MANAGING ENGINEERING SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE DPWH REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, REGION 6, PHILIPPINES
Keywords:
engineering management framework, best practices, lessons learned, public sector engineering services, stakeholder coordination, right-of-way acquisition, climate resilience, Region 6, Western Visayas, PhilippinesAbstract
This study examined the management of engineering services in the public sector by identifying prevailing best practices and critical lessons learned within the Regional Headquarters (RHQ) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Region 6, Western Visayas, Philippines. Using a descriptive-evaluative design, data were collected from 100 respondents — 50 DPWH personnel (service providers) and 50 community representatives (stakeholders and oversight) — and analyzed using the Average Weighted Mean (AWM). The overall effectiveness of engineering services management was rated at a High Effectiveness Extent (HEE, AWM = 3.4), a performance level that, while positive, sits at the threshold of the High category and is therefore vulnerable, particularly regarding long-term project quality and durability and adherence to transparency protocols. The most significant impediments were classified as external/systemic issues (AWM = 3.1, Moderate Difficulty), with Right-of-Way (ROW) acquisition delays and contractor-related problems the chief recurring bottlenecks; internal constraints were comparatively less severe (AWM = 2.5, Low Difficulty). Successful stakeholder coordination emerged as the most effective current best practice (AWM = 3.5, HEE), underscoring the value of early consultation and responsive grievance mechanisms. These findings informed the development of a Framework for Sustainable Engineering Management, which proposes a structural shift from the current vulnerable HEE baseline toward a sustained Very High Effectiveness Extent (VHEE) through a Zero-ROW-Delay policy, institutionalized stakeholder coordination and technological monitoring, and the integration of climate resilience and life-cycle costing. The Framework offers DPWH Region 6 an evidence-based implementation scheme for more resilient, accountable, and sustainable public infrastructure delivery.
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