Public Service Delivery System Research Articles

Retooling governance for improving public service delivery: Case study of right to public services commission, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

AbstractThis study analyzes the public service delivery system in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan following the 2014 enactment of the “Right to Services Act.” It adopts a case study approach, primarily based on qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, to examine the lessons learned as part of this Act's aim to improve governance. The study finds that accountability is key for measuring the public delivery of services and that the Right to Public Services Act and its corresponding Commission take steps to ensure good governance and public service delivery in the province. Although, this law is still in its embryonic stage, it has already significantly improved the delivery of the targeted services, and it has activated a system of checks and balances in public sector departments to enhance their performance and accountability.

IMPACT OF COVID 19 ON PUBLIC SERVICE SUPPLY (IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT)

The last two years in the history of mankind can be characterized as the beginning of a nation of difficulties caused by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has broken all borders (political, legal, state) and overcoming the transboundary global crisis has necessitated the participation of all levels of government and the private sector. The pandemic, along with human health, attacks the socio-economic sphere and poses obvious threats of economic depression, rising unemployment and poverty, limited social contacts, and many other negative events. This threat affects the state and municipal management and, consequently, the public services provided by them. Unfortunately, unlike trade and education, these types of services are largely impossible to digitize. In the current situation, the attention of citizens and business representatives is drawn to the actions of the state, as its activities and management skills have acquired much more function. Meeting the needs of citizens in a pandemic requires the use of approaches based on new technologies, new forms of interaction and innovative methods of work. The economic sustainability of public administration occupies an important place in public policy as a determinant of public sector modernization, support, optimization of functioning, and improvement of public services. This acquired a special load during the crisis caused by the coronapandemic. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic dictates that it is necessary to develop new approaches to state intervention and public service delivery systems in all areas of public life in times of crisis in order to respond optimally to the needs of citizens

Non-Face-to-Face Public Services and Perceptions of Public Organizations

Public services are the primary channels and government activities in which citizens contact public organizations. In turn, public services provided by the government are critical for citizens to recognize public organizations and governments according to their content and procedure. With the onset of COVID-19, the existing face-to-face public service delivery system has shown limitations in meeting citizens’ needs for public services (fastness, transparency, and safety); as a result, a shift to non-face-to-face public services is required. The study proposes the question: “How does citizens’ satisfaction with non-face-to-face public services affect public organizations (response and transparency) and government satisfaction?”. The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of satisfaction (content and procedural) with non-face-to-face public services on the perception (responsiveness and transparency) of public organizations and governments’ satisfaction. Specifically, non-face-to-face public services are divided into content and procedural aspects to analyze the responsiveness and transparency of public organizations and their impact on government satisfaction. This study used a structural equations model for analysis and used data collected in 2019 by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, a representative public research institute in Korea. The main analysis results are as follows: the responsiveness and transparency of public organizations increased alongside satisfaction with content and procedural satisfaction with non-face-to-face public services, and government satisfaction increased with responsiveness to and transparency toward public organizations.

New Trends in Improving Public Service Delivery in Ukraine

In the aspect of the European integration aspirations of Ukrainian society and the social development of the nation state, the issues of its service function formation in the form of public services are becoming more and more relevant in Ukraine. It is worth noting that the functioning of the service state model in Ukraine is only at its initial stage and requires improvement of the institutional arrangements for the public services delivery, which involves taking into account existing problems of their delivery by public authorities in the process of deepening the local government reform and long-term restructuring of the national economy. The purpose of the article is to state the areas of concern in the system for providing administrative, social, housing and public utility services, and to define and elaborate on long-term trends for improving their functioning, as well as their common features and characteristics. The modern general and specific scientific research methods have provided the methodological basis for the research. Their use is based on a systematic approach. The analytical method was used to identify the problematic area of the branched public service delivery system. The comparative-functional and analytical methods were used to identify modern trends in improving the provision of administrative, social, housing and public utility services, their functioning, as well as their common features and characteristics. The research process has provided a comprehensive grounding and articulation of promising trends in improving the system of providing administrative, social and housing and public utility services in Ukraine and identifying their functional features and common characteristics

