3.2. Origin and the concept of Citizen Charter

The concept was first articulated and implemented in the United Kingdom by the Conservative Government of John Major in 1991 as a national programme. The basic objective of the Citizen’s Charter is to empower the citizen in relation to public service delivery.

The six principles of the Citizen’s Charter movement as originally framed were:

1. Quality: Improving the quality of services;

2. Choice: Wherever possible;

3. Standards: Specifying what to expect and how to act if standards are not met;

4. Value : For the taxpayers’ money;

5. Accountability: Individuals and Organisations; and

6. Transparency: Rules/Procedures/Schemes/Grievances.

The programme was re-launched in 1998 by the Labour Government of Tony Blair which rechristened it “Services First”. It includes the nine principles of Service Delivery (1998), which are as follows:-

1. Set standards of service;

2. Be open and provide full information;

3. Consult and involve;

4. Encourage access and the promotion of choice;

5. Treat all fairly;

6. Put things right when they go wrong;

7. Use resources effectively;

8. Innovate and improve;

9. Work with other providers.