Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

CITIZENS CHARTER I. Introduction

As public services are funded by citizens, either directly or indirectly, they have the right to expect a particular quality of service that is responsive to their needs and which is provided efficiently at a reasonable cost. The Citizens Charter is a written, voluntary declaration by service providers that highlights the standards of service delivery that they must subscribe to, availability of choice for consumers, avenues for grievance redressal and other related information. t is a useful way of defining, with sta!eholder involvement, the nature and quality of service delivery. n other words, a Citizens Charter is an expression of understanding between the citizen and the service provider about the nature of services that the latter is obliged to provide. t is a response to the quest for solving the problems, which a citizen encounters, day in and day out, while dealing with the organisations providing public services. The concept of Citizens Charter enshrines the trust between the service provider and its users. The ma"or ob"ectives of the Citizens Charter are to give priority to customers, ma!e the public service transparent and accessible, reduce red#tape and delay, ma!e the $overnment more accountable, provide all necessary information to customers and ma!e service providers responsive to clients needs %&sborne '((() Torres '((*+. The concept was first articulated and implemented in the ,nited -ingdom by the Conservative $overnment of .ohn /a"or in 0110 as a national programme with a simple aim2 to continuously improve the quality of public services for the people of the country so that these services respond to the needs and wishes of the users. The ,-s Citizens Charter initiative aroused considerable interest around the world and several countries implemented similar programmes e.g. Australia %3ervice Charter, 0114+, 5elgium %6ublic 3ervice ,sers Charter 011'+, Canada %3ervice 3tandards nitiative, 0117+, 8rance %3ervice Charter, 011'+, ndia %Citizens Charter, 0114+, .amaica %Citizens Charter 0119+, /alaysia %Client Charter, 011*+, 6ortugal %The :uality Charter in 6ublic 3ervices, 011*+, and 3pain %The :uality &bservatory, 011'+ %&;C<, 011=+. II. Citizens Charters in India: Meaning, Features Institutions

n ndia the decision to adopt the Citizens Charter was ta!en in /ay 0114 %>ew <elhi+ at the Conference of Chief /inisters, where the $overnment adopted an ?Action 6lan for ;ffective and @esponsive $overnment, in which the public agencies at both the federal and state levels decided to develop and adopt their own Citizens Charters %$overnment of ndia '((9) 3harma '((9+. The <A@6$ %<epartment of Administrative @eform and 6ublic $rievance+ under the /inistry of 6ersonnel, 6ublic $rievance and 6ensions, is the central organization for formulating policies, delineating guidelines, monitoring implementation and assessing all Citizens Charter initiatives underta!en by the Central $overnment, 3tate $overnments

Citizens Charter

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

and ,nion Territories. n fact, all the draft Citizens Charters proposed or submitted by Central $overnment ministries, departments or organizations, are scrutinized and approved by the so#called ?Core $roup on Citizens Charter for which the Additional 3ecretary of the <A@6$ is the member#secretary and the 3ecretary of its parent ministry %/inistry of 6ersonnel, 6ublic $rievances and 6ensions+ is the Chairman. The department %<A@6$+ defines Citizens Charter as ?a document, which represents a systematic effort to focus on the commitment of the &rganization towards its CitizensAClients in respect of 3tandard of 3ervices, nformation, Choice and Consultation, >on#discrimination and Accessibility, $rievances @edress, Courtesy and Balue for /oney, which can further be elaborated as follows2 0+ 3tandard of 3ervice2 The Charter should lay out explicit standards of service delivery so that users understand what they can reasonably expect from service providers. These standards should be time#bound, relevant, accurate, measurable and specific. The actual performance vis#C#vis the standards adopted must be published and independently validated. nformation2 A !ey attribute of good service is the availability of relevant and concise information to the users at the right time and at the right place. The Charters should contain, in plain language, full and accurate information about services available, levels and quality of service to be expected, available channels for grievance redressal etc. Dandboo!s, guides, posters, websites are some of the channels through which information can be provided to citizens. Choice and Consultation2 The Charter should provide choice of services to users wherever practicable. There should be regular and systematic consultation with the users of the service to fix service standards and to ascertain quality of service delivery. >on#discrimination and accessibility2 The Charter should be accessible to all and no discrimination shall be made based on religion, caste, race, sex etc. $rievance redressal and complaints handling2 There is a strong lin! between the provision of quality service and effective handling of complaints. 8irstly, by facilitating and responding to complaints, the causes for complaint can be reduced. 3econdly, by identifying ?trends in complaints, the service provider can resolve systemic and recurring problems. Courtesy and Balue for /oney2 The Charter can help embed a culture of courteous and helpful service from public servants. n addition, small initiatives such as ?name badges, ?/ay help you counters etc. can go a long way in building customer confidence. Co!"onents, Stages Sta#eho$ders:

'+

*+

9+ 7+

=+

III.

