Mainstreaming Citizen Feedback on Service Delivery using ICTs : Findings and Lessons from ICT-based Feedback Surveys on Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Indian Cities
The water and sanitation sector in Indian cities is characterized by weak accountability processes and lack of customer orientation. The institutional focus of service providers tends to be on creating new assets, rather than delivery of services a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, New Delhi
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/332611488814291748/Mainstreaming-citizen-feedback-on-service-delivery-using-ICTs-findings-and-lessons-from-ICT-based-feedback-surveys-on-water-supply-and-sanitation-services-in-Indian-cities http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26270 |
| Summary: | The water and sanitation sector in
Indian cities is characterized by weak accountability
processes and lack of customer orientation. The
institutional focus of service providers tends to be on
creating new assets, rather than delivery of services and
performance efficiency. Moreover, in the absence of reliable
service data, the planning processes that inform the
creation of new assets are often not aligned with the needs
and priorities of citizens. In 2009, the Service Level
Benchmarks (SLB) program was introduced by the Government of
India’s Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) to strengthen
the focus on service delivery. Under this program, service
providers reportperformance on a standardized set of
indicators for delivery of water supply, wastewater, solid
waste management and storm-water drainage services. While
the SLB data have gradually become an integral component of
India’s urban reform formulations, the availability and
quality of this data have tended to remain poor. It is also
seen to reflect only the service providers’ point of view,
not the citizens’ perspective on service delivery. In recent
years, various social accountability tools and participation
processes have also been introduced in India to strengthen
pressures for improved public services and foster citizens’
involvement in planning processes. While these initiatives
have helped strengthen the overall focus on service
delivery, basic services such as water and sanitation have
largely remained outside their purview. This report presents
the findings, achievements and lessons that emerged from
implementing the SLB-C initiative in Indian cities with
varied contexts, and its subsequent use under a national
urban program. It provides recommendations for future
similar initiatives. |
|---|