Legal basis and implementing framework
- The Department’s authority to accredit social development and welfare services is drawn from Republic Act 4373.
- The Department’s organizational authority is anchored on Executive Order No. 123 reorganizing the Ministry and naming it the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
- The Department’s functions and powers are further grounded on Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987), Title XVI, Section 3 on Powers and Functions of DSWD.
- Licensing guidelines for registration or licensing of social work/welfare and development agencies are contained in Department Order 07, Series of 1995 (DSWD).
Policy, rationale, and governing philosophy
- The accreditation system is built on the need for a unified and coordinated approach to social development and welfare delivery.
- The accreditation system targets responsive service delivery for groups in especially difficult circumstances, including women, children and youth, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, victims of natural and manmade calamities, families in the food and poverty threshold, individuals and families with impaired functioning due to psycho-social problems, communities in high risk locations, and communities unable to access and manage basic services, resources, and opportunities for growth and development including indigenous people, farmers and landless rural workers, urban poor, and fisherfolks.
- The accreditation system recognizes the significant role of non-government agencies and other government agencies in equitable and responsive access to services and resources for human development.
- The system requires a set of standards for social work services so that resources for social development and welfare are used for their intended purpose.
- The accreditation system aims to promote well-being, enable disadvantaged groups to join the mainstream of development, and create partnerships between government and non-government agencies.
Key definitions used for accreditation
- Social Work Agency means a person, corporation, or organization engaged in social development and welfare that obtains financing from government or community agencies/instruments by direct or indirect solicitations and/or drives, and/or private endowment (RA. 4373).
- Government Organization (G.O.) means an agency engaged in social development and welfare services that obtains its finances from the government.
- Non-Government Organization (NGO) or People’s Organization (P.O.) means persons or agencies engaged in social development and welfare supported by funds from the community or private endowment.
- Registration or Licensing of Social Work/Welfare and Development Agencies means a non-government agency’s satisfactory compliance with RA. 4373 requirements to operate as a social work agency; a certificate or license is issued by DSWD.
- For licensing under RA. 4373, the requirements include that:
- the applicant is engaged mainly or generally in social work activity,
- the applicant employs a sufficient number of duly qualified and registered social workers to supervise and take charge in accordance with accepted standards,
- the applicant shows a certified financial statement that at least 60 percent of funds are disbursed for direct social work practice, and
- the applicant keeps a record of all cases and welfare activities handled.
- Social Development and Welfare Program means the combination of services designed to promote development and welfare of a particular clientele group, including the listed disadvantaged groups.
- Social Development and Welfare Service means the series of activities under a specific program designed to address specific needs or problems of a group in especially difficult circumstances, using social work methods including social case work, social group work, and community organizing.
- Accreditation of Social Development and Welfare Service means implementation of a specific service in accordance with accepted social work standards assessed and certified by DSWD.
Who may be accredited; accreditation coverage
- Non-government agencies may be accredited for their social development and welfare service/s that are licensed to operate by DSWD.
- Government centers, institutions, branches, or units, including those of the Department, may be accredited for their social development and welfare service/s.
Accreditation period, suspension, and closure
- A licensed non-government agency has three years from the date of issuance of its license to meet the minimum accreditation standards for its social development and welfare service/s.
- Failure to achieve accreditation within the three-year period results in suspension of the license to operate.
- After suspension, the non-government agency receives a one-year grace period to work for accreditation.
- If the agency still cannot meet minimum accreditation standards after the one-year grace period, DSWD will revoke or cancel its license.
- An agency unable to meet accreditation standards within three years after license issuance is subject to suspension from continuing operations.
- Suspension is for one year as the grace period to upgrade standards as set by DSWD.
- An agency that still does not meet the minimum accreditation standards after the one-year grace period is subject to closure, and its license to operate as a social work agency is revoked.
- The notice of suspension and the notice of revocation/closure must be in writing and signed by the Secretary of the Department.
Accreditation process and ratings
- The Department begins the accreditation process by providing a notification on required accreditation to the licensed non-government agency through the concerned DSWD Field Office.
- The notification must include the first step (written application for accreditation to the concerned Bureau), the three-year period for accreditation, and the result of non-accreditation.
