92207 Cambodia DFGG Learning Note 18 Changing attitudes: The key to improved service delivery in citizen service centers in Cambodia? The One Window Service Office and District Ombudsmen For OWSO leadership at district level, important attitude initiative in Cambodia seeks to provide more efficient, changes include a willingness to enforce the new standards, transparent and accountable administrative services at and take disciplinary measures if required. In particular, the the district level. Achieving this requires a significant District Governor and OWSO Chief’s leadership is vital to change in the mindset of government staff at central and achieving and maintaining the customer service orientation sub-national level as they learn to share licensing and standards of transparency. It is important that s/he sets authority and re-orient themselves from an attitude of an example of excellent behavior, particularly being administrator to one of service provider as explicitly called accountable, and shares an attitude with staff that the for in Cambodian government policy. This implies a whole OWSO is an opportunity to better serve the citizens of new mindset around transparency, accountability, Cambodia, and build a better government. customer-orientation and of course, rent seeking. At the same time, customers, whether individual citizens seeking civil registrations or small businesses obtaining commercial licenses, must also change their expectations and attitudes, becoming more willing to demand better services, avail themselves of complaint mechanisms when necessary, and comply with regulation voluntarily. This Learning Note discusses the role that attitudes have played in achieving results to date and examines the remaining challenges. What changes are required? For OWSO staff, there is an adjustment from the low expectations common in most government offices to an attitude of professionalism and customer service orientation being fostered in the OWSO (One Window Service Office). In contrast to common practices in the civil Local leadership must also display a willingness to engage service, the standards of professionalism expected in the with citizens – through partner non-governmental OWSO include: arriving on time, working the full business organizations (NGOs) or civil society groups – and solicit day, providing friendly and respectful service, not and respect community feedback and oversight. Feedback demanding informal fees, and working as part of a team. may come in the form of complaints to the District Importantly, the new orientation to serving customers also Ombudsman (DO), through the social accountability tools requires a shift by staff to see their role in a facilitative and such as citizen scorecards conducted by the NGOs, or positive light, rather than as a way to control citizens’ through the monthly ‘citizen hours’ the District Governor activity or extract personal benefits. holds to meet with the public. Because accountability mechanisms in Cambodia are generally weak, engaging To support this change in attitude, OWSO staff receive openly and actively in these activities is an important training in the service standards and Code of Conduct at the example of the kind of new attitudes that are contributing time they are appointed. They also engage in study tours to the OWSO success. Local leaders are motivated by the and internships before the OWSO opens, so that new staff opportunity to better serve their community, and they also members meet and learn from their peers working in an view the OWSO as an opportunity to demonstrate the established OWSO. But for sustainable results, more competence of the district administration and prove that important than training is their motivation to participate in they are capable of taking on progressively greater this higher level of service delivery. Staff report that their authority under Cambodia’s sub national democratic willingness to join the OWSO and uphold the more rigorous development (decentralization) framework. work ethic include: the opportunity to learn something new, their enjoyment of the team spirit (OWSO staff are For central government officials, an important adjustment expected to help each other), and a strong sense of pride in is acceptance of the benefit of sharing authority and helping establish a new, improved model for administrative delegating functions to lower levels of government. Initially, services in Cambodia. many of the departmental managers argued that districts would not have the competence to successfully handle Cambodia DFGG Attitudinal change in One Window Service Offices delegated functions to the OWSO. As the roll-out Heavy dependence on salary incentives to generate progressed and customer feedback came back improved performance. While OWSO staff have shown overwhelmingly positive, the attitudes of at least some of changes in mindset, it has been difficult to maintain better these officials changed. For those decision-makers standards by relying solely on intangible rewards. represented in the inter-ministerial Technical Advisory Government leadership commonly justifies the low service Group (TAG), there is clear acceptance that the OWSOs are standards in Cambodia to the low levels of civil service pay. doing a good job and that if anything, it is the line When the salary incentives received by OWSO staff lapsed departments which now need to adopt higher standards. A in 2013 as a result of a broad-based donor decision, the collaborative attitude among line department staff, at attitude of many OWSO staff was that the old behaviors central and provincial level, has also been important in should become acceptable again. Many OWSO Chiefs were trying to problem solve as the OWSO initiative moved unwilling or unable to enforce the improved standards in forward. the absence of salary top-ups. Although OWSOs still provide a significantly improved service over a year on, this For citizens and small business owners, changes in attitude issue demonstrated the embedded attitudes towards good include expecting and demanding better service. Citizens service as an “extra” rather than the standard operating traditionally have simply avoided government regulation procedure of government or the normal right of citizens. when they were able, or paid bribes of necessity to get things done (facilitation or speed payments). The OWSO It has been difficult for some OWSO staff to adopt an program’s outreach activities worked to raise awareness attitude of experimentation. OWSO support from the that citizens should expect fast, transparent services and DFGG project was also meant to provide space for learning that they have the right to complain to the DO if they find and development of these new models, but the traditional that service standards aren’t up to the agreed standards. top-down framework meant that this innovative model was Citizens are slowly starting to avail themselves of the DO if replicated according to strict rules. Reflecting on lessons they are not satisfied with the treatment they receive from learned in ongoing activities, and adapting the model to OWSO staff, or if deadlines aren’t met on time. This bodes different circumstances has sometimes been difficult for well for more systematic changes in how citizens expect to the national team and line departments to accept or be served by government offices. encourage. Experience suggests that this was one innovation too many, given the attitudinal change already Remaining Challenges envisaged. Some businesses remain reluctant to adopt the new Some decision-makers still view OWSO as a competition systems. While better service may seem intuitively for power and rent-seeking. Reaching agreements on the attractive to customers, it implies refraining from offering scope of delegation to the OWSOs has been a major informal payments for special treatment, and it means challenge. At both central and provincial level, staff of line voluntarily complying with regulatory requirements. Both departments have an interest in maintaining control of of these may incur higher costs in the short-run. Businesses regulatory administration. Occasional conflict between in particular continue to have a mindset that by paying provincial line department staff and OWSO staff over the extra they can get things done faster, since for them time is right to issue licenses to businesses demonstrates the gap money. And many business owners resist coming to the that remains in changing the mindsets of officials – towards OWSO voluntarily since they are used to having the line facilitation rather than control. Turf disputes of this nature departments come to their place of work and act as a “one still remain, even at the central government where the MOI stop” there, be it accompanied with coercion and/or has been engaged in negotiations with various line solicitation for informal payment. departments to expand the scope of OWSO functions. Continued reforms will depend in part on the high level of Citizens are still building trust in complaint mechanisms. In support the decentralization agenda receives in the future. general, the number of complaints on OWSO performance is still very low. This is partly a reflection of the general Attitudinal change is key to sustaining transparent, satisfaction with the OWSO, but it may also be a result of customer-oriented and corruption free services. These continued hesitation or lack of familiarity with the idea of changes are required on the part of government staff in holding government accountable. After Cambodia’s the OWSO, central government line ministries delegating troubled history, critiquing government performance does functions to the OWSO, but also by customers. These not come easily to citizens. Overcoming fear of providing changes are reinforced by the proof of impact on the open feedback is key to the development of accountability ground but this will take time to become established. and responsiveness, and demanding better service that will evolve over time. The DFGG Learning Note Series provides quick summaries of the lessons learned in the field. The information is obtained from progress reports, workshops and World Bank Implementation Support. DFGG Learning Note 18 reflects on lessons learned by the OWSO team. Written by the Office of One Window Service Affairs with Erin Weiser. Series Editor, Janelle Plummer