Public Service Delivery in Rural Areas: Problems and Decisions

PUBLIC-SERVICE AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY IN RURAL AREAS OF THE U.S. REMAINS LOW RELATIVE TO URBAN AREAS. EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY IN RURAL AREAS HAVE RESULTED IN ONLY LIMITED IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE AVAILABILITY AND LITTLE OR NO REDUCTION IN SERVICE COSTS. STUDIES OF THE FEASIBILITY OF REDUCING COSTS BY CONSOLIDATING SMALL DELIVERY SYSTEMS INTO FEWER LARGER SYSTEMS REVEAL LIMITED ECONOMIES OF SIZE. THE LENGTH OF PLANNING HORIZON IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IN SERVICE DELIVERY PLANNING. AGENCY ORIENTATION IN DELIVERY SYSTEMS AFFECTS THIS ASPECT OF THE SYSTEMS FUNCTION AND OTHER AREAS TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE CONSUMER. REGARDLESS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL FORM, IT APPEARS THAT THE DESIRABLE DELIVERY SYSTEM IS ONE WITH A STRONG CLIENT ORIENTATION IN WHICH SERVICE DELIVERY IS EVALUATED AT THE POINT OF CONSUMPTION RATHER THAN EMANATION. TABLE.