The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) has conducted a five-day online training program from July 4 to 8, 2022 for the legislative staff and the officers of the Congress of the Philippines who are emerging leaders in various positions.

The program, Capacity Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff

(CBILLS), has been conducted annually since 2018 in response to a request from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), with the aim of providing opportunities for participants to enhance global perspective and understanding on public policy systems, legislation, and public sector leadership. Taking into consideration the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inbound program has conducted online since 2020. Thirty-nine legislative staff and officers of the Congress of the Philippines and six staff members from DAP participated in the program from their homes and offices.

The course was designed for the participants to learn the following main topics: Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM), Legislation and Parliamentary Best Practices, Public Sector Leadership Models, Data Science and Policy Making, and Information Sharing Practices / Effective communications and Engagement Strategy.

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Lectures and discussion sessions were mainly featured by GRIPS professors including  Professor Ken Nibayashi; Professor Dr. Mikitaka Masuyama; Professor Hirofumi Takada; Professor Dr. Takashi Tsuchiya; Mr. Masakatsu Okamoto, President of Japan Academy for Municipal Personnel, Former Vice-Minister of Reconstruction Agency; and Dr. Ayano Nishihara, Associate Professor, Rikkyo University.

The participants also attended the Knowledge Exchange Session featuring legislative staff and officers of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, Japan. They exchanged knowledge on a wide range of legislative practices such as legislative procedures and information sharing to the public of both the Philippines and Japan through active discussion.

On the last day of the program, in a wrap-up session with GRIPS Senior Professor Kiyotaka Yokomichi, Director of Executive Development Center for Global Leadership, the participants divided into groups presented and discussed their insights and takeaways gained from the program.