ABSTRACT
This descriptive study determined the mandate, implementation and outcomes of the electronic document tracking system as used by administrative officers of elementary schools in the Schools Division of Iloilo City. Forty-four Administrative Officers were given a researcher-made questionnaire to generate data. The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings revealed that the mandate was derived from existing laws and issuances. The implementation was described as successful based on the high level of confidence expressed by the respondents resulting from orientation, workshops and trainings. The implementation outcomes were described as effective resulting in users’ satisfaction, improved job productivity, and positive users’ experience. Foremost among the challenges were a stable internet connection and the ongoing need for system maintenance and upgrading. A set of policy recommendations was given as output of the study.
Keywords: Document Tracking System, Policy Mandate, Implementation, Outcomes
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Education continues to deliver its basic education services for the implementation of an effective and efficient administrative support functions in personnel administration. One of the reforms introduced by DepEd is streamlining public service in light of
Republic Act 11032 otherwise known as the Ease of doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 Anti Red Tape Act mentions about the applications and requests transactions that shall be acted upon within the time frames by the government that include the Schools Division Offices and the various elementary and secondary schools. Under this act the role of Administrative Officers was strengthened.
The Administrative Officer acts as the point of contact for all employees, providing administrative support and managing their queries. The Information/Receiving Department stamps the date in the receiving copy and manually records in the record book and routes the document for processing and approval. With this process, there is an instance that the document will be lost or misplaced and also there is a difficulty of tracing documents for follow-up because there is a need to call in order to know the status whether it is approved or processed already.
Given this problem, the Document Tracking System was developed to provide faster and more proficient system for the people and offices involved in the Department of Education (DepEd). Although no specific mandate appears in the literature regarding the adoption of Document Tracking System in the Department of Education, there is enough information suggesting that the creation and launching of the Document Tracking System were an initiative of individual school divisions all over the country. For instance, the Division of Parañaque City launched their Document Tracking System project sometime in 2019; Regional Office No. VIII in 2021; and Nueva Ecija in 2022. In Region VI, the Document Tracking System was started in the Schools Division of Antique on February 22, 2022 while the Schools Division of Iloilo City launched theirs on November 18, 2022. It was then introduced in Elementary and Secondary Schools on January 16, 2023.
In view of this, there is a need to delve deeper into the implementation of Document Tracking System in the Schools Division of Iloilo City since it is a new process in the agency, hence the study.
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