1

THE REASONS WHY GOVERNMENT EMBARK ON ALTERNATIVE SERVICE

DELIVERY












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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
1 INTRODUCTION 3
2 DIFINITION OF CONCEPTS 3
2.1 Alternative service delivery 3
2.2 Service Delivery 4
2.3 Public Service 4
2.4 Privatization 5
2.5 Partnerships 5
3 BACKGROUND OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY 6
4 REASONS WHY GOVERNMENT EMBARK ON ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
DELIVERY 6
5 THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
DELIVERY 7
5.1 The Advantages of Alternative Service Delivery 7
5.2 The Disadvantages of Alternative Service Delivery 9
6 THE IMPORTANCE OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY 10
7 ROLES PLAYED BYVOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND PRIVATE
CONTRACTORS IN PROMOTING SERVICE DELIVERY 11
8 CONCLUSION 12
BIBLOGRAPHY 13





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1INTRODUCTION
Worldwide, nearly every sector whether private, public, and not for profit face the same
challenges. The competitiveness demands, improved quality services, flexibility, and
price decrease are faced by every business organization, agency and government. As
we address these demands, we also experience new lines of communication, improved
capabilities for partnerships, and unknown advances in technology. Meaning that,
government organizations and businesses will experience a fundamental restructuring.
Alternative service delivery remains the only method the government can deliver
efficient and effective services in order to achieve the goals of its business renewal.
Alternative service delivery is altering the effort of government because it unlocks up a
huge display or arrangement of new solutions to the Issues of service delivery. In other
words using alternative service delivery makes the government to begin to understand
the benefits of concentrating its business on stuffs it only do best, and permitting the
other divisions to deliver some of the activities and purposes.
2 DIFINITION OF CONCEPTS
There is a developing challenge toward department and traditional departments by way
of the chosen structural arrangement in meeting the aims of good public management
as well as responsible government. Splitting bureaucracy via alternative service delivery
is an advanced creation toward the public insistence on improving service and the
steady force of scarce resources.
2.1 Alternative service delivery
Alternative service delivery is a unique Canadian word which has expanded money as a
global phenomenon. The situation refers to different things for different people. It has
been made popular under different forms in many names across the country and the
commonwealth. According to Zussman and Ford (1997:6) The alternative service
delivery is an innovative and active procedure of public segment rearrangement that
develops the provision of services to clients by sharing governance purposes with
individual, public groups and other government units. Alternative service delivery
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remains not restricted. It contains reengineering, denationalization, as well as reform of
the mainstream government.
The situation is not only around dominant agency controls, deficits reduction, as well as
devolution, but also contains the rethinking purposes and roles. It heavily rest on
achievement on a client service focus as well as on a strong foundation policy. The
alternative service delivery strategy that the government has reinvented has provided
developing countries with attractive models to repeat their experiences, even though
they are associated with mixed results and risks (Wilkins. J: 2000).
2.2 Service delivery
According to Meyer and Fox (1995: 118) the service delivery is the provision of civic
actions, welfares, otherwise satisfaction towards the citizen. This in fact stays the
delivery of a service or product through the government towards the inhabitants as
expected by the inhabitants as well as administered by the actions of legislative body.
As a result service delivery can be either one of the two, tangible (products) or
intangible (services). The customer or client can be someone from inside or outside the
organization. The term service delivery indicates that the user of the service is a
lifelessreceiver who has the services provided to him.
2.3 Public service
The distribution of public service by the government needspublic administration. Such a
system is mainly called the public service. According to Nengwakhulu (2009: 344)
public service is an executive vehicle by worth of which governments carry all types of
amenities to their inhabitants. The services distributed to the public can be either
tangible like the supply of water, or intangible like the supply of electricity. The public
service functions in an environment that is dissimilar from the environment that the
private sector function (Zubane, 2011:9).
According to section 8 of the public service Act (proclamation 103 of 19194) the South
African public service constitutes all persons holding fixed positions or permanent
additional appointment in the service, and state educational institutions excluding
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members of the national defense, the South African police intelligence, and the south
African security agency. Public organizations are exposed to better public scrutiny
together with the unique public beliefs. The environment of public organization is more
formal, legal and has more judicial restraints than private sector organizations. Public
institutions operate in an environment where there is inferior quantity of market
exposure and a better quantity of confidence on appropriations from authoritative bodies
than with the private institutions (Zubane 2011:3).
