Public Perceptions of Botswana’s Improvement of Land administration Procedures, Capacity and Systems Project (LAPCAS): The Role of Marketing and Publicity Initiatives In raising Public Awareness and Their Service Quality Effect.

Abstract

Quality service provision remains elusive for most organizations. Like other government services before, LAPCAS was initiated as an information technology tool to improve service delivery to members of the public. This study evaluates the initiatives used to market and publicize this project and the success rates of those initiatives. To gauge the perception of the public to this initiative, the study measures the service experiences of a sampling of members of the public at three different locations to conclude on the perceptions they hold on the project. The study followed two methods of collecting data. Face to face interviews were conducted with public relations practitioners at the selected locations to establish the official marketing and publicity strategies adopted for the LAPCAS project, their success rates and thier internal reviews. Self-administered administered questionnaire were the second data collection used by the study to measure public perceptions of the service quality of services related to the LAPCAS project. The questionnaires were issued to members of the public who had just accessed LAPCAS services to gauge their service experience against their expectations, which in this case were the publicized service standards. Results of the interviews show that Kgotla meetings, outreach and satellite offices, advertising fliers, radio and television programs, exhibition shows and social media were some of the initiatives used to publicize the project. The combined effect of the measures had a success rate of between 80% and 85% in reaching the targeted audience. Having reached the majority of the target audience, what was the service experience of the public? Using SERVQUAL service quality measure, the study results indicate that the sample perceived the service offered by staff as being reliable and responsive, with a strong majority of the sample decrying lack of assurance as a concern. The study methodology and results can be useful to service organizations seeking to identify service deficiencies within their processes and operations. The results could be used to develop human resource training manuals for organizations. The research also contributes the existing body of knowledge, more especially to non-existent research on the LAPCAS project in Botswana.