Integrated Service Delivery: Issues & Challenges

1. Integrated Service Delivery: Issues & Challenges by Raj Kumar, IAS Secretary to the Govt. of Gujarat, Department of Science & Technology. Date: 18th January 2008, New Delhi.

2. Integrated Service Delivery: Issues & Challenges 1. Introduction 2. Service Delivery Preparedness (Back-end) (i)Databases (ii)Information (iii)e-readiness of Back end processing 3. Service Delivery Framework (Front-end) (i)CSCs (ii)Integrated Service Portal (iii)Fee Structure 4. Infrastructure Readiness (i)SWAN including last mile connectivity (ii)Data Center 5. Governance of e-Governance (i)Business Process Reengineering (ii)Performance based reward system for stakeholders.

3. Integrated Service Delivery: Prologue Currently, using e-governance some of the citizen services are being delivered in a decentralized manner. E.g. One Day Governance & e-Dhara centers in all Mamlatdar offices (Block Level); City Civic Centres in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, e-Stamp Registration in Stamp Duty Registrar offices. Similarly, Education Board provides results on web site. Contd..

4. Integrated Service Delivery: Prologue Limitations of existing service delivery system(s): Necessitates Citizen’s visit to respective govt. office; No. of services are limited to a particular line deptt./office(s). Evolution of service delivery across different offices/line deptts. in the State has resulted in variations in procedure, fee structure, software, database structure, delivery mechanism (departmentally/PPP mode) etc. Such service delivery initiatives have evolved through Individual efforts rather than system oriented approach.

5. Integrated Service Delivery:VISION “To facilitate inclusive growth for all by providing services to the citizens at their door step in an easy, effective, efficient and transparent manner.” Realization of this vision by 2010 is one of the Golden Goals of Gujarat.

6. Integrated Service Delivery Portal

7. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Preparedness (Back-end) Databases: Electronic data bases are essential for easy, effective and efficient service delivery. Availability of electronic data bases; Uniformity of database structures within the line deptt.; Interoperability of databases of different line deptts.; Availability of regional language software tools for better management; Regular updation of databases. Readily available Statewide Electronic Databases in Gujarat: (i)Land records (all land holders) (ii)Ration Cards (all card holders) (iii)BPL list (all surveyed BPL families) (iv)Employment exchanges (all exchanges) (v)Electoral list (entire state’s voter population) (vi)Soil Health Card for all 18000 villages (vii)Secondary Education Board results (last 10 years) In most of the above cases, systems for data base updation are in place.

8. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Preparedness (Back-end) Information oriented data: Availability and accessibility of citizen centric information. Regular maintenance/updation of information. Status of Information type database in Gujarat. Generally maintained on websites (exceeding 200) e.g. Agriculture commodity price information, High court case information system, employment exchange data information etc. Regular maintenance of information database(s) is a challenge.

9. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Preparedness (Back-end) E-Readiness of back end processing: Availability of connectivity/ LAN in respective offices, Hardware & application software(s), trained & responsive workforce. Gujarat’s Status: A large no. of line deptts. have provided computer h/w and developed application S/w using 2-3% allocation out of Plan grants each year. Quite a few of citizen centric services are being delivered from Collector/Mamlatdar offices i.e. One Day Governance Centers. Govt. has made computer learning compulsory for recruitment/ promotion across all cadres of class I to III. In order to provide service delivery on a sustainable basis, District E-Society has been formed. In some cases PPP model is also followed.

10. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Framework (Front-end) Common Service Centers (CSC): Schemes formalized by GoI. Many states are in the process of selecting SCAs. In the absence of govt. services, at best, it will deliver private business oriented services. Building credibility of CSC as reliable delivery center of government services would be a challenge. Connectivity including bandwidth quality/speed. Electricity Infrastructure in the villages. Availability of trained manpower to man CSCs. Financial viability of CSC operations. Contd..

11. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Framework (Front-end) Gujarat’s Status: M/s 3 i Infotech, CMS and Reliance communication appointed as SCA in 4 zones of the State (oct.07). There will be 6000 CSCs covering 13693 Village Panchayats. All bids are negative i.e. govt. earns revenue from them. Connectivity:-Work awarded to M/s Airtel in oct. 07 for providing VSAT based broadband connectivity (54 MBPS on sharable basis among CSCs & village panchayats) to all 13693 village panchayats in Gujarat. All major government offices upto Taluka connected through SWAN. All CSCs would be housed in Gram Panchayat buildings. All villages have 24 hrs power supply.

12. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Framework (Front-end) Integrated Service Portal: On Line Integrated Service Delivery Portal is a must for the success of CSC scheme. Least, it should be designated as a mission mode projectunder NeGP. Unique Citizen ID? E-payment? Continued..

13. Integrated Service Delivery: Progress Status of Gujarat On Line Integrated Service & Information portal is being developed. Central Portal Server would be connected to data base servers in the State Data Center. We intend to provide following major services through portal:

14. Integrated Service Delivery: Progress Status of Gujarat In addition, we intend to provide following other major govt. services to the people in 1st Phase:-

15. Integrated Service Delivery: Service Delivery Framework (Front-end) Fee Structure: Value for money. Guard against rent seeking and encourage competition in due course. Gujarat’s Status: Fee structure for CSC is as following:

16. Integrated Service Delivery: Infrastructure Readiness SWAN: Must for collection/updation of data and processing of service requests. Most of the States are in various stages of SWAN implementation. Network stabilization takes time. Providing last mile connectivity to various field offices of line deptts. is a time consuming and challenging task. Gujarat SWAN Status: (i)Operational since Dec 2001. (ii)More than 3500 offices connected across the state. (iii)Currently GSWAN enhancement is underway. (iv)Quality of the last mile connectivity to offices other than Collector/Mamlatdar offices is an issue.

17. Integrated Service Delivery: Infrastructure Readiness Data Center is an integral part of SWAN. To some extent, NIC data center support is available in the States. State Data Center scheme yet to be finalized by GoI. Aggregation of decentralized databases. Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Gujarat Data Center Status: GSWAN Server Farm & NIC do provide reasonable support. Mail and web-site hosting services are provided by Server Farm. As part of BCP, Gujarat is setting up DR at NIC, Hyderabad.

18. Integrated Service Delivery: Governance of E-Governance (1) Demand Measurement: Dynamic mechanism needed for survey & measurement of shifts in citizen demand patterns. Demand Creation: Communication and publicity strategy at national and local level. Business Process Reengineering: Necessary for improvement in quality of service delivery. Changes needed in rules/ administrative procedures. E.g. Mechanism for collection of service fees and its transfer to various line deptts./local authorities, authority for physical verification of applicant, attestation of affidavit etc. Reform distrust based governance systems into mutual trust based systems by implementing mechanism for cross verification of multi layered electronic databases e.g. electoral data, ration card data, BPL data etc. Create competitive structures for service delivery, wherever possible as technology enables it.

19. Integrated Service Delivery: Governance of E-Governance (2) Institutional mechanism for management of Integrated Service Delivery system. Performance based reward system for stakeholders. In a successful delivery system, governments would, probably, observe higher levels of citizen satisfaction. Customer benefits from reduction in existing transaction cost/time. Front interface benefits from revenue share in the income from transaction fees. Back end interface may end up with punishments only. Logically, efficiency should be rewarded.

20. THANKS