2 CITIZEN SERVICE CENTERS Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery The City of Pan evo’s Citizen Service Center, Serbia Streamlining Service Delivery and  Fostering Inclusion at the Municipal Level Abstract and technical solutions are aimed at providing equal access to all (see box 1 for more information about the city). This case study provides an overview of the Pan evo Citizen Service Center (CSC), which, since its establishment in In 2001, the city assembly set up an information kiosk; 2009, has delivered a variety of municipal services to citi- in 2003, a call center; and in 2005, an initial service center. zens under one roof. It examines the measures established These actions, in addition to the start of the decentralization process in January 2007 (see box 2) paved the way for the by the municipal team to guarantee equal access to services assembly’s 2008 decision, which provided the legal basis for for all segments of the population and to improve the quality the establishment of the CSC (see appendix 1). Construction of service delivery, notably by migrating certain procedures work began soon after to prepare space for the CSC at the online and providing citizens with rapid feedback mecha- town hall, a process that went hand-in-hand with human nisms. While institutional coordination, funding, staff moti- resources planning, trainings, and the acquisition of neces- vation, and capacity to meet demand remain challenges, the sary equipment. CSC has become a key focal point for the municipality, with the number of citizens visiting the center each year almost These developments were motivated by the city assem- equaling the city’s inhabitants. Successes achieved through bly’s desire to work toward achieving three key objectives: this local-level, one-stop-shop model include easier access, 1. Develop closer relationships with citizens by providing greater efficiency, faster delivery, improved communication, high-quality information regarding municipal services and and better quality of information for citizens. more effective service delivery; 1. Pan evo Citizen Service Center 2. Increase the openness, transparency, and accountability of the city-level administration; and Context and Legal Basis 3. Create a “go-to” focal point and a pleasant physical space The Pan evo Citizen Service Center, which began operations for citizens seeking to resolve a range of issues. on June 29, 2009, is located inside the fully renovated town hall. It provides customer-oriented, efficient, and transparent Challenges and bottlenecks identified before the pro- services to the citizens of Pan evo. Its systems, procedures, cess began included scattered information provision and a 2 Citizen Service Centers Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery Box 1. Pan evo at a Glance: Becoming a Citizen-Oriented City Pan evo is a medium-sized city of approximately 130,000 inhabitants, situated in South Vojvodina, 18 kilometers from the Serbian capital of Belgrade and stretching over 755 square kilometers. Twenty-six different ethnic groups live in the territory, and the municipality actively seeks to improve its interactions with citizens. For example, the city assembly has organized public hearings since December 2014a and has taken action on gender-sensitiveb and participatory budgetingc since 2015. In December 2016, Pan evo became the first city in Serbia to provide live streaming of its assembly meetings.d The city administration is using Facebook and YouTube to communicate with citizens. In March 2017, Pan evo’s Facebook page was “liked” by over 11,000 users. The city assembly meeting was viewed by almost 500 people the first time it streamed on YouTube; and after this first streaming, the number of subscribers to the city’s YouTube channel increased tenfold. A promotional video for Pan evo, released in November 2016, was viewed by almost 150,000 people. In addition, as part of the Urban Partnership Program Plan on Integrity, the municipality is planning to introduce a sys- tem of “open doors,” i.e. scheduled time dedicated to direct contact between municipal officials and citizens. a. See http://edoc.pancevo.rs/index.php?page=13&id=283&db=1. b. See the Center for Gender Equality website at http://savetzarodnuravnopravnost.rs/. c. See http://www.pancevo.rs/lokalna-samouprava/participativno-budzetiranje/. d. See https://www.youtube.com/user/PancevoGrad/feed. “multiple doors” system for citizens; these were replaced Accessibility by a single point of contact for the municipality and a “one- The CSC is located on the ground floor of the town hall, i.e., door” model. the city administration building, in the center of the city, mak- Basic Functioning and Architecture ing it easily accessible by public transportation. Bicycle racks are also available. People with disabilities can easily enter: The citizen service center is situated in a hall comprising 22 there is a ramp for wheelchairs and no doorsteps or stairs to counters and an electronic ticketing system. Upon arrival, navigate. Regular weekday hours are 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., citizens choose among the services they would like to receive