Participation In Service Delivery Research Articles

Willingness and Roles of Young People to Meaningfully Participate in Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programmes: A Case of Get Up Speak Out Project in Western Kenya

This study aims to demonstrate the willingness and roles of young people in implementation of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for young people. A full coverage survey across all 24 link health facilities of Get Up Speak Out (GUSO) program implementation was conducted in May 2020 adopting an electronic approach in adherence to the MOH Covid-19 preventive guidelines. The findings established that there was a progressive increase in representation over the 3-year period starting at 66% in 2019 to 77% in 2020. The study also revealed that young people involved in program activities over the 3 years recorded an average of 132% on youth participation. The findings imply that programs can effectively engage young people in planning, implementing, and monitoring Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights interventions. The implication of these findings is that, a clear guideline promoting engagement of young people by Ministry of Health on the type of capacity building and for what skill would go a long way to enhance implementation of the Meaningful Youth Participation goal. This will have the effect to actualize meaningful youth participation in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights programming and implementation by the Ministry of Health. The study recommends strengthening of Meaningful Youth Participation in service delivery to the young people as this will lead to high satisfaction for services and increased uptake by young people.

An interpretive perspective on co-production in supporting refugee families’ access to childcare in Germany

The arrival of large numbers of refugees in Germany since 2015 has led to unprecedented levels of civic participation in service delivery. This is supported in integration policy, including through local coordination. We connect this empirical case with the conceptual debate on co-production, adopting an interpretive approach. We explore how volunteers and local coordinators interpret encounters between civic and state actors in the context of co-producing support received by refugee families in gaining access to childcare. Based on 20 interviews, we distinguish three types of experiences: collaborating towards common aims, where both sides value collaboration based on complementary abilities; contesting exclusion, where volunteers confront state actors in cases of conflict; replacing services, where volunteers feel obliged to perform tasks they interpret as the state’s responsibility. Our findings illustrate the value and limitations of co-production in practice, including in relation to establishing adequate sharing of work between civil and state actors.

Public participation and enhancement of service delivery in the Zululand District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province

Public participation and gatherings help as important measures used by municipalities to interconnect and cooperate with people in communities, particularly about services and significant programmes to be delivered to them. A local government will always be the fundamental place for the provision of basic services and life improvement. However, in various places, there is a continuous failure in community participation, and amongst the places suffering from such a failure, ZDM is not excluded. The paper assessed the effectiveness of public participation in service delivery. The theoretical framework used in this paper included Arnstein’s ladder theory of participation as well as Agency theory to underpin the current study. The qualitative research approach was useful when collecting data by means of in-depth interviews and analyzing it using a Qualitative Content Analysis. A qualitative approach in this paper involved an interpretative paradigm. Social constructivism as one of the interpretive frameworks was also used when the analysis of data was carried out in this paper. The focus was on selected 5 Local Municipalities within ZDM. Conducting interviews and having in-depth interview sessions with 20 participants from the study area enabled a possible data collection for this paper. Collecting data in this research relevantly explained useful processes on public participation programmes and measures for better improvement of citizens. A qualitative content analysis ensured the coding of items or caused a proper manner through a systematic approach. The ultimate result of analyzing data was through identifying possible groupings, themes and arrangements. Therefore, collected data from interviews were grouped into themes. The findings indicated that a few programmes for public participation implemented in ZDM have not achieved the goal of the institution to deliver efficient services to the community. This is merely caused by a lack of knowing the significance of public participation in efficient service delivery by the community members, it is also a result of community representatives and municipal officials not having an interest to serve the community. Thus, it is concluded in this paper that it is vital for the community to be included in every plan that ZDM arranges for its people for rendering adequate services to them. Keywords: Public participation, service delivery, Zululand District Municipality (ZDM).

