Citizen’s Charter:

Deliberation at the inaugural program of the Ctg Divisional day-long workshop on

Citizen’s Charter and Business Processes.

by Prof-Syed Ahsanul Alam Parvez

Venue- Hotel Agrabad

Deliberation at the inaugural program of the Ctg Divisional day-long workshop on Citizen’s Charter and Business Processes.

By Professor Syed Ahsanul Alam*

Honorable Chief Guest, Special guest, Respectable Chair and participants of today’s workshop and most distinguished ladies
and gentlemen, As-salamu-alaikum. I feel honored to be present here among you at the inaugural program of the Ctg
Divisional day-long workshop on Citizen’s Charter and Business Processes.

In line with the current neo-liberal public sector reforms, there has recently emerged the concept of citizen’s charters in
many developed and developing nations.. Citizen’s Charter may lead to a culture of courteous and sincere service from
service providers, both in the public and private sectors of Bangladesh.

Ladies and Gentlemen, drawing your kind attention,

Let us first review a generalized concept of the Citizen’s Charter.

As public services are funded by the citizens, they have the right to expect quality service that fulfills their needs at a
reasonable cost. The Citizen’s Charter is a written, voluntary declaration by service providers,govt. or non-govt, business or
service organizations that highlights information of services, it’s availability, choices, mechanism for grievance redressal and
other related information. It is a useful way of defining the nature and quality of service delivery. In other words, a Citizen’s
Charter is an expression of understanding between the citizen and the service provider about the services that the service
provider is obligated to provide.

Let us over view just a few lines about it’s background.

The Citizen’s Charter programme was first launched in 1991 in the U.K. with intention to enhance standards of service
delivery and making governance more transparent and accountable. Subsequently this influenced several countries such as
Belgium, France, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, India, etc. to adopt similar measures.

Our government rightly felt the necessity of Citizen’s Charters in both public and private sectors because Citizen’s Charters
can be a amazing tool for right to information. The present government visibly has given significant importance as regards
to Citizen’s Charters. Because by means of information about services from the public sector as well as services offered by
the corporate or business houses potential users can know about their rights and can make demands for that. In that way
Citizen’s Charters in Bangladesh can empower its Citizens by easier access to information regarding citizen rights and public
services.

Already some progress has been made in this area and today we find quite a number of government ministries and its
departments developing Citizen’s Charters for implementation. Many public sector corporations came forward to develop
their citizen’s charters. Though many business organizations are showing interest in developing Citizen’s Charters as regards
the rights and privileges of their clients with respect to their services. However, their initiative is not yet enthusiastic.
Introducing Citizen’s Charters in both the public and private sectors is more relevant with those that had a large public
interface such as the Power Supply (PDB), Water supply (WASA), Gas distribution (BGSL), Railways, Telecom (BTTL,
Grameen, etc.), Airlines (BIMAN, GMG).
Citizen’s charters is a must for enhancing standards of service delivery and fostering greater public accountability.
Consumers helplessness- some personal experience
a) My GP cell phones incoming calls got blocked. I complained to the customer service and they told me that it was a
network problem. After 48hrs, when I wanted to change the SIM, they said that it wouldn’t help, as it was a system failure.
After 72hrs and one day before this Eid, I wanted to contact their technical department buy customer service refused to
provide the contact number. A desperate me spent hours searching the net to find out the e-mail of the chief technical
officer, Frode Stodal and finally sent an emotional complain. The next morning at 9.30, GP contacted my office and my
phone was all right by 10.00 am.—how helpless are the consumers

b) SCB-- A multinational bank usually hands over the payorder of loan granted to the buyer to the developer after a few
days of the registration of flats. If in these few days, the buyer is dead, the developer will have no way to prove the
inheritor that he has given registration without payment—what a malpractice by a multinational bank!

c) I left my ISD Landphone for a few days when I shifted to a new home, the phone was given to someone though there
was no pending bill but I had a deposit of cash 20,000 and bank guarantee of taka 50,000 with the TNT dept.. I did not
pursue the issue because I did not know a one-stop complain center of the TNT —how helpless are the consumers

Now We may point out some Salient Features of a Citizen’s Charter

The salient features of an ideal Citizen’s Charter are:

1. Setting standards for service delivery;
2. Transparency and information about service delivery;
3. ‘Choice’ and Consultation with citizens;
4. Complaints handling mechanism;

Setting Standard about service delivery: Any Citizen’s Charter should clearly define the standards of the service to be
provided so that users can understand what they may expect from the service providers. The delivery of service should be:
a) time-bound,
b) relevant,
c) accurate,
d) measurable and
e) specific.