except Wednesdays, when the center is open until 7:00 p.m. and obtain a ticket that indicates their user number and the to increase access for working citizens. counter to which they should go. The ticket also includes the time and date as well as the number of clients ahead of them. 2. Access, Services, and Inclusiveness When their number appears on the appropriate screen, they approach the officer at the counter. A signal is sounded to Access Channels announce each new client, making communication with rel- Citizens can access services at the CSC in person, or they evant staff faster and easier, and shortening waiting times. can communicate with the CSC by email (usluznicentar@ The center is modern and brightly lit, it is air conditioned pancevo.rs) or telephone (013-311-211). The CSC’s introduc- with double glass doors, and its offices have transparent tion was linked to some procedures becoming digitized so glass walls. It opens onto a small garden patio, and the green citizens can also use the city’s online portal (www.pancevo. and red colors of the furniture as well as the seating arrange- rs). The CSC is the focal point for System 48, a reporting line ments create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. for citizens. Through this system, individuals can notify the 3 The City of Pancevo’s Citizen Service Center, Serbia: Streamlining Service Delivery and Fostering Inclusion at the Municipal Level Box 2. Local Self Government in Serbia: An Overview Legal Framework 5. be responsible for development and improvement The 2006 Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and the of tourism, craftsmanship, catering and commerce; 2007 Law on Local Government provide for three levels of 6. be responsible for environmental protection, pro- governance: central, provincial, and local. Local self-gov- tection against natural and other disasters; protec- ernment units are divided into the City of Belgrade, which tion of cultural heritage of the municipal interest; has a special status; 23 cities (grad); and 150 municipal- ities (opstina). A municipality is the basic unit of local 7. protection, improvement and use of agricultural self-government; to qualify as a city, an agglomeration land; must include over 100,000 inhabitants. Subsequent laws, 8. perform other duties specified by the Law.”a such as the Law on Local Self-Government, the Law on the Capital City, the Law on Territorial Organization, the Law Cities are also responsible for the local police services.b on Financing of Local Self-Government, and the Law on Governance of Municipalities Local Elections further shape the decentralization process. All municipalities have elected assemblies of 19–75 mem- Responsibilities/Mandate of Municipalities bers serving four-year terms. The municipal executive (the Article 190 of the constitution reads: president of municipality) is elected by the local assembly and also serves a four-year term. “The municipality shall, through its bodies, and in accordance with the Law: Sources of Income/Financing Local governments derive the majority of their revenues 1. regulate and provide for the performing and devel- from four sources: (1) centrally administered personal opment of municipal activities; income taxes; (2) a formula-based recurrent transfer 2. regulate and provide for the use of urban con- from the central government; (3) local taxes, including the struction sites and business premises; property tax; and (4) local fees (World Bank 2013). The importance of each of these sources, as well as the level of 3. be responsible for construction, reconstruction, revenues they generate, varies by jurisdiction. The 2006 maintenance and use of local network of roads and Law on Financing of Local Self-Government, amended in streets and other public facilities of municipal inter- 2011, regulates financial transfers from the central to the est; regulate and provide for the local transport; local level of government. Since 2011, 80 percent of local 4. be responsible for meeting the needs of citizens in income taxes received by self-governments have been the field of education, culture, health care and social based on the place of residence of the individual compared welfare, child welfare, sport and physical culture; with 40 percent in prior years (Mija i 2012). a. See Serbian constitution at https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Serbia_2006.pdf?lang=en. b. See “Division of Powers” at the European Committee of the Region’s web site at https://portal.cor.europa.eu/divisionpowers/countries/Candidates/Serbia/Pages/ default.aspx. 4 Citizen Service Centers Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery Table 1. The Link between the Types of CSC-Provided Services and Human Rights Type of service Description of service Link to Human Rights Social services Transactions related to child allowances Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Article 26: “every and child support. child has the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance,” and Article 27, “states parties must … take appropriate measures to assist parents to implement this right and shall in case of need provide material assistance