Influence Service Delivery Research Articles

Mapping Psychosocial Challenges, Mental Health Difficulties, and MHPSS Services for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in Greece: Insights from Service Providers

Background/Objectives: Evidence-based information is crucial for policymakers and providers of mental health and psychosocial services (MHPSS) for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). However, there is a scarcity of national-level studies investigating the MHPSS needs of UASC and how these are addressed in Greece. The research objectives of this study were to explore: (a) the psychosocial and mental health needs of UASC living in Greek long-term accommodation facilities as perceived by MHPSS providers, and (b) the range of services across the country, highlighting gaps and best practices in service delivery. Method: An exploratory, predominantly quantitative design was adopted to map UASC’s psychosocial difficulties, mental health problems, and MHPSS delivery. Purposive sampling was implemented, with 16 of 17 NGOs operating long-term accommodation facilities for UASC and 16 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) participating. The sample included 79 participants (34 facility coordinators, 28 field psychologists, and 16 CAMHS directors). A 5-W mapping tool (Who, Where, What, When, and Which) was used for data collection, through an online survey. Data analysis involved quantitative and qualitative methods (content analysis). Results: Of 798 minors, almost 59% showed signs of behavioral or emotional disturbance, with over half referred for psychiatric assessment and 27.7% needing inpatient care. Aggression, disruptive behaviors, self-harm, and suicidal ideation were the most challenging issues. CAMHS directors reported a high rate of crisis-driven responses, with 42.1% of UASC needing emergency psychiatric evaluation. Psychosocial support was hindered by communication difficulties, lack of a shared care philosophy, understaffing, job insecurity, and limited resources. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the mental health needs of UASC, and the challenges faced by facility coordinators, psychologists, and community mental health specialists. Future research should focus on the institutional and organizational factors influencing service delivery to improve support for UASC.

Public Sector Governance and Service Delivery in Foreign Ministries: An Assessment of the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The paper presents findings of a study carried out to examine the effects of public sector governance on service delivery in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs- MoFA, Uganda. The primary objective of the study were to establish how public accountability and transparency mechanisms influence service delivery in Foreign Service. A cross-sectional research design, adopting both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection and analysis was used. The findings revealed that public accountability and transparency are positively correlated with service delivery in the Foreign Service. The other finding is that the social and financial accountability systems in MoFA are weak. The paper concludes that there is urgent need to improve effective and sustainable service delivery in the Foreign Service. Accordingly, the paper recommends that MoFA should ensure that every Foreign Service officer is fully accountable for their actions at work; management should be just in all its actions regarding its officers; and MoFA should modernize its communication system. The paper identifies some areas of future investigation.

Rural Social Work Practice in Turkey

Rural social work continues to grow in importance as a unique field of practice with unique opportunities and challenges. This qualitative research explores explore different aspects of rural social work in Turkey. To this end, the study explores social work practice in rural communities in depth, recognizing the distinctive contexts and characteristics that influence service delivery. In-depth interviews were conducted with rural social workers (n = 30) with significant knowledge and experience in addressing the social work needs of rural communities. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure a broad representation of expertise and geographic diversity. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes and patterns in the participants’ responses. The findings support previous studies that have argued that rural social work is a distinct field of practice. At the same time, the study shows that social work practices are shaped in an urban-centered manner, and local culture is ignored. The study concludes that rural social work should be integrated into graduate social work education, and even start during undergraduate education.

Service Delivery of Non-Governmental Organizations in Somaliland: The Role of Strategy Implementation Drivers

This paper examines the relationship between strategy implementation and service delivery among Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Somaliland. This study is motivated by the increasing need for sustainable NGOs capable of effectively fulfilling their mandates and the lack of empirical evidence on strategy implementation in Somaliland. The research focuses on key drivers of strategy implementation: financial resources, organizational leadership, organizational structure, and organizational culture. The theoretical framework of this paper is anchored in the resource-based view theory and institutional theory. Utilizing a descriptive research design, the study surveyed 86 respondents from Save the Children, a leading NGO in Somaliland. Using a sampling formula, these respondents were selected from a target population of 110 employees. Data collection was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS version 27. The findings indicate that organizational structure significantly influences service delivery among NGOs. Additionally, organizational leadership plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of service delivery. Financial resources also have a substantial impact on influencing service delivery. Lastly, organizational culture is identified as a critical driver of strategy implementation, significantly affecting service delivery. The study concludes that strategy implementation is a vital determinant of how well NGOs deliver their mandates, with its success heavily reliant on the supporting drivers of implementation.

