Systematic Innovation Based BPR Regime—A Factors Analysis

Abstract

Sri Lankan public services have a lingering colonial legacy, and there have been several efforts since the country’s independence to break away from the restraints of the past to align them with modern times and expectations. The drive for modernization of public services passed through several phases of experimentation without much success in the past. A significant attempt at the modernization of public services was made in the first decade of this millennium; we now notice substantial changes in public service delivery (PSD) in the country. In this paper, we assess the impact of an inside-outside-inside (IOI)-based open system innovation-related business process reengineering (BPR) regime adapted for reforms in the organization and the delivery of public services in the country. We carried out an input and output analysis of the BPR regime, adopted by various departments and ministries of the government of Sri Lanka to improve the PSD infrastructure. A broad-based ground survey on a five-point Likert scale was carried out, and performance data were collected. We collected a total of 290 responses—each questionnaire was composed of 40 questions regarding the inputs and the outputs of the regime’s implementation. Applying an ordered multivariate logistic regression model, we have attempted to estimate correlations amongst inputs, results, and overall perception of success or failure of the BPR regime across 29 departments and ministries (D&M). We have tabulated summary statistics and regression results to assess the relative significance of various regime inputs and their impact on the corresponding outcomes. The outcomes suggest that while all inputs and outputs are significantly correlated, some inputs have a more significant effect on the results expected from the BPR regime. We have used original data acquired through a survey carried out directly through the PSD organizations in the country, and this study is the first of its kind in this regard. We expect this study will be of high utility to the personnel engaged in the planning and implementation of PSD through systematic innovation and BPR, not only in Sri Lanka but also for many other professionals and researchers who are engaged in designing and execution of similar service improvements and reengineering strategies in different countries around the world.