THE INFLUENCE OF SUPPLIER CAPABILITY ON THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND DISPOSAL OF PUBLIC ASSETS ACT [CHAPTER 22:23] PERFORMANCE IN ZIMBABWE’S SOES

This study sought to examine the influence of supplier capability on Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDPA) in Zimbabwe. The research adopted a mixed method approach which was both quantitative and qualitative, to carry out a survey with Zimbabwe’s State-owned enterprises. Two hundred and five respondents from the Procurement, Finance, Administration, Information and Communication Technology departments were interviewed using structured, semi-structured questionnaires and a semistructured interview guide. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version (SPSS) 20 and Amos version 25. The study revealed that strengthening supplier capability would minimise procurement costs and enhance value for money in the public service delivery system.

Repairing the State: Policy Repair in the Frontline Bureaucracy

AbstractResearch on street‐level bureaucrats has identified their role as policy entrepreneurs through the adoption and advocacy of policy innovations. This article adds to this research by underscoring how street‐level bureaucrats use creativity and improvisation to find contextual solutions for emergent local policy problems in response to scarcity. We suggest that these practices of policy repair allow frontline bureaucracies to deal with personnel, process, and material scarcity and maintain public service delivery even in resource‐scarce environments. Using ethnographic data from Punjab, Pakistan, we show that this repair work is collaborative, client‐centered, and motivated by compassion and kindness. Our research indicates that emergent and improvised policy repair allows frontline bureaucracies to be resilient and responsive to scarcity and changing service demands. Our findings further suggest that inclusion of street‐level bureaucrats in formal policy decisions can help develop context‐specific solutions to emergent problems of public service delivery.Evidence for Practice Street‐level bureaucrats (SLBs) face multiple types of scarcity during policy implementation—material scarcity, where they do not have enough equipment or space for their work; process scarcity, where officially sanctioned menu of routines or procedures do not account for local situations; and personnel scarcity, where they do not have enough workforce or expertise for their tasks. SLBs do policy repair—use creativity and innovation in their day‐to‐day work to find local and contextualized solutions for their localized service limitations, to overcome scarcity, and to deal with the vulnerability of bureaucratic systems. Allowing SLBs to use creativity and improvisation for local and emergent problems can create more robust and resilient public service delivery systems. Repair requires implicit and local knowledge of bureaucratic systems; inclusion of SLBs in formal policy decisions is necessary to develop context‐specific solutions to emergent problems of public service delivery.

The Role of Union Digital Centres in Reducing Social Inequalities in Bangladesh

Union Digital Centers have been inaugurated to accomplish the vision ‘Digital Bangladesh’ to empower rural people by providing digital services. The study attempts to assess the role of union digital centers in reducing social inequality. It also tries to identify the barriers in providing digital services to the local disadvantaged people. In this purpose, the study exerted a cross-sectional mixed-method approach. Data were collected from 399 service receivers of UDC through questionnaire survey, 16 KIIs and 5 FGDs. From principal component and correlation analysis, it is found that the grassroots people’s easy accessibility, citizen’s empowerment by minimizing information gap, quality service delivery at affordable price and time-cost-visit reduction play a significant role in reducing social inequality in rural areas. These factors are positively correlated with the effective service delivery of UDCs to reduce social inequality. Lack of awareness, conflict of job responsibility with UP secretaries and weak network connection are the major barriers in providing effective services of UDCs. Still UDCs bring a new dimension in the public service delivery system which empowers the people and reduce social inequalities in rural areas.

