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Service Charters: Reshaping Trust in Government—The Case of Spain
Author(s) -
Torres Lourdes
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00498.x
Subject(s) - government (linguistics) , public administration , public service , service (business) , public sector , corporate governance , business , empowerment , administration (probate law) , delphi method , public relations , political science , marketing , law , philosophy , linguistics , finance , statistics , mathematics
Service charters are located at the intersection between public administration reforms and governance initiatives for improving citizen trust in governments. Service charters in Spain show the will to shift from a legal tradition to one that meets citizens' needs and makes government more accessible, transparent, and open to the public. The article examines the role and performance of service charters and the contribution of charters to change in Spanish public administration, to the empowerment of citizens in the improvement of service standards, and to citizen participation in the organization of public services. It aims to investigate the factors that drive the introduction of charters and the performance that can be obtained. To test the potential of service charters in Spain, we interviewed public‐sector managers at the central level by applying the Delphi method and statistical techniques.