Effectiveness of Home Health Care Services in the Qassim Region

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of home healthcare services provided by both governmental and private sectors in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia, during 2021. A survey was conducted involving 210 participants, comprising 2,304 patients from 20 governmental home health care (HHC) sections in hospitals and 199 patients from one private home health care section in private hospitals in the Qassim Region. The majority of respondents were married Saudi men who preferred home visits and faced literacy challenges. Home health care (HHC) was found to be a viable and cost-effective alternative to hospital care, with an average visit duration of approximately 65 minutes and costs amounting to about $400.5 for the private sector and $1,622.694 for the government sector per patient monthly. Despite higher perceived costs, home healthcare remained more economical than hospital-based care. Noteworthy is the continued cost difference between governmental and private sectors on a per-patient monthly basis, indicating potential non-financial factors influencing service delivery. Participants rated HHC services as effective, particularly in assisting with transitions and identifying nutritional deficiencies, although patient deterioration and re-admission received lower ratings. In conclusion, home healthcare services in the Qassim Region were effective across both sectors, highlighting HHC as a cost-effective alternative despite variations in costs between governmental and private providers. It is essential to note the exclusion of home health care coverage from the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) policy. Keywords: Home health care, Care systems, Quality, Costs

The Impact of the Cityhood of Tabuk on Human Development

The study analysed the impact of Tabuk’s transition to cityhood on various aspects of development, including economic, socio-cultural, political, and environmental dimensions. It sought to understand the demographic profile of respondents, encompassing age, gender, civil status, educational attainment, and employment status. It examined the city government’s demographic profile, including population, land area, income, and internal revenue allocation. The study evaluated the city government’s delivery of services and facilities and assessed the level of impact of Tabuk’s cityhood on economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental development. The research employed percentage analysis for respondents’ demographic profiles, documentary analysis for the city government’s profile, mean to gauge service and facility delivery, and regression to determine the cityhood’s impact on economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental development. Data collection primarily relied on questionnaires. Diverse groups, including business, agriculture, healthcare, education, professionals, transportation sectors, and community groups, participated in the survey. Key findings revealed that a significant proportion of respondents were under 24 years old, with the majority being female, married, and holding at least a bachelor’s degree. A substantial portion of degree holders reported unemployment. The Internal Revenue Allotment of Tabuk City exhibited substantial growth, and local income sustained growth. Population increased, and land area expanded. The study affirmed the city government’s effective provision of services and facilities, fostering socio-economic, political, cultural, and environmental development. Respondents’ demographic profiles, particularly age and employment status, significantly influenced service delivery. Moreover, service and facility delivery significantly predicted the city’s impact, particularly in infrastructure, tourism, low-cost housing, tourism promotion, and support for education, police, and fire services. Based on these findings, recommendations were made, such as crafting comprehensive communication plans, developing public-private partnerships, investing in green initiatives, promoting waste segregation, supporting entrepreneurship, initiating reforestation projects, creating a cemetery office, and establishing a gender and development office to enhance gender equality and inclusion. Keywords: Tabuk cityhood, human development, service delivery, demographic profile, impact assessment

Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services in Elementary Schools

