Administrative Circular No.07 series of 2021. Revised General Guidelines on the Evaluation and Approval of Organic Agriculture Project Proposals

Republic of the Philippines OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Elliptical Road, Diliman 1100 Quezon City Administrative Circular No. 0 7 Series of 2021 SUBJECT: REVISED GENERAL GUIDELINES ON THE EVALUATION AND APPROVAL OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PROJECT PROPOSALS I. OBJECTIVE To streamline the evaluation and approval process of organic agriculture project proposals and to guide eligible proponents on how to obtain assistance/support from the National Organic Agriculture Program. II. ELIGIBLE PROJECTS Eligible projects are those that fall within the six (6} thematic thrusts of the National Organic Agriculture Program, as follows: A. Institutional Development and Strengthening, and Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation. Strategic Objective: • To ensure effective implementation of the NOAP through strengthening the organizational structure from the national to the local level, harmonization and localization of plans, and enhancement of monitoring and evaluation mechanism. B. Research and Development. Strategic Objective: • To continue and intensify collaborative and participative research and development including the upgrading of relevant and appropriate technologies, information and knowledge systems to ensure the expansion of the organic sector and address health and environmental issues. C. Extension and Capacity Building, Promotion, Advocacy and Education. Strategic Objective: • To provide applicable technologies and strategies for creating effective extension services to relevant organic agriculture stakeholders. D. Production and Post-production Support Services. Strategic Objective: To enhance and extend financial support services to agriculture farmers and fisher folks; icf-secure TfiiCippines with prosperous farmers andfisherfoCk • To continue provision of production and post-productions support services to organic agriculture farmers and fisher folks. E. Market Support Services Strategic Objective: • To increase distribution channels of organic products through provision of market support services. F. Regulatory Support Services Strategic Objective: • To ensure organic integrity and consumer confidence with organic products, and protect consumers from fraudulent practices; • To strengthen official accreditation of organic certifying bodies by ensuring policies and procedures are harmonized with international best practices to facilitate market access of organic products; • To enhance collaboration of relevant regulatory agencies in implementing the registration of organic food, non-food and input producers; • To ensure harmonized collaboration of relevant regulatory agencies for the enforcement of labelling of organic food, non-food and input products; • To ensure continuous development and updating of organic agriculture and aquaculture standards in order to harmonize with regional and international best practices. III. ELIGIBLE PROPONENTS 1. POs and RBOs 2. NGOs 3. IPs 4. Cooperatives 5. SUCs 6. LGUs 7. PGS Group 8. DepEd Schools 9. Farm Schools 10. Other government agencies IV. DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS 1. Letter of Intent 2. Project Proposal / Business Plan / Research Proposal 3. Other documents specified in the guidelines appropriate / applicable to the nature of the project. ■with prosperous farmers andfisfierfoCk OF Republic of the Philippines OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Elliptical Road, Diliman 1100 Quezon City V. PROCEDURES PER MAJOR CLASSIFICATION OF PROJECTS A. RESEARCH PROPOSAL Research proposals are to be guided by the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) guidelines before endorsement to the NOAB through the NOAP-NPCO. B. NON-RESEARCH PROPOSALS B.l APPROVAL PROCESS B.1.1 REGIONAL PROJECTS a. Proponents should submit their project proposals / business plan together with their Letter of Intent and all the required documents to the Regional Executive Director of the region where, they are residents thereof, or their official address is located in case of juridical persons, or they plan to operate/implement the proposed project; b. The Region shall make the initial evaluation of the project. If the documents are proper and complete and the project feasible, the Regional Executive Director shall endorse the proposal to the National Organic Agriculture Board through the National Organic Agriculture Program. c. Evaluation Criteria should include: • Greatest number of small-hold organic agriculture farmers or fisher folks to be benefitted; • Demonstrated plan for organic agriculture in the next three (3) years within their area of operations/influence; • Viability of proposed business operations. d. The NOAB shall refer the proposal to the appropriate TWG for evaluation following their own specific guidelines. e. The concerned TWG shall make the final evaluation of the proposal and the necessary recommendation to the NOAB. f. The NOAB shall deliberate to approve/disapprove the proposal. g. The approved project shall be covered with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Organic Agriculture Regional Office. B .l.2 NATIONAL PROJECTS a. Proponents should submit their project proposals / business plan together with their Letter of Intent and all the required documents to the National Organic Agriculture Program National Coordinator. b. The NOAP-NPCO shall make the initial evaluation of the project. If the documents are proper and complete and the project feasible, the NOAP NPCO shall endorse the proposal to the National Organic Agriculture Board. c. Evaluation Criteria should include: • Greatest number of small-hold organic agriculture farmers or fisher folks to be benefitted; • Demonstrated plan for organic agriculture in the next three (3) years within their area of operations/influence; • Viability of proposed business operations. d. The NOAB shall refer the proposal to the appropriate TWG for evaluation following their own specific guidelines. 