Citizens have a wide range of voice mechanisms, most entailing direct participation by the users. But less conventional devices, such as the Indonesian service fee, can act as or amplify the people s voice. The devices must be appropriate to the situation. Elsewhere, plans to provide a voice to a user group must recognize that the group will need time to learn how to use it effectively. Users paying a service fee are likely to be more vigilant and demanding.
Decentralization helps improve services.
To respond promptly to increased consumer demands, agencies will need to transfer authority and budgetary resources to the local level. Governments that fail to do this are likely to encounter heightened criticism from frustrated, no longer docile users. Information sharing is important. While most developing countries have laws governing public services and their providers, the regulations often are silent on what the public can or ought to expect in standards, quality, and reliability. Where regulations do set standards, the user generally is still kept in the dark.