Governance and Urban Service Delivery in Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvester Marumahoko ◽  
Olugbemiga Samuel Afolab ◽  
Yolanda Sadie ◽  
Norman T Nhede
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Great Expectation ◽  
Constitutional Protection ◽  
Urban Service ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Downward Spiral

It is contended that service delivery is the core function of developmental local government. The provision of services such as waste management, water and health services is closely associated with the well-being of urban dwellers. In the period leading to the adoption of Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution, many people supported the devolution of services and functions to local government. It was a major victory when local government was elevated and given constitutional protection. There was great expectation that service delivery would improve in the cities, towns and smaller urban centres. Seven years later, that expectation appears not to have been realised. Instead, indications are that urban service delivery is experiencing a downward spiral. Using open-ended questionnaires, closed-ended questionnaires and the focus group discussions research methods, the article investigates the drivers of inadequate service provision in four urban areas in Zimbabwe. The paper also proffers suggestions for improving service delivery. The results of the study underscore that the causes of insufficient service provision are multi-pronged and not necessarily limited to inefficiency and ineffectiveness on the part of urban councils. In fact, a major recurring finding is that national government policies are big factors contributing towards the decline of urban service delivery.

scholarly journals Making doctors stay: Rethinking doctor retention policy in a contracted-out primary healthcare setting in urban Bangladesh

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262358
Author(s):  
Farzana Bashar ◽  
Rubana Islam ◽  
Shaan Muberra Khan ◽  
Shahed Hossain ◽  
Adel A. S. Sikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Staff Retention ◽  
Contracting Out

Background “Contracting Out” is a popular strategy to expand coverage and utilization of health services. Bangladesh began contracting out primary healthcare services to NGOs in urban areas through the Urban Primary Health Care Project (UPHCP) in 1998. Over the three phases of this project, retention of trained and skilled human resources, especially doctors, proved to be an intractable challenge. This paper highlights the issues influencing doctor’s retention both in managerial as well as service provision level in the contracted-out setting. Methodology In this qualitative study, 42 Key Informant Interviews were undertaken with individuals involved with UPHCP in various levels including relevant ministries, project personnel representing the City Corporations and municipalities, NGO managers and doctors. Verbatim transcripts were coded in ATLAS.ti and analyzed using the thematic analysis. Document review was done for data triangulation. Results The most cited problem was a low salary structure in contrast to public sector pay scale followed by a dearth of other financial incentives such as performance-based incentives, provident funds and gratuities. Lack of career ladder, for those in both managerial and service delivery roles, was also identified as a factor hindering staff retention. Other disincentives included inadequate opportunities for training to improve clinical skills, ineffective staffing arrangements, security issues during night shifts, abuse from community members in the context of critical patient management, and lack of job security after project completion. Conclusions An adequate, efficient and dedicated health workforce is a pre-requisite for quality service provision and patient utilization of these services. Improved career development opportunities, the provision of salaries and incentives, and a safer working environment are necessary actions to retain and motivate those serving in managerial and service delivery positions in contracting out arrangements.

scholarly journals Physiotherapy managers’ views of musculoskeletal physiotherapy service provision in Ireland: a qualitative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. 77-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen P. French ◽  
Rose Galvin
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Physiotherapy Service ◽  
Stage Of Development

Aim Integrated multidisciplinary primary healthcare is still in a relatively early stage of development in Ireland, with significant restructuring occurring in the past decade. Musculoskeletal physiotherapy services traditionally provided in acute hospital settings have been relocated into the primary care setting where the physiotherapist works as part of the multidisciplinary team. This study aimed to explore physiotherapy managers’ experiences of managing musculoskeletal physiotherapy services in primary care to gain an insight into the opportunities and challenges in service delivery, changing roles and ongoing professional development needs of staff. Participants Qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with primary care physiotherapy managers in the Republic of Ireland was employed. Results Five interviews took in a mix of rural and urban areas nationally. The relationship with the GP was an important one in musculoskeletal physiotherapy services in primary care. Physiotherapists were well skilled but opportunities for professional and career development were restricted. Methods of optimising resources in the face of staffing restrictions were identified. Whilst there were many examples of innovations in service delivery, various barriers negatively impacted on optimal service including resource constraints and national strategy. Conclusions A number of factors that impact on musculoskeletal service delivery in primary care from the perspective of physiotherapy managers were identified in this study. Future research should explore the views of other stakeholders to provide a more thorough understanding of the relevant issues affecting musculoskeletal physiotherapy service provision in primary care in Ireland.

