MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

Public Administration / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

Public Administration and Management / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

The challenge of satisfying the demand for basic services in the current dispensation has intensified. It is anticipated that once this initial challenge has been overcome, the tide will turn and secondary services such as transfer of ownership of forestry plantations will become the new challenge. The quest for efficient and effective service delivery is paramount, regardless of whether services delivered are basic or not. This research investigation puts performance management (which focuses on individual and organisational performance), as a necessity for service delivery. The focus was on service delivery within the Chief Directorate: Forestry in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The findings demonstrated that the presence of performance management and other supporting systems does not guarantee automatic improvement in service delivery. The distinction is how effective an organisation can apply performance management in conjunction with a complete set of functional policies, systems and instruments to improve its impact on service delivery. / Public Administation / M.Tech. (Public Management)

The challenge of satisfying the demand for basic services in the current dispensation has intensified. It is anticipated that once this initial challenge has been overcome, the tide will turn and secondary services such as transfer of ownership of forestry plantations will become the new challenge. The quest for efficient and effective service delivery is paramount, regardless of whether services delivered are basic or not. This research investigation puts performance management (which focuses on individual and organisational performance), as a necessity for service delivery. The focus was on service delivery within the Chief Directorate: Forestry in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The findings demonstrated that the presence of performance management and other supporting systems does not guarantee automatic improvement in service delivery. The distinction is how effective an organisation can apply performance management in conjunction with a complete set of functional policies, systems and instruments to improve its impact on service delivery. / Public Administation / M.Tech. (Public Management)

This study gives guidelines to enhance online service delivery by the South African Police Service (SAPS by means of its website. It makes various recommendations to achieve this, following various investigations. The SAPS describes its primary goal as “service to the public”. This is in line with the South African government’s Batho Pele (“People first”) initiative to improve the delivery of public services. However, as society is changing in response to the demands of the Internet Age, service providers (for the purpose of this study, police agencies) must, too, adjust. The application of e-Governance will enable these agencies to serve the public with a wide variety of information and services. This study makes recommendations in this regard as well. In the initial study for this work user needs regarding the establishment of the SAPS website were assessed. Subsequently a study was conducted to determine best practices in various English-speaking countries, using an evaluation framework compiled for this purpose. Based on the results gained a measuring instrument was designed to evaluate the SAPS website. Four expert evaluators were then requested to do so. This resulted in an assessment of possible shortcomings of the SAPS website and recommendations for enhancing online service delivery and e-Governance. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Information Science / unrestricted

Department of Advanced Nursing Science / MCur

This study was conducted to generate an in-depth understanding of key internal audit function (IAF) customers’ perceptions of the work performed by the Department of National Treasury’s IAF. This study was further intended to address the absence of any qualitative study of IAF customers’ experiences and expectations, and their perceptions of the challenges the IAF faces. The study had five research objectives, namely: to identify the role of the IAF in the public sector in relation to its customers; to discuss strategies to meet the expectations of IAF customers; to determine the experiences of the identified key IAF customers of the work performed by the IAF in the National Treasury; to determine the expectations of the identified key IAF customers of the IAF in the National Treasury, and to ascertain what the identified key IAF customers perceive to be challenges facing the IAF in the National Treasury. In order to achieve the research objectives, the study implemented a qualitative research design using the National Treasury as a case study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants selected from the key IAF customers’ categories (comprising the audit committee (AC), executive and senior managers, programme and operating managers, and external auditors). Three main themes emerged from the identified key customers’ views. These were (1) Experiences, which revealed that the participants were reasonably satisfied with the work of the IAF in the National Treasury. Participants from the AC, the executive and senior managers, and the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) felt that the IAF does add value, while the programme and operating managers participants indicated that the IAF does not demonstrate a holistic view when it conducts evaluations. (2) Expectations, the AC participants expected the AGSA to be able to rely on the work of the IAF, that the IAF should maintain a findings register, and that it should demonstrate IT skills. Executive and senior managers participants expected the IAF to add value to the strategic direction of the National Treasury. Programme and operating managers participants expected the IAF to be open and consultative, to set realistic audit plans, to provide regular feedback, and to demonstrate knowledge of the business. The AGSA participants called for the IAF to demonstrate technical competencies as well as independence and objectivity. (3) Challenges, participants perceived the IAF’s lack of knowledge of the business, the limited reliance placed on its work by the AGSA, the lack of audit action monitoring processes and the lack of management support for the IAF as its biggest challenges. This study could benefit the National Treasury’s IAF by helping it to understand the changing needs and expectations of its customers, and to identify areas for improvement. It may also benefit professional audit bodies and the newly-established National School of Government by providing them with insights into the training needs of internal auditors, and the necessity of providing continuing professional educational programmes. / Auditing / MCom (Auditing)

