THE USE OF SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU (EMB)

A Term Paper
Presented to
Prof. Romeo M. Del Rosario
Graduate Studies
Liceo de Cagayan University

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for
Systems Design in Management

by
Jan Karina S. Lapeña
MMEPM
April 13, 2019

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 ABSTRACT

Systems thinking helps an organization to solve its complex problems and one of the
organizations that requires systems thinking is the Environmental Management Bureau, a
primary government agency for environmental protection. Given the current rapid rate of
economic development in the Philippines, it is important to define a more responsive strategy
that will help EMB maintain a healthy and good quality environment. So to achieve this goal,
EMB must think into a holistic approach to understand the interconnectedness of each
element in the system. Thinking in systems applied a set of tools to graphically depict a
particular system’s structure and behavior. A balancing feedback loop is a kind of stabilizing,
goal-seeking, regulating loop that will be used to bring the discrepancy between clean
environment and economic development to zero, thus maintaining a balance economic
growth and healthy environment for all. It is also important to understand the system
behavior over time. If there is a mismanagement, misuse and overexploitation of the
country’s environment and natural resources, then the maintenance of healthy and good
quality environment will be compromised. Therefore, EMB must be developed and improved
especially in addressing the environmental protection against the rapid economic growth
which will likely result to environmental degradation. A long term strategic plan for EMB
shall be developed in order to achieve the best outcome and to become a pillar government
agency for a clean and healthy environment.

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 I. INTRODUCTION

Systems thinking is widely accepted today as a critical tool in addressing the many
environmental, political, social, and economic challenges we encounter around the world. It
has grown into wide spread use because it offers people a way to approach complex and
persistent problems more effectively (Meadows, 2008).

Organizations, like biological systems such as the human body, are interconnected
and have interrelated and interdependent parts that make up the whole. If there are changes in
one section of an organization, then it will have an effect on other sections. This is how a
system approach sees the organization (CPS HR Consulting, 2012). Organizations engaging a
systems approach to sustainability and organizational change gain a more advanced
understanding of how things are interconnected (Disrupt Design, 2017).

As government organizations find themselves operating in an increasingly complex

environment, there is a need to increase their capability to understand, communicate and
address this complexity so that effective decisions can be made. One example of a
government organization that needs to be developed is the Environmental Management
Bureau (EMB). EMB is the primary government agency under the DENR that is responsible
for the prevention and control of pollution as well as the management and enhancement of
the environment.

Given the current rapid rate of economic development in the Philippines and the
degradation of environment in the future likely to result from this, it is important to define a
more responsive strategy that will help the EMB achieve its common goal that is to have a
clean environment for all. Thus, this study aims to use systems thinking to achieve best
results in the organizational development of EMB.

II. USE OF SYSTEMS THINKING IN EMB DEVELOPMENT

With the new directives brought about by the current administration, EMB Region 10
must adopt to its changes without compromising its ability to achieve a clean environment for

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all. EMB as a system (Figure 1) consists of elements such as divisions/units, proponents,
policies, complaints, permits and etc. It has interconnections that hold the elements together
which include seminars, emission/effluent standards, consultations, public hearings, policy
enforcements and so on. The main purpose of EMB is to lead the country in balancing clean
and healthy environment with economic development for the benefit of the present and future
generations.

EMB relies on its external systems (macro, mega, supra and related systems) for
inputs for its processes as well as in identifying expected outputs. Inputs from stakeholders
serve as basis for developing or enhancing EMB’s processes to deliver intended outputs. On
the other hand, expected outputs to implement EMB’s mandate and ensure proper
environmental management include environmental laws and regulations, clearances/permits,
monitoring reports, education and awareness, and among others.

Figure 1. EMB as a system

Supra Systems
Philippine Government

Mega Systems
Cabinet Cluster

Macro Systems
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Related Systems
 Partner Agencies Focal Systems
 Proponents Sub-Systems Environmental Management Bureau
A. Central Office
 Industries and related
 Legal Division
sectors (clients)
 Policy, Planning, and Program Development Division
 Suppliers
 Administrative, Finance, and Management Division
 Consultants  Environmental Research Laboratory Services Division
 Civil Society  Environmental Quality Management Division
Organizations  Solid Waste Management Division
 Local Government Units  Climate Change Division
 International  Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Division
Agreements  Environmental Education and Information Division
(Multilateral and  Programs (Manila Bay Environment Management, Environmental
Bilateral Organization) Compliance Assistance Center, Philippine Environment Partnership
 Other stakeholders Program and Eco watch, Ozone Layer Protection, etc.)
B. Regional Offices
 Office of the Regional Director
 Clearance and Permitting Division
 Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division
c. Provincial Environmental Management Unit (PEMU)

EMB has been established since the integration of the National Environmental
Protection Council, the National Pollution Control Commission, and the Environmental

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Center of the Philippines in 1987 by virtue of EO 192 or the Reorganization Act of DENR.
Since then, EMB has established its processes, issued several regulations and implemented a
wide range of programs to fulfill its environmental objectives in the air, water, solid waste,
chemical and hazardous waste, and EIS management sectors. With this, EMB has vastly
matured as an organization. However, in view of the dynamic system on which it operates,
EMB must always be a learning organization.

