FAQs

ARMY TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. 1.  What is the Army Transformation Roadmap?

• The Army Transformation Roadmap (ATR) is a long-term, 18-year, transformation and governance program. Its primary purpose is to transform the PA into a credible, reliable, responsive, more capable and more professional Army committed to its mandate of serving the people and securing the land.  It aims to provide a solid and rational basis for the medium-term and long-term organizational and capability thrusts of the PA; to establish, maintain, and synchronize the various reform initiatives being undertaken by the organization to successfully optimize their impact; and to advance and institutionalize good governance and performance excellence.
• It captures a snapshot of the strategic direction that the Philippine Army will pursue. It details the plans of the organization for the envisioned future. Its platform is a comprehensive and interrelated approach involving changes from every aspect of the organization.
• It has three (3) key components, to wit: (1) the governance charter which defines its strategic direction for the next 18-years; (2) the strategy map, which outlines the strategy and the goals that must be attained to realize its vision; and (3) the performance governance scorecard, which translates the broad objectives into measurable and actionable details that facilitate strategy execution, monitoring, and evaluation.
• To attain the goals of this transformation program, the PA intends to pursue good governance, organizational excellence and operational excellence.

 

1. 2.  Why use the word “transformation”? What does “transformation” connote?

• Transformation involves changing into something that is much better and more useful. It does not mean that a lot of things are broken or not useful; it just implies that the status quo is not anymore responsive to the demand of the times. In this regard, the Philippine Army (PA) pursues transformation because it aims to satisfy the expectations of our stakeholders; likewise, is no longer satisfied with the “business as usual” status. Thus, the PA has to transform in order to realize its vision by 2028 of becoming ‘a world-class Army that is a source of national pride’.

 

1. 3.  Is the Army Transformation Roadmap the ultimate solution to the problems of the Philippine Army?

• The ATR provides a sustainable and comprehensive framework to address the various issues affecting the organization and its ascent towards its envisioned future. It does not immediately and directly solve the current problems. However, the ATR outlines the parameters and necessary steps to be undertaken in order to provide sustainable solutions to the problems at hand.

1. 4.  What are the challenges as regards the implementation of the Army Transformation Roadmap? What are the recommendations as regards to these challenges?

• Given that the ATR is based on a new system – the Performance Governance System (PGS), one major challenge is the relatively slow implementation of the ATR. This is caused by the weak understanding and appreciation of the ATR, and the competing requirements and priorities of offices, units, and personnel. Another major challenge is to ensure the continued implementation of the ATR given that this is an 18-year program.
• To address these challenges, the PA intends to pursue the four-stage PGS Governance Pathway. In this regard, the PA will carry out aggressive ATR information and advocacy campaign; conduct cascading workshops to align the critical offices and units to the ATR goals and thrusts; organize a multi-sector governance coalition; and strengthen organizational capacity to implement the ATR.

1. 5.  Who formulated the Army Transformation Roadmap?

• The ATR was developed by the PA in partnership with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA). The focal point of contact in relations to the ATR is the Office of the assistant Chief of Staff for Plans, G5, PA. The initial ATR outputs were formulated by a group representing the current and future leaders of the Army comprising of senior officers (colonel to major general), field-grade officers (major to lieutenant colonel), junior officers (2^nd lieutenant to 1^st lieutenant), enlisted personnel and civilian employees during the “Crafting of the Army Transformation Roadmap Seminar-Workshop” held at the Sunrise Holiday Mansion, Royale Tagaytay Estates, Alfonso, Cavite, Metro Tagaytay on 19-23 April 2010. The output of the activity was subjected to review and validation by the Army leadership, the staff of the Commanding General, and the ATRTWG.

1. 6.  What is the role of the ATR Technical Working Group in the implementation of the Army Transformation Roadmap?