'Philippines wild prosperous farmers ancffisderfoCk tfa # *4a m n V AN | na K X ft e. The concerned TWG shall make the final evaluation of the proposal and the necessary recommendation to the NOAB. f. The NOAB shall deliberate to approve/disapprove the proposal. g. The approved project shall be covered with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the NOAP-NPCO. B.2 MONITORING AND EVALUATION B.2.1 REGIONAL PROJECTS a. DA-RFO shall have the authority to approve all project proposals not exceeding PhP 1,000,000.00. Any project exceeding PhP 1,000,000.00 shall be endorsed to the National Organic Agricultue Board for project approval. b. All projects shall be monitored by DA-Regional Field Office Organic Division Focal and/or other implementing agencies. c. DA-RFO and other implementing agencies shall submit a monthly report to the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) for evaluation/analysis and shall be reported back to the proponent through the DA-RFO as a guide. d. NOAP together with the DA-RFO and other implementing agencies shall conduct a midterm audit on the project. e. Upon completion of the project, the proponent group should submit a report to the DA-Regional Field Office. f. DA-RFO shall forward the accomplished report to NOAB through the National Organic Agriculture Program(NOAP). g. All completed projects should be given final appraisal by NOAP NPCO and TWG on Project success through attainment of project objectives and outcomes. B.2.2 NATIONAL PROJECTS a. All project proposals submitted to NOAP-NPCO shall be forwarded to the National Organic Agriculture Board for approval. b. All projects shall be monitored by the NOAP-NPCO. c. Partner organizations shall submit a monthly report to the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) for evaluation/analysis and shall be used as the basis for corrective measure implementation. d. NOAP-NPCO together with the DA-RFO and other implementing agencies shall conduct a midterm audit on the project. e. Upon completion of the project, the partner organization should submit a terminal report to the NOAP-NPCO. f. NOAP-NPCO shall forward the accomplished report to NOAB as possible basis for policy formulation. g. All completed projects should be given final appraisal by NOAP NPCO and TWG on Project success through attainment of project objectives and outcomes. Republic of the Philippines OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Elliptical Road, Diliman 1100 Quezon City B.3 PROCESS FLOW B.3.1 PROJECT PROPOSALS BASED FROM NOAP IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES B.3.2. PROJECT PROPOSALS FROM PROPONENTS R F O Approval cC-secure TfUCippines ■wildprosperous farmers ancffisfierfotk Im p lem entation Republic of the Philippines OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Elliptical Road, Diliman 1100 Quezon City B.4 FUNDING SOURCE Funding for the Project shall be charged primarily to the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) fund. Other DA Units and government agencies may also provide financial and other support for a greater impact. LGUs and other local and international funding agencies may likewise provide additional support in cash or in-kind to the project. A minimum often percent (10%) of the total project cost shall be shouldered by the proponent as initial counterpart fund. B.5 PROJECT TERMINATION 1. Should the partner proponent desire to terminate the project, it shall first obtain the consent of the NOAB and/or concerned DA-RFO by filing a written notice according to the agreement or stipulated in the MOA prior to the date of its intended termination. 2. The DA-RFO/NOAP-NPCO, shall likewise, has the right to terminate the project after due notice to the partner proponent if the project, after evaluation, fails to accomplish the desired outputs or attains its objectives, or consistently and substantially violates the terms and conditions of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), or if the project was repurposed beyond allowable scope by reason of the proponent’s bad faith, gross negligence or misrepresentation. 3. If the project termination is found to be caused by the proponent’s bad faith, gross negligence or misrepresentation, the entity, the directors and key officers responsible shall be barred from availing of funding from the National Organic Agriculture Program or any other DA program, and from any subsequent commercial dealings with the DA for a period of ten (10) years from the time the order to ban/blacklistis issued. VI. AMENDMENTS Amendments to this Guidelines may be made after prior consultations with all program stakeholders and upon approval by the NOAB. VII. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE These guidelines shall take effect immediately upon signing and shall supersede all other issuances inconsistent herewith. Signed this 14^ day of j 2021, in Quezon City. WILLIAM D. DAR, PhD Secretary Department of Agriculture DEP A R T M EN T OF AG RICU LTU RE mi mill iii ii i ii iimi mi in replying pis cite this code : For Signature: $-05-21-0297 Received : 05/18/2021 08:30 AM food-secure TfiiCipj)ines wtlfi prosperous farmers ancffisfierfoCk