The University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) accomplished a feat this fourth quarter of 2021 as the Civil Service Commission (CSC) certified the university as a PRIME-HRM Maturity Level II (ML II) government agency.

Hans R. Alcantara, director of the CSC UPD Field Office, representing CSC-NCR director Atty. Judith Dongallo-Chicano, said UPD obtained ML II in all the four level systems under the PRIME-HRM.

The PRIME-HRM or Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resources Management, according to the CSC website (http://www.csc.gov.ph/2014-02-21-08-16-56/2014-02-21-08-17-24/2014-02-28-06-36-08.html), is “a mechanism that empowers government agencies by developing their human resource management competencies, systems, and practices towards human resource excellence. PRIME-HRM entails greater engagement not just of the human resource management officer (HRMO) but also of the officials and the rank-and-file employees of the agency.”

The four human resources (HR) maturity levels are: level 1—transactional HR, level II—process-defined HR, level III—integrated HR, and level IV—strategic HR.

In an email to the UPD Information Office, UPD Human Resources Development Office director, Prof. Augustus C. Resurreccion, PhD, said to meet a maturity level, “CSC has set different indicators for the different pillars under each core HR area that the agency must comply with.”

The four core HR areas are: recruitment, selection, and placement (RSP); performance management (PM); learning and development (L&D); and rewards and recognition (R&R).

The core HR areas are evaluated through the following lenses: systems lens, practice lens, and competency lens.

Alcantara, who presented UPD’s certificate of recognition, said UPD obtained ML II in all four core HR areas “as a result of its determination to promote people excellence, for efficient and effective delivery of public service.”

Now that UPD is certified with PRIME-HRM ML II, Resurreccion said UPD is given an accreditation status.

“Basically, UPD will be given an accreditation status and there are benefits that go with the accreditation,” he said.

Resurreccion gave as example the final action on appointments.

“Only 50 percent of appointments submitted will be reviewed by the CSC field office (CSC-FO),” he explained.

Meanwhile, Alcantara said “We have made quite a journey in our determined efforts to continually improve, and as we elevate to a higher maturity level, we steer our human resources and the organization towards a more efficient and effective public service delivery. This certificate of recognition may be considered as a simple prelude of better things to come.”

Resurreccion said with the recognition, UPD, at the moment, is waiting for the CSC resolution on granting accreditation and the bronze award to UPD. The bronze award is given to those agencies that reached ML II.

“Since UPD has been recommended for PRIME-HRM bronze award, and although such a commendation would still be subject to the validation by the CSC central office and final approval of our commission, that’s another milestone to look forward to,” Alcantara said.

Resurreccion said the awarding ceremony for the accreditation and the bronze award for the PRIME HRM will be held sometime next year.