• The ATR Technical Working Group represents the offices and units principally involved in the implementation of the ATR. They facilitate the coordination between and among offices and units with regard to the implementation of the ATR. They validate and integrate the reports, inputs, and data relative to the generation of the CGPA Performance Governance Scorecard and the second-level scorecards as well as the execution and management of the ATR Strategic Initiatives.

1. 7.  Why are there only three core values? What about the other core values?

• During the ATR formulation workshop, after an intense and open discussion, it was decided that the three (3) most essential important values that represent the Philippine Army in our day and in the next one hundred years are the values of Honor, Patriotism and Duty.
• Only three are selected in order to get down to the most enduring and most elemental core values. Besides, according to scientific experts, the average human mind can only retain three (3) ideas at a time. Hence, for better appreciation and understanding, only three core values are underscored. It is not that the other core values are unimportant, but the Army perceives them to support and reinforce the three core values emphasized.

 

1. 8.  Why is there a need to rank the core values?

• The core values are all important and are interconnected. When circumstances arise and when judgment is needed, however, the core values particularly the upmost of the core values will serve as a guide to decision-making process.

 

1. 9.  What is the basis of the Philippine Army for being world-class?

• In essence, the Philippine Army will be considered world-class if it achieves an international standard of excellence. This means it will have ample resources; adept personnel; and innovative and improved internal processes and systems. It will be equipped with the capabilities to neutralize any threat or aggression whether internal or external. It will be operationally ready to perform the missions set forth by the AFP and the DND. And it will be able to identify, anticipate, and respond to the needs of the Filipino people and the Philippines. Concisely, the PA will be considered world class if it is well-organized, well-trained, well-equipped, capable, and professional.
• As a point of reference in Southeast Asia, the PA looks at the Singapore Army and hopes to attain the same level of organizational and operational capabilities.

1. 10.          Can the Philippine Army achieve the status of being world-class as a separate entity? Can there be a world-class Philippine Army even if there is neither a world-class Philippines nor a world-class Armed Forces of the Philippines?

• No, a world-class PA presupposes that the AFP and the Philippines are also world-class. The PA does not exist in a vacuum. To be world-class, it needs all the support and resources that it needs. With its vision to be a world-class Army, the PA seeks to inspire and influence the country to work toward becoming a world-class country as well.

1. 11.  What is the rationale behind the choosing of the five strategic perspectives of the Army Strategy Map?

• The Philippine Army considered the five strategic perspectives, namely: stakeholder support, finance and logistics, human resource, internal processes, and constituency, because these perspectives ensure a balanced and comprehensive approach in the development of the strategy. They are, likewise, found to be most responsive to the 2028 Vision. The support of the various stakeholders will allow the PA to leverage on their strengths and to use these strengths as additional force that shall push the ATR forward. Financial and logistical resources as well as human resources are necessary to sustain high levels of performance. Improved and innovative internal processes will deliver the outcomes that shall have the greatest impact on the constituency. And the PA, being a service provider, responds to the expectations and needs of its constituency – the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Filipino people.

 

1. 12.  What is the rationale behind the choosing of the three strategic themes of the Army Strategy Map?

• The Philippine Army considered the three strategic themes, namely: good governance, operational excellence, and organizational excellence because these are concepts and principles that must be propagated and applied for the Army to realize its vision to be “a world-class army that is a source of national pride.”

1. 13.  What is the difference between stakeholders and constituency?

• Stakeholders are persons, groups, and institutions that have direct or indirect interest or involvement in the organization In the case of the PA, its stakeholders are all those who can affect or be affected by its actions, objectives, and policies, e.g. for internal: officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees; for external: business sector, academe, church, local government units, national government agencies, media, etc. On the other hand, constituency is the group of people that will benefit from the services delivered by the organization. With respect to the Pa, it’s the AFP and the Filipino people, in general.

1. 14.  Why is there a need to involve the stakeholders? How will the Philippine Army gain the support of its stakeholders?