Citizens Charter

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

n line with this overall definition, the <A@6$ outlines the main components of the Citizens Charter for each government organization at the central and state levels. /ore specifically, a Citizens Charter of any organization is supposed to present the following2 0. Bision and /ission 3tatement of the &rganization '. <etails of 5usiness transacted by the &rganization *. <etails of ?Citizens or ?Clients 9. <etails of services provided to each CitizenA Client group separately. 7. <etails of $rievance @edress /echanism and how to access it =. ;xpectations from the ?Citizens or ?Clients Apart from the above, the Citizens Charter is meant to be a tool !it of initiatives and ideas to raise the level of standards and service delivery and increase public participation, in the most appropriate way. The Charter should be an effective tool to ensure transparency and accountability and should help deliver good governance if implemented vigorously by the government departments. A ma"or pre#requisite for the successful implementation of a citizens charter is its effective formulation and drafting. A roadmap for the formulation of the Citizens Charters can be explained as under2 0. 8ormation of Tas! 8orce) '. dentification of all 3ta!eholders and ma"or services to be provided by &rganization) their representative associations) 9. 6reparation of <raft Charter E E Circulation for commentsAsuggestions) /odification of Charter to include suggestions) *. Consultation with ClientsA3ta!eholdersA3taff %6rimarily at cutting#edge level+ and

7. 8ormal issueArelease of Charter and putting up on website) =. 3ending copies to 6eoples @epresentatives and all sta!eholders) 4. Appointment of a >odal &fficer to ensure effective implementation F. /onitoring of the implementation through citizens groupsAorganizations The process of identification and engagement with sta!eholders is one of the most important aspects of developing and implementing a Charter. Githout identification of the sta!eholders, the Charter is "ust a statement of intent rather than a live, meaningful H if voluntary H contract between the state and the citizen. This is a time#consuming and costly exercise and should be carefully planned. A sta!eholder is someone who has a sta!e or interest H direct or indirect # in the service being delivered.

Citizens Charter

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

&nce the sta!eholders are identified, the next step is to engage them in meaningful discussion. f there is a >odal &fficer in the organization in charge of the Charter, that individual should be responsible for devising a ?sta!eholder engagement plan. The sta!eholders should be met at least twice during the period of developing the Charter, firstly to as! their views on what should be included, and secondly to show them the charter that has been developed as a result of their views. They should be engaged periodically thereafter, especially at the time of review of the charter, which should ta!e place annually. 'hat Ma#es a (ood Charter
8ocus on citizen requirements 3impleAlocal language Accessible format nclusive %for illiterate, visually impaired etc.+ Citizen friendly Clearly quoted service standards ;ffective remediesAsolutions Training <elegation 8eedbac! mechanism Close monitoring 6eriodic @eview

Formulation of Citizens Charter

Publicity

Improved mployee !"areness

Improved Customer !"areness

%etter &nderstandin' of Customers (pectations

Improved Customer (pectations

Customer I%.Feedbac* I!"$e!entation o& Citizens Charter )rientation The dynamics of implementation of Citizens Charters can be understood with the help of the following flow#chart2 Customer Focused Products # $ervices $ervice +uality Improvement

Citizens Charter

Customer $atisfaction

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

%ac*'round research 4 best practices

)rientation56no"led'e transfer to Pro7ect 0eams8 Partners $ituation !nalysis3 $tatus of e(istin' social accountability mechanisms # citizen en'a'ement in 3 cities Supply side Interventions Demand side Interventions

Engagement with Municipality Sharing of learning material, documents and best practices .e'ular Interaction and 2iasonin' "ith the officials and &2% representatives -3 survey findin's and report

Engagement with Citizens

Creation of -ard Profiles

)rientation of municipality and lected .epresentatives

C.C report .e'ular interaction "ith citizens and a"areness 'eneration in "ards and "ith "ard councilors

%.

)RIAs E*"erience

)rientation andpro"ect re'ular conduction of n the ?3upporting meetin's of C0!1s in 3 cities

Presentations and /ocuments on $ocial !ccountability

/esi'nin'8 preparation and handin' over of appropriate citizen charters

,I5s in nstitutionalizing 3ocial Accountability /echanisms 6@ A successfully carried out interventions to enhance the accountability of the municipalities as well as capacitated the communities to raise accountability issues in and Community 9obilization conduction of !rea $abhas three cities visits of @aipur, )r'anizin' e(posure for pro7ect@anchi and Baranasi. This pro"ect supported by the Gater and team5&2% representatives and C0!1 3anitation 6rogramme too! a three#pronged approach to the issue and wor!ed from both demand %citizens+ and supply %,I5s+ sides as well as the interface agencies and $election of citizen leaders5 individuals. +, )rocesses o&
/esi'nin'8 preparation and pilotin' of public 'rievance redressal institutiona$izing Socia$ Accounta-i$it. system

