PROTOCOL: Participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability (PITA) to improve public services in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

This paper argues that effective public service delivery is fundamental to socio-economic transformation. It emphases the significance of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) in planning and management of public service and administration in Africa but indicates that many national statistics offices and institutions in Africa are weak and their data are less dependable and continually impact negatively the public sector planning and management. The authors contends that members states of the African Union should prioritize strengthening their national statistics offices, domesticate and implement the following normative and other related policy frameworks to overcome the above challenges in Africa: the African charter on statistics and strategy for the harmonization of statistics in Africa, the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS), the African Charter on values and principles of public service and administration, the African charter on values and principles of decentralization, local governance and local development etc., the paper highlighted the element of good governance and argued that vital social statistics and civil registration were critical to operationalize these elements. Finally, the paper established the nexus among civil registration and vital statistics, public service delivery and good governance and concluded with specific recommendations on how to strengthen civil registration and vital statistics for effective public sector governance and service delivery in Africa.

It is common cause that, for the most part, public sector service delivery in South Africa is in a state of disarray. Problems associated with service delivery include shortages of skilled staff, under-spending of budgets, corruption, and a general lack of capacity. Best value in public service delivery is clearly not being achieved. Best Value is an emerging initiative that aims to improve the quality of public services. The basic premise of the Best Value initiative is that the public service should procure services on the basis of value for money rather than on lowest cost. The literature suggests the use of value management with risk management within a project management framework to achieve value for money. This article outlines a research agenda for examining the role of value management in achieving best value in public sector service delivery in South Africa.

Re-Engineering Public Service Delivery in Africa Post COVID-19 James Shikwati (bio) Public service delivery in Africa is not meeting the demands and needs of the citizens. Research prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shows that African citizen's satisfaction with the provision of basic public services appears to have diminished over the last decade. This indicates that governments are not meeting public demand in areas such as health, education, justice, and safety and security. The Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) indicates progress in overall governance performance on average in Africa. Unfortunately, it demonstrates a concerning trajectory, with measurable declines in the provision of core public services, such as education.1 According to the report contributor, Afrobarometer, 12.7 percent of people surveyed in 2014–2015 stated that it was "very difficult" or "difficult" to obtain the services needed from teachers or school officials.2 With Africa's population set to double by 2050, efficient public service delivery in this area is vital to the continent's ability to deal with new challenges in the future. As of December 13, 2020, Africa had reported 1,606,252 COVID-19 cases and 24,000 fatalities according to World Health Organization estimates.3 The COVID-19 pandemic put public service delivery around the world in focus, particularly in Africa, because of inherent general system inefficiencies.4 The public service sector is a recent phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa's nation-states. Now sixty years old, the sector is a legacy of European colonialism and far younger than Asian societies whose bureaucratic traditions predate those of Western countries. Many scholars have conducted quantitative studies on the performance of service delivery and how governments can ensure effective service delivery. Achieving efficient and effective service delivery is a cardinal pillar in the act of governance through relevant Ministry Department Agencies (MDAs).5 Criticism over public sector expenditures on service delivery led to the drafting of the New Public Management (NPM) concept in 1982. The concept embraces new innovations such as managerialism, market-based governance, entrepreneurship, and reforms that bring about effective and efficient delivery of welfare, social, and essential services. The NPM was discussed as a major trend towards a politically neutral movement out to6 ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in infrastructural development and social/welfare services. Governments of emerging and developing economies are still searching for new ways of improving public sector efficiency. A departure from traditional public administration to public management model will impact the way the public sector operates in terms of service delivery.7 Key questions on accountability, measurement of public service outputs and the role of elected officials remain of topical concern.8 Despite the continent's young public sector, reengineering it to rely upon digital technology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic offers great promise. The COVID-19 factor in public service delivery The abrupt and brutal disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the public service and its work force into a frenzy, forcing them to fight the pandemic's spread and manage its [End Page 206] accompanying socioeconomic fallout simultaneously. Corruption cases involving the pilfering of donor funds, procurement procedures, and overpricing of tools meant to fight the pandemic have dealt a major reputational blow to both governments and public service in general.9 While the pandemic catapulted public servants onto the frontlines, it also put the public servants and service under scrutiny in terms of accountability on both data and management of funds. Funding, management of resources, transparency, and accountability are major issues in public service delivery. Developing countries with weak governance institutions face a greater challenge of fund misalignment. Governments tend to fund the wrong goods—funds end up in private use rather than public and wrong target—service to rich people rather than poor people.10 It behoves government to be accountable to the entire citizenry as opposed to a few stakeholders. Peters (2001) notes the importance of equality and accountability for finances and responsibilities. Government is expected to ensure prudence, fairness and accountability in public service delivery.11 Dehn (2002) observes that while existing institutions of accountability overemphasize accountability for finance and fairness, they undercut performance and the...