- The Public Affairs and Liaison Service of DSWD endorses the licensed non-government agency to the concerned Bureau for accreditation as soon as the license is issued.
- The endorsement for a non-government agency is supported by documents including:
- Manual of Operation
- SEC Registration, By-laws, Articles of Incorporation
- Work and Financial Plan (Current and Incoming Year)
- Profile of Members of the Governing Board
- Profile of Employees
- Annual Report (Latest Year)
- List of Children Served, Status Thereat (For child/youth caring/placing agency)
- Audited Financial Report (Latest Year)
- The endorsement step does not apply to government agencies, institutions, centers, and other facilities.
- A licensed non-government agency must confirm readiness to be accredited in writing to the concerned Bureau within one year from the issuance of its license.
- The concerned Bureau must acknowledge receipt of the written application within five working days and must include the proposed schedule of the accreditation visit by Bureau staff.
- If a licensed non-government agency does not apply in writing within one year, the Bureau reaches out to the agency and reiterates in writing the implication of non-accreditation, and informs the agency of the availability of technical assistance to meet accreditation standards within the three-year period.
- For government centers, institutions, branches, and units, accreditation is handled by Bureau scheduling rather than by an application written by the entity.
- Accreditation assessment is conducted on a schedule confirmed by the NGO or the government center/unit, and includes:
- interviews with supervisors, implementors, beneficiaries, and collateral informants,
- review of program records,
- review of administrative records,
- program implementation site visit,
- actual observation on operations of child/youth facilities.
- Minimum standards for accreditation and rating use a points system where:
- Administration has 40 points with 30 points as the minimum,
- Service Delivery has 60 points with 50 points as the minimum,
- Total is 100 points with 80 points as the minimum.
- After the visit, concerned staff provide an initial feedback on results to the agency visited.
- Confirmation of assessment results and recommendations must be sent to the agency within one month after the visit.
- The assessment result may recommend either:
- accreditation through a Certificate of Accreditation for services meeting minimum standards, or
- technical assistance where service delivery standards must be improved based on assessment results.
- For technical assistance:
- the technical assistance is negotiated with the concerned Bureau,
- after technical assistance is provided, the agency has six months to upgrade its standards,
- a validation visit occurs six months after official recommendations were provided,
- the validation visit results must be communicated in writing within one month after the validation visit and must state whether continuing technical assistance is needed, which areas must be improved, or whether minimum standards have been met.
- A service that meets minimum standards after assessment and validation is issued a certification specifying the service accredited and the three-year period of effectivity, signed by the Department Secretary.
- DSWD Bureaus and Field Offices monitor and provide technical assistance for their respective agency/service areas on a schedule negotiated between the parties, with recommended monitoring and technical visits frequency of once a quarter.
- Accreditation is renewed every three years through a written application to the concerned Bureau for renewal of accreditation.
Benefits of accreditation and assistance
- A non-government agency with accredited social work services is eligible to purchase or subcontract projects and/or services from the Department.
- An accredited agency receives technical assistance from the concerned Bureaus upon request or regularly as agreed, in forms including:
- Technical Expertise
- Program Materials
- An accredited agency may receive subsidy for program implementation, depending on DSWD’s available funds and the specifications of the concerned Bureau.
- Accredited agencies receive human resource development or training assistance from concerned Bureaus, including:
- Subsidy in Training
- Program Materials
- Technical Resource Persons
- Accreditation supports linkage to national and international networks of social work agencies for resource sharing and generation.
- Accreditation results in invitation/recommendation to national and international conferences and consultations or dialogues on social work policies and services.
- Accreditation includes a recommendation by DSWD for representation in social work councils at local, regional, national, and international levels.
- Accreditation includes indorsement by DSWD to qualify for Official Development Assistance (O.D.A.) and international assistance.
- Accreditation includes indorsement for duty-free importation of goods pertinent to the accredited service/s.
- Accreditation includes recommendation to avail of the Subsidized Power Rate Program (SPRP) benefits.
Effectivity, publication, and transition
- The Order is adopted on 14 Feb. 1996 and signed by the Secretary.
- The Order is published in the NAR Vol. 11 No. 1 (January–March 2000), but the text provides no specific publication-to-effectivity deadline or transitory compliance rule beyond the operational accreditation timelines it establishes.