2.4 Privatization
Privatization is one of the alternative service delivery models currently employed by the
South African government to deliver services to the public. The white paper on
privatization (1987: 8) refers to privatization as a methodical handover of suitable
actions, purposes or possessions from the civic to the private segment, where amenity
manufacture and ingesting can be structured more proficiently through the market as
well as value instruments. Privatization is both economic and political in nature, but it is
valuable to say that in South Africa privatization isextremelya debated matter. It is
transparent that the goal of privatization programme is to redefine the government role
as that of regulator, creator and a facilitator of an allowingbusiness environment. In this
way government is detached from real managing of public functions, assets and
activities and emphases on matters of national concern (Zubane 2011: 38-39).
2.5 Partnerships
This is an agreement and arrangement between a government organization and one or
more parties (this may be the other government organizations, private entities, non-
governmental or parastatals) to deliver services to the citizens on behalf of the
government. These concurrences are in accordance with authority and objectives of the
government organization and should work for the best interest of citizens within
particularized budget, time frames, and for specific aims. These agreements are
reduced to legal, formal contracts which have penalties. Atahe penalties could include
withholding of payments or the termination of contracts (Zubane 2011: 4&29).
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Partnership with other stakeholders isconsidered as strategies that control the
capabilities that might not be available in a specific government organization. Under
public-public partnerships, responsibility for the transfer of the public service is retained
by the public sector,while under a privatizationthe responsibility progress across to
private sector (the public sector might keep some regulatory control). In PPPs there is
no alteration of possession and the public sector remains responsible. The government
can come to terms with a private enterprise where a public private partnership can be
formed and a community based organization or a non-governmental organization
(NGO), which will result into a public-not for profit making organization partnership
(Zubane 2011:29).
3 BACKGROUND OF ALTENATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY
The policy on alternative service delivery was instituted on first of April 2002, by the
government of Canada. In reviewing the alternative service delivery plans, a case-to-
case method was adopted and a set of principles were developed to assist in guiding
this process. By the end of the fiscal year, an annual alternative service delivery plan
which contain a three year period had to be prepared and submitted to the Treasury
Board and secretariat by the departments. Currently the scope of alternative service
delivery encompasses (not limited to) partnerships, crown corporations, service
agencies and employee take over (www.worldbank.org).
4 REASONS WHY GOVERNMENT EMBARK ON ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
DELIVERY
Improving service delivery remains one of the government urgent priorities. It needs a
creation of a more people centered, modern public service. Meaning a public service
come to terms with both the opportunities and challenges presented by collaboration,
service, and innovation. Except from investment of resources, both capital and human
in delivering the public service, there are other challenges facing the government.
These challenges for implementing transformation include lack of capacity, massive
back logs, shortage of resources, and lack of co-ordination, cohesion and integration.
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This resulted in government frustrations in the execution and implementation of projects
(Van de waldt, 2004:105).
According to Zubane (2011:27-28) South African government services were labeled as
incompetent, unsuccessful and by no means come across the client on time. As soon
as the government emanated into control it has agreed to recover the lives of the
inhabitants to the superior. Meaning the situation was important to change the
approaches providing amenities to citizens. In order for the administration to achieve
this ideal, it has to change from conservative proposals to civic amenity delivery, where
the administration is the only provider of services as it is prescribed by the constitution.
After the 1994 elections, South Africa became a home not for its citizens only, but also
for foreign nationals. The government was then expected to deliver with the same
financial resources better services to a large population.
The reason why government embarked on alternative service delivery is that, the split-
up of amenity delivery from rule allowed the government to leave the paddling to others
and to emphasis on steering, the increase of competition, the need to emphasis on
performance as well as outputs values, additional choice for the inhabitants as well as
the fiscal pressures for cost savings (Van de waldt, 2004:104).
5 THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
DELIVERY
The alternative form and the service delivery mechanisms of the traditional public sector
are not comparable easily. The dimensions of perspectives remain not fairly significant
and the features of approaches are very greatly different over segments and republics.
5.1 Advantages of Alternative Service Delivery
All of the new arrangements of amenity delivery are trying to increase the competence
of the civic services. Absence of rivalry, unbending rules and bureaucratic procedures
make amenities to be incompetent under the traditional public sector. Alternative service
delivery market based methods are capable of utilizing the rewards of secluded
management which will consequence in investments for the amenity provider. This does
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not certainly mean better and inexpensive amenities aimed at the consumers, however
somewhat transfers the wealth from the civic sector into the secluded sector. This
fluctuation is actually significant in republics where their civic consumption costs reach
the three quarters of the gross national product (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
In many instances there is an unintended influence of the alternative service delivery on
the traditional public service. Even though the new forms of the service delivery donot
put the monopolistic position of the broad public entities into hazardousness,
competition will forever be there.This can be kept a secret in expert meetings or extra
explicit in contest for the domestic grants. Partially a presence of a possible contestant
will somewhat change the attitude of the amenity provider against the buyer of their
products (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
As the alternative service delivery need new verdict creation methods, the old-style
processes of civic segment will change. The splitting of the amenity provider as well as
the buyer makes the tendering management to make verdicts more clear. In order to
have greater advantage for public control, the civic currency must be consumed on
visibly prcised purposes. This will as well escalate the responsibility of chosen bodies.