and support programs, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing.” Tax-related services Transactions related to local tax administration. Administrative services Transactions related to birth, marriage, Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Article 7(1): and death registrations; provision of birth “The child shall be registered immediately after birth and certificates; authentication of documents. shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality.” Education Provision of information about student Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Article 28(1): loans and scholarships. “States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular: ... (c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means; (d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all.” Land Provision of information about urban Council of Europe, European Social Charter (1996), Article 31: planning, construction, and engineering. “Everyone has the right to housing.” Services for refugees The position of the Commissioner for Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Article 3: Refugees was established in local self- “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” government units after the breakup of 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, Article 33: Yugoslavia in the 1990s, which led to “Prohibition of expulsion or return (“refoulement”) significant numbers of internally displaced people. The refugee status allowed many 1. No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a citizens to receive support from the refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories Serbian government, such as financial where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of and housing assistance, after the war. his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social Nowadays, given that Serbia has become group or political opinion.” more of a transition than a destination country in terms of international migration flows, the need for this institution has decreased somewhat. System 48 A municipal complaint mechanism for International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976), citizens that guarantees a response within Article 25(c): “Every citizen shall have the right and the 48 hours. opportunity … to have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in his country.” 5 The City of Pancevo’s Citizen Service Center, Serbia: Streamlining Service Delivery and Fostering Inclusion at the Municipal Level Tactile paving at the entrance of the CSC. all services; engages a coordinator for issues affecting Roma people; and provides a barrier-free infrastructure, including a Orientation table in Braille donated by the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs ramp and elevator for people in wheelchairs, tactile paving, a table with Braille lettering, and a hearing or induction loop municipality by telephone, email, or text message regarding system for the identification of speech for people with hear- a problem, and they are guaranteed a response within 48 ing or speaking disabilities. hours, detailing the manner and time by which the problem The barrier-free infrastructure for people with disabilities will be solved. This system is present in several municipali- is the result of the municipality team’s initiative and is in line ties in Serbia (see box 5). with national strategies and laws. The city administration has Implementing and Involved Agencies also issued instructions regarding people using the assis- The secretary of the Secretariat for Common Affairs/General tance of guide dogs on the premises.1 Administration is in charge of the CSC. Six agencies pro- The CSC plays an important role in the integration of vide services through the CSC: (1) Registry Office, (2) Local Roma people—among the service providers it houses is the Tax Administration, (3) Public Services and Social Affairs, coordinator for issues affecting the population. The coor- (4) Commissioner for Refugees, (5) Student Services; and dinator facilitates communications with and support to (6) Utilities-Related Services. In addition, a dedicated CSC the Roma community, such as issuing identification cards, counter files citizen complaints under the System 48 frame- work (see box 5). The citizen service center has put in space special Mechanisms to Guarantee Nondiscrimination measures for: and Access for Marginalized and Vulnerable Populations • Citizens living in rural or remote areas, The citizen service center is partic- • The elderly, ularly dedicated to guaranteeing equal • Ethnic and linguistic minorities, access to services to all segments of the population. • People with disabilities, and To this end, it provides services to • Persons with limited levels of literacy. rural areas; sensitizes staff to respond to the needs of the elderly and people 1. See the City of Pan evo website at http://www.pancevo.rs/lokalna-samouprava/ with low levels of literacy regarding pravilnici/. Hearing loop 6 Citizen Service Centers Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery helping them access the health care and education systems, Simplification of Processes/Legal