Seminar Presentation on Norderney, Germany

Are individual citizens relevant in developing countries’ public service delivery?

By

JULIUS Byaruhanga

M.A. Democratic Governance and Civil Society

Weekend Seminar on Norderney, Germany

23^rd -25^th November 2012

Presentation summary

1. Public services in DC
2. PSD most relevant Institutions
3. Citizenry mandate in accountability & SD
4. Reality in majority DCs
5. Possible roles played by individual citizens
6. Citizen relationship with governments/state and Private institutions
7. Conclusion

—     —Public Services 

Public services  are  defined as those services which are mainly, or completely, funded  by taxation (Peter C. Humphreys 1998)

Public services can be considered as those services so essential to modern life that for moral reasons their universal provision should be guaranteed, and they may/can be associated with fundamental human rights by the virtue of their nature

So, Public service delivery is the implementation of those services and making sure they reach those people and places they're intended to!

Public service delivery can also be defined as the process of making public goods and services reach the expected stake holders or the general public as expected either from the government or government partners for the good of the general public

—Sample of Public Services

INFRASTRUCTURE

· 

• Road, water, air and Rail transport.
• Electricity
• Oil and gas
• —Etc

PRODUCTION

•  —Agriculture
• Tourism
•   Private sector competitiveness
• Etc

SOCIAL SERVICE

• Education sectors
• Employment opportunities creation
• Health sectors
• Water and Environment
• Etc

—

Institutions to be strengthened for governments’ effectiveness in SD

In promoting delivery of the above services, governments in developing countries will need to strengthen their service delivery strategically positioned institutions for them to effectively play their roles in justification of their establishment. Examples of such may include; 

1.  —Health oriented Commission
2. —National Planning Authorities
3. Human Rights Commissions
4. Courts of Judicature
5. Parliamentary Commissions and Accounts Committees
6. Electoral Commissions
7. Inspectorates of Government
8. Law Reform Commissions
9. Offices of the Auditor General
10. Promotion of civil society and individual citizen participation
11. —Local Government Departments and municipal or Town council Departments 
12. Other government institutions related to service delivery

— —Citizenry mandate in promoting accountability and effective service delivery

Service experiences are the outcomes of interactions between organizations, related systems/processes, service employees and customers (Mary Jo Bitner, William T. Faranda, Amy R. Hubbert and Valarie A. Zeithaml 1996)

In the constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 Art1(1) All power belongs to the people who shall exercise their sovereignty in accordance with the same Constitution. “To what extend do they use that power?”

In the same constitution on accountability objective XXVI

(i) All public offices shall be held in trust for the people.

(ii) All persons placed in positions of leadership and responsibility shall, in their work, be answerable to the people.

“Is there really accountability to people? & Do people demand for accountability?”

—

Reality of such Constitutional Provisions

1. Inferiority complex; Fear of Public officials “servants” by “commoners”
2. Less or no accountability both through media and other forms of communication
3. —Less or no access to Government gazettes and other necessary information
4. —High corruption levels at all governance and management levels
5. Manipulation into bureaucratic work by politicians
6. Etc….

— 

Are there some roles played by individual citizens in promoting Service Delivery?

YES!

• Electoral powers
• Payment of Taxes
• “Local Citizens”  can actually be involved in co-creating the service provided by government or the state; Improved service performance can be attained by viewing the client/customer as a “partial” employee (Mills, Chase and Margulies
• Service firms should be encouraged to involve customers more in production in order to increase productivity (Lovelock and Young 1979)
• Formation of community service oriented groups/associations
• Follow up of public expenditures through their local leaders; as funders of public services, its their role to claim for accountability
• Own, support and take part in developmental government programmes

——— 

Conclusion

Time is now when all citizens in developing countries can exercise their rights for their own good. 

Any organized society with no doubt will always have an influential voice in the services they get, when they get them and how they should get them.  

It’s time to stop waiting for “empty” promises made by politicians during campaigns but to claim for what you deserve at the time we want them because we have worked for it and contributed to it through our sweat as we pay taxes.

—

If all citizens in any country can know that power belongs to them, then exercise of that power will not only be a change but a fundamental change in Public Service delivery in any developing state.  

—END

Thank you so much for your attention!

Julius Byaruhanga

Public Service Delivery Activist

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