The Challenges of Implementing the Public Service Delivery Reform Program in Kombolcha City Administration and Harbu Municipality
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Date
2008-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Urban centers’ municipalities constitute an important part of local government in Ethiopia. There have been
many problems observed in the civil service institutions of the country including municipalities for many
years. For this reason, the government has implemented service delivery reform as part of the country’s
general political and economic restructuring programs. The major objective of this study is to assess the
achievements recorded and to analyze the challenges encountered in implementing the SDR in KMS and
HM. Primary data were collected from clients and staff of the two municipalities based on disproportionate
stratified random sampling technique complemented with interviews and secondary sources. Since similar
studies were not conducted before in these municipalities, the study is believed to be essential for its
original findings and groundwork for future studies to build upon.
From the essential conditions for the implementation of SDR, Strategic Planning and Management (SPM)
was designed in both municipalities. Business Process Reengineering (BPR) has not been implemented.
Allocation of budget, suitable offices, assigning trained manpower, awareness creation as well as
establishing one stop service delivery mechanisms are not implemented sufficiently. Customers' information
access is relatively good in KMS but insufficient in HM. Hence, the preconditions for the reform measures
seem undeveloped. Though its implementation is very poor, KMS has designed service standards for basic
services but not in HM. KMS has empowered departments for public service delivery. However,
decentralization and outsourcing of services are not undertaken in these municipalities. Consequently,
efficiency of municipalities is reduced in implementing SDR. Commitment and attitude of officials and
employees, accountability, effectiveness and result-oriented work evaluation have been improved relatively
compared to the situation before the implementation of the SDR. But it is insufficient.
By and large, the municipalities’ human resources and the system itself are central reasons for the
increasing widespread perceptions of the general public that have difficulty in receiving service timely and in
a cost-efficient manner. The problems of the municipalities require thorough diagnosis and sustained
thought about the way to bring attitudinal changes. The SDR measures need to be executed through
fulfillment of necessary conditions such as awareness creation; one-stop shop service delivery
mechanisms; Business Process Reengineering; and allocation of sufficient financial budget, amongst
others. Moreover, staff training and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the reform should be done with
the commitment of municipal leaders
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Keywords
Harbu municipality