setting clear performance targets of the
sanggunian
 Educating the people on the work of the
sanggunian
 Assessing the performance of the sanggunian.
Potential sources of your
legislative agenda (1)
 primary source of legislative agenda is
the comprehensive multi-sectoral
development plan evolved by the local
development council and subsequently
approved by the sanggunian.
Potential sources of your
legislative agenda (2)
 The individual;
 Citizens opinion and other public feedbacks on local
government performances;
 Views, comments and aspirations articulated during public
assemblies, meetings, etc.;
 Program of government of the local chief executive;
 Vision of the individual member of the sanggunian of what
he wants his local government unit to become within or
beyond his term of office;
Potential sources of your
legislative agenda (3)
 Implications of the Code to local legislation as well
as the implications of emerging local government
trends brought about by a complex interplay of
various socio-economic and political variables in
the locality; and
 Policy directions which are MUSTS in order to
influence positive development in the locality.
Potential sources of your
legislative agenda (4) LEAD for
Health
 Results of the Assessment Planning Workshop
 Community Based Management Information
System
 Health Facility Assessments
 Results of Training workshops
What is legislative agenda
development?
Legislative agenda development is a
process whereby the needs, demands and
aspirations of individuals, organized
groups or of the community as a whole,
are translated into a legislative blueprint or
road map as a basic reference document
from which may evolve ordinances or
resolutions to be enacted by the sanggunian.
Steps LA Formulation (1)
 Step 1. Organizing the LA team
 Step 2. Identifying and prioritizing issues
 Step 3. Consulting with stakeholders
 Step 4. Revisiting the LGU Vision and
Mission
 Step 5. Formulating goals and objectives
 Step 6. Prioritizing programs and
projects
Steps LA Formulation (1)
 Step 7. Determining legislative
requirements
 Step 8. Identifying legislative capacity
development needs
 Step 9. Building commitment
 Step 10. Adopting the LA and preparing
action plans
 Step 11. Popularizing the LA
 Step 12. Managing the LA
Step 1: Suggested LA Team
Structure
Step 2: Identifying and
prioritizing issues - Assessment
1. Powers, Duties and Functions of the
Sanggunian in the 1991 LGC
2. Mandates from national laws or republic acts
3. Presidential and administrative issuances
4. Minimum Basic Needs data
5. Comprehensive Land Use Plan
6. Comprehensive Development Plan
7. Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan
8. Executive Agenda or program of action of the
past administration
9. Legislative Agenda of previous sanggunian
Step 2: Clustering of Problems
and Needs
a) Social development
b) Economic development
c) Environmental management
d) Governance
e) Development Administration
Step 3: Consulting with
stakeholders
a) Local Development Council
b) Heads of administrative departments or
local executives
c) National agency representatives in the
LGU
d) Civil society leaders from the private
sector, NGOs and POs
Step 3: Why Consulting with
stakeholders is Important
a) To ensure the accuracy of the identified
needs and concerns
b) To build stakeholder support and
ownership of the LA
c) To generate ideas on possible programs
and projects to address identified issues
d) To generate ideas on relevant policies
and legislative measures to address
identified issues.
Step 4: Formulating or
Revisiting the LGU Vision and
Mission
• What do you want your LGU to become? (vision)
• What is your LGU trying to accomplish and for its
people? How is your LGU going to attain its
purpose? (mission)
• Does the vision remain valid in expressing the
general aspirations of the LGU?
• Does the mission translate the LGU vision in
concrete and measurable terms?
• Does the initial list of priorities contribute to the
attainment of the VMO?
Step 5: Formulating goals and
objectives
• Goal: To provide access to affordable and
clean water for all households in the
LGU.
• Objective 1: To install a potable water
supply system in each barangay.
• Objective 2: To rehabilitate 50% of the
existing water supply network in the
municipality.
Step 6:Prioritizing programs and
projects and capacity
development needs
 Goals and objectives can make an
impact on the lives of the people in the
LGU only if they are translated into
programs and projects.
Step 7: Determining legislative
requirements
1. Identify LGU development thrusts and strategic
directions.
2. Examine each of the strategic thrusts and
actions (i.e. goals and objectives, programs,
projects, policies) and identify policy/legislative
gaps.
3. Identify areas requiring policy/legislative gaps.
4. Draw up a list of priority policy/legislative
measures.
Step 8: Drafting the LA
(template of an LA)
1. Title and Period Covered
2. LGU Vision and Mission Statement
3. Statement of Goals and Objectives
4. Strategic development thrusts
5. Priority Programs and Projects
6. Needed Legislative Measures
7. Purpose (i.e. state purpose of each legislative measure)
8. When Needed (i.e. state month and year
ordinance/resolution will be adopted)
9. Committee Responsible (i.e. identify the sanggunian
committee which will take the lead for crafting the
ordinance or resolution)
Strategic
Thrusts
Family
Planning
TB
Vitamin
A/MCH
HIV/AIDs
Priority
Programs
& Projects
Needed
Legislative
Measures
Purpose
When
Needed
Responsible
Committee
Step 9: Mobilizing support of
stakeholders
 Present the draft LA in a multi-sectoral
consultation.
 Soliciting the support and commitment of
stakeholders from civil society.
 Gather the comments and suggestions
of participants to the public consultation
and use these to revise the LA
Step 10: Adopting the LA
 Finalization of the LA into the
Sanggunian’s roadmap
 Through a resolution
 Unanimous in adopting a resolution to
implement the LA within its term.
Step 12: Managing the LA
 The LA will remain a vision for the LGU if
it is not translated into ordinances.
 It is important that the Sanggunian
prepares an action plan or calendar of
activities to translate the LA into a
working document
Step 11: Popularizing the LA
 The LA can be the sanggunian’s
advocacy tool.
 to get the community aware
 It can also serve as a marketing tool
What to watch out for
 A tendency towards encyclopedic wish list in agenda
formulation
 insufficient appreciation of the institutional and political
realities through which reform initiatives have to be
carried forward
 over-focusing on what does not work while ignoring what
does work, and,
 a lack of clarity as to where the agenda best interfaces
with goals.
Final Thought
On a more specific level, legislative
agenda development facilitates the smooth
grinding of the legislative mill to obviate
unnecessary waste of time and efforts by
the members of the Sanggunian.
Thank You!!!!