Without the support of the external stakeholders who responded to the invitation of the DILG Regional Office IX in coordination with Local Government Academy (LGA), the knowledge Management (KM) Audit on September 20-21, 2012 at Grand Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City would not be fruitful.

In this two-day affair, twenty (20) participants from various offices/ agency within the region actively participated in the workshop to identify the knowledge gaps and needs to support the overall organization/community/network goals and individual/ team activities of the members of the Multi Stakeholders Advisory Committee (MSAC) of the Local Governance Resource Center (LGRRC) of DILG which is a program that enhances DILG’s role for the mobilization and coordination of the application of resources for local governance for local governance capacity development in partnership with the various national government agencies (NGAs), civil society organizations (CSOs), academe and other stakeholders, collectively known as MSAC.

By means of this KM Audit, the varied forms of knowledge available in relation to governance will be properly managed and the practice of monopolizing knowledge will also be discouraged and/or eliminated.

In a welcome message, DILG Regional Director Paisal O. Abutazil pointed out that this is such an avenue for all the stakeholders to convene and identify what knowledge is needed to effectively manage and improve their respective offices and agencies.

Euly Q. Enrique, LGA representative, added that through this process, it can generate data and information and be processed and applied for effective action. This is what KM all about. She supplemented that it does not matter how well you managed information if it can’t be understood and turned into actionable knowledge- the ability to make relevant use of it.

During the workshop, participants filled out the workshop exercises on KM audit Tools, assessing their respective offices they represented .These tools include KM Assessment Tool, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Knowledge Mapping Analysis and Knowledge Capital Plan (KCP) which were handled and facilitated by CapDev Focal Person Ginagene S. Vano- Uy, Linkage Focal Person Anang Lia I. Sahi, and Info.Tech Officcer Ard C. Catalino. In the process, they were grouped according to their sectors and generate data, information and then knowledge which they consolidated and reported.

The facilitators upon receiving the outputs from the four tools made a follow-up and synthesis. In her message, Anang Lia I. Sahi, Planning Officer, synthesized that their outputs from the four-series tools can be a great help in identifying the gaps and that there can be suggested actions to acquire the knowledge that could fill in the gap.

Following the workshop, an MSAC meeting was called into order, which was presided by the Assistant Regional Director Pedro G. Cuevas Jr. In the meeting, ARD Cuevas discussed among the group the issues and concerns which had been raised based on the outputs.

Inserted also during the meeting were the ETT roles and responsibilities discussed by Gina Uy and the latest accomplishments of the DDPKaRoMa which was presented by Annabella Jatico of Dipolog City showcasing the projects and existing program- alliance promoting the culture, and tourism of the cities and municipalities involved.

The participants, who were given the chance to write their comments and suggestions in a provided feedback form, also indicated their assessment to the attainment of activity objectives, the program design and management. As they received their Certificate of Appearance and Participation, they also hand over their feedback form.

The activity ended successfully in a collective picture taking of all the delegates and the facilitator.