scholarly journals Devolution, Accountability, and Service Delivery in Pakistan

2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Hasnain
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Physical Infrastructure ◽  
State And Local

This paper examines into the relationship between devolution, accountability, and service delivery in Pakistan by examining the degree of accessibility of local policymakers and the level of competition in local elections, the expenditure patterns of local governments to gauge their sectoral priorities, and the extent to which local governments are focused on patronage, or providing targeted benefits to a few as opposed to providing public goods. The main findings of the paper are threefold. First, the accessibility of policy-makers to citizens in Pakistan is unequivocally greater after devolution, and local government elections are, with some notable exceptions, as competitive as national and provincial elections. Second, local government sectoral priorities are heavily tilted towards the provision of physical infrastructure—specifically, roads, water and sanitation, and rural electrification—at the expense of education and health. Third, this sectoral prioritisation is in part a dutiful response to the relatively greater citizen demands for physical infrastructure; in part a reflection of the local government electoral structure that gives primacy to village and neighbourhood-specific issues; and in part a reaction to provincial initiatives in education and health that have taken the political space away from local governments in the social sectors, thereby encouraging them to focus more towards physical infrastructure. JEL classification: H7, D72, H4 Keywords: State and Local Government, Inter-government Relations, Political Processes, Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behaviour, Publically Provided Goods

scholarly journals Adapting Public Sector Services to Local Delivery

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (Special Edition) ◽  
pp. 359-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishrat Husain
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Fiscal Decentralization ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Management Policies

This article describes the local government system established in the 2001 Devolution Plan and its evolution over the period 2002-07, with a focus on two essential public services, education and health. We believe that the devolution of service delivery functions, delegation of financial powers, decentralization of authority, and deconcentration of executive powers, can, together, lead to better accountability of results and, hence, to improved public service delivery to the poor and marginalized. The Devolution Plan made inroads toward these goals, particularly in education, but their achievement was incomplete due to a number of factors, among those incomplete fiscal decentralization, limited targeting of backward areas, and centralizing tendencies of the provincial departments and civil service. Recommendations are offered on how to further develop the local government system more generally, with an eye towards increasing accountability and improving coordination both across local governments and between tiers. For this, complementary reforms to simplify business processes and revamp human resource management policies are needed; introducing a district level civil service is among the suggested changes. The article concludes with detailed recommendations on improving the decentralized delivery of education and health services.

scholarly journals Decentralization: Catalyst for Welfare Service Delivery by Local Government Administration

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Salihu Abdulwaheed ◽  
Khalil Samihah
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Welfare Service ◽  
State And Local

The paper aims to look at the transferring of authorities, resources and responsibilities from one tier of government (central government) to other tiers of government (state and local governments) in order to deliver efficient and effective welfare service. This transfer serves two basic purposes, namely accountability for resource management and effective welfare service delivery. This can only be possible if the system of co-responsibility between institutions of governance at the central, states and local governments is decentralized effectively. Similarly, the paper intends to critically examine local governments’ budget and budgeting system in order to deliver primary education and healthcare service to the public. Therefore, the paper studies the main source of revenue of local governments, and determines how the resources are utilized in providing primary education and healthcare services. The study designs information data sheet to elicit information from at least four local governments in Nigeria. Statutory allocation disbursed to four local governments under consideration for the fiscal year 2008 is considered. Approved annual budget of the local governments is analyzed to determine the differential (%) in terms of what is budgeted and what is the budget outcomes. The findings reveal average differential of 65.78% between approved and actual estimates for primary education, and 37.57% for primary healthcare service in the local government under consideration. This shows that local governments under consideration are not delivering primary education and healthcare services optimally.