Information and knowledge are keys to development in the knowledge-based society. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are playing an increasingly important role in the daily lives of citizens, revolutionising work and leisure, and changing the rules of doing business. ICT encompass all technologies that facilitate the processing and transfer of information and communication services (United Nations, 2002). Mbigi (2000) indicated that interdependence and “networking are part of African cultural heritage” (p. 23). The African Networking Renaissance is about business organisations finding innovative ways of doing business by harnessing ICT, cultural strengths and inspiration to meet the challenges of its local delivery needs and global competition. In the realm of government, ICT applications are promising to enhance the delivery of public goods and services to citizens not only by improving the process and management of government but also by redefining the traditional concepts of citizenship and democracy (Pascual, 2003). Van der Waldt (2004) noted that the South African government makes provision for the use of information technology (IT) to deliver certain services electronically (electronic governance). Because there is a need for municipalities in South Africa to realise “the strength and importance of a virtual infrastructure framework, which includes…technology and innovation” (eThekwini Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2003-2007, 2003, p. 24), the concept of a municipal information society (MIS) is proposed. An MIS conceptual framework to facilitate public service delivery is this article’s objective. This article is challenging because it discusses a fundamental realignment of the manner in which information, knowledge, ICT, people, and business organisations need to network within a selected municipality in South Africa to meet the challenges of public service delivery. The ideal attributes of successful public service delivery in a developing democratic society were formulated by an authoritative study of public service reform in South Africa (PRC, 1998). Public services are supposed to improve the lives of citizens in the policy areas for which a public service organisation (such as a municipality) is legally responsible. According to this approach to service delivery, local governments can utilise Internet technology to improve quality (better services), efficiency (cost effectiveness) and effectiveness (economic development). Electronic service delivery (ESD) is a method of delivering services and conducting business with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders to achieve local government developmental goals of improved customer service and business efficiency in a sustainable manner. The capacity to deliver services in a sustainable way refers to “the ability to perform appropriate tasks effectively, efficiently and sustainably” (Grindle & Hildebrand, 1995, p. 445). There is no more important issue in South Africa than improving the delivery of public services (van der Waldt, 2004). eThekwini Municipality sees the e-government strategy (eThekwini Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2003-2007, 2003) and its Web site (http://www.durban.gov.za) as important management tools for improved citizen service delivery and communications to the business community in the eThekwini Municipality Area (EMA) in South Africa. The Web site is seen as “key to retaining constant communications” with its constituents (Corporate Policy Unit, 2004b, p. 64). Improving service delivery calls for a shift away from inward-looking bureaucratic systems and attitudes towards a search for new ways of working that puts the needs of the public first (van der Waldt, 2004). In African Networking Renaissance, there is thus a need for “how-to” knowledge and information on modernising existing service delivery in keeping with new, appropriate ways of serving the needs of South Africans. ICT represent a key enabler for improved service delivery to both its citizens and business organisations in the EMA. Cronjé, de Toit, Marais, and Motlatla (2004) noted that the crux of social responsibility is “the insistence of the community that business should in every respect be a ‘good corporate citizen’” (p.106). The focus of this article is on ICT, eThekwini Municipality, and business organisations in the EMA. Good governance assumes that public service delivery (including ESD) is the implementation of public policies aimed at providing concrete services to business organisations.

