Pathways to Peace, in a recently concluded webinar, launched a survey report on community perceptions regarding inclusive, equitable and accountable public service delivery. The survey which was conducted by Verite Research  was commissioned by Pathways to Peace as a tool to inform the baseline for the interventions it has planned in subnational 15 institutions spread across 7 districts. Pathways to Peace, a 5 year project implemented by Alinea International, is funded by the Government of Canada.

Prior to the webinar, Pathways to Peace spearheaded a round table discussion to present the key findings to a group of government officials. The discussion created a forum for public service representatives to reflect on how different communities experience public services. It also provided a valuable opportunity to bring evidence into policy conversations on how to ensure public service delivery is more inclusive, equitable, and accountable for all.

The round table discussion was followed up by a webinar attended by representatives from development organisations, civil society organisations, women’s rights organisations and academics. As was highlighted both at the round table discussion and the webinar, the study, as “an analysis of perception, not an assessment of performance,” served as a critical tool to assess what is working and what is not. As such the study provides evidence-based research and replicable positive examples to inform public service policy making. It provides an invaluable view of public service delivery through the eyes of the most vulnerable and invisible in society, challenging us ask ourselves if public service delivery works for them as it does for everyone else.

As Cyrene Siriwardhana (Field Director – Pathways to Peace) the moderator for the webinar, stated in her opening remarks the 15 subnational institutions were selected primarily based on the prior engagement with these institutions through previous projects  by Alinea International and funded by the Government of Canada on the implementation of the Official Languages Policy.  One of the objectives of Pathways to Peace is to support  institutions to  implement the language plans that were developed under  a previous project.  She cautioned against the generalization of the findings of the survey as in some districts only one or two institutions were surveyed. But despite these limitations she was confident that the survey would be a “valuable resource in being indicative of inclusivity, equity , and accountability across these districts whilst also stimulating further research on public service delivery, enabling other researchers to do deeper and wider research.”

In his remarks, Kiril Iordanov(Counsellor Development/Head of Co-operation, High Commission of Canada) stated that the Government of Canada was proud to fund the Pathways to Peace project, implemented by their “trusted partner Alinea International . . . to promote peace, reconciliation and social cohesion for Sri Lanka’s diverse communities.” Noting that the project at its core was driven by the belief that peace must be inclusive, equitable and accountable, he remarked “By centering the lived experiences of service users the survey offers invaluable insight that can inform a practical reform agenda for the Government of Sri Lanka and its development partners.”

 Deepanjalie Abeywardana (Head of Verite Media and Politics, Verite Research) commenced  the presentation of the key findings stating “I can promise you that you will walk away with three things. You will know what has worked well. You will also know some of the models that are real and replicable. There will also be recommendations and action points that you can walk away with.” Explaining the methodology adopted for the study she elaborated that prior to the survey, Key Informant Interviews were carried out with government officials and representatives from marginalized communities across the 7 districts to contextualise local challenges and inform survey design. Conducted as exit interviews across 15 institutions in 7 districts, the survey collected responses from 824 respondents. Perceptions on public service delivery were evaluated through the lenses of; inclusivity, equity and accountability. The exit interviews were followed up with Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews with persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities and LGBTQI+ persons to validate the survey responses with deeper insights.

Mahoshadi Peiris (Team Lead – Verite Media and Politics, Verite Research) presenting key findings and recommendations explained that the study revealed “concrete examples of inclusive, equitable and accountable” service delivery which were easily replicable and could serve as blueprints to enhance public service delivery. Several of these examples were shared, shedding light on how responsive leadership, a diversified workforce, streamlined processes and targeted training could ensure dignified treatment for especially vulnerable persons.

The response to the report findings was highly engaging and positive. The report of the Community Perceptions on Public Service Delivery, published in Sinhala, Tamil and English, is available to public viewing and download on the Pathways to Peace Website.