As students and scholars of Science, Technology, and Society, we’ve been taught in Module 1 the importance of Science and Technology in ensuring the public good. With this, it becomes imperative for us to develop calls to action and reform in order to ensure that S&T is front and center in policymaking toward responding to the extraordinary demands of local government services. It is important that our calls to action will not be confined to our discussions in the (physical/virtual) classrooms but must lead to real-world observable reforms in our communities.

 

You shall identify a local government unit (municipal, city, provincial, NO BARANGAY LEVEL), preferably where you reside. You may focus on the following areas:

Education
 

You must do a quick and simple assessment regarding the local government’s handling of a pressing issue in their community. You may search social media posts of the official pages or websites of the local government to see gaps and opportunities for improvement. Moreover, you could benchmark other local government units and note their best practices in addressing the specific issue of concern.

 

After identifying the gap, you must propose science-oriented solutions to address the gap they identified. Solutions can be:

Scientific procedures you want authorities to commit to.
Simple technological tools you want the government to use.
Procedures and processes that could make implementation or enforcement better or more efficient.
Proposed partnerships with various organizations that can provide services that complement the initiatives of the local government unit to improve service provision to the public.
A follow-up to good initiatives started by the local government unit in the beginning but was perceived to have slow progress, slid back in implementation or was abandoned.
 

Be sure to note the contact details of your local leaders. For proposals at the municipal or city level, you will address your letter to the municipal/city mayor. For the provincial level, you will address it to the provincial governor. Take note of the email address, office address, and telephone number of their offices for better coordination.

 

Begin writing your recommendation statement. This will be in form of an official correspondence addressed to the local government official. For guidance, here are some recommended contents

of your letter:


Paragraph 1 (Introduction) – Give your salutations and pleasantries. Introduce also who you are (students of Mapua University) and explain the nature of the course and subject you’re taking. Be sure to indicate that one of your groupmates is a constituent of the mayor/governor.
Paragraph 2 (Your gap/s) – Provide an introduction about the gap or opportunity you have noted.  Be constructive in identifying the gaps and be respectful of their initiatives. Avoid tones that incite finger-pointing for faults or blaming.
Paragraph 3 (Your proposal) – Start by giving suggestions for the gaps you have identified. Each gap you have identified in paragraph 2 must be matched with a constructive solution in paragraph 3. Be constructive in proposing solutions. Focus on things that the government unit can take action on (implementation, better enforcement) rather than solutions that would require them to spend funds. If the latter is inevitable, provide opportunities for partnerships with agencies that could give them access to resources.
Paragraph 4 (Importance) – Discuss the benefit of hearing your proposals. This segment should answer the question: “If the agency will follow our suggestions, what will be the impact on the public?” Discuss the benefits from micro (small communities) to macro (the city/municipality/province) or the country in general.
Paragraph 5 (Conclusion and Closing Salutations) – To close the correspondence, be sure to give your contact details and encourage the office to communicate with your group if they have questions or concerns. Put your closing remarks and be sure that all your groupmates will sign the letter. The member of the group who is a constituent of the mayor/governor must be the first on the list of signatories.
Annex: References – Include an attachment of references or links related to your proposed solutions that the local official can check. It can be article copies or links to articles.