Framework and participating in projects specifically designed to include The main process changes relate to the legal framework, the Roma. Under this umbrella and based on local needs, the which has shifted the burden of providing justificatory doc- municipality organizes and finances mobile teams composed uments away from the citizen and toward state agencies. of doctors and psychologists, for example, to travel to nearby Citizens used to have to submit documents that the state localities (and sometimes schools) to bring services closer to already possessed; cooperation among agencies is now the Roma population. required to gather these documents through back-office pro- In addition, birth certificates are being provided in the lan- cesses (see box 3). guages of national minorities, such as Bulgarian, Hungarian, Funding and Costs Macedonian, and Romanian. While financial support for information technology equip- ment (computers and printers) was provided by USAID, the 3. Organization entire budget of the CSC is covered by the City of Pan evo. Coordination and Cooperation Costs related to the CSC are not separated from the over- According to municipal representatives, coordination across all city budget; they are integrated into other administration city departments was already fairly smooth prior to the intro- expenses. This integrated funding model reduces pressure duction of the CSC; little has changed in this respect. The on the CSC budget and guarantees a degree of support and establishment of the CSC did, however, markedly improve sustainability. Funding remains an issue, however, which relations between the municipality and central-level agen- constrains the extent to which the CSC can achieve its goals cies and between state-owned enterprises and utility pro- and improve its performance. viders primarily due to System 48 (see box 5). CSC agency heads note that there has also been progress in terms of both horizontal and vertical coordination and cooperation. Box 3. The 2016 Act on General Administrative Procedure On February 29, 2016, the Serbian parliament adopted the Act on General Administrative Procedure, which sets out the principle of effectiveness and economy of procedures. The principle requires that public authorities only request that citizens provide data and documents in cases where no official records are otherwise kept. If official records are available, the administration is responsible for obtaining and processing them. Authorities who request unnecessary documents from citizens could be charged with a misdemeanor. If another agency is holding the records, the authority in charge of the proceedings must request them; the agency must provide access to the data free of charge within 15 days and, if possible, electronically submit the requested documents. The administrative actions covered by the act include record keeping, the issuing of certificates, the provision of information, and the collecting of statements. The law therefore lays the basis for a one-stop-shop approach because the burden of providing information and official documents shifts from citizens to the authorities. Source: Aksi and Mirkovi (2016). 7 The City of Pancevo’s Citizen Service Center, Serbia: Streamlining Service Delivery and Fostering Inclusion at the Municipal Level Information Technology and Digitization 4. Staffing and Organizational Culture Alongside the opening of CSC, the city introduced e-govern- Personnel, Recruitment, and Training ment services (see box 4), which primarily allow citizens to request documents over the Internet, such as birth and citi- The CSC employs 30 staff members on open-ended con- zenship certificates or copies of existing birth, marriage, and tracts who are recruited by the respective city administration death certificates; or to check data in the electoral register. departments dealing with service delivery. CSC staff have received training, most notably delivered by USAID, on com- In addition, the center introduced the SMS-based System municating and working with customers, utilizing informa- 48 service, which allows citizens to directly receive notifica- tion technology, and using the electronic ticketing system. administration about the status of their tions from the city ​​ complaints on their mobile phones. Incentives and Job Satisfaction In the absence of clear options for influencing extrinsic moti- Pan evo is the first local administration in the country vation, for instance by designing reward and punishment sys- that allows citizens to submit tax requests through a mobile tems for staff, the municipality is considering the introduction application and to view the current status of their accounts. of a staff evaluation system—often considered a prerequisite However, less than 10 percent of legal entities and entrepre- to quality human resource management because it creates a neurs currently use the application—most still prefer per- safe space for staff and managers to interact. Given the rela- sonal interaction at a CSC counter. tively low salaries in the public sector, however, progress and increased efficiency are primarily due to the personal initia- tive and commitment of motivated