1

Quality – satisfaction – trust:

Country presentation BelgiumSteven Van de Walle, EGPA Conference Potsdam 4-7 sept 2002

Leuven UniversityPublic Management

Institute www.kuleuven.ac.be/io

2

Main issues in the political discourse on trust in the 1990’s (Belgium)

Cleavage citizen-government (beginning 90’s)

Political crises (mainly Dutroux crisis)

Bad functioning of the administration

Intolerance (beginning – end 90’s)

Security (±1995 - )

Civil society - social capital (end 90’s)

3

Data sources

Election-research (1991, 1995, 1999)

European Values Study (1980, 1990, 1999)

Eurobarometer (since 1973)

APS-surveys (1996-...)

Client satisfaction surveys

Opinion polls

Other surveys, e.g. ‘working on government’ (2002)

4

APS: themes

Year Theme

1996 Environment, social exclusion, gender

1997 Mobility, spatial planning, ICT

1998 Political knowledge, cultural participation, ethnocentrism

1999 Leisure, transport, children day care

2000 Environment

2001 ICT, training

2002 Social exclusion, solidarity

5

The state of political trust: opinion polls (%)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02

6

Satisfaction with democracy (Eurobarometer)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

73 75 76 78 79 81 82 84 85 87 88 89 91 92 94 95 97 98 00 01

7

Quality initiatives

Federal Government: “Copernicus-project”

Flemish Region: “Beter Bestuurlijk Beleid”

Public services users’ Charter (1993)

Satisfaction surveys: Quality Barometer

8

Federal government

Federal Quality Barometer

• Standardised instrument for Federal Ministries

• Services, allocation, information, taxes, control,...

• Mainly 1998-1999

• Developed within framework of Public Service Users’ Charter

Ministry of Finance: Client consultation (jan. 2002), cf. preparation of COPERFIN programme.

9

Ministry of the Flemish Community

Steering Committee client satisfaction surveys:

• Co-ordination

• Harmonisation

• Relation with reforms?

Surveys on tax services, education, health care, pilotage....

10

Other government agencies

Client satisfaction surveys in a wide range of agencies:

• Bi-annual general client survey public transport (De Lijn)

• Permanent monitoring unemployment agency

• Fund for the social integration of the disabled

• Post office: mystery shopping

• Belgian Army: research on image

• ...

11

Trust in the civil service-evolution (%, EVS)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

B D F I NL UK ES

1981 1990 1999

12

Trust in the civil service – Europe (%, EVS 1999)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

13

Trust in civil service (Belgium): evolution (Eurobarometer, autumn 1997, %)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

I B PT DE ES FI N EU av. GR GB FR SE L DK NL I RL AT

14

Trust in civil service (Belgium): evolution (Eurobarometer, spring 1999, %)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

I B ES EU av. DE GR FI N FR PT GB SE DK L NL I RL AT

15

Trust in civil service (Belgium): evolution (Eurobarometer, autumn 2000, %)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

GR I PT B EU av. DE GB FI N ES FR NL SE DK I RL AT L

16

Trust in civil service (Belgium): evolution (Eurobarometer, spring 2001, %)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

I GR EU av. ES PT GB B FI N DE FR SE NL DK I RL L AT

17

Trust in civil service (Belgium): evolution (Eurobarometer, autumn 2001, %)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

I GR FI N DE GB ES FR PT EU av. B SE DK NL L I RL AT

18

Trust in civil service: trends (Eurobarometer)

010203040506070

B D FR I NL GB EU

aut. 97 spring 99 aut. 00 spring 01 aut. 01

19

Trust in civil service: regional differences 1997 (%, Eurobarometer)

24252627282930313233

FLA BRU WAL BEL

20

Decentralisation and trust (%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

aps 96 aps 97 aps 98 aps 99 aps 00

Municipal administration Flemish administration

21

Restoring trust: politics vs. administration (trust)

0

10

20

30

40

aps96 aps 97 aps 1998 aps 1999 aps 00

political administrations

22

Restoring trust: politics vs. administration (distrust)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

aps96 aps 97 aps 1998 aps 1999 aps 00

political administrations

23

Trust in ‘administrations’: stereotypes? (%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

ISPO 95 aps 96 aps 97 aps 98 aps 99 ISPO 99 aps 00

Flemish administration Municipal administration

The administration Public administrations

24

Complaints Federal Ombudsman, 2000 & 2001 (%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

legality speed carefulness information

2000 2001

25

Corruption (Transparancy International, CPI)

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002