The Role of Union Digital Centres in Reducing Social Inequalities in Bangladesh

Union Digital Centers have been inaugurated to accomplish the vision ‘Digital Bangladesh’ to empower rural people by providing digital services. The study attempts to assess the role of union digital centers in reducing social inequality. It also tries to identify the barriers in providing digital services to the local disadvantaged people. In this purpose, the study exerted a cross-sectional mixed-method approach. Data were collected from 399 service receivers of UDC through questionnaire survey, 16 KIIs and 5 FGDs. From principal component and correlation analysis, it is found that the grassroots people’s easy accessibility, citizen’s empowerment by minimizing information gap, quality service delivery at affordable price and time-cost-visit reduction play a significant role in reducing social inequality in rural areas. These factors are positively correlated with the effective service delivery of UDCs to reduce social inequality. Lack of awareness, conflict of job responsibility with UP secretaries and weak network connection are the major barriers in providing effective services of UDCs. Still UDCs bring a new dimension in the public service delivery system which empowers the people and reduce social inequalities in rural areas.

Situation analysis of rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh: identifying service gaps and scopes for improvement

Purpose Rehabilitation needs are rising globally; however, the rate is strikingly higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Like many LMICs, the situation of rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Bangladesh is mostly unknown. We assessed the current situation of rehabilitation services for PwDs in Bangladesh. Materials and methods This mixed-method study incorporated an online survey of rehabilitation service providers and a scoping review of documents published on rehabilitation services for PwDs in Bangladesh. Descriptive and thematic analyses were completed. Results A total of 1102 rehabilitation service providers were interviewed, and 36 documents were reviewed. Rehabilitation services for PwDs were found not integrated into the mainstream health services, financing mechanisms, information systems, and health policies in Bangladesh. There are 6.8 rehabilitation units for 1 million people, and 6.2% of them are located in rural areas. In terms of the rehabilitation workforce, there are 9.4 physiotherapists, 1.3 occupational therapists, 0.9 speech and language therapists, and 0.2 prosthetist and orthotists for 1 million people in Bangladesh. Majority (66.3%) of rehabilitation services require an out-of-pocket payment. Conclusions A critical shortage and uneven distribution of the rehabilitation workforce are evident, indicating a likelihood of very high unmet rehabilitation needs in Bangladesh. To strengthen the rehabilitation capacity of Bangladesh, rehabilitation services should be integrated into mainstream health policies and programs with a special focus on the rehabilitation workforce training, recruitment and distribution, and allocation of resources. Implications for rehabilitation Rehabilitation services in Bangladesh are mostly provided by the private sector, although the government of Bangladesh operates a small number of rehabilitation services outside of the mainstream public health service delivery system. Rehabilitation services are lacking in the primary and secondary health facilities, while services at tertiary level public hospitals are mainly provided by medical technologists in the absence of a qualified rehabilitation workforce. A severe shortage of rehabilitation workforce coupled with an uneven distribution of the existing limited number of rehabilitation services and out-of-pocket expenditures might result in inadequate access and poor rehabilitation service uptake amongst persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Bangladesh. Robust governance and leadership are needed to monitor the implementation of existing legislations and policies and develop strategies to improve the situation of rehabilitation services for PwDs in Bangladesh.

Trust and Volunteer Service Activity for Community Development

This article is a study to confirm how trust as a social capital affects the activities of volunteers for community development. According to the analysis results, first, interpersonal trust and public trust positively influence the satisfaction of volunteer activities. Second, interpersonal trust and public trust are both positively affecting the continuity of volunteer activities. These research results have the following policy implications. First, the trust of local governments and public institutions in the public service delivery system is very important for community development. By improving the trust in the public sector, residents can promote volunteer activities in the region and at the same time, continuous activities are carried out for positive close connection for the community.