individuals—the intrinsic motivation of the CSC staff is quite high. Box 4. E-services Procedures The key drivers of staff motivation are human rela- Citizens wishing to use the City of Pan evo online ser- tionships and trainings. As a result of the simplification to vices must visit the official website at www.pancevo. administrative processes (for example, the responsibility for rs, open the “E-Governance” page, and enter their per- the verification of documents being recently transferred to sonal identification number issued by the Department public notaries), some staff who used to be overburdened for Information. After being logged in, citizens can then have regained some degree of availability. An issue raised by select the documents they want to order; requests are the heads of the agencies represented in the CSC in terms of logged in by the Registry Office. Copies can be picked human resource management is that some staff are getting up at the CSC or be delivered by mail. The website older but are still required to engage in intense face-to-face includes relevant information about administrative fees interactions with clients. for ordering documents, and payments can be made on delivery. When obtaining a personal identification Organizational Culture number, citizens can opt for SMS services and choose Human rights are an integral part of the organization’s cul- to receive notifications on their mobile phone from the ture. For instance, the CSC’s presentation leaflet, which was city. The e-governance and SMS services are managed produced at the time of its launch, notes that the center by the city’s Information Technology Department (infor- aims to ensure that citizens can directly communicate with matika@pancevo.rs; 013 344 422 ext. 200). informed officials and “exercise their rights within the local 8 Citizen Service Centers Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery government jurisdiction.” References to human rights are Regarding institutional coordination, according to the Act included in training materials, official documents, and other on General Administrative Procedure, other agencies must communication materials. The common understanding of deliver CSC-requested documents within 15 days. Some “rights,” however, is linked to national and local regulations agencies, however, have been rather slow in responding to and the legal framework, i.e., the rights that citizens are enti- CSC’s requests, delaying service delivery to citizens. tled to in the national or local context; much less from the Regarding funding, staff motivation, and capacity to meet perspective of broader, universal human rights. demand, key remaining obstacles include limited financial An additional key element of the organizational culture is resources and few opportunities for the training of employ- the thriving for excellence in service delivery. ees. In addition, the expectations of citizens must be man- aged. For instance, when media disseminate the information 5. Operational Results that “construction permits can now be issued within five days”, some citizens do not realize that this timeframe only Monitoring Mechanisms applies after they have submitted all necessary documents, Performance indicators measured by the CSC include: which can lead to disappointment. • Waiting time for visitors, The legal framework and technology seem to pose less of • Time to process request (by service), a challenge, but measures to improve service delivery might include the continuous modernization of technical equip- • Attendant’s performance/behavior, ment (hardware and software). • Number of completed transactions per service, and Successes in Implementation • Number of complaints. The three factors that helped the CSC implementation pro- cess the most were political leadership, capital investment, The head of the Secretariat for Common Affairs monitors and reengineering of processes. the quality of service on a daily basis; surveys are also peri- odically conducted for this purpose. Key successes include: Implementation Challenges • Easier access for citizens and greater efficiency in ser- In a 2017 online survey, using a scale of 1 (not a challenge at vice delivery. In 2016, 117,929 citizens visited the citizen all) to 5 (a very significant challenge), municipal representa- service center—a monthly average of 9,827 users with tives with knowledge of the CSC rated the following elements: variations, for example, in January, when the number was lower, and in February, when it was over 10,000. With • Institutional coordination: 4 the city’s total population size at around 130,000, these • Funding: 4 numbers are quite significant. The Tax Administration Department is among the most-visited agencies at the • Staff motivation: 4 CSC. It serves an average of 87 citizens per day, i.e., over • Capacity to meet demand: 4 43 people at each of its two counters, compared to 30 per day at other counters. The department also participates • Legal framework: 3 in an educational effort to help citizens better understand • Technology: 2 the role and importance of local-level taxes. 