Mechanis!s

election5nomination representatives

of

area

sabha

Informin' the community about the ne"5 improved 1.$ "indo"5 phone5 online etc:; in the &2%s and encoura'in' them to test these ne" 5improved 1.$:: !doption and institutionalisation of the ne" and improved systems of 1rievance redressal Citizens Charter and Citizen Charter by the municipality:

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

These steps can be further elaborated as follows2 a. 5ac!ground @esearch on 5est 6ractices of 3ocial Accountability /echanisms n order to learn from successful and efficient accountability mechanisms adopted by local governments and that are popular, inclusive and accessible to citizens, a secondary study of 3A/s especially citizen charters and grievance redressal systems was carried

Citizens Charter

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Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

out for ndia and other countries. ts examples were documented and shared with the ,I5s in the three cities. b. 3ituation Analysis of current 3ocial Accountability /echanisms in @anchi, @aipur and Baranasi The situation analysis of the current social accountability mechanisms was carried out in two phases2 %i+ ob"ective, %before any !ind of orientation to the ,I5 staff or citizens+ and) %ii+ detailed, %following orientation about 3A/s+. The exercise involved evaluating the situation and trends that were present at the ,I5s in context to the existing citizen interface and grievance redressal. This was necessary to "udge the strengths and deficiencies within the current system. The analysis of 3A/s was based on the assessment of the following indicators2 Awareness Accessibility nclusiveness Citizen#friendliness ;fficiency

c. Capacity 5uilding of /unicipal &fficers and ;lected @epresentatives A number of media were used to raise the interest of municipal officers in the three cities towards improving the accountability of their respective ,I5s. .oint meetings of elected representatives, citizens and the ,I5 officials were organised so that service related issues could be discussed on a single platform. A number of presentations were given by 6@ A on various legislations such as @T Act, 6ublic <isclosure Iaw etc. apart from those on effective grievance redressal systems. 3pecial efforts were made to include women in these orientations as they are worst affected by problems related to basic services such as water and sanitation. Another form of capacity building has been through sharing documents responding to specific needs expressed by the officials themselves. 8or instance, all three ,I5s were interested in !nowing about the 04 points under @T proactive disclosure. 6@ A shared a comprehensive format0 in which information related to the 04 points could be easily filled. The model >agar @a" 5ill or Community 6articipation Iaw was translated in Dindi and shared with all three ,I5s as well as other concerned sta!eholders. d. ;xposure Bisit to Dyderabad 6@ A organized an exposure visit to Dyderabad %Andhra 6radesh, ndia+ for municipal officers and elected representatives from all the pro"ect cities. Care was ta!en to include both men and women in the group to maintain a gender balance. Dyderabad is a city !nown for its efficient service delivery and state of the art mechanisms being used for
1

In 2==>8 P.I! had facilitated the ?aipur 9unicipal Corporation to underta*e proactive disclosure and a format "as used for the same that had been adapted from the 1@ points mentioned in the .0I !ct: Citizens Charter

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

grievance redressal that ensure accountability as well as citizens trust. /any innovative practices of the J$reater Dyderabad /unicipal CorporationJ as well as the ?Dyderabad /etropolitan Gater 3upply K 3ewerage 5oard had elements that could be replicated or contextually adapted by other cities. Through the exposure visit the participants could identify the gaps in the running of these mechanisms in their respective municipalities and were also able to select some of the best practices to adopt, suggesting at the same time a few changes in them so that they prove to be favorable and run effectively in their states. /, )rocess o& institutiona$izing Citizens Charter a. $etting the support of the officials at ,I5s and concerned <epartments A 5oards 6@ A team in all the three pro"ect cities went through the process of creating awareness and the need for a charter in the three municipalities, especially amongst the staff and the top officials. Their cooperation was of immense importance for the successful completion of this tas! as it was with the consent and encouragement of these officials that the data and information required to frame the charter would be collected from the municipalities A concerned departments. t involved a series of meetings, discussions and presentations to the ,I5 officials to ma!e them understand the importance and significance of the charter in their organization in the present times. And also how the charter benefits not only the citizens but also enhances the ,I5s credibility, accountability and reputation.

b. Co#designing a framewor! for citizen charter and collection of dataA information A format' to collect information and data regarding the different services provided by the ,I5s was prepared as the next step. t was based on the 3ervice <elivery ;xcellence /odel, ?3ervottam, which provides framewor! for organizations to assess and improve the quality of service delivery. t guides government departments to identify the services delivered, to set service norms, to align delivery capability with citizen expectations, to gauge the quality of service delivery through an ob"ective assessment and to improve quality using business process redesign and information technology. Thus, the ob"ective was to identify the constraints and possible interventionsAsupport required for the success of a Citizen Charter in improving service delivery and organizational competencies.

