BUREAUCRACY AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN OYO STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION BOARD

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of bureaucratic processes on the public service delivery, a case of Oyo State Local Government Pension Board. This was a descriptive study focusing on process of implementing and results thereof.  A case study was conducted in the department of Lands in Mandera East. The study was guided by the following research objectives: to identify bureaucratic challenges which consumers encounter in public service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board, to determine how bureaucratic principles affect service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board and to examine the initiatives established by Oyo State Local Government Pension Board to improve delivery of services to its citizens. This Study was guided by Marxian class theory and Weberian bureaucratic theory. The population of study was the civil servants in the department of lands which was 121 and the sample size was calculated at 30% which translated to 36 respondents but successfully filled questionaires were 30 thus representing a response rate of 83.3%. The data was collected using questionnaire. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics using statistical package for social science (SPSS 22) in order to give quantifiable statistics and the results were presented in tables. The study found out that the majority of staff of Oyo State Local Government Pension Board, forming 73% of respondent accepts the fact that Officials of the Oyo State Local Government Pension Board have ability to influence social and economic development of the citizens, whereas 27% of the respondents disagreed to this fact. Further, the study identified the need for administrative reforms for better service delivery.

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The term bureaucracy is often heard and used in connection with the conduct of public affairs and the activities of public officials in particular (Justice, Okereke, & Ogbonna-Nwaogu, 2009). The real burden of government which is about running the administration fall on the shoulders of the bureaucracy which is responsible for the administration of a country.

In global, the system of bureaucracy is as old as ancient civilization. It existed in the ancient period in Rome, China, India and several other countries. Their duties were fixed in the statecraft (the art or skill of conducting government affairs) of those periods. Some account of the development is available throughout the pages of history. However, their duties were limited to spheres of taxation, collection of taxes, maintaining records, gathering data for the information of the king, conveying the orders of the kings to the public, maintaining accounts, controlling the treasury and managing the affairs of the palace (Johnston, 2011). But with the systematic development of state craft during the middle ages and the development of the activities of the modern states, the function of civil servants were highly enlarged.

Public services account for a substantial share of all economic activity; in social sectors such as health, water and education, government provided services are often especially important. Effective public service delivery also matters from a microeconomic perspective: program evaluations of micro-scale interventions are often partly motivated by the assumption that successful interventions can be faithfully scaled-up by governments (Deolalikar, 2013). Despite the importance of government effectiveness for citizen welfare, the literature on public administration is almost devoid of concrete evidence linking practices in civil service organizations to public goods outcomes.

Public services differ substantially from private-sector services in a number of ways, the difference comes from the funded source where the public services are defined as those services which are mainly, or completely, funded by taxation and the private sector servicers are funded by the money of customers. According to that public services would include the following areas of public management: The health authorities, education, defense, justice/home affairs and noncommercial organizations (Humphreys, 1998).

Alornyenku (2011) indicates that a client in private-part business condition will proceed to buy and expend a given item or administration relying upon the level of fulfillment got from such an item and reasonableness as far as cost. In this manner, guaranteeing that high caliber in items or administrations upkeep is a basic factor for the survival and development of both open and private segment associations.

Alornyenku (2011) contends that associations everywhere throughout the world are looked with the difficulties of consumer loyalty and maintenance, which require the use of arrangement of administration standards keeping in mind the end goal to stay in business and this has seen the requirement for quality administration conveyance that have been valued by organizations in the private area. Be that as it may, their partners in people in general segment are not bothered by the nature of administrations conveyed and have for a very long time, stayed unaltered, most likely because of the way that, open area associations don’t ordinarily confront the danger of rivalry by rivals giving comparative administrations. This mentality gives administration a terrible name, as confirm by poor administrations offered by a considerable lot of these open organizations.

Keeping in mind the end goal to win open certainty and make expected financial increases, governments have presented regulatory changes in the general population administrations.

Max Weber (2015) alludes to organization as the perfect and normal sort of organization helpful for accomplishment of positive outcomes. He anyway takes note of the dysfunctions of organization because of over the top use of its controlling standards by office holders. In fact unnecessary administration adversely impacts on social and monetary advancement particularly in poor nations. Merton (1957) notices that unreasonable administration makes open associations more ligament and self-serving, less ready to accomplish their center missions, and less receptive to benefit clients are; nepotism. It is portrayed by red-tapeism, dread of development, poor client administration, and duplication of working techniques, strict adherence to methods, feeble administration practices and low spirit.

Keeping in mind the end goal to survive the difficulties postured in a profoundly aggressive condition, numerous organizations; particularly private associations have moved concentration and are de-bureaucratizing their regulatory procedures for better administration conveyance.  For any nation to create, it is extremely basic for its administration to give merchandise and enterprises that the private division does not more often than not wander into, particularly water, sanitation, squander transfer, street, wellbeing, lodging, instruction, power, and so forth. These administrations, as indicated by World Bank Report (1997), are typically those that the private division does not have any desire to give or those that individuals can’t manage the cost of the cost at the given market esteem (Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, 2006).

