The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is confident the government will sustain its infrastructure undertaking momentum as it continues to make definite progress in the different phases of project processing.
“Since the start of the current administration, the NEDA Board has approved projects at a quicker pace. The economic and infrastructure team continues to process projects through careful analysis and thorough review,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said.
Each project in the list of Infrastructure Flagship Program (IFP) undergoes a rigorous process to ensure their technical, financial, economic and social merits before endorsing the same for final approval of the NEDA Board chaired by the President, Pernia said.
“We want to make sure that these processed projects are sound and well-suited for the development of the country, at the national and subnational levels, and are truly responsive to the needs of the people,” he added.
The phases in the processing of projects include the preparation of a Project Feasibility Study (FS), Review and Analysis of the FS by the Implementing Agency (IA), and Evaluation of Projects by the Investment Coordination Committee Technical Board (ICC-TB).
They also undergo Review and Approval of the Investment Coordination Committee Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom), before the final approval of the NEDA Board.
Both ICC-TB and ICC-CabCom are NEDA Board inter-agency Committees, the former made up of Undersecretaries, the latter of Secretaries.
For being compliant with international standards of service, NEDA was awarded in 2018 with the ISO 9001:2015 Certification for its Quality Management System (QMS) on the agency’s investment programming services – particularly the Appraisal of Program/Project Proposals and Facilitation of the ICC Action.
Furthermore, NEDA recognizes the need for a strong economic planning agency that will see through the whole of government’s planning cycle from plan formulation to monitoring and evaluation.
By CHINO S. LEYCO