9 The City of Pancevo’s Citizen Service Center, Serbia: Streamlining Service Delivery and Fostering Inclusion at the Municipal Level The citizen service center’s welcoming booth with an e-ticketing system, waiting area, and service counters. • Faster service for citizens. In 2016, the average waiting 24.8 percent of service users said they were completely was 2 minutes, 51 seconds; the average transaction time satisfied, 34.2 percent were satisfied, 26.2 percent were was 9 minutes, 11 seconds. The latest figures indicate neither satisfied nor unsatisfied, 6 percent were not sat- that in February 2017, the CSC was visited by 450 to 600 isfied and 8.6 percent were not satisfied at all. In terms of users per day with an average of 471 visitors per day; 3 quality of information provided by the CSCs employees, minutes, 51 seconds of waiting time; and 10 minutes of 16.3 percent of users rated it as excellent, 25.5 percent transaction time. very good, and 40 percent good, with only 11.6 percent bad and 6.7 percent very bad. • Greater overall satisfaction, particularly with quality of information. A January 2017 public perception sur- • Effective communication strategy. The CSC’s launch vey regarding citizens’ opinions on the quality of com- in June 2009 was accompanied by a widespread public munication and their general satisfaction with services relations and marketing campaign. Information about provided reveals that, on a scale of one (lowest) to five the opening of the CSC was sent to the post boxes of all (highest) Pan evo’s citizen service center ranks a strong citizens, leaflets were distributed, and local buses were “4” for both questions. Regarding overall satisfaction, branded with CSC-related communications. The center’s 10 Citizen Service Centers Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery Box 5. System 48 System 48 is a two-way citizen–municipality feedback system, which has been introduced in several Serbian cities on a voluntary basis. This system allows citizens to contact their city administration by SMS, email, or telephone to highlight problems related to utilities, pub- Logo designed for the lic health and safety, water, roads, electricity infrastruc- Citizen Service Center ture, or other matters. Administrators have 48 hours to respond once the citizen’s message has been logged, communication strategy is based on ongoing public rela- using the same communication channel unless the citi- tions and marketing campaigns, including the provision of zen indicates another preference. If possible, the munici- information on its official website, through local media, pality tries to ensure that problems are also solved within and on social media. 48 hours. If a resolution will take longer than that, the citizen is given the name of the person in charge of the The logo of the City of Pan evo’s citizen service center request and the estimated time it will take to resolve the symbolizes the creation of a link between citizens and the issue. The head administrator, the focal point for receiv- city administration as well as the improvement of processes ing System 48 notifications in Pan evo, forwards them through e-procedures—the circle is reminiscent of the “@” to the relevant actors. The system recognizes delays and sign. The red, gray, and green colors that define the CSC’s indicates red flags when answers have not been provided physical space evokes a warm feeling, unlike the traditional in the 48-hour timeframe. “administration blue.” 6. Citizen Engagement and the Way the issue. Finally, complaints can be addressed through inter- Forward active and proactive communications through email, regular mail, social media, or in person. At this stage, no statistics are Toward a Citizen-Centered Model of Service Delivery being kept on the complaints submitted by citizens. The “ED Comment” is a monitoring system at Pan evo’s CSC that measures citizen satisfaction. Data are collected on a A few weeks after the launch of the CSC, a survey was monthly basis to reorganize and improve the center’s every- carried out to seek feedback from citizens regarding the day functioning. organization of the CSC’s counters, leading to a reorganiza- tion of the counters to reflect their preferences. The center also offers citizens the opportunity to voice complaints. A citizen can use the System 48 reporting mech- In terms of proactive service delivery, the CSC has made anism, which guarantees that the municipality will respond an effort to inform tax-paying entities in advance of any mon- within two days (see box 5). Alternatively, a citizen can submit ies owed through early notifications, which reduces delays a complaint form, which is forwarded to the mayor’s cabinet. during peak visiting times of the year. Another option is for the citizen to write something into a “book of complaints,” i.e., a form sent to the head of the administra- tion, which can lead to a meeting being organized to resolve 11 The City of Pancevo’s Citizen Service Center, Serbia: Streamlining Service Delivery and Fostering Inclusion at the Municipal Level Appendix 1. Decision of the City Administration Providing the Legal Framework for the Citizen Service Center “By the Decision of the City Administration, adopted by the City Assembly in 