[A.M. NO.

06-3-07-SC : September 10, 2009]

RE: REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF THE REVISED QUALIFICATION
STANDARD FOR THE CHIEF OF MISO.
RESOLUTION
NACHURA, J.:
For this Court's resolution is the request for revision of the
Qualification Standards (QS) for the chiefs of the Management
Information Systems Office (MISO) and the Program Management
Office (PMO).
The following QS for the position of Chief, MISO, were approved by
then Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr. on October 14, 1999:
Education: Bachelor of Laws

Experience: Ten (10) years or more of relevant supervisory

work experience acquired under career service position in the
Supreme Court, three (3) years of which [were] rendered
under a position requiring the qualifications of a lawyer

Training: 32 hours of relevant training in management and

supervision

Eligibility: RA 1080 [Bar]1

On March 14, 2006, the Court resolved to revise the said QS. 2 It was
further amended on June 20, 2006, to wit:
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or any equally
comparable degree, with post-graduate level (at least 18 units) in
Computer Science or Information Technology

Experience: Seven (7) years of relevant experience on

Information and Communication Technology

Training: At least 40 hours of relevant training

 Eligibility: Civil Service Professional eligibility or equivalent IT
eligibility3

On June 6, 2006, the Court issued a Resolution adopting the

clarifications made by the Committee on Computerization and Library
on the collatilla "Deputy Clerk of Court" and the judicial ranking
attached to the position of Chief, MISO, as follows:
1. If the appointee for the Chief of MISO is a lawyer, he/she will be
given the collatilla "Deputy Clerk of Court" and entitled to a judicial
rank. He/She will be given the rank, salary and privileges of [an RTC]
judge;

2. If the appointee for the Chief of MISO is not a lawyer,

he/she will only be considered as a Chief of Office. He/She will
not be given the collatilla "Deputy Clerk of Court" and will not
be entitled to a judicial rank.4

In a letter5 to then Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban dated July

12, 2006, employees of the MISO pointed out that the revision of the
QS under A.M. No. 06-3-07-SC had made the experience, training,
and eligibility qualifications for Assistant Chief, MISO, higher than
those for the Chief, MISO. Hence, they asked the Court to rectify the
disparity.
On July 26, 2006, the Court approved the following amendments to
the QS for the Assistant Chief of MISO:
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or any equally
comparable degree, with post-graduate level (at least 15 units) in
Computer Science or Information Technology
Experience: 5 years of relevant experience [in] Information and
Communication [Technology] (ICT)
Training: At least 32 hours of relevant training
Eligibility: Civil Service Professional Eligibility or equivalent IT
Eligibility6
On March 5, 2008, Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno approved the
recommendation of the OAS to restudy the QS for the positions of
Chief, MISO and Judicial Reform Program Administrator (JRPA), PMO.

In its Memorandum7 to Chief Justice Puno dated July 10, 2008, the
Office of Administrative Services (OAS) observed that the QS for the
positions of Chief of MISO and JRPA of the PMO are not the same as
those for the other chiefs of office in the Court, even though they
have the same salary grade.
The OAS recommends that both positions should be given only to
members of the Bar, since there are legal matters involved in the
functions of both offices. In particular, OAS notes that the MISO Chief
must know the basic legal and operational information technology (IT)
needs of the Court, while the PMO Chief deals in large part with
agreements, loans, and other contracts with various agencies and
international funding institutions. In both cases, the specific need for
IT knowledge, and project management and donor coordination,
respectively, will be answered by the requirement for relevant studies
and/or experience.
The OAS recommends the following QS, to wit:

PMO
MISO
Judicial Reform
Chief of Office
Program Administrator
Education Bachelor of Laws with Bachelor of Laws with
units and/or studies in units and/or studies in
computer science, any of the following
information technology fields: public
or any comparable administration,
computer education business
administration,
finance, economics,
social sciences, or any
related field.

Experience 10 years or more of 10 years or more of

relevant supervisory relevant supervisory
work experience either work experience either
 in the government in the government
(acquired under career (acquired under career
service) or private service) or private
sector, with at least 5 sector, with at least 5
years relevant years relevant
experience in the field experience in the field
of computer science or of economics, social
information and sciences, or any
communication related field, as well as
technology in donor coordination
and project
management.

