Management Performance Initiatives in Sri Lanka

1.3. Management Performance Initiatives in Sri Lanka

In the context of Sri Lanka being a rapidly developing middle income country, adopting continuous changes through policy reforms is essential to improve efficiency and

productivity, explore new potentials and sustain a high growth in the economy, in a highly competitive global economic environment. Such reforms not only involve having to balance the National Budget within affordable resources, but involve having to carry out necessary changes to reduce gaps in trade through export promotion and import replacement activities, and also to narrower gaps in savings and investments through the promotion of savings and reorienting consumption. These changes hence would inevitably involve the government taxation policy, the management of the exchange rates and interest rates and trade and tariff policy, through which the real economy could be influenced to be guided in the desired direction of development.

The public service taking the forefront in providing universal access to education, health, social security and welfare, also being the service provider to the primary sectors of the economy as well as to the general public, in particular to the needy segments in the society, requires to be re-oriented to be able to meet emerging challenges of a middle income economy, in particular the government’s commitment to go beyond the Millennium Development Goals and (MDGs) and reach a poverty free country situation.

Re-Engineering

e-Government

e-Sri Lanka

Productivity Initiatives since 1966

IT initiatives

Public Private Partnerships

Managing for Development Results

S/BEF

Figure 2. Government Initiatives to Improve Public Service Delivery in Sri Lanka

Source: Annual Reports of Information & Communication Technology Agency, Sri Lanka [2] [3] [4].

Sri Lanka

1.3.1. Productivity Initiatives

Productivity promotion in Sri Lanka was emphasized in 1966, after Sri Lanka got the Membership of Asian Productivity Organization. Hon. Dudley Senanayake, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, signed the agreement on behalf of the Sri Lanka government at that time.

“Mahinda Chintana – Vision for the Future” envisages the creation of an excellent public service favorable to the general public as a national priority. With a view to achieve this target, various programs have been introduced by the National Productivity Secretariat (NPS), the apex body of enhancing national productivity for public sector institutions to enhance their productivity for better public service delivery.

1.3.1.1. Objectives of the NPS: • Call for repeated development the development and improvement of the nation’s labour resources to improve international competitiveness; • Contribute to increased individual productivity through innovative approaches to labour management relations at enterprise level and within the public sector; • Initiate reforms of those aspects of the nation’s legal framework including public service rules and regulations that impede productivity growth; • Coordinate the nation’s productivity enhancement efforts to avoid duplication of effort and provide focus to productivity programmes; • Contribute to improved resources management in both public and private sectors; and • Establish national productivity standards and targets taking due account of the different

circumstances in various sectors and industries.

1.3.1.2. Functions of the NPS: • Strengthen the pool of local expertise, trainers, consultants, certifiers, and auditors in the field of productivity; • Initiate to design and develop a set of key programmes with detailed content for the propagation of productivity techniques via different means such as different media, awareness, etc.;

• Initiate reforms of those aspects of the nation’s legal framework including public service rules and regulations that impede productivity growth; • Conduct productivity training programmes, workshops and seminars for creating awareness among the public, private, schools, and community sectors; • Conduct studies on productivity issues, maintain liaison with similar productivity associations and centers internationally; and • Create and Enhance knowledge and dissemination of sector vise productivity data, information, and news among the society.

Measuring Public-sector Productivity in Selected Asian Countries

1.3.2. IT Initiatives

Many service delivery improvements have been achieved in Sri Lanka especially with the aid of information technology. Supporting such advancements achieved, the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) literacy rate in Sri Lanka has surpassed 35% in 2012 from 8% in 2005. On e-Network Readiness, and in the backdrop of ICT advancements made through initiatives led by the ICT Agency (ICTA) and all its stake- holders, Sri Lanka made significant advancements in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) while Sri Lanka was ranked 71st out of 142 countries in 2011, and improved to the 69th position out of 144 countries in 2012.

The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, the apex ICT institution of the government established under the Act No. 27 of 2003, functions under the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. ICTA has been mandated to take all necessary measures to implement the policy and action plan of the government in relation to ICT. In October 2004, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the e-Sri Lanka Development Project which comprised with the following six independent program:

• ICT Policy, Leadership, and Institutional Development; • Information Infrastructure; • Re-Engineering Government; • ICT Human Resource Capacity Building; • ICT Investment and Private Sector Development; and • e-Society.

The e-Service Platform, Sri Lanka’s first transactional e-services platform as approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, stated that all electronic services (e-Services) provided by the government were required to be delivered via ‘Lanka Gate’ (accessible via http:// www.srilanka.lk). Key transactional e-services launched under this initiative include the Issuance of Motor Vehicle Revenue Licenses in the Western Province (which is being

replicated in Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces). On Digital Certificates, other e-services launched in 2012 include the Issuance of Exam Certificates, obtaining copies and online submissions of corrected applications, which are offered in collaboration with the Department of Examination.

Over 730 Nenasala and e-teaching establishments have been set up at the grassroots level throughout the country, exceeding the original target of 200, to promote an all-inclusive IT strategy that will benefit a massive amount of people, including those at the village level and in remote areas.

