KNOW YOUR SERVICE RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

Gender IndabaBirchwood Hotel

Boksburg18-19 August 2008

By Folusho MvubuService Delivery Improvement Branch: DPSA

Background • On the 4th August 2004 Cabinet approved a program

on revitalizing the promotion & implementation of BP within the Public Service

• The 4 themes:– Taking Public services to the people – APSD, PS Week,

PS Watch, Izimbizo (community outreach), Red Tape, Signage, Access strategy, name tags

– People first – for real – Change Management Engagement Programme (CMEP), Project Khaedu, Brand Champion, CMEP (Health)

– Mainstreaming & institutionalizing Batho Pele - SDIPs, BPLN, BP Forum

– Know Your Service Rights (KYSR) campaign - as the fourth theme – CMEP, Access Strategy, KYSRRC

The OPSC Survey

• THE 2003 SURVEY– There was mounting concern about the extent to

which citizens are aware of their rights regarding the level of services provided

• Absence of Service Charter or Service Standards

• The violation of citizens’ rights – the redress & recourse process not adequately publicized –part of the SDIPs project

What gives effect to these rights?

• The Constitution of the Republic of South African

• The Promotion of Administrative Justice Act no 2 of 2000

• The Promotion of Access to Information Act no 3 of 2000

• The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act no 4 of 2000

• The White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery (Batho Pele)

How do the BP principles give effect to service rights….

By ensuring that services are delivered impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias, through the following principles:

• Consultation: people should be consulted about the level and quality of public services they receive

• Service Standards: people should be told what level and quality of public services they will receive, so that they know what to expect

• Access: All citizens should have equal access to the services to which they are entitled

• Courtesy: All people should be treated with courtesy and consideration

…..How do the BP principles give effect to service rights

• Information: People should be given full, accurate information about the services they receive

• Openness and Transparency: people should be told how government departments are run, how much they cost and who is in charge

• Redress: If a promised standard of service is not delivered, people should be offered an apology, an explanation and a speedy remedy.

• Value for money: Public services should be provided economically and efficiently

The objectives of the KYSRC• Citizens informed of different types of services

as well as rights that emanate from these services

• Exert positive pressure on PS & officials through a concerted awareness effort

• Means & institutions for exercising such rights are made public

• Rights explained in a user friendly & easily understood manner

• Complacency discouraged amongst public servants as citizens would be aware

• To strengthen partnerships between public & govt – ensuring citizen participation

Expected outcomes• Improvement of confidence in government • An improvement in the quality of service provided by

public servants• An improvement in culture – reflected by both

parties treating each other with respect & dignity• Effective utilisation of resources in economic

development programmes rather than on complaints handling costs due to negligence and attitude problems

• A better quality of life for all

Expectations from public institutions….

• Establishment of customer care units with an integrated well-functioning information/ help desks and a complaints handling system that monitors each complaint – entry to exit - until matter has been finalised– Turnaround times to be displayed as part of the

mapping process– Display your service charter for all members of the

community to know what kind of service standards to expect

– Display citizens rights charter & a responsibilities charter

…..Expectations from public institutions

– Display posters that inform citizens about your office’s complaints handling system

– Contact details of all officials responsible for the complaints handling system to be part of the poster

– Distribute the social cluster booklet, KYSR flyers (brochure) together with other line function related material at strategic positions for citizens to easily access

Citizens responsibilities• To act responsibly

– Educating themselves of applicable procedures & processes

– By supplying required documentation where possible

• Citizens to understand that government operates within a limited budget

• Competition of resources due to unlimited citizen’s needs

• Discourage corruption instead of promoting it• Citizens to value state assets & appreciate/ protect what

has been made available for use• Participate in community problem-solving initiatives/

programmes• Take government’s development initiatives seriously –

show commitment & enthusiasm by sustaining projects

The role of Customer Care units

• Customer care is more directly important in some roles than others, e.g. receptionists, sales/ marketing staff, communications, dispatching offices, front-line staff interacting directly with the communities we serve.

• But we should not neglect the indirect importance of customer care in our back offices as their performance when full-filing the needs of the frontline personnel will have a major impact on customer satisfaction

Assessment areas…..• How do we integrate our Monitoring &

Evaluation systems from the inception phase of our campaign – to assess the impact after 3-5 years of the roll-out?– What is the level of awareness from the public

servants & service beneficiaries?– How well does your service match citizen’s needs?– Does the value of the money & time you offer add up

to what citizen’s receive?– Are you efficient & reliable when fulfilling your role?