Training 32 hours of relevant 32 hours relevant

experience in training in project
management and management and
supervision supervision
Eligibility RA 1080 (Bar) RA 1080 (Bar)
Collatilla Deputy Clerk of Court Deputy Clerk of Court
Judicial Rank RTC Judge RTC Judge
The OAS also restudied the QS for the Assistant Chief of Office of
MISO. It suggests that the Deputy Director title of the MISO Assistant
Chief of Office be reverted back to its original title, "SC Assistant Chief
of Office, MISO." It further recommends the following modifications to
the QS of the Assistant Chief of Office, MISO, and of the Deputy
Judicial Reform Program Administrator of the PMO:

MISO PMO
Assistant Chief of Office Deputy Judicial Reform
Program Administrator
Education Bachelor of Laws with Bachelor of Laws with
units and/or studies in units and/or studies in
computer science or any of the following
information fields: public
technology; orcompletion administration, finance,
of Masteral (sic) Degree economics, social
in any computer sciences; orcompletion
education (sic) of Masteral (sic) Degree
in Public
Administration,
 Business
Administration,
Finance, Economics,
Social Sciences or any
related field

Experience 10 years or more of 10 years or more

relevant supervisory relevant supervisory
work experience either in work experience either
the government in the government
(acquired under career (acquired under career
service) or private sector service) or private
with at least 3 years sector with at least 3
experience in the field of years relevant
computer science or experience in the field
information and of economics, social
communication sciences or any related
technology field, as well as in
donor coordination and
project management

Training At least 32 hours of At least 32 hours of

relevant trainings in relevant trainings in
computer operation, project management
information and and supervision
communication
technology

Eligibility RA 1080 (Bar) or any RA 1080 (Bar) or any

appropriate CSC 2nd appropriate CSC 2nd
level eligibility level eligibility

The OAS explained that while all SC Assistant Chiefs of Offices are
required to be lawyers in their QS, this requirement may be
substituted with a master's degree in the case of MISO and PMO,
considering that the duties and responsibilities of these two positions
involve special technical skills in computer/information technology and
project management and donor coordination, respectively.
In its Comment,8 the MISO states that the Court has an ongoing ICT
consultancy project with Indra Sistemas S.A., part of which
specifically deals with the creation of a MISO Re-Engineering
Development Plan (MRDP). Among the concerns studied by Indra was
the staffing pattern of MISO and the QS for each position in the
office's plantilla. Indra's recommendation for the QS of the MISO
Chief recognizes that lawyers or non-lawyers may apply for the
position, with the recommended QS for lawyer-applicants bearing a
strong similarity to those proposed by the OAS. Indra's
recommendations are as follows:

FOR LAWYERS FOR NON-LAWYERS

Education Bachelor of Laws Bachelor's Degree in relevant
and 18 MA units in ICT course and an MBA or
relevant ICT course, 3 Post Graduate Degree in a
years relevant ICT Management related course
experience or 60
hours of ICT training or
or relevant ICT
certification Bachelor's Degree in a
Management-related course
* An additional project and an MBA or Post-graduate
management Degree in a Management-
certification is related course and 18 MA
proposed for all units in relevant ICT course,
managerial/supervisor 3 years relevant ICT
y positions to enable experience or 60 hours of
them to effectively ICT training or relevant ICT
manage IT projects certification

* An additional project
management certification is
proposed for all
managerial/supervisory
positions to enable them to
effectively manage IT
projects

Experience 10 years of 10 years of supervisory

supervisory experience (within or outside
experience (within or
 outside the Supreme the Supreme Court)
Court)

Training 40 hours of relevant 40 hours of relevant training

training in in management and
management and supervision
supervision

CSC Professional or IT
RA 1080 (Attorney)
Eligibility eligibility

An additional project management certification is

proposed for all managerial/supervisory positions to
enable them to effectively manage IT projects

On the other hand, the PMO, in its Comment, 9 maintains that the
nature of the JRPA position is different from the adjudicatory and
other legal functions of the other offices in the Court. It also says that
the legal issues confronted by the PMO in the performance of its tasks
do not require the JRPA to be a lawyer. It points out that there are
four (4) lawyer positions in the PMO's plantilla, and these lawyers can
adequately meet the PMO's legal concerns. They assist and advise the
JRPA on matters requiring legal knowledge and in drafting legal
instruments or documents. The PMO also states that it does not enter
into contracts and agreements on its own but first secures the
approval of the Court even at the initial stages of discussion with the
other contracting party/parties. Instead, it emphasizes the need for
experience in donor coordination and development projects,
considering the nature of the PMO's work.
Finally, the Fiscal Management and Budget Office (FMBO) also
submitted its Comment.10 The FMBO agrees with the OAS
recommendation to make membership in the Bar a qualification for
the positions of Chief, MISO and Chief (JRPA), PMO. It also suggests
that the Bachelor of Laws degree be made a minimum requirement,
and that the additional units and/or study be included in the training
requirement. The FMBO says that there will be no significant change
in the financial remuneration for both positions under the proposed
QS. The only difference will be the grant of the Special Allowance for
the Judiciary (SAJ). If the proposed QS will be approved, the holders
of the two positions will be accorded judicial ranking and,
consequently, given the monthly SAJ.
The Court acknowledges that there is some merit in the OAS
recommendation. Indeed, while the MISO and the PMO are not
directly involved in the adjudicative functions of the Court, both
offices operate to support the Court in its main function of deciding
cases. As such, it is important that the persons who head these
offices have adequate working knowledge of the Court's functions and
the legal implications of their actions.
However, we must also recognize the technical nature of the positions
of Chief, MISO and JRPA, PMO. The OAS itself admitted the technical
character of the functions of the MISO and PMO when it said that the
duties and responsibilities of Assistant Chief, MISO and Deputy JRPA,
PMO, involve special technical skills in computer/information
technology and project management and donor coordination,
respectively.
The same specialized skills should likewise be required for the Chief of
MISO and the JRPA of the PMO. As heads of these offices, the Chief of
MISO and JRPA of the PMO must possess the requisite knowledge and
expertise to lead their respective offices in the performance of their
main tasks.ςηαñrοblεš νιr†υαl lαω lιbrαrÿ

