the basic principles of citizens’ charter movement and bring out its importance

It has been recognized the world over that good governance is essential for sustainable development, both economic and social. The three essential aspects emphasized in good governance are transparency, accountability and responsiveness of the administration. The “Citizen’s Charter initiative” is a response to the quest for solving the problems which a citizen encounters, day-in and day-out, while dealing with organisations providing public services. 

The concept of Citizen’s Charter enshrines the trust between the service provider and its users. The concept was first articulated and implemented in the United Kingdom by the Conservative Government of John Major in 1991 as a national programme with a simple aim: to continuously improve the quality of public services for the people of the country so that these services respond to the needs and wishes of the users. 

Principles: The basic objective of the Citizen’s Charter is to empower the citizen in relation to public service delivery. 

The six principles of the Citizen’s Charter movement as originally framed were: 

1. Quality: Improving the quality of services; 

2. Choice: Wherever possible; 

3. Standards: Specifying what to expect and how to act, if standards are not met; 

4. Value: For the taxpayers’ money; 

5. Accountability: Individuals and Organisations; and 

6. Transparency: Rules/Procedures/Schemes/Grievances.

Importance of Citizen’s charter and its principles 

•A Citizen’s Charter is the expression of an understanding between citizens and the provider of a public service with respect to the quantity and quality of services the former receive in exchange for their taxes. It is essentially about the rights of the public and the obligations of the public servants. As public services are funded by citizens, either directly or indirectly through taxes, they have the right to expect a particular quality of service that is responsive to their needs and is provided efficiently at a reasonable cost. 

•The Citizen’s Charter is a written, voluntary declaration by service providers about service standards, choice, accessibility, non-discrimination, transparency and accountability. It should be in accordance with the expectations of citizens. Therefore, it is a useful way of defining for the customers the nature of service provision and explicit standards of service delivery. 

•A further rationale for the Charters is to help change the mindset of the public official from someone with power over the public to someone with the right sense of duty in spending the public money collected through taxes and in providing citizens with necessary services. However, the Citizen’s Charter should not simply be a document of assurances or a formula which imposes a uniform pattern on every service. 

•It is meant to be a tool kit of initiatives and ideas to raise the level of standards and service delivery and increase public participation, in the most appropriate way. 

•The Charter should be an effective tool to ensure transparency and accountability and should help deliver good governance, if implemented vigorously by the government departments.