The dynamics of public administration in India have altered drastically with the introduction of e-governance as a guiding concept in the late 1980s. Citizens, the world over, have been demanding smaller, effective and responsive governments, obviously inspired by the unprecedented and rapid success of finance capital in the global market. Consequently, policy makers began the search for smaller and efficient governments. On an evolutionary plane, reengineering of service systems, performance management, transparency in government operations, down sizing or right sizing the government workforce, emphasis on delivery of reliable public services and ultimately citizen satisfaction came to be considered as benchmarks by most of the administrators. Quick decision-making, data-based planning, effective implementation through quantitative techniques seemed to have clinched the issue. This reformative pattern was no different in the Indian context, where the governments at the federal and state levels were in search of new techniques and technologies.Information technology has been found to be very useful in reinvigorating the government administrative systems by enhancing their capacity and efficiency. The potential and scope for application of IT in governing processes and transactions are enormous. E-government can transform traditional administrative systems through employment of information and communication technologies. A governance system that is committed to working with civil society, and by extension, private industry in a transparent and accountable way to reduce poverty, redress imbalances in access to resources, foster security and uphold social, economic, cultural, civil and political rights is the ultimate objective of e-governance theory. In practice, much depends on the collaboration patterns that the governments seek to establish.E-governance practices in India emerged and evolved mainly from native intuition, but under prescription for lesser and transparent government by international financial institutions, mainly the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. However, the range of success of e-governance initiatives has not been uniform. The bottom-up demand for delivery of electronic services was bleak initially, but the change in public perception was for the better with the governments roping in private industry and service-oriented organizations gradually.The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as is construed normally in a world that is fast witnessing globalization of all businesses and administrative trends, especially in the realm of e-governance, involves features such lesser government investment in electronic delivery of public services, collaboration in conceptualizing, designing and implementing the e-governance projects besides increased participation of stakeholders -- both private and public -- to saturate the levels and the reach of such projects. India is no exception to the general rule dictating PPP mode in e-governance.The unprecedented success of the PPP modules in e-governance in India can be rightly established with two path-breaking e-governance models - e-Seva in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Bhoomi in Karnataka. These projects not only caused a jump in revenue collections of the two state governments, but also timely payment by the citizens. Time and costs for availing public services have come down drastically bringing in a positive change in peoples' perception of e-governance theory and practice. This holds equally true for both the rural and urban populace. The result of all these radical changes in public administration systems is the enhanced satisfaction level of the citizenry on delivery of public services and simplification of governmental procedures. The above mentioned e-government projects can serve as models for all the developing societies.

Over the past decade, discussions on concept of good governance in public service deliveries have been unsystematic. Improved public service deliveries through the effective use of citizen engagement policies and strategies by governments and other governance actors are not explored. This study undertook empirically-grounded research focusing on “how” public services are provided, rather than on “which” services are provided. The research attempted to use both qualitative and quantitative data, employing probability and non-probability sampling techniques to collect data at different stages. The previous evidence revealed that while ineffective service delivery are considerable challenges faced by public service, they are not insurmountable. Especially, the principles that can objectively guide the public service institutions, not only on service delivery standards, but also on public participation as well is not strictly followed by the institution under study. Citizens are not just consumers of services rendered by government, but are also critical role players with a stake in the election of governments and how such governments should run the affairs of the country. Keywords : Good governance, Decentralization, Participation, Service delivery DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-10-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Over the past decade, discussions on concept of good governance in public service deliveries have been unsystematic. Improved public service deliveries through the effective use of citizen engagement policies and strategies by governments and other governance actors are not explored. This study undertook empirically-grounded research focusing on “how” public services are provided, rather than on “which” services are provided. The research attempted to use both qualitative and quantitative data, employing probability and non-probability sampling techniques to collect data at different stages. The previous evidence revealed that while ineffective service delivery are considerable challenges faced by public service, they are not insurmountable. Especially, the principles that can objectively guide the public service institutions, not only on service delivery standards, but also on public participation as well is not strictly followed by the institution under study. Citizens are not just consumers of services rendered by government, but are also critical role players with a stake in the election of governments and how such governments should run the affairs of the country. Keywords : Good governance, Decentralization, Participation, Service delivery DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-8-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2020

