QuestionsQuestions (POEA ADVISORY NO. 10, S. 2013)
The COPE was established to assist the President in effecting, on a national scale, the speedy and coordinated implementation of major programs of reform, particularly those included in the 'PLEDGES' of Government.
Various officials are designated COPEs for different major programs, such as Mr. Paciencio Magtibay for Administration of Justice, Mr. Jose Medina, Jr. for Land Reform, Mr. Robert Abling for Price Stabilization, among others.
The Executive Secretary supervises COPEs who are not under a Cabinet-rank Action Agency Head and oversees the operational system for COPE, monitoring their workload and performance and making recommendations to the President for changes in designates when warranted.
COPEs are empowered to cut across normal decision-making channels to secure coordinating actions or decisions required and ensure speedy effectuation throughout the program execution system, but they cannot establish themselves as a separate or distinct authority layer.
Each COPE is under the direct supervision of the Head of the Action Agency designated for his program if the agency head is Cabinet-rank; otherwise, he is supervised directly by the Executive Secretary.
COPEs are to monitor projects, identify major problems and causes, and institute or recommend corrective measures to the Action Agency concerned, ensuring directives are issued in the agency head's name and recorded in a logbook for reference and review.
The Cabinet serves as the coordinating body for all operational activities of the COPEs, reviewing their directives and actions periodically.
COPE focuses on speedy and coordinated implementation of programs on a national scale and is input-oriented, while PROD focuses on priority programs on a regional basis and is output-oriented.
COPEs are empowered to call upon officials/agencies to form, on an ad hoc basis, Action Coordinating Teams (ACT) to expedite overall program implementation in critical inter-agency or inter-regional coordination areas.
Directives must be made in writing in the name of the Action Agency Head concerned, using a standard quick disposition form, and all directives must be recorded in a log book maintained by the COPE for easy reference and review.