• The ATR is a major undertaking that requires the support of the stakeholders. For instance, one of the biggest limitations that the Philippine Army will face as regards the implementation of the ATR is financial constraints. The PA Budget is insufficient to bring to world-class standards the doctrines, equipment, facilities, personnel, structures, systems, and trainings of the organization. Therefore, there is a need to involve the stakeholders who will assist the PA in generating funds and resources.
• To gain the full support of the stakeholders, the number one requirement is communication. The stakeholders must fully understand and appreciate what the ATR really is and why the PA is doing it.

 

1. 15.  How will the Philippine Army generate funds and resources?

• Funds and resources are crucial for the ATR strategic initiatives to push through. Hence, funds and resources must be generated on time. There is a need to identify the stakeholders who can assist the Philippine Army in generating funds and resources, likewise, to encourage them in helping and supporting the organization. The stakeholders must be convinced that an investment in the PA is an investment in the country’s future.

1. 16.  How will the Philippine Army improve the negative perception the civilians has on the organization?

• The military is perceived negatively by the civilians and is seen as managers of violence and corruption. Through the ATR, the Philippine Army will develop and communicate a brand image consistent with its core values, institutionalize good governance, and adopt best practices in resource management. Furthermore, the PA will reach out to the civilians through nation-building and peace-keeping activities. Moreover, the PA will promote performance excellence and good governance in order to be not only effective and efficient but also accountable, fair, and transparent. These undertakings will help in improving the perception the civilians has on the PA.

1. 17.  Why is the word ‘loved’ used instead of the word ‘respected’ in Strategic Objective # 13 – Professional Army loved by the people?

• Being loved means being cherished, desired, treasured, and valued highly while being respected means being admired, appreciated, esteemed, and regarded highly. It is noticeable that the word ‘loved’ has a deeper meaning and a more positive connotation compared to the word ‘respected’. Therefore, the Philippine Army wanting to have a better relationship with its constituency opted to use the word ‘loved’ instead of the word ‘respected’.

1. 18.  What are the benefits to the Philippine Army of using a scorecard system?

• The scorecard system is beneficial to the Philippine Army in two ways. First, it enables the organization to be transparent in its conduct of functions and missions, likewise, to be accountable to the performance targets it has committed to reach. And second, it enables the organization to monitor and report on performance gains and historical performance progression through objective data and scores that can be subjected to public scrutiny and validation. Basically, the scorecard system can assess whether the PA is a highly performing organization or not.

1. 19.  What is the rationale behind the choosing of the fifteen ATR strategic initiatives?

• The fifteen strategic initiatives are chosen based on their suitability or high impact on the attainment of the strategic objectives and eventually the vision; feasibility or the successful implementation of the project vis-à-vis time, financial resources, skilled personnel, and equipment or technology; acceptability or the conformity of the project to the policies and thrusts of both the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines; and urgency or the immediate need for the project.

1. 20.  What is the rationale behind the Performance Governance System as the framework to which the Army Transformation Roadmap is build into?

• The Army Transformation Roadmap is anchored on the Performance Governance System for the following three reasons:
  • First, the principles of the ATR are consistent with the principles of the PGS. Both the ATR and the PGS are long-term. These are not a quick fix on how things are approached. These entail assessing and understanding the organization as well as disabling and uprooting the issues plaguing it to realize the direction. Furthermore, both the ATR and the PGS bank on a transparent and verifiable performance reporting of measures, targets, initiatives, and milestones which are set and accomplished in partner with the stakeholders and constituents. Moreover, both the ATR and the PGS are championed and executed in all aspects and all levels of the organization.
  • Second, the benefits derived from using the PGS are consistent with the objectives set forth in the ATR. These are the determination of organizational and capability issues affecting the accomplishment of vision and mission; the establishment of the strategic direction; the development of the strategy; the formulation of the implementing plans; and the institution of a monitoring and evaluation system.
  • Third, the envisioned changes through the PGS magnify the gains of the PA following the said framework.

In essence, the PGS contains all the essential ingredients that will enable the success towards the attainment of the envisioned future in the ATR.