Service Delivery and Accountability of Urban Officials: Evidence from Urban-based Local Government in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 097152312110163
Author(s):  
A. H. M. Kamrul Ahsan ◽  
Peter Walters ◽  
Md. Adil Khan
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
City Government ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Government Service ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Similar Class ◽  
Rajshahi City

This study compares the state of city government service delivery for communities living in different areas with different level of affluence in Rajshahi City in Bangladesh. Based on the results of a qualitative study, we found a significant service disparity between the affluent and the poor communities. This disparity is due to the inability of the poor to hold service providers accountable, attributable to a lack of knowledge about services and a lack of social status. Lack of quality monitoring and a marked bias in the quality of interactions between the poor and the affluent contribute to the service disparity This disparity is largely invisible to the poor who, instead of comparing themselves with the affluent citizens, compare themselves with a similar class of people.

Service Delivery Strategies for Alleviating Pandemic Suffering While Maintaining Profitability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omkar Palsule-Desai ◽  
Vikrant Vaze ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Srinagesh Gavirneni
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Customer Segmentation ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Product Assortment ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Service Option ◽  
Delivery Strategies

The postpandemic world requires a renewed focus from service providers on ensuring that all customer segments receive the essential services (food, healthcare, housing, education, etc.) that they need. Philanthropic service providers are unable to cope with the increased demand caused by the social, economic, and operational challenges induced by the pandemic. For-profit service providers offering no-pay services to customers, allowing them to self-select a service option, is becoming a popular strategy in various settings. Obtaining insights into how to efficiently balance societal and financial goals is critical for a for-profit service provider. We develop and analyze a quantitative model of customer utilities, vertically differentiated product assortment, pricing, and market size to understand how service providers can effectively use customer segmentation and serve the poor in the lowest economic strata. We identify conditions under which designing the service delivery to be accessible to the poor can simultaneously benefit the for-profit service provider, customers, and the entire society. Interestingly, we observe that the increasing customer valuation of the no-pay option because of a superior quality service offered by a service provider need not benefit customers. Our work provides a framework to obtain operational, economic, and strategic insights into socially responsible service delivery strategies.

An open platform centric approach for scalable government service delivery to the poor: The Aadhaar case

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandip Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Harry Bouwman ◽  
Mahadeo Prasad Jaiswal
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Government Service ◽  
Open Platform ◽  
The Poor

scholarly journals Impact of the New Public Management Paradigm on the Operation of Federal Establishments in Borno State, Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usman D Umaru
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Service ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
New Public ◽  
The Impact

The study examined the impact of the New Public Management Paradigm on the operation of Federal establishments in Borno State, Nigeria. To achieve this objective, the collected data were analysed using Chi-square, Correlation and ANOVA. The study revealed that there is a significant improvement in the performance of the staff and the quality of service delivery in the Federal establishments under study. The study concluded that the outsourcing of services has improved the quality of service delivery. However, the policy was not being properly implemented because in some of the Federal establishments under study, the same services outsourced were being carried out by very few retained staff. They were not enough to do the job and the outsource firms given the contract, did not provide enough qualified staff to augment the short-fall. The study recommended that qualified service providers (outsourcing firms) in the relevant cadres be allowed to do the job or as an alternative, the Federal government can encourage the setting up of Independent Units in all its establishments to compete with the outsourcing firms in carrying out outsourcing services at a fee, in order to attain qualitaty service delivery.   Keywords: New Public Management, Public service, Outsourcing and Service delivery.

scholarly journals THE TECHNOLOGY OF ASSET MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE CULTURE IN ENSURING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khairiah Talha ◽  
KC Leong
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Asset Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
City Governments ◽  
Service Delivery Systems

Much of the developing world is facing rapid urban development. The UN statistics indicate that 70 per cent of the World's urban population will be concentrated in developing nations by 2030. As cities continue to expand, city governments continuously struggle to provide services to the people. Clean water, sanitation, sewerage services, housing and waste disposal are some of the myriad of services that have to be provided in order to maintain a certain level of acceptable services for human consumption and for the health, safety and comfort of urban dwellers. Yet as city managers continue to expand infrastructure, there is also the hidden but real costs of maintenance of these infrastructure and services. Cities are built environments and so too are the infrastructure that are built to serve commnunities. Thus, communities and infrastructure are intemvined. To achieve quality of life for communities in the urban environ1nent, the service delivery must be there. If there is a break in electricity supply, or there is lack of water supply, or even when a lift within an apartment complex breaks down, the quality of life of its residents deteriorates. As city governments and service providers spend more to upgrade urban service delivery systems, more resources will be used, much more energy and costs incurred to keep the urban assets in working order. This will ultimately lead to unsustainable development. A new technology called Asset Management will be introduced in this paper. Although the technology has been in practice in countries such as Australia and New Zealand in the last 20 years, it remains a new phenomenon in many developed as well as developing nations. This paper will examine the systemic approach in the planning and management of the urban environment, such that this relationship between communities, service systems, quality oflife and urban sustainability, may be revealed.

