Organisational profiling as foundation for service delivery baseline analysis

Abstract

This article maintains that the implementation of Service Delivery Improvement Plans (White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery, 1997) could significantly be enhanced by gaining an understanding of public institutions' core processes. A process is seen as a series of activities with an input and an output with the purpose to achieve institutional strategic objectives. By profiling the DNA (layers of primary and secondary organisational processes) of public institutions, continuous process improvement initiatives would lead to more effective service delivery. To establish a baseline (current situation) it is argued that more emphasis should be placed on profiling the whole institution (macro, meso and micro institutional variables) to better understand implementation challenges such as structure, social and historical context, systems, resource utilisation, capacities, politics and culture. It is proposed that a formal organisational profile (OP) methodology be followed by public managers on strategic, tactical and operational levels to obtain a more balanced framework for identifying key variables which may impact on service delivery. OP methodology should answer the Where are we now?-question and profile processes, and strategic considerations from qualitative as well as statistical data. The article concludes by calling for more effort to be focused on developing more comprehensive and integrated approaches to analyse organisational processes associated with the implementation of service delivery initiatives.

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