| De: |
"Vidar Ekehaug" [ Profil ] |
| Sujet: |
Summary Week 2
|
| Envoyé: |
May 28th, 2008 - 21:55:40 |
| Pièces-jointes: |
![[Icône de fichier attaché]](http://www.takingitglobal.org/images/connections/groups/icons/file.gif)
OECD-CCPS Summary Week 2.doc
|
|
| |
Dear all,
Many thanks for all the great contributions to the third week of questions.
There is certainly a lot of creative ideas out there on how technology can
be used to improve public services and policies. You can still submit your
input on any of the questions up until Friday May 30, when the consultation
will officially close.
Please find below and attached the summary of the 2nd week of questions - I
hope I have been able to capture everyone's views!
OECD Consultation - Building Citizen Centred Policies & Services
Summary - Week 2
1. Do you feel that the public services offered in your country reflect the
needs and wishes of young people? What is your experience in using public
services?
Most participants agreed that public services do not reflect the needs and
wishes of young citizens, although some also acknowledged that governments
are trying, to the best of their ability, to respond to young people.
Participants identified two major constraints in their public services:
Lack of resources and priorities - Many governments simply do not have
enough resources to adequately provide public services to their citizens.
Participants acknowledged that this is often not unique to young people, but
to the population in general. However, some also felt that young people are
not prioritized. As a participant from Nigeria noted: ".the government feels
it has other more pressing issues than youth friendly public services or
policies."
Lack of youth friendly access to public services - Where public services are
in place, many participants felt that these are not always accessible to
young people. For example, in Kenya a participant described the difficulties
of youth organizations to access public funds, due to bureaucratic
requirements and the need to demonstrate a track record, which many youth
organizations do not have. As the participant noted: "You are left wondering
if [youth organizations] never started how could they have existed?" Some
participants also called for more information and instructions in how to
access and utilize public services.
However, some participants also acknowledged that their governments are
trying to increase access among their citizens, for example through
satellite government offices in rural areas and booths in shopping centres.
2. What can governments do to improve their public services and make sure
they reflect the needs of their citizens?
Almost all participants agreed that governments need to simply listen to
their citizens and put people in the center of policies and services.
Furthermore, some also noted that the quality and accountability of civil
servants need to improve.
Listen to and include citizens in formulation and implementation of policies
and services - Participants called for more opportunities, such as
suggestion boxes outside government offices and formal complaint procedures,
for citizens to voice their opinions to elected officials and civil
servants. A participant from Trinidad and Tobago noted that the feedback
process and attention from governments should be permanent, not only for
complaints but also for suggestions for new ideas: "[Politicians] need to
listen to the views of the people who elect them - not only when they
protest or complain but overall."
Governments should also engage citizens in the coordination and delivery of
public services, to ensure a citizen-centred approach and that services
reach all parts of the population. A participant from Kenya stated:
"Irrespective of age, tribe, religion or background every citizen should be
given a chance to enjoy the cake of the nation - in particular youth and
women."
Set realistic policies and targets for public services - Many participants
expressed frustration with the gap between official policies and the
services that are actually offered. Governments can set more realistic
policies based on available resources, and thereby avoiding unrealistic and
unmet expectations from citizens. Participants suggested this can lead to
more citizen action and civic engagement in the political process.
Set higher standards for civil servants and eliminate corruption -
Participants called for more accountability to those responsible for
delivering public services. In some countries these jobs are given based on
relationships to people in power, rather than on qualifications. Some
participants also stated that corruption is still a big problem in the
delivery of public services, and that stronger accountability and
legislative measures need to be put in place to avoid mismanagement and
fraud. As a Nigerian participant said: "The government is made up of people
and not buildings or machines, they know exactly what the wishes of the
people are, but it may not favor them."
Overall, participants called for much more opportunities for citizens to be
involved and to monitor the performance of elected officials and civil
servants.
Best regards,
Vidar Ekehaug
Programs Director
Global Youth Action Network
307 West 38th Street, Suite 1805
New York, NY, 10018
Phone: (+1) 212-661-6111
youthlink.org | takingitglobal.org
|
|
Message
Retour aux messages 