Guidance and counseling services in Elementary Schools (ES) have an important role to play in the holistic development of students. However, the reality in the field is that not all ES have counseling guidance teachers one of them is at ES IT Arafah Padang. The research aims to understand the implementation of guidance and counseling services at ES IT Arafah Padang. Qualitative research with case studies. Data was collected through interviews, observation, and document analysis. The subjects of the study consisted of homeroom teachers of ES IT Arafah Padang, students, and other related parties. Limited funding and resources are the main factors affecting the presence of specialized teachers in guidance and counseling services. Although the service is available, the implementation has not been well programmed regarding the schedule and time of implementation. This causes students to face difficulties in accessing counseling services regularly. In addition, classroom teachers also recognize the lack of effectiveness in identifying students who need services, so some students need help but are not detected. Lack of parental involvement is also a factor influencing service delivery. These findings can be used as a basis for other schools to improve the quality of guidance and counseling services, to support the holistic development of students in ES.

The Influence of Financial Reporting on Service Provision within Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Uganda

This research delved into the impact of financial reporting on service provision within Uganda's Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality. Despite governmental efforts and legislation aimed at enhancing service delivery, the actual status remains notably deficient in this specific region. Consequently, the study sought to uncover the influence of fiscal, operational, and integrated financial reporting on service provision, areas that have largely lacked exploration. The research framework was rooted in Agency Theory and executed through a targeted population of 100, with a scientifically determined sample size of 80. Respondents were selected via simple random sampling, and data collection employed a questionnaire with robust reliability (0.89) and validity (0.76) measures. Analysis was conducted utilizing SPSS software, employing multiple regression analysis after validating all regression assumptions within acceptable limits. The findings revealed a robust regression model (R = .986) explaining 97.1% of the variability in service delivery (R2 = .971). Specifically, fiscal financial reporting (t = 8.479, P = .000, P < .05) and operational financial reporting (t = 3.288, P = .002, P < .05) significantly influenced service delivery, whereas integrated reporting exhibited insignificance (t = .075, P = .940, P > .05). As a result, the study concluded that fiscal and operational financial reporting wielded considerable impact on service provision, while integrated financial reporting demonstrated minimal effect. In light of these conclusions, the study recommended the implementation of an automated reporting system. These findings hold relevance for government bodies, researchers, and the Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, offering valuable insights for improving service delivery. Keywords: Fiscal financial reporting, operational financial reporting, Integrated financial reporting, Service delivery

Health Policy and Service Delivery in Referral Hospitals in Kenya

In recent years, there is an increased attention to build formidable health systems governance to promote the highest attainable standard of health service delivery which has become a fundamental part of our human rights and of our understanding of a life in dignity. The health systems governance through the establishment of health policy has taken on increasing importance in the provision of health care services in the health institutions. The public hospitals in Kenya have weak health systems governance attributed to the existing health policy affecting quality healthcare. The current study sought to examine the health policy as a key health systems governance aspect influencing service delivery in National Referral hospitals in Kenya. The study was anchored to the Contingency Leadership Theory. A conceptual framework was developed to show the relationship between the independent variables (health policy) and dependent variable (service delivery in the national referral hospitals in Kenya). The study identified six categories of the target respondents, namely, 5 directors, 43 board members and 88 head of departments. The study used regression analysis to analyze the association between the variables at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that all the health policy as a key health system governance aspect, had a positive and significant relationship with service delivery in the national referral hospitals in Kenya in terms of accessibility, affordability, coverage, customer satisfaction and timeliness of the services. The results support the current theories related to the study. Consequently, this study provides national referral hospitals with insights of how to improve health care service delivery through the adoption of appropriate health policy in the national referral hospitals. This could go a long way in ensuring there is improved service delivery in the national referral hospitals in Kenya.

Improving residents’ wellbeing in senior citizen homes with more individualized food services

Currently, food services in Swiss senior citizen homes heavily depend on the presence and working hours of human resources. For most residents, there is currently no possibility to eat according to their individual needs or preferences. However, trends like flexible catering, the reduction of the importance of lunch as main meal of the day or the “snackification” will influence service delivery in senior citizen homes in the future. At the same time, staff shortage and decreasing financial means force institutions to find new service designs. The goal was to find out how the wellbeing of residents in senior citizen homes can be improved by providing more individualized food services. Based on literature, a mixed-method research approach was chosen, combining expert interviews and a survey amongst management and staff representatives of Swiss senior citizen homes. It becomes clear that a more flexible food service provision needs to be thought in a holistic context encompassing the whole organisation, including not only hospitality staff but also management and care professionals.

