As part of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Gender and Development (GAD) program, DOST VI conducted a virtual orientation on the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) checklist for personnel of DOST VI Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) and Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology (CEST) across Western Visayas.

The orientation is one of the GAD Focal Point System’s initiatives to enhance gender mainstreaming in DOST VI. More specifically, the goal is to use the GAD checklist to integrate the GAD perspective in the development planning process and all project cycle stages.

During the lecture on how to complete the checklist and score the project, it was stressed that projects should score at least 8.0 to be considered gender sensitive.

During the orientation’s conclusion, Grants-in-Aid (GIA) Unit Head Jean Edessa D. Avila suggested that future project meetings should include a session for project proposal evaluation to check the project adhered to GAD guidelines. (KJRGagajena/DOST VI-KMU)