Attitude

Basic Concepts

Q- Which political party is most suitable to rule this country?

Q- Do you agree with the action taken by the government on Durga Shakti Nagpal?
Q- Do you like non veg?

The answers reflect the attitude. It is not a bookish thing.

What is attitude--
1. Makes no difference
2. Party A most suitable
3. No suitable
Attitude
1. What is
a. Attitude is the mental evaluation of the social situation, that has the
potential to guide the way we think, we feel, and we behave
b. Attitude is not necessarily based on correct information, right knowledge
2. Attitude is a very important tool for an administrator too
3. Functions of attitude
a. Decisions are based on how we evaluate situations. Attitude facilitates
decision making. Decisions is highly dependent on the attitude
Values are expressed through attitude (very important, if you value
something--> we develop attitude in response to that. e.g. honesty,
fundamental rights)Ego defensive function and the adjustive function. One
person has a very strong liking for something, but unfortunately he doesnt
get it. If he continues liking that thing, most of the time, he will be
emotionally frustrated. The person will try to rationalise by changing his
attitude.
4. Components of attitude
a. a-Affect----> Emotions-associated feelings
 c. c- cognition- knowledge and understanding-->
5. Characteristics of attitude
a. Enduring evaluations- they do not develop overnight and can not be
changed overnight. Normal evaluations are not so enduring.
b. Attitude is learnt. It does not come with birth
c. Attitude varies in degree/magnitude. It is a continuum between strong
positive and strong negative attitude
d. There are several attitudes that a person has. An attitude is very specific, it
is based on the social situation
6. How do we develop attitude
a. a- Affective- emotional route
Restaurant , logo exampleFragrance examplePsychological conditioning
b. b- Behavioral
Child mom, water examplePen, of a brand stopped writing in the exam
exampleIf consequence of something is positive--> then positive behaviour,
otherwise negative
c. c- Cognitive
Logical reasoning, knowledge shapes the attitudePersuasion- Effort to
change the attitude not necessarily by cognitive route (its takes place
through communication)
d. Value system
If we have strong democratic values, we will tend to ave positive attitude
towards democracy and oppose moves to curb freedom of speech.
What is the difference between day to day evaluations and the attitudinal evaluations
1. Attitudinal evaluations are very enduring and are formed in advance (don't
change in a day).
2. But at the decision making time, evaluation is cognitive evaluation

Behaviour

1. B---> S x D (Situation x disposition)

2. Attitude is one of the components of the disposition
3. Attitude does influence behaviour, but it is not linear
Perception
1. Perception: Attention x Organization x Interpretation. Attitude affects at all three
levels.

2
 2. For example, if I have an attitudinal liking for cricket, then cricket related news /
advertisements will catch my attention more. Just because of the attitude, we
become more selective.
3. Our perception about FSB will vary according to our attitude towards Congress.
Content
Structure
Function
Influence on Thoughts and Behavior
Moral and Political Attitudes
Social Influence and Persuasion

Concepts
1. Persuasion is our effort to bring about an attitudinal change in others through
the use of various types of messages.
Factors Affecting Persuasive Capability
1. Attractiveness: Communicators who are attractive in some way (say physically)
are more persuasive. That is why celebrities are invited for tv commercial.
2. Source credibility: Persuasion is also affected by the credibility of the source /
persuador.
a. This credibility may derive from the expert value of the persuador. For
example, toothpaste ads show dentists recommending.
b. This credibility also depends upon the perceived trustworthiness. For
example, a politician talking on ethics may not have any credibility. Mahatma
Gandhi had a mass appeal.
3. Multiplicity of sources: If some message is delivered by multiple credible
sources, then it is more persuading in general.
a. Example, if you are carrying a ring and 10 people say that it is not gold (and
they are not experts), we are likely to change our attitude and start
suspecting whether the ring is genuine or not.
4. Familiarity with the persuador: We are more likely to be persuaded by in-group
members than random people. We develop a group bias by the virtue of our
membership of a particular group.
a. Example, we will always prefer a tribal to go and talk to the tribals to
persuade them.
5. Common sense: Messages in consonance with the receiver's common sense
are likely to be more persuasive.

