𝐁𝐏𝐃𝐀 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐌 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚

COTABATO CITY — Select personnel of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) underwent a 3-day preparatory workshop on June 7-9, as the said agency is set to lead the crafting of the 1st BARMM Policy Research Agenda (BPRA) that will help the BARMM Government to craft and implement better policies in running a region anchored on moral governance that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.

BPRA is a substantial document that will provide strategic direction for the region’s future development plans and will also help the regional leadership attain its avowed goals.

With support from The Asia Foundation (TAF), the said workshop aimed to capacitate the participants in creating the 1st BPRA, level-off on the purpose of the said research agenda, and clarify the participants’ roles in the BPRA formulation process as members of BPDA and the BEDC Committees.

In his message, BPDA Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali said that the BARMM Government gives credence to the importance of research in developing evidence-based policies and programs, as well as puts considerable effort to strengthen the connection between research and policy.

“The 12-Point Priority Agenda of the Chief Minister clearly underscores that the government’s decision-making process must reflect research-based knowledge and that the government policies and programs must be tailored to the current context and must address the real challenges and needs of the Bangsamoro,” he stressed.

Moreover, Marifah Agar, Chief of BPDA’s Research and Development Division (RDD), said that this is the first workshop to support the BPDA staff from RDD but also for the technical secretariats of the BEDC’s sectoral committees, in the overall goal of fine tuning their policy research skills.

“Skills enhancement can result from a continuous learning process of mentoring and coaching, including interactive and focused skills sharing sessions with the technical advisory team.  All these are hoped to help the BPDA and the Bangsamoro Government craft the very first BPRA,” she emphasized.

Rufa Guiam and Ica Fernandez, technical advisors from TAF, discussed public policy, policy agenda, and public policy research.  The said advisors also taught the participants on how to frame research questions.

“A policy research agenda outlines the future of research in a given area, for a given sector, and for a given set of institutions.  It can be used as a framework and plan of action; sets priorities; builds on existing efforts and identifies knowledge gaps; directs and aligns efforts, resources, and investments; and used by researchers, donors, policy-makers, and implementers,” Fernandez said.

During the workshop, the participants looked back at the history of the Bangsamoro and recorded major incidents in the past which paved the way for the establishment of the BARMM.

Meanwhile, the BPDA will soon conduct an inter-agency workshop to facilitate the crafting of the 1st BPRA.  (BPDA-BARMM)