Problems Encountered in the Implementation of the Citizen’s Charter: The Case of 4th District, Camarines Sur, Philippines

Abstract

Stakeholders’ feedback is one contributing factor in the attainment of an organization’s objectives. It clearly identifies strengths and weaknesses and other corrective measures to improve the implementation of public policies and programs. The study delved into the problems encountered in the implementation of the Citizen’s Charter and recommendations for the improvement of its implementation in the 4th District, Camarines Sur, Philippines. Using thematic analysis, three themes were generated from forty-five (45) interviewees composed of frontline service providers and users from the Local Treasury, Business Permit and Licensing Office, and Engineering Office of LGUs Tigaon, Goa, and Lagonoy, Camarines Sur. These themes are 1) Knowledge/Attitude, 2) Clarity of procedures/flow of transactions, and 3) Structural barriers. Specifically, the findings revealed that service users are not aware of the Citizen’s Charter, lack understanding of its purpose and procedures, the procedures in the Citizen’s Charter are not followed during actual transactions, there are delays in the flow of transactions, problems in the queuing system, and structural designs hamper the clearness of instructions from the frontline service providers. The study recommends that LGUs, CSC, and other line agencies sternly monitor the Citizen’s Charter implementation vis-à-vis, conduct awareness programs and capacity building, implement procedural innovations, address structural barriers, and conduct continuous research and extension activities of academic and field practitioners.