At the point when open establishments neglect to meet the desires for shoppers in benefit conveyance, the gradually expanding influences result in grave outcomes on political, social and financial development of a state. As per an investigation done in Ghana by Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF) (2008), the nature of utility administration conveyed to the private part by the legislature is by and large poor and these outcomes progressively in organizations causing immense spontaneous expenses.

1.1.1  Public Services Delivery

Public services as referred to by Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF) (2008), are water, electricity, waste management, health, housing, business registration and road networks. Further to this, making sure they reach the people and places they are intended to for social and economic growth. However, issues that resurrect public displeasure are the manner in which these services are delivered by public institutions concerned. Complaints from clients/consumers are that public officials are not responsive and mishandle businesses and people who approach them for services.

Governments around the world face challenges of revitalizing the public services to deliver a more efficient and cost-effective services especially in Nigeria. However, citizen began to therefore demand public services that are of timely, quality and convenient devoid of the processes involved or where or by whom the services is delivered.

1.2 Problem Statement

Wise et al (1993) quoting March & Olsen (1989), state that demands for institutional reform suggest that public bureaucracies are too complex, centralized and rigid, as well as too little oriented toward the needs of citizens. This further suggests that a time has come for local authorities to reform their bureaucracy in service delivery. The primacy of the customer of public service dictates that the Civil Service provides services that are responsive to the needs of its primary customer and the public. The standards of service should be stipulated in line with customer expectations for efficient, fast and friendly services. Consumer concerns are for reliability, credibility, accessibility and timelines in service delivery (PSM, 2003).

According to Tamrakar (2010) efficient, responsive and prompt service delivery is now prominent agenda of most countries. People cannot get easy access to public services if they don’t know about formalities and other requirements in connection with receiving public services in advance. Informed citizen can properly seek service fulfilling the responsibilities in their side. Therefore, the provisions of bureaucracy information and public service delivery have strong relationship. Service delivery can be seen from two perspectives; one from service provider’s perspective and another from service seeker’s perspective. Pervasive unawareness on the part of the service seekers and lack of citizen friendly way (responsive behavior or positive attitude) on the part of the service provider can lead to slow and ineffective service delivery (Tamrakar, 2010).

As per PSM (2003) the standards of public service should be instructed in line with customer or citizen expectations for efficient, fast and friendly services. Consumer concerns are for reliability, credibility, accessibility and timelines in service delivery. The issue of this study is

much concerning about public service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board has become more bureaucratic. The study sought to determine effects of bureaucratic processes on public service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board.

1.3 Research Objectives

1. To determine how bureaucratic structures affect service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board.
2. To examine how bureaucratic initiatives by Oyo State Local Government Pension Board affect public services.

• To identify how bureaucratic challenges affect public service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board.

1.4 Research Questions:

1. How do bureaucratic structures affect service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board?
2. How do bureaucratic initiatives by Oyo State Local Government Pension Board affect public services?

• How do bureaucratic challenges affect public service delivery in Oyo State Local Government Pension Board?

1.5 Justification

Bureaucratic processes are doing more harm than good in public service delivery in county government.  The study would allow comparison of public service efficiency in Mandera compared to other published studies to allow generalization. The research study aimed at determining bureaucratic inclination that holds back quality delivery of service to the citizen who make up the client base in the county. It is time organizations and key to mention county administrations, to reduce and match bureaucratic inclinations to become focused on the consumer and be market-centered in the delivery of public service.

This research intends to give emphasis that beneficiaries of public service are entitled to demand quality service from the county and from the bureaucrats. Therefore, services should not be delayed nor should corrupt practices not be allowed. The study further seeks to review bureaucratic challenges in delivery of public service within public entities because the resultant barriers make such organizations not competitive. Finally this study will give providers of public service recommendations on how to improve and make their services competitive.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study on the effects of bureaucratic processes on the public service delivery among the county governments will cover the bureaucratic challenges which clients face in land related businesses, the extent to which bureaucratic principles affect service delivery and seek ways through which the Oyo State Local Government Pension Board can improve service delivery for enhanced consumer satisfaction in the Oyo State Local Government Pension Board.

1.6    Limitation of Study

Like all empirical studies, this research study also has its own limitations due to the methodology that will be employed. Use of questionnaire to collect data always has also its own limitations, since responses could be biased because of the common method used for the collection of all data. This will address by ensuring that extensive care is taken when designing the questionnaire and the pilot study to refine the questions, still the criticism of the survey method can never be completely ignored and should be taken into account.

From generalization of the results point of view, measuring research questions based on the opinion of the respondents would limit our generalization of the findings. As a result of this, the study may not investigate other bureaucracy characteristics due to data constraints. Therefore, important factors such as insider ownership, employment based on technical qualification, purposely impersonal among others would not be included. Furthermore, the delivery of public service is influenced by other factors than just bureaucracy.

The social, legal, economic and the political environment are equally important. It is therefore suggested that future research should consider some of these factors in exploring the effect of bureaucracy on public service delivery. However, the above mentioned constraint will not invalidate the findings of the study but rather pave way for future research on the concept and any related topic.

 

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