2008, the Secretariat for General Administration is in charge of the modernization of the city administration, improvement of services and citizen service center. The Decision of City Administration is in accordance with the Law on Local Self-Government of The Republic of Serbia and in accordance with national strategic documents, which all include modernization and adjustment of state, province and local administration to the European Union standards. The citizen service center is established for perform- ing services under jurisdiction of six agencies/secretariats, including reception of submissions, birth, marriage and death certificates, local tax administration issues, Roma issues, child allowance, refugee, exiled, and internally displaced per- Additional rooms in the citizen service center complement the sons trustee, parent allowance, submission and report on service counters to offer more privacy to citizens, if appropriate communal problems… By the Regulation on internal organization of the City The Way Forward Administration, the position of the CSC Coordinator is estab- The CSC is currently working to improve its internal commu- lished with the job description of organizing tasks within nications across departments as well as its digital communi- CSC, taking care of efficiency, and continuity in providing cations. Efforts include the development of the “Action Plan services for clients. 2020” to further improve procedures. Pan evo Citizen Service Center is founded with the aims The next milestones envisaged involve improving docu- to enable direct and two-way quality communication, higher ment management at the CSC and moving toward paperless level of accessibility of services, simplification of procedures, procedures and digital-by-default systems. (Tax returns, for and overall improvement of City Administration perfor- example, still must be submitted in paper form.) In addition, mance.” the municipal team would like to develop new opportunities to stimulate staff through capacity-building and trainings. Other priorities include renewing information technology equipment and possibly developing a more integrated one- stop shop that would include additional service providers at the same location (e.g., utility providers and banks). 12 Citizen Service Centers Pathways Toward Improved Public Service Delivery References Mija i , Dragiša. 2012. “Decentralisation, Regionalism and Regional Development in Serbia.” Institute for Territorial Economic Aksi , Nikola, and Andela Mirkovi . 2016. “Serbian Parliament Adopts the Development 01/12. http://www.lokalnirazvoj.org/upload/Book/ New Act on General Administrative Procedure.” Gecic Law. https:// Document/2012_06/Inter_Newsletter_1_English.pdf. www.geciclaw.com/serbian-parliament-adopts-new-act-gener- World Bank. 2013. Serbia: Municipal Finance and Expenditure Review. al-administrative-procedure/. Report 76855-YF. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/ City of Pan evo. 2014–20 Development Strategy. http://www.pancevo. 400441468103148742/pdf/768550ESW00P130R0May0150 rs/sadrzaj/uploads/2014/07/City-of-Pancevo-Development- 20130update.pdf. Strategy.pdf. European Committee of the Regions. (n.d.). “Division of Powers in Serbia.” https://portal.cor.europa.eu/divisionpowers/countries/Candidates/ Serbia/Pages/default.aspx. Acknowledgements This case study is part of an effort to document the relationship between citizen service centers and human rights by a team led by Sanjay Agarwal and comprising Hélène Pfeil, Berenike Laura Schott, Kimberly Johns, and Saki Kumagai at the World Bank. Hélène Pfeil was the lead author of the report, with invaluable contributions from Sanjay Agarwal, Berenike Laura Schott and Kimberly Johns. The core team benefited from valuable input, comments, and guidance from Nina Bhatt, Abel Bove, and Srdjan Svircev. This report would not have been possible without the contributions and invaluable insights provided by the City Administration of Pan evo, particularly Danijela Raketic, Deputy Head of City Administration; Jasmina Radovanovic, Head of Public Relations; Marija Curcin, Head of Human Resources; Milica Marjanovic, Secretary at the Secretariat for Tax Administration; Snezana Alb, Assistant Secretary for General Affairs; Gordana Nikolic, Secretariat for Public Service and Social Affairs; Vera Sarac, Legal Department, Secretariat for Public Service and Social Affairs; Jasminka Pavlovic, Urban Planning and Social Affairs; Tatjana Medi , Head of Project Support Office; Olivera Subotic, Secretary for Economic Affairs; and Milorad Gligorovski, Information Technology Department. The authors wish to express their gratitude to the World Bank Country Management Unit in Serbia and to the World Bank-Austria Urban Partnership Program team. The authors would also like to thank Laura Johnson for her excellent edi- torial support.  Finally, the authors are grateful to the Nordic Trust Fund for its support of the activities under this initiative. The find- ings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this report are entirely those of the authors and should not in any manner be attributed to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent.