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Improving Public Services Through Networking

2 June 2005

Using information technology for service delivery was one area where accessibility and usage were discussed.

The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management and the University of Birmingham School of Public Policy, International Development Department, held their second annual training workshop on 'Managing Networked Government for Service Delivery'. It took place from 9 to 13 May 2005 in Birmingham, UK.
 
Fifteen participants from seven Commonwealth countries, namely, Barbados, Malawi, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia, attended the workshop. They came from a variety of backgrounds in public service -- from cabinet offices to reform units, ministries and training/consultancy institutions -- to focus on ways of improving the delivery of public services.
 
The delegates looked at avenues to build capacity in improving public services besides creating public awareness of such services and meeting their expectations. The issue of public-private partnerships and the involvement of the voluntary sector were also discussed. Performance assessment and measurement by making it part of the public service culture, was examined at the workshop.
 
Using information technology for service delivery was one area where accessibility and usage were discussed by studying the situation in Commonwealth Africa, Malaysia and Singapore. The delegates agreed that for countries which have a developed information and communications technology network, their citizens would be encouraged to use the online services available for greater efficiency of public services.

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 237, 1 June 2005