3. Essentials of Public Services
Poverty takes many forms, and demands a
corresponding breadth of responses.
Making services accessible to the poor is integral to the
effort to achieve the MDGs. (…hence fight Poverty).
Basic government services allow people to be productive
members of society; therefore, the provision of
fundamentals like agricultural support and irrigation,
roads, health, and primary education are essential for
accelerating attainment of the MDGs.
4. Public Services…
For citizens that face adversity, the provision of
social protection is particularly important.
Government services in the fields of economic
development and culture, for instance, are also
deemed to be ‘public goods’ that bring benefits
to individuals and communities.
Substantial improvements in the provision of
public services are key to achieving most of the
MDGs.
5. Public Services..
Most child deaths in developing countries could
be prevented through the implementation of
effective and low-cost public health
interventions, such as the provision of free
vaccinations.
As such, attaining the MDGs required financial
resources, although the solution was not just
about allocating more money.
6. Public Services…
Effective delivery is situation-specific and requires
tailored delivery arrangements that fuse the efforts of
state and non-state actors.
Each of these actors also needs to better assess their
challenges and determine suitable and sustainable
service delivery responses.
Additionally, effective delivery requires good
governance and performance management, so that
funds are directed quickly to the most urgent needs,
and incentives enable service providers to make good
use of available resources.
7. Public Services…
What are the main actors involved in public service delivery?
The national government is not the sole actor in public service
delivery.
The private sector, communities and civil society should all play
important roles in shaping demand, developing state policies,
and delivering services.
The relationship amongst these actors shifts as the state
consolidates or weakens, democracy finds roots, and citizens
become more assertive.
8. LGAs in PSD
In recent decades, national governments have increasingly
shared the responsibility for service provision with the
local governments;
In a variety of intergovernmental public arrangements that
aim to increase the accountability and responsiveness of
service delivery.
In a developing country context, governments have
experimented with different forms of decentralization to
bring service delivery closer to the people.
9. Facilitating PSD…
They have been assisted by a variety of development
partners, including the main multilateral and bilateral
agencies.
Some decentralization reforms include approaches that
increase the supply and quality of local government
services;
Others stimulate the demand for—and community
oversight of—local government services. Several of these
reforms are proving promising.
10. How can LGAs contribute to effective PSD?
Around the world, developing and developed countries alike have
observed that decentralized service delivery can result in quicker gains
than with centralized systems.
It is important to note that the national governments have several options
in this regard.
In many countries, central government ministries
responsible for service delivery have created field
offices and delegated more decisions and resources
to their local staff—a process referred to as
Deconcentration.
11. DECONCENTRATION VS DECENTRALIZATION
In principle, a well-deconcentrated government system is able
to increase the total amount of resources available for pro-poor
public services and can allocate these resources across the
national stage in accordance with where local needs are
greatest.
Yet while deconcentrated units are potentially able to
adopt more efficient management practices and link
more closely with local stakeholders, they are unable
to achieve the same degree of responsiveness and
downward accountability!!
12. DECENTRALIZATION TO DEVOLUTION
(GREATER responsiveness and downward accountability)
…that is possible in a public sector where public services are
delivered by elected local governments, HENCE
DECENTRALIZATION!.
The strongest form of decentralization is achieved by
employing devolution;
DEVOLUTION IS A DECENTRALIZATION in which elected local
governments are empowered, either by the acknowledgement
of general competences in certain policy areas, or by the
transfer of specific service delivery functions AND DECISION
MAKING!.
14. Devolution…and PSD
Where devolution is the chosen mode, central authorities
typically retain some involvement over the functions
assigned to the local level (for instance, by setting
national service delivery standards, supervising and
providing support);
Still CGs grant the local governments the main
responsibility of providing the public service.
The weight of public service responsibilities and the
degree of autonomy acquired by local government varies
greatly from country to country.
15. Devolution…
There is widespread acknowledgment that local governments are
well-situated, but need to be more empowered to make a
contribution to the achievement in PSD in EAC;
In Kenya and Tanzania, Local governments that are large, urban, well-
established and have a productive economic base are in the forefront
of this effort;
Conversely, new, small and poorly supported local governments
struggle to take on meaningful service functions.
Why haven’t local governments realized
their potential to enhance public service
delivery?
16. Challenges to Effective Decentralization…
1. In some cases, national governments find it difficult to
develop and implement a coherent approach to
decentralizing the delivery of public services.
2. The ministry championing local government reform may be
able to guide decentralization initiatives though legislative
hurdles, but it is not unusual for sectoral ministries to resist
or reject the reforms.
3. The result is conflicting legislation and inconsistent
implementation across sectors.
17. 4. The lag in the implementation of sound sectoral
decentralization reforms often contributes to service
outcomes that are far from what is expected.
5. Even when the national level government is consistent and
supportive, the introduction of a sound local governance
system meets with other daunting challenges.