scholarly journals Quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services in two public hospitals of Bangladesh: identifying gaps and provisions for improvement

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taposh Kumar Biswas ◽  
Hasnat Sujon ◽  
M. Hafizur Rahman ◽  
Henry B. Perry ◽  
Mahbub Elahi Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Public Health Facilities ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Maternal And Newborn

Abstract Background Healthcare service delivery systems need to ensure standard quality of care (QoC) for achieving expected health outcomes. Although Bangladesh has a good healthcare service delivery system, there are major concerns about the quality of maternal and newborn health (MNH) care services, which is imperative for achievements in health. The study aimed to measure the QoC for different MNH services in two selected public health facilities of Bangladesh. This study also documented the specific areas of each care which needs intervention. Methods The study was conducted in two district-level public health facilities—a district hospital (DH) and a mother and child welfare centre (MCWC). A total of 228 cases of MNH services were observed by using contextualized checklist ‘Standards-based Management and Recognition (S-BMR)’ for 8 selected MNH care services. For scoring, performed activities were calculated as percentages of the total recommended activities and categorized as high (> 80%), moderate (50 to 80%), and low (< 50%). Results Overall QoC scores were moderate for each DH (54.8%), and MCWC (56.1%). In DH, the QoC score was high for blood transfusion (80.3%); moderate for maternal complications management (77.0%), caesarean section (CS) (65.6%), infection prevention (64.3%), sick newborn care (54.1%), and normal vaginal delivery (NVD) (52.6%); and low for antenatal care (ANC) (25.6%) and postnatal care (PNC) (19.0%). In MCWC, the QoC scores were high for infection prevention (83.0%); moderate for CS (76.5%) and NVD (59.8%); and low for ANC (36.9%) and PNC (24.5%). Conclusions In the study facilities, the QoC for MNH services is found to be unsatisfactory, particularly for ANC and PNC. Urgent initiative needs to be taken by introducing contextualized quality monitoring tools at health facilities, along with training of the care providers and introducing a quality monitoring system.

scholarly journals Community-based rehabilitation workers’ perspectives of wheelchair provision in Uganda: A qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Seymour ◽  
Martha Geiger ◽  
Elsje Scheffler
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Transfer Of Skills ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Barriers To Access ◽  
Community Based Rehabilitation ◽  
Field Notes

Background: The challenges of wheelchair provision and use in less resourced settings are the focus of global efforts to enhance wheelchair service delivery. The shortage of professional wheelchair service providers in these settings necessitates the collaboration of multiple stakeholders, including community-based rehabilitation (CBR) workers, whose role needs to be further understood.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine what CBR workers in three areas of Uganda perceived as (1) the challenges with wheelchair provision and use, (2) the factors contributing to these challenges, (3) the role they themselves can potentially play and (4) what facilitators they need to achieve this.Method: This qualitative study in the transformative paradigm comprised focus group discussions to gather perceptions from 21 CBR workers in three areas of Uganda, each with an operational wheelchair service, participant observations and field notes. Thematic analysis of data was implemented.Results: Community-based rehabilitation workers’ perceptions of challenges were similar while perceived causes of challenges differed as influenced by location, historical and current wheelchair availability and the CBR workers’ roles. Their main responsibilities included assistance in overcoming barriers to access the service, transfer of skills and knowledge related to wheelchairs, follow-up of users for wheelchair-related problem-solving, and user and community empowerment.Conclusion: Community-based rehabilitation workers can contribute in various ways to wheelchair service delivery and inclusion of wheelchair users; however, their capabilities are not consistently applied. Considering the diversity of contextual challenges, CBR workers’ range of responsive approaches, knowledge of networks and ability to work in the community make their input valuable. However, to optimise their contribution, specific planning for their training and financial needs and effective engagement in the wheelchair services delivery system are essential.

