United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

The office of the Collector (Administrative Head of the district) in India is the nerve centre for governmentt citizen interface. We have demonstrated administrative resolve for improving accountability and transparency system by establishing Samadhan Ek Diwas Centres. The district of Jabalpur is among the first few districts that are running this centre efficiently and effectively. The state goverment provided appropriate software and enabling administrative frame work by simplifying and standardising the procedures.

‘Samadhan Ek Diwas’ or ‘Governance in a day’ is pro-poor administrative best practice. It is based on
• Time bound disposal of applications in one day
• Standardising and simplifying the process of filing application issuing certificate
• Using technology to increase accountability and ensure transparency
• Recognizes the need of people to get certificates like birth / death/ marriage certificate,/caste certificate / land title certificate in hassles free

In our perspective SAMADHAN- Governance in a day is a solution to address red-tapes, unnecessary delays and hassles faced by the common citizens. It does reduce the chances of graft and corruption. Under these innovative project 32 different types of certificates, licenses and permits are issued the same day of application. Applications for the issuance of certificates are received from 11:00 am to 1:00 p.m.; these are processed from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and certificates are distributed on the same day from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This system is a marked improvement from the practice and procedure, which was being followed earlier. Before the introduction of ‘SAMADHAN’ – One Day Governance these certificates were being issued on the whims of the officers posted in this office. As a result the task of procuring even a simple certificate was an ordeal for a common man. It had become a breeding ground for touts, commission agents, and middlemen etc. who used to charge exorbitant fees from poor people for getting these certificates issued. Now the task of issuing certificates is simplified, time-bound and hassle free. The drudgery of running from one table to another to monitor the progress and track the application is over. Above all the system has lend itself to the use of technology and one even citizens now monitor the performance and delivery time of services with ease and comfort.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
Citizens require many type of certificate in their day to day life either to get benefit from some pro poor welfare schemes or fulfil some legal needs. Hitherto getting these certificates were hell of task because of unknown administrative procedures, negative and unaccountable attitude of the government staff. They had to run from pillar to post to get these certificates issued. And at times they landed in the trap of touts, agents or middlemen or even had to return empty handed. Samadhan in Hindi stands for solution and in reality Samadhan is a solution to many of problems faced by a common citizen. It endeavours to provide better services to the common citizens in a corruption free environment. ‘Samadhan Ek Diwas- One Day Governance’ is an attempt to make process of getting various certificates simple, smooth and ensure a pleasant dealing with citizens The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh formally inaugurated ‘Samadhan Ek Diwas - One Day Governance’ on 30th June 2006. Since then 32 types of certificates have been issued in one day under the ‘Samadhan Ek Diwas’. From 30th June 2006 to25th November 06 a total of 24,765 applications (in the district) were received out of which 24,720 were disposed off on the same day of receipt, thus achieving a disposal rate of 99.81%.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
April 2006 - Instructions from the Governmentrecieved. May 2006 - Deliberations with • Concerned officers/employees • Public • People's representatives June 2006 - • Discussion at State capital with concerned officers • Workshop at Academy of Administration in Bhopal(23-24 June06) • Training of employees • Inauguration by the Chief Minister(30th June2006)