scholarly journals Monitoring Customer-focused Quality Service Delivery in Local Government: Conceptual Issues and Perspectives for Consideration

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Modeni Mudzamba Micheal Sibanda
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Quality Service ◽  
The Public ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Important Means ◽  
Monitoring Service

Local government in South Africa is no longer exclusively a function of national or provincial government; it is now regarded as a sphere rather than a tier of government. Section 152 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 stipulates the objectives of the local sphere of government, among which is ensuring the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. Poor or lack of service delivery by local authorities has received much media attention of late. Monitoring customer-focused service delivery could therefore be a critically important means to effect quality service delivery in local government. At its core this approach emphasises the treatment of municipal service users and the citizenry as customers. This article contends that conceptually customer-focused quality service delivery may potentially lever local government authorities out of the poor service delivery rut that has come to render some municipal authorities ineffective and inefficient and hence dysfunctional. At a conceptual level the article grapples with the elusive concept of service quality and the often contested concept of customer and proxy measures for monitoring service quality in the public sector. Citing British and South African customer-focused quality service delivery tools and initiatives, the article interrogates the efficacy of such initiatives and perspectives for monitoring customer-focused quality service delivery in the local sphere of government.

scholarly journals Nuanced Accountability: Voter Responses to Service Delivery in Southern Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel de Kadt ◽  
Evan S. Lieberman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Electoral Accountability ◽  
Dominant Party ◽  
Citizen Attitudes ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
The Relationship

Various theories of democratic governance posit that citizens should vote for incumbent politicians when they provide good service, and vote for the opposition when service delivery is poor. But does electoral accountability work as theorized, especially in developing country contexts? Studying Southern African democracies, where infrastructural investment in basic services has expanded widely but not universally, we contribute a new empirical answer to this question. Analyzing the relationship between service provision and voting, we find a surprising negative relationship: improvements in service provision predict decreases in support for dominant party incumbents. Though stronger in areas where opposition parties control local government, the negative relationship persists even in those areas where local government is run by the nationally dominant party. Survey data provide suggestive evidence that citizen concerns about corruption and ratcheting preferences for service delivery may be driving citizen attitudes and behaviors. Voters may thus be responsive to service delivery, but perhaps in ways that are more nuanced than extant theories previously recognized.

Intraurban Spatial Variations in Local Government Service Provision: 2. Application and Results

1983 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Fire Protection ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Spatial Interaction ◽  
Interaction Techniques ◽  
Government Service ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
The City

It is shown how the methodology used to estimate net fiscal incidence, presented in a previous paper, can be applied to British local government. The example chosen is Leeds, and four services—education, fire protection, library provision, and swimming pool provision—are studied. Estimates of net fiscal incidence are presented for the period 1966–1975. The choice of appropriate geographical areas within the city is discussed and analysis zones are defined on the basis of a principal components analysis of characteristics likely to give rise to significant variations in expenditure participation and revenue contribution. A brief outline of service delivery in Leeds is then presented. Net fiscal residuals are estimated separately for each service. Service expenditure allocation is estimated by spatial interaction techniques and it is shown that there are significant variations in the distributions. However, the spatial pattern of net fiscal imbalances in the City turn out to have some overall similarities. Because of local government reorganisation and other factors, it is not possible to directly compare changes over the study period. Nevertheless, the methods by which local authority finances are raised, movement of client groups, and changes in service delivery are all important mechanisms contributing to change. Further possible explanations are also briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Informal sector in urban areas in Tanzania: some socio-demographic, economic and legal aspects

