Promoting stakeholder optimism about local development through science, technology, and innovation planning

Abstract

Science, technology, and innovation (STI) are essential to attaining sustainable development. However, utilizing any development platform requires proper planning. In the Philippines, there is limited guidance for systematically mainstreaming or integrating STI into local plans, making it difficult for local governments to effectively use STI for local development. This study employed a quantitative, exploratory, descriptive-correlational case study design to examine the Masbate Framework for STI Planning, which was implemented during a workshop for mainstreaming STI into the Comprehensive Development Plan of the Municipality of Mandaon, Province of Masbate. It applied futures thinking to formulate the development vision; problem and objective tree analysis to identify development issues, goals, and objectives; vision-reality gap analysis to determine development gaps and identifying the programs, projects, and activities that would address them; and project planning and prioritization. This study examines how workshop participants perceived the planning process and whether their satisfaction with the workshop stages was associated with their optimism about the outcomes of applying STI to development. Using post-workshop survey data and the chi-squared test, the study examines the association between participants’ workshop satisfaction and their optimism about STI-based development. Findings indicate that participants generally reported high optimism about STI and development. Significant associations were observed only for the stages involving the identification and prioritization of programs, projects, and activities. This study provides exploratory insights into how a structured STI planning workshop may help strengthen stakeholder confidence in STI-oriented development, while also pointing to the need for further testing in other local government contexts.