How can public sector become more customer-centric?

• Transforming public service into a culture of responsiveness, accountability and trust

Putting the citizen at the centre of governance

The public sector is one of the most influential institutions in the daily lives of Sri Lankan citizens. From obtaining a birth certificate, national identity card, passport or driving licence to registering a business, securing a building permit, receiving healthcare, accessing education or obtaining social welfare benefits, citizens depend on public institutions at almost every stage of their lives.

 Yet, for many people, dealing with a government institution can be an exhausting experience. Long queues, multiple visits, complex procedures, excessive documentation, unclear requirements, delayed decisions and the absence of reliable information can turn what should be a straightforward public service into a frustrating ordeal. In some instances, citizens may feel that they must adjust to the convenience of the institution rather than expect the institution to respond to their needs.

 This raises an important question: How can the public sector in Sri Lanka become more customer-centric? Customer-centricity is the practice of designing and delivering services around the needs, expectations and legitimate interests of the people who use them. In the public sector, the term customer does not mean that citizens are merely consumers purchasing a product or a service. Citizens are rights-holders, taxpayers, stakeholders and, ultimately, the owners of the democratic institutions that serve them. Consequently, public-sector customer-centricity must go beyond courtesy at service counters. It must become a fundamental principle of public administration, policymaking, service delivery and institutional accountability.

 Sri Lanka needs a public service that does not merely administer rules but helps citizens navigate them; that does not simply process applications but resolves people›s problems; and that does not measure success by the number of files completed but by the value created for the public.

 Achieving this transformation requires a change in institutional culture, leadership, employee competencies, operating procedures, technology, performance measurement and public accountability. Above all, it requires a fundamental shift in mindset: ‘from government serving itself to government serving the people’.

Customer-centricity must be driven from the top and embedded throughout the management system

Redefining the purpose of the public service

The first step towards customer-centricity is to redefine the purpose of public service.

Traditionally, many public institutions have operated around administrative structures, departmental responsibilities, established procedures and hierarchical authority. These are important elements of governance, particularly where legality, financial discipline and procedural fairness are concerned. However, they can become obstacles when compliance with internal procedures takes precedence over the legitimate needs of citizens.

 A customer-centric public service begins by asking a different set of questions:

nWhat does the citizen need to achieve?

nWhy is the service necessary, and can the process be simplified?

nHow much time, money and effort must the citizen expend?

nCan the service be delivered more quickly without compromising legality or fairness?

nHow can the institution make the experience more accessible, transparent and predictable?

nHow can the service be provided in an efficient and transparent manner?

 Consider a citizen applying for a government certificate. A process-oriented institution may focus on whether the correct form has been completed and submitted to the relevant officer. A customer-centric institution will examine the entire experience, from explaining the requirements and accepting the application to communicating progress and delivering the certificate. The distinction is significant. The first approach concentrates on the institution›s responsibilities; the second considers the outcome experienced by the citizen. Sri Lanka should therefore establish customer-centricity as a core public-service value, alongside integrity, impartiality, professionalism, efficiency and accountability. Every Ministry, department, provincial council, local authority and public agency should understand how its work contributes to the public good and how citizens experience its services. Professionals of the ‘Lanka Reformist Forum’ stand ready to volunteer support to Government Institutions to enhance efficiencies toward customer centricity.

 This principle must also apply to services delivered by state-owned enterprises and public utilities. Whether a person is dealing with a government hospital, a local authority, a public transport service or an electricity provider, the expectation of fair and respectful treatment should remain consistent.

Changing the mindset: From administrative authority to service responsibility

A customer-centric public service requires a fundamental change in the relationship between public officials and citizens. Public officials exercise authority on behalf of the state. That authority is necessary to enforce laws, collect revenue, protect public resources and ensure public safety. However, authority must never become an excuse for indifference, discourtesy or unnecessary bureaucratic control.

The public servant’s role should be understood as one of responsible service. An officer must apply the law correctly while helping the citizen understand the process and complete the required transaction. For example, when an application is incomplete, the officer should explain precisely what is missing and how the applicant can correct it. Simply rejecting the application, without adequate explanation, may satisfy a narrow procedural requirement but does little to create a positive service experience.

 Similarly, a person seeking assistance from a public institution should not be passed from one department to another without guidance. Where another agency must act, the responsible officer should explain the next steps and, where practicable, facilitate the referral.

This change in mindset must be driven by senior leadership. Ministers, ministry secretaries, department heads and institutional leaders must demonstrate through their decisions and behaviour that service quality matters. Employees will not take customer-centricity seriously if their leaders reward procedural compliance alone while ignoring delays, complaints and poor treatment of citizens. Public service is not about exercising power over the public. It is about exercising public authority responsibly, fairly and in the public interest.

