Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Good Practices and InnovATIONS in Public Governance
aggrieved citizen nor the concerned officer is able to hide or manipulate the facts of
the case. This is the crux of the system’s success. The fact that the ordinary citizen is
given a fair hearing brings contentment, even if the solution is not in his or her favour.
It also ensures a high level of accountability and transparency.
Another reason for SWAGAT’s popularity is that it is available to all groups, including
illiterate people. Anyone can access the system at local government offices. This
saves complainants time and money, as they do not have to lose workdays and bear
travel costs to have their cases heard.
The monitoring system can report at any point the number and status of cases. The
overwhelming majority of applications brought to SWAGAT have been resolved, as
the graph below shows.
SWAGAT applications, April 2003 to May 2010
60,000
Applications
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
Applications Made
Applications Resolved
49,891 49,614
45,117 43,621
10,000
0
971 971
State District SubDistrict
SWAGAT has also brought to light many repetitive grievances, thus becoming an
effective mechanism for getting feedback on public policies and making policy
changes. In some cases, compilation, classification and analysis of SWAGAT data
has exposed problems that have been resolved by intervention of the highest authorities.
In other cases, the field officers receive directions and guidance on various implementation
issues, and they learn ways to resolve problems at their end. Through
SWAGAT sessions, both citizens and the administration are better able to understand
and appreciate each other’s viewpoint and practical difficulties. All this leads to minimization
of grievances and better governance.
A significant development of SWAGAT is the systemized process that has been established.
The entire administration at the state, district and sub-district levels is prepared to
address citizens’ grievances on the days designated for SWAGAT sessions every month.
A hard focus on outcomes has driven the system to strive for positive solutions. Attempts
are made to offer a fair and acceptable solution on the same day, and no ap-
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