Optimization of Public Services of State Civil Services in Human Resource Management Perspective in Poso Regional Public Hospital (RSUD)

This study aims to determine the optimization of public services for the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) from the perspective of human resource management and the supporting and inhibiting factors in the Poso Regional General Hospital. This type of research is qualitative research. The results showed that transparency is open, easy to understand and accessible to all parties who need it and is provided adequately and easily understood. This dimension is felt by the community who uses the service as good, so the community evaluates it well and feels the satisfaction of the services provided. Transparency affects the service process in order to create a good impression so that the ultimate goal of satisfaction can be achieved. This dimension of accountability is the ability to provide services in a timely and consistent manner, service standards and promised times that can be accounted for. Conditional, namely the responsiveness of the apparatus in providing the services needed and being able to complete the service quickly according to the promised time period with the conditions and capabilities of the service provided by the officer. This condition situation is related to the reason and way of thinking of the apparatus shown to the customer. Participation encourages community participation in service delivery by taking into account the aspirations, needs and expectations of the community. The guarantee dimension includes knowledge, ability, politeness and trustworthiness possessed by the apparatus, free from dangers, risks, and doubts that result in disturbances in the normal structure of life. Providers and recipients of public services must fulfill the rights and obligations of each party. The inhibiting factor is the lack of apparatus resources, the lack of infrastructure and infrastructure. The supporting factors are encouraging each other's apparatus, holding coordination or evaluation meetings every three months and then giving the planting of awareness to serve the community sincerely and according to conscience.

Localizing the Human Right to Water in Lagos State, Nigeria

Nigeria’s water sector is characterised by abysmal network coverage despite significant natural water resources potential. Most of the water sector reforms across the country encourage private sector participation in service delivery, to improve quality and efficiency. Early attempts at water privatization in Lagos State, a pioneer for water sector reforms in Nigeria, have met with stiff opposition from local water justice advocates, mostly on human rights grounds. Similar opposition has followed water reforms and privatization efforts in other parts of the country as well. Hence, this paper uses Lagos State as a case study to examine the prospects for the localisation of the human right to water within the context of private sector participation in the water sector. The findings suggest that: (a) private sector participation solely cannot account for the failure to localize the human right to water and the legal framework regulating the water sector plays an important role in determining the outcome; (b) the extant water sector law in Lagos State entrenches various forms of inequality in water access for personal and domestic uses; and (c) there is need for further legal reforms to elevate access to safe drinking water services beyond the contractual obligation on consumers to pay for services to a human right.

Customer participation risk management: conceptual model and managerial assessment tool

PurposeCustomer participation (CP) has received considerable interest in the service literature as a way to improve the customer experience and reduce service providers' costs. While its benefits are not in question, there is a paucity of research on potential pitfalls. This paper provides a conceptual foundation to address this gap and develops a comprehensive model of the risks of customer participation in service delivery, integrating research from the marketing, operations and supply chain management, strategy, and information technology fields.Design/methodology/approachThe model is derived deductively by integrating insights from research in marketing, operations and supply chain management, strategy, and information technology.FindingsThis paper identifies three categories of potential risks of CP (i.e. market, operational, and service network) and discusses ways that firms can mitigate these risks. Building on the model, it develops a CP risk assessment tool that managers can use when evaluating increases in CP.Research limitations/implicationsThe conceptual model proposed in this paper can serve as a robust basis for future research in customer participation, particularly in such areas as sharing economy services, service delivery networks, and experiential services. The risk assessment tool offers clear guidelines for managers who are considering an increase in customer participation in their service.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to conceptually define customer participation risk and develop a comprehensive model of its drivers and strategies to mitigate it. This paper develops a straightforward method for managers to evaluate CP risk.

Politicians, bureaucrats and the public–private choice in public service delivery: anybody there pushing for remunicipalization?

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence on remunicipalization remains scarce, and even more so as regards potential differences in the roles played by politicians and bureaucrats in service delivery reform. We use information obtained from a survey of Spanish municipalities to investigate differences in the service delivery preferences of politicians and technical staff, as well as differences in their respective propensities to reform. The results we obtain suggest that bureaucrats have both a stronger preference for private participation in service delivery and for reforming services than do politicians.

