HRM Reform in Decentralised Local Government::Empirical Perspectives on Recruitment and Selection in the Philippines and Thailand

Decentralisation has been an influential procedure for public sector reform for decades. Like many countries in Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Thailand have experienced the transitional period of decentralisation since the 1990s, but its results are considered to be poor, allowing the increasing corruption associated with local elites. This paper will address the problem by focusing on human resource management (HRM), in particular recruitment and selection, in decentralised local governments. Theoretical backgrounds of decentralisation reform are reviewed to highlight how significant the topic is in considering the current situation, and empirical observations are presented from two countries and four case cities, which are followed by a comparative analysis across observations. Findings of the paper include not only rooted differences of policy arrangements in the two countries, but also favourable evidences at the local level that cannot be explained by the existing theories. These findings lead to both academic and practical implications and future research tasks

Transformation in Philippine local government

This research examined the challenges, enablers and outcomes of organisation transformation in Philippine local governments. We combined a multi-case study research design and backward mapping approach in collecting and analysing narratives from 55 leaders in 9 Filipino local government units (LGUs) that have successfully undergone transformation. Results show that the transformations of the LGUs appear to have been catalysed by three interrelated elements: vision, LGU leadership and citizen engagement. The transformation in the local governments concentrated on multiple foci of reform including structure and systems improvement, culture change, human-resource development as well as policy and programme development. This holistic approach enabled the transformation of bureaucratic and unprofessional government service to transparent, professional and efficient public service that engendered pride, transparency and social equity. Implications of the proposed model for transforming LGUs and in developing LGU leaders for good governance are discussed