6. Elected officials or the executive officers of local
governments may lack experience, or they may be tied to
certain groups and interests, and therefore fail to act in
the public interest.
Challenges to Effective Decentralization…
18. 7. The advantage of proximity to the people may be
neutralized by the absence of mechanisms for involving
citizens, communities and community-based
organizations.
8. Typically, local governments also struggle to have their
challenges placed on the national agenda.
9. In many countries, meager resources are provided to
the local governments, and there are wide variations of
resources and capacities among the local communities.
Challenges to Effective Decentralization…
19. These elements present considerable obstacles to the
effective analysis of common challenges, and make it
difficult to mount effective communication and advocacy
initiatives for the national policy and programming
changes that could serve to strengthen local governments
in their service provision roles.
Decentralization has not proven to be an easy route to the
improvement of public services.
Challenges to Effective Decentralization…
Conclusion
20. Need for Advocacy?
The failures are a consequence of the partial steps taken,
but also speaks of the complex factors that influence the
quality and reach of services.
Despite this reality, some notable successes
indicate that progress can be made, particularly
when the supply and demand sides are addressed
simultaneously.
21. Evidence Based Advocacy?..
There are evidences that national frameworks are
important in fostering dynamism at the local level;
National involvement, if poorly handled, can also stifle
local potential (tha Case of Tanzania, Kenya and
Uganda).
Donors and supporters must keep in mind that capacity
for decentralized service delivery needs to be directed
at both national and local levels.
Increasingly, local governments need to be given
mandates that recognize their diversity and maximize
the possibilities of self-government.
22. Public Service in EAC
Attempts to reform public sectors swept across Africa in
between 1990s to 2000s, and as late as 2010-15 in Kenya.
Generally, they are significantly different from those of
the immediate post-independence period.
The earlier reforms aimed at shaping a public
administration that could spearhead national
development, albeit in the mould of the colonial age.
23. Public Service in EAC
Current reform efforts aim to reduce the costs and refocus the
activities of the public sector;
To change the way it works, and
To promote the role of the market and nongovernmental
actors both in service provision and in the economy at large.
This time around, reforms are driven by pressures from
economic crises and structural adjustment, donor imposition,
domestic demands for change amplified by growing political
pluralism, and emulation of reforms in other Countries.
24. Public Service in EAC
Early in 2000s the EAC states were said to be overextended to
the point that reductions and refocusing of its activities were
needed.
This meant to improve macroeconomic stability as well as
efficiency.
Moreover, stronger incentives for performance were to be put
in place.
Many, although far from all, of these initiatives were inspired
by New Public Management (NPM) concepts (Hood, 1991; Larbi,
1998).
25. Public Service in EAC
More specific and direct capacity-building measures have been
far less emphasized.
Improved accountability in the conduct of public affairs is
another reform objective of many countries in and outside
Africa (Batley, 1999; Olowu, 1998:619ñ620; Wright, 1997).
Accountability involves both the political justification of
decisions and actions, and managerial answerability for
implementation of agreed tasks according to agreed criteria of
performance
26. Public Service in EAC
Among the instruments are NPM-inspired
measures such as performance-based
management, value for money and various
approaches to empower users vis-‡-vis service
providers.
In practice, there is generally less emphasis on
accountability than on efficiency.
27. In Tanzania,
The main objectives of civil service reform, which also
reflect a general approach to change in most sectoral
and local government reform efforts in the countries
were to:
re-define the roles and functions of the Government with a
view to hiving-off functions not considered to be core
functions, reducing the scope of government operations to an
affordable scale, and
restructuring its organisation and operations to achieve
efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public services
(Government of Tanzania, 1996:17).
28. In Uganda,
The key concepts used to describe the “vision” (a frequently
used word in the official reform documents) for the reformed
civil service included “improved service delivery”, “smaller”,
“more efficient and effective”, “performance based”,
“responsive”, “fully accountable for outputs” and “transparent”
(Ministry of Public Service, 1993).
There are several reasons for such similarities.
29. Uganda…
The symbolic functions of the official language of
reform are undoubtedly important, serving to
“sell” reforms by seeking to convince intended
domestic and external audiences that change is
taking place, is desirable, or “failing that”
necessary or inevitable (Hood and Jackson, 1991).
30. Public Service Performance
Most independent observers agree that public sector
organizations in poor African countries perform badly,
even considering the difficult circumstances they operate
in.
To varying degrees they suffer from a number of well-
known bureaucracy, pathologies inefficiency,
centralization, fragmentation, poor leadership, lack of
capacity, patrimonialism, rent seeking, corruption, and
poor accountability and legitimacy
31. Performance…
The need to improve efficiency and accountability is
therefore obvious;
Most reforms in developing countries actually focus on
these two issues;
Rather different diagnoses are, however, offered as to why
these problems abound.
Some view the problems of the public sector in Africa as
being largely institutional.
