Term Paper on Functions of Management Department of Public Works and Highway Planning and Programming Division(DPWH-PPD)

I.

Introduction Management is defined as the process of getting activities completed

efficiently and effectively with and through other people. It encompasses an array of functions with which it accomplishes different tasks done successfully. These functions include planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling. The Department of Public Works and Highway - Planning and Programming Division, abbreviated as DPWH-PPD, is an institution destined to accomplish public works program objectives that have to be viewed in terms of the government policy to boost the public works sector in all aspects. Through the public works sector intervention, DPWH-PPD works to ensure increase in access, improve quality, boost capacities in all levels of the sector, and ensure equity in delivery public works services. This paper explores the management functions in the DPWH, highlights strengths and weaknesses in view of the theoretical aspect of management function. Finally, it highlights some few salient points that are worth mentioning and by way of recommendations it tries to shed lights on issues that need improvement. II. Overview of the management functions:

Henry Fayol defines management as a science of forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. The most commonly cited management functions are planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling. Planning refers to the base of the other management functions. It is the management of the organizations future in an uncertain environment. Plans can be strategic, tactical, and operational. They can also be long-term or short-term. Plan should be built on specific, attainable, and challenging objectives. In the materials for the management course, it is mentioned that planning is important in that it offsets uncertainty and change, focuses attention on objectives, helps in coordination, gains economy of operation, helps in control, and increases organizational effectiveness. In that sense it divides plans to standing and single-use plans. Organizing refers to the organization of resources in an organization. Such organization can be charted on an organizational chart. Through this function management tries to determine the inside directorial configuration, establish and maintain relationships, and also assign required resources of the organization. Staffing functions follows the organizing function of management. Staffing refers to the filling and keeping filled positions on positions created by the preceding organizing function. Thus, staffing encompasses tasks such as recruitment, selection, training and retraining of employees.

Directing refers to the control and supervision of the actions of the staff, thus, enables them to achieve the companys goals and also accomplishing their personal or career goals which can be powered motivation, communication, department dynamics, and department leadership. Controlling refers to activities related to setting performance standards based on the objectives of the organization, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two, and taking corrective or preventive action as necessary. As management is a creative problem solving, the coordination of the various functions mentioned above contribute to an efficient and effective accomplishment of tasks. The section below review the management functions in the DPWH-PPD. III. Review of the management functions in the DPWH-PPD: The DPWH-PPD is destined to accomplish public works related projects. These projects are financed through the proceeds coming from International organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japanese and Chinese banks, as well as other United States financing institutions. Each financier or development partner requires the need to follow ones procedures. The other dimension of the matter that needs attention is that each financier or development partner is set up to achieve each project objectives. Thus, there are kind of awkwardness in reaching a harmonized program objectives. Planning function in the DPWH-PPD

The DPWH-PPD believes that proper planning is a prerequisite to success. It is concerned with the future impact of todays decisions. In the DPWH-PPD there is a section that deals with planning issues. It prepares tactical and operational planning in view of the project objectives. The planning that is made part of the Financing Agreements with the respective development partner can be taken as a strategic one. The Planning Section of the DPWH-PPD prepares an Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB). On the basis of which, the procurement section derives its procurement plan, and the finance section derives its financial and disbursement plan. Therefore, we can see the following relationship in the planning function of the DPWH-PPD. Graph 1. Planning function relationship From the foregoing planning relations graph, we can observe that all the activities envisaged to be done in a year or a year and half through the plans of the respective sections. Overall, all these plans reflect the scenarios where we are now?, where do we want to be?, and how do we get there?. It is good also to note that the submission of plans and seeking approvals is mandatory. This procedure is deemed appropriate and practically does positively affect the projects. Organizing function in the DPWH-PPD To the DPWH-PPD organizing function refers to establishing the internal organizational structure of the business. The focus is on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization. It is

