Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employees, whether in the public or private sector, are the most valuable asset of an organisation. The human resource component of the organisation contributes toward the creation of a positive advantage for that organisation. Any organisation with high performance goals will treat people as their most valuable asset and the top priority within the organisation. Too many organisations still do not invest in the human side of the equation, but emphasise the technical efficiency which reaps financial investment. Organisations that want to remain competitive and at the leading edge must invest more in the human side of the equation. Today more and more organisations are aware of their social responsibility towards their employees. Employees experience a multitude of personal and work-related problems such as marital, family and financial difficulties, substance abuse, the impact of HIV/AIDS, job stress, job burnout and other. These problems influence work performance detrimentally, which in turn causes financial losses to the organisation. Further pressure is placed on the work community with government legislation on employment equity and affirmative action, which also leads to diversity problems within the workplace. In this milieu, work organisations are challenged to take up their social responsibility towards their employees and take better care of them. One way in which organisations can take care of their employees is through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). An EAP is a service provided by organisations to their employees to deal with health, personal, marital and substance abuse problems and other. It is a short-term, confidential counselling service for employees who are experiencing personal problems that affect their work performance and which can therefore improve the employees‟ general wellness. Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) does not have a formal structure such as an EAP to render support to a troubled employee. This research focused on the question: “Is there a need for an EAP at CWDM?” The data gathered in this study reveal that there is a great need for an EAP. On the basis of the outcome of the study, ten practical guidelines for implementation of an EAP are provided to the organisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werkernemers, hetsy in die privaat of publieke sektor, is die waardevolste bate van die organisasie. Die menslike hulpbron komponent dra by tot die skepping van ʼn positiewe voorsprong vir daardie organisasie. Enige organisasie met hoë prestasiedoelwitte sal hul werknemers as hul waardevolste bate en die hoogste prioriteit behandel. Te veel organisasies belê steeds nie in die menslike sy van die organisasie nie, maar eerder in die tegniese sy wat meer finansiële beleggings oplewer. „n Organisasie wat kompeterend en toonaangewend wil bly, moet meer belê in die menslike sy. Deesdae besef al hoe meer organisasies dat hulle ʼn sosiale verantwoordelikheid teenoor hul werknemers het. Werkrnemers ervaar ʼn magdom persoonlike en werkverwante probleme soos byvoorbeeld huweliks-, gesins- en finansiële probleme, middelmisbruik sowel as die impak van HIV/VIGS, werkstres, uitbranding en ander. Hierdie probleme beiinvloed werksproduktiwiteit aansienlik, wat direk lei tot finansiële verliese vir die organisasie. Voorts word verdere druk op die werksgemeenskap geplaas deur regeringsbeleid te wete werksgelykheid en regstellende aksie wat ook aanleiding gee tot diversiteitsprobleme binne die werksplek. Teen hierdie agtergrond word werksorganisasies uitgedaag om sosiale verantwoordelikheid vir sy werknemers te aanvaar en om beter sorg te dra vir sy werknemers. Een manier waarop organisasies na hul werknemers kan omsien, is deur „n werknemerhulpprogram. ʼn Werknemerhulpprogram is ʼn diens wat verskaf word deur werkgewers aan werknemers wat probleme ondervind met byvoorbeeld gesondheid, huwelik, gesin, middelmisbruik en ander.. Dit is ʼn korttermyn, konfidensiële beradingsdiens vir werknemers wie se werkvermoë negatief beïnvloed word. ʼn Werknemerhulpprogram het ten doel om ʼn werknemer se totale welstand te verbeter. Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit (KWDM) het tans, nie ʼn formele struktuur soos „n werrknemerhulpprogram wat bystand aan die geaffekteerde werker kan bied nie. Hierdie navorsingstudie fokus op die vraag:”Is daar ʼn behoefte aan ʼn werknemerhulpprogram by KWDM”? Die data wat tydens die studie ingesamel is, toon dat daar wel ʼn behoefte aan ʼn Werknemerhulpprogram is. Gegrond op die uitkoms van die studie, word tien praktiese riglyne vir die implementering van 'n Werknemerhulpprogram aan die organisasie voorgestel.

