Citizen charters aim to improve governance and public services by establishing commitments between government agencies and citizens. They empower citizens to demand standards of service and help eliminate gaps between citizens and administration. However, citizen charters in India often face problems with vague promises and lack of accountability. Recommendations include clearly outlining remedies for missed standards, consulting stakeholders, and periodically evaluating charters. Overall, properly designed and implemented citizen charters can enhance transparency, accountability and quality of public services.

1. Good Governance Through Citizens
Charter

2. What is Citizens’ Charter
• The term ‘Citizen’ in the citizens’ charter implies the clients or
customers whose interests and values are addressed by the
citizens’ charter.
• A Citizens’ Charter is a document of commitments made by a
government agency to the citizens in respect of the services
being provided to them.
• It empowers the citizens to demand the committed standards of
service.
• Its main objective is to build relationship or eliminate gap
between citizens and administration or public officers.

3. Why Citizens’ Charter Required?
• The Need for a citizen charter arises mainly from the
dissatisfaction of the customer or service receiver, when a
particular requirement has not been met at a specific time.
• Many of the schemes which are for poor people are not able to
reach them due to lack of clarity, Citizens charter eliminates
this lack.
• Citizens’ Charter enable the service seekers to avail the
services of the government departments with minimum
inconvenience and maximum speed. For this, the Citizens’
Charters are expected to indicate ‘WHERE TO GO’ and
‘HOW TO PROCEED’.

4. Evolution of Citizen Charter
• John Major prime minister of UK who headed conservative
government in 1991 has first articulated the concept of
citizens’ charter.
• He took it up as national programme and its main aim was to –
continuously improve upon the quality of public services for
the people of the country.
• The programme was taken forward by the labour government
of Tony Blair in 1998 which rechristened it “Services First”.

5. Six principles of the citizens’ charter laid down by
John Major
1. Quality: Improving the quality of Services
2. Choice: For the users wherever possible
3. Standards: Specifying what to expect within a time frame
and how to act in case services are not met
4. Value: For the taxpayers’ money
5. Accountability: Of the Service provider
6. Transparency

6. Nine Principles of Service Delivery made by Tony
Blair Govt
1. Set Standards of service
2. Be open and Provide full information
3. Consult and involve
4. Encourage access and promote choice
5. Treat all fairly
6. Put things right when they go wrong
7. Use resources effectively
8. Innovate and improve
9. Work with other providers

7. Spread of Citizens’ Charter around the World
• The UK’s Citizen Charter initiative aroused considerable
interest across the world and several countries implemented
similar programmes.
• Australia ( Service charter, 1997), Belgium (public service
users’ charter, 1992), Canada (Service Standards Initiative,
1995), France (Service Charter, 1992), India (Citizens’
Charter), Jamaica (Citizens’ Charter, 1994) and so on.

8. Initiative of Citizens’ Charter in India
• As India is a Largest Democratic country in the world and
satisfying the each and every needs of people in specified time
is a difficult task if there is no planning.
• To make a better plan Indian Government in 1997 under the
leadership of Prime minister IK Gujral organised a Conference
of chief secretaries of States and Union Territories on
“Effective and Responsive Administration “.
• The conference inter alia recommended the adoption of
Citizens’ Charters for all public service organizations. This
recommendation was accepted by the Centre, states and UT’s
in the Conference of Chief Ministers held in 1997.

9. Implementation of Citizens’ Charter
• Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG) coordinates the efforts to formulate and
operationalize citizens’ charters in Central, State and UT
administrations.
• It provides guidelines for formulations and Implementation of
the Charters as well as their Evaluation.

10. Citizen Charter is for Good Governance
• The Charter is an effective tool to ensure transparency and
accountability and should help deliver good governance if
implemented vigorously by the government departments.
• Citizen Charter is a part of Democratic Reforms.
• Citizen Charter gives people participation

11. Ingredients of Citizen Charter
1. Introduction of the Organisation.
2. Vision- Ultimate direction in which the organisation seek to
move.
3. Mission – Which should be in tune with vision
4. Location
5. Identification of Services –Services provided should be
clearly mentioned.
6. Identification of levels of Services- This would enable the
citizen the levels at which they can access a specific service
and not to waste their time and energy in approaching wrong
levels.