through this function that the manager distributes responsibility and authority to employees. The organizational structure of the DPWH-PPD is shown below. It takes into consideration the objectives and tactics already identified in the planning stage. The structure decides the division of labor, delegation of authority, departmentation, span of control and coordination issues. When we come to the division of labor, the DPWH-PPD is divided into 5 sections, viz., Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PM&E), Procurement, Finance, Engineering, and Administration sections. And all the employees are recruited in such a way that they are fully occupied. In regards to the delegation of authority, as reflected in the organizational structure, the authority is exercised as per the stipulated structure. The sections coordinate their work so as to achieve the objectives. This means that no section can stand alone. Staffing function in the DPWH-PPD Staffing encompasses the tasks of recruiting, hiring, training, lay-off, and compensation of employees. The DPWH-PPD recruits its staff with due regards to the management and labor needs. In so doing, it prepares job description, builds a pool of applicants, review the applications and select those to be interviewed, do the interview, check references, and select the best suited candidate and hire him. The DPWH-PPD provides training to its staff in view of the timely job related developments and requirements. For instance, the staffs are made to be actively involved in the endeavors to upgrade themselves.

Similarly, the DPWH-PPD lays off its staff in view of staffs reflections of incapacities in doing the tasks or showing other behaviors that are believed against the norms of the organization. It is the right of the employees to receive the needed compensation related with the job they undertook during their stay in the DPWH-PPD. Directing function in the DPWH-PPD Directing is influencing people's behavior through motivation,

communication, group dynamics, leadership and discipline. The purpose of directing is to channel the behavior of all personnel to accomplish the organization's mission and objectives while simultaneously helping them accomplish their own career objectives. Highly motivated people perform better than unmotivated people. Motivation covers up ability and skill deficiencies in employees. The DPWH-PPD gives motivation top priority. Employees are motivated through the material, financial, as well as work environment privileges. This is very important aspect that expedites the realizations of the objectives. Besides, the communication issues are very important as part of the directing function of management in the DPWH-PPD. The staffs are careful enough in their communicative efforts such as with the financiers, partners, suppliers etc. The staffs are appraised for what they do, and disciplinary measures are taken for incidents of misbehaviors. Controlling function of the DPWH-PPD

Controlling in the DPWH-PPD is done in view of the performance standards (indicators) set in each financing agreement back before the start of the implementation of projects. The Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Section of the DPWH-PPD take care of such tasks as monitoring activities and evaluating against standards. The Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Section undertake routine or surprise checks of activities. At the mid term and final term of projects, they also conduct evaluations. In so doing, the section seeks preventive and corrective measures such as the incorporation of new mechanisms of implementations. The controlling function is done in all aspects of the program, such as controlling assets owned by the office, control on the staff in terms of their work hours. IV. General Observations in the DPWH-PPD The DPWH-PPD is known for its staff that is aware of the virtues out of team working, learning by doing, and complementarities. These attributes are very important for the management function to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in the tasks that are destined to accomplish. Most of the staff members are young professionals that they can learn easily from experiences of others, and that they possess the merit to catch up things through continuous reading. The team work in the DPWH-PPD has assisted the effective

accomplishments of activities as scheduled. Synergism is common place, and supporting one another is highly worked upon.

V. Recommendations From the foregoing we can understand that the DPWH-PPD fully undertaking management functions. In order to cement the positive sides of what is going on in the DPWH-PPD, the writes recommends the following points: that the various projects need to be harmonized; that the staffing function be done in view of the experiences already nurtured. This means the job description in trying to hire staff has to be used in such a way that team work is given greater weight; that more training need to be provided to the staff; and that the young professionals be retained as a team in order to pursue the implementation of similar projects in other sectors such as agriculture, etc. VI. Conclusion Efficiency and effectiveness are key words related to the realization of plans. The realization of this is the task of management. Management does these through the coordination of its functions. These functions are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. The DPWH-PPD is reputed for pursuing a management style that assists in the realizations of set objectives effectively and efficiently. All management functions are employed in the DPWH-PPD, and thus the fruits of these concerted efforts are tangibly realized. 7. References: Website

http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/courses/lis1230/lis1230sharma/plan1.htm http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~mgtexcel/Function.html http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~mgtexcel/Staffing.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-fourfunctions-of-management.html http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/courses/lis1230/lis1230sharma/history4.ht m Kiflemariam Abraham, Reading on Principles of Management. March 2007