Citizen Engagement in Public Service Delivery

"This paper suggests that reform-minded public officials can improve development results by using citizen engagement in a variety of ways: to elicit information and ideas, support public service improvements, defend the public interest from ‘capture’ and clientelism, strengthen the legitimacy of the state in the eyes of citizens and bolster accountability and governance in the public sector."

This United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) paper is based on the analysis of five case studies exploring citizen engagement initiatives in rural China, the Philippines, Viet Nam, rural Kyrgyzstan, and Indonesia. "This paper posits that there are no blueprints for the design and implementation of such initiatives or standardised and replicable tools. Instead it suggests that successful and sustainable citizen engagement is ideally developed through 'a process of confrontation, accommodation, trial and error in which participants discover what works and gain a sense of self-confidence and empowerment'."

The analysis of the case studies found five key factors of engagement from a “public officials” perspective:

1. Role of public officials and citizens
2. Value of citizen engagement
3. Collective action across state-society boundaries
4. Effective ownership of the initiative
5. Institutionalisation

Each case study is analysed with theses factors in mind and the key factors that played a role in each case (See Annex 2 of the document.)

Pages 16 and 17 capture steps in a strategic approach to citizen engagement  using a chart of questions to ask at each step and including issues to consider at each step. For example: "Step 1: What is the problem to be addressed? What are the desired outcomes? What is the context?" Issues for this step might include: framing the problem clearly, defining the possible and desired outcomes, analysing the balance of power, and assessing contextual factors, among others.

The paper concludes:

• For effective citizen engagement, the state must recognise the value of citizen engagement and take advantage of it.
• Public officials need to play a significant role in service delivery  improvements - citizen participation is only as effective as the use public  officials and citizens can make of it.
• Public officials can make use of the following means of citizen engagement: "elicit information, ideas and other contributions directly from citizens; support public sector innovation and entrepreneurship; defend the public interest from clientelism; strengthen the legitimacy of the state in the eyes of citizens; and, bolster public sector accountability and governance."
• Risks include societal fragmentation and inequalities generated when specific groups with special interests capture attention.
• "Successful citizen engagement takes place through long-term sustained processes of confrontation, accommodation, trial and error in which participants discover what works, find self-confidence and gain a sense of empowerment. Those interested in promoting citizen engagement should identify pro-reform public officials, elected representatives and citizens, understand their motivations and incentives and consider forming broad, pro-reform coalitions."
• Poverty reduction and rising citizen use of information technology is forcing governments to improve service delivery and deliver higher value services, as well as adapt to more citizen participation.
• "For the state-society relationship this implies that policy making will need to be brought closer to the citizen, allowing more direct engagement in policy development, implementation, evaluation and service delivery." This includes "co-design" and "co-creation" of services in order to move from government governing citizens to governing with citizens - a shift in notions of  "public sector values, practices, accountability, knowledge and skills" and requiring "a professional, agile, open, ethical and passionate public service and rebuilding the morale and motivation of public officials where they have been damaged by politicisation or lack of resources."