Client Service Charters Compendium launched

Tinomuda Chakanyuka
GOVERNMENT ministries are expected to start cascading their respective Client Service Charters to various departments at provincial and district levels in order to create awareness among civil servants and members of the public on the existence and contents of the documents, an official has said.

This follows the successful launch of a Compendium of Client Service Charters by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, at the just ended 56th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).

The Compendium of Client Service Charters is a compilation of documents that set out what Government ministries and departments offer in terms of service provision to the citizens. The documents also provide a framework for defining service delivery standards, the rights of customers, and how complaints can be handled.

Senior principal director in the Department of Public Affairs and Knowledge Management in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ambassador Mary Sibusisiwe Mubi told Sunday News last week that the Compendium of Clients Service

Charters was a critical step towards the successful implementation of the government’s Zim Asset blueprint.

“The next step is to ensure that Heads of Ministries cascade the Client Service Charters to their various departments including the Provinces and Districts. This will assist in creating awareness among all civil servants and members of the public on the existence of the document and its contents.

“The Client Service Charters are a promise by public sector entities to provide services to the standard indicated in the Charters. Members of the public have therefore been empowered to demand good service delivery and to complain or make suggestions in order to ensure that services are delivered in a manner that meets the requirements of the public,” she said.

Launching the Compendium at the Office of the President and Cabinet stand during the ZITF last month, Dr Sibanda said the formulation of Client Service Charters was Government’s first step in improving service delivery and accountability as well as meeting people’s expectations.

“We have listened to people’s needs and are answering the call. As servants of the public and tax payers, it is the duty of each and every one of us to deliver the services that our citizens and businesses need to thrive. Putting in place Client Service Charters for each ministry, department and public enterprise is the first step in better meeting their needs and expectations,” he said.

Ambassador Mubi said members of the public who visited the Office of the President and Cabinet stand during the ZITF had shown a lot of interest in the development and suggested that more efforts be made to publicise the service charters to create awareness of their existence.

She also noted that some Government officials in various ministries were still not aware of the standards of services outlined in their ministries’ Client Service Charters.

“Members of the public including service providers showed great interest in the Client Service Charter Compendium. Some service providers were, however, ignorant of the standard of service that is set out in their respective Ministerial Client Charters but, however, undertook to abide by those standards.

“Members of the public who visited the Office of the President and Cabinet stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) suggested that there be more concerted efforts to publicise the Client Service Charters widely so that the public is aware of this noble effort by Government,” she said.

Client Service Charters will allow citizens to monitor the performance of Government ministries, departments and state enterprises as well as provide a platform to citizens to complain where they feel Government departments would have failed to meet their obligations as outlined in their respective service charters.

The service charters are also expected to enhance interaction between members of the public and Government ministries and departments to allow the latter to come up with policies and programmes that respond to and address the specific needs of the citizenry.

Members of the public will also be guided by the service charters on procedures to be followed for them to access public service.

Some Government ministries have already uploaded their charters on their respective websites where members of the public can access the documents, while other ministries were still working on the development.

The setting up of the Client Service Charters Compendium is part of Government’s Electronic Government programme also known as the e-government, digital government, online government or connected government that was launched by President Mugabe in 2011.