The Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP), under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) has delivered 221 community subprojects in Northern Mindanao in 2024, addressing concerns on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH). Over a year after the program, the real challenge begins—making sure these subprojects continue to be functional and useful for generations to come.

This year, PMNP is laser-focused on strengthening Operation and Maintenance Groups (OMGs)—Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) designated by communities to monitor KALAHI-CIDSS completed subprojects. With no tangible infrastructures to implement, the program is shifting its focus to addressing gaps in organizational development and management among lobby groups, ensuring they are well-equipped to sustain delivered subprojects.

Led by the Social Development Unit and the Capacity Building Unit, the Regional Program Management Office of KALAHI-CIDSS developed the Operation and Maintenance Assessment Tool (OMAT) to evaluate the current capabilities and challenges faced by OMGs.

OMAT has been introduced as a new strategy for field staff implementing KALAHI-CIDSS. This tool is designed to assess the health of OMGs and will serve as a benchmark for planning capacity-building activities.

“Nalipay ko kay for how many years ko nga staff sa KALAHI-CIDSS, karon nako nakita nga ni go deeper ta sa atong mga OMGs; unlike sauna nga pagkahuman nila og organize, wala na kaayo’y mga activities nga mo tutok nila. Pinaagi sa OMAT, mas nasabtan nila ilang roles ug ma feel nila nga kabahin gyud sila sa subproject,” said Rufil Lantong, Area Coordinator in San Frernando, Bukidnon.

(I am happy because, after many years of being a KALAHI-CIDSS worker, I have seen our efforts to go deeper in assisting our OMGs; unlike before, after organizing them, there were few interventions focused on them. Through OMAT, they now have a better understanding of their roles and feel more involved in the subproject.)

The program recognizes that capacitating OMGs in post-subproject implementation has remained a challenge ever since, hence, the PMNP’s unique approach this year will provide new opportunities and insights.

According to Ms. Rika Anne Warell Jarales, KALAHI-CIDSS Training Specialist IV, the newly developed assessment tool is fundamentally anchored on the Sustainability Evaluation Test (SET), a tool used to assess the status and actual operation of the completed subprojects.

“Gi craft nato ang OMAT kay since bag-o ang atong mga staff sa ground, wala tay idea kung unsa ang status sa atong mga OMG ug ang functionality sa atong mga subproject,” she said.

(We crafted OMAT, since we have new staff on the ground, we have no idea about the status of our OMGs and the functionality of our subprojects.)

In comparison, SET occurs three rounds—six months after the subproject’s completion, followed by two consecutive rounds one year later.  A Multi-Stakeholder Inspectorate Team (MSIT) from the LGU facilitates this process, while OMAT is conducted once and administered by KALAHI-CIDSS’ Area Coordinating Team to evaluate OMGs. Jarales clarifies that both interventions aim to probe the functionality and the mechanisms in place for subproject sustainability.

Following OMAT, a series of capacity-building activities will be implemented for stakeholders and will culminate in a Participatory Organizational Capacity Assessment (POCA) among OMGs.

KALAHI-CIDSS upholds the principle of accountability rooted in the community-driven development (CDD) strategy that enjoin all stakeholders to take an active role in sustaining subprojects, ensuring their lasting impact on the community.