Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since democracy, South Africa underwent significant changes and an encompassing integration and re-design of the state and society took place structurally, functionally and value-wise. The type of reform is accompanied with decentralisation or centralisation of powers and functions. Decentralisation is utilized by governments to achieve certain goals, and arguments that are normally raised in favour of decentralisation relate to efficiency of administration, democratisation, social and economic development, freedom and nation-building. The study investigates only political and bureaucratic/administrative structural decentralisation phenomena that appeared in local authorities in the Cape Metropole since democracy. A comparative perspective is given on phenomena that appeared in the City of Tygerberg and the City of Cape Town and the decentralisation phenomena are evaluated in terms of criteria for successful decentralisation. To be able to give the decentralisation comparative perspective, the study followed a variety of approaches. Firstly, the nature and extent of decentralisation is investigated. Secondly, decentralisation under the democratic state in the different spheres of government is investigated. Thirdly, South African policy which guides decentralisation initiatives on local government level is investigated. Fourthly, the study focusses on the two local government organisations the City of Tygerberg and the City of Cape Town to investigate which political and bureaucratic/administrative structural decentralisation phenomena appeared, and to which degree the phenomena complied with the values and requirements for successful decentralisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert demokrasie het Suid-Afrika aansienlike hervormings ondergaan en het daar 'n omvattende integrasie en herontwerp van die staat en samelewing struktureel, funksioneel en waardegewys plaasgevind. Die tipe hervorming gaan gepaard met desentralisasie of sentralisasie van magte en funksies. Desentralisasie word deur regerings aangewend om sekere doelwitte te bereik en argumente wat normaalweg ten gunste van desentralisasie gevoer word, hou verband met doeltreffendheid van administrasie, demokratisering, sosiale en ekonomiese ontwikkeling, vryheid en nasiebou. Die studie ondersoek slegs politieke en burokratiese/administratiewe strukturele desentralisasie verskynsels wat in plaaslike owerhede in die Kaapse Metropool sedert demokrasie voorgekom het. 'n Vergelykende perspektief word gegee van desentralisasie verskynsels wat in die Stad Tygerberg en die Stad Kaapstad voorgekom het en die desentralisasie verskynsels word geëvalueer aan die hand van kriteria vir suksesvolle desentralisasie. Om die desentralisasie vergelykende perspektief te kon gee, volg die studie verskillende benaderinge. Eerstens word die aard en omvang van desentralisasie ondersoek. Tweedens word desentralisasie onder die demokratiese staat in die verskillende vlakke van regering ondersoek. Derdens word Suid-Afrikaanse beleid bestudeer wat desentralisasie-inisiatiewe rig op plaaslike regeringsvlak. Vierdens word op die twee plaaslike owerheidsorganisasies Stad Tygerberg en Stad Kaapstad gefokus om te ondersoek watter politieke en burokratiese/administratiewe strukturele desentralisasie verskynsels voorgekom het en in watter mate die verskynsels aan die waardes en vereistes wat vir suksesvolle desentralisasie gestel word, voldoen.

This study focussed on the transformation of the institutions of local government from deconcentration, delegation to devolution. This transformation can be looked at starting with the institutions inherited from the colonial era, which started after the Berlin Conference of 1884, which divided Africa among the western powers. Then the transformation, which took place immediately after independence / that is the period of 1960s, the changes made in the 1980s and finally the transformation taking place following the multiparty democracy in the 1990s. The study looked at decentralisation during the colonial period / decentralisation after independence, with a particular focus on the institutions under a single party system / transformation of local government under multiparty system. It also examined the challenges facing decentralisation in the SADC region.

This thesis seeks to understand the relationship between decentralized service delivery arrangements and the institutional performance of local government in Pakistan. This is achieved by examining the structures and processes associated with local governance, and situating public sector organizations in their wider context. The key aim of this thesis was to empirically evaluate the relationship between decentralization and institutional performance. The thesis contends that problem of service delivery can only be understood by examining the whole system of service delivery. Although, the focus of the research was on public sector management, however, it is argued that public sector organizations cannot be separated from their political environment. To address this concern, the thesis developed a conceptual framework based on three theoretical perspectives; the economic, political and New Public Management. Each perspective focused on a different level of analysis and identified a different way of explaining the phenomenon of decentralization and its impact on institutional performance. The study utilised a comprehensive research methodology to study the link between decentralization and performance through a multiple case study approach. The main empirical elements of the research were a community survey of two communities in two local authorities, an organizational survey of two sectors - education and water and sanitation. Detailed semi-structured interviews were undertaken with multiple stakeholders at various levels of service delivery. The research findings indicate that there is a relationship between decentralization and institutional performance; however the contextual environment plays a significant role in affecting the performance of service provision. The empirical findings indicate that decentralization reforms in developing countries remain focused on structural decentralization and need strong political and bureaucratic commitment for real autonomy to be transferred down the hierarchy. One implication of this research is that it provided a comprehensive assessment of the decentralized service delivery model in Pakistan and identified the nature of reforms developing countries are taking up and the constraints on public sector organizations, and hence contributed to the emerging literature on public management reforms in developing countries (McCourt 2008, McCourt, Martin 2001).

