Lokoja Journal of Politics (LJP) Vol. 1, No. 1, December 2021 1 IMPACT OF OUTSOURCING POLICY ON THE RELIABILITY OF CLEANING SERVICES IN FEDERAL NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA 1 Mudi Bashir 2 Bulus James Ngada 3 Muhammad Abdullahi 1,3 Department of Public Administration, University of Maiduguri – Nigeria 2 Department of Public Administration, Yobe State University, Damaturu – Nigeria Abstract This study examined the impact of outsourcing on reliability of cleaning service in Federal Neuro- Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri (FNPH). The study adopted the core competency theory as a guide to the study. Survey research method was used and data were collected from primary source i.e. structured questionnaire and interview. A sample size of 214 respondents comprising of 144 senior staff, 24 junior staff and 46 patient/patient relation was drawn out of the population of 458.. While Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the sample respondents. Data were presented, analyzed and interpreted using frequency table, percentage. Paired sample t-test was used to test the hypothesis. The study found a significant improvement in the reliability of cleaning service in FNPH. It therefore concluded that outsourcing of cleaners have yielded positive improvement on cleaning service in FNPH. Hence, the study recommended that outsourcing service such as cleaning service should be sustained and improved upon. The in-house staff should not see outsourcing as a threat to their job; but as a catalyst for change. Keywords: Cleaning Service, New Public Management, Outsourcing, Reliability, Service Delivery Introduction The need for public organizations to deliver effective and efficient services has been a major concern of government and citizens. During the 20th century, the approach to public sector administration was drawn on the model of bureaucracy based on the twin principle of hierarchy and meritocracy. This model, though the longest standing and most successful model of management in the public sector was being rejected and replaced due to the appalling performance of public service. To ameliorate this problem, the New Public Management (NPM) came to replace the Old Traditional Public Administration (Umaru, 2014). NPM is a paradigm shift in public sector service delivery of imbibing the private sector styles into the various public services. Outsourcing happens to be one of these elements of NPM. Organizations contract-out non-core business or sometimes known as the support staff functions to an outside firm who has expert skill in that specific operation on a temporal basis in order to reduce cost, increase service quality and enhance performance.