Create and Promote Productive Partnerships with Stakeholders: Inputs to School-Based Management

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Education has stepped up its efforts to decentralize education management through School-Based Management -a strategy that is expected to improve the Department's operating efficiency and upgrade education quality. The SBM was designed to improve student outcomes through two main venues: by empowering the school community and by enhancing transparency and accountability. The key element of SBM is the creation of productive partnerships with stakeholders and makes these partnerships sustainable. Partnerships with stakeholders need to be created and sustained to ensure that shared governance materializes. However, it becomes a challenge for most schools to create and sustain productive partnerships with stakeholders who are either immobilized or with a lesser degree of participation. With these foregoing insights, the researchers wanted to identify the best practices of schools with productive partnerships and benchmark on these practices thus creating possible ways of helping schools with relatively less productive partnerships.

METHODS

Consensual Qualitative Research Method was utilized in the conduct of the study. The essential components of CQR include open-ended questions, several judges, consensus, one auditor, domains, core ideas, and cross-analysis. The respondents of the study were carefully chosen based on the required criteria using set parameters for schools with productive partnerships. Likewise, school heads, head teachers and teachers from these selected schools were included to answer the semi-structured questionnaires. The data provided by the respondents were put under data analysis. Following the specific guidelines for conducting CQR, data were collected using semi-structured interviews prior to analysis and were initially coded into domains based on the emerging data. Data were analyzed using a consensus method to determine domains and core ideas for each case, and compared data across cases to establish the generality of findings within the sample.

RESULTS

Respondents' overall perceptions are presented using a thematic approach. CQR presented results in terms of general, typical and rare outcomes. Four themes emerged: Theme 1-Transparency and Open Communication with Stakeholders. General outcomes were effective, open and regular communication and transparency; two typical outcomes appeared in at least half of the respondents' responses including regular conduct of meeting, accurate and clear reporting of school's status and progress. Likewise, three rare outcomes appeared in at least two of the respondents' responses including sending communication to nearby companies through the parents who work in there, home visitation and social media. Theme 2-Awards and Recognition which identified one general outcome that thirteen to fifteen respondents discussed in their interviews such as recognizing stakeholders by giving awards or certificates; one rare outcome represented with two of fifteen of the respondents' responses was posting the stakeholders names on bulletin board, school publication or webpage. Theme 3-Ethical Partnership identified one general outcome where thirteen out of fifteen respondents discussed trust and respect. Within this theme, one typical outcome was represented by at least half of the respondents' responses including a positive attitude. Also, within this theme, three rare outcomes were represented by at least one or two of the respondents' respondents which include: patronizing stakeholders' product; teamwork; and understanding the demographic characteristics of the stakeholders., Theme 4-Involvement of Stakeholders which identified two general outcomes that 13 of the respondents discussed in their interview were inviting stakeholders in all school activities; community involvement in planning and decision-making. Within this theme, two typical outcomes were represented by at least half of the respondents' reported perceptions. These were investing time in partnership and updating stakeholders about the school's program.

DISCUSSIONS

Based on the results, a concrete system must be developed for productive partnerships with stakeholders to commence, a system that will identify areas to be addressed and define measures to carrying out efforts in the realization of this project. Therefore, an innovation in the form of a project plan will be initiated by the proponents to serve as an initial guide in carrying out productive partnerships. Experiences of the selected schools with productive partnerships were considered in the crafting of the project plan.