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Mikidadi Muhanga
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Valuable Contribution ◽  
Cross Tabulation ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Demographic Attributes

Urban settings worldwide are homes to the informal sector due to the sector’s vast potentiality in terms of employment and income generation. Very little is found throughout the literature on the socio-demographic attributes of the informal sector in Tanzania despite its contribution to the economy. This paper empirically profiles informal sector in urban setting in Morogoro, Tanzania by analyzing socio-demographic, economic and legal aspects of the sector and those involved. Data was collected from 80 respondents using a questionnaire. Data analysis entailed descriptive statistics and cross tabulation. The results reveal dominance of men in the sector, low levels of education, young (19-26 years) and married people dominating, use of family labour, willing to operate businesses at times and locations convenient to customers. The study further shows that 55 % of the activities obtained capital from owners’ own sources and 82.5 % of the activities operating were not licensed. The results further show that 50% of the activities /businesses surveyed were owned by families. Overall, the study asserts that the IS has a valuable contribution to the well being of the urban dwellers. The study recommends a need for addressing training needs and interventions by Local Government Authorities in the Informal Sector’s operations for better performance and contribution to the livelihood of those involved but also to allow the Local Government Authorities earn income in form of taxes.

scholarly journals Impact of Fiscal Decentralisation on Human Development: A Case Study of Pakistan

2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (4II) ◽  
pp. 513-530
Author(s):  
Rashid Mehmood ◽  
Sara Sadiq
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The People ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Fiscal Decentralisation ◽  
Efficient Allocations ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
National Governments

Fiscal decentralisation refers to the transfer of authority and responsibility from central government to sub-national or the local government. It is mostly pre-assumed that fiscal decentralisation can play important role in the efficient allocations of resources and improvement of the political, economic and social activities. Many studies unlock the relationship between federal government and sub-national governments or local government. Fiscal decentralisation theories mostly based on Richard Musgrave’s (1939) functions of government. He defined three roles: stabilisation, allocation and distribution whereas, only the allocation function seems to be appropriate to fiscal decentralisation theory. Because these three functions are not equally suitable for all level of governments and it is necessary for efficiency that each function is properly matched to the level. It is a step forward towards more responsive and efficient governance if the decentralisation is done properly [Oates (1972)]. The logic behind fiscal decentralisation is accountability and efficiency; the smaller organisations are more fragile for accountability than the larger ones. However, decentralisation has not always been effective in the provision of service delivery and hardly accountable due to lack of community participation. If there is no spill over effects and in the absence of diseconomies of scale it could be effective and efficient. The sub-national governments where the externalities are internalised and scale economies are acceptable fiscal responsibilities should be assigned [Rodden, et al. (2003)]. The sub-national governments are much closer to the people and they are better informed to respond according to their demands of goods and services [Hayek (1945); Qian and Weingast (1997)]. Service deliveries are highly dependent on transfers from central governments. It is necessary to increase the revenue autonomy of sub-national governments and it is linked with the service delivery in social sector [Elhiraika (2007)]. Lower level of governments is closer to the people and much aware of the preferences of localities. Service deliveries should be located at the lowest level because decentralised provision of services increases the economic welfare [Oates (1999)].

scholarly journals Operationalising performance management in local government: The use of the balanced scorecard

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zwelinzima J. Ndevu ◽  
Kobus Muller
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
National Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
The Balanced Scorecard