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA, Act 56 of 2003) is the final piece of legislation to completely overhaul local government budgeting and financial management in South Africa. The MFMA recognises that previous budgeting and financial management practices of municipalities suffered from a number of weaknesses that hampered transformation and service delivery in communities. This research project evaluates the local government budget process and implementation within the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) by focusing on the framework within the MFMA and providing a budget process guideline for the annual budgets of municipalities. Specifically, the roles and responsibilities of various role-players within the budget process are clarified. Key characteristics of the budget process are also evaluated as well as key challenges and constraints within local government. The elements crucial to a good budget process includes: establishing broad goals to guide local government decision-making; developing approaches to achieve goals; developing a budget consistent with these approaches to achieve goals and evaluation of performance and making adjustments. Furthermore the various outcomes and opportunities within the budget process, particularly at the Cape Winelands District Municipality are identified. A simplified guide to the budget process and essential recommendations were made. Recent local community issues and public debate on local government finances – pertaining to corruption, mismanagement and lack of service delivery – can adversely affect the community’s confidence in municipalities to deliver services. As the last sphere of government to undergo transformation, municipalities find it difficult and more challenging to effectively address the multiplicity of issues and needs within the community. The transformation in public financial management, particularly, public budgeting, is crucial in ensuring a smooth transition to a better life for all. For the budget process to be successful, all role-players must recognise that with the implementation of the MFMA, a re-engineering of the budget process needs to take place. The organisational structure and financial budgeting framework must change from one of control to one of management. Role-players, individuals and departments within municipalities – that have for years ‘jealously guarded their turf’ must work together to improve public budgeting, implementation, transparency and delivery – a difficult challenge that is not easily tackled. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Wet op Plaaslike Regering: Munisipale Finansiële Bestuur, 2003 (WMFB,Wet 56 van 2003) is van die wetgewing wat ingestel is op plaaslike regeringsvlak om veranderinge in veral munisipale begrotings en finansiële bestuur in Suid Afrika te weeg te bring. Die WMFB erken en stel dit duidelik dat vorige praktyke in begroting en finansiële bestuur van munisipaliteite, veranderinge, transformasie en dienslewering in gemeenskappe verhinder het. Hierdie navorsingsprojek evalueer die begrotingsproses en implementering in die Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit met die fokus op die raamwerk binne die WMFB. Duidelike riglyne word voorgestel wat die jaarlikse begrotingsproses van munisipaliteite uiteensit. Meer spesifiek word daar ook gekyk na die rolle en verantwoordelikhede van die verskeie rolspelers in die begrotingsproses. Die kritieke eienskappe van die begrotingsproses word ook ge-evalueer sowel as die uitdagings en tekortkominge binne plaaslike owerhede. Die belangrike eienskappe van ’n goeie begrotingsproses sluit in: die vestiging van breë doelwitte om sodoende leiding te verskaf vir besluite wat deur die Plaaslike Regering gemaak word; die ontwikkeling van verskeie benaderinge om doelwitte te bereik en die evaluering van prestasie sowel as veranderinge wat aangebring word. Verder word daar ook gekyk na die verskeie resultate en geleenthede binne die begrotingsproses soos identifiseer by die Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit. Onlangse gemeenskapsprobleme en debatte oor munisipale dienslewering en veral finansiële bestuur – soos korrupsie, wanbestuur en geen dienslewering – kan ‘n negatiewe invloed hê op gemeenskappe se vertroue in munisipaliteite om wèl noodsaaklike dienste aan die gemeenskap te lewer. As die laaste regeringsvlak om transformasie te ondergaan, vind munisipaliteite dit al moeiliker en meer uitdagend om aan die gemeenskap se wye spektrum van behoeftes te voorsien. Die huidige veranderinge en transformasie in openbare finansiële bestuur, veral die begrotingsproses, is belangrik sodat tranformasie gouer kan plaasvind vir ‘n beter lewe vir almal. Vir die begrotingsproses om suksesvol te wees, sal alle rolspelers moet erken dat met die implementering van die WMFB, ‘n herstruktuering van die begrotingsproses noodsaaklik is. Die strukture binne organisasies sowel as die finansiële begrotingsraamwerke, moet verander vanaf ‘n situasie van kontrole tot hedendaagse bestuursmeganismes. Rolspelers, individue en departemente binne munisipaliteite wat oor jare hul ‘eie stukkie grond’ jaloers beskerm en verdedig het, sal moet saamwerk om die openbare begrotingsproses, implementering, deursigtigheid en dienslewering in die gemeenskap te verbeter. ‘n Moeilike en uitdagende taak wat nie maklik aangepak kan word nie.