0his format "as shaped accordin' to the model format of citizen charter8 as framed by Indian Institute of Public !dministration AIIP!; for the /epartment of !dministrative .eforms and Public 1rievances A/!.P1;: Citizens Charter

>

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

c. 3upporting the &fficials to draft and institutionalize the charters within the municipality with the available information This process too! substantial effort to collect the correct information from the concerened municipal officials, departments and various other boards who shared the responsibility of providing these basic services along with the municipality. t also involved constant dialogue, discussion and liaisoning with the ,I5 officials to help them address their doubts and apprehensions about the charter as well as to ta!e their feedbac! on the same. The charters were then revised and finalised according to the suggestions and comments from each ,I5. %I. Cha$$enges As it happens with any new effortAinitiative ta!en within the upper hierarchy or the bureaucratic levels of the government, the Citizens Charter initiative was initially loo!ed at with s!epticism. t too! time for the municipal officials to understand the importance and need of the charter. There was a general lac! of awareness regarding the concept of a citizen charter among the citizens as well as the municipal officials. >one of them was aware of the pros and cons of having or not having a charter. There was also a lot of resistance to change among the municipal officials to adopt the charter. Another challenge faced was with regard to collection of informationAdata to fill in the formats prepared for the charter. This information was to be collected at various levels and departments within the municipalities related to delivery of different services. 3ome data had to be collected from other agencies such as Gater 5oard and 3ewerage 5oard as it was not available at the ,I5. The outdated systems for storage of data and lac! of s!illed or technically trained staff and logistic support within the municipality also delayed the process and posed as a barrier to the formulation of the charter. There is lac! of willingness on the part of the ,I5s to publicize crucial information such as service standards, time ta!en for grievance redressal etc. and become transparent, as they have to be more responsible and accountable with the disclosure of such information. Another challenge is the existence of multiple agenciesAauthorities to deal with the same services. 8or example, if there is more than one agency ta!ing care of the services of water supply and sanitation, then there has to be a clear distinction of their roles, responsibilities and services for the better understanding of the citizens. 0earnings

%II.

Citizens Charter

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

An effective awareness campaign amongst all the sta!eholders at the initial stage is essential to overcome s!epticism faced in the initial stages of formulation of the charter. These awareness campaigns should be designed and delivered innovatively and effectively and in the local language. nfluencingArapport building with senior officialsAstaff of the municipality2 t has been observed that interacting and building rapport with higherAsenior authorities has always been helpful for getting the wor! initiated. Gith regard to citizen charter, the municipal commissioner was first approached and made aware about the charter and the support required from the corporation. This helped 6@ A to get the required information from the concerned officials. The charter initiative should have a built#in mechanism for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the wor!ing of the Charter, preferably through the ,I5 as well as citizensAC5&s etc. The Citizen Charter should not be a static document. 3ince it contains service standards and contact information, it should be regularly updated to reflect changes. The addresses and contact information of the officials and service delivery units need to be revised periodically in the Charter. After formulating the Charter, the real challenge lies in ensuring that all the employees internalize the contents of the Charter, after they understand its true spirit and also actively participate in giving wide publicity about the Charter amongst the citizens. The issuance of Citizens Charter does not change the mindset of the staff and the citizens overnight. t ta!es place over a period of time. Therefore, regular, untiring and persistent efforts are required to bring about the attitudinal changes. &ne of the ma"or learnings of this initiative has been that citizen awareness and appreciation of the services and their frequent usage of the information provided in the charter puts the onus on the departmentsAofficials to sustain the service levels and explore enhancements. 1est )ractices in the ado"tion and i!"$e!entation o& Citizens Charters +, The Ro$e o& Ci2i$ Societ. and the Charter o& Mu!-ai 31MMC4MC(M,

%III.

The /umbai Citizens Charter stands out for two reasons. 8irst, the Charter was initiated by an >$& %>on#$overnment &rganization+ that closely cooperates with the government in its implementation. 3econd, the control system and the follow#up of citizens grievances are implemented by means of monthly meetings bac!ed by a database available online. The /umbai Charter was launched .une 0111, with strong support of the /unicipality. The Charter has three components2

Citizens Charter

1=

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

nformation about each service 6ledges of quality and efficiency in their operation 6rocedures for filing complaints

&nce the Charter was created, it was published in the main newspaper of the city and local yellow pages K posted on the Gebsites of the /unicipality. /umbais Charter has a three#level system for filing and handling grievances. &n the first level the citizen submits its grievance. f the resolution is not favourable, the citizens grievance goes through the following stages2 The grievance is directly submitted to the service provider shown in the Charter. The grievance is submitted to a team corresponding to one of the six zones of the city. After that, each team informs the problems of its zone to the <eputy Commissary of the city. /onthly reviews by the 6ra"a#/unicipality $roup to identify chronic problems to be dealt with on a systemic level.

