Decentralization of public services in continental Portugal: the PAC efficacy

Abstract

The aim of the study was based on measuring the satisfaction of citizens using the Citizen Service Points (PAC). The Citizen Service Points are a multiservice with personalized service, installed in Local Municipalities, as extensions of Citizen Shops, which equip the regions of greatest interiority of a multichannel network ensuring greater proximity with the requirements and due diligence for Public Administration. The study focused on citizens belonging to a sample of 306 users of the 54 PAC distributed in continental Portugal. To calculate the sample size it was assumed a sample error of 5.6% and a confidence interval of 95%. The instrument for data collection was based on the Common Assessment Framework model (CAF), built on the model of excellence EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management). According to the results it can be said that citizens are satisfied with the services provided by PAC. The results showed that the variables related with the Products and Services and Global Image of the Organization were the ones that showed greater weight when we trying to measure global satisfaction of the PAC user