Frequently, other service constructions are used for segments with great wealth needs.
Shortage of civic reserves for long-term investment increases the right for other bases
of funding (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
If wealth asset ventures are disjointed from the other components of civic capital actions
and the possible bases of financing of the assets can be controlled, formerly extra
wealth will drift on that amenity. Public service are not capable to meet individual needs,
they always target on the average customer. In the retro of insufficient wealth old-style
arrangements of civic amenities are delivered to the typical consumer. There is no
dissimilarities in service request can be shadowed by the amenity delivery contrivances.
While amenity level is receiving higher, more differentiated needs may be managed by
amenity provider. Consumer verdict on levels as well as the addition to types of services
will be more prosperous shadowed through alternative service delivery arrangements.
Novel amenity organizations emphasis on the unusual request, and they commonly do
not need to contract with the most repeatedly raised glitches (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
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There are other insignificant positive outcomes of alternative service delivery and
improvedmeasures on other facets of amenities. For instance, performance pointers
and intended level of amenities will be further precisely defined. And it will hold-up civic
verdicts, while the connection amongst the governmental staff and chosen bodies will
be further equalized. The procedure of committees and representative bodies will be
less reliant on the management. The traditional technique of civic amenity has to be
transformed in each country. Civic sector improvement is an essential requirement of
trade and industry development, as no high civic spending below the previous
administrative and management schemes may be funded (Nemec and Wright: 1997)
Now this extended procedure of improving intensely implanted civic amenity
attainments of the communist age the alternative amenity delivery measures play a
main role. Firstly, they operate by way of alternates of the old-style civic amenities.
These amenity mechanisms also provide alternate resolutions of amenity management
for the civic segment, which is below abundant fiscal pressure. Contrary monetary rule
cannot stay carried out without presenting efficient forms as well as new amenity
delivery (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
5.2 Disadvantages of Alternative Service Delivery
The most common disagreement is the poor safety of public services. The consumer
public body will lose the contiguous influence over the service producer. This aspect
might be counterbalanced with numerous techniques in a suitably designed monitoring
and tendering procedures. The service area may be separated among numerous
equivalent contractors, performance connections might be required and constant
mechanism over the service producer might help to restrain bankruptcies. Some
agreements with non-profit service producers will have an influence on the clients
properties. This deterioration of equipment and machinery is a real loss for the client,
which have to be planned in the procedure of introducing alternative service delivery
(Nemec and Wright: 1997).
There are certain methods which aid to decrease these losses, by compulsory lease,
sale, and rent of these assets by the upcoming contractor. Managerial and
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organizational situations are very important for introducing alternative methods.
Modifications in the administration and adaption of new processes in decision making
and planning on services need new efforts both at the level of the public employees and
the politicians. In the voluntary sector there are some factors that hinder the
development of these organizations. As they were quoted earlier voluntary failure also
exist. The inefficiency of these services, lack of professional skills and particularism are
the commonhazards of this segment (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
Specific cost may be augmented when alternate amenity delivery arrangements are
presented. Because of the hand-in, monitoring of the amenity or potential adjustment of
the service call for extra coffers that will be a novel load on the amenity provider. These
added outlays have to be equated using investments on amenity payments and the
succeeded higher level of amenities (Nemec and Wright: 1997).
6 THE IMPOTANCE OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE DELIVERY
The alternative amenity supply is a better procedure aimed at governance as well as the
transfer of infrastructure and civic amenities, through contributing by way of nonprofit as
well as other secluded and civic segment institutions. It has to do with the redefining of
financial management because it involves the provision of incentives, increasing
experimentation and creativity, removing barriers and emphasis on service. Alternative
service delivery requires and implies a new pattern of public sector financial
management. It allows the regime to do more with not as much. It can enable the
government to separate itself from the regions it beliefs are not part the monarchy of
civic policy. And more significantly it can improve the net economic benefits by
supplying infrastructure and services in alternative ways (Accounting policy research,
2002).