Charting the Mode for Community Participation in Service Delivery

Poor service delivery has always been considered a legacy of the apartheid era. However, 25 years into democracy, many local municipalities are still battling with service delivery backlogs. These backlogs are often attributed to, for example, dysfunctional ward committees, corruption amongst councillors, exclusion of community members in the planning process, failure to prioritise community needs, and institutional capacity issues. These challenges have undermined municipalities’ provision of quality service delivery and have precipitated service delivery protests. This article argues that community participation, which has been identified as a factor that can mitigate the aforementioned challenges, can be pivotal in the provision of effective and efficient services by municipalities. The relationship between community inclusion and service delivery outcomes is not simplistic, but depend upon a combination of proactive and highly skilled leaders and a cooperative and supportive populace. In this article, we identify the modes for successful participation and also the consequences of community exclusion through textual analysis of pertinent sources. We argue that such participation can only be successful and sustainable if it is reinforced by support from local government in the form of community training and capacity development workshops to exchange and instil new ideas as well as by resource allocation.

Social innovation and service delivery in Belgium and South Africa

PurposeSocial innovation (SI) remains a latent area in the South African local government (LG) sphere despite its growing use in public-sector service delivery globally. This paper aims to investigate the use of SI in the service delivery of LG through a comparison between the City of Ghent (CoG) (Belgium) and the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) (South Africa).Design/methodology/approachThrough a comparative case study approach, qualitative research methods were used to both collect and analyze the data. Data collection instruments included document analysis (naturally occurring data), semi-structured interviews (generated data) and focus group discussions (generated data).FindingsAlthough LG is obliged to collaborate with citizens, various factors influence citizens’ ability to make contributions, even when platforms are created. Collaborative initiatives aid in the realization of collective development visions and enhance citizen participation in a more responsive and inclusive approach to service delivery. Collaborations would require citizens and LG officials to be empowered by finding new ways of working together, as well as developing skills.Practical implicationsCitizens’ participation when SI is used to enhance service delivery should be meticulously planned. Co-producing services require a conducive internal organizational context that advances citizen participation in the governance and decision-making of service delivery, which is likewise optimal for enhancing the use of SI during the respective co-production service delivery stages. Achieving a conducive internal organizational context is influenced by the role of LG officials and politicians in understanding the value proposition of participation in service delivery to citizens. This value proposition is crucial to building and establishing a trust relationship between citizens, LG officials and politicians. Finally, consensus concerning the concept of SI and its use and implementation is important to ensure its consistent use and application by a municipality, and thus calls for further in-depth investigation.Originality/valueSI is a nascent area for which the discourse is still under development, and it is a concept that is often the subject of debate in literature. This paper is justified by the fact that the use of SI in the South African LG sphere lags behind the growing use thereof in public-sector service delivery by LGs globally. In addition, the study presents novel insights regarding similarities and differences in the use of SI through a comparison between two LGs, namely, the MMM and the CoG.

The role of customer readiness and participation in non-technology-based service delivery

PurposeThis study aims to answer the following question: How can customer readiness be instrumental in non-technology-based service delivery?Design/methodology/approachUsing a field study, this research examines the role of customer readiness in customer participation in non-technology-based service delivery and its indirect effects on such customer outcomes as perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer willingness to recommend.FindingsThe results show that customer readiness is a second-order construct. It has a significant impact on customer participation in service delivery, which in turn impacts three key service outcomes: customer perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer willingness to recommend. Four factors influencing customer readiness (consumer previous experience, consumer desire for control, consumer perceived risk and customer organizational socialization) are also empirically evaluated.Research limitations/implicationsSome limitations of the study are related to sample size and use of a type of services. The research tested 13 hypotheses with a limited sample size in one context. A better representation of the population and a more generalizable outcome require more representative samples and studies in various contexts such as banking, hotel services or health care services. This study demonstrated the importance of customer readiness for effective participation in non-technology-based service delivery; it does not address the impact of customer readiness on participation in the context of technology-based services. Future research may also shed light on when and why customers choose technology-based services versus non-technology-based services.Practical implicationsEffective customer participation in service delivery can, and should, benefit from boosting customer readiness.Originality/valueThis research shows the impact of customer readiness on non-technology-based service delivery, more specifically, the impact of customer readiness on customer participation in this type of service delivery. Customer readiness has been found to be beneficial in the provision of technology-based services; yet, its role in the provision of non-technology-based services has not been thoroughly evaluated.