32. Performance…
Others point to the importance of the marginalization of
Africa in the global economy, which contributes significantly
to the extreme resource scarcity of public sector operations
and to their poor performance.
Moreover, many problems of performance are due to the
inherently difficult developmental tasks in poor countries.
33. Social Accountability
Social/Political accountability is about those with authority
being answerable for their actions to the citizens, whether
directly or indirectly.
Thus a polity is democratic to the extent that there “exist
institutionalised mechanisms through which the mass of the
population exercises control over the political elite in an
organised fashion” (Moore, 1998:86).
34. Accountability…
Furthermore, Day and Klein (1987:26ñ27) make an
important distinction between social and managerial
accountability,
The latter being about making those with delegated
authority answerable for carrying out agreed tasks
according to agreed criteria of performance.
The main problem with present thinking about
accountability in relation to public sector reform is,
however, that it is not realistic.
35. Accountability…the state of facts
The accountability problem is complicated by deficiencies in
the political process itself.
Civil servants may have legitimate reasons to override the
decisions of their opportunistic, self-serving and
irresponsible political masters. Such problems of
accountability are generally deeper in the countries
considered here.
They arise, for example, when governments ignore or
transgress social ethics and constitutional and legal
provisions in conducting public affairs;
36. Accountability…the facts
Administrative systems are fragmented; tasks to be performed
are so complex or unspecified that it is difficult to identify who
is responsible for what; activities are underfunded so that
implementation is very difficult or impossible;
Knowledge about what works in relation to set objectives is far
smaller than knowledge about what does not work; and
Systems of checks and balances are weak, both internally and
in relations between the state and civil society;
37. Accountability…the facts
Activities are hidden and those involved are encouraged to be
secretive or are prohibited from informing about them;
Corrupt practices are widespread; special interests and
bureaucratic power often dominate; political and personal
loyalty are rewarded more than merit; and
Public participation in running public affairs is low and the
opportunities for legal redress against wrongdoing are poor
(Oyugi, 1990).
38. Dependence…?
The second unrealistic assumption about accountability
concerns aid-dependent countries.
The exercise of citizen’s influence over state revenues and
expenditures is an important component of effective
democracy.
But in aid-dependent countries, of which all are in the region,
donors are de facto an integrated part of both the policy-
making and the budgetary processes.
39. Dependence…?
Typically, donors require that recipient governments are
accountable to them for the use of aid funds.
This further weakens already fragile institutional accountability
mechanisms.
Moore (1998:85) argues that the influence of aid on
accountability is even more fundamental.
40. Kenya
The scope and depth of reforms in Kenya have, so far, been
modest.
The country has experienced sluggish economic growth for many
years.
Moreover, general government consumption per capita fell
between 1987 and 1995 ;
Kenya did not meet any of the aggregate expenditure reduction
targets (as percentage of GDP) agreed with the IMF between
1985 and 1995 and government employment actually grew.
41. Kenya…
A voluntary retirement scheme did, however,
result in the exit of some 35,000 people by mid-
1997.
It was carried out without a functional analysis of
staff needs (Kitamonge et al., 1998), presumably
as a cost saving measure.
42. Kenya Security
Military spending trends are ambiguous (but military
employment grew), while real per capita spending on health
and education rose by around 1 per cent per year during the
period more than total government expenditure
Law and order functions are increasingly carried out by non-
state actors, but more by default than by design (Anangwe,
1995).
43. Tanzania
The Tanzanian economy grew modestly in the 1990s, but
general government consumption in real per capita terms fell
significantly.
Donor dependence is high, 33 – 40%;
By 1998 government employment had dropped to 264,000 down
from 355,000 in 1993 and 299,000 in 1988 ;
Removal of some 16,000 ghost workers plus retrenchment of
some 69,000 employees, which took place almost exclusively
among lower-level staff, but was gender neutral, account for
most of the reduction.
44. Tanzania…
Employment levels are now effectively controlled, so that the
aggregate wage bill is kept within the budget (2 per cent over
budget in 1996, against 40 per cent in 1994).
The wage bill share of GDP may have decreased slightly.
45. Uganda
The economy of Uganda grew by more than 30 per cent in real
per capita terms between 1986 and 1996, although the poor may
not have benefited substantially from this.
Fiscal stability was achieved, substantial decontrol of the
economy took place, the public sector was reduced and
transformed and there was a shift from private to public
expenditure.
46. Uganda…
The latter was partly financed by increased aid and by extra
revenue raised by the fairly successful autonomous revenue
authority established in 1991
Compared to the preceding decade, these are remarkable
changes for Uganda.
What is the situation today?
47.
48. Group reflections!
Has anything changed with the coming back of Multi-party
politics in your Country?
Group 1: Uganda,
Group 2: Rwanda,
Group 3: Kenya,
Group 4: South Sudan, and
Group 5: Burundi.
What happened through GP IV to GP V in Tanzania?