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The role of the state has changed from regulation and maintaining law & order to development and welfare of the people. Economic and social changes have necessitated an overall shift in paradigm to make the administration pro-people. Revamping the law and order situation to facilitate development, political stability to encourage social welfare and championing the interests of the elite to protect and aid the welfare of citizens and to repose in them hassle free and people-centric governance, are all the need of the hour. We have with this end in view put in place the 'Samadhan Ek Diwas – Governance in a day' a tool for achieving this milestone. The state of Madhya Pradesh is divided into 48 districts for administrative convenience. The office of the collector is the nerve centre of the district administration so a large number of persons visit it on daily basis. Among these, majority belongs to socially & economically backward communities, weaker sections and students. Mostly they visit for getting a certificate like caste certificate, income certificate, residence proof or a domicile certificate. Being unfamiliar with government procedures, a major handicap the rural community facing today; they are more often than not come under the traps of commission agents or middlemen and get cheated away. Besides, the inordinate delay in the system also compels them to multiple visits to this office.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
The process of issuing the relevant certificates from the office of the Collector suffered from the following lacunae: • Cumbersome procedures – The procedure for issuance of certificates and licenses was cumbersome so that the people were left at the mercy of middlemen or clerks who charged exorbitant fees on the pretext of guiding them by claiming to have the resources, knowledge and wherewithal • Absence of deadlines – The absence of clear-cut deadlines led to inordinate delays that were often deliberate. The government officials entangled the citizens in the maze of formalities. • Lack of standards – There were no clear standards for issuing the certificates so that they were often issued on the whims and fancies of government servants. The absence of standards made it impossible for the collector to check malpractices as well. • Absence of database – There was no common database with simultaneous registration details which made all efforts to ensure quick disposal unsuccessful. As a result majority of people who either could not afford to pay the sums demanded by touts or did not have an influential contact to facilitate the delivery of their certificate suffered tremendously. It was even difficult for the collector to supervise personally timely disposal off the large number of applications on daily basis as many officials are involved in the process. In order to address the needs of common citizens, the new system ‘Samadhan - Ek Divas’ or ‘Governance in a day’ was started in the office of the District Collector, Jabalpur (M.P.) with the aim of ensuring quick disposal of certificates (in a day) and standardizing the procedure and flow of information for the same. This would provide better services to the common people by bringing about changes in the procedure & style of governmental functions. It would also improve the citizen–government interface and bring in the element of "speed" in the administrative procedures by the use of technology.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
Samadhan Ek Diwas or Governance in a day was drawn up after a number of brainstorming sessions with Heads of Departments and field officers to assess their preparedness to such a shift in process and demystifying the procedures and simplifying the required formalities. Several rounds of discussions were held on the schemes of various departments. A workshop was also organized in the Academy of Administration, in this context. At the initial stage a list of 23 certificates & licenses were prepared which were later expanded to 35 when the initial effort succeeded. Customised software was developed in-house with a large number of built in checks. An attempt was also made to provide user-friendly software with dropdown menus. The operators receiving the applications had to just check from the dropdown menu, so as to acknowledge the attachments that were being filed along with the application. Once the entry was completed a receipt was generated as a proof of acceptance of the application. Mock runs were conducted and amendments incorporated after a weeklong trial. A major challenge was to transform the mindset of officials who did not believe that such a change was feasible. The reasons ranged from paucity of officers to completing the necessary checks and verifications that needed to be carried out before the certificates could be delivered. These fears were addressed and their support was sought before the trial-run of ‘Governance in day’ was formally introduced. In this innovation, six counters have been established in the Collectorate premises with one computer each which are interlinked. Application Forms are received at the counters from 11:00 to 13:00 hrs on each working day. These applications are then sent to the respective sections or officers online as well as offline (to maintain the original documents submitted along with the application). On completion of all the formalities, certificates are issued and distributed from 16:00 to 17:00 in the evening. Every evening a report is generated (whereby the number of applications received & their disposal is mentioned) for the perusal of senior officers. To ensure 100% compliance, the software requires initializing from collector or an officer having delegated powers to authenticate the disposal of all the applications. All the functionaries were involved with the programme and were given training on important aspects like perusal and checking of application forms, conformity to rules & formalities etc. in order to prevent refusals and rejections. Training was also imparted on behavioural & communication skills so as to make the computer operators be polite and courteous with the general public. To inculcate the internal competition and prevent the degeneration of the system with the passage of time, a large number of officials were trained and entrusted with the responsibility in turns. To promote healthy competition, financial incentives and citations were introduced that were linked to their individual performances.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The major changes have been the following: • Availability of information – Earlier the complete application was not submitted. The lack of information forced the people to come several times in order to complete the application. They were not aware and were not provided the relevant information by the government officials who used the ignorance of people for their own ends. Now the people have been given the required information about the supporting documents that they have to bring to obtain the relevant certificates through huge notice boards that have been set up in the office premises. • Structured process – The full application is now submitted in one go. In case the application is rejected the respondent is given the exact reasons for the rejection. This reduces delays and brings in transparency. • Greater accountability – The receiving of applications has been standardized. The application can be rejected only if the supporting documents are false. Therefore, over 98% of applications are approved • Far more remarkable is the transformation in the attitudes of government functionaries and the demystification of procedures. A milestone has been achieved in the effort to satisfy citizens by expediting and delivering the assured outcomes that affect them directly. • The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh formally inaugurated this facility on June 30th, 2006 in Jabalpur. From June 30th to November 25, 2006, a total of 24,765 applications (in the district) were received out of which 24,720 were disposed off on the same day of receipt, thus achieving a disposal rate of 99.81%. The comparison with the earlier figures is staggering. In the period, January 06 to June 06 (before the introduction of ‘Samadhan ek diwas’), only 5,048 certificates were issued in 181 days. Thus, on an average 28 certificates were issued in a day while under the innovation an average of 165 certificates is being issued daily. This in itself is an indicator of the simplicity as well the efficiency of the ‘Samadhan- ek diwas’.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The innovation is transferable and sustainable due to: • Simple technology – The simple technology used in ‘Samadhan ek diwas’ makes it possible to spread the benefits of technological improvement in rural areas. Custom made easy to use software in local language is an added advantage that allows replication of similar services in rural areas as well. • Low cost – Establishment of a Samadhan Centre requires a LAN with 6 to 12 nodes and a printer. Employees are required to have only basic knowledge of computers so the required capital cost is the sum required for installation of LAN which was arranged locally with MP/MLA development fund or some othe schems.To run the centre the transaction cost per transaction (processing one application and issue a certificate) works out to be rupees 15, which is charged to beneficiary. Thus this initiative is self sustaining in people public partnership mode. Due to success and ease of operation, this innovation in the domain of public service is being replicated in many other districts of the State. Further, similar centres have been established at all Tahsils (revenue administrative unit) catering to the needs of the rural population. This is a huge achievement in the context of low literacy levels and technology in rural Madhya Pradesh.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
‘Samadhan ek diwas’- was a people-centric idea that was floated by the government and implemented by the Collector, Jabalpur (M.P.). In the beginning there was resistance from some government functionaries but that slowly disappeared with consistent persuasion. One of the most important obstacles was to motivate those involved in the implementation of the project since they did not see any incentive in implementing the project. Interestingly, it was also difficult to convince the citizens that they could get various types of certificates issued in a few hours. (about the benefit they can derive from this new concept) The best part of the initiative is the satisfaction and smile that a common man get on his face once he get his required document the same day through ‘Samadhan Ek Diwas - One Day Governance’. They are happy with the establishment of a system that meets their needs & expectations. The lessons of this initiative are: • There are simple solutions to difficult problems and • Technology is more a facilitator rather than a barrier • The system can always be improved with commitment and will to facilitate the citizen-government interface • The continuous efforts bring about a change in the mindset of people and make their interaction with the government pleasant.


Institution Name:		Collectorate Jabalpur
Institution Type:		Government Department
Contact Person:		Sanjay Dubey
Title:		Collector Jabalpur
Telephone/ Fax:		91-761-2624100
Institution's / Project's Website:		91-761-2624200
E-mail:		dmjabalpur@mp.nic.in
Address:		Collectorate
Postal Code:		482001
City:		Jabalpur
State/Province:		Madhya Pradesh
Country:		India

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information