3
 a. Messages that do not appear to be designed to change our attitude are
often more successful that seem to be designed to achieve this goal.
Modes of Attitudinal Change
1. Cognitive Route
a. 1. Persuasive messages --> 2. (a) Message is important, (b) Processing
capacity of the receptors is high --> 3. Central route processing -->
Attitudinal change depends upon the argument in the message.
2. Peripheral / Heuristic Route
a. 1. Persuasive messages --> 2. (a) Message is not so important, (b)
Processing capacity of the receptors is low --> 3. Peripheral / heuristic route
processing --> Attitudinal change depends upon the presence of persuasive
cues in the message which trigger heuristic processing.
3. Emotional Route
a. Example, explicit visuals on cigarette packs.
Q. You are posted in an area where people are reluctant to send their children to the
school. How will you respond?

Q. True strength of democracy requires attitude change.

Emotional Intelligence

Binet, Simon (1905)

1. He said intelligence is nothing but mental ability. But what type of mental ability
should be called intelligence?
a. Ability to understand well. Sometimes what we say is different from the
meaning which is being conveyed.
b. Ability to reason well.
c. Ability to judge well.
Goleman
1. Initially the idea of emotional intelligence has been given by Mayer Salovey but
was popularized by Goleman. He recognized 5 dimensions of EI:
a. Some people are very clear about their own emotions and some are very
confused. This is a very important ability i.e. knowing your own emotion.
b. Some people are capable of managing their emotions while some people
are not. This is a very important ability i.e. managing your own emotion.

4
 d. Some people are capable of understanding others' emotions. This is a very
important ability i.e. knowing others' emotions.
e. Some people are capable of managing others' emotions. This is a very
important ability i.e. managing others' emotions / handling relationships.
Emotional Intelligence and Applications

Conformity / Social Influence

1. Conformity. We all are a part of community. Community creates a pressure on
us. We have to confirm to the community. We cannot live in isolation. Group
influences our decision making.
a. Sometimes without even saying a single word, we can influence a person's
behavior by altering the community norms.
b. For example, how to motivate a person to send his child to the school? He
is not amendable to any arguments we are giving. But if we are able to
convince everybody else in his community to send their children to the
school, and he is left alone, sooner or later he will confirm and also send his
child to the school.
2. Factors influencing conformity influence
a. Size of the group matters. Greater the group, greater the influence.
b. Our liking / dependency on the group. Greater the liking / dependency,
greater the influence.
c. Situation also matters. Norms tend to influence our behavior when they are
relevant to us. Situational norms like other norms can influence our behavior
in an automatic manner even when we are not consciously aware of them.
3. 2 important motives underlying our tendency to confirm are:
a. Desire to be correct / accurate.
b. Desire to be liked / accepted.
Compliance
1. Compliance is not conformity. Compliance is responding to some direct
request. In compliance, we may comply in terms of action, but we may not
necessarily change our attitude.
2. How to obtain compliance?
a. Foot in the door technique: First make a smaller request and then progress
to the higher request. This increases the probability of compliance. This is
because it lowers resistance. Also we want to be consistent in our behavior.
b. Door in the face technique: Reverse of the above. If you want Rs. 500, go
and ask for Rs. 5000. Keep on requesting and settle for a lower.

5
 c. Principle of reciprocity: If somebody helps us, we feel obliged to help him
back. If we want a favor from someone, we must also do a favor for him so
that he responds.
d. Low balling: Basic car may cost Rs. 6 lakhs. But there will be necessary
accessories which will cost much. Final cost of the car may be higher. If the
salesman directly tells us the higher cost, we may not buy it. So start from
something smaller and keep on adding something bit by bit so as to get
compliance.
e. Obedience: It is an order to comply.

Ethics
Teachings of Moral Thinkers and Philosophers

Swamy Vivekanand explains: This world is like a dog’s

curly tail, and people have been striving to straighten it out
for hundreds of years. But when they let it go, it curls up
again. How could it be otherwise? So we should always
remember the instance of the curly tail of the dog. We need
not worry or make ourselves sleepless about the world. It
will go on without each of us. Our worries will not help it.
But when we stop worrying about the world, then alone will
we be able to work well. It is the level-headed man, the
calm man of good judgement and cool nerves, of great
sympathy and love, who does good work and so does good to
himself. The one who is complaining all the time is foolish
and has no sympathy. He can never straighten out the
world, nor can he improve himself.

We have to keep in mind Plato’s injunction: “The punishment suffered by the wise
who refuse to take part in government, is to suffer under the government of bad
men” Good governance must be founded on moral virtues ensuring stability and
harmony.

6
Confucius described righteousness as the foundation of good governance and
peace. The art of good governance simply lies in making things right and putting
them in their right place. Confucius’s prescription for good governance is ideally
suited for a country like India where many of our present day players in governance
do not adhere to any principle and ensure only their own interests.

