Examining service delivery and citizens' trust in the federal governments of Nepal

Abstract

This study assesses the linkage between citizens' trust on local governments and service delivery in the context of Nepal after implementation of federalism in 2015. The study relies on nationally representative survey data collected from 7056 citizens in 588 wards to measure citizens' perception of local government capacity, social security programs, accessibility to social services, and citizens' trust in local institutions using descriptive analysis. The results suggest that restructuring of the federal government has led to an increase in local government capacity, and greater accessibility of services. There are high levels of awareness and satisfaction with well-established social security schemes, and low levels with newer or focused schemes, reflecting unmet information needs. Citizens are moderately too highly satisfied with services but there are disparities between regions, with Madhesh Province showing the lowest satisfaction. There is no uniformity in the level of trust in the institutions or in the trust in the local and community-based institutions and the political institutions. Although the use of services has declined somewhat, the ease with which people can access services is improving and indicates administrative efficiency. The findings suggest that restructuring of local government under a federal system has led to a boost in the perception of the level of governance capacity on average. Institutional capacities need to be strengthened, communication improved, and participatory governance promoted to ensure effective federal governance and build public trust in Nepal.