Section 18Sec./Art. 18

Creation of a UniFAST Secretariat. There is hereby created a Secretariat to be headed by an Executive Director to support the Board in carrying out its functions. The Board shall provide for the institutional setup, qualifications, and compensation of employees composing the Secretariat in accordance with existing Civil Service and Career Executive Service rules and regulations and consistent with the provision of the Salary Standardization Law for government personnel, and determine the size and composition of the Secretariat.

The Secretariat shall exercise the following functions:

(a) Provide technical and administrative support services to the Boards policy-making and implementation functions;

(b) Review, evaluate, and assess programs, plans of action, and agenda of the Board, and concomitantly recommend the approval or cancellation of such programs, plans of action, and agenda of the Board;

(c) Review, evaluate, and assess programs, plans of action, and agenda of the implementing agencies, including proposals for funding, and recommend the approval or cancellation of such programs, plans of action, and agenda of the implementing agencies to the Board;

(d) Maintain and update a repository of data and information on all StuFAPs for Tertiary Education administered by any government agency, branch, or instrumentality and create and maintain a comprehensive database system on the governments StuFAPs accessible to the public, pursuant to the policy of transparency and good governance;

(e) Recommend, manage, and monitor the processes of contracting out the implementation of UniFAST activities which would be best accomplished by third party providers, as approved by the Board; and

(f) Perform such other powers and functions as may be determined by the Board.