Critical success factors in the supply chain management of essential medicines in the public health-care system in Malawi

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to report on a study that investigated the critical success factors (CSFs) in the supply chain management of essential medicines in the public health-care delivery system in Malawi.Design/methodology/approachThe exploratory and descriptive study followed a qualitative and quantitative research approach. Data were collected by means of semistructured interviews and a questionnaire administered to suppliers of essential medicines, regulators, donors and logistics companies in Malawi. Data was analyzed using SPSS.FindingsThe findings revealed that the significant CSFs are knowledge of disease patterns and prevalence, skills and experience of personnel, adequate financial resources, collaboration with supply chain partners and an efficient procurement and distribution system.Research limitations/implicationsThere were a number of limitations in this study. Although every effort was made to carefully and purposefully select the participants for the in-depth interviews in the first phase of the study and the respondents for the questionnaire in the second phase of the study, they were not randomly selected. As such, the findings cannot be generalised to all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain in Malawi. However, they can be used as a basis for further research on the topic.Originality/valueNo previous studies that deal with the identification of CSFs in the Malawi pharmaceutical supply chain were found. Therefore, this research makes a twofold contribution to the body of knowledge in the field. First, it identifies CSFs; second, it could assist stakeholders in the public health-care service delivery system in Malawi with regard to how they can improve the supply of essential medicines.

A Brief Introduction to Complexity Theory in Managing Public Services

This article seeks to provide a brief overview of the development of complexity theory in public sector management. The article starts by reviewing the emergence of complexity theory, first in natural sciences and then in social sciences, as an attempt to analyse complex systems and phenomena which direct “Newtonian” causalities fail to explain fully. Next, it looks at how such complexity theory – which makes the distinction between complexity and chaos – has been used to examine public services. In particular, the article analyses how new public management (NPM) and post-NPM have led to far more complex public service networks and delivery systems than the bureaucratic government structures which existed previously. As a result, research into complex public service systems has itself contributed to the deepening of complexity theory. Finally, the article presents a series of cases in which complexity theory is applied to public sector management, and the management of common pool resources as analysed by Elinor Ostrom. It concludes that complexity theory is a powerful tool for challenging the standard frame of mainstream economics and NPM, but that its applicability is not easy.

Digitalization of Public Services—An Input Output Logit Analysis

In 2000, Sri Lanka designed an ambitious plan for the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in most government functions and in the public service delivery (PSD) system in the country. This process started in the early 2000s and gained momentum with several local and internationally funded initiatives. A systematic innovation concept was incorporated within the ICT regime, which ensured bottom-up learning for a smooth transformation from paper to digitized PSD systems. Towards this end, the Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and Lanka Government Network (LGN) were established. ICT incorporation covered the operations of most government agencies and departments to improve governance and PSD. We analyzed the efficiency of the ICT regime to understand its impact on public service employee output as well as on services to the public. We collected service delivery data from both the employees and their clients using a Likert-scale questionnaire. The questionnaire enquired about the utility of the ICT regime introduced in various departments and ministries (DMs) of the Sri Lankan government. This paper analyzes the overall and relative effectiveness of the ICT regime in terms of the inputs incurred and the outcomes realized. First, we calculated the Cronbach’s alpha to test the robustness of the data. Second, we applied ordinal logistics analysis to understand the interrelations among various measures (inputs) and their impacts (outcomes). Finally, we conducted specificity, sensitivity, and predictive value analysis to assess the accuracy of the investigative model. Our findings suggest a positive correlation between the inputs and the outcomes of the ICT regime introduced to digitalize PSD. Our results further indicate that although the inputs and the outcomes are positively corelated, this correlation is not sufficiently strong, and the ICT implementation measures need further emphasis to demonstrate any significant impact on user confidence in this regime.

An assessment on inclusion of private input dealers in the public extension services delivery system

The present study was attempted to subjectively assess the amenability & readiness of private input dealers in deliverance of dairy and other livestock extension services. “Q Methodology” was the technique adopted and the method was carried out in the selected Kancheepuram and Villupuram districts of Tamil Nadu state involving 26 identified input dealers, handling dairy and other livestock input items. The attentiveness of the respondents towards their inclusion in the public extension services system’, were estimated subjectively with the help of attitude statements. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) method of statistical estimation was done and the categorized statements were clubbed into four identified discourses based on the obtained Eigen values. Q methodology – subjectivity analysis classified on four defined discourses viz., “Risks and opportunities in the endeavor”, “Socio-economic empowerment in the undertaking”, “Elements of collaboration in the endeavor” and “Possible refraining behavior / escapism in the process”; in a nutshell had cued positive agreement of input dealers to the statements supporting to their inclusion in public extension service stream.

