Training Needs Assessment of Barangay Officials and Employees: Office Management Skills as a Basis for the Development of a BSOA Extension Program

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the office management training needs of elected barangay officials and personnel in a city in Central Philippines as basis for designing a competency‑based extension program. Modern local governance requires officials to possess technical, operational, and communication competencies to deliver efficient and effective service; however, findings revealed that most frontline personnel have not received adequate formal training to develop the competencies necessary for office management. A descriptive survey design was used to gather data from 140 participants selected through cluster sampling. Barangays were categorized as either urban or rural following standards set by the Philippine Statistical Authority. The majority of respondents were middle‑aged to elderly, predominantly female, and mostly married. While many were college‑educated, a large number had only reached high school level. Participants acknowledged difficulties in documentation and records management, yet did not identify these as top priorities — a result consistent with the low ranking given to basic digital skills. The priority training needs identified were: (a) structured meeting procedures, efficient office routines and systems, and administrative management; (b) effective communication skills covering memo writing and handling official correspondence and information flow; and (c) leadership and team‑related competencies including decision‑making and collaboration. Although training on basic digital literacy ranked lowest, clear gaps were noted and will still be integrated into the proposed Bachelor of Science in Office Administration extension program. It is recommended that training be practice‑oriented and hands‑on to ensure mastery, and that younger individuals be engaged to build a pipeline of future community leaders.