Confucius emphasizes the righteousness for life and character building. This is
in conformity with Dharma or righteousness as taught by all religions in the world
and preached in Buddhism very predominantly in its fourth noble truth. He also
emphasizes that man himself must become righteous and then only there shall be
righteousness in the world. This is comparable with what Gandhiji said, “Be the
change you wish to see in the world”.

Lessons from Great Leaders, Reformers and Administrators

7
Nolan Committee on Ethics in Public Life
1. Selflessness: Holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms
of public interest They should not do so in order to gain financial or other
material benefits.
2. Integrity: Holders of public office should not place themselves under any
financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organizations that
might influence them in the performance of their official duties.
3. Objectivity: In carrying out public business, including making public
appointments, awarding contracts or recommending individuals for rewards
and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.
4. Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions
and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny
is appropriate to their office.
5. Openness: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all
the decisions and actions they take. They should give reasons for their
decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly
demands.
6. Honesty: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private
interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any
conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
7. Leadership: Holders of public office should promote and support these
principles by leadership and example.

8
 United Nations Convention against Corruption

Subject to the fundamental principles of its domestic legal system,

1. Each State Party shall promote integrity, honesty and responsibility among
its public officials.
2. Each State Party shall apply codes of conduct for public functionaries.
3. Each State Party shall learn from the relevant initiatives of international
organizations.
4. Each State Party shall establish measures to facilitate the reporting by
public officials of acts of corruption to appropriate authorities.
5. Each State Party shall establish measures requiring public officials to
disclose to appropriate authorities their outside activities, employment,
investments, assets and substantial gifts from which a conflict of interest
may arise.
6. Each State Party shall take disciplinary action against public officials who
violate the codes established.

Human Actions
Essence of Ethics in Human Actions
Determinants of Ethics in Human Actions
Consequences of Ethics in Human Actions
Dimension of Ethics
Ethics in Private and Public Relationships

every holder of public office is accountable ultimately to the people. Such

accountability is enforced through a system of laws and rules, which the elected
representatives of the people enact in their legislatures. Ethics provides the basis for
the creation of such laws and rules

Any framework of ethical behaviour must include the following elements:

a. Codifying ethical norms and practices.
b. Disclosing personal interest to avoid conflict between public interest and
personal gain.
c. Creating a mechanism for enforcing the relevant codes.

9
Role of Family in Ethics Building
Role of Society in Ethics Building
Role of Education in Ethics Building

Aptitude for Civil Services

Foundational Values for Civil Services

Integrity
Impartiality and Non Partisanship
Objectivity
Dedication to Public Service
Empathy, Tolerance and Compassion Towards Weaker Sections

Importance of Emotional intelligence

1. They know how to motivate themselves. And motivation is often the biggest
difference between success and failure. Even if they feel incredibly nervous
before a big presentation, they have learnt to calm themselves and project an
aura of confidence. When they are faced with obstructive people, they know
when to hold their temper in check and when to lose it. They are aware of their
own emotions and able to manage them.
2. It is the distinguishing factor that enables us to have wholesome, warm
relationships rather than cold and distant contacts.

Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration

10
Removal of Corruption / Ensuring Good Governance

Factors Aggravating Corruption

1. The colonial legacy of unchallenged authority and propensity to exercise
power arbitrarily.
2. The enormous asymmetry of power in our society. It led to officers
perceiving themselves as dispensing favors to citizens rather than serving
them and given the abject poverty, illiteracy a culture of exaggerated
deference to authority has become the norm.
3. Red tapism: The Indian state in the early decades after
Independence chose a set of policies whose unintended consequence was
to put the citizen at the mercy of the State. The relationship between state
and citizens became that of a patron and beneficiaries. Over regulation
bred corruption.
4. Over-centralization. The more remotely power is exercised from the
people, the greater is the corruption.
Actions Needed for Removal of Corruption
1. Systematic review
a. Promoting competition
It is generally recognized that monopoly and discretion
increases corruption while competition and transparency reduces
corruption. As competition came in corruption decreased in many
sectors such as telephones, steel, cement, sugar,
automobiles. Similarly, wherever technology andtransparency have
been introduced, corruption has been significantly contained. But it is
not enough.All government organizations should undertake an exercise
to identify areas where the existing monopoly of functions can be done
away with. Similarly all CSS should be restructured so as to
provide incentives to states to take steps to promote competition in
service delivery.All national policies on subjects having large public
interface should be designed so as to promote competition.