This dissertation contributes to the definition of an analytical framework for the study of optimal jurisdictional size for local service delivery. We argue that the standard economics framework for the analysis of optimal jurisdictional size importantly neglects individual preferences for political accountability. Our theoretical model shows that once we take into account such preferences, the optimal jurisdictional size for the provision of local public goods is smaller than in the standard model. We obtain empirical evidence to support our hypothesis from a sample of 197 countries. Our results show that, in fact, demand for political accountability leads to higher jurisdictional fragmentation both in terms of greater number of jurisdictions and smaller average population per jurisdiction. In addition, a meta-analysis of the empirical contributions to the study of economies of scale in the provision of local services shows that the economies of scale expected from service provision to larger jurisdictional sizes may not be present except for a handful of local services, and limited to relatively small population sizes. The results of the meta-analysis signal moderately increasing to constant returns to scale in the provision of traditional local services. In light of these results, we argue that forced jurisdictional consolidation programs across the world justified by perceptions of excessive jurisdictional fragmentation, or by the expectation of large expenditure savings due to economies of scale may have been, thus, erroneously designed. From a policy perspective, multi-layered institutional frameworks for service delivery (including cooperation and privatization among other options) may allow targeting available efficiency gains more efficiently than consolidation.

This dissertation contributes to the definition of an analytical framework for the study of optimal jurisdictional size for local service delivery. We argue that the standard economics framework for the analysis of optimal jurisdictional size importantly neglects individual preferences for political accountability. Our theoretical model shows that once we take into account such preferences, the optimal jurisdictional size for the provision of local public goods is smaller than in the standard model. We obtain empirical evidence to support our hypothesis from a sample of 197 countries. Our results show that, in fact, demand for political accountability leads to higher jurisdictional fragmentation both in terms of greater number of jurisdictions and smaller average population per jurisdiction. In addition, a meta-analysis of the empirical contributions to the study of economies of scale in the provision of local services shows that the economies of scale expected from service provision to larger jurisdictional sizes may not be present except for a handful of local services, and limited to relatively small population sizes. The results of the meta-analysis signal moderately increasing to constant returns to scale in the provision of traditional local services. In light of these results, we argue that forced jurisdictional consolidation programs across the world justified by perceptions of excessive jurisdictional fragmentation, or by the expectation of large expenditure savings due to economies of scale may have been, thus, erroneously designed. From a policy perspective, multi-layered institutional frameworks for service delivery (including cooperation and privatization among other options) may allow targeting available efficiency gains more efficiently than consolidation.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

No description available.

This thesis investigates the challenges facing local government in South Africa by developing a means of exploring to what extent the problems of providing basic services currently experienced by municipalities are influenced by the political, administrative and financial configuration of the decentralized system of governance. It is argued here that the design of the intergovernmental governance system does not promote the constitutional objectives of decentralisation. The current system of governance does not empower local government to become more distinctive and autonomous. The problem in many cases is not what to decentralize or whether a basic service should be provided by national, provincial or local government, but rather how to align shared rule or concurrency of the particular service with the various levels of government. One of the key questions posed in this thesis is to what extent the system of decentralized governance in South Africa enables or hinders municipalities. abilities to provide basic services in an autonomous and sustainable manner. It focuses particularly on their authority to make and implement autonomous political, administrative and financial decisions pertaining to the provision of basic services. While this study cannot conclusively report on the impact of decentralisation on basic service delivery in South Africa, it does identify some of the systemic and structural aspects that impact on the manner or way in which local municipalities provide basic services. It raises concerns that the basic service delivery obligations of local municipalities are strenuous and financially challenging, and will continue to be as long as local municipalities rely on or are controlled by other spheres of government in meeting their constitutional mandate, especially with regard to the intergovernmental transfers of fiscal resources. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.