Service delivery

About this guide

How can we ensure that basic services reach the poorest?  What is the best way of involving service users and ensuring that providers are accountable to them?  Are non-state service providers pro-poor, and how should the state engage with them? What are the particular challenges for delivering services in conflict or fragile environments? 

This guide provides an introduction to a few of the key recent debates for development practitioners involved in the provision of basic services, particularly health, education, water and sanitation.  It includes academic articles, donor reports and case studies from a range of developing countries.

The guide was written by Zoë Scott and updated by Anna Orrnert in July 2009. The GSDRC appreciates the contributions of Richard Batley (International Development Department, University of Birmingham), Anu Joshi (Institute of Development Studies), Claire Hughes (Social Development Direct), and Nicola Dahrendorf (DFID).  Comments, questions or documents for consideration should be sent to zoe@gsdrc.org

Latest Additions

The following document summaries were added in June 2009:

Pro-poor service delivery: introduction

• Sheng, Y.K. et al, 2007, ‘Access to Basic Services for the Poor: The Importance of Good Governance’, Asia-Pacific MDG Study Series, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Development Programme and Asian Development Bank
• Joshi, A., 2008, 'Producing Social Accountability? The Impact of Service Delivery Reforms', IDS Bulletin, Volume 38, Number 6, pp. 10-17
• MacPherson, E., 2008, 'Invisible Agents: Women in Service Delivery Reforms', IDS Bulletin, Volume 38, Number 6, pp. 38-46
• Whitfield, L., 2006, 'The Politics of urban water reform in Ghana', Review of African Political Economy, Number 109, pp. 425-448
• Fredriksen, B., 2009, 'Rationale, Issues and Conditions for Sustaining the Abolition of School Fees' in Abolishing School Fees in Africa: Lessons Learned in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique', World Bank and UNICEF, pp 1-44
• Bourguignon, F. and Sundberg, M., 2006, 'Constraints to Achieving the MDGs with Scaled-Up Aid', UNDESA Working Paper, no. 15, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York
• Schanke, L. and Lange, S. (eds), 2008, ‘Decentralisation and Gender: A Study on Coordination and Cooperation in LGA for maternal health’, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen
• Lopez Levers, L., et al., 2007, 'A literature review of district health systems in east and southern Africa: Facilitators and barriers to participation in health', EQUINET Discussion Paper No. 40, Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET), Harare
• Save the Children UK, 2008, ‘Making Schools Inclusive: How Change Can Happen’, Save the Children UK, London
• Komives, K. et al, 2007, ‘Utility Subsidies as Social Transfers: An Empirical Evaluation of Targeting Performance’, Development Policy Review, Vol. 25, No. 6, pp. 659-679

User involvement and accountability

• Lange, S., 2008, ‘The Depoliticisation of Development and the Democratisation of Politics in Tanzania: Parallel Structures as Obstacles to Delivering Services to the Poor’, Journal of Development Studies, Vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 1122-1144
• The IDL Group, 2008, ‘Accountability and Voice for Service Delivery at the Local Level’, A background paper for the UNDP regional training event: Developing Capacities for Accountability and Voice’, Sofia, Bulgaria, October 1-2
• Hossain, N., 2009, ‘Rude Accountability in the Unreformed State: Informal Pressures on Frontline Bureaucrats in Bangladesh’, Working Paper 319, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton
• Chambers, R., 2009, ‘Going to Scale with Community-Led Total Sanitation: Reflections on Experience, Issues and Ways Forward’, IDS Practice Paper, Volume 2009, Number 1, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton
• Joshi, A., 2008, 'Producing Social Accountability? The Impact of Service Delivery Reforms', IDS Bulletin, Volume 38, Number 6, pp. 10-17
• Gonzales de Asis, M., Ljung, P. and O’Leary, D., 2009, ‘Improving Transparency, Integrity, and Accountability in Water Supply and Sanitation: Action, Learning, Experiences’, World Bank, Washington
• Sundet, G., 2008, ‘Following the Money: Do Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys Matter?’, Chr. Michelsen Institute, U4 Issue, No. 8

Non-state providers

• Oxfam International, 2009, ‘Blind Optimism: Challenging the myths about private health care in poor countries’, Oxfam Briefing Paper 125, Oxfam International
• World Bank, 2009, ‘Improving Water Utility Services through Delegated Management: Lessons from the utility and small-scale providers in Kisumu, Kenya’, Field Note, Water and Sanitation Program, World Bank, Washington
• Rose, P. M., 2007, 'NGO Provision of Basic Education: Alternative or Complementary Service Delivery to Support Access to the Excluded?' Project Report, Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE), Falmer, UK
• Batley R. and Mcloughlin C., 2009, 'State Capacity and Non-state Service Provision in Fragile and Conflict-affected States', GSDRC issues paper, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, Birmingham
• Pérez-Ludeña, M., 2009, ‘Towards a New Model of PPPs: Can Public Private Partnerships Deliver Basic Services to the Poor?’, UNESCAP Working Paper, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• Fall, M. et al, 2009, ‘Reforming Urban Water Utilities in Western and Central Africa: Experiences with Public-Private Partnerships: Impact and Lessons Learned’, Water Sector Board Discussion Paper Series, Number 13, World Bank, Washington
• Patrinos, H.A., Barrera-Osorio, F. and Guáqueta, J., 2009, ‘The Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education’, Education Section, Human Development Department, World Bank, Washington

Service delivery in conflict and fragile contexts

• OECD DAC, 2008, 'Service Delivery in Fragile Situations: Key Concepts, Findings and Lessons', Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris 
• Van De Walle, S. and Scott, Z., 2009, ‘The Role of Public Services in State- and Nation-building: Exploring Lessons from European History’, GSDRC research paper, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, Birmingham
• Vergeer, P., Canavan, A., and Rothmann, I., 2009, ‘A Rethink on the Use of Aid Mechanisms in Health Sector Early Recovery’, Development Policy and Practice, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam
• Hamill, K., and Ali-Ahmad, Z., 2007, ‘Local Government in Post-Conflict Situations: Lebanon Case Study’, Annex 21 from the Workshop on Local Government in Post-Conflict Situations: Challenges for Improving Local Decision Making and Service Delivery Capacities, UNDP Oslo Governance Centre, Oslo, 28-29 November
• Oswald, S., and Clewett, J., 2007, ‘Delivering health services in fragile states and difficult environments: 13 key principles’, Health Unlimited, London
• Berry, C., 2009, ‘A framework for assessing the effectiveness of the delivery of education aid in fragile states’, Journal of Education for International Development, 4:1, April
• Pavanello, S., 2008, ‘Improving the Provision of Basic Services for the Poor in Fragile Environments: Education Sector International Literature Review’, Report prepared for the AusAID Office of Development, Effectiveness by the Humanitarian Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute, London
• Welle, K., 2008, ‘Improving the Provision of Basic Services for the Poor in Fragile Environments: Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene International Literature Review’, Report prepared for the AusAID Office of Development Effectiveness by the Humanitarian Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute, London
• Zivetz, L., 2006, 'Health Service Delivery in Early Recovery Fragile States: Lessons from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mozambique, and Timor Leste', United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and BASICS, Washington 

New additions