Iasscore:: Citizen Centric Administration ( 2nd ARC)

Citizen Centric Administration (2nd ARC)

The concept of good governance is not new. Kautilya in his treatise Arthashastra elaborated the traits of the king of a well governed State thus: “in the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness, in their welfare his welfare, whatever pleases himself, he does not consider as good, but whatever pleases his subjects he considers as good”. Mahatma Gandhi had propounded the concept of ‘Su-raj’. Good governance has the following eight attributes which link it to its citizens.

 

Good governance aims at providing an environment in which all citizens irrespective of class, caste and gender can develop to their full potential. In addition, good governance also aims at providing public services effectively, efficiently and equitably to the citizens. The 4 pillars on which the edifice of good governance rests, in essence are:

• Ethos (of service to the citizen), 

• Ethics (honesty, integrity and transparency),

• Equity (treating all citizens alike with empathy for the weaker sections), and 

• Efficiency (speedy and effective delivery of service without harassment and using ICT increasingly). 

Citizens are thus at the core of good governance. Therefore, good governance and citizen centric administration are inextricably linked.

The Constitution articulates the vision of its Founding Fathers for the people of this country and also spells out the role and functions of the three organs of the State - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. It enshrines the Fundamental Rights which are critical for democracy and the Directive Principles of State Policy which embody the concept of a Welfare State and are a unique feature of our Constitution. The endeavour of Government at all levels has, therefore, been to provide for a citizen centric administration. To this end, a robust legal framework has been created. Institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission, National Women’s Commission, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, and Lokayuktas, etc. have been set up. Several other measures including affi rmative actions have been initiated for the socio-economic empowerment of the weaker sections of society.

The Five Year Plans also emphasized that good governance should cover the following distinct dimensions:

• As a democratic country, a central feature of good governance is the constitutionally protected right to elect government at various levels in a fair manner, with effective participation by all sections of the population. This is a basic requirement for the legitimacy of the government and its responsibility to the electorate. 

• The government at all levels must be accountable and transparent. Closely related to accountability is the need to eliminate corruption, which is widely seen as a major deficiency in governance. Transparency is also critical, both to ensure accountability, and also to enable genuine participation. 

• The government must be effective and efficient in delivering social and economic public services, which are its primary responsibilities. This requires constant monitoring and attention to the design of our programmes. In our situation, where the responsibility for delivery of key services such as primary education and health is at the local level, this calls for special attention to ensuring the eff ectiveness and effi ciency of local governments. 

• Governments at lower levels can only function effi ciently if they are empowered to do so. This is particularly relevant for the PRIs, which currently suffer from inadequate devolution of funds as well as functionaries to carry out the functions constitutionally assigned to them. 

• An overarching requirement is that the rule of law must be firmly established. This is relevant not only for relations between the government and individuals enabling individuals to demand their rights but also for relations between individuals or businesses. A modern economic society depends upon increasingly complex interactions among private entities and these interactions can be effi ciently performed only if legal rights are clear and legal remedies for enforcing these rights are swift. 

• Finally, the entire system must function in a manner which is seen to be fair and inclusive. This is a perceptional issue but it is real nonetheless. Disadvantaged groups, especially the SCs, STs, minorities and others, must feel they have an equal stake and should perceive an adequate flow of benefits to ensure the legitimacy of the State.

Perceptions about Governance in India 

Public administration in India is generally perceived to be unresponsive, insensitive and corrupt. “For the common man, bureaucracy denotes routine and repetitive procedures, paper work and delays. This, despite the fact that the Government and bureaucracy exist to facilitate the citizens in the rightful pursuit of their legal activities. Rigidities of the system over centralization of powers, highly hierarchical and top down method of functioning with a large number of intermediary levels delaying finalization of any decision, divorce of authority from accountability and the tendency towards micromanagement, have led to a structure in which form is more important than substance and procedures are valued over end results and outcomes. Non-performance of the administrative structures, poor service quality and lack of responsiveness and the subjective and negative abuse of authority have eroded trust in governance systems which needs to be restored urgently.”

What’s Ailing Public Services? 