The object of research: The study revolves around KM and service delivery. It ascertains whether KM is a plausible solution to public service delivery challenges. Although the paper is aimed at governments worldwide, it is focusing on South Africa.
 Investigated problem: While the public service in South Africa has been significantly transformed since apartheid's end in 1994, the government is now under enormous pressure to deliver and save the public service from further collapse. Recent years have seen an increase in service delivery demonstrations and marches. Many believe the public service delivery mechanisms introduced to circumvent public service delivery challenges have been ineffective.
 The main scientific results: Despite knowing what must be done, officials have trouble putting their plans, strategies, and policies into action. This is even though service delivery mechanisms were implemented to help them improve service delivery. In fact, only half of the respondents (50.7 %, n=33) were aware of service delivery mechanisms, though 95.4 % (n=62) concurred that KM is a viable solution to improve service delivery.
 Area of practical use of the research results: Very little research has been conducted on KM as a potential solution to South Africa's service delivery problems. As a result, this research provides new insights into improving public sector service delivery using KM. Overall, the findings will benefit KM and Public Administration practitioners.

PurposeThe dramatic population growth of Hispanics and immigrants, combined with the issue of diversity, in the United States population raises several important questions about the future role of public administration and the delivery of culturally appropriate and culturally responsive public programs and public services in the post modern era of diversity. What is cultural competency in public programs and public service delivery? Can public agencies become culturally competent organizations? What is a cultural competency model for public administration and public service delivery? Aims to answer these questions that point to the need for a “new” kind of public servant and public service agency provider– one who possesses explicit cultural competency skills to work with racial/ethnic and cultural/linguistic groups in the delivery of public programs and public services.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing a literature review approach, the paper examines the concept of culture in public administration and argues that “culture” and “competency” must be tied together thereby leading to a contemporary standard and operational framework for advancing cultural competency in public administration and public service delivery. The article argues that cultural competency can enhance public administration/public service delivery normative values by increasing an agency's ability to work efficiently, effectively, and equitably in the context of cultural differences.FindingsThe paper concludes that there are five reasons for incorporating cultural competency into the study and practice of public administration/public service delivery and moving a public agency toward cultural competence.Practical implicationsEmbracing cultural competency in public service delivery recognizes the salience of understanding the cultural context in which any direct public service encounter occurs. Advancing cultural competency presents an opportunity to address the incomplete and often times inaccurate public services and public programs provided to minority populations. A focus on cultural competency increases the relevancy of a public agency's administration, services and programs to the groups that can best utilize them. Having knowledge, awareness, and skills in cultural competency, service delivery professionals are better prepared to do their jobs.Originality/valueThis paper should be of value to both academics and practitioners as they grapple with diversity and immigration issues, public administration, public programs and public service delivery.

All‐of‐government response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: The case of Vietnam

Democratic professionalism in public services

Poor governance can affect greatly public service delivery, both directly through higher price, and indirectly through lower quality or quantity available. When seeking a public service, users may be required to pay in bribes significantly more than the official price. Consequently, some users may be discouraged and choose not to seek a service needed due to the higher price imposed by the bribery ‘tax.’ In this paper we explore both the price and the quantity components of the relationship between governance and services delivery using micro-level survey data: the bribery ‘tax’ itself (which a priori may be regressive or progressive), as well as the ‘discouraged user effect’ of such tax. To do this, we construct new measures of governance using data from users of public services from 13 government agencies in Peru In analyzing the costs borne by users to obtain public services, we find that for certain basic services low income users pay a larger share of their income that wealthier ones, i.e. the bribery tax is regressive. Where there are few substitute private providers and thus a low price elasticity of the demand for public services for any income category, as in the case of basic services, low income users appear to be discouraged more often and not to seek such a basic service than wealthier ones. Thus, bribery may penalize poorer users twice over, first by acting as a regressive tax, and then as a discriminating mechanism for access to basic services. We then explore the household’s characteristics when attempting to obtain a public service. The analysis suggests that higher education and age are associated with a higher probability of not to seeking a public service. Trust in state institutions also influences the user’s behavior and decreases the probability of being discouraged. Further, knowledge of the mechanisms to report corruption and extent of social network increase the probability to be a discouraged user of public services, suggesting that the household may rely on substitutes through the network. Finally, we complement the household level demand-side analysis with a supply-side analysis based on the responses from the survey of public officials, and construct agency-level measures for both access to public services and institutional factors. Econometric results suggest that corruption reduces the supply of services, while voice mechanisms and clarity of the public agency’s mission increases it.

