ABSTRACT
The essence of establishing public institutions at the federal, state and local government levels is to ensure that quality and efficient services are delivered to the people. But this according to members of the public is not the case, as what seems obtainable by them from the public sector is a far cry from their expectations, thus making the federal government in 2004 to enter into a service compact with all Nigerians in the establishment of SERVICOM. Many years after the establishment of SERVICOM, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, (UBTH) and other public institutions have keyed into its establishment. Today, many researchers continued to wonder if service delivery has improved. The thrust of this research therefore, is to examine the implications of service compact (SERVICOM) on service delivery in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital,(UBTH).
A descriptive and cross-sectional survey research design was adopted because it explains the concept of SERVICOM as well as its implications on service delivery in the UBTH. To ensure equal representation, seven(7) respondents each were drawn from the thirty(34) departments of the UBTH which amounted to a total of two hundred and thirty-eight(238) clinical and non-clinical staff sampled out of two thousand six hundred (2600) population of the hospital including the SERVICOM Unit. Out of the retrieved questionnaire, two hundred and seventeen (217) representing 91.8% of the total distributed questionnaire were properly filled according to specifications and were considered satisfactory. A descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, percentage analysis, chi-square and spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for the analysis of data obtained from the weighted five point Likert scale research questionnaire and raised hypothesis. The theoretical framework of this research was hinged on the Gap Model as developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry which expressed the gap in differences between the expectations and actual services received by clients of organizations.
From the analyzed and interpreted data, findings revealed that a relationship exists between SERVICOM and service delivery in the UBTH, there is gross insufficiency in the budgetary allocation of funds to the SERVICOM unit, and there is shortage in the personnel strength of the SERVICOM unit. Therefore the following recommendations were made, that there should be proper orientation for both staff of the UBTH and the SERVICOM unit to enable them see themselves as partners in progress and not antagonists, budgetary allocations to the SERVICOM unit should be increased by the federal government, and there should be an increase in the personnel strength of the staff of the SERVICOM unit.
