Guidelines on Project Staffing and Structure

Government promotes streamlining bureaucracy to enhance civil service efficiency and effectiveness.
Discourages creation of additional positions, including contractual and casual roles.
Encourages agencies to utilize existing permanent personnel relevant to programs or projects.

Projects should be assigned to existing agency units (bureaus, offices, departments, or divisions) responsible for the project’s functions.
Project Management Offices (PMOs) or implementing units may be created if necessary, without creating new government positions.
Personnel for PMOs can be sourced from within the agency or other government agencies.
PMOs can be organized internally or formally created upon Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approval.
Where projects institutionalize new undertakings (i.e., establishing new facilities) requiring additional positions, PMO creation with new posts is allowed subject to DBM approval.
PMOs are coterminous with their projects; phasing out occurs after project completion or termination.
A winding-up period not exceeding six months is allowed after completion for accountabilities, costs borne by unused project funds.

Agencies authorized to implement projects must use existing regular personnel.
Personnel can be augmented by detailing regular staff from other agencies, following established procedures.
Assignment to projects requires approval by the agency head, based on project needs including number, type, and expertise of personnel.
Detailed regular personnel are eligible for honoraria according to budget guidelines.
Regularization of contractual/casual positions in ongoing projects is generally prohibited, except when institutionalization of facilities necessitates additional personnel.
Such regularization remains subject to prevailing budgeting policies and standards.

Hiring consultants or experts must comply with National Budget Circular No. 433 (March 1, 1994).
This circular outlines rules and regulations governing hiring of individual consultants or experts for projects.

Previous Department of Budget and Management issuances inconsistent with these guidelines are repealed or modified accordingly.