Cambodia Enhances Public Services to Meet Citizen Needs Through Participatory Approach

Banteay Meanchey Province in western Cambodia has taken a significant step towards enhancing the quality and efficiency of public services, directly responding to the needs of its citizens. On September 3, 2026, the province hosted the first joint steering committee meeting of the "Improving Public Service Delivery Program in Cambodia Phase II (ISD II)". The meeting was presided over by Governor Ouk Rathry and attended by approximately 100 participants, including representatives from the Policy Analysis and Development Unit, the Cambodian National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDDS), the Cambodian Agency for Development Cooperation (LuxDev), ISD II program managers, and representatives from target provinces and partner organizations. Governor Ouk Rathry emphasized the importance of improving public services, stating that it is not the responsibility of a single institution but requires cooperation from all stakeholders, with citizens as the ultimate beneficiaries. He highlighted that efficient service delivery should be based on principles of transparency, accountability, efficiency, quality, and responsiveness. Public officials and service providers must understand citizen needs and strive to reduce procedural complexities to ensure easy and timely access to services. The governor considered the meeting a crucial platform for target provinces to share experiences, challenges, lessons learned, and implementation results, and to discuss joint solutions for more effective and targeted implementation of the ISD II program. He also stressed the role of sub-national administrations in effectively implementing government policies and programs at the local level, noting that strengthening local administration capacity and improving service delivery systems are key to building citizen confidence in public institutions. Governor Ouk Rathry further stated that the implementation of the ISD II program should focus on creating tangible changes that citizens can feel and see through quality services, accountability of officials, and faster responses to their requests or needs. The participation of Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Siem Reap, and Stung Treng provinces is expected to foster a collaborative network, allowing each province to learn from each other's strengths and adapt suitable experiences to their local contexts. Through this meeting, exchanges of views between provincial administrations, relevant institutions, and development partners are expected to help clearly identify challenges in service delivery and find new strategies to improve their effectiveness. The program is organized by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Secretariat of the NCDDS, along with relevant partners, aiming to contribute to a more efficient public service delivery system in Cambodia focused on citizen needs. Overall, this first joint meeting serves not only as a platform to discuss the implementation of the ISD II program but also as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between sub-national administrations, national institutions, and development partners to further promote public service delivery that is of higher quality, more efficient, and better responsive to citizens. For the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Administration, hosting this meeting demonstrates its active participation in the process of improving governance and public services, as well as its commitment to making state services closer to the people, in line with the direction of public administration reform and sub-national democratic development. Information Source: AKP Khmer