The Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance, originally established as the La Salle Institute of Governance in 2001, is a private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research and training unit based at the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) of De La Salle University.

The Institute engages in initiatives to strengthen performance, participation, transparency, and accountability in governance systems across the public-private divide. The Institute, in partnership with domestic and international partners, co-creates and implements innovative programs, projects, and activities; develops key capacity among governance and development stakeholders; and generates knowledge products that document, transform, and distill learnings from research and practice.

In 2012, the Institute adopted the name Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance to honor the late La Sallian alumni and highly decorated good governance advocate, Jesse M. Robredo, who served as a mayor of Naga City and as a Secretary of the Department and Interior and Local Government. The Institute is referred to with the acronyms LSIG, for La Salle Institute of Governance, or DLSU-JRIG, which stands for De La Salle University – Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance.

The full website of the Institute can be accessed at www.dlsu-jrig.org .

Program Areas

The Institute has a strong track record in research and policy studies, capacity building, and community engagement in the following areas:

  1. Local Governance
  2. Participatory Governance
  3. Budget Monitoring
  4. Environmental Governance and Sustainability
  5. Integrity systems
  6. E-governance
  7. Civic Education
  8. Electoral Reforms

The Institute offers customized courses to build governance capacity and improve development outcomes. It creates partnerships and knowledge-sharing mechanisms to foster awareness, generates consensus, and build support for policy and institutional reforms. It seeks to find information-age solutions to age-old governance problems.

 Publications

The Institute publishes Working Papers, Policy Briefs, and other knowledge products. It also publishes books on special topics and proceedings of seminars, conferences, and forums. The Working Papers disseminate early draft versions of governance and development-relevant research, and it is circulated to foster discussion and solicit comments and inputs before they are finalized and published in their final form. The Policy Briefs, on the other hand, are short, peer-reviewed and edited, policy-oriented summaries and recommendations on specific issues or concerns. The Institute publishes the Working Papers and Policy Briefs on a rolling basis.

Partnerships

The donor partners of the Institute include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Australia Awards, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Asia Foundation (TAF), the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung(FES), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFR), among others.

The Institute is the former President and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Local Government Training and Research Institutes – Philippine Network, Inc. (LOGOTri-PhilNET), a national network of academic, civil society, and other learning resource institutions that work in partnership with the Local Government Academy (LGA) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to develop and implement capacity development programs that address the needs of local government units and other key local governance stakeholders.

The Institute serves as the representative of the Academe in the Non-Government Steering Committee of the Philippine Open Government Partnerships (PH-OGP). The OGP is an international platform where member governments commit to implementing national programs that: Foster transparency and accountability in governance, promote citizens’ participation in public decision-making, and leverage information and communications technology for citizen participation.

The Institute also serves in the Leadership Council of the Sustainable Solutions Development Network – Philippines (SDSN-PH). The SDSN was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and marshals global scientific and technological expertise to advance practical solutions for sustainable development. These include the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The SDSN works closely with UN agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society. The SDSN-PH Leadership Council oversees the Network’s work and is composed of experts on sustainable development from the academe, business, civil society, and the public sector.

The Institute is also a partner of the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation in administering the Gawad Jesse M. Robredo Award, which recognizes Philippine mayors who have exemplified integrity, competence, and empathy in local governance, embodying the values and leadership practices of the late mayor of Naga City and DILG Secretary. The award also aims to build a network of new generation leaders to ensure good governance and genuine public service at the local government level.

The Institute is a partner of the World Bank in establishing and operating a Knowledge Development Center (KDC). KDCs are schools, policy, and research institutions in the Philippines that promote knowledge sharing and citizen engagement on development and governance issues. The KDC is part of the broader World Bank Knowledge for Development Community network and is located in the Main Library of De La Salle University as a physical and digital repository of knowledge products

 Organizational Structure

The Institute is a research and training unit under the Office of the President of the De La Salle University System, designated under the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. It is headed by a Director responsible for setting the strategic direction, expanding and maintaining its networks, developing its portfolio, and managing its programs, projects, and activities. The Institute Director is supported by regular and project-based Program Managers and Staff responsible for operations, administration, logistics, and finance, among others.

The Institute is a hub for mobilizing human and strategic resources within and outside the university to undertake various governance initiatives. To this end, it hosts Fellows and Affiliates from De La Salle University and other Philippine and international institutions. These fellows and affiliates, along with other partner academics and governance and development practitioners, serve as a pool of experts that advise and assist the Institute in planning and implementing programs and projects.

 

Contact Information

Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance
Room 301 William Hall Building,
De La Salle University-Manila 1004,
Malate, Manila
1004 Philippines
Telephone: (632) +632 524-4611 Loc. 524,
Fax: +632 527-1248,
Email: [email protected]