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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A.A.U
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
Administration, Challenges of Implementing, Public service delivery