The Institute was provided support from the Philippines-Australia Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility (PAHRODF) to research the human resource and organizational development factors that determine and hinder local competitiveness. This project investigated these topics in the following areas: Guagua (Pampanga), Daet (Camarines Norte), Iloilo City (Iloilo), and Cagayan de Oro City (Misamis Occidental).

The Institute was awarded a research grant from the Philippines-Australia Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility (PAHRODF). This project examined the status of human resources and the organisational development opportunities and issues in local DRRM in the following areas: Bulacan, Albay, Pasig City (Metro-Manila), Tacloban City (Leyte), Iligan City (Lanao del Norte), and Cateel and Boston (Davao Oriental).

In partnership with the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG), we assessed the community’s exposure to risk and developed community-based disaster risk reduction and management (CBDRRM) plans. The project was funded by the Philippines Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP), an Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) initiative which is managed by The Asia Foundation (TAF). The main objectives of the project were:

(1) to enhance disaster preparedness and adaptive capacity of the residents in select communities in responding to disaster events through the conduct of a series of capacity building on CBDRRM;

(2) to produce a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (BDRRMP) formulated by the communities and ratified by the Barangay Council; and

(3) to organize or re-activate the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council that shall facilitate disaster risk reduction work at the community.

This action research project was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to examine the potential of collaborative governance in order to mitigate the adverse environmental consequences of the growing climate risks in watersheds covering multiple jurisdictions. The project sought to support institution- and capacity-building efforts among local, provincial, regional, and national stakeholders. It focused on the case of the Angat River Basin and was conducted in partnership with the School of Community and Regional Planning of the University of British Columbia, Bulacan State University, and the Bulacan Provincial Government.

This research project was supported by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to investigate the impact of capacity gaps, resources of local governments, contextual factors, and transaction costs on the decision of LGUs to engage in partnership arrangements. The project was consistent with the research priorities of the CHED under its Strategic Plan for 2011-2016 and examined the following topics: the role of enforcement costs, maintenance costs related to cooperation, incentive issues, and the free-rider problem in shaping the policy choices of local governments on economic and environmental sustainability.

With a sub-grant from the Southeast Asia Urban Environmental Management Applications Project based at the Asian Institute of Technology, we provided technical assistance to the Province of Sorsogon to develop a model ordinance that aimed to strengthen the inter-local government cooperation in solid waste management. This was pursued in cooperation with the Local Government Academy and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

In partnership with the Asian Political and International Studies Association, we organize an international workshop on Strengthening Local Governance Capacity for Disaster Preparedness in Asia. It examined the system for developing the capacity and coping mechanisms of governance institutions especially local governments and communities in disaster management.

With the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Local Government Support Program-CIDA, we established the Task Force-Participatory Local Governance. This organization consists of academic and civil society organizations that encourage participation within local governance. Training workshops were organized to develop a framework for the creation of functional Local Special Bodies and the promotion of participation, transparency, and accountability in local development planning.

In collaboration with the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), the Institute was assigned to monitor and assess the government’s performance targets and policy pronouncements based on the MTPDP, State of the Nation Address, and Socio-Economic Summit. This project was funded by the United Nations Development Programme and provided an avenue for civil society and government to agree on a common assessment framework based on governance performance targets identified in the MTPDP.

In partnership with the Center for Internet Studies - University of Washington and with the support from the Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development – USAID, the project developed a graduate course on e-Governance. This course is currently offered under the Development Studies Program of De La Salle University. The project also organized an International Conference on Higher Education, Information Technology, and Sustainable Development which was supported by the APEC Education Foundation.

With a sub-grant from the Universiti Sains Malaysia and support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Institute fostered the development of a network of researchers and practitioners of conflict resolution and management. This promoted multi-disciplinary collaboration on peace studies in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Training workshops organized by this project enabled civil society groups to participate in supporting anti-money laundering legislation as a strategic measure in fighting corruption and preventing the use of financial institutions for illegal activities. The project provided technical assistance to the Accelerating Growth, Investment, and Liberalization with Equity (AGILE) Program of the Development Alternatives Inc.