# 1.12 Public Service Charter

## 1.12 Functional Scope of Public Services 🏛️📋

***

### 🏛️ Public Service

**Definition:**\
Activities and services provided by the government and its delegated bodies for the fulfillment of the needs that the society requires is collectively known as **public service**.

**Historical Context:**

* In the **1980s**, campaigns for making public service **effective, public-oriented, efficient, and responsive** began.
* **British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher** developed the **Next Step Agency** in 1982 for efficient, effective, responsive, and citizen-centric public service delivery in the UK.
* **British Prime Minister John Major** implemented the **Citizen Charter** in 1991 in the UK.
* In the **early 2000s**, the concept of **New Public Service (NPS)** came into the limelight, embracing principles of new public management and good governance.

**Nepal's Context:**

* The concept of **Citizen Charter** came into practice in **2056 B.S.** and was legally provisioned in the **Good Governance Act, 2064**.
* The concept of **Mobile Public Service** evolved in **2060 B.S.**.
* After the **People's Movement of 2062/63**, **citizen-centric, responsive, transparent, accountable, and inclusive public service delivery** gained importance.

***

#### 📘 Nepal National Governance Survey (NNGS 2017/18)

* Defines public services in the total cycle of **'design and delivery'** of public commitments through public provisioning.
* Argues that **people judge the quality of governance through the quality of services** they receive from the public sector.
* Uses the general definition of public service as:

  > *"Service provided by the government to people either directly or through any other provision."*
* Considers public service as an **entitlement of citizens** and uses the following as bases for measuring citizen experience and perception:
  1. **Accessibility**
  2. **Efficiency/Cost**
  3. **Behavior of service providers**
  4. **Citizen's level of awareness towards rights and entitlements**
  5. **Capacity of providers**

***

### 🎯 Government's Role in Public Service Delivery

The government delivers public service to play the following roles:

1. **Regulation**
2. **Distribution**
3. **Redistribution**
4. **Facilitation**

***

#### 🌟 Significance of These Roles:

* Establishing a **cozy relation between government and people**.
* Ensuring & promoting **public trust**.
* Promoting **public ownership and participation** in the governance system.
* Maintaining **social justice and social security**.

***

### 📜 Characteristics of Public Service

1. Provided by **government and its delegated bodies**.
2. **Obligation of the State**.
3. **Non-profit oriented**.
4. **Civil rights of people**, associated with human rights.
5. **Impartiality and equity** in service delivery.
6. Service provided **as per law**.
7. **Equal access to all**.

***

### 🗂️ Types of Public Service

| Type                     | Description                                            | Example                                                         |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Mandatory**            | Maintaining law & order                                | Police services                                                 |
| **Emergency**            | Rescue from natural disaster, epidemic, pandemic, etc. | Disaster relief, ambulance                                      |
| **Promotional**          | Promote public welfare                                 | Education, health, training, employment                         |
| **Infrastructure-based** | Basic infrastructure services                          | Drinking water, electricity, irrigation, roads, communication   |
| **Business Services**    | Finance, banking & insurance                           | Banking, insurance, credit services                             |
| **Welfare Service**      | Service for weak & marginalized communities            | Free health service, allowances for elderly & differently-abled |
| **Regulatory**           | Implementing laws, rules, and regulations              | Licensing, compliance monitoring                                |

***

### ⚖️ Principles of Service Delivery

1. **Sovereignty:**\
   People/citizens are the sovereign power; the government is just an agent to serve them.
2. **Principles of Subsidiary:**\
   Services should be provided by agencies **as close to the people as possible**.
3. **Demand-led Service Delivery:**\
   Service delivery should be **as per the demand & expectation of the general public**.
4. **Non-discrimination in Public Services:**\
   Public service should be **equally available and accessible to all**.

***

### 👥 Role of People in Public Service Delivery

* Being **aware** about service delivery.
* Developing the trend to receive public service as the **right of people** — **Right-Based Approach**.
* Choosing the **best of the best service alternatives**.
* Discouraging **irregularities and corruption** in public service.
* **Monitoring, evaluation, and feedback** of service delivery.

***

### 🇳🇵 Public Service Delivery in Nepal

#### 📜 Legal & Institutional Framework:

**Constitution of Nepal (Article 51):**

* Guarantees **good governance** by ensuring **equal and easy access** to state services.
* Mandates **clean, competent, impartial, transparent, accountable, and participatory public administration**.

**Civil Service Act, 2049:**

* Pledges to make civil service **competent, progressive, service-oriented, and participatory**.

**Good Governance Act, 2064:**

* Provides legal provisions for ensuring **good governance and effective, efficient delivery of services**.

**Other Key Acts:**

* **Local Government Operation Act, 2074**
* **Nepal Police Act, 2012**
* **Local Administration Act, 2028**

***

#### 🏢 Responsible Bodies:

* Various **ministries**
* **Secretariat of National Planning Commission**
* **Local bodies**
* **Public enterprises**
* **NGOs**
* **Community-based organizations**
* **Private sectors**

***

#### 🔧 Mechanisms for Better Service Delivery:

* **Citizen Charter**
* **Mobile Services**
* **Public Hearing**
* **Social Audit**
* **Integrated Service Centre**
* **Grievance Redressal Mechanisms**

***

#### 📋 Service Campaign Operation Directive, 2065:

* Implemented to ensure **public satisfaction** by providing public service in an **efficient, accountable, and transparent manner**.

***

#### 🌍 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

* **SDG Goal 17** exclusively sets a target to **improve public service delivery** and measure it based on **citizen satisfaction**.

***

### 🔄 Shift to Federal Structure:

The government is firm in its commitment to improving **accessibility and quality of public service**. Key efforts include:

* Shift from a **unitary to federal structure**.
* Holding **local governments more accountable** in delivering vital public services.

***

### ⚙️ Factors to Consider in Public Service Delivery

1. **Identification of service need/service mapping** (based on geography, class of people).
2. **Prioritization of services** (e.g., fire control, ambulance, rescue, epidemic control).
3. **Standards of service delivery** (fees, legal processes).
4. **Allocation of responsibility**.
5. **Provision of resources**.
6. **Developing institutional capacity**.
7. **Public participation**.
8. **Inter-agency coordination**.
9. **Provision of grievance handling and public hearing mechanisms**.

***

### 📚 Legal Basis for Service Delivery in Nepal

* **Directive Principles, Policies, and Obligations of the State**
* **Job Allocation Rule of the Government of Nepal & Provincial Governments**
* **Local Government Operation Act, 2074**
* **Good Governance Act, 2064**
* **Right to Information Act, 2064, and Rules 2065**
* **Periodic Plan, Annual Budget, Policies, and Programs**
* **Service Campaign Operation Directive, 2065**
* **Civil Service Act, 2049, Civil Service Rules, 2050, etc.**

***