The grievances are filed either on a written form that is mailed to a traditional mailing address or on the Gebsite. All grievances are entered online and stored in a database, from where they are sent to the appropriate district representative for follow#up. The citizen receives an ac!nowledgement with a reference number. Thus, the 6ra"a# /unicipality teams have information at their fingertips to monitor the tendencies and flaws in the services, and the citizens have a means for following up their grievances. Features of the Mumbai Citizens Charter !imed at ma*in' 'overnance citizen4oriented 1ives "hos "ho of civic services $ets a system of complaint re'istration $ets timeframes for complaint redressal $ets escalation procedures8 in case of non4redressal "ithin timeframe at a certain level Performance re'ularly monitored !ppreciation for consistent 'ood performance /isciplinary action for repeated poor performance (ternal evaluation by citizens 'roups /, Argentina: Ma#ing the Citizen E*"$icit in Citizens Charters At the end of '(((, the government of Argentina initiated a program of state modernization with the support of the Gorld 5an!. This operation featured a !ey component around results based management systems, specifically the creation of a Programa Cartas Compromiso, or Citizen Charter 6rogram %CC6+. The CC6 see!s a new relationship between public service providers and users by promoting a higher degree of responsiveness and transparency to ensure greater quality of
Citizens Charter

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Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

services, increased information and better monitoring and evaluation. The Carta Compromiso is a public management tool where the highest authority of a service# providing agency ma!es a public commitment to citizens, laying out a number of goals and results to be met within a given timeframe. The implementation of the CC6 focuses on four main components2 3ervice quality standards. 6ublic information systems. Citizen consultation and participation processes. /onitoring and evaluation of activities and results for further improvements.

The Argentine experience stands out for the explicit central role granted to the citizens through surveys, advisory groups, evaluations and other monitoring systems from the drafting to the implementation stages of the Charter. As part of the process, the Civil 3ociety ,nit was created in .uly '((', sponsored by the 6rogram, with the purpose of coordinating the efforts of public institutions and organizations of the civil society. An example of this participation is the Advisory Council of Consumers, an entity established in 011F that was formed by associations of consumers and now serves as a mechanism for permanent consultation regarding the development and implementation of the Citizens Charter of the 3ecretariat for Advocacy of Competence, <eregulation and <efence of the Consumer. Aside from training 0,*(( public officials %a prerequisite for developing the internal capacity in public institutions, as is pointed out in other cases described in this paper+, forty organizations of the civil society also have received training in the methodology for participating in the processes. Another mechanism that confirms the central role of citizens is the L@eport Card,M developed through surveys, that rates the quality and performance of the Charters. The 6rogram also has a clear website that all citizens can access. ANNE56RE FA7s on Citizens Charters 0. Gho is a ?Citizen with reference to Citizens CharterN

The term ?Citizen in the Citizens Charter implies the clients or customers whose interests and values are addressed by the Citizens Charter and, therefore, includes not only the citizens but also all the sta!eholders, i.e., citizens, customers, clients, users,

Citizens Charter

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Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

beneficiaries, other /inistriesA <epartmentsA &rganisations, 3tate $overnments, ,T Administrations etc. '. Ghether /inistriesA<epartmentsAAgencies of 3tate $overnments and ,T Administrations are also required to formulate Citizens ChartersN

Citizens Charter initiative not only covers the Central $overnment /inistriesA <epartmentsA &rganisations but also the <epartmentsA Agencies of 3tate $overnments and ,T Administrations. Barious <epartmentsA Agencies of many 3tate $overnments and ,T Administrations have brought out their Charters. *. Ghether Citizens Charter is legally enforceableN

>o. The Citizens Charter is not legally enforceable and, therefore, is non#"usticiable. Dowever, it is a tool for facilitating the delivery of services to citizens with specified standards, quality and time frame etc. with commitments from the &rganization and its clients. 9. Ghat is the role of <epartment of Administrative @eforms and 6ublic $rievances in Citizens Charter nitiative in the $overnmentN

<epartment of Administrative @eforms and 6ublic $rievances in /inistry of 6ersonnel, 6ublic $rievances and 6ensions, $overnment of ndia, in its efforts to provide more responsive and citizen#friendly governance, coordinates the efforts to formulate and operationalise Citizens Charters in Central $overnment, 3tate $overnments and ,T Administrations. t provides guidelines for formulation and implementation of the Charters as well as their evaluation. 7. Ghat are the dos and donts for an &rganisation in formulation and implementation of Citizens CharterN

8ollowing may be !ept in view by an &rganization while formulatingA implementing Citizens Charter2 # S.No <os . 0 /a!e haste, slowly. ' * 9 7 <onts <ont merely ma!e haste. <ont be unrealistic in ma!ing Iist areas of interface. commitments. 6hase out areas for introduction of <ont ta!e on more than you can small steps. commit. nvolve customer and staff in <ont involve only senior officers in formulating and implementing it the formulation and implementation. 6repare a /aster 6lan for formulation <ont rush into an overall pac!age and implementation over five years for the whole /inistryA <epartmentA and budget for it. &rganization.