Awareness and Accessibility of library resources for enhanced service-delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary hospitals in Abuja, Nigeria

The study titled awareness and accessibility of library resources for enhanced service delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary Hospitals was carried out to establish the frequency of access to available library resources by healthcare workers for enhanced service delivery in government tertiary hospitals in Abuja-Nigeria; determine how awareness of library resources has influenced service delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary hospitals in Abuja- Nigeria; The respondents are healthcare workers in the categories of doctors; nurses; medical laboratory scientists and pharmacists. A descriptive research design was adopted with the use of Questionnaires to elicit information from the healthcare workers. The numbers of the questionnaire distributed are 353; the numbers retrieved are 333. The study concludes that there is a link between awareness and access to library resources and enhance service delivery by healthcare workers. The influence of accessing library resources on healthcare service delivery of healthcare workers is attributable to healthcare workers’ awareness of the relevance of library resources.

The Effect of Records Creation on Service Delivery Among Private Higher Institutions of Learning

The paper examines the effect of records creation on service delivery among private higher institutions of learning. Although a number of studies have been carried out, most of them specifically focused on records management systems and the associated challenges and little attention is given to records management practices and its effect on service delivery with special reference to private higher institutions of learning. A cross sectional study design was adopted where both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection and analysis were used. A sample size of 83 respondents was used. Data was collected using both questionnaire survey and interview methods. Findings of the study revealed that records creation has a positive and significant influence on service delivery (p<0.01). The study concludes that service delivery does not rely solely on records creation implying that there are other factors that influence service delivery.

Factors Influencing Promotion Strategies towards Service Delivery among Independent Agencies in Tanzania: The Case of Dares Salaam Water Sanitation Authority (DAWASA).

The study examined the factors influencing promotion strategies towards service delivery among public independent agencies in Tanzania. It was conducted using explanatory design since three predicting variables were identified and tested on service delivery as the dependent variable. The study was mainly conducted to examine the extent to which customer awareness influenced service delivery in DAWASA, but also to examine the extent to which business branding influenced service delivery in DAWASA. The predicting variables included customer awareness, customer increase and business branding. The survey was carried out at the Dar es Salaam Water and Sanitation Authority (DAWASA) as the selected inquiry case where primary data were collected through structured questionnaires as the instrument for data collection from a sample of 50 respondents. The information obtained was grouped in the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) data sheet to generate relevant statistical measurements for presentation of results. Descriptive statistics were generated to provide description of the profile of the respondents; while the relationship between study variables was described by using correlation and multiple regression. The findings showed that two predicting variables out of three tested to the dependent variable; namely, customer increase and business branding are positive with significant outcome statistically with p<0.05. However, customer awareness has been found positive as well with insignificant effect towards service delivery as the dependent variable with p>0.05. The implication of the results is that service delivery through sales promotion strategies in Tanzania public independent agencies is influenced by customer increase and business branding. The study recommends the government to incorporate private actors in some sectors dominated by public independent agencies.

Customer Service Management Strategy and Service Delivery in Public Water Service Providers in Nakuru County, Kenya

Service quality means the degree to which a service meets or exceeds the expectations of its customers especially the public water service providers which helps to improve the image of the organization. Improving access to water supply and proper sanitation is key to poverty elimination and achieving sustainable development goals. Yet, accessing water for many urban and rural poor individuals remain very poor in Nakuru County. The study sought to determine the effect of customer service management strategy on service delivery in public water service providers in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was informed by Actor Network Theory. This study used explanatory research design and targeted population of 117 respondents from Nawassco, Naivawassco, Naruwassco water service provider companies in Nakuru. A census method was used to get the respondents. Primary data was collected using questionnaires where drop and pick method will be utilized. Results showed that respondents agreed that customer service management strategy influenced service delivery in public water service providers of Nakuru County, Kenya. Regression analysis showed that customer service management strategy influenced service delivery positively and significantly. The study concluded that customer service management strategy in public water service providers is crucial for ensuring customer satisfaction, managing reputation, maintaining service quality and reliability, efficient complaint handling, community engagement, continuous improvement, and regulatory compliance and recommended enhancement of the service structure in the public water service providers since by implementing an effective service structure, organizations can optimize their customer service operations, drive customer loyalty, and achieve competitiveness in the market.