A recent Centre for Media Studies (CMS) study shows that a majority of citizens are not satisfied with the delivery of public services. In seven out of the 11 departments covered the study, less than one-third of the citizens are satisfied with the services delivered. In fact, in most need-based services such as the police, judiciary and municipalities, (which enjoy a greater discretion and power), not even 20 per cent of the households are satisfied with their services. Even in essential services such as the PDS, hospitals, and electricity and water supplies, a mere 30-40 per cent of the households are happy with the services. The study brings out that there are hardly any effective complaint redressal systems in place in most departments. In most cases, citizens are not even aware that such systems exist and departments make no effort to educate them. Even those who are aware have little confidence in them. Not surprisingly, the result is a sense of helplessness. The behaviour of cutting-edge level employees is another area of concern. Most employees of the public services are not turned into the changing expectations of the citizens. ere are a number of possible initiatives at the department level, such as strategic outsourcing of services, use of technology (like e-seva in Andhra Pradesh), better commercial practices, performance-linked incentive to staff, periodic tracking of user satisfaction and involving resident welfare associations. These initiatives can go a long way in improving the quality of public services. Also, the public service provider needs to be made more accountable to the citizens through user committees. is experiment has been demonstrated to hold potential in the case of Rogi Kalyan Samitis in Madhya Pradesh. Also, it is high time that we directly linked outlays to outcomes. We can draw valuable lessons from the British experiment of having public service agreements (PSAs) - with local governments under which objective and measurable targets for various services are fixed together with an evaluation mechanism. The funds are allocated to local governments on the basis of their achievement on PSAs.

Barriers to Good Governance

Th¬e reasons for Governments not being citizen centric can be attributed to the attitude and work of some government servants, the deficiencies in existing institutional structures and also to some citizens. While the laws made by the Legislature may be sound and relevant, very often they are not properly implemented by government functionaries. ¬The institutional structure provided at times may be also weak and ill-conceived and thus has neither the capacity nor the resources to implement the laws in letter and spirit. 

• Attitudinal Problems of the Civil Servants

There is a growing concern that the Civil Services and administration in general, have become wooden, infl exible, self-perpetuating and inward looking. Consequently, their attitude is one of indifference and insensitivity to the needs of citizens. ¬is, coupled with the enormous asymmetry in the wielding of power at all levels, has further aggravated the situation. ¬e end result is that officers perceive themselves as dispensing favours to citizens rather than serving them and given the abject poverty, illiteracy, etc. a culture of exaggerated deference to authority has become the norm.

• Lack of Accountability 

A common reason usually cited for inefficiency in governance is the inability within the system to hold the Civil Services accountable for their actions. Seldom are disciplinary proceedings initiated against delinquent government servants and imposition of penalties is even more rare. ¬This is primarily because at most levels authority is divorced from accountability leading to a system of realistic and plausible alibis. Cumbersome disciplinary procedures have added to the general apathy towards discipline in Government. Moreover the safeguards provided to civil servants, - which were well intentioned – have often been misused. Another reason for lack of accountability is that performance evaluation systems within government have not been effectively structured. ¬e complacency that the system breeds has resulted in employees adopting an apathetic or lackadaisical attitude towards citizens and their grievances.

• Red Tapism 

Bureaucracies the world over are expected to adhere to rules and procedures which are, of course, important for good governance. However, at times, these rules and procedures are ab-initio ill conceived and cumbersome and, therefore, do not serve their purpose. Also, government servants sometimes become overly pre-occupied with rules and procedures and view these as an end in themselves.

• Low levels of Awareness of the Rights and Duties of Citizens 

Inadequate awareness about their rights prevents citizens from holding erring government servants to account. Similarly, low levels of compliance of Rules by the citizens also acts as an impediment to good governance; when citizens do not adhere to their duties they infringe on the freedom and rights of other citizens. Thus, awareness of rights and adherence to duties are two sides of the same coin. A vigilant citizenry, fully aware of its rights as well its duties, is perhaps the best way to ensure that officials as well as other citizens, discharge their duties effectively and honestly.

