What is it?
- The citizen’s charter is a document that outlines a government department’s or organization’s commitment to providing services to residents.
- It acts as a platform for transparency and accountability, defining the service delivery standards, the time range for which services can be expected, and the grievance redressal processes available to citizens.
- The goal is to improve the quality of government services and make government agencies more responsible to the public.
Characteristics of Citizen Charter
- Quality: The Citizens’ Charter aims to improve the quality of services provided by departments and requested by the general public.
- Choice: The government should provide individuals with a variety of options so that they can access services based on their priorities and preferences.
- Standards: The Citizens’ Charter outlines the requirements for various services, making people aware of the services that the government will provide.
- Value: For the taxpayers’ money.
- Transparency: The Citizen Charter covers procedure and grievance redressal mechanisms in detail.
- Accountability: Individuals and organizations are both held accountable.
Salient Feature of Citizen Charter
- Set of Standards for Service Delivery: The Charter should establish explicit service quality standards so that people understand what to expect from service providers. These requirements must be suitable, dependable, observable, exact, and time-bound.
- Openness and Information About Service Delivery: Users get access to accurate and concise information at the proper time and place. The Charters should provide thorough and detailed information about the resources accessible.
- Fairness and Supportiveness in Service Delivery: The Charter will help to foster a culture of friendly and attentive public service.
- Choice and Communication with Users: The Charter should provide customers with a choice of services whenever practicable. To define service expectations and maintain consistency of service delivery, users of the service should be consulted on a regular and systematic basis.