INFLUENCE OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ON PUBLIC SERVICES DELIVERY: A CASE OF THE MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN JONGLEI STATE OF SOUTH SUDAN

Steve Goi Gatluak, Dr. Geoffrey Owino, Dr S. Mihindi

Abstract


Bad governance is a major contributor to poor service delivery in Africa. Even though various legal instruments and watchdog institutions have been established to regulate and monitor the ethical conduct of public officials. This study sought to establish the influence of governance on public service delivery in South Sudan. The objectives of the study were to: examine the effect of citizen participation on public services delivery in Jonglei State. To conduct this study, an exploratory design was used. The study targeted ministry of local government officials, citizens, officials from civil society, business community and employees from corporate entities in Jonglei State. Stratified sampling was employed to select 233 respondents that participated in the study. The research instrument that was used to collect data was a semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis of data was through descriptive as well as inferential methods. Study results revealed that public participation had a positive coefficient when used as a predictor of service delivery (? = .226; p < 0.05). This indicates that public participation is a significant factor in determining service delivery in Jonglei State. The study recommended that there is need to develop and implement mechanisms to actively involve citizens in decision-making processes related to public service delivery, to establish platforms for public consultation, feedback, and engagement to ensure that citizens' voices are heard and considered in policy and decision-making. There is a need to develop comprehensive public service delivery policies.

Keywords: Public Participation, Public Services Delivery, Ministry of Local Government 


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References


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