Does citizen engagement improve development outcomes? A realist-informed systematic review of participation and accountability mechanisms

ABSTRACT Effective, accountable and transparent institutions, that engage in inclusive and participatory governance, are crucial for the sustainability of global development investments. However, there is a debate about whether effective approaches to improving governance processes operate from the bottom up (e.g. by enabling citizens to hold service providers accountable) or the top down (by enabling service providers to be held accountable by the State). This paper systematically reviews participation and accountability mechanisms in a range of sectors, drawing on principles of realist evaluation to develop and test middle-range theory using framework synthesis and statistical meta-analysis. We show that interventions promoting citizen engagement through participatory priority setting or accountability mechanisms are often effective in stimulating active citizen engagement in service delivery and realising improvements in access to services, where they facilitate direct engagement between service users and front-line service providers, such as in health care. However, citizen engagement interventions alone are not effective where services are accessed independently of service provider staff, for example road infrastructure. Interventions promoting participation by increasing citizens’ pressures on politicians to hold providers to account are also not usually able to influence service delivery.

Exploring the Influence of Supplier Relationship Quality on South African Municipalities’ Service Delivery Performance

Most South African municipalities are yet to perform at the desired level. Service delivery protests have been a permanent feature in the South African media for years. Apprehending the factors influencing relationship quality may help municipalities enhance their performance and reduce service delivery problems. The study adopted a quantitative approach within the South African municipality setting. The respondents were sampled using stratified random sampling and snowball sampling. Data were collected from 205 respondents using a structured 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The data were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics, SPSS, and AMOS statistical software. The main finding was that relationship quality influenced service delivery performance from the management’s perspective. The composite relationship quality variables (cooperation, trust, commitment, and satisfaction) significantly influenced the relationship quality. The implication is that the quality of the relational interactions between the municipalities and their suppliers significantly impacted the quality-of-service delivery performance.

Influence of Institutional Arrangement Factors on Local Government Authorities’ Service Delivery in Dodoma, Tanzania

The study is aimed at examining how institutional arrangement factor fosters service delivery systems, specifically how By-laws, Acts and Policies influence service delivery. A cross-sectional research design was used for the study. The study was conducted in Dodoma City as well as Kongwa and Chamwino District councils in Dodoma Region using a sample of 399 village council and street committee members. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used in data analysis in order to determine the influence of institutional arrangement factors on local government authorities’ service delivery. The study established that By-laws, Acts and Policies were positive predictors of institutional arrangements towards service delivery. Compliance with institutional arrangements increases the propensity of LGAs to serve the citizens in an efficient manner. Based on the conclusions, it was recommended that by-laws should be provided to citizens and all service delivery potential actors in LGAs. The approved national education and health policies and Acts need to be available and accessible to lower local government authorities in order to maintain the facilitation effects of institutional arrangement for sustainable LGA service delivery.

