INSTITUTIONS AND LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES TO INNOVATE AND ENGAGE CITIZENS IN SERVICE DELIVERY

Transcription

1 INSTITUTIONS AND LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES TO INNOVATE AND ENGAGE CITIZENS IN SERVICE DELIVERY Adriana Alberti Coordinator, UNPSA Programme Governance and Public Administration Officer

2 Overview of the Workshop (1) Overview of expected accomplishments, goals and objectives of the workshop, so that we may all be attuned to its overall purpose; (2) Highlight the structure of the workshop; (3) Briefly explain the methodology utilized to engage all participants and (4) Introduce the theme of the workshop 2

3 Expected Accomplishments 1. Increase knowledge of successful strategies, good practices and tools in building the capacity of governments in terms of institutions and leadership capacities to innovate and engage citizens in service delivery. 1. Enhance cooperation among innovators and facilitate peer-to-peer transfer of knowledge by providing networking opportunities, 1. Lead to concrete proposals for the development of manuals, guidelines and other tools on how to strengthen governments institutional and leadership capacities to innovate and engage citizens in service delivery; and 1. Leave this Forum with renewed commitment to take further action to promote institutional and leadership capacities to innovate and engage 3 citizens; be it here at the United Nations or across Member States.

4 Its Structure The Workshop will be articulated into two main sessions: (a) Institutional capacity building and (b) Leadership capacities needed to innovate and engage citizens in service delivery and public governance in general. Each session will have three main components: (a)discussion about a new vision of the future (b)presentation of good practices (c)discussion about the way forward 4

5 Its Methodology In keeping with the title of the workshop, our sessions will adopt a participatory approach with ample time for discussion and for formulating actions to be taken in your countries and by the UN. Unique opportunity to engage in very rich discussions that will lead to the formulation of recommendations to Member States and to the United Nations on the way forward in this important area. Our recommendations will be read out in plenary session tomorrow afternoon and included in the Final 5 Communique of this event, which will be discussed

6 Overall, governments are faced with three main domestic challenges. First, they must operate and provide more far-reaching and higher-quality services with reduced resources and limited operational capacities. Second, governments must make public institutions more accountable, responsive, inclusive and effective by promoting a more citizen-oriented public administration Third, and most importantly, they must respond more adequately to citizens demands for greater participation in public policy-making decisions and service delivery. 6

7 It is increasingly known that governments cannot deliver services on their own due to limited resources and knowledge of citizens needs, nor can they deliver services in traditional ways. Innovation, as well as participation and involvement of citizens in the design and implementation of service delivery, both at national and local levels, is, therefore, of the utmost importance. 7

8 Innovation and participation require, however, adequate institutional mechanisms and leadership capacities in order to be appropriately channelled and supported. Building institutional mechanisms and leadership capacities to promote innovation and the participation of citizens in the delivery of services is instrumental in ensuring inclusive 8

9 All civil servants should ask themselves what they can do better to change the status quo. It is a time that requires governments to go beyond the usual rhetoric and deliver on the promises to ensure that citizens have access at the very least to basic services and they are out of abject poverty. Given the vast global resources, no citizen should have to live in the unstable and poverty-ridden environment that most citizens find themselves in today. 9

10 Effective institutional arrangements are emerging in response to the needs of the communities at local level, including local councils, committees and other management structures, especially if decentralization takes the form of devolution. There are many new ways in which citizens can interact with government and actively inform decision-making processes, but we are still at an experimental stage and we do not know as of yet what new structures can lead to meaningful participation. 10

11 I would like to conclude with a few questions, which may be debated over the course of the next two days: (a)what institutional mechanisms are most effective to promote innovation and engage citizens in service delivery in order to increase quality, access, costeffectiveness, and responsiveness of services? (b) What leadership capacities are needed to enhance innovation and engage citizens in a meaningful way? (c) How can leadership capacities be further developed? 11