To:     Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. Background
   1. In August 2001, Republic Act No. 9155 (RA 9155), An Act Instituting A Framework of Governance for Basic Education, Establishing Authority and Accountability, Renaming the Department of Education, Culture and Sports as the Department of Education, and for Other Purposes, otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, was issued.  It provided a framework for the governance of education, decentralizing governance to the field, and making the schools and learning centers the heart of the education system. The law also established the authority and accountability of the various organization levels of the Department of Education (DepEd).
   2. In October 2004, Executive Order No. 366 (EO 366, s. 2004), Directing A Strategic Review of the Operations and Organizations of the Executive Branch and Providing Options and Incentives for Government Employees Who May Be Affected by the Rationalization of the Functions and Agencies of the Executive Branch, was issued. According to Section 2 of the said EO, the initiative aimed to: (a) focus government efforts and resources on its vital/core service; and (b) improve the quality and efficiency of government services delivery by eliminating/minimizing overlaps and duplication, and improving agency performance through the rationalization of service delivery and support systems, and organization structure and staffing (Section 2, EO 366, s. 2004).
   3. In December 2011, DepEd embarked on the review and revision of its Rationalization Plan (RP) based on RA 9155 and long-term reforms needed in the education sector to respond to fast-changing demands of the local and global environment.
   4. On November 15, 2013, the DepEd Rationalization Plan (RP) was approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The approval included the rationalized structure and staffing pattern of offices at the central, regional, and schools division levels.
2. Rationale of the Organizational Structures
   5. The rationalized organizational structures and staffing patterns were a result of the thorough study of the DepEd Change Management Team (CMT) on the current structures, functions and staffing complement of the DepEd offices vis-à-vis the long-term education reforms, requirements of the learners and the changing environment, and national government policies.
   6. The approved organizational structures are consistent with the provisions of RA 9155 in applying the principles of decentralization and shared governance to ensure accountability and relevance to the context, and development needs of the learners and stakeholders of the various organizational levels.
   7. In developing the organizational structures, the DepEd CMT also identified the themes or organizational strands common to all levels of the Department. These organizational strands reflect the similarity of functions and objectives of offices and units. The organizational strands are as follows:
      1. Office of the Secretary;

2. Curriculum and Instruction;

3. Strategic Management;

4. Governance and Operations;

1. The Office of the Regional Director provides leadership and management of the Department’s mandate at the regional level; and
2. The Office of the Schools Division Superintendent provides local management and administration of the Department’s mandate at the schools division level.

5. Legal and Legislative Affairs;

6. Finance and Administration:

8. The following organizational actions were taken on the existing offices:
   1. Offices to be retained or renamed in the new structure;
   2. Offices to be transferred to other bureaus/services or organizational strands;
   3. Offices to be merged or consolidated due to similarity in objectives or functions;
   4. Offices to be upgraded or elevated to address critical functions or adhere to existing government issuances;
   5. Offices to be abolished but whose functions will be absorbed by other offices in the rationalized structure; and
   6. Offices to be created to address critical functions performed by ad hoc committees or prescribed by government issuances.
9. Based on these actions, the following information are included in this Order:
   1. Enclosure No. 1  presents the actions taken on the existing offices at the central, regional and schools division levels;
   2. Enclosure No. 2 presents the official organizational structures for the DepEd central, regional, and schools division offices;
   3. Enclosure No. 3 presents the counterpart offices of each organizational level according to the organizational strands; and
   4. Enclosure No. 4 presents the general functions of each office in the each organizational level.
10. The regional and schools division offices are categorized based on size classification. The size classification will also determine the minimum staffing complement allocated to the following offices;
    1. Regional offices (ROs) shall be classified as small, medium or large; and
    2. Schools division offices (SDOs) shall be classified as small, medium, large, or very large.
11. New offices to be established shall follow the approved organizational and staffing standards agreed upon by the DepEd and DBM.

3. Transitory Provisions
   12. Given the changes in the organizational structures and functions of DepEd offices, the offices are given until the end of December 2015 to complete their transition and be operational in the rationalized structures. The completion of the transition may be in different paces for offices due to their nature and scope and their respective transition processes.
   13. The new Bureau of Human Resource and Organization Development (BHROD), under the Office of the Undersecretary for Governance and Operations, shall take the lead in managing the transition of offices and personnel to the rationalized structures. This shall be done in collaboration with the heads of offices for each strand/bureau/ service/division/unit.
   14. The BHROD shall identify appropriate strategies and mechanisms  in the following areas:
       1. Personnel actions e.g. placement, transfers, etc.;
       2. Human resource development programs e.g. recruitment and selection, onboarding and capacity building;
       3. Physical infrastructure and locations of offices;
       4. Identification, revision and mapping of core work processes and systems;
       5. Role clarification of personnel and offices based on the new functions;
       6. Policy review and adjustments; and
       7. Communications and management of change.
   15. The new organizational structures, as indicated in Enclosure No. 2, shall take effect no later than January 01, 2016.
       1. The following indicators shall signify that an office has transitioned to the new organizational structure:
          1. The office is using the retained or new office title indicated in the approved organizational structure;
          2. Personnel have been notified of their placement to the retained or new offices in the approved organizational structure;
          3. The office is utilizing the approved staffing pattern in the recruitment and selection process;
       2. In support of the offices and personnel in this period of change, capacity development activities shall continue as necessary after the said date.
   16. As there will be vacancies due to the retirement, resignation or promotion of incumbents, the filling up of vacant positions shall continue to proceed through the regular recruitment and selection process.
   17. For the DepEd Central Office, the following guidelines shall be followed:
       1. Communications will be addressed to the heads of offices;
       2. For new offices and those with no authorized head of office, the Secretary shall designate an officer-in-charge to lead the bureau/service and manage the transition activities;
       3. Personnel transferring to other offices may already do so provided the following conditions are present:
          1. Agreements have been made with the current office on the completion of deliverables and proper turn over of responsibilities to ensure smooth transition and continuity of program operations; and
          2. Availability of physical space in the recipient office to accommodate the transferring of employee/s.
       4. Movements of offices to new locations shall be on a staggered basis depending on the schedule of physical renovations and repairs.
   18. The new organizational structures, as indicated in Enclosure No. 2, at the central, regional and schools division levels shall supercede previous issuances and policies pertaining to the old titles and functions of the offices.
   19. All existing DepEd Memoranda, Orders and other administrative issuances of similar nature, which are inconsistent with this Order, are hereby deemed repealed and superceded accordingly.
   20. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

(Sgd.) BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC
Secretary
Encls.: As stated

References:
DepEd Orders: Nos. 50, s. 2014; 27, s. 2014 and 53, s. 2013
DepEd Memorandum: Nos. 271 and 224, s. 2011; 451 and 469, s. 2004

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
BUREAUS AND OFFICES
CHANGE
EMPLOYEES
OFFICIALS
POLICY
RATIONALIZATION
RULES AND REGULATIONS
TRANSFER

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