Accordingly, even as the Court sees the importance of maintaining

uniformity of the QS for positions in the same level, the nature of the
functions of each office must play a dominant role in determining who
should head these offices. The technical or specialized skills needed
for the positions of Chief of MISO and JRPA of the PMO should,
therefore, be the foremost consideration in setting their respective
QS. Thus, while a law degree and membership in the Bar is preferred,
post-graduate studies in Computer Science (for MISO) and in public
administration, finance, economics, or related fields (for JRPA of the
PMO) would be adequate substitutes.
As regards the judicial ranking of the two positions, the Court
reaffirms the Court's Resolution dated June 6, 2006, and applies the
same to the PMO. Thus:
1. If the appointee for Chief, MISO/JRPA is a lawyer, he/she will be
given the collatilla "Deputy Clerk of Court" and entitled to judicial
rank. He/She will be given the rank, salary and privileges of [an RTC]
judge;

2. If the appointee for the Chief, MISO/JRPA is not a lawyer,

he/she will only be considered as a Chief of Office. He/She will
not be given the collatilla "Deputy Clerk of Court" and will not
be entitled to judicial rank.

Relative to the QS for the Assistant Chief of Office of the MISO and
Deputy JRPA of the PMO, the Court agrees with the OAS
recommendation, subject to the modification of the educational
requirement. Considering the higher education standard required of
the Chief of MISO and JRPA of the PMO, which is a Master's degree, in
the case of the Assistant Chief, this may be substituted with post-
graduate units in computer science or ICT, and post-graduate units in
Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Economics,
Social Sciences or any related field, respectively.
IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, the Court APPROVES, with
modification, the recommendations of the OAS on the Qualification
Standards for Chief of Office, Management Information Systems
Office and Judicial Reform Program Administrator, Program
Management Office, as follows:

MISO PMO
Chief of Office Judicial Reform
Program Administrator
Education Bachelor of Laws with Bachelor of Laws with
at least 18 units in at least 18 units in
computer science, public administration,
 information technology business
or any similar administration,
computer academic finance, economics,
course social sciences or any
related field
or
or
Bachelor's Degree in
computer science or Bachelor's degree and
information technology post-graduate degree
and post-graduate in public
degree, preferably in administration,
computer science or finance, economics,
information technology social sciences or any
related field

Experience 10 years or more of 10 years or more of

relevant supervisory relevant supervisory
work experience either work experience either
in the government in the government
(acquired under career (acquired under career
service) or private service) or private
sector, with at least 5 sector, with at least 5
years relevant years relevant
experience in the field experience in the field
of computer science or of economics, social
information and sciences, or any
communication related field, as well as
technology in donor coordination
and project
management.

Training 32 hours of relevant 32 hours relevant

experience in training in project
management and management and
supervision supervision

Eligibility RA 1080 (Bar), CSC RA 1080 (Bar) or CSC

Professional or IT Professional
eligibility

and the Qualification Standards for Assistant Chief of Office, MISO and
Deputy Judicial Reform Program Administrator, PMO:
 MISO PMO
Assistant Chief of Deputy Judicial Reform
Office Program Administrator

Education Bachelor of Laws with Bachelor of Laws with

units and/or studies in units and/or studies in
computer science or public administration,
information technology finance, economics,
social sciences or any
or related field

post-graduate units in or
computer science or
information technology post-graduate units in
public administration,
business
administration,
finance, economics,
social sciences or any
related field

Experience 10 years or more of 10 years or more of

relevant supervisory relevant supervisory
work experience either work experience either
in the government in the government
(acquired under career (acquired under career
service) or private service) or private
sector with at least 3 sector with at least 3
years experience in the years of relevant
field of computer experience in the field
science or information of economics, social
and communication sciences or any related
technology field, as well as in
donor coordination and
project management

Training At least 32 hours of At least 32 hours of

relevant trainings in relevant trainings in
computer operation, project management
information and and supervision
communication
technology
 Eligibility RA 1080 (Bar) or any RA 1080 (Bar) or any
appropriate CSC 2nd appropriate CSC 2nd
level eligibility level eligibility

SO ORDERED.