Every public institution should appoint a senior officer accountable for service improvement, supported by a cross-functional team representing operations, human resources, information technology, finance and frontline service delivery 

 Simplifying bureaucratic procedures and reducing red tape

One of the most immediate ways to improve public-sector customer-centricity in Sri Lanka is to simplify administrative procedures. Over time, institutions often accumulate forms, approvals, signatures, supporting documents and internal checks. Some are essential for legal compliance and the prevention of fraud. Others may have survived simply because they have always been part of the process.

 The government should conduct a systematic review of high-volume public services to identify unnecessary steps, duplicated documentation, excessive approval levels and avoidable delays. Every procedure should be examined against three questions:

1.Is this requirement legally necessary?

2.Does it serve a clear public-interest or risk-management purpose?

3.Can the same purpose be achieved through a simpler, faster and less costly method?

4.Can this purpose be achieved with lesser resources and in less time?

 Where information is already held by a government agency, citizens should not routinely be required to submit the same information again, subject to appropriate legal authority, privacy safeguards and data accuracy. Inter-agency information sharing should reduce the burden on citizens rather than transfer the administrative burden from one public office to another.

The objective should be to make the simplest lawful route the normal route. Process simplification must not, however, become an excuse to weaken financial controls, bypass procurement rules or disregard due process. A good system eliminates unnecessary bureaucracy while retaining the controls needed to protect the public interest.

 The result should be a public service that is easier to navigate, less expensive to operate and better able to deliver timely decisions.

Establishing clear service standards and citizens› charters

Citizens should not have to guess how long a public service will take, what documents are required or whom they should contact when a problem arises. Every public institution should publish a practical Service Charter that sets out its principal services and the standards citizens can reasonably expect.

nA useful charter should specify:

nThe services provided and the eligibility requirements.

nThe documents and fees, if any, required for each service.

nThe expected processing time and the conditions that may affect it.

nThe officer or unit responsible for handling the request.

nThe available methods of accessing the service.

nThe complaint and escalation procedures.

nThe institution’s commitments concerning respectful treatment, confidentiality and accessibility.

 These commitments must be realistic, measurable and visible. Publishing a charter is not sufficient; institutions must monitor their performance against it. For example, if an agency commits to processing a complete application within ten working days, it should record the submission date, monitor the progress of the application and identify the reasons for any delay. If a deadline cannot be met, the applicant should receive an explanation and an updated expected completion date.

 Service standards should distinguish between the time an application is under the institution›s control and time genuinely required from an applicant or another agency. This prevents institutions from improving reported performance simply by excluding difficult cases. They should be displayed at service centres and published online in accessible formats. A Service Charter is more than an information document. It is a public commitment that makes service expectations visible and creates a basis for accountability.

Building a digitally enabled, integrated public service

Digital transformation offers Sri Lanka a significant opportunity to improve customer experience while reducing administrative costs. Citizens should increasingly be able to obtain information, submit applications, make authorised payments, track progress, receive notifications and obtain documents through secure digital channels without repeatedly visiting government offices. However, digitalisation must not merely reproduce existing bureaucracy on a computer screen. If a citizen must upload the same documents to several disconnected systems, print an online application and take it to an office for a manual signature, little meaningful improvement has occurred.

Since a citizen-centric government should therefore pursue end-to-end digital service delivery, supported by interoperable systems and redesigned business processes, the current Government has taken a step forward to initiate the groundwork for a Trade National Single-Window System. This TNSWS is long-overdue and Kudos to the Government for taking the bold step to initiate it.

The NTSWS will digitally enabled public service to incorporate the following features:

A single point of access: Citizens will be able to find reliable information about relevant government services through a well-organised digital portal, even when several institutions are involved. This system will render a paperless and cashless trading platform.

Public institutions must also protect whistleblowers and people who report improper conduct, in accordance with applicable law. Employees should feel able to raise concerns about dysfunctional processes, unethical practices and risks to public resources without fear of retaliation. It is unfortunate, however, that whistle-blowers do not have protection under the Companies Act No.7 of 2007 

The benefits to our people will include Single submission of information: Where legally permitted, information provided once will be reusable by authorised public agencies, reducing repetitive documentation.

Application tracking: Applicants will be able to determine whether their applications have been received, are being processed, require additional information or have been completed.

Secure electronic transactions: Appropriate services will support digital payments, electronic acknowledgements and authenticated delivery of documents.

Proactive communication: Citizens will receive timely notifications about appointments, missing information, decisions and expected completion dates.

Interoperability: Government systems will exchange authorised information through secure, governed arrangements instead of forcing citizens to act as couriers between agencies.

Sri Lanka’s Trade National Single Window initiative provides a useful context for this principle. Where traders must interact with multiple regulatory agencies, an integrated digital service can reduce duplicated submissions, improve visibility and make trade-related procedures more predictable. The same underlying philosophy can inform other public services. Nevertheless, technology must serve citizens rather than exclude them. Older people, persons with disabilities, residents of rural areas and those without reliable internet access or digital skills may need assisted digital services or traditional service channels. Digital transformation should offer citizens more choices, not create new barriers. The ultimate objective is a government that is digitally capable but remains human-centered.

