Collection of data has always been a big and challenging task for local governments. With the multitude of indicators and data sources, significant amount of time and resources are required to be able to analyze and put data into use in further improving the lives of people. The City of General Santos came up with a strategy for its efficient gender data collection.
Gender statistics is mainly collected by the City Population Office (CPO) which also functions as the city's Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System's (GFPS) Secretariat. In addition, they also comprise the city's GAD monitoring and evaluation (M&E) team.
Collection of sex-disaggregated data (SDD) began in the city when Executive Order No. 18 was signed in 2018 which institutionalizes the establishment of a GAD database and use of SDD in the city government. With this, the CPO evaluated ways on how to come up with a data collection system that is practicable in their context and is responsive to all respondents. They began with reconciling various sources of sectoral LGU data, as well as other data sources such as CBMS, LGPMS, and other national government agencies. This was then followed by the selection of data indicators patterned after the enhanced Gender-Responsive LGU (GeRL) Assessment Tool from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). The GeRL Assessment Tool allows LGUs to do self-assessment and measurement of their gender-responsiveness at the local level. Using this tool, LGUs will not only be able to monitor and evaluate their gender-related efforts and initiatives, identify gender gaps, but as well as gather qualitative and quantitative gender data.
In January 2020, the CPO began customizing the data gathering forms and distributed them to specific local government offices to which data are confirmed to be available. Submission of responses can be made through Google Drive and in MS Excel form. This made data collection, encoding, and analysis easier for the statisticians at the CPO. The City Internal Auditing System (CIAS) also played a vital role in the successful GAD data collection. The CIAS guided the CPO particularly on streamlining the data gathering forms as it was able to validate which data is already available in the system.
The City of General Santos, thru the CPO, has already realized the importance of data collection for its local gender-related initiatives. Their innovative data collection is just among the steps to achieve the city's goal of becoming a model city for gender-responsiveness.
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