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Themes > Service delivery

Service delivery

In many countries in Africa the responsibility of providing basic services to the people and bringing about development has been delegated to local government authorities. The types of services that a local government authority may require to provide includes housing, water , electricity, roads and transport, health facilities and other social services. Local governments are also required to bring about local economic development through the implementation of various initiatives. As a consequence local government authorities have to be able to effectively identify and target the neediest communities, have systems in place to track expenditure on projects and be able to determine if the allocation of resources has had an impact.

In many instances, the ability and capacity of local government agencies to provide basic services of a suitable quality has not been there. In other instances the inability to provide services to the people has been linked to high levels of corruption within the local government structures. Local government authorities have also been accused of either under or overspending their budgets. Furthermore, they have not been able to address many of the problems that affect the local government, because of a lack of information and know-how.

Considering the above, it is important that any work done within the social accountability arena should have a strong focus on service delivery within the local government environment. Areas to focus on would include the development of local government's capabilities to bring about effective delivery of quality basic services. Although the most immediate need is to improve the ability of citizens to engage with the local authorities so that they may be empowered in gaining an understanding of where the priority areas are and what the local government authorities are planning to do. It will also give citizens an opportunity to hold local government authorities accountable for the delivery of services.

Towards a Fifteen Year Review
1 October 2008
The Government today (1 October 2008) released the results of the Fifteen Year Review which it initiated in 2007. It takes stock of progress, since the attainment of democracy, in achieving the objective of improving the quality of life of all South Africans.

Conference on Access to Development Funding for Local Government in Africa
17 September 2008
The declaration of the Conference on Access to Development Funding for Local Government in Africa, Johannesburg, 15-17 September 2008 and full summary of the conference outcomes

Strengthening sub-national governance for poverty reduction: innovations and impact
11 September 2008
This Conference seeks to highlight the strategic and practical experiences, best practice, and lessons learned by prominent national organizations and international development agencies in promoting more effective and impactful sub-national governance aimed at reducing extreme poverty and inequality.…

Aid, service delivery, and the millennium development goals in an economy-wide framework
Francois Bourguignon, Carolina Diaz-Bonilla, and Hans Lofgren, 1 July 2008
In many developing countries, achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 will require significant increases in expenditures on social services and in foreign assistance.

Fourth annual forum on reform and modernization of public administration and governance
Rapporteur: Prof C Thornhill, 16 June 2008
The Fourth Annual Forum on Reform and Modernization of Public Administration and Governance organized by CAFRAD was held from 16-17 June 2008 at Tangier (Morocco). The Forum was organised to open a discussion on the building of partnerships between the public and private sectors to improve public administration…

Disabilities among refugees and conflict-affected populations: A resource kit for fieldworkers
June 2008
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 7 and 10 percent of the world’s population live with disabilities. As such, it can be assumed that between 2.5 and 3.5 million of the world’s 35 million displaced persons also live with disabilities. Among displaced persons who have fled civil…

Devolution, accountability, and service delivery: Some insights from Pakistan
Zahid Hasnain, April 2008
This paper studies the relationship between devolution, accountability, and service delivery in Pakistan. It examines the degree of accessibility of local policymakers and the level of competition in local elections, the expenditure patterns of local governments to gauge their sector priorities, and…

Participatory Budgeting in Peru: 2003-2008
Roger Salhuana Cavides, March 2008
Background 2000-2004 concerns Democracy, Growth of the economy and of government funds, and Concern for quality of government spending.

African good practices which promote transparency, accountability and participation in municipal public expenditure management and service delivery
Hon. Musoni Protais , March 2008
Objectives of the paper: To present good African practices for policy reforms to promote: Transparency, Accountability and Participation in Municipal Public Expenditure Management and Service Delivery; and to deliberate on the challenges encountered and propose possible solutions for Africa good practices…

Budget demystification and budget transparency in Malawi
Alfred WD Chanza, March 2008
Budget - Important instrument that every government uses.

In the know: Using information to make better decisions
February 2008
When decision makers use information well, local public services improve.

