What is a Citizen Charter

8/2/2019 What is a Citizen Charter

1/6

What is a Citizens Charter?

Citizens Charter is a document which represents asystematic effort to focus on the commitment of the

Organisation towards its Citizens in respects of Standard ofServices, Information, Choice and Consultation, Non-

discrimination and Accessibility, Grievance Redress,

Courtesy and Value for Money. This also includes

expectations of the Organisation from the Citizen forfulfilling the commitment of the Organisation.

Who is a Citizen with reference to Citizens

Charter?

The term Citizen in the Citizens Charter implies theclients or customers whose interests and values are

addressed by the Citizens Charter and, therefore, includesnot only the citizens but also all the stakeholders, i.e.,

citizens, customers, clients, users, beneficiaries, other

Ministries/ Departments/ Organisations, StateGovernments, UT Administrations etc.

Whether Ministries/ Departments/ Agencies of

State Governments and UT Administrations are

also required to formulate Citizens Charters?

Citizens Charter initiative not only covers the CentralGovernment Ministries/ Departments/ Organisations but

also the Departments/ Agencies of State Governments and

UT Administrations. Various Departments/ Agencies ofmany State Governments and UT Administrations have

brought out their Charters. More than 600 CitizensCharters have so far been issued by Agencies/Organisations of 24 States/ Union Territories.

Whether Citizens Charter is legally enforceable?

No. The Citizens Charter is not legally enforceable and,


2/6

therefore, is non-justiciable. However, it is a tool for

facilitating the delivery of services to citizens with specified

standards, quality and time frame etc. with commitmentsfrom the Organisation and its clients.

What is the role of Department of Administrative

Reforms and Public Grievances in Citizens Charter

Initiative in the Government?

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public

Grievances in Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and

Pensions, Government of India, in its efforts to provide

more responsive and citizen-friendly governance,coordinates the efforts to formulate and operationalise

Citizens Charters in Central Government, StateGovernments and UT Administrations. It provides

guidelines for formulation and implementation of theCharters as well as their evaluation.

What are the components of a Citizens Charter?

A good Citizens Charter should have thefollowing components :-

(i) Vision and Mission Statement of theOrganisation

(ii) Details of Business transacted by theOrganisation

(iii) Details of Citizens or Clients

(iv) Statement of services including standards,

quality, time frame etc. provided to each Citizen/ Clientgroup separately and how/ where to get the services

(v) Details of Grievance Redress Mechanism

and how to access it


3/6

(vi) Expectations from the Citizens or Clients

(vii) Additional commitments such ascompensation in the event of failure of service delivery.

I want to formulate a Citizens Charter

of my Organisation. How I should go about it?

Following road map may be adopted to formulate theCitizens Charter in your Organisation :-

(i) Setting up of a Task Force in the

Organisation to formulate the Citizens Charter

(ii) Identification of all stakeholders in the

Organisation and major services provided byOrganisation;

(iii) Setting up of a Core Group in the

Organisation consisting of representatives from all

stakeholders which inter-alia may include TopManagement, Middle Management, cutting-edge

level, staff representatives, strategic partners,Customers/ Clients etc.;

The Core Group shall oversee the formulation

of the Citizens Charter and approve it. It shallmonitor its implementation thereafter.

(iv) Consultation with Clients/ Stakeholders/

Staff (Primarily at cutting-edge level) and theirrepresentative associations;

(v) Preparation of Draft Citizens Charter;

(a) Circulation for comments/


4/6

suggestions

(b) Modification of Charter toinclude suggestions.

(vi) Submission of draft Charter to Departmentof Administrative Reforms and PublicGrievances

(vii) Consideration of the Charter by Core Group

(viii) Modification of Charter by the Ministry/

Department n the basis of suggestions/ observations by theCore Group

(ix) Approval by Minister-in-charge

(x) Formal issue/ release of Charter and puttingup on website

(xi) Sending copies to Peoples Representativesand all stakeholders

(xii) Appointment of a Nodal Officer to ensure

effective implementation.

What are the dos and donts for an

Organisation in formulation and

implementation of Citizens Charter?

Following may be kept in view by an Organisation

while formulating/ implementing Citizens Charter :-

S.No.Dos Donts

1 Make haste, Dont merely make


5/6

slowly. haste.

2 List areas of

interface.

Dont be unrealistic

in makingcommitments.

3 Phase out areas for

introduction ofsmall steps.

Dont take on morethan you cancommit.

4 Involve customer

and staff informulating andimplementing it

Dont involve only

senior officers in theformulation andimplementation.

5 Prepare a Master

Plan forformulation and

implementation

over five years andbudget for it.

Dont rush into anoverall package forthe whole Ministry/

Department/

Organisation.

6 Win consumerconfidence with

small, highlyvisible measures.

Dont promise morethan you can deliver

at a given point oftime.

7 Remember

Citizen's Charter is

a constantlyevolving process.

Dont look upon itas a one-time

exercise, with afinal outcome.

8 Inform the

customers of the

proposedcommitments.

Dont inform thecustomer unless you

are sure ofdelivering the


6/6

service.

9 Use simple

language.

Dont use jargon,

abbreviations etc.

10 Train your staff

about their role and

responsibility inthe implementation

of the Charter.

Dont leave yourselfout.

11 Delegate powers to

the Staff to enable

them to discharge

their

responsibilities.

Dont centralise.

12 Set up systems for

feedback and

independentscrutiny.

Dont continueblindly without

regular periodicreassessment of

performance.

What is a Citizen Charter

Documents

Transcript of What is a Citizen Charter