The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Procurement Unit organized a training and workshop on Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) and an introduction to Contract Management System (CMS) with their counterparts, together with the I-BUILD Component and Finance and Geotagging and Governance Units, from the Regional Project Coordination Offices (RPCOs) on November 21-24, 2023 in Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas.

STEP, developed by the World Bank, is an essential tool that serves as a platform for uploading pertinent procurement documents which enables efficient planning and tracking.

In his opening message, PSO South Luzon Procurement Unit Head Michael Gregory Vargas highlighted the significance of the STEP, emphasizing its role in expediting procurement process, and enhancing accountability and transparency.

During the activity, the participants held an actual updating and uploading of procurement road mapping and contract management documents onto the system.

Furthermore, the discussion also drew parallel between the STEP and System for Integrated Data and Leveraging Analysis and Monitoring or SIDLAN, a DA-PRDP platform that aims to support the monitoring, evaluation, and project management functions of the Project, where they compared their functionalities and highlighted their distinctions.

The RPCOs also provided an update on the status of their respective subprojects, specifically focusing on the procurement aspect.

DA-PRPD PSO South Luzon Project Director Milo Delos Reyes, in his closing remarks, underscored the pivotal role of the procurement unit and also likened the Project’s process to the principles of Total Quality Management which focused on stakeholder satisfaction, quality assurance, and process improvement.

“The approach we adopt within PRDP embodies the Total Quality Management principles, wherein we scrutinize every critical step and ensure that each element meets standards. Consequently, when these parts are combined, this will result in a high-quality product,” Dir. Delos Reyes said.

As DA-PRDP continues to progress in its commitment to rural development, this undertaking also plays a role in improving project effectiveness, ultimately contributing to successful implementation. #