Alternative service delivery can be arranged within government at separate spheres and
still be directed and managed within. For example, special operating agencies, crowns,
and single window centers. Operating parties may be trusts between regime owned
non-profit organizations, ministries, or for-profit corporations. The vital ASD element is a
novel responsibility regime highlighting results. As a result, it is likely for some
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segments, in trust with regime or alone, to deliver infrastructure and civic amenities via
other sectors which permits for acquaintances of government with those segments
(Accounting policy research, 2002).
Accounting policy research (2002) state that all levels of government are hoping to
respond to changing technology, to respond to the ever-changing prospects on
government part, to deal with demographic pressures, and to achieve cost savings in
service delivery. In the definition of the government role, alternative service delivery is
about the fundamental change. Alternative service delivery with other levels of
government includes various forms of joint service, devolution, and public-public
partnerships (via physical locations and websites). In the not-for-profit sector, examples
include the delivery of civic amenities in cooperation with other interested party,
contracting out (where the non-profit aim is valuable), and passed on managerial
authorities (for the distribution of governance as well as amenity delivery with
professional or controlling organizations).
Other formal constructions contain the involvement of the third party for-profit
institutions in the private sector. Mentioned to as privatization or public-private
partnerships, these circumstances consist of amenities and substructure typically
delivered by either the civic or the secluded segment. The structural procedures
comprise of operating agreements, trusts, as well as other corporations. Proprietors
who agree to take the risks and benefits of the venture, management, and the control of
assets could be former private or public companies through the experience in the
provision of infrastructure and the services (Accounting policy research, 2002).
7 ROLES PLAYED BY VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND PRIVATE
CONTRACTORS IN PROMOTING SERVICE DELIVERY
The voluntary organizations and the private sector play a valuable role by delivering
services to young people and children, including day care provision, youth work,
children social care, health and family support. The majority of voluntary organizations
has the skills for pre-emptive effort and can be located in reaching the greatest
susceptible families, undeveloped people as well as children. Unpaid organizations
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provide support to look after young people and children, and to children and parents
who are subject to child protection conferences and s47 enquiries. For example, they
propose healing effort with families, undeveloped people, as well as children in relative
to child sexual exploitation, professional care and amenities for children as well as
undeveloped people with health problems and incapacities, examination for abused
children during prostitution as well as for those broods who abuse other broods (Kirkly,
2012).
Certain unpaid organizations function on a 24-hour national helpline. For example, child
line is a nationwide amenity aimed at all broods and undeveloped people who require
guidance about bullying, exploitation as well as other anxieties. The parent line plus
bids support to anyone childrearing. These smaller help lines offer significant routes to
unpaid amenities. Unpaid segments too play a significant part in providing resources as
well as information to the community about childrens desires as well as the resources
to assist families. The NSPCC is merely the unpaid segment official to pledge measures
to look after children in stipulation of the childrens Act 1989, but others play a role in
implementing child protection strategies (Kirkley, 2012).
8 CONCLUSION
There is a global alteration in the way amenities are provided and the regimes will have
to be open as well as aware to the modifications. Amenity delivery remains a reason for
worry not only to the civic but it has also proved to stay a reason for concern. These
next calls for government to develop creative and innovative ways of delivering the
concern. In the effort to provide improved life expectancy for all, the regime desires to
gaze on the present amenity provision opportunities and glitches to get ready as well as
to discover for the forthcoming. The regime recognizes alternate amenity delivery
models as significant implements to improve the delivery of amenities to the civic, and it
has caused the regime capitalizing period as well as resources in scheming lawmaking
that will certain excellence amenity delivery. The need for government to keep voter
self-assurance, the changing environment, the basic to be well equipped for the future
and the service delivery protest, states that the government should gaze into upcoming
alternative service delivery models.
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BIBLOGRAPHY
Accounting policy research. 2002. Development branch office of the comptroller
general ministry of finance province of the British Columbia.
Fox, W & Meyer, I.H. 1995. Service Policies for public Transformation. Eliot Avenue:
Creda Press.
Gerrit van de waldt. 2004. Managing performance in the public sector: Concepts,
Considerations and challenges. Kenwyn: Juta academics
Http://www.openknowledge.worldbank.org
Nemec, J. & Wright, G. (1997). Public Finance Theory and Practice in central European
transition. Edited by Gabor Peteri: Alternative service delivery. Chapter 10.
Robin Ford and David Zussman. 1997. Alternative Service Delivery: Transcending
boundaries. Toronto: KPMG & IPAC.
Suzan Kirkley (2012), Newcastle safeguarding children Board. Available from
http://www.nscb.org.uk/staff-and-volunteers/procedures/voluntary-private-sector.
Zubane, P. 2011. Alternative service delivery models for the South African public
service for the year 2020. Stellenbosch University.