Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2002. / Thesis advisor(s): Thomas Bruneau, Jeffrey W. Knopf. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-71). Also available online.

No description available.

<p>This study attempted to examine the role that selected civil society groups played to promote citizen participation in governance processes.</p>

South Africa's negotiated settlement and its transition to a democratically elected government has often been referred to as a small miracle. Despite that, the country faces major governance challenges, ie. it has to embark on a comprehensive governance programme. The main aim of this study is to discuss and review the state of governance in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The concept of governance has a broader relevance than the narrow and traditional term of government. The latter refers conventionally to the actions of a narrow set of government institutions. On the other hand, however, governance encompasses a wider range of issues and actors and the interactions among them. The interest in and importance of governance has followed a longer interest in the concept of civil society. With the advent of democracy, the South African government, together with its nine provincial administrations, has committed itself to maintaining and working with civil society structures. The design and implementation of public sector projects increasingly reflect : a partnership approach between government at all levels, the private sector and civil society. One aspect of governance in South Africa, which this study has also paid some attention to, is what is called good governance. One hallmark of the new Constitution is that a decentralised political system has been created which allows opportunities for wider consultation and participation by civil society, public sector, and the private sector in promoting good governance. This research is motivated by theoretical and practical concerns. It has attempted to cast light on governance issues of KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority by identifying some important and common dynamics of governance processes within this province. Further it has attempted to show how general principles of good governance can guide legislators, public officials, the private sector and civil society as they continue to grapple with governance challenges. The study has revealed that essentially there are four suggested properties of governance: Firstly, it is the degree of trust that exists between classes, clans and political elites about the nature, purpose and the rules of sociopolitical interactions and practices. Without trust, individuals and organised interest groups will see no reason to actively engage in public life. The second element is the extent to which there are effective relations of reciprocity in the public realm. Reciprocity exists if associations and parties are allowed to form, to defend and promote stakeholder interests within the public realm via political competition, pressure, negotiations and conflict resolution. The third element is the degree of accountability, i.e. whether the governors can be held accountable by the governed via institutionalised procedures and processes. This cannot be sustained over time without the eventual implementation of structures of accountability and trust across society. Fourthly, the nature of authority, i.e. how political leaders make policies and implement them in a way that resolves the problems of ordinary citizens and promotes the legitimacy of the public realm - what many in South Africa refer to as the capacity to govern. The conclusion drawn from this study is that if a government wants to promote and practise good governance, it must try to involve all stakeholders, namely civil society, public officials and the business sector, when making decisions concerning the delivery of services. This requires consultation with these stakeholders or their representatives. Leaders in politics, government institutions, private sector and civil society should announce good governance as the only option. Given that governance involves a number of new challenges for everyone, the researcher examined how each segment can contribute to the practice of good governance in the province. The study has identified the quest for good governance as the most formidable challenge, not only facing the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority, but also the country as a whole. All concerned are urged to find ways and means of reversing the trend towards declining governability and institutional decay. In the final analysis the following recommendations were made: • Good governance must result in better delivery of services; • Good governance programmes must change society for the better; • To promote good governance, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Authority must consistently implement growth-oriented and market-friendly economic policies; • Legislators must ensure that there are mechanisms for enforcing accountability and transparency; and • Government must encourage citizen participation, and governance must be undertaken to improve the general welfare of a society. / Thesis (DPA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2005.

World Social Forum annual events attract hundreds of thousands of global activists and members of Global Civil Society. WSF events coalesce a diverse group of social movements, NGOs, and global activists. Its open space politics is an inclusionary force that is outlined by the principles of the WSF charter. Each event occurs in a location whose contextual and environmental conditions greatly impact the outcomes of the events. Assessing the success of these individual events is multidimensional and is largely determined by their adherence to WSF charter principles. Under investigation are three case studies of events that are held in Porto Alegre, Mumbai, and Nairobi. Success for each event is largely dependent on local factors. The local variables of the state, funding, trade unions, and local civil society all impact outcomes in myriad ways. Porto Alegre is an ideal setting for WSF events but is not the only attractive venue. / Graduate

The present study seeks to increase understanding about organizational, structural and contextual factors that affect and explain the coordination of NGOs in Nampula province. The focus of the analysis is the ongoing experience of coordination among NGOs at provincial level through the Provincial Civil Society Platform (PCSP) and the possibilities of improvement of this coordination at district level. Civil society organizations in Nampula province, especially NGOs implementing socioeconomic and civic projects, are trying since 2006 to establish a coordination mechanism of civil society intervention in the province. In 2009 they formally established a Provincial Civil Society Platform (PCSP) as a meeting point, in the provincial capital, where civil society organizations meet to coordinate their interventions and to exchange information. In this platform, organizations working or interested in a specific thematic sector meet together to discuss specific problems or to strategise towards a common objective. Despite years of building up this structure and the expressed willingness to be more effective and coordinated at all levels, this platform did not resulted yet in joint or coordinated interventions at district level that could increase the possibilities of development of citizens in remote areas. This is a qualitative study, undertaken in Nampula province using the experience of NGOs members of the agriculture and natural resources sector in Ribáuè district. The analytical framework is based on the Sustainable Rural Livelihood approach. Farmers, extension workers and representatives of private sector in Ribáuè and Nampula were interviewed to have their perception about people’s livelihoods and interactions among service providers. Representatives of NGOs and governmental entities were interviewed to get their understanding about opportunities and obstacles for coordination of NGOs at district level. The study concludes that coordination of NGOs can be improved by information sharing and service exchange. However, different from previous understanding that it is the local government that shapes the coordination of civil society, this study concludes that coordination of NGOs is dependent in the relation that they will establish with their donors. NGOs should reflect upon the role of donor and position themselves in order to achieve a path of coordination that can contribute for sustainable development at local level.

<p>Empowerment is a catchword that has recently entered current development debate. Development is largely perceived as a process of building capacities hence empowering people to be able to handle their affairs. As such it is a concept highly espoused by prominent development actors and mainly Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The study attempted to examine the theoretical and empirical aspects of community empowerment from a critical perspective by surveying activities of three NGOs in Ethiopia. A recent framework developed by a working group of the World Bank for measuring and structuring analysis was used for analyzing findings. Conceptualization and practices of empowerment seem to be at a nascent stage and tools for measuring it as well / that is what the findings of the study indicate. Despite the rhetoric surrounding the concept, the experience of surveyed NGOs also shows disparities between theory and practice.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--Duquesne University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-88).

Thesis (M.Soc.Chg.Dev.)--University of Wollongong, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 120-124.