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Accountability for Service Delivery in the Middle East and North Africa

Citizens from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have recently been calling for improved access and quality in government services. These calls have ranged from improvements in the quality of schools, health facilities, access to water and much more. Recognizing the important effects poor quality or access to services can have on recipients’ human development, the World Bank has been investing its time in exploring accountability mechanisms that govern service delivery. This platform is an effort towards expanding the dialogue by building an inclusive approach to understanding and investigating problems or gaps in current accountability mechanisms; and also, exploring innovative recommendations for improved accountability. 

To this end, we are seeking your online feedback by conducting a survey in an attempt at building an online dialogue with you that discusses the current gaps in service delivery and what options there are for improvements. The online consultation will last for around two months till February 2015, and your feedback will be used in informing our analysis and recommendations that will be featured in the upcoming MENA regional report on governance and service delivery, scheduled to be launched in Spring 2015.

One of the main challenges in addressing shortcomings in service delivery is finding qualified human resources, public servants, with the right expertise and knowledge to fulfill job requirements. This is evident in the health sector in MENA, where some countries, e.g. Morocco, suffer from a shortage of health personnel. Shortcomings in practicing routine check-ups as part of the services offered to patients is also lacking. 

Research suggests that pediatricians in MENA do not perform routine checks when a child comes in for a check-up (Egypt Health Governance Survey, 2010) (graph below). Based on your experiences, do you agree with the findings? Share your answer here

Even when public servants with the right capabilities are identified and staffed, motivation and commitment to the job are not guaranteed. In the MENA region, issues of teachers’ absenteeism reflect this dilemma. In fact, principals across the region report teacher absences as a serious problem (graph below). Based on your experiences, do you agree with the findings? Share your answer here.

The issues discussed above are not limited to the health and education sector but are problems prevalent across many public services. What do you think are the possible causes of the shortages in specialized public servants (e.g. doctors, engineers, etc.) and the lack of commitment to job duties? Join our forum to share your opinion.