UP Manila Leaders Gather for INSPIRE -UPM

UP Manila Leaders Gather for INSPIRE-UPM

Written by: Kelvin Mendoza and Michelle Avelino
October 16, 2023

UP Manila Management Team, Advisory Council, and Deans pose for a group photo with UPM Chancellor

Carmencita Padilla and INSPIRE-UPM Resource Speakers

Leaders from the different colleges and administrative offices in UP Manila (UPM) gathered together to take stock of their current strategic plans and reflect on possible ways that they may align with the strategic thrusts of the UP System in the second run of the Institutional Strategic Program for Innovation, Research, and Education (INSPIRE) workshop held last September 17-19, 2023 at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City. The INSPIRE workshop is designed to equip target participants with the knowledge, mindset, and skills to develop and implement a Strategic Governance System (SGS) in a higher education setting. Participants were oriented on the SGS, an approach centered on alignment of objectives and action plans from the senior leadership down to operational units and staff, linking strategies to existing performance management tools.

The UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office (UPD QAO), in coordination with the UPM Office of the Chancellor (UPM OC) and UPM Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development (UPM OVCPD), facilitated the three-day workshop where participants were reintroduced to the basics of strategic planning with a focus on transferring skills on strategic alignment to the invited heads of units. UPD QAO Director Aura C. Matias opened the program with an overview of INSPIRE. During her talk, she expressed her gratitude to the UPM team for their trust as they venture again in another cross-campus collaboration, after their initial engagements during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ASPIRE-UPM held early this year.

National Scientist and UPM Chancellor Carmencita Padilla provided an overview of the Presidential Advisory Council’s provisional strategic plan. She shared with the participants the proposed strategic themes of UP President Angelo Jimenez’s administration: (1) Public Service for the Common Good, (2) Teaching, Research, and Innovation for Future-ready Citizens, and (3) University Governance and Infrastructure with Transparency and Accountability. These priority areas served as the anchor points where all participants were prompted to align their respective units’ goals and action plans as an exercise during the workshop sessions. Chancellor Padilla also highlighted President Jimenez’s direction of boosting co-creation and encouraged UPM’s leadership to think about how to strengthen collaboration with other departments, constituent universities, and other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) as they review the alignment of their strategic initiatives as an office.

Assistant Professor Benette P. Custodio discussed the modules on Stakeholder Analysis and introduced the Strategy-Objectives-Aspirations-Results (SOAR) Matrix, while UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Administration Associate Professor Adeline A. Pacia made a presentation on the SGS. In between sessions, representatives from the five groups presented their workshop outputs to be analyzed by the resource speakers where they gave recommendations on how to strengthen the alignment of each units’ plans to the top management.

INSPIRE-UPM Resource Speakers (from L-R): Asst. Prof. Benette P. Custodio,

Assoc. Prof. Adeline A. Pacia, and UPD QAO Director Aura C. Matias

Group representatives present their workshop outputs (from L-R): College of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Francis Capule,

Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Director Dr. Eric Talens, Community Health and Development Program Director

Dr. Anthony Cordero, National Institute of Health Director Dr. Eva Marie Dela Paz, and Campus Planning,

Development, & Maintenance Office Arch. Rosalie Bernardo

Discussions following the presentations of workshop outputs centered on alignment exercises with the proposed key strategic themes of the UP System. The units that presented their revisited strategic plans encompass degree-granting units, administrative offices, and research and extension units. Notable ideas presented include (1) process streamlining and digitalization across CUs and levels, (2) alternative talent acquisition strategies for academic units, (3) sustainability initiatives, and (4) extension and public service improvement through community-oriented development and volunteer programs.

(L) National Scientist and UPM Chancellor Carmencita Padilla and UPD QAO Director Aura Matias during the

awarding ceremony: (R) UPM Leadership Team and INSPIRE UPM resource speakers pose with a scenic view of Taal.

INSPIRE-UPM concluded with a recognition ceremony where token of appreciation were given to Chancellor Padilla and other participants. In her closing remarks, Director Matias reminded the participants to explore novel approaches to problem-solving and to capitalize on their strengths in finding solutions to challenges.

A short video prepared by the UPD QAO Knowledge Management team was then presented showcasing the highlights of the event.

INSPIRE is one of the five programs under the UPD QAO Internal QA unit forming the QA Competency Development Framework, a competency building initiative addressing improvement areas across the different stakeholders of the University.