The quality and cost of our local public services depend upon the decisions that many people make: users make choices; professionals exercise judgement; managers prioritise; and politicians allocate resources. Using information…

Some recent experience in Community Voice Card: An innovative tool towards assessing service delivery for MDGs
Neela Mukherjee, 2008
Community Voice Card (CVC) is emerging as a handy tool for peoples’ assessment of delivery of services by different agencies, whether government, non-government or private agencies. Peoples’ views are important as they are the main clienteles and stakeholders of the development process. The scope of…

The use of quantitative and qualitative survey results to influence policy: The case of Participatory Service Delivery (PSDA) in Zanzibar
Slaus T. Mwisomba, November 2007
When the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGOZ) was reviewing its first generation Zanzibar Poverty Reduction Plan (PRSP) in its Swahili acronym MKUZA, it was found out that its M&E could only track inputs, outputs, outcome and impact. Inputs are the resources that are needed to implement plan activities.…

Assessing and improving governance for results-based management: ensuring good governance for effective service delivery
Musoni Protais (Government of Rwanda), November 2007

Ensuring Good Governance
- Elements of Good Governance Programme
- Partnerships
- Legal Reforms
- Decentralization Framework

Blind Spot: Poverty and Social Impact Analysis
Elizabeth Stuart, September 2007
It seems impossible that the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) would give advice to developing countries without fully considering how it might affect the lives of poor people. Yet, despite it being a long-stated policy of both institutions to do so, and some recent progress on the part…

Gender-responsive budgets in the commonwealth progress report: 2005-2007

September 2007
At the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting in 2005, Ministers recognised the critical importance of gender-responsive budgets (GRBs) and the need for progress and sustainability on this issue. The Ministers therefore agreed to report on progress biennially at the Finance Ministers Meeting, with the…

In search of land and housing in the New South Africa: The case of Ethembalethu
11 July 2007
A just-released World Bank case study outlines the difficulties poor communities face in accessing peri-urban land in South Africa that could have implications and lessons for similar communities in other countries facing spatial segregation issues. The study goes further and suggests policy and program…

Ghana, Ethiopia and Cape Verde reports to UN ECOSOC's Annual Ministerial Review
July 2007
At its July 2007 meeting, these African countries (with Bangladesh, Barbados, Cambodia) tabled reports on MDG issues. The presentations focussed on: (a) successes and challenges identified through national consultative processes in the implementation of national development strategies designed to achieve…

Gap between rhetoric and reality: Assessment report of the 100-Community Driven Development Project
July 2007
Government of Liberia’s initiative to decentralize national decision-making and spread state resources for the benefit of all Liberians, however well-intentioned, could be stalled and subverted in its puberty if the foundation is situated in sinking sand; if the initial steps begun are not critically…

Budget Management and Public Financial Accountability

18 June 2007
The Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI) and the World Bank Institute (WBI) held a joint training programme between 18 and 22 June 2007 in Pretoria, South Africa.

Local government discretion and accountability: A local governance framework
June 2007
Social accountability approaches are broad range of actions and mechanisms beyond voting that citizens can use to hold accountable the state and providers of public services. These approaches could be as simple as pressuring local governments to publish budgets, or more complicated, such as participatory…

Figuring Out Accountability: Selected uses of official statistics by civil society to improve public sector performance
Christopher Scott, June 2007
The aim of this paper is to explore selectively how official statistics have been used by civil society organizations to hold public agencies accountable for service delivery and/or for the effective use of public resources. The analysis draws on case studies that illustrate (i) different ways in which…

Figuring Out Accountability: Selected uses of official statistics by civil society to improve public sector performance

Christopher Scott, June 2007
Executive Summary

The aim of this paper is to explore by means of selected case-studies how official statistics have been used by civil society organizations to hold public agencies accountable for service delivery or for the effective use of public resources. It…

Engaging the public in National budgeting: A non-governmental perspective
31 May 2007

Budget experts everywhere complain that citizens’ seemingly unending appetite for more public services and benefits is not matched by a corresponding willingness to pay for them. The public does not seem to understand the need for short-term fiscal tradeoffs, let alone grasp the potentially…

Quando a integridade vacila
Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, 4 May 2007
O romancista ganês Ayi kwei Armah, no seu primeiro e mais conhecido romance “Os Bonitos Ainda Não Nasceram”, descreve a vida de um anónimo trabalhador ferroviário que vive constantemente pressionado pela família e colegas de trabalho para aceitar subornos e envolver-se em actividades corruptas.

