Do Senior Public Managers Matter for Local Government Performance? Linkage with Policy Orientation and Networks of Planning and Development Coordinators in Local Governments in the Philippines

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of local governments and government management factors in the Philippines by focusing on planning and development coordinators (PDCs) as senior public managers in local governments. A questionnaire survey was conducted with city/municipal PDCs from 300 randomly selected local governments. The relationships among policy orientation, attributes, networks, and local government performance were quantitatively analyzed. Our findings revealed that networking with government officials at other levels, communication with the stakeholders, and individual policy preferences were found to have a substantial impact on local government performance. In contrast, training opportunities were not found to have any substantial impact. Results of the analysis generally imply that, in addition to the mechanics of local politics, the choice of local government management has become a factor of equal or greater importance in the state and development of local government performance in the Philippines.