12. Cont
7. Identification of Client Groups-The Services of each client
group and the commitment of each of services.
8. Specification of time limit for each service.
9. Specification of time frame at each level.
10. Specification of Service quality Standards- clear
commitment on service delivery standards.
11. Clear Information about procedures to access service.
12. Clear Information about contact points to obtain service
benefits.
13. Clear Info about Information Facilitation Counters.

13. Cont
13 Clear Info about Public Grievance Cell- Time Frame for
acknowledgement , response, systematic Review.
14 Procedure For Inviting Suggestions
15 Info About Online Charter
16 Info about Right to Information.

14. Citizen Charter Demands
1. Accountability:
• It is the answerability of the “man behind the counter”
• It holds both individuals and organizations responsible for
performance, measured objectively
• It applies equally to all levels of Govt.-viz.the Centre, State,
District, Local Bodies and Panchayats, as also other agencies
delivering Public Services to Citizens

15. Cont
2. Measurement of Performance:
• By Setting standards- Citizens must know what service
standards are and be able to act if service is deficient or
unacceptable
• By Ensuring Quality- And a commitment for improving
quality of public utilities and services
• By providing choice-customer can accessible services
wherever he/she wants, this ensures quality.
• By providing value-Citizens have a right to expect that public
services and utilities give value for money, within a tax bill,
the Nation can afford

16. Cont
3. Transparency:
• Through availability of relevant information in
understandable and simple language
• Providing easy access to such information
• Simple rules and procedures
• Efficient and well publicized Grievance redressal system
• Names addresses with telephone numbers. who can be
approached if things go wrong
• Streamlined Complaint handling system with provision of
immediate acknowledgement and time bound reply

17. Advantages of Citizens Charter
• He / She can avail services in a time bound manner.
• Will not have to depend on the mercy of the bureaucracy.
• He / She will not have to face long delays due to red tape.
• For a passport, a birth or death certificate, a driving licence or
a ration card, Normal Citizen need not have to sweat it out.
There will not be any need to grease palms of corrupt officials.
• He / She can seek compensation for undue delay in delivery of
service ex: In Europe people are compensated if the train gets
delayed.

18. Problems faced in Implementing the charters in
India
• As per evaluation of charter by 2nd Administrative Reforms
Commission found following problems :
1. Measurable standards of delivery are rarely spelt out in the
charter.
2. Standards are poorly defined
3. Promises contained in the Charter were vague and
meaningless.
4. If the service is not delivered then very hard for citizen to get
compensation.
5. Citizen Charters are not revised with time.
6. Lack of Public Awareness

19. Recommendations of 2nd ARC
• The Charters should clearly spell out the remedy / penalty /
compensation in case there is a default in meeting the standards spelt
out in the Charter.
• Before the organization makes charter, it should restructure its
internal system and processes.
• Consult all the stakeholders before finalizing the charter (including
civil society).
• One size does not fit all. Citizens’ Charter should be close to ground
reality and local conditions.
• Firm Commitments should be made.
• Organization should evaluate the Citizens’ charters periodically.
• Hold Officers accountable for results.
• Provide Bonus for employees if services of customers reached
within time.

20. Charter Mark Scheme
• UK Govt in 1992 introduced this scheme to recognise and
encourage organizations who are performing excellence in
public services.
• It recognizes organisation based on 9 criteria's like
performance standards, Information and openness , choice and
consultation, courtesy and helpfulness, putting things right etc.
• This Scheme helps the organizations to perform good and have
a healthy competition among between them in giving quality
service to customers.

21. Conclusion
• Improvements in service delivery do not happen overnight. If
designed and implemented properly citizen charter have the
potential to generate number of benefits to stakeholders. It
improves quality of service delivery, enhances accountability,
minimises corruption and tracks service delivery performance.
• This could be only be possible when public officials can solve
the problems of citizens in a given period of time.

22. Thank You