Management of municipal services - Effectiveness of participatory mechanisms for the urban poor
The study is part of a larger research which aims to explore the relevance of participatory governance and its effectiveness in managing services for the poor. Considering rapid urbanisation, decision makers are seeking urban management and governance strategies to deal with multiple challenges of municipal service provision and its maintenance. While there has been a push by the international agencies for strengthening decentralisation and participation of the people in the governance process; the penetration of such practices is weak at the local level. For improved governance and service delivery, one of the key areas of intervention suggested by scholars is to increase the role of citizens in the decision-making process. Theoretically, expanding and mainstreaming participation in the urban governance process appears to be an effective strategy for strengthening management of services. Considering the inequalities, power dynamics and other challenges to participation; the communication channel between the urban poor and the service provider needs to be sensitively designed and operated. Cities are investing in expanding technology-based participation mechanisms for the people. Grievance redressal systems have become a popular e-governance mechanism for addressing service delivery issues at the municipal level. The study will explore the relevance and scope of technology-based participatory platforms for managing basic services. It will assess the actors and networks engaged in the process; decision making and communication processes working on both sides of the participation equation—constituting on one-side, voice of the citizens and on the other, responsiveness of the local government.
