DEEPIMPACTFORHIGHIMPACTAGENCIES
Assessingtheroleofbureaucraticencountersinevaluationsofgovernment
StevenVandeWalle,JarlK
Kampen&GeertBouckaertPaperpreparedfortheEGPAAnnualConference
Oeiras,Portugal,3-6September2003
StudyGroupno
2:ProductivityandQualityinthePublicSector
AbstractPublicsectorreformsoftenfocusonhighimpactagenciesinordertorestoretrustingovernmentandinthepublicadministration
Usingaface-to-facesurveyoncitizens’attitudestowardpublicservices,wetestwhatpublicagenciescontributetocitizens’generalimageofgovernment
Itisshownthatgeneralmeasuresofsatisfactionwiththefunctioningofpublicservicescontainmorethanjustanevaluationofbureaucraticencounters
Politicalfactorsinfluencethisassessment
Servicedeliverysatisfactionontheotherhandcantoalargeextentbeexplainedbyreferringtocitizens’imageofaserie