Commitments and Realities of Service Delivery Innovation: Exploring out the Gaps Facing Gazetted Class III Officers at Local Level Governments of Nepal

Newly appointed gazzetted class III officers who graduated from Basic Administration Training (BAT) organized by Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC) have committed themselves towards “innovation” in service delivery once they assume government offices. This study explored out the realities of service delivery innovation as committed in the basic administration training by the gazzetted class III officers deputed/adjusted at local level governments of Nepal. The status of service delivery innovation opted by the officers has been analyzed with the framework of service gap model as suggested by Parasuraman et al. (1985). This study obtained insider-perspectives through face-to face and online conversations and interviews. The perspectives and insights obtained in the form of information and evidences were then transcribed, and content analyzed to generate a pattern that best indicated and accounted the realities of service delivery innovation. This study revealed the existence of wider gap between gazzetted class III officers’ preservice commitment of service delivery innovation and reality status at local level governments. The local level governments’ status of service delivery innovation has not been realized to its best at the present. Development of this situation has been found to be the outcome of limited congruence in the thought, and decision making process between elected and selected officials accompanied by the inherent practice of being at ‘status-quo’. This undermined the importance of innovation culture in service delivery as a formalized and systemic approach. The enduring fear/reluctance to accepting and implementing systemic change has been perceived as a critical threat to professional career by elected representatives and locally appointed selected representatives. Despite their competencies and enduring efforts, gazzetted class III officers still have ample space to break the silos and to establish service delivery innovation as the formal culture and system in the local level governments.