Citizens’ Report Card on Urban Water, Sanitation and Solid Waste Services in Kenya

May 2007
This is a national summary of the Citizen’s Report Card (CRC) on water, sanitation and solid waste (i.e. rubbish) services undertaken in Kenya’s three largest cities - Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu in September and October 2006.

Empowering the poor? Civic education and local level participation in rural Tanzania and Zambia

Satu Riutta, May 2007
This study examines the effects of civic education (CE) on local level participation among the rural poor. There is little extant knowledge of civic education’s effects among this group, although it represents the majority of citizens in many developing countries. It is important to understand what kinds…

Minding the Gaps: Integrating Poverty Reduction Strategies and Budgets for Domestic Accountability

April 2007
By integrating their poverty reduction strategies, national budgets, and the corresponding reporting processes, low-income countries can strengthen domestic accountability and the implementation of pro-poor policies. This study, based on case studies in nine low-income countries (Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda,…

Measuring and strengthening local governance capacity: the local governance barometer
Evan Bloom, Amy Sunseri, Aaron Leonard, 20 March 2007
Those working to achieve the Millennium Development goals increasingly recognize good governance as a fundamental requirement for reducing poverty and achieving sustainable human development. With decentralization and devolution efforts on the rise in many countries, the ability of local officials to…

Accountability and service delivery in Southern Africa: The case for rights-based social accountability monitoring

5 March 2007
The Centre for Social Accountability (CSA), based at Rhodes University in South Africa, is committed to the institutionalisation of the right to social accountability and the realisation of social and economic rights through the effective management of public resources. It seeks to achieve this by generating…

Partnerships for service delivery
March 2007
Can partnerships offer solutions that will help to improve access to basic services? If they can, what does it take to make partnerships work, and to grow the capacities not only of individual actors, but also of the relationships between them?

There is a lot of rhetoric around the issue of…

Declaration of the 2nd Pan African meeting of national anti-corruption bodies
24 February 2007
We, the representatives of the National Anti Corruption Bodies in Africa, attending the 2nd Pan African Meeting of National Anti-corruption Bodies held in Johannesburg, South Africa at Emperor’s Palace from 23rd to 24th February 2007;

Concerned about the negative effects of corruption on the…

Angolan Citizens’ Participation Initiative

2007
The Angolan Citizens Participation Initiative (IPCA/ACPI) was a 20-month program designed by America’s Development Foundation and funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement 690-04-00025. The Initiative took place in fourteen communities of the Planalto region in Angola. Activities contributed to participatory…

Budget, state and people: budget process, civil society and transparency in Angola

J. Isaksen; I. Amundsen; A. Wiig , 2007
This paper explores issues around budget governance in Angola by pointing out the obstacles and opportunities for increased transparency and popular consultation in the prioritisation of state expenditure. The paper reports on issues arising at the political and institutional level, the budget process…

The politics of service delivery in democracies: better access for the poor

Edited by Shantayanan Devarajan and Ingrid Widlund, 2007
Clean drinking water, primary education, preventive and curative health facilities are all fundamental for human development and well-being. Yet, as the World Development Report 2004 demonstrated, the provision of such vital services in developing countries is typically skewed in favour of the non-poor.…

Rwanda: Turning Vision 2020 into Reality

2007
Since 2000, Rwanda has embarked on a development phase which focuses on poverty reduction, economic growth and strengthening of democratic governance. It is in this respect that the new National Human Development Report 2007 looks at the long-term human and economic development challenges facing Rwanda…

Participatory Development Management: the effective way to achieve development?
2007
The Pan Africa 2000 Network (A2N) is a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) comprising of 14 National Organisations¹ working with rural communities through various interventions in partnership with many stakeholders including government departments, research and training…

Monitoring government policies: A toolkit for civil society organisations in Africa

2007
About the toolkit project

This project was started by the three agencies with a view to supporting partner organisations, particularly church-based organisations, to hold their governments to account for the consequences of their policies. This toolkit specifically targets African partners,…

Are you being served? Popular satisfaction with health and education services in Africa
Michael Bratton, January 2007
This article explores the determinants of public satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with health and education services in Africa. Among prospective explanations, we consider the users’ poverty, their general perceptions of service accessibility, and their specific experiences with service providers. We…

Can participation make a difference? Prospects for people’s participation in planning