Citizens Charter

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Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

Gin consumer confidence with small, highly visible measures. @emember CitizenJs Charter is a 4 constantly evolving process. nform the customers of the proposed F commitments. 1 ,se simple language. Train your staff about their role and 0( responsibility in the implementation of the Charter. <elegate powers to the 3taff to enable 00 them to discharge their responsibilities. = 3et up systems for feedbac! and 0' independent scrutiny. =.

<ont promise more than you can deliver at a given point of time <ont loo! upon it as a one#time exercise, with a final outcome. <ont inform the customer unless you are sure of delivering the service. <ont use "argon, abbreviations etc. <ont leave yourself out. <ont centralize. <ont continue blindly without regular periodic reassessment of performance.

Dow to generate awareness of the CharterN

$enerating awareness of the Charter is, to a large extent, dependent on engaging with citizens to ascertain their needs and expectations. @egular dialogue with citizens advocacy groups, community#based organisations %such as user groups+ and citizens can generate quic! awareness of the Charter. Gide availability of the Charter and their prominent display can enhance awareness among citizens and users. The use of other forms of publicity such as audiovisual medium, print, open house meetings, nternet etc. can be made based on the profile of the users. A formal process of review of the level of awareness should be underta!en through occasional surveys about the Charter. This should lead to a review of strategies used to raise awareness of the Charters. 4. Dow to establish Citizen friendly devices to bring the Charter to lifeN

f the development stage of the Charter has been carefully executed, the implementation phase can be easier. 3ome practical means that can accompany the implementation of Charters are2 F. ?/ay help you counters) 5iannual customer needs analysis in collaboration with user groups) Citizen nformation Centre) <irect Delpline) 6ublication of Dandboo!s and $uides on the service provided) &ne#stop#shops where citizens can do all their transactions in one place) and <irect engagement with the customer, for example, telephoning or writing to them to see! their suggestions Dow to get feedbac!N

Citizens Charter

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Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

&ne of the most important prerequisites for getting feedbac! is to ma!e it easy for the citizen to provide it. This includes, among other things, ensuring that officials are available to see the citizens at the times specified. The different routes for feedbac! should include a combination of the following2 1. &ver the counter at the service outlets) 5y toll free telephone number) Through regular post, e#mail, fax and telephone) Bia community and consumer organisations) Consultative committees) and Through periodic surveys. Dow to ;valuate, monitor and review Citizens ChartersN

t is critically important that the system for evaluating performance against Charter standards is congruent with the departments performance management system. That is, the standards in the charter should not be different from those of individual officials as per their "ob description or as set out in their departmental indicators. &ther forms of evaluation, such as exit polls for user groups and use of surveys and feedbac! forms give a good indication of the quality of services. ;valuation should ta!e place regularly. This should be T#enabled so that data can be analyzed in real#time and reports generated automatically on service failures. 3elf#assessment should be practiced with staff to assess how well they thin! they are delivering services. This can be compared against feedbac! from customers. ;xternal feedbac! can ta!e a variety of forms2 8ace to face feedbac! with users visiting the office) 8eedbac! forms provided to users at the counter) ,sing the services of voluntary organisations %for example, research organisations, consumer activists, universities, colleges, etc.+) /edia reports) and Charter /ar! system H a formal way for the government to provide feedbac! through competitive benchmar!ing of Charters across different departments. Se8erage

Citizens Charter o& HM'SS1 3H.dera-ad Munici"a$ 'ater Su""$. 1oard,

Citizens Charter

1,

Deepening Local Democratic Governance through Social Accountability in Asia

The aim and purpose of this charter of D/G335 is to confirm publicly, the service assurance given to the customers, who pay their bills regularly, for water and sanitation services from the 5oard) to confirm the standards that the 5oard has set for itself, with regard to providing services to its customers) and to state the customers obligations. This Charter is not a legal document for enforcement against neither the 5oard nor the customers. This Charter comes into effect from .anuary '=, '(((. The D/G335 provides the following services to its customers. 3upply of potable drin!ing water 3ewage collection and disposal The $eneral /anager, 3ingle Gindow Cell, D/G335, -hairatabad, Dyderabad, 7(((*9 exclusively deals with sanction of new connections. +.