• Ineffective Implementation of Laws and Rules 

There is a large body of laws in the country, each legislated with different objectives – maintaining public order and safety, maintaining sanitation and hygiene, protecting rights of citizens, giving special protection to the vulnerable sections etc. Effective implementation of these laws creates an environment which would improve the welfare of all citizens and at the same time, encourage each citizen to contribute his best towards the development of society. On the other hand, weak implementation can cause a great deal of hardship to citizens and even erode the faith of the citizenry in the government machinery.

Need for Reforms 

An integrated index to measure the quality of governance has not been evolved so far. In the absence of any such index, only indirect conclusions can be drawn about the standards of governance. Rapid economic growth, increasing literacy, improved health indices etc. point towards improving governance standards. At the same time, the poor image of government in the minds of large sections of society points towards ineffi cient and ineffective administration. All these highlight the need for substantially reforming our governance systems.

Necessary Pre-conditions for Good Governance 

An analysis of the barriers to good governance reveals that there are several preconditions which must be fulfilled in order to make governance citizen centric. Some of the pre-conditions are: 

a. Sound legal framework.

b. Robust institutional mechanism for proper implementation of the laws and their effective functioning. 

c. Competent personnel staffing these institutions; and sound personnel management policies. 

d. Right policies for decentralization, delegation and accountability. Besides, a number of tools can also be employed to make administration citizen centric.

These are: 

a. Re-engineering processes to make governance ‘citizen centric’.

b. Adoption of appropriate modern technology. 

c. Right to information.

d. Citizens’ charters.

e. Independent evaluation of services.

f. Grievance redressal mechanisms.

g. Active citizens’ participation – public-private partnerships.

• Sound Legal Framework

A sound legal framework is the basic pre-requisite for any orderly society. ¬e Constitution is the cornerstone of our legal framework. Parliament has enacted a large number of laws to further the objectives enshrined in the Constitution. A dynamic society requires constant updating of existing laws as also enactment of new laws to meet emergent needs and challenges so that the welfare, protection and development needs of citizens is fully met. In fact, the Law Commission has inter alia been given the responsibility to examine existing laws to ensure their relevance to present-day needs and requirements.

• Robust Institutional Mechanism for Establishing Rule of Law 

 The country has, over the years, created and sustained strong and effective institutional mechanisms to ensure that the rule of law is maintained and the rights of our citizens are well protected and human dignity upheld. Some of these institutions have been established in our Constitution and others through statutes and executive orders.

• Competent and Dedicated Workforce 

 A sound legal system and a robust institutional mechanism need to be buttressed by ensuring that competent and motivated personnel run the system in order to provide a vibrant citizen centric administration.

• Decentralization, Delegation and Accountability

 The central idea of subsidiarity is that citizens as sovereigns and stakeholders in a democracy are the fi nal decision-makers. Citizens are also the consumers of all services provided by the State. The citizen-sovereign-consumer must exercise as much authority as practicable, and delegate upward the rest of the functions which require economies of scale, technological and managerial capacity or collective amenities.

 The Oxford dictionary defi nes subsidiarity as “a principle that a central authority should have a subsidiary function, performing only those tasks which cannot be performed at a more local level.” 

 The principle of subsidiarity stipulates: functions shall be carried out closest to citizens at the smallest unit of governance possible and delegated upwards only when the local unit cannot perform the task. The citizen delegates those functions he cannot perform, to the community, functions that the community cannot discharge are passed on to local governments in the smallest tiers, and so on, from smaller tiers to larger tiers, from local government to the State Governments, and from the States to the Union. In this scheme, the citizen and the community are the centre of governance. In place of traditional hierarchies, there will be ever-enlarging concentric circles of government and delegation is outward depending on necessity.”

• Transparency and Right to Information 

Transparency and Right to Information are an essential pre-condition for good governance. Access to information empowers the citizens to demand and get information about public policies and programmes, thus making the government more accountable and helps to strengthen participatory democracy and citizen centric governance. It enables citizens to keep themselves informed about the policies of the government, the rights that they have and what they should expect as service from the government.

• Accountability

Accountability means answerability i.e. questions asked of public offi cials have to be answered by them. There are two types of questions that can be asked. One type as under the RTI Act merely seeks information/data and involves one way transmission of information. It promotes transparency and to a much lesser degree accountability in Government. The second type of question enquires not just as to what was done but why; and therefore involves a consultative two-way fl ow of information with the citizens usually providing a feedback in respect of the working of government departments and service delivery of public agencies. Such mechanisms include citizens’ charters, service delivery surveys, social audits, citizens’ report card and outcome surveys. 

