Reinventing Public Service Delivery in India:

Selected Case Studies

Title                    :        Reinventing Public Service Delivery in India:
                                    Selected Case Studies

Edited by            :        Vikram K. Chand

Publisher            :        Sage Publications

Year                    :        2006  

Price                   :        Rs 750

ikram K. Chand, senior public     sector management specialist at the World Bank, New Delhi, has compiled this volume of case studies of successful innovations in public service delivery systems in India. Considering the wide spread scepticism that prevails in the country over public services, its corrupt practices, rampant inefficiency and completely outdated modes of working, the eight analytical reports and two papers on strategies to surmount larger constraints and improve delivery, should serve as an eye opener, if not bring about a radical change in the systems.

The contributors are researchers and management specialists employed with various world universities and institutes.

      “The book grew out of a larger report focusing on successful innovations in service delivery (World Bank 2006). The overarching goal of the report was to identify common factors across cases that explain why these innovations worked. In addition, the report draws lessons from these innovations, which might help to improve service delivery across sectors and facilitate the transplanting of success stories to other settings.” The editor thus commences his compilation.

      He goes on to list some of the systemic problems in service delivery in India – almost all of them familiar to all of us – growing salary burden and under-management; weak accountability mechanisms; corruption; political financing and so on.

He details instruments for improving service delivery –

      Promoting competition, simplifying transactions; restructuring agency processes; reinforcing provider autonomy; fostering community participation and decentralization; building public supports for program delivery and strengthening accountability mechanisms.

      The case studies where innovative systems have improved delivery include, institutional change in the telecom sector, electronic delivery of citizen services or E- Seva Model in Andhra Pradesh, reforms in the department of Stamps and Registration in Maharashtra, the Rogi Kalyan Samiti or hospital reforms in Madhya Pradesh, service delivery reforms in education in Rajasthan, Public Distribution system in Tamil Nadu and  Human Development in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

      On the endemic problem of corruption, defined as “abuse of public office for private gain”, in the Asian scenario in corruption, India  ranks a low tenth, above only Nepal, Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The extent and scope of corruption in India makes up an entire chapter, including the “abounding incentives” for corruption.

            The book does not say or reveal anything hitherto unknown to Indians and India watchers, its strength lies in its systematic analysis of innovative practices and the impact and success it has had.  Once again underscoring the adage, where there is a will there is a way – we need the political will and citizen’s vigil to effectively improve public delivery systems.  q

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