Turnaround time

…..Assessment areas– Do we have a queue & proper file management

systems in place?– Do we have a well managed signage system?– Are our information directories constantly updated?– Do public servants display professionalism,

friendliness & expertise during the discharge of their duties?

– How well do we keep the citizens we serve continuously updated?

– Do we have any after service follow-up surveys? – What does our statistics tell us?

Roll out plan• A 3-pronged approach adopted – (i) National depts. &

provinces (ii) Chapter 9 institutions, NGOs, & CDWs (iii) then Citizens

• BPLN Gala Dinner launch took place on the 9th Oct 2007• Media Campaign took place on the 10th March 2008• Currently holding introductory meetings with 8 Social

Cluster National depts, 9 provinces, chapter 9 institutions, CDWs, SANGOCO, NGOs & CBOs with intention to partner with them

• KYSRC Provincial workshops: Coordinated by BP & CDW Coordinators in the provinces

• Integration into other DPSA change management engagement initiatives - national, provincial & local govt level

Roll out plan

• Translations: – Booklet, Poster, Pamphlets - translation done in all

languages– Radio campaign promos running & dramas from mid

September – October 2008 – Developing DVDs for CDWs, Ward Committees for

information to be taken to the service beneficiaries

Distribution channels• Radio Campaign : September school holidays

2008 and beyond• Promote the KYSRC and 10- years of BP• Features by MPSA & Dramas: Community Radio stations –5 week

campaign, 2 episodes per week

• Post Office Media advertising• Newspaper campaign

– Community newspaper inserts & adverts• Challenge of limited resources – cannot be

sustained (R4.4 million)

Distribution channels– DPSA National & government events – Anti-corruption

conference, Gender Indaba, SMS conference, Learning academy, BP Forum, BP Learning Network, Public Servants Trainer’s forum, etc.

– Frontline offices & personnel in - Hospitals & clinics, police stations, schools, Thusong centres, Home Affairs offices, etc.

– Open days - Public Service week, Africa Public Service Day, provincial/ departmental open days

– Other - Websites, newsletters, e-mails, posters, banners, intranet, flyers, etc.

– Workshops with government departments & communities through CDWs, NGOs, CBOs, etc

– Izimbizo – President’s, deputy president’s, Premiers, MPSAs, Executive mayors’, etc

Printing plans• 160 000 Booklets is all languages• 100 000 pamphlets in all languages• 4 000 posters in all languages• 12 000 DVDs for awareness raising in all languages – for

both the public servants & the citizens

THE QUESTION IS - ARE THESE ENOUGH?

THE ANSWER IS: NO

AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS AS SUGGESTED BY PALAMA – 12 MILL COPIES IN ALL LANGUAGES R8 X 12 MILL = R96 MILL

Government’s increased commitment

To create a better life for all by respecting citizens rights when accessing public services by:

• Providing more information before access takes place

• Improve access to public services• Promoting a high standard of professionalism• Involving the public in the policy making process• Fostering transparency• Recruiting the right people with the right skills and

attitude, and• Using resources in an effective, efficient and

economic manner

Forging partnerships…..• To agree on the need to work together as

partners with all our stakeholders• Ensure accuracy of detail & raise awareness on

updated information on an annual basis• To compliment each other instead of duplicating

each other on efforts made to:– Reach out to communities and Sharing of

resources – especially financial & CDWs. – Facilitate Change Management Engagement/

cultural change initiatives for public servants– Marketing & support of the campaign to lower

ranks & frontline offices

…..Forging partnerships

• Effective utilisation of skills from the KHAEDU & CMEP

• Through OTPs & Head offices to forward reports to the KYSR project manager on the roll out plans & progress made - with statistical breakdown

Conclusion• Response from stakeholders slow but promising• 6 out of 8 social cluster depts have allowed dpsa to

introduce the project to the – roll out plans awaited• 6 out of the 9 provinces have allowed dpsa to introduce

the project – some have started with the roll outs but have not shared the plans with us

• Currently using existing platforms like this event, izimbizo, national events, media to reach out to communities

• With the engagement of the CDWs, chapter 9 institutions, SANGOCO, NGOs, CBOs, etc will increase the level of awareness & the increase in the qualitiy of life of our fellow South Africans

WE WILL CONTINUE TO BEAT THE DRUMS OF SERVICE

DELIVERY

Thank you