New world bank report calls for improving service delivery in India

Mumbai, May 17 (UNI) A new World Bank report on reforming public services in India underlines the need for greater political consensus on social development programmes.

The empowerment of the civil service through stability of tenure and managerial autonomy and greater civil society involvement in programme design and monitoring are among the other priorities highlighted in the report authored by Senior Public Sector Management Specialist at the World Bank, Mr Vikram K Chand.

The study examines 25 success stories in the country across a range of sectors including health, education, information technology and urban management.

The report ''Reforming Public Services in India: Drawing Lessons from Success'' through an in-depth analysis of important success stories, aims to build better understanding of the key factors which enable these successes, and points to lessons that can be replicated across the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chand said, ''What emerges from these case studies is that the vision of political leadership, along with broad consensus across party lines, is key to triggering service delivery reforms. Also,almost all the cases involved intiatives spearheaded by Indian Administrative Service officers who remained in their posts for three years and, in some cases,even longer''.

MORE UNI MR ADG ARB VC2120