Issue o& A""$ication For!s The application form will cost a nominal fee of @s.0(.((. 3upplied on all wor!ing days during office hours.

Available at all Cash Collection Counters and at 3ingle Gindow Cell %3GC+. /. Acce"tance o& &i$$ed in a""$ication &or! The filled in application forms will be Accepted only at the 5oard office %3GC+. Accepted during office hours on all wor!ing days. Accepted only after preliminary scrutiny at 3GC. Ac!nowledged by issuing a receipt on the spot by 3GC. A process fee will be collected for applications of domestic and non#domestic categories. 9. Re$ease o& 'ater Su""$. Connection ndividual water supply connection will be released within *( %thirty+ wor!ing days from the date of payment of connection fee in full. The connection fee includes boring, tapping of distribution main, supply and laying of necessary pipe including supply and fixing of meter chamber, gate valve, prescribed water meter etc. The 5oard is responsible for obtaining the /CD road cutting permission, including all civil wor!s connected with the laying of service connection up to customers premises including fixing water meter. The customers are requested not to pay or engage any plumber A contractor for the aforesaid wor!. The customers are advised to have a sump of adequate capacity close to meter. The meter chamber shall be located only within ' meters from the boundary, inside the premises. All the materials required li!e communication pipes, compression fittings, gate valve, meter and meter chamber for giving service connection from the tapping point up to the customer premises including the meter will be supplied by the 5oard. The customers should not engage the services of any employee of the 5oard for ta!ing the connection.

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)a.!ent o& Fees Accepted at 3GC of 5oardJs Dead &ffice, -hairatabad on all wor!ing days during office hours. Accepted by <emand <raft A Cheque A Cash in 5oardJs -hairatabad 5an! Account or 5oard &ffice %3GC+. Accepted in full only and no installments will be allowed. Ac!nowledged and receipts will be issued at the 3GC. Sanction The 5oard %3GC+ will ta!e a minimum of 07 wor!ing days and a maximum of *( wor!ing days to sanction or re"ect the application, from the date of receipt. The 5oard will communicate sanction or re"ection within 07 wor!ing days thereafter. Customer to contact 3GC at Dead &ffice of the 5oard at -hairatabad, any time %during wor!ing hours+ after expiry of *( wor!ing days. n the event of failure to issue sanction order or a formal re"ection letter after *( wor!ing days and on personal visit of the customer to the 3ingle Gindow Cell %3GC+ will pay an amount of @s. '( A# %@upees twenty only+ as a to!en of its commitment to the customer. Customer will be given a fresh date %not more than 07 days hence+ and if the customer does not get any response on his subsequent visit to the 3GC, heAshe will again be paid @s. '(A # and the /anaging <irectorA <irector Technical, of the 5oard will personally meet such customers to explain the reasons for delay. f the stated amount is not deposited within *( days of sanction order, the order becomes invalid. A fresh application will be made for process and the process fee paid earlier will be forfeited. Re$ease o& Se8erage Connection The customer shall construct sewer manhole with silt catch pit within the premises before the 5oard gives the sewerage connection. The 5oard shall connect sewer line from internal sewer manhole of the customerJs premises to the main sewer line. :uantity2 Assures a minimum of '7( litersAconnectionAday. :uality2 Assures to provide potable water. @esidual Chlorine to be maintained in the water supplied o /inimum H H (.'7 ppm o /aximum H H 0.(( ppm Timing2 Adhere to the notified timings. Any change will be informed in advance. o 6lanned interruptions will be informed within '9 hours of advance notice. o Any unplanned delay will be informed at least ' hours in advance. <uration of 3upply2 Assured one#hour minimum supply on a supply day. Contingency 6lan2 n case of disruption in regular piped water supply, Contingency 6lan will be implemented as per the area in which the supplies are disturbed. <etails

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<.

'ater Su""$.

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can be perused at the concerned 3ection &ffice of the 5oard. 5illing 3ervices 0. 8irst bill will be issued within a maximum of three months after the release of connection. '. All subsequentAregular bills shall be issued presently on a o 5i#monthly basis for <omestic category. o /onthly 5asis for all other categories. *. 6ayment of water and sewerage cess will be accepted at any of the e#3eva centers and at the designated Cash Collection Counters of the 5oard. 9. 6ayments will be accepted presently in cash, Cheque and <emand <rafts. 7. @eceipts will be issued for all payments at the Cash Collection Counters. =. <isconnection of water supply and sewerage connection will be carried out with a notice of 4 days after the due date. Co!"$aints Complaint Types K @edressal Times Nature o& co!"$aints 'ater Su""$. 0 >o Gater for OPO days. ' Iow Gater pressure * 6olluted Gater supply 9 Gater lea!age. 7 ;rratic Timing of water supply. = Change of category of water supply. 4 llegal usage of motor Se8erage F 3ewerage overflow on the road. 1 Choc!age at customer premises . 0( @eplacement of missing manhole cover. 00 6rivate 3eptic Tan! cleaning. Metering 1i$$ing 0' ;xcess bill and verification. 0* >on#receipt of water bill. 09 Cleaning and maintenance of meters. 07 <omestic meter repairs and replacements. 0= /eter repairs other than domestic. Re=uest Ser2ices 04 Tan!er required in 5oardJs supply area. 0F <ial#A#Tan!er. 01 Connection @equest. '( /eter#&>#<ial. S$.No Redressa$ Ti!e 3in da.s, Min Ma* *Q *Q *Q ' ' 4 0 ' 0A* 0 4 4 4 4 4 0A' 0 * hours * * 9 9 9 * * 0( ' * * ' 07 0( 0( 0( 07 4 ' * hours 9 4

