Measuring Service Delivery in Relation to Recruitment Policies

Abstract

Public sector delivery of goods and services has been considered to be weak if not poor in developing countries. In an effort to meet the World Bank Millennium Development Goals aimed at eradicating poverty by the year 2015, many countries (developed and developing) have embarked on several reforms to improve, strengthen and provide quality, efficient and effective services. This paper centres on public service delivery based on a recruitment policies perspective in both the Nigerian and South African contexts. It aims to examine the quality of services provided, the relationship between public service delivery and the capability of the human resources providing the services. The research design is based on secondary data. The findings suggest that though well-intentioned, the current recruitment processes, which are based on socio-political factors or considerations (sentiments), contribute to poor service delivery. Recommendations include modifications to encourage more emphasis on merit-based recruitment processes that will ensure the right candidate for the right job and, thus, lead to effective and efficient service delivery.