Without eliminating delays in public service delivery, we can't curb corruption – Report

Unless we target the elimination of unnecessary delays in the provision of public services, we cannot effectively fight administrative corruption.

That is the recommendation included in a report put together by the Ghana Integrity Initiative and the Private Enterprises Federation in using service delivery charters to promote service integrity in Ghana, citibusinessnews.com reports.

The delays, it said, are coming about because of the sluggishness and bureaucratic procedures akin to public offices, as well as others.

The report stated that the only way this can be curbed is if the government speedily enacts an omnibus bill that will require all government agencies to collaborate and use a common database in the provision of services to the Ghanaian public.

Speaking to Citi Business News, lead consultant of the team and a lecturer at the GIMPA Law School, Clara Beeri Kasser Tee, explained that these delays can be eliminated through the effective implementation of this synchronization as well as the use of service delivery charters to fight administrative corruption.

“Delays are primarily the root cause of administrative corruption. To address corruption, one must necessarily eliminate unnecessary delays in the delivery of public services. The delays can be eliminated through the effective implementation and use of service delivery charters and automation of services among others, thereby preventing and fighting administrative corruption,” she said.

Also, she called for the implementation of a bill that will aid in transparency, helping in the effective implementation of Service Delivery Charters in the country.

“There is the need to also ensure the enactment of legislation, that will require all government agencies to collaborate, share, and use a common database, and, to collaborate, co-operate and liaise with one another in the provision of services to the Ghanaian public and businesses,” she said.

A Citizens’ Charter or a Customer Service Charter or Service Delivery Charter (SDC) is generally defined as a public document that sets out basic information on the services provided by the state or its institutions, the standards of service that customers can expect from them and how to make complaints or suggestions for improvement.

On its recommendations, the combined report proposed that public institutions incorporate the guidelines towards developing and reviewing the SDCs.

Also, it recommended that all staff must be trained on service delivery and the appropriate behaviors towards clients/customers irrespective of the specialized fields.

Further, it noted that the introduction of the SDCs will emphasize the commitment of public institutions towards the provision of services to the citizens according to predetermined quality standards, thereby ushering in a new era in quality management in the public service to meet the demands and needs of customers.

What is a Service Delivery Charter (SDC)?

According to citibusinessnews.com, a Service Delivery Charter is an expression of an understanding between the Ghanaian public and a provider of a public service on quantity and quality of services and defines the type, quality, and magnitude of service that the citizenry can expect from the particular State Institution.

A good SDC must clearly identify the state institution, its purpose, its ‘client base’ and its services as well as establish channels of communication between the Institution and its clients.

It must also set out the institution’s client service standards and client rights and responsibilities, and set ways to obtain feedback and handle client enquiries and complaints.