11
 original problem. The broad principles must be: adoption of
single window, minimizing hierarchical tiers, stipulating time limits for
doing work, minimization of discretionary decisions. Where it is not
possible to do so, well-defined regulations should attempt to ‘bound’ the
discretion. All procedures, laws, departmental codes that breed
corruption and come in the way of efficient delivery should be
eliminated. Decision-making on important matters should be assigned to
a committee rather than individuals. Care has to be exercised, however,
that this practice is not resorted to when prompt decisions are required.
d. Risk assessment system
The risk of corruption in government depends on the nature of the office
and its activity and the character of the person holding that office. An
office having more discretion and more public interface is more
vulnerable to corruption.Thus offices can be classified as ‘high risk of
corruption’, ‘medium risk of corruption’ and ‘ low risk
of corruption’. Similarly, government servants can be classified
according to their level of integrity.A risk management system should
seek to ensure that ‘low risk personnel’ should hold ‘high risk jobs’ and
vice versa.Risk profiling of government officials poses a challenge as
the present system of performance evaluation discourages a reporting
officer from giving anything ‘adverse’. Moreover, categorizing an official
as ‘high’ risk based on an adverse rating by one reporting officer may
not be fair. It would, therefore, be better if risk profiling of officers is done
by a committee of ‘eminent persons’. Inputs from the vigilance and peer
feedback can be sought.
e. Decentralization
The central idea of subsidiarity is that citizens as sovereigns and
stakeholders are the final decision-makers. Subsidiarity is “the
principle that a central authority should have a subsidiary function,
performing only those tasks which cannot be performed at a more
local level.” Functions shall be carried out closest to citizens at the
smallest unit of governance possible and delegated upwards only
when the local unit cannot perform the task.

12
Other Issues

Role of Media in Promoting Ethics in Public Life

1. Follow up mechanism on media allegations
a. Media makes many allegations. But it is common experience that very
often there is no systematic arrangement to take note of these allegations
and to follow them up.
b. This should be an integral part of redressal mechanisms in all public offices.
2. Code of conduct for media
a. Many a times the media does not verify allegations and information before
putting them in the public domain. Some times, such allegations are also
motivated. Thus it is also necessary to evolve a code of conduct where all
allegations are duly screened before publishing and the accused is given a
fair chance to put forth his version.
b. The PCI was reconstituted to maintain and improve the standards
of newspapers and news agencies in India. It has prescribed a Code
of Conduct for the print media. However, no such code exists for the
electronic media.
c. There should be a Broadcasting Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI)
covering the electronic media. It should lay down a Code of Conduct for the
electronic media as the PCI has done for the print.
Role of Social Audit in Promoting Ethics in Public Life
1. Provisions for social audit should be made a part of the operational guidelines
of all schemes.

13
 Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government

Coalitions and Ethics

1. Coalitions should be based on a broad understanding reflected in
the common minimum programme. The CMP should be announced either
prior to the election or before the formation of the government.
2. The ethics of coalition government is seriously strained when the
coalition partners change partnerships mid-stream. The common
programme, which has been explicitly mandated by the
electorate becomes non-existent and the power given by the people is
abused.
3. To maintain the will of the people, it is necessary to lay down that if a party
leaves the coalition midstream, then members of that party shall have to
seek a fresh mandate from the electorate.
Immunity Enjoyed by Legislators (Art 105)
1. The immunity to the legislators for their acts in the parliament is not
intended to shield their corrupt practices but only to defend their freedom of
expression. Freedom of speech inside the House cannot be used by them
to solicit or to accept bribes.
2. But in the Narsimha Rao case, the SC arrived at the conclusion that while
bribe-givers could not claim immunity, the bribe-takers could claim such
immunity. It is obvious that this interpretation runs counter to all notions
of justice, fair play and good conduct expected from MPs. A constitution
amendment is needed.

Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas In Private Institutions

14
Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas In International Relations
1. Overtime the interconnectedness between nations has grow and there are
greater shared responsibilities today calling for joint action. International
ethics may be seen as responding to this need for international
action. International ethics guides the international environmental effort to
fight against ozone depletion, global warming.
2. Philosophies of international ethics
a. Realism: It focuses solely on international power. In the international
realm, realism holds that the only thing that really matters is power –
what power a country has. Nothing else matters – morality, ethics – are
all irrelevant. The argument appears to be that in international sphere no
one can be trusted each seeks to dominate the other. Either one country
will dominate the other or the other will try to dominate the first, so it is
better to be the dominant country. The realist approach is simply to deny
any role for common or shared ethics. Realism sentiments within
nations make it rational to pursue power, create power distance and
dominance over its neighbors and at the same time seek to balance
power by aligning sufficient number of states for a country to counter the
power influence of those nations against it. In this way realism
creates and spawns a world fundamentally divided into two. There will
be no unipolar world for sure, the fact that one exists after the collapse
of the Soviet Union is only a temporary phase, somewhat illusionary.
The world soon responds by restoring and creating balance of power.
b. Idealism: Idealism focuses on “common interests” between nations, and
not necessarily at the power. It seeks to build the international sphere on
the basis of idealist values. Idealism has the potential to create more
lasting hopes of peace. Idealism points to trade interests between
nations as common interests and as platforms to build better, mutually
beneficial international relations. The rise of international and global
market place are shown to be aiding and being supported by
idealism. In idealism, the international system follow rules, laws and
institutions. In idealism, thus ethics, morality, laws, legal systems,
international institutions all have a central place.

15
 to influence the way the nations interact. Constructivism shows that
nations resist any threat to their identities, nationalism, national
sovereignty that are perceived. This works against attempts to change
world systems or world order. All such attempts by other nations,
however rational they may be, will be resisted if national identity is not
respected. Constructivism focuses on national identity (rather than
national interest). Its application can be seen in religion based
national identities of middle east and south asia. Religious “fault lines” of
conflict may open up and trigger problems not only in the international
sphere but within a nation itself as a result.
e. Cosmopolitanism: Cosmopolitanism like idealism believes in doing
the right thing. The right thing to be done is to behave as you would
want others to behave. Where rules and laws do not exist, it would
require that we come together and negotiate the rules and laws that are
ethical. Some may even use it to argue for a world government.
f. Constrained choices: International ethics guides our choices in the
international sphere, but evidently our choices are constrained rather
than free. The choices may be constrained by the necessity of domestic
politics. The choices may be constrained by the identity politics. The
choices may be constrained by international power equations and
balances. Many practical constraints like economic constraints and
national interest constraint will also be there.

In International Funding

Accountability and Ethical Governance

Conscience as Source of Ethical Guidance

Strengthening Ethics and Values in Governance

Corporate Governance

16
17
Probity in Governance
Philosophical Basis

Concept of Public Service

RTI

18
19
Legal Framework, Laws, Rules, Regulations for Ethical Behavior

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

1. Need for sanction
a. In order to prevent harassment to honest officers, it was mandated that
no court shall take cognizance of offences without the permission of the
authority competent to remove the charged public servant.
b. It has been stipulated that no court shall stay the proceedings under the
Act on the grounds of any error or irregularity in the sanction granted,
unless in the opinion of the court it has led to failure of justice.
2. Immunity to bribe giver: It also provided that the statement by bribe-giver
would not subject the bribe giver to prosecution. It was considered
necessary to grant such immunity to the bribe-giver, who might have been
forced by circumstances into giving a bribe.
3. Trial by special judges: All corruption related offences could only be tried by
special judges. Proceedings of the court have to be held on a day-to-day
basis.
4. Possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income is
an offence.
Weaknesses in the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
1. Addition of more offences
a. There are four types of misconducts not explicitly covered under the Act
but which are nonetheless very damaging.
b. The first is gross perversion of the Constitution and democratic
institutions, including, wilful violation of the oath of office out of partisan
considerations or personal gains. In most such cases, there may be
no illegal consideration, nor any form of monetary gratification involved.
c. The second is abuse of authority unduly favoring or harming someone,
without any monetary consideration. In such cases, often
partisan interests, nepotism and personal prejudices play a role.
d. Third, obstruction or perversion of justice by unduly influencing law
enforcement agencies and prosecution. Again in most such
cases, partisan considerations, nepotism and prejudice, and not
pecuniary gain or gratification, may be the motive.
e. Finally, squandering public money, including high flying life-styles,
superfluous security has become more common.