Orientation: Local government forms that part of the public sector closest to citizens and therefore indispensable in its role of providing essential goods and services and developing the local area. Local government has the authority and functions necessary to provide services for the maintenance and promotion of the well-being of all people within their area and should provide access to basic services such as water, electricity and health care.Research purpose: This study examines performance management as a tool in local government effective provision service delivery. The critical question addressed in this paper was how the balanced scorecard (BSC) can be used to improve performance in the context of local government and assist in eradicating the current challenges of lack of quality services, poverty and infrastructure development.Motivation for the study: The need for continuous improvement in service delivery at local government compounded by high levels of service delivery protest requires regular review of performance management system.Research approach: To understand the current context and challenges facing local government, the applicable legislative framework including the Constitution, white paper and the National Development Plans were perused to better understand the legal environment in which local government operates. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate theory on organisational effectiveness. Semi-structured interviews were used to solicit expert opinions.Main findings/managerial implications: The BSC approach emerged as the preferred tool because the method offered the authors the opportunity to review non-financial and financial factors to arrive at a balanced conclusion. A BSC tool was developed and applied to the Joe Gqabi District Municipality as a case study.Practical implications: The BSC as a performance management tool enables organisations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into goal or actions.Contribution/value-add: The research findings conclude that there was acknowledgement of the importance of performance measurement instruments in the municipality, yet the municipality still experienced challenges caused by the performance review process not being transparent and not communicated to all stakeholders.

American Speech-Language Pathologists' Training and Legislative Knowledge When Working With Immigrant and Refugee Populations: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1148-1161
Author(s):  
Camilo Maldonado ◽  
Alejandro Ashe ◽  
Kerri Bubar ◽  
Jessica Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Federal Mandates ◽  
Refugee Families ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Immigrant And Refugee

Background American educational legislation suggests culturally competent speech and language services should be provided in a child's native language, but the number of multilingual speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is negligible. Consequently, many monolingual English-speaking practitioners are being tasked with providing services to these populations. This requires that SLPs are educated about cultural and linguistic diversity as well as the legislation that concerns service provision to non-English or limited English proficiency speakers. Purpose This qualitative study explored the experiences of monolingual, American, English-speaking SLPs and clinical fellows who have worked with immigrant and refugee families within a preschool context. It investigated what training SLPs received to serve this population and what knowledge these SLPs possessed with regard to federal legislation governing the provision of services to culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) communities. Method Ten American clinicians with experience treating CLD children of refugee and immigrant families in the context of preschool service provision participated in the study. Semistructured interviews were utilized to better understand the type of training clinicians received prior to and during their service delivery for CLD populations. Additionally, questions were asked to explore the degree to which practitioners understood federal mandates for ethical and effective service provision. The data collected from these interviews were coded and analyzed using the principles of grounded theory. Findings The results of this study revealed that there was a general sense of unpreparedness when working with CLD clients. This lack of training also attributed to a deficiency of knowledge surrounding legislation governing service provision to CLD populations.

PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF STREET HAWKING ON THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN ANYIGBA, DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
Alfred Eboh
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Government Area ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
The Government

Background: The hawking of wares by children has been a serious issue confronting the Nigerian society. Children hawk in some of the most horrible conditions conceivable, where they face a serious risk of injury, chronic illness, kidnapping, rape or death. Objective: The focus of this study was to assess the perceived effects of street hawking on the well-being of children in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. Methods: The population of this study consists of parents of the street hawkers in Anyigba while cross-sectional survey design was used through the purposive sampling technique to choose the sample size of one hundred and sixty-two (162) respondents. The validated structured questionnaire and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) served as the instruments for the data collection respectively. The hypotheses were tested using Chi-Square at a predetermined 0.05 level of significance. The quantitative data were analysed with the aid of the SPSS (version 20). Results: The results indicated among others that street hawking had significant social implications and physical consequences on children's moral behaviour as well as health status in the study area. Conclusion: The study, therefore, concluded that the government of Kogi State should carry out an enlightenment campaign through the media and religious institutions on the negative consequences of street hawking are recommended as panacea. Also, the child right act instrument and its implementation should be strengthened in order to curb street hawking in the study area.

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