Kaantabay Sa Kauswagan: Empowering the Urban Poor in Naga City, Philippines

2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Wilfredo Prilles
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Central Government ◽  
City Government ◽  
Political Will ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Resources And Capabilities ◽  
Vital Factor

Initiated in 1989, the KsK programme (literally Partners in Development) shows how a tri-partite approach of pooling resources and capabilities of private landowners, city and central government and the poor can be used to improve urban living conditions. Strong political will and an enlightened perception of the poor has enabled a city government to reduce poverty, manage urbanisation and improve quality of life in urban areas. Eighty-one per cent of the 7,400 low-income houses have been improved to date. Strong community participation has been a vital factor in achieving this success.

scholarly journals e-Governance in Davao Region: An Assessment of City Government Websites

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Glenne Berja Lagura
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
City Government ◽  
Full Disclosure ◽  
Policy Making Process ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
The City ◽  
Frequency Counts

The study evaluated the resources and services available in the official government websites of all the cities in Davao Region to determine the extent of its implementation of e-governance. In particular, the assessment was done to verify if the following contents were promoted in their websites: (a) citizen awareness and understanding of their community’s characteristics; (b) efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery; (c) transparency and accountability in operations and services; (d) awareness of policy making process and participation in decision making; (e) linkage and interaction between government and citizens and other groups; and (f) linkage between government and business. Moreover, the compliance of the city websites in posting the reports required by the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP) was also determined.            Results were initially obtained through an assessment done by the researcher using the checklist adapted from the study of Siar (2007). Preliminary findings were triangulated and substantiated from the Focus Group Discussion (FDG) with thirty (30) information technology participants who scrutinized the available contents in each of the website using the same checklist. Frequency counts, means and percentages were utilized from the derived significant discussions.            Findings showed that relatively low results were acquired by the city websites in Davao Region except for Davao and Tagum where most of the contents were promoted in the site. Moreover, the websites of both cities have advanced features and services which were not included in the checklist. As to the FDP compliance, findings revealed that except for Digos, all cities utilized their website to post the reports required under the FDP.            The study concludes that while all cities have utilized their websites for e-governance, the quality of its contents show substandard adoption and underutilization. The study suggests that each city exploit the benefits offered by the websites as a medium in promoting innovative public service delivery.

scholarly journals Penerapan Kontrak Pelayanan (Citizen Charter) pada Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Kabupaten Sinjai

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Riskasari Riskasari ◽  
Hamrun Hamrun
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Service Contract ◽  
Delivery Performance ◽  
Service Contracts ◽  
Depth Interviews

This study aims to determine the extent to which the Service Contract (Citizen Charter) is applied to RSUD Kabupaten Sinjai. Implementation of Service Contracts is inseparable from the willingness, awareness and also cooperation between stakeholders, especially the RSUD with the community served. . This research uses qualitative approach, with case study method. For the purposes of data collection, the researchers conducted observations and in-depth interviews. The results of this study indicate that in order to improve the quality of health services that are responsive, transparent and accountable requires the application of indicators of Service Contract (Citizen Charter) optimally; provide service certainty covering time, cost, procedure and mode of service, provide information on the rights and obligations of service users, service providers, and other stakeholders in the overall process of service delivery, facilitate service users, citizens, and other stakeholders to control the practice of service delivery, service management improves service delivery performance, helps service management identify needs, expectations, and aspirations of other stakeholder service users.

scholarly journals Role of Financial Incentives in Family Planning Services in India: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamlesh Lalchandani ◽  
Aditi Gupta ◽  
Ashish Srivast ◽  
Gulnoza Usmanova ◽  
Ashwarya Maadam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
State Level ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Related Services ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background: In an effort to encourage Family Planning (FP) adoption, since 1952, the Government of India has been implementing various centrally sponsored schemes that offer financial incentives (FIs) to acceptors as well as service providers, for services related to certain FP methods. However, understanding of the role of FIs on uptake of FP services, and the quality of FP services provided, is limited and mixed. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Chatra and Palamu districts of Jharkhand state. A total of 64 interviews involving multiple stakeholders were conducted. The stakeholders included recent FP acceptors or clients, FP service providers of public health facilities including community health activists (ASHAs), government health officials managing FP programs at the district and state level, and members of development partners supporting FP programs in Jharkhand. Data analysis included both inductive and deductive strategies. It was done using the software Atlas ti version 8. Results: It emerged that there is a strong felt need for family planning among majority clients, and FIs may be a motivator for uptake of FP methods only among those belonging to the lower socio economic strata. For ASHAs, FI is the primary motivator for providing FP related services. There may be a tendency among them and nurses to promote methods which have more financial incentives linked with them. There are mixed opinions on discontinuing FIs for clients or replacing them with non-financial incentives. Delays in payment of FIs to both clients and the ASHAs is a common issue and adversely effects the program.Conclusion: FIs for clients have limited influence on their decision to take up a FP method while different amounts of FIs for ASHAs and nurses, linked with different FP methods, may be influencing their service provision. More research is needed to determine the effect of discontinuing FP related FIs for clients.

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