Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the management skills of occupational therapy business unit managers on Assistant Director Level in the Public Health Sector (PHS) of the Free State (FS). For the purpose of this study, management skills referred to the occupational therapy business unit manager’s perception of the importance and competency experienced while doing their work within the Free State Department of Health. Occupational therapy form an integral part of the Free State Department of Health, which is a provincial public sector entity and solely responsible for health services to the majority of the population. An inquiry was initiated based on the researchers’ observation of occupational therapy business unit manager’s challenges regarding knowledge and skill when exposed to management. The investigation was conducted by making use of a questionnaire for the quantitative typical descriptive study design and semi-structured telephonic interviews for the qualitative study design. Electronic self-administrative questionnaires were distributed to all the occupational therapy business unit managers in the service of the Free State Department of Health. Ten (n=10) questionnaires, a hundred percent of employed occupational therapy business unit managers, were used for the analysis of quantitative data. Subsequently to this base-line data gathered, semi-structured telephonic interviews with open-ended questions were conducted among the target population. In conclusion the results of the study showed that the occupational therapy business unit managers in the PHS of the FS perceive a gap between their current and desired performance management skill levels. This was found to be in accordance with studies worldwide as clinicians promoted to a managerial post would prefer to utilize gained qualifications and experiences as managers within their specialty field.

<p>The privatization of public prisons has caused much controversy in South Africa as well as internationally. However, it should be noted that the level of resistance to privatisation within the South African context has been minimal by international standards. It is not clear what might have contributed to this quiet approach given the fact that there are many anti-privatisation campaigns driven by the labour movement and civil society groups in South Africa. This research investigation focused on the privatisation of prisons and prison services in South Africa and has explored the various advantages and disadvantages that exist in this respect.</p>

M.Comm. (Economics) / The financial involvement of the public sector in bidding for and hosting major international sporting events has taken various forms, including guarantees of events, sponsorships and direct government expenditure. The primary argument for the substantial use of public funds in the hosting of major events focuses on the ability to generate economic benefits for the public that exceed the costs involved. The scarcity of public funds in the public sector has led to growing scrutiny of allocation of public funds to support sporting events. The dissertation assesses whether or not the overall impact of major sporting events can justify the public funds used. The socio-economic and other impacts of different events, in both developed and developing countries, based on their experiences in hosting different sporting events as well as South Africa’s own experience, have been evaluated in this study. It is the contention of this dissertation that although major international sporting events ostensibly have positive economic spin-offs for the host country, this does not appear to be supported by evidence. Given the weak evidence or lack of evidence that major international sporting events can produce net benefits, it is not clear what motivates countries to fiercely contest for hosting rights. This dissertation therefore questions whether the hosting of major international sporting events is pursued for pure economic reasons.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Data underpins the smooth operations and strategic decision-making of the day-to-day operation of an organization’s business processes. With the increasing automation of an organization's activities, large volumes of data are generated faster than they may be consumed and digested. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform is faced with such a generation of large volumes of data. The department could have benefited from data warehousing in which data is stored within a single repository. However, there is no framework that could inform the adoption of Data Warehousing by a South African government department. This research study therefore intended to design a framework for the adoption of Data Warehousing by a South African government department.

M.Com. (Economics) / The objective of the thesis was to examine the relationship between the rand exchange rate and the interest rate under the floating exchange rate system. A theoretical analysis of previous exchange rate regimes with a particular emphasis on the floating exchange rate system was conducted. At the end of the sixties it became evident that the limitations of the fixed exchange rate system were such that it could no longer handle the tensions which had developed in the international monetary system with its great dependence on the US dollar as reserve currency and unit of accounting. The floating exchange rate system deregulates the international monetary system. Market forces are allowed to play a more prominent role in determining a price variable such as the exchange rate. This flexibility has led to the globalization and internationalization of the world's fund markets.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A research report submitted to the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Management (in the field of Public and Development Management) 30 March 2017 / This study explored the poor implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in Dihlabeng Local Municipality, with the objective of understanding the performance management concept of local government, and examining the challenges of poor service delivery faced by Dihlabeng Local Municipality. The findings of this study are important in that these will provide recommendations regarding the most appropriate processes to be considered in improving the poor implementation of PMS in Dihlabeng Local Municipality. The findings will also provide background information that traces back to the initial intention of introducing PMS for South African municipalities. A mixed approach was used. Officials and Councillors of Dihlabeng Local Municipality were surveyed and interviewed on their views on the implementation of PMS in Dihlabeng Local Municipality. Theories of PMS were discussed, which enriched and broadened the study. Following the analysis and interpretation of the findings, it was clear that the lack of support from senior management in employees’ initiatives was contributing to the poor implementation of PMS. The establishment of a conducive working environment was deemed crucial in mobilizing all employees to work towards realizing the organizational objectives. Other strategies identified in the study can assist to improve the implementation of PMS in Dihlabeng Local Municipality, and the findings can be replicated in other municipalities that have similar challenges of poor implementation of PMS. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Innovation Studies Johannesburg, 2015 / It has been stated in literature on National Systems of Innovation, growth theory and competitive advantage, that there has been an emergence of a consensus on the impact of technology on economic prosperity and competitiveness. The systems approach, with its emphasis on knowledge, learning and institutions has stressed the need for institutional change and greater integration between technology policy, industrial policy, and other aspects of public policy. There is also a need for greater coordination and integration between technology and industrial policy, and of employment and income distribution policies on each other. The ability of the government (policy makers and implementers) to achieve this intergration and coherence is key in ensuring achievement of the goals. The study assessed and evaluated the processes set up by the South African government to achieve coherence in the formulation and implementation processes. Research Questions:  Does coherence exist between the Innovation and Industrial Policy? What is the extent of the coherence?  What are the factors hindering or promoting coherence?  What is the impact of coherence or lack thereof on the achievement of goals? The methodology used in this study was document review and analysis, combined with elite interviews of senior managers in the government departments that are custodians of the policies being studied. Having coherent policies leads to achievement of set objectives and priorities. In order to achieve this coherence, there must be political leadership and commitment. It must be a general objective in all action taken by government. In South Africa, the intention is there and the structures have been set up. The evidence of Political leadership is in the Constitution, the highest law of the land. It is stipulated in the Constitution (RSA, 1996) that the policies of the government-of–the day should be executed in a cooperative manner, because in the Republic of South Africa, government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres that are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. The Constitution further stipulates that all spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must exercise their powers and perform their functions in a manner that does not encroach on the geographical, functional or institutional integrity of government in another sphere, and co-operate with one another in mutual trust and good faith. In order to manage and address the challenges of policy coherence and coordination, the South African Government has established a cluster system. These clusters are called Ministerial Clusters, which were established to foster an integrated approach to governance that is aimed at improving government planning, decision making and service delivery. The main objective is to ensure proper coordination of all government programmes at national and provincial levels. The main functions of clusters are to ensure alignment of government wide priorities; facilitate and monitor the implementation of priority programmes; and provide a consultative platform on cross-cutting priorities and matters being taken to Cabinet (SA Government, 2015). Regulations have been also put in place to foster intergovernmental relations through the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act, Act No. 13 of 2005. Challenges of capacity and resources exist in the goverment in terms of policy coordination. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting structures have been created in the form of a ministry in the presidency, the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). This monitoring is confined to the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the departments and the clusters against the outcomes stated in the Plan of Action. More reviews need to be undertaken by policy scholars to assess the impacts of the policies on the overall governmental goals.

Thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Monitoring and Evaluation) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management, University of the Witwatersrand December 2016 / The evaluation information has a critical role in informing decision making relating to implementation of the development interventions. This study is underpinned by the fact that the worth of evaluation information is determined by the extent of its influence on decision making. It is premised from the fact that there is limited utilisation of the evaluation information for decision making in the Gauteng Department of Health. Thus, the study is aimed at establishing the underlying institutional features and evaluation characteristics that serve as facilitators and/or barriers for the use of evaluation information. Past studies are reviewed to identify the knowledge gap and develop a conceptual framework to inform the research enquiry. Based on the purpose of the study and the conceptual framework, a qualitative research strategy with interpretive case study design and a purposive sample are applied to obtain in-depth description of the factors pertaining to the use of evaluation information. In addition, three research theories are employed simultaneously to understand the subject phenomenon and inform interpretation of the research findings, based on their unique concepts. The triangulation method is applied in data collection and analysis to ensure reliability and validity of the research results, with one-on-one semi-structured interviews conducted through an interview guide. The findings reveal that there are no systematic processes and procedures for identification of the users and uses of the evaluation information prior to implementation of the evaluation process. The emphasis on alignment of the evaluations to the institutional context is minimalistic in its orientation since there is little focus on the broader development agenda. There is no demonstration of facilitating inculcation of information use during the evaluation process. In general, the evaluation systems are fragmented, with no formal reward system for encouraging effective utility. The adoption and use of the evaluation findings hinges on the type of recommendations versus the institutional development agenda and capacity. There are no formal information dissemination strategies and procedures for confirming implementation of the adopted evaluation recommendations. The role of the evaluation champions is limited and thus manifested by low awareness and application of the evaluation policy framework and limited institutionalisation of the evaluation function. Last, the findings highlight key institutional features and evaluation characteristics that influence use and/or non-use of the evaluation information, which should be considered in-line with the proposed recommendations. / MT2017

Thesis - Master of Management in Public Policy. University of Witwatersrand, Wits School of Governance / Objective: In this study I deconstruct South Africa’s sanitation policy in order to understand why demand-driven service delivery (i.e. service delivery based on collective action) has failed as a tool for public policy management. The overall objective was to locate both case-specific as well as generalizable answers in the data. Method: Guided by deconstructivism and Grounded Theory Methodology this paper mapped out the South African policy landscape and proceeded to code the data collected in that exercise through three rounds of coding. Once these elements of the planning which went into the study were explained and demonstrated, the results were shared. Thereafter the details of theory-building were explained before moving on to provide a literature review to position the study. Lastly, the emergent theory was applied to the South African sanitation case as a test of usefulness. Results: The emergent codes indicated a general consensus around the idea that public policy governance is largely the responsibility of government which is seen as powerful, while individual citizens are seen as marginalized and disempowered in the course of hoping to realize their rights. Deeper analysis revealed that individual citizens are the true holders of power as they have outsourced their responsibility to participate in collective action to government, leaving government alone in the process of service delivery. Conclusion: Demand-driven service delivery fails as a tool of public policy governance where there is a misunderstanding of public policy which prevents collective action. A quasi-theory of governance as collaboration emerged as the necessary solution to this problem. / MT2017