An Implementation Framework for Public Service Charters: Results of a concept mapping study

Abstract

Many organizations have introduced service charters to improve service quality and user satisfaction. However, this goal is not always achieved, with the literature showing both implementation successes and failures. In this article, we analyse the organizational enablers for the implementation of service charters using a concept mapping methodology with an integrated Delphi study. Our empirical investigation, with the support of forty-five experts who had worked with public service charters in the Netherlands, has resulted in a framework involving forty-four organizational enablers. It shows that implementing a service charter requires a change management process that addresses both structures/systems and cultural aspects.