Engaging Citizens on the Internet

2010 ◽  
pp. 298-316
Author(s):  
Mark K. Cassell ◽  
John Hoornbeek
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Web Presence ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Worldwide Web

Some literature on E-government has envisioned that the internet would foster a linear progression toward new, productive, and more democratic relationships between governments and citizens (Layne and Lee, 2001). Recent literature has questioned the pace at which these relationships are developing (Coursey and Norris, 2008). This chapter presents empirical results relating to citizen-government relations on the internet that are based on an assessment of the worldwide web presence of 428 local governments in northeast Ohio. Northeast Ohio provides a useful picture of E-government-citizen relationships because it includes a range of local government forms (counties, townships, etc.), urban and rural populations, and Midwestern influences that many consider “typical” of American states. The website reviews conducted assess citizen-government engagement in a variety of areas. The measures used include simple engagements such as the ability to sign up for email updates and the presence of event calendars to more involved interactions such as blogs, e-pay services, and open records requests. Using these measures, we assess citizen-government engagement among local governments in our sample. Follow up interviews with local governments that rate high on these measures are used to further ascertain the extent of engagement and the benefits they yield for government-citizen relationships and service delivery. This information, in turn, provides lessons relating to citizen-local government relationships that may be useful to other government entities. Analyses to ascertain why some local governments seek greater internet engagement with citizens than others are also be conducted.

First Meeting of the PIDE Committee on Devolution Reforms in Pakistan

2006 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-161
Author(s):  
Durre-e- Nayab
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Municipal Services ◽  
Fiscal Decentralisation ◽  
National Reconstruction

The Local Government Ordinance (LGO), formulated by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) in 2000 and promulgated by provincial governments in August 2001, assigns powers, responsibilities, and service delivery functions to three levels of local governments: district, tehsil, and union. Responsibilities for the delivery of social and human development services, such as primary and basic health, education and social welfare, are delegated to the district level, whereas municipal services, such as water, sanitation and urban services are assigned to the tehsil level. The LGO does not only deal with the delivery of public services in its plan but also stresses the need for fiscal decentralisation, claiming that “Fiscal decentralisation is the heart of any devolution exercise. Without fiscal decentralisation no authority is devolved.”

scholarly journals Citizen Awareness and Satisfaction Survey: The Case of Tumauini, Isabela Philippines

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 5478-5487
Author(s):  
Renejoy M. Bulos
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Citizen Satisfaction ◽  
Satisfaction Index ◽  
The People ◽  
Multi Stage

Local governments in the Philippines are the nearest service units to its citizens. They are expected to deliver quality services to their constituents. As recipients of the different services, citizens are deemed in better position to assess whether quality services are delivered by the different municipalities in the country. In order to address the need to gather citizens’ feedback on the service delivery performance of the local government units (LGU), the Department of Interior and Local Government developed the Citizen Satisfaction Index System (CSIS). The municipality of Tumauini in the province of Isabela is one of the selected LGUs to implement the CSIS project in the country to measure its performance in service delivery for 2018. This study assessed the awareness and satisfaction of the people in Tumauini, Isabela on the services for Public Works and Infrastructure delivered by the LGU. There were 150 respondents selected using the multi-stage probability sampling method. In gathering the data needed, face to face interview was used with the aid of survey questionnaire. Overall, results revealed that citizens of Tumauini are aware and satisfied with the different service indicators of the Public Works and Infrastructure programs. Results of the study may help local government officials in crafting policies and making management decisions to improve the performance of the local government of Tumauini in the provision and delivery of Public Works and Infrastructure services to its constituents.

What Drives the Institutionalization of Performance Measurement Systems in Indonesian Local Government?

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Shuo Seah ◽  
Mirna Amirya ◽  
Qiao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Performance Reporting ◽  
Performance Accountability ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems

Objective - The objective of this paper is to explore and understand the motivators of institutionalization of Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) in the Indonesian Local Government (ILG), particularly in the Batu municipality presenting the performance paradoxes. Performance accountability issues have been encouraging the Batu municipality to implement PMS since the beginning of the 2000s. Methodology/Technique - The theoretical framework and interpretation of this study are adopted from the institutional theory (coercive, mimetic, normative, and allomorphism) which is used to analyze the phenomenon. The researchers employ a single case study to scrutinize the motivators of institutionalization by elaborating on document analysis conducted from the interviews of 10 employees in a different range of management levels (top, middle, and lower). Findings - The results of this study reveal that exogenous (coercive, mimetic and normative) and endogenous (allomorphism) drivers encourage the institutionalization of PMS in the Batu municipality with coercive pressure as a major driver and allomorphism as a mere ceremonial driver (rather than an instrument). Novelty - The practical implications of this study can be used to improve the PMS process and the quality of performance reporting in the Batu municipality and in other local governments. This paper is also expected to fill the gap in existing literature on the implementation of PMS within a developing country (in this case, Indonesia). Type of Paper: Empirical Paper. Keywords: Performance Measurement Systems; Institutional Theory; Indonesian Local Government; Batu Municipality. JEL Classification: P47, M48, P49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2019.4.1(3)

