Six participating Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE regional offices presented their prototypes for the DOLE-ILS Design Thinking Olympics challenge held last November 28 at iLearn conference room in Intramuros, Manila.

As part of its 30th founding anniversary activities, and in line with its anniversary theme, “Masusi, Makabago at Makabuluhang Pananaliksik tungo sa Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na Buhay ng Manggagawang Pilipino,” the ILS launched “Design Thinking Olympics” last July 25. The project is aimed at introducing design thinking to DOLE’s operations and mainstreaming design thinking as one of strategies in managing programs as well as in crafting region-specific policies that respond to the needs of Filipino workers. The competition was anchored in the theme “Programang paggawa, pa’no ka ginawa?: Innovating public sector delivery.”

The Design Thinking Olympics participants were required to go through five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test, to be accomplished within two months starting last October 2017. The Design Thinking Challenge does not only cover the DOLE program TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers), or the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Program (DILEEP), and its program framework and guidelines, but also encourages the participating regions to come out with solutions outside the existing framework.

The Design Thinking teams of the National Capital Region (NCR) and Regions III, IV-A, VI, VII, and XI presented their prototypes through video presentations before a panel reactors composed of DOLE officials and partners: Asec. Alex V. Avila, Asec. Maria Gloria Tango, Mr. Julius H. Cainglet of the Federation of Filipino Workers, Mr. Karl Satinitigan of the Office of Senator Bam Aquino, and Ms. Ivy Ong of the Civic Innovation Fellowship.

DOLE NCR team was headed by Assistant Regional Director Irma S. Valiente, Region III by Senior LEO Ferdinand C. Capati, Region IV-A by Regional Director Ma. Zenaida Angara-Campita, Region VI by Salome O. Siaton, Region VII by Chief LEO Vicente D. Abordo, and Region XI by Assistant Regional Director Atty. Evelyn R. Ramos.

The audio-visual presentations of the prototypes were also shown during the 84th DOLE anniversary celebration on December 08, 2017.

Proposed were the following innovative systems to improve program management and delivery that fits into the needs of workers in times of emergencies: Prepare-Restore-Rehabilitate Plan for Decent Employment (NCR); DOLE -AMP, Integrated Livelihood, Modified Tupad (Region 3); Unified Program Monitoring (Region 4A); Project Hope, a Holistic Program for the affected workers at times of Emergencies (Region 6); E-Tupad expanded coverage/extended period and simplified documentary requirements (Region 7); and I-DIGS (Innovative DOLE Initiated Gender-based Services) and GRIPS (Gender Responsive Information Profiling System) for Region II.

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment. For more information on this story, please contact the Advocacy and Publications Division at 527-3490.