DoJ tightens monitoring after performance gaps

The Department of Justice (DoJ) is tightening its monitoring and reporting systems after internal assessments highlighted gaps between program outputs and their real-world impact on justice delivery.

Justice Secretary Frederick Vida said the DoJ is prioritizing reforms in data tracking, evaluation and compliance following Year-End Performance Assessment (YEPA) workshops.

“The objective is straightforward: to establish more reliable monitoring systems, ensure clearer reporting mechanisms, and improve overall performance,” he said, adding that stronger systems would support better decision-making and more efficient use of resources.

The push comes as DoJ officials acknowledge that some initiatives, despite adequate funding or rollout, have not produced transformative results.

DoJ Undersecretary Majken Anika Gran-Ong said performance reviews must go beyond metrics and focus on outcomes that directly affect the public.

She pointed to instances where programs failed to improve processing times or strengthen protections for vulnerable sectors despite being fully implemented.

“These discussions are about looking for the story behind the numbers,” Gran-Ong said, stressing the need to measure qualitative impact alongside quantitative targets.

The reforms emerged from breakout workshops for focal persons from the National Prosecution Service (NPS) and DoJ Central Office, where participants received technical guidance on improving compliance with the Strategic Performance Management System (SPMS).

The sessions standardized reporting and built a more responsive evaluation framework across offices.

The workshops capped a four-day YEPA and SPMS monitoring and evaluation program held from 13 to 16 April, covering both prosecutors nationwide and central office units through a hybrid format.

DoJ senior officials, including Undersecretaries Garney Candelaria and Ian Norman Dato, led the review of the National Prosecution Service, while Vida, Gran-Ong, Assistant Secretary Maria Elisa Germar, and Assistant Secretary Ma. Charina Dy Po assessed the performance of central office units at Justice Hall.

Facilitated by the DoJ’s Planning and Management Service–Evaluation and Statistics Division, the sessions evaluated office accomplishments against targets under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the 2025 national budget.

Vida emphasized that closing the gap between planning and execution remains central to the agency’s mandate.

“Programs and plans do not succeed by design alone. They succeed through disciplined execution, constant monitoring, and accurate evaluation,” he said.