Understanding Service Delivery Within The Public Sector
Understanding Service Delivery Within the Public Sector
Improved service delivery of public services and extending basic public services to marginalised communities within South Africa, forms an integral part of the overall democratic transformation and development of the country. But before service operation can be improved in any of these service organizations, it is important to fully understand what these terms mean.
Public services are those services provided by government service organizations to the public, mostly funded by tax money. Basic public services are those essential services that individuals usually cannot or will not pay for, such as refuse removal; drainage; electricity- and water supply; traffic- & parking facilities; street lights and cleaning of streets and so on.
Public service delivery thus implies the implementation of a service framework that will ensure the provision of such services in a sustainable manner; to both the general public as well as formerly under-serviced communities.
The Importance of Enhanced Service Delivery
Not only in South Africa, but also worldwide, there are inadequate resources and capacity within government service organizations to meet the increasing demands from the public for more and better quality services. It is therefore crucial to find innovative service delivery models that will enhance service delivery, which in turn will lead to improved efficiency and minimum waste of already limited public resources. In addition to regional economic development, enhanced service delivery should also be aimed at improving governance on a local level.
Tips For Improving Service Delivery
D-E-L-I-V-E-R-Y:
D: DEDICATION: Officials, who are responsible for any part of the service delivery process, should be committed to execute their tasks with such dedication that the public member feels that his/her issue is not just another task, but a priority.
E: EMPOWERMENT: Employees within service organizations should be given the necessary service infrastructure and tools that will enable them to execute service operations at an acceptable level. They should also be empowered with the relevant knowledge and training and receive the necessary support from management.
L: LINKAGE OR CONNECTION: It is important that the officials who play any role in the service delivery process should all work together as a team. This is best done through knowledge- and information management that will ensure those lessons learnt are shared.
I: INFORMATION: Comprehensive information about a service organisation and its service framework should be made available to every official that deals directly with the public, and not only to management. These officials have to know how to handle queries; where to find relevant information and be able to solve problems effectively. Their inability to do so, will reflect badly on the service organisation in question and create a very poor public image.
V: VALUED: Public officials should ensure that each member of the public feels valued. However, officials will only do that if they value their work and the service that they render. This is best achieved by making public officials feel valued themselves. Implement an interactive service delivery management approach that will encourage and recognise the input and participation of everyone within the service delivery process. Where possible it is also a good idea to have continuous appraisals or offer incentives.
E: EXCELLENCE: It should be the goal of all service organizations to not merely render a service that is of acceptable quality, but to strive for excellence in service delivery. Aristotle said “we are what we repeatedly do”. Therefore, as “excellence is not an act, but a habit,” the service delivery manager should instil and enforce a culture of excellence in all elements of the service operations.
R: REPRESENTATION: Officials in government service organizations should never lose sight of the fact that they represent their organisation. It is the task of each and every service delivery manager to constantly remind them of that.
Y: YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: To ensure that improvement in service delivery is truly sustained, every official in public service should take ownership of his/her responsibility and understand that creating a favourable impression is in everyone’s best interest.
With a track record to boot, Vendzulu Development Agency has proven capability in the project management of critical projects or Service Delivery Programmes.