This study was conducted to generate an in-depth understanding of key internal audit function (IAF) customers’ perceptions of the work performed by the Department of National Treasury’s IAF. This study was further intended to address the absence of any qualitative study of IAF customers’ experiences and expectations, and their perceptions of the challenges the IAF faces. The study had five research objectives, namely: to identify the role of the IAF in the public sector in relation to its customers; to discuss strategies to meet the expectations of IAF customers; to determine the experiences of the identified key IAF customers of the work performed by the IAF in the National Treasury; to determine the expectations of the identified key IAF customers of the IAF in the National Treasury, and to ascertain what the identified key IAF customers perceive to be challenges facing the IAF in the National Treasury. In order to achieve the research objectives, the study implemented a qualitative research design using the National Treasury as a case study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants selected from the key IAF customers’ categories (comprising the audit committee (AC), executive and senior managers, programme and operating managers, and external auditors). Three main themes emerged from the identified key customers’ views. These were (1) Experiences, which revealed that the participants were reasonably satisfied with the work of the IAF in the National Treasury. Participants from the AC, the executive and senior managers, and the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) felt that the IAF does add value, while the programme and operating managers participants indicated that the IAF does not demonstrate a holistic view when it conducts evaluations. (2) Expectations, the AC participants expected the AGSA to be able to rely on the work of the IAF, that the IAF should maintain a findings register, and that it should demonstrate IT skills. Executive and senior managers participants expected the IAF to add value to the strategic direction of the National Treasury. Programme and operating managers participants expected the IAF to be open and consultative, to set realistic audit plans, to provide regular feedback, and to demonstrate knowledge of the business. The AGSA participants called for the IAF to demonstrate technical competencies as well as independence and objectivity. (3) Challenges, participants perceived the IAF’s lack of knowledge of the business, the limited reliance placed on its work by the AGSA, the lack of audit action monitoring processes and the lack of management support for the IAF as its biggest challenges. This study could benefit the National Treasury’s IAF by helping it to understand the changing needs and expectations of its customers, and to identify areas for improvement. It may also benefit professional audit bodies and the newly-established National School of Government by providing them with insights into the training needs of internal auditors, and the necessity of providing continuing professional educational programmes. / Auditing / MCom (Auditing)

Integrative Summary In 1997 the Minister of Public Service and Administration of South Africa, Zola Skweyiya, introduced the White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery(Department of Public Service and Administration(DPSA,1997: 1). It was premised on what was called Batho Pele (DPSA, 1997: 9), giving effect to Section 197 of the Constitution, Act 108 of 1996 as amended. A linkage to performance management can be found from the assertion made in the White Paper that in future the Batho Pele would form the basis of any assessment of the performance of individual staff and that would contribute to improving the delivery of service (DPSA, 1997:16). Another factor that contributed to the utilisation of a performance management system was the recommendation put forward by the Public Service Commission of South Africa( PSC,2004: 16),that called for public institutions to adopt a clear, comprehensive performance management and evaluation framework for the delivery of public service. That was expected to turn around the ailing public institutions whose record of serving the public with pride and dignity was on the decline. The research aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the performance management system in creating and resolving role conflict with health professionals employed by the Buffalo City sub-district. The research goal was divided into three objectives, namely: evaluation of the effectiveness of the performance management system as a managerial tool for health managers to manage their subordinates including both professional and support staff, evaluation of the effectiveness of the performance system from the perspective of the health professional as a subordinate and to analyze the functioning and effectiveness of the system in creating and resolving role conflict between professional conduct and organisational requirements. The respondents noted that the implementation of the system was not matched with appointment at managerial level with officials having relevant managerial capacity. Further to that resources at the coal face of service delivery continued to deteriorate and became very scarce and there is no documented proof that has been found of an effort made to check the compatibility of the system to health professionals. The literature identified negative effects that have emanated from the implementation of the performance management system. The study was conducted by interviewing health professionals from the entry level to the management level within the Buffalo City sub-district from three mini hospitals or Health Care Centres. The respondents indicated that there are positives that have been achieved by the implementation of the system, such as the skills gap identification as well as specific targets contained in annual performance contracts. These targets help motivate health professional to focus on that particular direction of activities. Unfortunately it has been clearly documented that the performance management system has also contributed to the development of role conflict in a number of professionals. It has been documented that the system has not been crafted with a health professional in mind and, as such, appears to favour quantity rather than quality of health services as advocated by the codes of practice of different health professionals. There are a number of recommendations that were put forward by the respondents to try to salvage the system and in mitigation of the identified negative factors. For the improvement of the system, the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Health has to firstly customise the annual contracts to contain only the fundamental information. Secondly need to improve the transparency pertaining to financial pressures facing the Health Department. Thirdly the provision of essential enablers, need to be prioritised. Fourthly there is a need to upgrade the system to incorporate 360 degree feedback. Further research recommendations include a bigger sample incorporating different research methods and to also incorporate searches for measures that can be implemented to improve the system to be more relevant to health professionals. This document is organised and presented in three sections. The first section is the evaluation report with a review of literature, research methodology, findings, discussion and conclusion. The second section is where an indepth literature review is located and the last section details the research methodology.