1 / 22

Annexure8 India’s Citizen’s Charters A Decade of Experience

Annexure8 India’s Citizen’s Charters A Decade of Experience. India’s Citizen’s Charters. Citizen’s Charters in Concept A Decade of Experience Findings Policy Implications Discussion. Citizen’s Charters in Concept. The Citizen’s Charter Initiative

alcina
Download Presentation

Annexure8 India’s Citizen’s Charters A Decade of Experience

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Annexure8India’s Citizen’s ChartersA Decade of Experience

  2. India’s Citizen’s Charters • Citizen’s Charters in Concept • A Decade of Experience • Findings • Policy Implications • Discussion

  3. Citizen’s Charters in Concept The Citizen’s Charter Initiative • An understanding between ordinary citizens & public service providers in which government agencies agree to deliver a certain quantity & quality of services in return for fees or taxes • An opportunity for government agencies to introspect on how to implement systemic changes to improve service delivery quality

  4. Citizen’s Charters in Concept Transparency • Empower end-users with key information they can use to demand quality service Accountability • Compel government agencies to deliver service as per standards that they themselves have defined

  5. Citizen’s Charters in Concept What Are They? • Simple documents that outline key information on public service providers • Include: • Vision & Mission Statements • Services an Agency Provides • Contact Information for Key Officials • Instructions to Apply for Service • Citizens’ Duties • Compensation • Service Quality Standards • Grievance Redress Procedures

  6. Citizen’s Charters in Concept A History • Concept originated in the UK in 1991 • Prime Minister initiated the Citizen’s Charter program at the national level in India in 1996 • Implemented at the state level in 1997 • As per the DARPG, 829 agencies have drafted a Citizen’s Charter • Central Government: 118 • States: 603 • Union Territories:108

  7. A Decade of Experience • Have Citizen’s Charters: • Been designed in accordance with domestic and international criteria? • Increased transparency by empowering end-users with critical information on government agencies? • Been effectively implemented in practice? • Contributed to improvements in service delivery quality?

  8. A Decade of Experience A National Review • Examined nearly 600 Citizen’s Charters in a preliminary review • Analyzed & graded 200 Citizen’s Charters drafted by central and state government agencies from across India • Benchmarked against internationally recognized criteria • Gauged the experiences of end-users & government officials through scientific surveys • First broad-based study at the national level

  9. Findings • Design & Content • Access & Accountability • Distribution by State & Sector • Implementation • Improvements to Service Delivery Quality

  10. Findings – Design & Content • Only 27% of the 554 charters reviewed included 8 or more of the 10 essential components a Citizen’s Charter should have • 28% outlined the procedures needed to apply for service • 56% included service quality standards & 54% described grievance redress procedures • 42% provided contact information for key officials Scores Obtained by Charters Reviewed

  11. Findings – Access & Accountability • Just 26% were aware of the Citizen’s Charter program • Of dissatisfied users, only 36% filed a formal complaint • Most officials surveyed were not aware of their department’s charter • There is no comprehensive listing of Citizen’s Charters – just 829 are listed on the DARPG website Awareness of the Citizen’s Charter Program

  12. Findings – Distribution by State & Sector Distribution by State

  13. (8) (54) (31) (30) (28) (49) Findings – Distribution by State & Sector Grades by Sector

  14. Findings - Implementation • Little evidence that agencies consulted end-users or civil society organizations before drafting Citizen’s Charters • Less than 37% of officials interviewed reported being involved during the drafting of their agency’s charter • 64% of officials were not trained in methods to implement a charter • Few charters were updated after being implemented

  15. Findings – Improvements to Service Quality • Less than 40% of end-users report that service is delivered as per standards compared to 89% of officials • More than 42% of end-users had to visit an office three times or more to obtain documents they had applied for User Perceptions of Service Delivery Quality

  16. Findings – Improvements to Service Quality • Agencies that prominently display charters provide better service • 39% of users of agencies that displayed a charter reported that service was delivered as per standards compared to 21% of users of agencies that did not display a charter • 29% of users of agencies that did display a charter were satisfied with its performance compared to 15% of users of agencies that did not display a charter

  17. Policy Implications Lessons Learned • Agencies drafting a citizen’s charter must: • Determine the services they provide and their core competencies • Consult with end-users & civil society organizations to research their needs • Formulate realistic, implementable service delivery standards • Scope potential restructuring • Train & motivate staff

  18. Policy Implications An Impetus From Within is Needed • Will the Citizen’s Charter program be a success without a strong movement from within the government to improve service quality? • Citizen’s Charters should be capstone to systemic reforms implemented by agencies • Agencies implementing a charter should act in a “mission” mode by defining metrics and strategies towards success • Hold top level officials accountable for success

  19. Policy Implications Rethink Prerequisites for Success • Agencies should reflect on the feasibility of implementing a Citizen’s Charter before drafting such a document • Preconditions necessary for a successful implementation of a charter need to be determined • A phased rollout of the Citizen’s Charter program beginning with agencies that meet such prerequisites may be advantageous

  20. Policy Implications Strengthen Charter Design • A more effective, decentralized vetting process must be instituted to ensure quality of Citizen’s Charter design • Regional bodies or expert groups should assist with: • Analyzing quality of charter contents • Training staff to implement charter provisions

  21. Policy Implications Include Civil Society in the Process • Civil society organizations & end-users must be consulted when drafting Citizen’s Charters to gauge their needs • Civil society & the media can be used as an awareness building apparatus • Tamil Nadu Model • Benchmark progress using end-user feedback

  22. THANK YOU

More Related