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>thers '0 '' Complaints relating to bore wells, 636s, illegal connection etc. 3torm Gater &verflows. 0 ' 4 *

Dowever, the customer will be supplied '7( liters per connection per day if the supply is not restored in ' consecutive supply days. The 5oard only will give customers who do not have any arrears this facility. This facility is only for complaints registered with 010=. The tan!ers will be arranged up to the nearest accessible place and from there the customer has to ta!e the water. ?. @. Metro Custo!er Care Courtes. and He$"&u$ness

All complaints of the customers shall be registered through /CC 6h2 077*0* only.

All employees of D/G335 are committed to customer service. The following officers may be contacted in case of necessity. Chie& (enera$ Manager 3E,, > M Circ$e I, (osha!aha$. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivision , $oshamahal. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivision , $oshamahal. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivision , $oshamahal. Chie& (enera$ Manager 3E,, > M Circ$e III, (osha!aha$. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivision B, @edDills. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivision B, >arayanaguda. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivision P, Amberpet. Chie& (enera$ Manager 3E,, > M Circ$e II, S. R. Nagar. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivn B , 3. @. >agar. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivn B , /arredpally. $eneral /anager %;+, &K/ <ivn P,Control @oom. A.

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Custo!ers >-$igations Customers should pay water bills promptly. Customers should protect and maintain water meter in good condition. Tampering of water meter is an offense punishable under D/G335 Act. Customers should not use any 5ooster 6umps to draw more water. t causes serious inconvenience to others. t is a serious offense. Customers may inform the /etro Customer Care on phone 010= about any illegal installation of pumps by others.

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Customers may inform the /CC on phone 010= about any illegal connections. Customers may inform the /CC on phone 010=, if any sewer line cho!age or water lea!age is noticed on the roads. Customers should educate all their family members not to throw domestic waste in their toilets. This will cho!e sewer lines. Customers should advise the public not to dump building materials li!e sand, stone etc., near sewer manholes, which may enter sewer line and cause choc!age. Customers should not open sewer manhole covers to let off the rainwater, as this will cho!e the sewer lines, which are not designed to carry rainwater. Customer should insist, on any D/G335 employee, visiting his premises, to show his identity card so as to avoid cheating. Customers to avoid pit taps, as they are a ma"or source of pollution. Customers should conserve water, as it is a precious resource. They must use taps and other appliances that minimize wastage and lead to saving of water at every point of consumption. Customer is expected to ma!e necessary arrangements for rooftop collection of rainwater. Assistance can be had from $round Gater <epartment and D/G335. Customer, as the ultimate beneficiary of all public assets, must bestow personal interest in protecting and promoting their use. Any willful misuse must evo!e customerJs concern prompting action. Co!!unication

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The board will adopt such channels of communication as are faster to inform the customers in shorter time. I!"ortant Readings and 'e-sites 0. Citizens Charter2 A Dandboo!) <A@6$) /inistry of 6ersonnel, 6ublic $rievances and 6ensions '. ndias Citizens Charters) A <ecade of ;xperience) 6ublic Affairs Centre) 5angalore *. Iimits of Citizens Charters in ndia, the critical impacts of social exclusion) /. 3hamsul Daque2 9. Citizens Charters) A Comparative $lobal 3urvey) Ginthrop Carty %.une '((9+2 7. www.chennaimetrowater.tn.nic.in %Chennai water supply+ =. www.goicharters.nic.in %$ovt. Gebsite for Citizens Charters+ 4. www.mcgm.gov.in %/umbai Citizens Charter+ F. www.pra"a.org %6ra"a >$&, /umbai+ 1. www.hyderabadwater.gov.in %D/G335+ 0(. www.naga.gov.ph %>aga City+ 00. www.gvmc.gov.in %$reater Bisa!hapatnam /unicipal Corporation+ 0'. http2AAwww.worldban!.orgAlaccs %Argentina Citizens Charter+

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