Methodological Challenges and Sociological Surveys. The Example of Surveys on the Quality of State and Municipal Services

A 3-year long survey was conducted in the Tshwane geographical region of Gauteng Province in South Africa in order to identify and quantify key predictors of adequate municipal services that are routinely provided to customers who operate newly established small businesses in the City of Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa. Data was collected by using a structured, pre-tested and validated questionnaire of study from a stratified random sample of size 1, 058 small businesses. The key objective of study was to assess the relationship between viability in small businesses and the provision of quality municipal services by the City of Tshwane. The study was conducted against the background of a high failure rate among newly established small businesses in the City of Tshwane. The study was conducted over a 3-year period (2012 to 2014). Data was collected monthly during the three-year period of study on socioeconomic variables that are known to affect the perception of business operators on the quality of municipal services to business operators and the general public. Statistical procedures such as cross-tab analyses, panel data analysis, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms and Bayesian methods were used for estimating parameters. The study showed that there was a significant association between positive perception of business operators on the quality of municipal services provided to them and viability of businesses. The results showed that 87% of viable businesses were satisfied with the quality of routine municipal services that were provided to them by the City of Tshwane. The corresponding figure for non-viable businesses was only 14%. The viability of businesses was significantly influenced by 3 predictor variables. These predictor variables were: lack of capacity for fulfilling the business and entrepreneurial needs of newly established businesses [Hazard Ratio = 3.58; P=0.000; 95% C. I. = (1.45, 5.46)], inappropriate policy [Hazard Ratio = 3.19; P=0.000; 95% C. I. = (1.39, 5.28)], and lack of tailor made training programmes directed at newly established small businesses [Hazard Ratio = 2.89; P=0.000; 95% C. I. = (1.24, 4.77)], in a decreasing order of strength. Similar findings were obtained from the analyses of in-depth interviews.

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Deployment of E-Government Municipal Services

Electronic Government ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-947-2.ch241 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 3253-3261

Author(s):

Nikolaos Oikonomidis ◽

Sergiu Tcaciuc ◽

Christoph Ruland

Keyword(s):

Cost Effective ◽

Security Policies ◽

Municipal Services ◽

Research Results ◽

Fundamental Structure ◽

Cross Border ◽

Governmental Organizations

This paper presents the research results on reliable enforcement of security policies for electronic services deployment in small and medium sized governmental organizations (SMGOs). Motivation for this research has been the fact that SMGOs interact frequently with citizens and/or businesses, to offer paper-based and electronic services which utilize a limited number of resources, such as employees and funds. SMGOs interact also with each other, in local or cross-border transactions, exchanging information on behalf of citizens, businesses or the organization itself. There is an obvious need for a secure, interoperable and cost-effective eGovernment platform that addresses the requirements of SMGOs, improves the quality of the citizens’ involvement and strengthens the fundamental structure of these organizations.

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Quality assessment of electronic state and municipal services using the example of the ministry of agriculture of the Russian Federation

BIO Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/bioconf/20201700143 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

pp. 00143 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Niyaz Azatovich Safiullin ◽

Gulnara Rinatovna Valieva ◽

Dzhaudat Ibragimovich Faizrahmanov ◽

Luisa Nizamovna Savushkina ◽

Chulpan Malikovna Kurakova

Keyword(s):

Public Services ◽

Quality Of Services ◽

Municipal Services ◽

Reclaimed Land ◽

The Public ◽

Electronic Form ◽

Provision Of Services ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

The Republic

The article discusses the features of the provision of public services in electronic form. The dynamics of the provision of public services in the Republic of Tatarstan is given. A review of the existing methodologies for assessing the quality of the provision of electronic public services is given. The authors’ methodology for assessing the quality of the provision of state and municipal services in electronic form is proposed. An authorized executive body has been identified which is responsible for organizing the assessment of the quality of services. Formulas of individual indicators of the technique are developed. As an example, the assessment of the provision of the public service “Providing information obtained in the course of accounting for reclaimed land” is calculated. A polygon of the effectiveness of the provision of state and municipal services in electronic form is proposed. Measures to eliminate identified deficiencies in the provision of services are proposed. The authors make the conclusion about the importance of assessing the quality of services and the relevance of the proposed methodology.

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The Methodological Quality and Challenges in Conducting Economic Evaluations of Newborn Screening: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Neonatal Screening ◽

10.3390/ijns6040094 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 94

Author(s):

Pasquale Cacciatore ◽

Laurenske A. Visser ◽

Nasuh Buyukkaramikli ◽

Catharina P. B. van der Ploeg ◽

M. Elske van den Akker-van Marle

Keyword(s):

Resource Allocation ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Newborn Screening ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Economic Evaluations ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Methodological Challenges ◽

Life Years

Cost-effectiveness (CEA) and cost–utility analyses (CUA) have become popular types of economic evaluations (EE) used for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare resource allocation. Newborn screening programs (NBS) can have significant clinical benefits for society, and cost-effectiveness analysis may help to select the optimal strategy among different screening programs, including the no-screening option, on different conditions. These economic analyses of NBS, however, are hindered by several methodological challenges. This study explored the methodological quality in recent NBS economic evaluations and analyzed the main challenges and strategies adopted by researchers to deal with them. A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA methodology to identify CEAs and CUAs of NBS. The methodological quality of the retrieved studies was assessed quantitatively using a specific guideline for the quality assessment of NBS economic evaluations, by calculating a general score for each EE. Challenges in the studies were then explored using thematic analysis as a qualitative synthesis approach. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. The quantitative analysis showed that the methodological quality of NBS economic evaluations was heterogeneous. Lack of clear description of items related to results, discussion, and discounting were the most frequent flaws. Methodological challenges in performing EEs of neonatal screenings include the adoption of a long time horizon, the use of quality-adjusted life years as health outcome measure, and the assessment of costs beyond the screening interventions. The results of this review can support future economic evaluation research, aiding researchers to develop a methodological guidance to perform EEs aimed at producing solid results to inform decisions for resource allocation in neonatal screening.