Dr David Hemson, Research Director, Infrastructure and Service Delivery, URED, HSRC, 2007
THE QUESTION of public participation has become one of general debate in South Africa. Government officials at the national, provincial and local spheres often mention that there are formal processes laid down in policy and statutes for participation, and often encourage the idea. Social movements and…

Building democracy from the bottom up: Lessons from Latin America
2007
Creating local governments, giving them responsibility for public works and services, and mandating citizen participation in their decision-making has become a new goal and sector of international development. Decentralization of public works and services to local governments dramatically increases the…

A report on the 28th African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) annual conference
4 December 2006
The Round Table Conference of the African Association for Public Administration and Management is an Annual Event held in different member countries to address issues affecting Public Administration and Management in Africa.

Civil society efforts in improving accountability in Africa
30 November 2006
‘Chaos is king and human rights go begging’ in sub-Saharan Africa today, according to Peter Schwab (2001: 67). Commentators believe countries like Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Uganda, Darfur, Somalia, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe epitomize Africa. In many countries, state institutions have…

Mutual accountability mechanisms: Accountability, voice, and responsiveness
November 2006
This note makes the case that strengthening accountability is a critical CD strategy. The capacity of any system requires appropriate feedback loops to self-regulate, adapt and effectively achieve its objectives. This applies to living organisms and people, to organizations and to societies.

The status of public expenditure and services delivery in Africa: People’s perceptions from the African governance report
Mzwanele G. Mfunwa, 9 October 2006
This paper summarizes UNECA’s research findings on ordinary people’s views about governments’ performance in delivering public services. Against dismal initial conditions, average perceptions among households indicate that Africa is moving in the right direction.

Public expenditure and service delivery in Africa
October 2006
Sound public expenditure management is essential for efficient service delivery. It requires institutions to ensure compliance of services provided with the legal, regulatory and procedural framework as well as delivery of services in the desired amount and quality. Around the world many governments…

Participatory budgeting: Building inclusiveness in policy making and municipal finance for the implementation of the MDGs
20 September 2006
Participatory Budgeting is an innovative management practice that helps to enhance participation and improve accountability and transparency in decentralised governance and administration. It is a mechanism to involve and empower communities in participating directly in the formulation of government…

Voters but not yet citizens: The weak demand for political accountability in Africa’s unclaimed democracies
Michael Bratton, Carolyn Logan, September 2006
Transitions to competitive, multiparty politics in African countries during the 1990s were jubilantly welcomed, both on the continent and internationally.

Citizen Oversight through Social Accountability: The Malawi Social Action Fund and the Comprehensive Community Scorecard Process

August 2006
The third Malawi Social Action Fund Project (MASAF 3) was designed in the context of the Malawi Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) of April 2002.¹ The PRS had the following four pillars: (a) sustainable pro-poor economic growth to empower the poor by ensuring…

Outside funding and the dynamics of participation in community associations
Mary Kay Gugerty and Michael Kremer, July 2006
The poor and disadvantaged have lower rates of participation in civic groups, religious groups, and community associations (Almond and Verba, 1965; Verba, Schlozman and Brady, 1995; Ayala, 2000). When the disadvantaged do participate in civic life, their organizations are often weak: Walzer (2002) writes…

Building sustainable local development through participatory governance and sub-national capacity development
Israel Jacob Massuanganhe, June 2006
"Good governance" assumes a government's ability to maintain social peace, guarantee law and order, promote or create conditions necessary for economic growth, and ensure a minimum level of social security.

Understanding networks: The functions of research policy networks
Enrique Mendizabal, June 2006
We are constantly talking about networks. Banks use their networks to offer global services to customers; airlines fly passengers all over the world via their networks of partners; news agencies use media networks to keep us informed every minute of the day; and terrorist networks threaten citizens around…

Local government and democracy in Lesotho
June 2006
The Afrobarometer, conducted three surveys of political attitudes and values in Lesotho in the years 2000, 2003 and 2005. The Afrobarometer survey was also carried out one or more times in Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South…

Responsiveness and accountability in Malawi
April 2006
Under the auspices of the Afrobarometer, IfESOR conducted a nation-wide survey of political opinions and attitudes in Malawi between 15th June and 3rd July 2005. A nationally representative sample of 1200 respondents drawn from all the districts in the country was interviewed. In this paper, we use Afrobarometer…