Public Service Quality Improvements (LT0007)

To make an inventory and catalogue of public and administrative services. a. An inventory of the public and administrative services administered and provided by public administration authorities has been made, a list/catalogue of these services has been compiled and a methodology and indicators for measuring their provision have been created. 2. To ensure the monitoring and assessment of the quality of services. a. Studies have been carried out by ministries on the assessment of the appropriateness of the public and administrative services provided and/or administered by them and on the conformity of these services with public needs. b. Quality performance criteria for service providing institutions have been laid down, serving the basis for the assessment of these institutions; publication of the results of the assessment. c. Methodological recommendations for measuring user satisfaction with public services (service quality) have been developed for public administration authorities. d. Studies aimed at determining the activity of public administration authorities as regards assessment of indicators for user satisfaction with services have been carried out. 3. To develop service quality standards. a. Minimum quality standards for services regulated by ministries have been developed and posted on the ministries’ websites. b. Recommendations for drawing up citizens’ charters have been prepared. c. A standard for the provision of public services at public administration authorities has been developed

Commitment 1. Public Services Quality Improvements

Commitment Text:

Initiative 1: customer-focused public services

Area: to improve the quality of services

Actions:

1. To make an inventory and catalogue of public and administrative services.

a.     An inventory of the public and administrative services administered and provided by public administration authorities has been made, a list/catalogue of these services has been compiled and a methodology and indicators for measuring their provision have been created.

Start date: not specified.........   End date: 2014

2. To ensure the monitoring and assessment of the quality of services.

1. Studies have been carried out by ministries on the assessment of the appropriateness of the public and administrative services provided and/or administered by them and on the conformity of these services with public needs.
2. Quality performance criteria for service providing institutions have been laid down, serving the basis for the assessment of these institutions; publication of the results of the assessment.
3. Methodological recommendations for measuring user satisfaction with public services (service quality) have been developed for public administration authorities.
4. Studies aimed at determining the activity of public administration authorities as regards assessment of indicators for user satisfaction with services have been carried out.

Start date: 2014.....................   ...................... End date: 2016

3. To develop service quality standards.

a.     Minimum quality standards for services regulated by ministries have been developed and posted on the ministries’ websites.

b.     Recommendations for drawing up citizens’ charters have been prepared.

c.     A standard for the provision of public services at public administration authorities has been developed

Start date: 2014.....................   ...................... End date: 2015

[emphasis added]

Responsible institution: Ministry of the Interior

Supporting institution(s): Not specified

Commitment aim:

This commitment aims to improve public service delivery by (1) creating an inventory of all administrative e-services and (2) creating a set of standards for service-providing institutions to help them evaluate the quality of service delivery. These milestones were created to address the fact that service provision and user satisfaction evaluation practices are not usually integral in Lithuanian institutions activities yet. By contrast, the European Commission (EC) eGovernment report^{[Note 1: EU E-Government report 2015, http://bit.ly/1RtqNfT.]} together with the Digital Economy and Society Index^{[Note 2: EU Digital Agenda document, http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/desi.]} indicate that in terms of internet penetration rates (82.1 percent in 2014) ^{[Note 3: Internet usage statistics can be found at http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats9.htm#eu.]} and e-infrastructure, Lithuania has the potential to become a role model in providing public and administrative services online.

Status

Midterm: Limited

None of the activities were fully completed during the midterm report. While the online service catalogue http://www.lietuva.gov.lt was successfully developed, the government was still developing methodologies for measuring user satisfaction of public services and posting them online.  See the midterm report for a more detailed overview.^{[Note 4: The midterm report can be accessed here: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Lithuania14-15_final_Eng.pdf. ]}

End of term: Complete

The government completed all activities under this commitment. The key development in this policy area is the fact that the Ministry of the Interior issued methodological recommendations^{[Note 5: The document can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/2e1KUVV.]} for measuring user satisfaction and drawing minimum service quality requirements. The goal behind these recommendations, as presented in the document itself, is to (1) encourage institutions (both administering and providing services) to improve their service quality, (2) introduce benefits behind service standards, (3) prescribe procedures for developing service standards and (4) overall to initiate standard development practices for the whole of the public sector. This output, in effect, completes the few remaining tasks that were foreseen in the action plan, namely “developing methodology and indicators for measuring their service provision” and “developing methodological recommendations for measuring user satisfaction with public services.”

Did it open government?

As implemented, the commitment did not have any influence on governmental openness practices. Activities were largely aimed at better service provision through steps that are, at this point, internal to government. Experts interviewed^{[Note 6: Interview with a representative of Transparency International Lithuania, 15 August 2016.]} for this report welcome the fact that the ministry is leading the conversation about unified service standards of the public sector in Lithuania. The commitment’s further effect is largely dependent on whether institutions do in fact use developed recommendations and approaches in monitoring service standards strategically.  

Carried forward?

There is no commitment in the third national action plan that directly targets the service-provision policy area.