The actual service delivered vis-à-vis the standards mentioned in the charter must be validated independently and
published.
The tendency among organizations to develop targets and standards based on their own
convenience as opposed to the expectations of the citizens must be avoided.

Information and transparency: A key characteristic of good service is the availability of relevant and concise information to
the users at the right time and right place. The Charters should contain, in plain language, adequate and true information
about services available, it’s types and quality of service to be expected, available mechanism for grievance redressal, etc.
Handbooks, guides, posters, websites are some of the channels through which information can be provided to citizens who
may need the service in course of time.

Choice and consultation: Citizen’s Charters should provide choice of services to users wherever applicable. There should be
some sort of arrangement of regular dialogue with the users of the service to fix service standards or upgrade the same if
and when necessary.

Complaints handling mechanism: There is a strong link between the quality of service and effective handling of complaints.
Firstly, by developing a system to receive complaints and responding to valid complaints, the cause of complaints can be
eliminated or at least reduced.
Secondly, by analyzing the trend of complains, the service provider can resolve systemic and recurring problems.

Here we may discuss how to develop a Citizen’s Charters

Before developing a Citizen’s Charter, an organization must be clear as to why it is

developing a charter and how it can establish the prerequisites for it’s implementation. An
organization should start by focusing on the following issues:

1. The aim, objective and scope of the Charter;

2. Identifying the stakeholders and ensuring their participation in the charter initiative;
4. Fixing service standards and upgrading present performance if necessary;
5. Checking whether required infrastructure and governance arrangements are present;
6. Assessing the resource implications for developing citizens charter in terms of time and money including compensation to
citizens for delivery failure.

Formats of Citizens Charter

In this regard some key factors to design Citizen’s Charter are as follows:

a) Make the Charter brief and factual;

b) Use simple language, avoiding jargon and legal terms (unless necessary);
c) Publish the Charter in the languages so that all the citizens can understand;
d) Use impressive type font;
e) Produce the charter so that it appears attractive and believable.

Identifying and engaging the stakeholders

This is one of the most important aspects of developing and implementing a Citizen’s Charter. Without involvement of the
stake holders a Citizen Charter is just a statement of intent rather than effective and meaningful interaction between the
state, institutions, organizations and the clients. Ensuring commitment of the stake holders to make the Charter a success is
a very important issue.

Once the stakeholders are identified, the next step is to engage them in a sincere and meaningful discussion. The
stakeholders should be met at least twice or more during the period of developing the Charter, firstly to ask their views
about what should be included, and secondly to show them that the charter developed includes their view so that they own
the commitment pronounced in the charter.

Establishing service standards

Service standards are the backbone of any Citizen’s Charter. It is, therefore, extremely important that they are developed
carefully. The following guidelines may be followed.

i) They must be developed in consultation with the service users, clients or citizens. Otherwise the standards set may not
meet the expectation of the citizens;
ii) They must be developed through interdepartmental co-ordination of the service provider to ensure better performance;
iii) Standards must conform to TRAMS i.e they must be:

a) Time bound,
b) Realistic,
c) Achievable,
d) Measurable and Specific. For example, the standards should not say that officers will ‘do their utmost,’ a statement that is
neither specific nor measurable.

How to Implement a Citizen’s Charter

There are five broad areas involved in implementing the Charter . They are:

1. To generate awareness of the Charter;

2. To popularize the Citizens Charter ;
3. To introduce complaint handling system;
4. To install feedback mechanisms; and
5. To develop Evaluating and reviewing system.

How to generate awareness of the Charter?

Creating awareness of the Charter depends on building citizens confidence that the charter is to deliver service more
effectively and honestly. It also depends on the involvement of Citizens to the Charter initiatives. Regular dialogue with
consumers associations, citizens, user groups, advocacy groups, community-based organizations, professional bodies,
business apex bodies, citizen action groups can generate quick awareness of the Charter.
Wide availability of the Charter Document at the service delivery outlets, in public places and their prominent display can
enhance awareness among citizens, clients and users.

The use of other forms of publicity such as publicizing in

a) electronic media;
b) dish advertisements;
c) documentary Film show;
d) newsmedia;
e) print Media;
f) open house meetings with opinion leaders, professional bodies, business apex bodies, consumer associations;
g) internet etc. can be used based on the profile of the consumers, clients or users. A formal process of survey and review
of the level of awareness should be undertaken periodically about the Charter. This should lead to a review of strategies
used to raise awareness of the Charters.