A learning organization as defined by Peter Senge has five disciplines and one of
these is systems thinking. Systems thinking is a growing discipline designed to tackle
complexity and produce significant results. It is also recognized as an effective approach to
help organizations make sense of the interconnectedness of systems and develop solutions
that are effective, long lasting and sustainable. In addition, systems thinking relies on a
variety of specialized tools to graphically depict a particular system’s structure and behavior.
Organizational issues are examined through the use of feedback loops, causal loop diagrams,
system archetypes and behavior over time graphs. In Figure 2, an illustration shows how the
EMB (system) runs itself using balancing feedback loop.

Figure 2. Purpose of EMB

environmental
protection
CLEAN
ENVIRONMENT

discrepancy
economic
development

This diagram tells the system (EMB) that its function is to bring the discrepancy
between clean environment and economic development to zero. If there is a great
discrepancy, then the balancing feedback loop will try to bring the stock (clean environment)
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back up by adjusting the rate of inflow (environmental protection). This balancing feedback
loop is a kind of stabilizing, goal-seeking, regulating loop.

If there is a change in the system, then the whole organization will also be changed
but this change must be for the betterment of everybody. Thus, it is important to understand
system behavior over time. As shown in Figure 3, if there is a mismanagement, misuse and
overexploitation of the country’s environment and natural resources, then the maintenance of
healthy and good quality environment will be compromised.

Quality of Environment
Overexploitation/
Mismanagement

1 2 3 4
Time in years

Figure 3. Quality of environment when there is overexploitation and

mismanagement of environment and natural resources

Today, due to the development of industrialization with the increase of population

growth and human activities, environmental quality is decreasing, with increasingly serious
environmental problems (i.e. air pollution, water pollution and land pollution). Thus, EMB
must take course of action for advancing its priorities to protect human health and the
environment. Also, it must identify the measurable environmental outcomes that the public
can expect and describe how EMB intends to achieve those results.

As an environmental management specialist of EMB, my job is to ensure that all

establishments particularly industries that have air pollution source equipment shall secure
permit to operate pursuant to R.A. 8749, known as Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.
Industries with large sources of air pollution shall conduct emission testing as proof of
compliance to the National Emission Standards for Source Specific Air Pollutants (NESSAP).
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Moreover, to monitor the ambient air quality in highly urbanized cities like Cagayan de Oro
City, EMB established an Air Quality Monitoring Network (AQMN) to determine the status
of ambient air. However, the key issues that prevent us from maximizing these air quality
management programs are gaps in existing policies, lack of resources (manpower and
logistics), and lack of technical assistance and capability (e.g. airshed management, operation
and maintenance of AQMN, etc.). To remedy these, there is a need to establish an emission
inventory to come up with an updated and comprehensive analysis of air quality status and air
pollution sources in the city. As a focal person of Emissions Inventory (EI) in Region 10,
there are also some challenges that we encountered particularly in EI data gathering such as
data collection and processing from industrial, domestic, commercial and mobile sources. For
mobile sources, we have to conduct vehicle counting in order to measure the annual average
daily traffic on individual rode segments in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, thus it
requires a lot of manpower to collect and record the traffic data. So to solve these, we invited
OJTs to participate in the activity and trained them to be enumerators. Another obstacle is the
continuing collaboration with LGUs. There should be a continuous support from the mayor
and the local government to have a successful emission inventory in cities. All these
problems are examples of discrepancies in the system that needs to be improved and
developed.

Thinking in systems requires a more holistic approach to understand phenomena, thus

it takes a longer-term view of solving problems by being proactive rather than reactive. A
long term strategy plan for EMB shall be developed in order to achieve the best outcome.
Figure 4 shows the strategy map of EMB that would provide development towards clean and
healthy environment.

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 Figure 4. Strategy Map of EMB

In order to improve the environmental quality, EMB must serve the community by
strengthening the enforcement of environmental laws and to promote sustainable
consumption and production. EMB must improve internal processes of permitting by using
best available MIS and best available technology for monitoring. To transform into a high-
performing organization that gains the trust and confidence of the people, EMB must
continually build and develop the character and competency of personnel. Also, EMB must
optimize the utilization of funds and maintain transparency in all financial transactions.
Lastly, EMB must sustain partnership and collaboration with stakeholders. All these solutions
will help EMB become a pillar government agency for a clean and healthy environment.

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III. CONCLUSION

Because of rapid economic growth which the current administration targets to

achieve, EMB as a primary government agency for environmental protection has to ensure
that the country’s development will not degrade the environmental quality. So, to tackle this
complexity, systems thinking approach shall be used in order to produce significant results.
Systems thinking involves both a mindset that focuses on how the parts of a whole are
interrelated (i.e. economic growth affects environmental quality) and a set of tools that help
organizations examine complexity (i.e. balancing feedback loop, behavior over time, etc.).By
using systems thinking, the development of such an organization like EMB will help the
government achieve the desired goal that is to have a clean environment for all.

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REFERENCES

1. Meadows, D. (2011, March 11). Thinking in Systems: A Primer. Retrieved March

24, 2019.

2. Sweeney, L. (2001). Systems Thinking: A Means to Understanding Our Complex

World. Retrieved March 25, 2019, from www. [Link].

3. OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation. Working with Change: Systems

approaches to public sector challenges. Retrieved March 25, 2019.

4. CPS HR Consulting. Using Systems Thinking to Achieve Results in Organizational

Development. Retrieved March 25, 2019, from [Link].

5. Innogy Solutions (January 2016). Formulation/Development of environmental

Management Bureau (EMB) Roadmap for Short, Medium and Long-Term
Plans. Retrieved March 23, 2019

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