Performance Evaluation of Local Body of Pokhara Metropolitan City

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Girdhari Dahal
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Metropolitan City ◽  
Generating Capacity

Local governments are the closest unit of government to the people at grass root levels. The principal objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the local government of Pokhara Metropolitan City that lies in Kaski district, Nepal. This paper describes and analyzes the performance of the newly formed local government. It is based on the source of primary data from fieldwork with ground theory and secondary data- journal articles, books, Constitution of Nepal, 2015, act, rule, and regulations. The election of local government was held in Nepal in 2017, after 20 years. It is expected to bring political stability as well as peace and prosperity in Nepal. Nepal has been restructured as a federal democratic republic nation with federal, provinces and local government units- for sharing of power among the three tiers of government. Following the local elections, Pokhara Metropolitan City has already ratified more than six dozen laws (rules and regulations) for effective day to day service delivery to the local people. With grievances and grudges, the Nepalese people are experiencing the governance system of local bodies but the notion of people’s participation is more rhetoric. Also, financial capacity-both expenditure capacity and revenue generating capacity has severely limited the operational efficiency of local government. Moreover, transparency in public affairs has not been fully achieved yet.

Local Government as a Democracy Actor or a Service Delivery Actor

2014 ◽  
pp. 127-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Demediuk ◽  
Stephen Burgess ◽  
Rolf Solli
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Governance Practice

Local governance occurs where a local government gives citizens a say in things that really matter to them, and e-governance initiatives provide electronic means to enable citizens to participate in this shared governing of the community. The clearer a local government is about the nature and degree to which it needs to act as a democracy actor (better citizens and better government) and/or a service delivery actor (better decision making), the greater the prospect that it can choose appropriate electronic means through an e-governance approach to meet those ends. In order to guide an e-governance practice and inform further research, this chapter: provides models that articulate the elements that constitute better decision making, better citizens, and better government, and presents examples from five local governments of how electronic means can satisfy particular ends.

Engaging Citizens on the Internet

2012 ◽  
pp. 175-192
Author(s):  
Mark Cassell ◽  
John A. Hoornbeek
Keyword(s):  
World Wide Web ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Web Presence ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
The World

This article presents empirical results relating to citizen-government relations on the internet that are based on an assessment of the World Wide Web presence of 428 local governments in northeast Ohio. Northeast Ohio provides a useful picture of E-government-citizen relationships because it includes a range of local government forms (counties, townships, etc.), urban and rural populations, and Midwestern influences that many consider “typical” of American states. The website reviews conducted assess citizen-government engagement in a variety of areas. The measures used include simple engagements like the ability to sign up for email updates and the presence of event calendars to more involved interactions, such as blogs, e-pay services, and open records requests. Using these measures, the authors assess citizen-government engagement among local governments in the sample.

Interrogating the Application of E-Governance for Service Delivery

2017 ◽  
pp. 31-60
Author(s):  
Francis Friday Nchuchuwe
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Internet Diffusion

This study examined the application of e-governance for service delivery in Ojo and Alimosho Local government areas of Lagos State. Questionnaire and Interviews were used as major instruments for data collection alongside other secondary sources. The simple Random Sampling technique was used to derive a sample of 100 respondents from a population size of 748 workers from Ojo and Alimosho Local Government Areas. Simple percentages were used for the demographic data analysis, as well as to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that the application of E-governance is still a far cry in the local governments. Generally, the concept is novel among the workers as it is generally construed to mean electronic payment of salaries and lodgments into the Banks by the citizens. Beyond this, it was revealed that such facilities like web sites, constant electricity supply, enabling environments to boost tele-density, internet diffusion, adult computer literacy, cyber cafes, computer, etc. were not adequately available as expressed by the respondents.

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