The Hindu : Kerala News : Service delivery policy next year

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Service delivery policy next year

By Roy Mathew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 13. The Government will be implementing a people-centred service delivery policy during 2005.

The policy will initially be implemented in 22 types of institutions such as the Secretariat, Collectorates, Government hospitals and health centres, taluk and villages offices, sub-registrar offices, schools, local self-Governments, rationing offices, police stations and welfare institutions.

Planning strategy

According to the draft policy, each department would be required to prepare a service delivery implementation strategy for all services rendered by them in consultation with users, staff and experts.

Service Improvement Task Forces would be constituted at the lowest unit of the department as part of a bottom-up planning process.

They would approve the institutional service delivery plans. Grievance redress procedures would be incorporated into plan.

The draft recognises that every citizen has a basic right to expect high quality of public services and would have voice in ensuring quality. Clear standards of service would be laid down so that every citizen can expect a guaranteed minimum level of service. A high power committee under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Board would be set up to oversee implementation of the policy.

The Government would effect changes in rules and procedures required under departmental service delivery strategies.

Implementation of the policy would be linked to the Plan preparation process in such a way that development budgets of departments are reoriented to focus on delivery of public services.

The Government would implement the initiative approved earlier to progressively introduce Citizen Charters in all the departments in which the policy is being implemented.

Monitoring system

A formal monitoring system would be put in place for which the Central Plan Monitoring of the Government would be sufficiently strengthened. Periodic evaluation would be done through independent agencies. A service delivery audit system would also be put in place.

Each department implementing the policy would come out with an Annual Performance Report, which would be incorporated into a unified performance report to be tabled in the Assembly.

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