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e-Government in the Stavropol Region: Assessment of the Level of Citizens' Satisfaction with the Provision of Public and Municipal Services

Journal of Advanced Research in Law and Economics ◽

10.14505//jarle.v8.7(29).20 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 2206

Author(s):

Irina Vladimirovna NOVIKOVA ◽

Aleksandr Ivanovich P'YANOV ◽

Slavko Brankovich RUDICH ◽

Valentina Anatolievna IVASHOVA

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Current Model ◽

Primary Data ◽

Sociological Research ◽

Municipal Services ◽

Sociological Study ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

Degree Of Satisfaction ◽

Stavropol Region

The article analyzes the measures to introduce the model of the organization of ʽe-governmentʽ in the Stavropol Territory and presents the results of a specific sociological study to determine the level of satisfaction of citizens with its functioning. The sociological research was carried out on the basis of probabilistic (random) sampling in 5 urban and 6 rural municipalities of the Stavropol region. As a method of collecting primary data, a survey was used in the form of questionnaires and interviewing. In addition to the study of the degree of satisfaction of residents of cities and rural areas of the Stavropol Territory the quality of the work of multifunctional centers, we set out to identify the main problems in the provision of public and municipal services by these centers. An analysis of the results of the research showed that the current model of the organization of ʽe-governmentʽ in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation is ineffective and requires an institutional reorganization of the mechanisms of inter-agency cooperation.

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Provision of state and municipal services in Russia: the current state and main directions for improving

Servis plus ◽

10.12737/11306 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 3-10

Author(s):

Людмила Гаврилова ◽

Lyudmila Gavrilova

Keyword(s):

Public Administration ◽

Social Services ◽

Unsolved Problem ◽

Legal Regulation ◽

Municipal Services ◽

Administrative Reforms ◽

Current State ◽

Key Issues ◽

Services Innovation

In today´s world there is urgency to improving the scope of government (municipal) services, updating their delivery mechanisms by bringing them in line with modern requirements of society, under the influence of the rapidly developing information technology. State policy in Russia in the sphere of state (municipal) services includes a range of activities, the implementation of which aimed at improving the legal regulation of this sector, the introduction of new forms of state (municipal) services, streamlining the organization of supply and improving the quality of the services. These activities are implemented in stages within the framework of state reforms that are going on in Russia for more than a decade. The article analyzes a specific budget measures and administrative reforms in state (municipal) services. The analysis of the concepts "public service" and "public function" within the legal format allowed the author to distinguish between measures to improve the organization of state (municipal) social services provided by the state (municipal) institutions and public services provided directly by state executive bodies ( "administrative " services). For example, in the area of social services the ratio of the planned amount of state (municipal) services and their financial security remain key issues. In order to improve "administrative" services innovation in recentyears are rapidly introduced new forms of delivery of these services, which are key objectives of the possibility of application for state (municipal) services in electronic form, as well as creating a network of institutions authorized for the provision of public ( municipal) "administrative" services — multipurpose centers. However, the general unsolved problem within the scope of public administration (municipal) services is improving their quality and accessibility.

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Determining the quality of municipal services using SERVQUAL model

Proceedings of the 5th IPMA SENET Project Management Conference (SENET 2019) ◽

10.2991/senet-19.2019.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Nedeljko Živković ◽

Maja Glogovac ◽

Bojan Kovačević

Keyword(s):

Municipal Services

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Indicators characterizing the quality of state (municipal) services in the sphere of youth policy

Финансы и управление ◽

10.25136/2409-7802.2021.2.35704 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Kristina Fedoseeva

Keyword(s):

The State ◽

Quality Of Services ◽

Municipal Services ◽

Appropriate Use ◽

Youth Policy ◽

Legislative Regulation ◽

The Subject ◽

Quantitative Indicators

The subject of this research is indicators that characterize the quality of municipal services rendered in accordance with the state (municipal) task in the sphere of youth policy. Special attention given to the analysis of state tasks approved on the federal and regional levels for budgetary (autonomous) institutions. The author examines the indicators that characterize the quality of municipal services in the sphere of youth policy as the foundation for assessing the achievement of publicly significant results in the context of the vector for improving the efficiency of spending budgetary funds. The article explores the problem of the absence of correlation between the quality of services rendered and the size of subsidy allocated for the implementation of state (municipal) task. The main conclusion consists in the statement that at the present day it is difficult to assess the achievement of publicly significant result in rendering state (municipal) services in the sphere of youth policy as a criterion for the appropriate use of subsidies for the fulfillment of the state (municipal) tasks within the framework of the activity of budgetary (autonomous) institutions. This is substantiated by the formal determination of indicators set by such institutions, which characterize the quality of the rendered municipal services and the absence of comprehensive legislative regulation in this sphere. The efficiency parameters of the conducted state youth policy are for the most part reflected through the quantitative indicators.

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