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / In this thesis I argue that by taking account of economic disparities and backlogs in intergovernmental infrastructure grants to municipalities in South Africa, government will effectively meet its constitutional obligation to equitably allocate infrastructure grants to local government according to the principles of parity, proportionality and priority (Young, 1994). Municipalities will thus be able to provide basic services to households in keeping with the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of South Africa (1996). Adapting the Petchey et al (2004) provincial capital expenditure grant model to the provision of municipal services using secondary data and information from local municipalities in the Cape Winelands District, I evaluate whether government’s existing municipal grants are allocated equitably and, whether they account for disparities that differentiate municipalities from each other. The findings from my analysis show that the current approach to financing municipal infrastructure does not sufficiently account for disparities and thus, undermines the requirement for equitability, adequacy and efficiency of intergovernmental allocations. Consequently, the right of citizens to basic municipal services is compromised and the macroeconomic structure is weakened. Furthermore the institutional arrangements for local government autonomy is undermined because municipalities cannot ensure stability, predictability, flexibility and economic efficiency of infrastructure budgets. As municipalities receive part of their finance from national government through infrastructure grants, I used data from five local municipalities to examine the extent to which there is equitability and efficiency in the way this finance is allocated. To this end I constructed and applied a composite disparity index for each municipality to my adapted municipal infrastructure grant model to analyze and observe the impact of economic disparities in grant allocations. The findings show that a grant model that accounts for economic disparities satisfies the constitutional, economic and institutional considerations that should inform municipal grant allocation decisions. I conclude the thesis by highlighting the limitations and possibilities of using a municipal infrastructure grant model that accounts for economic disparities and, I propose some recommendations for applying such a model in South Africa.

The study aims to evaluate the Entrepreneurial Seed Fund Programme (ESFP) of the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM). This Programme aims to provide seed funding to emerging and established businesses in order to start and/or grow their businesses. The Programme provides funding through a grant-in-kind by procuring the goods and equipment that the business needs. The businesses qualifying for the funding are not solely focusing on profit-making; they are addressing social issues through business activities in their communities. The population of the study includes five successful and unsuccessful beneficiaries and a questionnaire was designed in order to determine the contributing factors to the success or failure of the business and if the objectives of the Programme was realised. In conclusion, the ESFP can be regarded as a sustainable programme which contributed to job creation and social upliftment. The ESFP should be strengthened with a small business incubation programme in order to enhance its sustainability. / Public Administration & Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)

The study aims to evaluate the Entrepreneurial Seed Fund Programme (ESFP) of the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM). This Programme aims to provide seed funding to emerging and established businesses in order to start and/or grow their businesses. The Programme provides funding through a grant-in-kind by procuring the goods and equipment that the business needs. The businesses qualifying for the funding are not solely focusing on profit-making; they are addressing social issues through business activities in their communities. The population of the study includes five successful and unsuccessful beneficiaries and a questionnaire was designed in order to determine the contributing factors to the success or failure of the business and if the objectives of the Programme was realised. In conclusion, the ESFP can be regarded as a sustainable programme which contributed to job creation and social upliftment. The ESFP should be strengthened with a small business incubation programme in order to enhance its sustainability. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)