Sri Lanka

The “Lanka Government Cloud” (LGC), which offers “Infrastructure as a Service” (IaaS), enabling government organizations to deploy IT systems and servers on a 24/7 basis for a nominal service fee, was also launched in September 2012.

The Government SMS (GovSMS) and Mobile portal also provide multiple eService delivery options for government organizations offering e-services. Land Titling and e-Slim initiative, to carry out the title registration process, which is treated as superior to the traditional document registration process, was introduced with the enactment of the Title Registration Act No. 21 of 1998. Popularly known as the ‘Bim Saviya’ program, this is designed to issue state guaranteed title certificates in place of deeds registered with the Registrar General in Land Registries and Grants issued under the Land Grant (Special Provisions) Law.

The e-population Register system reflects another key improvement made in the government service delivery mechanism. This system was launched in June 2012, the objective of which is to have a National Database of Citizen Information, including the full name, date of birth, marital status, gender, address, and place of birth, to be able to verify the identities of citizens when providing government centric facilities, while protecting the privacy rights of each citizen.

1.3.3. e-Sri Lanka

The vision expressed at the launch of the project in 2004 was that “e-Sri Lanka aspires to the ideal of making Sri Lanka the most connected government to its people, and raising the quality of life of all its citizens with access to better public services, learning opportunities, and information.” Sri Lanka is now on course to realizing this vision.

1.3.4. e-Government

From birth to death, and practically everything in between, sums up all the services available through a clear A-Z index at the online Government Information Centre. For example, it shows the steps needed to get the birth of a child registered, even if the birth happened in a remote village in Sri Lanka.

The e-Government program is aimed at making access to government services much more efficient through streamlined ICT-enabled processes. When the Indian Ocean tsunami hit

Sri Lanka in 2004, hundreds of thousands of lives and homes were washed away along with their birth, marriage, death certificates, and identity cards. Rebuilding lives necessi-

tated speedy access to getting replacement for the valuable documents lost.

Measuring Public-sector Productivity in Selected Asian Countries

1.3.5. Public Private Partnership (PPP) The government’s interest in PPPs to finance selected large scale infrastructure projects

has been rekindled, as set out in the Mahinda Chintana, the ten year strategy of the current government. This policy clearly outlines the government’s intention to involve the private sector in the infrastructure development as well as to improve the performance of state owned enterprises.

1.3.6. Managing for Development Results Managing for Development Results (MfDR) is a development planning and management

approach or strategy which emphasizes outcomes or results to ensure development effectiveness. It is also known as Results Based Management (RBM). Traditionally, development planning and management focused more on inputs, activities, and outputs. There was very little focus on outcomes and results. The MfDR approach uses information regarding performance to make better decisions that contribute to steer development efforts towards clearly identified goals.

An MfDR Plan of Action has been developed by the Core group. Each of the five Phase

I Ministries (i.e., Ministry of Education, Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition, Ministry of Highways and Road Development, Ministry of Agricultural Development & Agrarian Services, and the Ministry of Plan Implementation) had, by December 2007, developed an Agency Results Framework (ART) and a Score Card for the Ministry. MPI will continue to work with these Ministries to assist in introducing MfDR principles to institutions at its next level, i.e., departments as well as major development projects.

1.3.7. Re-engineering Sri Lanka Public Service as Public Service Accomplishing Aspirations of the People

A circular has been issued to all secretaries of ministries and chief secretaries of provincial councils by the Ministry of Productivity Promotion in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Financial Reforms with regard to the ‘re-engineering Sri Lanka Public Service as public service accomplishing aspirations of the people’ on 19 June 2012.

As per the instructions and directives issued by the Secretary to the President and the Ministry of Public Administration, the circular issued with the focus on transforming “Management Reform Cells” which have already been established in all ministries/entities in to “Re-engineering Units” as an effort to re-engineer public services creating enabling environment which fulfils the aspirations of the Sri Lankan people living in the rapidly developing country.

Sri Lanka

This programme pursues major and sustainable improvements in the Government of Sri Lanka’s (GOSL) efficiency, transparency, effectiveness, and quality of services. For this

purpose, it will reinforce and expand fundamental governance and public management reforms as a complement and enabler of required solutions.

1.3.8. Implementation of a Service/Business Excellence Framework (S/BEF) for Increasing Performance of Government and Semi Government Institutions (Cabinet Memorandum No. 12/2011)

Cabinet approval has been received in 2011 to implement the Service/Business Excellency Framework for increasing performance of government and nongovernmental institutions. Within the scope of productivity promotion, a Business Excellence Framework that has the structure and content conforming to the international best practices adopted by institutions for achieving excellence is practiced by both public and private institutions. It comprises seven categories namely Leadership, Planning, Information, People, Processes, Customers and Results. During 2012, consultative committee and operational committee have been formed to implement the Business Excellency Framework. Three Consultative Committee meetings and one operational committee meeting have been conducted during the year 2012.

Vision

rpo rate Culture

A Business

ss

S h Excellence

Proce sse s ults s sou rce

@ Re

B alan

ced Scorec ard

Figure 3. Business Excellency Framework Source: Cabinet Office, Sri Lanka [5].

Measuring Public-sector Productivity in Selected Asian Countries