20
21
Code of Ethics

Integrity Pacts
1. It is an agreement between the public agency involved in procurement and
the bidder that the bidders shall not indulge in any corrupt practice to
secure the contract in question. For its part, the public agency commits to
a level playing field and fair play.
2. They are overseen and scrutinized by independent, outside observers.
Code of Ethics for Civil Services
1. Issues with current Conduct Rules
a. The code of behavior as enunciated in the Conduct Rules, while
containing some general norms like ‘maintaining integrity and absolute
devotion to duty’ and not indulging in ‘conduct unbecoming of a
government servant’, is generally directed towards cataloging specific
activities deemed undesirable for government servants. These Conduct
Rules do not constitute a Code of ethics. The Code of Ethics should
enunciate the qualities and behavior desired in a civil servant.
b. The present codes of conduct are not direct and to the point. They are
length, complex and are either full of vague sermons or too specific with
outdated prescriptions. A code of ethics should be to the point, small and
easily understood.
c. The code of ethics should also deal with conflict of interest which the
Conduct Rules do not address adequately.
d. It also contains some outdated and impractical rules such as
No Class I officer shall without previous sanction of the government, permit his son,
daughter or other dependent, to accept employment in any company which has
dealings with the Government. Post the economic reforms, private sector has grown
rapidly and now virtually all major companies have dealings with the
government.Transactions over Rs. 20,000 have to be reported to the government
within a month. Inflation has rendered this limit impractical.All property transactions
have to be reported to the government.
2. Desirable properties of the Code of Ethics
a. It should have a clear statutary backing and an independent, effective
monitoring mechanism. The Civil Services Authority may be entrusted with this task
of auditing and evaluating the measures the organizations have taken to uphold the civil
service values.

22
 standards which should reflect public expectations.
Allegiance to the ideals enshrined in the Constitution.Apolitical
functioning.Good governance to be the primary goal.Duty to act
objectively and impartially.Accountability and transparency in decision-
making.Maintenance of highest ethical standards.Ensuring economy
and avoidance of wastage in expenditure.Provision of healthy and
congenial work environment.Commitment to the citizens’ concerns and
public good.Empathy for the vulnerable and weaker sections of society.
d. At the second level, the broad principles which should govern the behavior of a civil
servant may be outlined.
Integrity: Civil servants should be guided solely by public good in
discharging their duties.Impartiality: Civil servants in carrying out their
offi cial work, including functions like procurement, recruitment, delivery
of services etc, should take decisions based on merit alone.Commitment
to public service: Civil servants should deliver services in a fair, effective,
impartial and courteous manner.Open to accountability: Civil servants
are accountable for their decisions and actions and should be willing to
subject themselves to appropriate scrutiny for this purpose. Devotion
to duty: Civil servants maintain absolute and unstinting devotion
towards their duties and responsibilities at all times. Exemplary
behaviour:Civil servants shall treat all members of the public
with respect and courtesy and, at all times, should behave in a manner
that upholds the rich traditions of the civil services.
e. At the third level, there should be a specific Code of Conduct stipulating in a precise and
unambiguous manner, a list of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and actions.

Information Sharing and Transparency in Government

23
Citizen Charters
Desired Qualities in a Charter
1. Decentralized activity: It needs to be specific to the organization and should
be carried out at a decentralized level.
2. Simple, unambiguous and time bound
a. It must be simple and clearly spell out the services delivered.
b. Its design should be user friendly.
c. It is better to have a few promises which can be kept rather than a long
list of lofty declarations which are impractical.
d. It must contain measurable standards of quality of service delivery
including the time within which the service would be provided.
e. It should be in the local language as well.
3. Effective mechanism for its implementation
a. Adequate capacity building must take place for the implementation of
the charter.
b. A time bound, effective grievance redressal mechanism should be put in
place and highlighted prominently in the charter along with the
compensation to the citizens.
c. Officers should be held accountable for specific activities and the HoD
should be made accountable for overall charter implementation.
4. Internal restructuring should precede charter formulation
a. It should be prepared only after a thorough review of the organizational
processes with a view to make them more citizen friendly. There can be
a resistance to change as the new practices may demand significant
changes in the working and attitude of the staff. This needs to be
overcome at that time only.
b. It must be framed not only by senior experts, but by interaction with the
staff who will finally implement it and the citizens who are going to use it.
5. Periodic review and performance audit
a. Framework should exist for a periodic performance audit and charter
should be reviewed and updated.
6. Prominently publicized
a. It must be given adequate publicity both among the staff and the
citizens. Special budget must be earmarked for this purpose.
7. Needs of special sections

24
 Work Culture
Delegation
1. Many government organizations have a tendency to hold back authority at
higher levels and top policy makers indulge in micro-management of
routine. So an exercise should be carried out to maximum possible
delegation.
2. Extent of delegation should form a part of the ACR of an officer.

QoS Delivery
Utilization of Public Funds
Challenges of Corruption

25