Can customers help employee work-to-family enrichment? The role of job crafting and OBSE (WITHDRAWN)

This study explores how and when customer participation in service delivery promotes employees work-to-family enrichment. Using two-wave data collected from 160 employees in a hotel, we found that, when customers participate more in their daily work, employees would enrich their family role from their work role more through increased relational job crafting. In addition, employees organizational-based self-esteem (OBSE) accentuates the positive linkage between customer participation and employees relational crafting, and subsequently work-to-family enrichment. By taking different parties in one's work life (i.e., customers, work per se, and family) into consideration, this study makes important contributions to extant literature on work-to- family enrichment and job crafting as well. It also carries important implications for service organizations to support employees proactive participation in job crafting and enrich their family life.

Models, experts and mutants: Exploring the relationships between peer educators and injecting drug user clients, in Delhi’s harm reduction programs

The article, based on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork, explores the relationships between peer educators and their clients, under the harm reduction paradigm in Delhi, India. The study examines the way peer workers engage with their clients and manage their own recovery at the same time. The article argues three key points. First, peer educators came to be considered as harm reduction’s most crucial link, they were models for the clients and their expertise about street life was invaluable for the success of the program. They adapted and expanded their roles based on client needs, despite structural and resource limitations. Second, peer educators’ own struggles with addiction threatened their position within the program; it raised questions of efficacy, ethics and empowerment with regard to the peer model. Lastly, the tensions around the peer educators’ role and their continued drug use, revealed larger contradictions within the Indian harm reduction model. These findings more broadly highlight the issues of peer-client relationship dynamics and peer participation in service delivery within social work.

Customers' Participation in Organizational Structure: A Conversation Analytic Approach for Understanding the Action of Service Inquiries

This article describes communication practices through which organizational members and their customers collaboratively produce an activity-related structure within a customer service encounter. The findings in this article contribute to our understanding of customers' participation in service delivery by examining how customers treat service inquiries for its action implication. By describing the collaborative process through which service responses are constructed, we can begin to see how an orientation to action within an organizational activity reflects a part of the larger organizational structure.

Putting the ‘public’ into public service delivery for social welfare in South Africa

Mubangizi BC, Gray M. Putting the ‘public’ into public service delivery for social welfare in South Africa Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 212–219 © 2010 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of SocialWelfare. The privatisation of some essential services in South Africa has raised severe difficulties for those for whom the idea of fees for services is quite foreign and who, in any case, cannot afford to pay for services. The government has developed several initiatives to educate people about the need to pay for services provided by local government, the largest of which was the Masakhane fees-for-services campaign. This article describes two recent initiatives that seek to engage local citizen participation, namely, Integrated Development Plans and izimbizo (or traditional forums). These are examined along with the challenges faced by local government in promoting citizenship participation in service delivery within a decentralised system of governance. The article concludes with some recommendations on how citizen participation can be enhanced so as to make the ‘public’ visible in public service delivery and thus improve social welfare services.

