Sevottam Model: Governance Excellence through Service, Accountability, and Citizen Empowerment

To prepare for GOVERNANCE for any competitive exam, aspirants have to know about Sevottam Model. The Sevottam model gives an idea of all the important topics for the IAS Exam and the Governance syllabus (GS-II). Sevottam Model terms are important from Governance perspectives in the UPSC exam. IAS aspirants should thoroughly understand the meaning of Sevottam Model and application, as questions can be asked from this static portion of the IAS Syllabus in both the UPSC Prelims and the UPSC Mains exams. Even these topics are also highly linked with current affairs. Almost every question asked from them is related to current events. So, apart from standard textbooks, you should rely on newspapers and news analyses as well for these sections.

• The Sevottam Model is an assessment – improvement model that has been developed with the objective of improving the quality of public service delivery in the country.
• Sevottam Model is a model proposed by 2nd ARC (Administrative Reforms Commission) for public Service Delivery.
• The model was conceived by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in 2006.
• The word “Sevottam” is a combination of two Hindi words: Seva (Service) and Uttam (Excellent). It means “Service Excellence”, emphasizing the idea of “Service”.
• It symbolises the change in mindset within the Government, from administration and control to service and enablement. The model was suggested by the 2nd ARC in its 12th report Citizen Centric Administration.

• Citizen Charter
• Public Grievance Redressal Mechanism
• Services Delivery Capabilities
• The first component of the model requires effective charter implementation thereby opening up a channel for receiving citizens’ inputs into the way in which organizations determine service delivery requirements. Citizens’ Charters publicly declare the information on citizens’ entitlements; making citizens better informed and hence empowering them to demand better services.
• The second component of the model, ‘Public Grievance Redress’ requires a good grievance redress system operating in a manner that leaves the citizen more satisfied with how the organization responds to complaints/grievances, irrespective of the final decision.
• The third component ‘Excellence in Service Delivery’, postulates that an organization can have an excellent performance in service delivery only if it is managing the key ingredients for good service delivery well, and building its own capacity to continuously improve delivery.

• The framework enables implementing organisations to undertake a systematic, credible and authenticated self-assessment (or ‘gap analysis’) for citizen-centric service delivery. Using this analysis, practical solutions are gradually and systematically incorporated into the organisation’s day-to-day routine thereby ensuring sustainable results.
• There are four broad ways in which the Sevottam model can be used:
• As a self – assessment tool by organisations already motivated to improve service delivery
• As a requirement standard
• As a benchmark assessment process to be established
• As a rating model to recognise and reward organisations that are doing commendable work in service delivery.

• Define services and identify services
• Set standards and norms for each service
• Develop capability to meet the set standards
• Perform to achieve the standards
• Monitor the performance against the set standards
• Evaluate impact through an independent mechanism

• Initially, Sevottam framework was undertaken from April 2009 to June 2010 in ten Departments of the Government having large public interface. These are, Department of Post, CBEC, CBDT, Railways, Passport office, Pensions, Food Processing, Corporate Affairs, Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools and EPFO.
• Later, Sevottam has been launched as a certification scheme which provides for the award of the Sevottam symbol of excellence to public service organisations that implement and are able to show compliance to a set of management system requirements that have been specified in a specially created standard document. This standard, known as IS 15700:2005, was developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS based on the objectives of Sevottam.
• The standard takes into account unique conditions of service delivery by Public service organisations in India and the sectoral and regional variations in service delivery standards. It offers a systematic way to identify weaknesses in specific areas and rectify them through systemic changes and process reengineering. India is among the first countries in the world to have a Quality Standard for public service delivery.

Sevottam model prescribes Seven Core Principles for Quality Governance-

• Customer focus
• Leadership
• Engagement of people
• Process approach
• Improvement
• Evidence based decision making
• Relationship management.

• To ensure Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services, “the Right of Citizens for Time-bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011”, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2011, but it lapsed with the term of the last House.
• The need of the hour is to identify delivery of services as a matter of right and bring legal provision for time bound delivery of services.
• Highlights of “the Right of Citizens for Time-bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011”:
  • Every public authority was required to publish a Citizens Charter within six months of the commencement of the Act.
  • A citizen may file a complaint regarding any grievance related to:
    1. citizens charter;
    2. functioning of a public authority; or
    3. violation of a law, policy or scheme.
• The Bill required all public authorities to appoint officers to redress grievances.
• Grievances were to be redressed within 30 working days.
• The Bill also provided for the appointment of Central and State Public Grievance Redressal Commissions.
• A penalty of up to Rs 50,000 to be levied upon the responsible officer or the Grievance Redressal Officer for failure to render services.

Some other states have also brought legislation to guarantee the right to public services delivery, but a Central law is required to provide an overarching framework across the country. 

Sevottam is a continuing journey to revamp and refurbish our public service delivery systems to a level of excellence desired by the citizens. It incorporates e-governance solutions, process re-engineering, capability building of public servants and partnership with social groups to achieve transparency and accountability in the delivery systems and make good governance a reality.