Role of Coordination in Effective Public Service Delivery System

Governance and delivery of public services are aimed at managing limited available resources to effectively deliver services to the citizens of a country. However, due to lack of coordination management, personal political gains and inclusion of politics, citizens are deprived of the required information and infrastructure. This deprivation not only results in economic losses but also causes deterioration of the state of social well-being. Indian public administration has suffered from the problem of coordination due to which in many aspects the objective of benefitting the citizens is not fulfilled. This study is focused on examining the role of coordination in the public service delivery system. By comparing the Indian public delivery service system with those of Uruguay and Georgia, this study reveals that presence of coordination among the organizations, agencies, and departments improves transparency, accessibility of information, institutional capacity, and innovativeness of a country. Hence, for effective delivery of public services to citizens, maintenance of coordination is essential.

Administrative Reforms in South and Southeast Asia: Enhancing the Capacity for Public Service Delivery

The aim of administrative reform— a special public policy instrument of governments— is to improve the capacity of public service delivery systems. This study examines the reform-led service delivery situation of public institutions at the local level in South Asia. The study offers an in-depth qualitative study with gleaned data, focusing on primary education in the country in relation to MDGs basic education. Local administration in the country has been a ‘low modicum of self-governance to provide public services. Institutional capacity dealing with educational management has called into question. Primary education in the country is quantitatively discussed while qualitatively is in a state of disarray. As a thorough academic qualitative study with a country-specific case has by far not been explored yet, it fills the information gap. Little is known about the public service delivery capacity with primary education at the local level. This study implicates governments and development partners such as the UN SDGs for effective partnership in development in an era of post-CVID-19 crisis.

The theoretical and legal problems of the ensuring of provision of public services to the business entities by local self-government bodies

Problem setting. The practice of providing public services to both state and local bodies in Ukraine needs improvement. The current shortcomings of the modern public service delivery system not only cause dissatisfaction of individual citizens but also can create obstacles to economic activity. At the same time, it is the level of quality and accessibility of such services that should become the main criteria for the effectiveness of public management in general. The purpose of the research is to determine and study the main components of the problem of providing public services to business entities by local self-government bodies, from the conceptual point of view, as well as by the means of analysis of the problems of legal provision of such services, including in view of ongoing reform decentralization in Ukraine. Analysis of resent researches and publications. The issue of providing public (administrative) services is the subject of scientific research of many specialists in various fields of law. Among them are the works of such scientists as O. M. Bukhanevich, Ya. B. Mykhailyuk, O. V. Olshansky, V. V. Romanova, V. M. Soroko, V. P. Tymoschuk and others. Article`s main body. The urgency of finding ways to solve the above problems is validated by the growing scientific interest in the problems of development and reform of the public power system as well as by increasing the attention to the issue of revising and amending the current legislation aimed at creation of a transparent, efficient and effective system of state and local self-government in Ukraine. The basis for such transformations today should be the reform of decentralization of public power, which involves the redistribution of powers and functions between different branches and levels, as well as the subsystems of public power, in particular, taking into account the foreign experience of decentralized European countries. The latter shows that the implementation of the decentralization reform has the effect not only of a significant reduction of the effects of crisis phenomena, of solving a large part of socio-economic and other problems, but also of the realization of many strategic tasks of national development. Conclusions. Thus, in our opinion, the legislative implementation of the best modern European and world practices in the field of providing quality and affordable public services, as well as further coordinated actions of public and private sector towards the implementation of the local self-governance reform plan can have a positive impact on increasing economic benefits for private sector.

