Effectiveness of Public Service Delivery Reform Implementation in Bahir Dar City Administration (A Case Study of Barhir Dar City Service office)
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Date
2008-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Like many in Africa, the Ethiopian Civil Service has not been able to
effectively carry out government policies and programs as well as to organize
and deliver cost effective service for so long years due to a broad set of
deficiencies. Consequently its role in promoting economic and social
development remains limited. Recognizing this fact, the government has being
implementing Civil Service Reform in general and Service Delivery Reform
(SDR) in particular in all government institutions – i.e. at Federal, Regional
and City Administration Levels - since 2001.
This research takes interest in assessing the effectiveness of the SDR. It also
takes note of the achievements recorded and the challenges Bahir Dar City
Service Office witnessed. For this purpose, the methodology used for the
research was qualitative method supported by simple quantitative
measurements, expressed in the form of percentages and tabular illustrations.
The instruments used to gather data were observations, interview and
questionnaires.
The major findings of this study were observed in respect to preparation
made, achievements recorded and challenges encountered. Regarding
preparation made to implement the SDR, it was found out the those elements
of preparation that attracts theoretical support as prerequisites for successful
realization of customer focused service delivery particularly that of capacity
building and empowerment of employees were not practically considered at
the beginning of the reform implementation in the office.
With respect to achievements recorded from SDR implementation, it was
found out that despite the policy of SDR, which was intended to bring
significant improvements in various dimensions of service quality particularly
in attitudinal change, information openness, service accessibility and
compliant handling, the achievement recorded so far in the aforementioned
dimensions of the service quality in the Office of City Service remains limited.
Similarly the actual impact of the SDR interms of raising of client satisfaction
and institutional core competence found yet to be realized.
The major challenges hindering the effectiveness of SDR implementation in
the office emanate from weak institutional capacity, poor management
practices and poor working ethics of employees. Specifically, the challenges
encountering the SDR in the office are lack of enough budget, shortage of
skilled man power, lack of training, insufficient
awareness, lack of
consultation, lack of incentive, ineffective result oriented evaluation,
inadequate authority delegation, mismanagement of time, high resistance of
employees and low motivation.
Finally the recommendations forwarded are those that seek solutions for the
challenges mentioned above. Among others, the need for consistent and
continuous training, capacity building, strategic management practices,
political commitment and result oriented performance are stressed in the
recommendations forwarded
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Keywords
Bahir dar city administration, Delivery reform implementation