Please read the abstract in the 00front part of this document / Thesis (DPhil (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Information Science / unrestricted

Investigations reveal that the failure rate of e-governance projects in developing countries is between 35% and 50% whereby, 35% is classified as a total failure and 50% is considered a partial failure. Furthermore, previous e-governance frameworks lack reliable project discipline to deliver e-governance systems effectively to stakeholders for further exploits. This is one of the major reasons why e-governance projects fail to deliver the expected value to the citizenry and thereby, negatively impacting on socio-economic development. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for benchmarking e-governance projects for socio-economic development in developing countries. The Design Science Research methodology was relied upon for the purpose of the study in order to answer its various research questions. Preliminary research investigations led to the identification of a range of critical success factors necessary for effective and efficient delivery of an e-governance project that fulfils expectations throughout the project lifecycle. Further investigations demonstrated that the foregoing critical success factors represent crucial and effective mechanisms for performing project assurance in the ambit of Monitoring and Evaluation. A generic framework for benchmarking e-governance projects was proposed. Further evaluation and validation exercises were undertaken on the framework through a survey involving a comprehensive sample of participants recruited from the Ghana ecosystem, a country considered a developing country. Experts who had comprehensive knowledge of challenges experienced when engaging in e-governance projects were also recruited from the international community as additional respondents in the survey. The study used a combination of simple random sampling and purposive sampling. Simple random sampling method was used to select 19 practising project managers, while purposive sampling method was employed to include e-governance experts in academic and research institutions as well as non-governmental organizations, with valuable insights concerning the research questions being addressed. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis, and Pearson Chi-square test. The outcome of the evaluation and validation exercises produced an improved framework of which an appropriate prototyped proof of concept was developed for the purpose of enabling e-governance project stakeholders to perform project quality assurance throughout its lifecycle. Such as prototype, if implemented in real-life will go a long way in addressing many challenges faced in the entire e-governance project value chain from a prioritization, learning, cost, quality, time and impact perspectives. The overall outcome of this study showed that despite the reality that the failure rate of e-governance projects remains high in developing countries, there is strong evidence indicating that the aforementioned situation could be circumvented. The research found that success is achievable by embarking on a rigorous process of monitoring and evaluation based on well-defined performance metrics that embody time, quality, budget and scope. As such, the significant minimization of the failure rate of e-governance projects in developing countries would become reality provided that sound monitoring and evaluation are performed in all phases of the project even after its deployment. / Information Science / Ph. D. (Information Systems)

Магистерской диссертация анализируются дискуссии в ООН по вопросу способов и методов стимулирования экономического развития стран, получивших независимость в ходе процессов деколонизации. Отношения между индустриально развитыми и освободившимися обострились на фоне биполярного противостояния. В работе характеризуется деятельность ООН в рамках декады развития, а также работа Конференции ООН по торговле и развитию (ЮНКДАД). Автор формулирует причины неудач и ограничений в деятельности ООН по стимулированию развития в 1950-1960-е гг. и обстановку зарождения инициативы Нового мирового экономического порядка, которая предусматривала слом существующей системы. Автор анализирует дискуссию о НМЭП на специальной сессии Генеральной Ассамблеи и на заседаниях Экономического и социального совета ООН, а также характеризует попытки реализации Хартии экономических прав и обязанностей государств. Опираясь на численное большинство, развивающиеся страны смогли в целом добиться принятия необходимых резолюций, однако развитые страны, обдающие экономическим влиянием, успешно блокировали их реализацию. С началом неолиберальных преобразований в США и странах Западной Европы проект НМЭП потерял свою актуальность. / The master's thesis gives an overview of the discussions at the UN on the issue of stimulating the economic development of countries that emerged due to the process of decolonization. Relations between the developed and the developing countries constantly deteriorated because of a bipolar confrontation. The first part of the work focuses on the activities of the United Nations in the framework of the UN development decade, as well as the initiatives of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The author formulates the reasons for the failures and limitations in the UN activities to stimulate development in the 1950s-1960s and the setting in which the New International Economic Order (INEO) initiative was born. The author analyzes the discussion about the INEO at a special session of the General Assembly and at meetings of the UN Economic and Social Council and also characterizes attempts to implement the UN Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States. Due to the numerical majority, developing countries were able to generally achieve the adoption of the necessary resolutions, but developed countries, possessing economic influence, successfully blocked implementation of the INEO initiatives. Start of neoliberal transformations in the United States and Western Europe had led to the decline of interest to the INEO project.