Tactics to popularize Citizen’s Charters

A careful development of any citizens charter can make the implementation phase easier. Some practical and technical
measures that can expedite the implementation of any Citizens charters are as follows:

1. ‘May I help you’ counters at the service delivery center may be established;
2. ‘Pls take one’ leaflet /booklet distribution counters at service delivery outlets may be installed;
3. Citizen Information Centre at the city center and other strategic locations at cities and districts may be setup;
4. Telephone Helpline may be provided;
5. Publication of Handbooks and Citizens Guides regarding Citizen’s Charter may be published;
6. One-stop-centers where citizens can get A-Z of the service may be introduced;
7. Dispersing Information by SMS, e-mails and mobiles may be done about the charter initiative.

How to introduce effective complaint management?

1. Designate a location in the service delivery center or outlet to receive confidential complaints and make it accessible and
visible to users/customers;
2. Acknowledge complaints by:
a. SMS
b. e-mail
c. letter and If very critical,
d. by talking directly with the complain lodger,
3. Develop a system for record-keeping in a database of all the complains received by all media,
4. Record, process, investigate and analyze the complains,
5. Keep the customer informed of the status of his complains,
6. Periodically analyze the complaints to identify trends to make prompt correction if possible.

How to get feedback?

One of the most important prerequisites for getting feedback is to make it easy for the citizen to send feedback. This calls
for ensuring specified visiting hours so that citizens can meet the officials without obstruction. An open door policy for a few
hours at least a day in a week can prove very effective for decision makers to understand the feedback. Other different
routes for feedback may include a combination of the following:
1. Complain box
2. Over the counter complain attendant at the service outlets;
3. Toll free telephone number;
4. E-mail or SMS
5. Post or fax
6. Through community and consumer organizations (such as CAB);
7. Through professional and trade bodies like BMA, IEB, Bar, Chambers BGMEA, FBCCI, etc; and
8. Through periodic surveys.
9. media reports

How to Evaluate, monitor and review a Citizen’s Charter?

It is critically important that the system for evaluating performance against Charter standards is
congruent with the department’s performance management system. That is, the individual performance has a reflection on
the integral performance of the team. Other forms of evaluation, such as surveys and feedback forms may give a good
indication of the quality of services.
Evaluation should take place regularly. This should be IT-enabled so that data can be analyzed in
real-time and reports generated automatically on service failures. Self-assessment should be
practiced with staff to assess how well they think they are delivering services.

Concluding remarks:

The following issues should be seriously considered:

Since Citizen’s Charters are likely to raise new hope and aspirations among the users of the service, the service providing
organizations should guard against the tendency to display more than they can deliver. A realistic assessment of the
capabilities of the service provider must be taken into account in drafting the Charter. Ambitious charters which cannot be
implemented, only turns to a statement of deception.. Involving the stakeholders is most important because implementing
the Charters without the staff owning them will defeat the purpose of the Charter.

The Charters will remain merely a paper exercise of limited value if there is no consultation with the users. Both public and
private sector organizations should ensure the users involvement at all stages of preparation and implementation of the
Charter. It is to be kept in mind that a poor complain handling system or limited access of ordinary citizens to officials for
grievance redressal may jeopardize the initiatives of Citizen Charter; Independent audit of results is important after a period
of implementation of the Charter.

At the same time, management and administrative commitment for change management is imperative for sustaining the
Charter initiative and enhancing service delivery standards.

I hope I haven’t bothered you for too long. Also it would be very uncourteous if at this point I do not convey my thanks to
the civil administration of Ctg Division and UNDP for organizing a workshop of vital importance.

Distinguished honorable guests and participants thank you once again.

*About the Author

Syed Ahsanul Alam is a Governance analyst, an accomplished Professor of Marketing at the University of Chittagong and
Chairman, Center for Good Governance. He has over 23 years of comprehensive hands-on professional experience of
teaching, research & administration. He lectured widely at various business schools including University of Science and
Technology, Open University, ABAC Thailand and also in Singapore. He has in credit, a distinguished record of leadership in
society and business arena. He was a Director on Board of Shadharon Bima Corporation. Prof. Syed Ahsanul Alam is a well
known Academician, Institution Building Personality. He is the Vice-President of Chittagong University Marketing Association
(CUMA), Chief Advisor of Chittagong University Ex-Students Association- batch 83 (CUSAB), Vice-President Rotary Club of
Metropolitan Chittagong. His recent administrative post includes Vice rector Premier University, Treasurer USTC (SWC),
founder Coordinator & Vice Dean of the Faculty of Business, USTC, Chittagong.
The Author may be reached at Fax: 880-31-2550872, E-mail:professorparvez@gmail.com,
Web: www.goodgovernancebd.org