Adapting innovations to achieve MDGs and equitable delivery of citizen-oriented public services Alexandra Mills

1. Adapting innovations to achieve MDGs and equitable delivery of citizen-oriented public servicesAlexandra Mills Transferring and adapting innovative public service practices in least developed countries: Workshop 2 25-26 June 2013 - Manama, Bahrain United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Division for Public Administration and Development Management

2. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama MDG 1: poverty alleviation • India 2011 – Mission Convergence • Coordinated 124 community organizations with government officials in 9 district of Delhi to alleviate poverty and empower women. • Korea 2010 Hope-Plus and Ggum-Na-Rae Savings Accounts; Mexico 2012 Financial Inclusion Project (Proyecto de InclusiónFinanciera (PIF) • Collaborating banks and government provides access to banking, financial literacy counselling and job placement to encourage saving and self-sufficiency. • Rwanda 2008: Ubudehe Common Development Fund • Citizens identify, plan and implement poverty reduction projects to construct housing and roads to address local needs.

3. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama MDG 2: education & employment • Mexico (2012) Daycare Program to Support Mothers • improved the employment and economic circumstances of parents in marginalised municipalities by providing childcare (UNDESA 2012:18). • South Africa (2012) Protecting the Futures • addressed the problem of school absenteeism by girls by improving sanitation facilities and health education (UNDESA 2012: 15).

4. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama MDG 3: gender equality • Korea 2010 Women-Friendly City Project • encourages public policymakers to accommodate the needs of women when designing and implementing policies (UNDESA 2011:63). • Brazil 2012 Chapeu de Palha • builds on an existing safety net program • provides training for women to enter construction jobs that women have unable to access in the past. Trainees are provided a stipend, childcare, transport and professional development training (UNDESA 2012:17).

5. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama MDG 4, 5 & 6: health & welfare • Mobile healthcare: • Rural areas - Zambia 2009; • By train - South Africa 2008; • By telephone - Italy 2010. • Coordinated health services: • Hospitals – Botswana 2008; Thailand 2008 • Healthcare networks – Thailand 2009 • Efficient administration: • Automated health records – Oman 2012; India 2012 • Simplified systems – Botswana 2008

6. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama MDG 7: water & sanitation • India 2009 WASMO Institutionalization of Community Managed Drinking Water Supply Programme and User Level Water Quality Monitoring • local committees and external partnerships (UNDESA 2011:186). • Morocco 2004 PAGER Program for Providing Water to the Rural Population • involvescitizens and has increased school attendance and reduced disease (UNDESA 2011:373). • Australia 2010 Waterfutures • integrates several water management initiatives into one program (UNDESA 2011:140). • South Africa 2007 e'Thekwini Water & Sanitation • imposed user fees reducing public debt and managing consumption involving stakeholders in identifying leaks and keeping consumption below the free water limit (UNDESA 2011:306).

7. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama MDG 8: governance & development • single computerised entry points to government • Bahrain; Georgia; Mexico • ‘one-stop shops’ for: • Public contracting and purchasing - Georgia 2012; + • Business registration – Slovenia 2009; Zambia 2003 • Building approvals – Singapore 2012 • International trade – Senegal 2012 • Official databases for: • immigration services (e-visas) - Bahrain; • election registers - Egypt 2012; South Africa 2011; • land registration - Tanzania 2010. • health records - Oman; India … + • citizen records – Tunisia 2010

8. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama Innovation features • Efficient / Low cost • Redesign, simplify • Local resources • Coordinate, collaborate • New ways of tackling old problems • Build capacity • ICT • Cross-cutting - multiple problems at once

9. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama Testing an innovation • Publicly valuable • does it do something that is really needed and will make a positive difference? • Legally and politically supported • is it consistent with local governance and legal frameworks and • Is it supported by those with the authority to make it happen – or the power to prevent it? • Administratively and operationally feasible • Will it work – consider technology, infrastructure, geography, human resources, etc needed to sustain it • Is there a need? • Will citizens accept it?

10. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama Challenges of adapting • Most obvious is not always right • Multiple benefits • Cross-cutting innovations: • democracy • public administration capacity • anti-corruption • Implementation • motivation • leadership • resources

11. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama Success factors • Attitudinal • political will, • public enthusiasm, • stakeholder support • Technical • technology, • specialist skills and methods • Enabling mechanisms • legal and regulatory frameworks, • administrative structures, • participatory processes.

12. UNPSA Forum Workshop 1 June 2013 Manama References • UNDESA Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance United Nations Public Service Awards Winners 2003-2011 New York, 2011 • UNDESA Guide for the Transfer and Adaptation of Innovations in Governance Practical Tools and Steps United Nations New York 2006 • UNDESA/ DPADM 2006 Innovations in Governance and Public Administration: Replicating what works United Nations New York 2006 • UNDESA Innovations in Governance in the Middle East, North Africa and Western Balkans: Making Governments Work Better in the Mediterranean Region United Nations New York 2007