This is an announcement to invite you to the CSEAS Colloquium for July 2013.
  

Date & Time: Thursday, 25 July 2013, 16:00~
  

Place: Middle-sized Meeting Room (No.332), 3rd Floor, Inamori Foundation Building, Kyoto University

  
Speaker: Dr. Swapan Kumar Dasgupta, Visiting Research Scholar at CSEAS, Kyoto University and Director (Admin.), Bangladesh Academy for Rural
Development (BARD), Bangladesh
  

Title: “Governance of Public Service Delivery in Bangladesh: Role of Members of Parliament”

  
Abstract:
This study assessed the role of Members of Parliament (MP) and other stakeholders in the governance of public services and scope for improvement democratically in Bangladesh. The study revealed that accountability of government officials to service receivers was not visible adequately. Local government bodies could not assert themselves for ensuring accountability of public service providers. Personality
conflict between Upazila Chairman (UZC) and MP; UZC and Vice Chairs; and UZC and UNO (Upazila Executive Officer) obstructed formation of Standing Committees in many Upazilas. Chaotic situation in many Upazilas hindered horizontal and vertical accountability of government service providers.
Upazila Parishad could not monitor public service delivery properly because of departmental plan and implementation. Majority of respondents of sample departments mentioned that they have internal evaluation
system. But, the research team could not trace that to assess level of customer satisfaction. Majority of respondent MPs said that transparency, accountability, participation and integrity are inevitable
for good governance and democracy in public service delivery. The study recommends that Parliamentary Standing Committees (PSCs) may review public service delivery system periodically to make that
client-friendly. PSCs may examine programs and projects to identify problems and recommending solutions. Recommendations of PSCs should get priority and due importance by respective Ministries. PSCs may organize
public hearing at district and Upazila levels to receive first-hand information on quality, quantity and effectiveness of public services. Time slots need to be kept in parliament session for discussion and
dissemination of performance of public service delivery. MP's 'face-to-face' interaction with people may be organized and telecasted by television and radio. Government departments should present their
performance in presence of MP before all cross-sections of citizens. MPs may advise Upazila Parishad to prepare a five year plan and its break up as Annual Development Plans and budgets integrating plans of transferred departments. MPs may integrate their special resource grants with
Upazila Parishad Plan and budget.
  

Bionote：
Dr. Swapan Kumar Dasgupta is a B.A. (Hons.) & M.A. in Economics from Chittagong University, Bangladesh. He did second M.Sc. in Food Policy and Commodity Trade from University of Welsh Swansea, UK. He did Ph.D.
in Bio-production Science from United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tottori University, Japan. He worked as a Visiting Research Fellow in Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan. He has published 30 research reports at home and
abroad on Micro-credit, Poverty, Development intervention; Farm Management; Food Security; Agricultural Tenancy; Cooperatives, Public Service Delivery; Local Government; Agricultural Value Chain; Disaster Management and Climate Change. He provided consultancy services to the
Asia Foundation Bangladesh; the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh; Japan International Cooperation Agency in Bangladesh; UNDP Bangladesh; and Directorate of Women & Children's Affairs of Bangladesh. He was involved in designing and conducting 75 training courses/workshops for civil servants and GO/NGO professionals.
  

Moderator:
Dr. Kazuo Ando, CSEAS, Kyoto University.