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CHALLENGE
In 2006, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) established One Door Service Centers (ODSCs). The ODSCs were envisioned as "one-stop shops" designed to meet citizens' multiple needs for public services. By 2014, when there were about 17 ODSCs in operation, a UN Lao PDR evaluation team reported that none of the 17 centers functioned as planned, and some did not exist at all. Others provided very limited services. No standard fee table, valid across the country, existed for the services they were supposed to provide. The evaluation team concluded that the impact of the ODSCs was practically nonexistent at that time. The awareness level of the ODSC's existence among citizens was also low. By 2021, the number of ODSCs had reached 47. However, it was widely recognized that ODSCs were not functioning effectively. The key challenge that impeded effective, inclusive, and accountable services of ODSCs was the lack of coordination among the ministries and between the central and local levels to work in a coherent manner.
SUPPORT PROVIDED
In 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), which oversees the development of ODSCs in Lao PDR, requested UN DESA’s support to ensure more coordinated and effective public service delivery through the ODSCs and to pilot a smart ODSC in the country. UN DESA, through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) and its Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), worked closely with the Government of Lao PDR and the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Lao PDR to promote capacities for inter-ministerial coordination. To respond to the request, several activities were organized, including two inter-ministerial technical workshops on implementing the ODSCs in Lao PDR in 2021. The Project also developed an Inter-Ministerial dialogue to mainstream ODSCs across the country with the presence of the MOHA’s Minister and other senior civil servants from all key ministries and governmental agencies from national and local levels.
APPROACH ADOPTED
Through strong collaboration with the Government of Lao PDR and other UN partners on the ground, the approach included promoting peer-to-peer learning on effective service delivery through one-stop-shops with the participation of several countries that shared their experiences, including the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, along with a host of international experts on public service delivery. The principles of effective governance for sustainable development, developed by the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration, were presented as a framework for change. UN DESA’s Institutional Readiness Assessment for Policy Coherence, available on the UNPAN, was also used to facilitate the identification of institutional gaps and strengths in Lao PDR to deliver effective services. A handbook on "How to Design and Implement One-Stop-Shops to Promote Better Service Delivery and Implement the Sustainable Development Goals" was developed, and key elements of an action plan were designed and used during the various workshops to facilitate the co-creation of a roadmap and recommendations on how to make ODSCs more effective and inclusive and establish an inter-ministerial coordinating committee for integrated service delivery.
RESULTS
Following a landmark decision, as highlighted by the Minister of MOHA, UN DESA/DPIDG’s support resulted in the agreement among all ministries to establish an Inter-ministerial Steering Committee for effective service delivery and the effective implementation of the Presidential Decree 02 for effective services. The recommendations and roadmap that were co-created by all deputy ministers during the workshop were presented to the Prime Minister’s Office for further consideration.
The workshop had a historical significance since it was the first time since the establishment of ODSCs that deputy ministers across all the ministries and key personnel in the Prime Minister Office came together to discuss how to improve (a) organizational structures and processes, (b) digital technology and data, and (c) stakeholders’ engagement for effective service delivery. In 2020, UN DESA also supported the design of a roadmap, workflows and the launch of an online application for a Smart ODSC in Saysetha District ODSC. Technical cooperation assistance included (a) organizing four workshops (one peer-to-peer learning international workshop and three national workshops at various levels) and (b) developing a roadmap and action plan for coordinated ODSCs. In 2021, a historic event was organized with UN DESA’s support to virtually gather all the 49 ODSCs in Lao PDR for the first time to discuss how to work together in designing uniform standards in ODSC service delivery. Additionally, through UN DESA’s support, in cooperation with the UN Country Team and with MOHA, the Roadmap for Smart ODSCs was produced and adopted at the local level by Saysetha District ODSC. An action plan, including a dashboard and pilot project for the Saysetha District ODSC was also developed in 2021. This cooperation was anchored as part of the National Governance Public Administration Reform Programme (NGPAR) in Lao PDR, in partnership with UNDP.
LESSONS LEARNED
① Strong ownership and commitment from the government counterpart was key to success as well as strong collaboration with the UN system on the ground.
② Adopting a whole-of-government approach, involving 18 ministries in Lao PDR, was critical in achieving the expected results.
③ Peer-to-peer learning on challenges, trends, innovative practices, and lessons learned on how to promote integrated public service delivery and the development of methodologies for assessing institutional gaps and strengths, and action planning were instrumental.
④ Effective institutional coordination, both vertical and horizontal, and support of key ministries, including the highest political authority, are prerequisites for successful implementation of the ODSC system.
⑤ The methodologies adopted in Lao PDR can be useful to other countries. The institutional readiness assessment toolkit for One-Stop-Shops and the action-planning process applied in Lao PDR be relevant to other jurisdictions as well.