Improving Public Service Delivery Standards: A Case of Client Charter on Pension Processing by the Ministry of Public Service, Uganda

Abstract

The client charter also known as citizen or service charters in different countries are such innovations introduced under the NPM paradigm to bring about efficiency in service deliveries. Studies on the impact or achievements of the charters have indicated mixed outcome. In the Uganda Public Service, the mechanism was introduced in 2006. The Ministry of Public Service was the first to begin using it in 2007. One of the key result areas in the Charter of the Ministry is pension service provision. The performance in this key result area has seen numerous complaints and negative reports as depicted in the articles of major newspapers in the country. The reporting interested me to conduct a study on whether the client charter use was having any positive impact on improving pension processing standards at the Ministry.

A content analysis of the articles was used to derive descriptive statistics of the tones and implied descriptions of the processes. The articles were purposely sampled from three newspaper publications reporting on pension processing from 2002 to 2013, to reflect the periods before and after the charter. The analysis approach was reinforced with an assessment of the Ministrys implementation and application of the charter principles and standards on pension processing. Purposive sampling of available documents and reports was used to draw case evidences of the implementation and applications of the standards and principles, identify the challenges and gaps in the processes.

Arising from the content analysis, whereas there were more negative tones than positive tones before the charter, negative tones even increased after the charter .To understand these variations, it was established that in the period before the charter, pension processing was described as more accountable and transparent, but also inefficient, ineffective and less responsive. In the period after the charter, processes are described as less accountable and less transparent

less efficient and less effective

less responsive and less diligent.

In the assessment of the implementation and application of the charter principles and standards, the analysis looked at the strategies employed to improve knowledge and awareness of clients

and make the processes efficient and effective. Evidences point that the Ministry has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve pension processing standards, however, despite the efforts, cases of complaints, poor customer care, delays, fraud etc., are still highly sighted and reported. The gaps identified in the processes were lack of strong political policing of the implementation and application of the charter standards, peripheral role of the CSOs and media in sensitizing the service recipients about the service standards, and the still bureaucratic steps to access the benefits.

The conclusion was that despite efforts to implement and apply the charter principles and standards on pension processing, there is no much desired impact on improving the processing standards. There is need to engage political leadership, the CSOs and the media in the processing

create pension funds appropriation tracking systems

decentralize pension payment to resident LGs of the beneficiaries.