НАПРЯМИ ВДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ КОМУНІКАТИВНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОГО РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ФОРМУВАННЯ ЛЮДСЬКОГО КАПІТАЛУ В УКРАЇНІ

It was investigated in the article the peculiarities and essence of communicative provision of state regulation of human capital formation in Ukraine. It is noted that the establishment of effective interaction of different levels of government bodies with the public depends on qualitative changes in the model of public administration in Ukraine. The models of public administration (Old Public Management; New Public Management; Good Governance) are analyzed. Recommendations were given on the application of the principles of new public management and good governance to improve the mechanism of interaction between the subjects and objects of state regulation of human capital formation in Ukraine. Designed by mechanism of management of communications between the government, business and society in the context of the implementation of state policy on the formation and development of human capital, the functioning of which provides not only informing the population, but also establishing partnerships or effective feedback, conducting appropriate publicity work, establishing public control on the activity of state and local self-government bodies. It was carried out within the framework of the proposed mechanism for transfer the accents of attention of public administration attention from the operational tasks of using separate elements of marketing to the strategic tasks of forming stable groups of loyal stakeholders through the implementation of a system and tools for marketing partnerships. Disclosed of the role of fixed assets of integrated marketing communications (public relations, direct marketing, public advertising) in achieving the strategic goals of the state regulation of human capital formation. It was emphasized, that addressing the complex problem of human capital formation requires the involvement of all stakeholders in a particular field (health, education and science, culture, environmental security, public services, etc.), therefore, the main scientific task is to develop organizational and legal measures to implement the principles of governance in the practice of government structures in three main areas: the development of public-private partnerships, the development of public service delivery system and the creation of favorable conditions for effective interaction of different levels of public power (central, regional, local).

The Role of SocialAccountability in Effective Public Service Delivery

The paper highlights that in low and middle-income democracies citizens largely depend on the state for provisions of basic services like health, infrastructure, education etc. At the same time, it has been observed that such countries face problems of dismissal performance of service delivery due to absenteeism among service providers like doctors, teacher etc. There are also other factors like public fund leakages, red-tapism that obstructs public service delivery. All this has led to an idea of citizens contributing to better public service delivery by holding policymakers and service providers accountable. This phenomenon is where citizens ensure accountability of service providers. The paper highlights various social accountability tools like citizens charters, RTI, Right to Service Acts, Social Audit, Public Hearing etc. that aim to inform citizens about their rights, the standard of service delivery they should expect and actual performance, along with grievance redressal mechanism. NGOs, civic societies have been experimenting with various social accountability tools to improve public service delivery. The paper reviews how citizens individually and collectively can influence service delivery through access to information and opportunities to use it to hold providers both frontline service providers and programme managers accountable. The paper focuses on social accountability measures that increase transparency in public services. The paper also takes stock of international evidence and analyses how social accountability has changed the governance structure worldwide. The paper concludes by highlighting measures needed to strengthen social accountability to bring about a vibrant and effective public service delivery system. Paper also talks about that there is ample space for future experiments to test how to make social accountability work at the country level. DOI: 10.5958/2347-6869.2020.00004.7

The African Tradition and the Nexus Between Public Sector Ethics and Culture: A Critical Analysis

Globalisation of public service delivery practices must overcome cultural and ethical barriers in their diversity. The pervasive Christian gospel and Islamic religion are believed to be concerned more in spirituality and less concerned with governance and political systems. The objective of this study is to expound the dilemma facing an ethical public service delivery system and to suggest possible solutions. The research methodology is a qualitative approach employed through content analysis. Findings indicate that for African states, alternative public service delivery is a question of choice by those wielding power, authority and political will. The study provides ethical initiatives to accommodate such diversity in building public sector ethics and culture. Simply relaying public service delivery strategies deemed successful in other states may not necessarily translate into success due to some ethical and cultural variations. What obtains is that, states that claim to be faith based or to carry religious ethical practices sometimes lead way ahead of others in unethical administrative practices. The contribution of the study is an additional item to the list of factors militating against effective service delivery and lack of public sector cultural ethics. This phenomenon should be tackled head-on so that service delivery is not compromised.