Conflicting agendas between consumers and carers: The perspectives of carers and nurses

Increasingly, Australian government policy advances an expectation that consumer and carer participation will be present in all aspects of mental health service delivery. A review of the literature suggests that consumers and carers actively seek the opportunity to participate but are frequently hampered by barriers. However, government policy documents tend to discuss consumers and carers with regards to participation as though their needs and desires are essentially similar. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative research project involving in-depth interviews with carers and mental health nurses. The issue of conflict between the issues for consumers and carers emerged as a major theme. This issue is explored and discussed in light of the goals of current mental health policy. It is concluded that conflicting agendas are apparent and must be addressed if genuine participation in service delivery is possible for both consumers and carers.

Measuring expectations: forecast vs. ideal expectations. Does it really matter?

Consumer's participation in service delivery is so central to cognition that it affects consumer's quality evaluations. The study presented in this paper investigates the ways that visitor expectations change as a result of first hand experience with a service in the context of a major art exhibition. The research design allowed for two operational definitions of expectations, namely forecast and ideal expectations, in order to investigate differences between respondents’ pre- and post-experiences with a service. A total of 550 respondent visitors were interviewed during a major art exhibition, using two questionnaires delivered to two sub samples of respondents. The primary questionnaire was designed to capture recalled expectations after visitation while the parallel questionnaire captured forecast expectations prior to visitation and perceptions in the post-experience phase. The findings suggest that forecast expectations were different to ideal expectations in both qualitative and quantitative ways and that these differences had important implications for perceptions of service quality. These differences can be explained, at least in part, by the way that expectations are formed and by the way that expectations are shaped by the actual visitation experience. For market researchers, the question of when and how to measure expectations has important implications for research design.

Beware paying lip service to service users

Dear Editor,I attended the recent RCN European Mental Health Nursing Conference, ‘Rewind – Refocus on global mental health nursing’. This rightly evoked reflection on past and present practices. This has led me to reconsider the current drive for increased service user participation in service delivery. Having attended Pat Mayer’s presentation on ‘Action research in action: A collaborative project between mental health service users and mental health providers in Cape Town’, I was struck by the power of such an approach to challenge routine clinical practice.

Citizen vs. customer: Different approaches to public participation in service delivery in Cape Town

The neo-liberal shift in how public authorities shape the subject at the local level must be contextualized as part of the structural transformations of local government in decentralizing its core responsibilities for the provision of collectively consumed goods to a more-market-oriented interpretation of being a service enabler. This global trend certainly influenced South African debates during the transition period on the vital role of local government in rebuilding a deeply- divided society while simultaneously entering the global economy. We have reviewed the outcomes of these macroeconomic and social tensions on the development agendas of the City of Cape Town.

Development of a consumer advocacy program.

The aim of the present paper was to describe the development of a consumer advocacy program within the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney (NSW, Australia). The program was developed within the context of a research project that investigated the effect on outcome of client-focused approaches to community case management for clients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. While the development of the advocacy program was limited by the constraints imposed by the research methodology, the study provided the opportunity to delineate the process involved and identify key components that need to be incorporated into future advocacy programs. The main guidelines determined were that consumer participation in service delivery needs to be flexible, consumer driven, have broad-based support, ready access to supervision and debriefing, ongoing training and clear job descriptions. Given adequate support, autonomy and funding, consumer advocates can provide a much needed resource for their fellow consumers.

Can services marketing concepts be applied to health care?

To generate thought and discussion regarding the application of key features of generic services which may influence management and marketing decisions in health care. Health care, as many other services provides benefits to the consumer, the quality of which is largely dependent on the interpersonal element of the service delivery. Services now dominate the UK economy, and consumer participation in service delivery is as important in health care as in services in the private sector. There is now an established body of research on the nature of services and the particular management and marketing challenges posed by service provision. The application of general management concepts and tools to the public services is an area of current debate. The paper firstly discusses key features of services and their application to health care contexts. Secondly, a discussion of strategic classifications of services seeks to identify common themes which exist across the diverse service sector. Nursing and midwifery managers have much to gain from understanding the use of services management frameworks, and have scope for much creativity in adapting generic frameworks for their own areas of practice.