Developing a service-oriented public-sector workforce

No public-sector reform can succeed without the commitment and competence of the people responsible for implementing it. Public servants work under different conditions, and many demonstrate considerable dedication despite limited resources, outdated systems and heavy workloads. Therefore, customer-centric reform should not assume that every service failure results from an unwillingness to serve. Some problems arise from inadequate training, unclear responsibilities, poor work design, staffing shortages or systems that make efficient service difficult. The government must address these issues through a comprehensive human resource development strategy.

First, customer service competencies should be developed across the public service. Training should cover communication, active listening, problem-solving, conflict management, empathy, ethical conduct and the ability to explain procedures in plain language.

Second, managers should be trained to facilitate service delivery. Their responsibility is not simply to supervise attendance, maintain files and enforce rules. They must remove operational obstacles, allocate resources, coach employees, monitor performance and encourage continuous improvement.

Third, performance appraisal should recognise service quality. Employees should be assessed not only on their technical responsibilities but also on timeliness, accuracy, teamwork, respectful treatment and their contribution to improving services.

Fourth, exemplary service should be recognised. Public institutions can introduce credible recognition schemes for employees and teams that demonstrate initiative, integrity and measurable improvements in citizen satisfaction. Recognition should be based on evidence and transparent criteria rather than personal connections or favouritism.

Training alone, however, will not transform the culture. Employees must also be given the authority, information, tools and support required to perform their duties effectively.

A frontline officer cannot be expected to resolve a citizen›s problem if every minor decision requires several levels of approval. Within clearly defined legal and financial boundaries, appropriate decision-making authority should be delegated to the people closest to the service user. The desired outcome is a workforce that understands both what it must do and why its work matters to the public.

Strengthening leadership, accountability and ethical governance

Customer-centricity must be driven from the top and embedded throughout the management system. Institutional leaders establish priorities through the objectives they set, the behaviour they model and the performance they reward. If senior management focuses exclusively on expenditure, staffing and procedural compliance, employees will naturally concentrate on those measures. If leaders also examine service delays, unresolved complaints, citizen feedback and the accessibility of services, customer-centricity becomes a genuine management priority.

Every public institution should appoint a senior officer accountable for service improvement, supported by a cross-functional team representing operations, human resources, information technology, finance and frontline service delivery. These teams should regularly examine performance, identify recurring problems and agree on corrective action. Their discussions must lead to decisions with named owners, deadlines and measurable outcomes.

Accountability must also be supported by integrity and impartiality. Citizens should receive services according to the law and objective eligibility criteria, not political connections, personal influence, social status or the ability to offer unofficial payments. Reducing unnecessary face-to-face transactions, publishing requirements and fees, introducing traceable digital payments and recording decisions can reduce opportunities for arbitrary treatment and corruption. Yet digitalisation alone cannot eliminate misconduct. Effective internal controls, independent oversight, protected complaint mechanisms and credible disciplinary procedures remain essential.

Public institutions must also protect whistleblowers and people who report improper conduct, in accordance with applicable law. Employees should feel able to raise concerns about dysfunctional processes, unethical practices and risks to public resources without fear of retaliation. It is unfortunate, however, that whistle-blowers do not have protection under the Companies Act No.7 of 2007. 

Equally important is the need to separate legitimate accountability from a culture of fear. If public officers are punished indiscriminately for every mistake, they may avoid making decisions even when action is necessary and lawful. A mature accountability framework distinguishes deliberate wrongdoing, negligence and repeated poor performance from reasonable decisions made in good faith under difficult circumstances. The objective is a public service in which integrity is protected, performance is visible and responsibility cannot be avoided.

Lanka Reformist Forum (LRF)

A new Civil Society has been formed under the nomenclature of Lanka Reformist Forum. As I understand, this forum consists of professionals, business leaders and entrepreneurs who have decided to support a governance that has genuine love for the country and therefore act in its best interest.  This group established the LRF in 2024 supporting the incoming NPP Government and are offering their professional services free of fees/costs for the love of our country. It is now up to the Government to harness their support to steer Sri Lanka in a righteous path where integrity, transparency and respect for the law take pride of place. I believe that the LRF is gaining strength from membership escalations and their undying commitment to bring Sri Lanka to a first world country corruption-free and where discipline and integrity must be established among school children from primary education through secondary and University levels. 

When your grandchildren/great grandchildren ask you, “Seeya (grandfather)/Athamma (grandmother), what have you contributed toward establishing Sri Lanka as a safe and economically developed, righteous and disciplined nation?”  What will be your answer to them? Pause to think! 

(The author is a sought-after management consultant, coach and corporate management trainer. He has held Regional Director positions in multinational and Fortune 500 companies for East Africa and for the Southeast Asia and India regions. He has carried out consulting assignments for the CEB, SLTMobitel, Airport and Aviation Services, SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, CRIB, World Bank, the ADB and the UNDP)