Training on access to public services conducted in Kyrgyzstan

Participants discussed the service state focused on the needs of its citizens

From 23 March to 1 April 2021, the Max Planck Foundation conducted a series of workshops on “Quality and Accessibility of Public and Municipal Services, and Citizens’ Participation in their Improvement” in Djalal-Abad, Osh, Batken, Bishkek, and Karakol in the Kyrgyz Republic. The events took place in the framework of the Foundation’s EU-funded project “Fighting against discrimination of women from ethnic minorities and ensuring their equal access to public services”. Representatives from the Government, media specialists, and women from ethnic communities of all regions took part in the training.

A local expert from the Public Technologies Centre was the trainer. She focused on the role and contribution of citizens in improving the available public and municipal services. She pointed out that citizens can play an active and important role to improve the accessibility of these services. The most discussed issue was the standard of public services. The participants used the “Emergency Health Services Standard from the Unified Register of Public Services” in working groups, as an example of improvement for service provision. Participants amended at least 10 of 14 standards. For example, timeliness to provide emergency health services. The participants also suggested using mobile apps to send feedback to service providers.