A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR IMPROVED MUNICIPAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN URBAN ZIMBABWE
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR IMPROVED MUNICIPAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN URBAN ZIMBABWE

Summary/Abstract: This article reviews efforts to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of urban service delivery in Zimbabwe. It seeks to achieve this by facilitating the utility of the value-based integrated conceptual framework for improved service delivery developed by Bao and others in 2013 and by applying it to urban local government service delivery in Zimbabwe. The conceptual framework has five key components which are (1) contextual setting, (2) core values, (3) structures and processes, (4) leadership and management and (5) service delivery. The use of the conceptual framework offers crucial insights into how the local public administration in Zimbabwe can turnaround declining urban service delivery. The engagement takes place against observations of service delivery inefficiencies in the subnational government and an accumulation over the recent past of gaps, duplications or non-achievement of targets in local urban public service provision. Key findings of the article are the following: (1) the conceptual framework was found to be instrumental in organising municipal institutions to promote greater efficiency and responsiveness in urban service delivery (2) the conceptual framework was found to be suitable as it takes into consideration socio-economic and cultural differences among countries even within the same regional grouping and, (3) its application has the potential to enhance local service delivery in urban Zimbabwe especially now when urban local government is being called upon to manifest resilience and innovativeness in the face of significantly depleted resources; financial, human and material.

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