Monitoring
6.2 Service Profitability Factors: Users’ Perspective
Maximum users shows their positive attitude on UDCs as their time, cost and visit have been reduced radically. Yet they want some more initiatives financially.
100. Access to Information (A2i) Program, Sustainability and Business Plan for Union Information and Service Centre (UISC): 05, Dhaka: PMO, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, 2014.
6.2.1 UDC should be in Common Place to Ensure Comparative TCV
In providing services the location of UDC is one of the important factors. Generally rural people are engaged with labor based work like farming, livestock rearing, horticulture, small business, day labor etc. So they have limited time to connect with public service delivery. During hat day (weekly marketing day) they meet in a common place (bazar) to meet their daily or basic necessities. If the UDC or its sub-center is near the market/
common place, people can have a smooth access here. It can save their comparative time, cost and visit (TCV). So it is important to establish UDC or its sub center near the market place.
6.2.2Free Access for the Hardcore Poor and the Disable
Most of the rural people are living in poverty. Among them some are under the hardcore poverty level. They have to live with hand to mouth. They cannot bear their basic necessities also. Some of them are disabled person like physically disabled, very old, widow etc. They cannot beer even the marginal price of UDC. They need special facility with the ICT based UDC and connect them under digital network. If they have free access to the public service of UDC, it will be great relief for them. So government should come forward to bear their cost and make their access to the UDC.
6.2.3 Closing Alternative Delivery Process
The commercial services delivered by the UDC are also available in local computer shop.
The public services are also available in traditional ways like issuing porcha, citizenship
certificate, stamp etc. A class of public servants tries to keep this traditional system active for their vested interest. In issuing porcha this class has their own interest. So, in some cases public service delivery from UDC is not succeeding. If this traditional public service delivery system can be stopped fully, UDC becomes only alternative. Then delivery of UDC will be more functional, easy and smooth.
6.2.4 Monitoring in Pricing
The researcher has dealings with 352 respondents who know about UDC or have been there. Around 20% of them claim that the entrepreneurs are charging more for public service delivery like birth registration, passport processing, porcha processing etc. During observation the researcher himself has found the complaint true to some extents. This is happening in birth registration. In porcha processing there are illegal practices in the record room of DC office. So the UP and District authority have to keep an eye on this.
6.2.5 Ensuring the Common Commercial Facilities
Every UDC should have some common commercial facilities like compose, print, scanning, photocopy, photograph, video etc. If these are available and delivered with efficiency, users will be fascinated to come to avail both public and private services, which will bring profit to both users and entrepreneurs.
6.3 Users’ Profitability Analysis
As UDCs are not providing information and service in the required level, there participation rate is meagre. In this situation users’ profitability is not momentous.
However, their valuation has been analyzed through the following scale and table with average score of each factors against every group.
Table 34: Measurement Scale and Score of Profitability Requirements factors
Scale Very Essential Essential Somehow Essential Less Essential Not Essential
Score 5 4 3 2 1
Measurement scale Profitability Requirements factors
Groups
Factors
Gender Residence Qualification Income Occupation Age
Male Female Within 1 KM Within 2 KM Within 3 KM Up to PSC JSC/JDC SSC/ Dakhil HSC or Above No Vehicle Non-mechanized Mechanized Unemployed Employed (Govt./Private) Self-Business Student Up to 25 years Up to 50 years Above 50years
Setting UDC in common
place 4.56 3.96 4.62 4.11 4.05 4.88 4.50 4.26 3.40 4.20 4.62 3.96 4.12 3.64 4.86 4.42 3.42 4.66 4.70 Free access
for disabled
person 4.48 4.00 4.44 4.30 3.98 4.36 4.30 4.05 4.25 4.30 4.26 4.16 4.20 3.74 4.78 4.24 4.24 4.68 3.80 Close
alternative service delivery
4.36 3.88 4.26 4.22 3.88 4.20 4.15 4.08 4.05 4.40 4.21 3.75 4.30 4.32 4.06 3.80 3.90 4.43 4.03
Monitoring in Pricing
4.94 3.96 4.92 4.70 3.73 4.50 4.56 4.56 4.18 4.50 4.66 4.19 4.50 4.56 4.62 4.12 4.50 4.56 4.29
Introducing commercial
services 4.36 3.82 4.21 4.12 3.94 4.39 4.15 4.08 3.74 3.07 4.58 4.62 3.87 4.12 4.46 3.91 3.62 4.72 3.93
The above table presents the average scores of different user groups regarding every factors. If the average score against every indicator is calculated, it will indicate their significance.
Table 35: Profitability Factors and Their Factors with Means and Ranks
Required Factors Factors’ Factors Rank Mean
Service Profitability:
people’s perspective
41 Setting UDC’s sub-center at common place 3 2.67
42 Free access for disabled person 5 2.40
43 Closing alternative service delivery 4 2.61
44 Price Monitoring 1 4.55
45 Introducing common commercial services 2 3.04
From the above tabulation and analysis it is found that users are not concern much about their cost and profitability. They will be benefitted financially if the price of public service is reasonable, common commercial services are available. Side by side if the government take initiative to make the public services free for the disabled, they will participate smoothly. If the UDC of its sub-center is established in a common place, it will save their time, cost and visit. Side by side they can get comparative benefits in other works concerning market place.