TOO many government decisions result in failed projects and/or wasted money and resources because the focus in many government decisions is on who?

Who gets the contract? Who gets the commissions?

Good governance should start with a set of priorities and questions.

During a forum attended by presidential candidates, Sen. Noynoy Aquino hit the nail on the head when he was asked of his position on charter change.

He said that going through with charter change would have a negative impact because investors would tend to wait to see if there would be a change in business rules and the playing field.

His answer showed wisdom.

I agree. Before going into how the Constitution should be changed, it is important to answer why it should be changed at all.

Defining objectives

Answering why is the key because it defines one?s objectives. The government that we elect in 2010 should be clear with its objectives.

We should also go back to how politics was practiced more than half a century ago.

My father used to tell us that Quezon would not accept money from rich businessman and friends. There was ?delicadeza? among the old politicians.

Whenever Quezon traveled to the United States to work on Philippine independence, his friends would organize a poker game and lose their bets to him, so that he would not have to survive on hotdogs while in Washington.

That was a far cry from the $20,000-a-plate dinners of today.

I also remember how Quezon thought President Sergio Osmeña to be a little foolish, because Don Sergio refused to spend much time campaigning against Manuel Roxas. Osmeña said he was president and had work to do.

Earlier, I suggested that Republic Act No. 9184, or the Procurement Reform Law, should be amended to include a provision requiring the procuring agency to explain why a procurement is needed.

As I have pointed out earlier, if the Comelec had carefully thought out its objectives?working for honest, credible, and quicker elections?the officials could have easily saved P5 billion in the automation project.

The automation of the precinct count does not really assure people of an honest, more credible counting, and does little to make the entire process quicker.

Unfortunately, Comelec and its advisory council focused on the how of the matter.

Selection

In the selection of candidates for various positions, voters need to consider why the candidates are seeking office.

The candidates? stand on certain policies or programs may not be enough. We must choose those who will place the country over themselves.

Once the proper objectives have been defined, we can move on the issue of what has to be done and how to get things done.

It is important to define the style of governance. How will a candidate determine the whys prior to formulating specific projects and actions?

Again, it is interesting to draw from Noynoy?s answers, which emphasized consultation with parties concerned, specifically with local governments, which are on the frontline in delivering services to the people.

With respect to bringing peace to Mindanao, Noynoy said he would openly consult with all concerned. This is much better than bilateral negotiations with the currently dominant Muslim group behind close doors as GMA?s people had done. This practice tends to strengthen the strong faction (like the MNLF in the past and the MILF more recently) and disenfranchises the other concerned parties (both Muslims and Christians) in Mindanao.

One size does not fit all

In determining what has to be done and how, Sen. Chiz Escudero in the same forum pointed out ?one size does not fit all.? Policies, programs, and projects have to be tailored to specific needs.

What is good for Makati or Quezon City may not be good for a small municipality in Tawi-tawi.

For us to have good governance, we must have leaders who put country above themselves. They must study why something has to be done.

The leaders should be intelligent, but not intellectually arrogant. They should be willing to work in an open consultative process where the interests of all concerned are considered in order to come up with workable and lasting solutions.

There will also be a need for managers and experts who, given the objectives, situation, and available resources, may come up with feasible and cost-effective solutions.

(The article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines. The author is President of Systems Sciences Consult Inc. Feedback at map@globelines.com.ph. For previous articles, please visit .)