• Focus on Outcomes – Evaluation and Monitoring 

Monitoring and evaluation are important managerial functions in any organization. In government organizations these functions assume special significance because of their large size in terms of the workforce coupled with their wide reach. ¬e success of the laws, policies and guidelines - which are implemented by a large number of field organizations - depend on their effective administration. ¬This necessitates constant monitoring and evaluation.

• Grievance Redressal Mechanisms

In a welfare State like India, citizens have a variety of interactions with the Government in its myriad forms – as a service provider, a regulator, as a provider of social and physical infrastructure etc. Meeting the expectations of the citizens is a challenging task for any Government. Sometimes, the task is compounded due to internal ineffi ciencies while at other times, despite the best efforts of the public agency, external constraints prevent them from meeting the expectations of the citizens. Addressing the grievances of those citizens whose expectations are not fulfilled is primarily the task of the Government agency concerned even though external accountability mechanisms, often having limited scope, do exist.

• Active Citizens’ Participation – Information Dissemination, Mechanisms, Target Group Consultation 

Promoting citizen centric administration also implies giving a voice to citizens in the governance process. At the local community level, citizens as stakeholders can directly participate in decision making. It was pointed out that besides institutions such as the Gram Sabha, citizens participation can be promoted by identifying, for example, identifiable stakeholders in the delivery of specific public services. Empowerment of stakeholder groups and local government is to be seen as a continuing and not a cause of conflict between the two. Instead, effective empowerment of stakeholders accompanied by mechanisms for coordination with local governments, is the key principle to be followed. 

 • Process Simplification 

Simplifying transactions focuses on adoption of Single Window Approach, minimising hierarchial tiers, up-dating and simplification of existing department manuals and codes etc. needs to be brought to the centre-stage of administrative reforms. 

Core Principles for Making Governance Citizen Centric

 In our country there is a tendency for some enforcement agencies not to rigorously enforce the provisions of law. This is particularly evident in case of traffic related violations, civic offences, infringement of pollution control laws etc. For their part, sometimes, the citizens are equally to blame for fl outing rules with impunity and without regard to public health, safety and consideration for others. A crackdown on these types of offences in some cities like Delhi, whether enforced by Courts or otherwise, have tended to operate as campaigns and may therefore be unable to create and sustain a long term impact because they are driven by personalities or by court verdicts rather than by the institutions themselves.

 Hence all public agencies should adopt a zero tolerance strategy towards crime, in order to create a climate of compliance with laws leading to maintenance of public order. This strategy should be institutionalized in the various public agencies by creating appropriate statistical databases, backed up by modern technology, to monitor the level and trends of various types of offences and link these to a system of incentives and penalties for the officials working in these agencies. It should be combined with initiatives to involve the community in crime prevention measures. The core principles for making governance citizen centric are:

 • Making Institutions Vibrant, Responsive and Accountable 

• Active Citizens’ Participation – Decentralization and Delegation 

• Transparency 

• Civil Service Reforms 

• Ethics in Governance 

• Process Reforms 

• Periodic & Independent Evaluation of the Quality of Governance 

Citizen expects good governance and high quality performance from Government. Good governance brings prosperity. Instead bad governance, brings conflict result in civil war, as it restricts opportunities of its citizen which make them frustrated.

Having said all this, it is important to re-iterate that the success of the governance depends on proper policy making and policy implementation which in turn depends on the successful implementation of different methodologies of good governance at the ground level rather than managerial skills of the administrators, mainly because of the in-built variable and dynamic nature of the problems wherein the success of the decisions more depend on whether the understanding of the administrator is congruent to the nucleus of the problem as it was perceived by the public at large. Further not only the administrators are expected to identify the issues but also the relative weights which needs to ascribed to the various issues and their related aspects. Lastly the manner in which the issues are addressed again is very organic and fluid which ascribes ultimate importance to the sensitivities and perceptions of the clientele in accordance with the situational features. Thus, participation of all stakeholders as government, judiciary, institutions, civil society and citizens are necessary to bring good governance.