Proposed Integrated Financial Management Framework for Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19317647Keywords:
fiscal governance; Financial Management System (fms); budgeting; accounting; collection; disbursements; efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness; State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)Abstract
Philippine State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines hold the responsibility of managing public funds transparently, accountably, and efficiently while also contributing to regional development. Relative to these significant responsibilities, this study aimed to propose an Integrated Financial Management Framework for Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC) that considered the fiscal opportunities identified in the 2024 Commission on Audit Report for enhancing fiscal practices of the institution in terms of budgeting, accounting, collection, and disbursement functions. This study used a descriptive mixed-method design through structured questionnaires and interviews with the finance staff and unit heads of CSPC, and complemented by documentary analysis of institutional records. Efficiency, accuracy and timeliness were the criteria used by the respondents to assess the system and qualitative data to measure the operational challenges. Findings revealed that despite CSPC’s established fiscal governance structure regulatory compliance with the standards, its financial operations are mostly independent since it heavily relies on manual processes, resulting in delayed reconciliation, duplicated data, and limited real-time financial reporting. In response to these findings, the proposed framework aims to integrate financial operations into a unified digital platform, incorporating automated workflows, digital audit trails, and capacity-building initiatives to streamline processes and strengthen internal controls. Implementing this framework is expected to significantly improve accuracy, timeliness, and institutional credibility, facilitating efficient decision-making and supporting the institution’s transition to university status. The success of the proposed framework depends on phased adoption, technological upgrades, and continuous user-training to overcome current operational challenges and sustain long-term financial governance improvements.
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