The Role of Career Development Management on Health Sector Service Delivery in Devolved Units in the Western Kenya Region

The reformation of the healthcare system in Kenya is anchored on the objectives of Articles 10, and 232 of the Constitution of Kenya promulgated on 27th August, 2010. However, these reforms have not achieved the envisioned results due to the transfer of functions to counties before building capacity at the county level to enable them to undertake the devolved functions effectively and efficiently, especially in the health sector despite the major policy, system, and infrastructural changes to 'fix' the health system to increase access, improve service delivery, reduce costs and increase accountability and improve responsiveness. The health sector in the county governments is still facing a myriad of challenges like delayed or lack of promotion, a severe shortage of staff in essential cadres, workers' strikes, and diminishing productivity among health workers. There is evidence of failure to provide sustainable access to quality and affordable healthcare occasioned by frequent strikes by HRH. Their major grievances have been lack of promotion and poor remuneration among cadres disrupting the only health system accessible to the poor majority. This informs the study's objective of assessing the influence of career development management on the health sector service delivery in devolved healthcare units in western Kenya. The study was anchored on Hertzberg's two-factor theory and agency theory. The study targeted a population of 3,547, and a sample size of 367 (201 HRH and 166 inpatients) was obtained based on the sample size determination table proposed by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) and Proportional allocation. Simple random sampling was used to obtain sample sizes for each stratum. Multi-stage, purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used to get the health facilities to participate in the study. Stratified cluster sampling, purposive and simple random sampling were used to include pre-described sample targets. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain data from the human resources for health and inpatients, whereas interview schedules were used to collect data from the in-charge of cadres. An explanatory research design was used. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, which included correlational and Simple Linear Regression Analysis on SPSS (version 23). The results of the regression coefficient indicated that b= 0.108, t =0.966, p=0.000<0.05. It showed that career development management significantly influenced service delivery in the health sector in the devolved units. The study recommends that promotion decisions should be based on employee performance to encourage fairness. Adequate training opportunities be provided to all employees to prepare them to do their job efficiently. It proposes policies and frameworks for the welfare of health care workers and improves service delivery to the citizens of these counties. County governments should have a clear succession plan so that healthcare providers can align their productivity to their career goals and aspirations.

DECENTRALIZATION IN UGANDA: DECONSTRUCTION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL RELATION MODEL

Most countries that have adopted fiscal decentralization to improve governance and public sector performance have found that improving service delivery is the most appealing goal. However, the focus on quick service delivery results has led to a tendency to overshadow the design of operational and institutional frameworks that deliver the goals. As a result, most countries' fiscal decentralization policies have been in place for a long period yet have yielded only marginal effects. This article discusses a study that looked at how inter-governmental fiscal ties, as a design feature of fiscal decentralization, influenced the implementation and effects of fiscal reforms in Uganda. This article deconstructs Uganda's intergovernmental fiscal relations model by bringing together some of the key elements of intergovernmental fiscal relations that are critical to the design and implementation of fiscal decentralization projects in Uganda. The discussion in this article explains the theory that underpins intergovernmental relations and the difficulties of relational concerns in Uganda's conceptualization and implementation of fiscal decentralization. It also defines the various concepts of intergovernmental fiscal relations and considers the consistency of the key characteristics of fiscal decentralization theory and practice. The article concludes with a reflection on the design and operational features essential to enable intergovernmental fiscal relations that positively influence service delivery.

Using phenomenography to unearth factors influencing the delivery of guidance services

AbstractWhich factors influence the delivery of school guidance services in Colleges of Education (CoEs) in Ghana? The guidance needs of students in the CoEs may not be fully met if the factors that influence guidance service delivery at that level of education are not explored for effective upgrade of service quality. This phenomenographic study therefore explored factors influencing the delivery of guidance services in CoEs in Ghana. We interviewed second‐year teacher trainees (n = 24) and counsellors from three randomly selected CoEs in the Volta region of Ghana (n = 3). The findings indicate that material resources and awareness influenced guidance service delivery in the CoEs. It was also found that although students reported that confidentiality and attitude influenced service delivery in the colleges, the counsellors did not agree with this. Finally, the study discovered that human resource does not influence guidance service delivery in the colleges. It was recommended that college authorities should provide the material resources, such as offices, computers, and test batteries, that are needed for counselling, and counsellors should publicise the guidance programme to raise awareness and lead to the development of positive attitudes towards the programme. This study contributes to the guidance and counselling literature by illuminating the factors influencing guidance service delivery in CoEs. This should be of interest to practitioners, policymakers and researchers in school guidance and counselling.