This study aims to find out how public services are by using a humanistic approach organized by public service agencies as an effort to realize good governance. The public service agency under study was the Population and Civil Registry Office of Kebumen Regency. What is meant by the humanistic approach in the administration of public services in this research is the approach used in public services by prioritizing humanist/human values. This study uses a qualitative approach, which seeks to obtain as complete information as possible about public services carried out by the public service actors in the Population and Civil Registry Office of Kebumen Regency, which was explored through observation, documentation, and in-depth interviews with informants consisting of employees of the Population Service and Kebumen District Civil Registry and the public service users in the Population and Civil Registration Office of Kebumen Regency. In this study, writing is focused on issues relating to the delivery of public services using a humanistic approach for the realization of good governance. The humanistic approach in public services involves three aspects in the delivery of public services, namely the role of human resources shown through the attitude of the public service apparatus in serving the community, the process/mechanism/procedure of services carried out in the administration of public services, as well as facilities and infrastructure that support public services. Respect for humans is reflected in how the public service apparatus behaves towards the community they serve. The demand for good behavior which includes friendly, smiling, patient, empathy, and sympathy is an absolute thing in the Kebumen Regency's Population and Civil Registry Office in serving the community. Public services with a humanistic approach prioritize reciprocal communication between the public service apparatus and the people served.Keywords: good governance, humane, humanistic approach, public service.

Public services play a central role in the well-being, sustainability and growth of communities, cities, and nations. Nigeria’s quest to attain the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be a mirage without the public officers taking the driving seat to lead the process. Improvement in the capacity and ability of public service officials can be harnessed to improve a range of public services (e.g. health, policing, education, environment, local government, policy-making, etc.). The changing global economy, technology, politics, and increased expectations for government performance demand new attention to the complex set of public skills and capacity. Public officials are experiencing intense pressures emanating from increasing global integration - economic, political, social and cultural.New technology, new ways of organizing work, new means of delivering services and an increasing reliance on temporary employment have redefined the nature of public service. Meeting all these challenges requires a unique combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, traits and behaviours, effective human resource development policies and strategies to nurture those competencies. Against the background problems of persistent low performance of the Nigerian Public Service and the inability of the sector to deliver efficient and effective public goods and services, the Obasanjo civilian administration (1999 – 2007) identified the need for a more comprehensive and wide-ranging public sector reforms as part of its overall development framework.The success of the plethora of reform programmes of the federal government of Nigeria will largely depend on the quality of its workforce (public officers) that is statutorily charged with the responsibility to analysing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies and programmes of government. For example, if the service fails to deliver to certain standards, a country can lose its competitiveness, lose its direct investments and can lose its talented individuals to other countries (brain drain). While the choices are not always this simple, the ramifications and repercussions of a non-performing public sector are great in its impact and implications to the nation, its people, and its economy. To be able to deliver such levels of service, on the current scale and complexity, the fundamental personal qualities of those who deliver the service becomes imperative and vital.The objective of this paper is to identify strategies for improving the competence of public service officials in Nigeria with a view to moving public management beyond bureaucracy and promote greater economy, efficiency and effectiveness in public service delivery.

Community monitoring interventions to curb corruption and increase access and quality of service delivery in low‐ and middle‐income countries: a systematic review