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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Perceptions about the effectiveness of programme monitoring and evaluation rendered to Development Centres by the Department of Social Development in the Gauteng North Region.

Henna, Thembinkosi Elliot 21 July 2014 (has links)
Eradicating poverty is one of the biggest challenges in South Africa. A Development Centre Model was developed by the Department of Social Development as a strategy to empower citizens of South Africa to become independent and self-reliant in an attempt to alleviate poverty. The Department fulfils the role of programme monitoring and evaluation of different programmes offered by the Development Centres. A Social Development Approach was used as a guide to the theoretical framework of the study. The primary aim of the study was to explore the perceptions about the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation of incomegenerating projects rendered to the development centres by the Department of Social Development in the Gauteng North Region. A qualitative research strategy was followed and a multiple case study design was applied. Purposive sampling was used to initially select six beneficiaries, six centre managers, two service providers and two departmental officials involved in the development centres that are government-funded. However, the total number of the participants in the end came to thirteen; five beneficiaries; five centre managers; two evaluators and one departmental official. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews with participants and the interviews were tape recorded. To analyse data, thematic content analysis was applied. Some of the findings and the recommendations are, firstly, that the study contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of programme monitoring and evaluation; secondly, that programme monitoring and evaluation is in fact effective; and thirdly, that beneficiaries should participate in monitoring and evaluation of their projects. Fourthly, the majority of the beneficiaries and the centre managers felt that the process has no impact on the actual programme or projects. These participants felt that there is no follow-up to solve problems that have been identified during this process of monitoring and evaluation. The participants recommended that the department do more visits thereby making sure that problems identified during monitoring and evaluation are immediately resolved through constant visits to the development centres.
2

The effectiveness of local business service centres in small business development : a study in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Mazwai, Edmund Thamsanqa 28 April 2010 (has links)
The Local Business Service Centre (LBSC) programme launched by the government of the Republic of South Africa in 1995 to provide business development services to small business, moreso in the Black communities, did not live up to expectations. This is according to the responses of a sample of 400 small business owners who were researched regarding the effectiveness of the LBSC programme, with a usable questionnaire response rate of 37.8%. The purpose of this ex post facto research, conducted in 2006 and 2007, was to evaluate the impact of the LBSC programme on small businesses in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The results will assist in developing strategies for the delivery of business development services (BDSs) that would meet the expectations of all stakeholders. This is the challenge facing South Africa. The better-known service centres include the Small Business Development Centres in the United States of America and Business Link in the United Kingdom of Great Britain; and international brands like the Enterprise Development Centres sponsored by the International Labour Organisation. These centres provide business development services such as information, basic management training and referrals to more advanced services. The quantitative research was based on a questionnaire consisting of 42 variables and one open-ended question. The questionnaire was sent to 400 small business owners who had received counselling from the LBSCs. The questionnaire was developed from a literature review on service centres in the developed and developing world; the qualitative studies of Bloch&Daze in 2000 and Urban-Econ in 2002 which were conducted nationally, and structured qualitative interviews with former government officials and existing LBSC owners. The open-ended question solicited respondents to specify the type of service centre that would meet their requirements. According to the four-point Likert scale used, most respondents “disagree” that the LBSCs were effective, and the rating was just shy of the 2.5 median. Three factors emerged from the responses: “capacity and professionalism”; “productive relationship” and “empowering association”. According to a t-test and an analysis of variance (Anova), there was no statistical difference between the means and mid-points of the independent variables for the three factors which indicated “disagree”, except “capacity and professionalism” and “empowering association” in terms of turnover. The independent variables included the age of the SMME owner, the qualifications of the owner, the turnover, the number of employees and the age of the entity. The researcher has recommended an eight-point SMME development strategy as the basis to introduce a new generation of service centres to stimulate entrepreneurship and provide business development services. The recommended eight-point strategy will also assist to assess new business development services centres being introduced by various governments. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Business Management / unrestricted
3

An intervention study to investigate development centres as an avenue to improve the self-efficacy of university graduates

White, Melissa January 2020 (has links)
Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / This study investigated development centres as a method to improve the generalised self-efficacy of university graduates. This research was motivated by the various challenges graduates face in order to successfully transition into the world of work. To reach employability, graduates face high unemployment rates, inequality, a slow growing economy, high employer expectations, and a skills mismatch, all of which impacts their self-efficacy, performance and motivation levels. The sample population for this research included Industrial Psychology graduates at a select university in the Western Cape, South Africa (n=17). A quasi-experimental methodology was implemented where an intervention group (n=7) and a control group (n=10) were taken through a development centre approach. The primary research objective was to identify whether the generalised self-efficacy of graduates can be positively affected by a development centre approach in the short-term and long-term.
4

Urban food gardens and community development : a case study of the Siyakhana initiative, Johannesburg.

Nicolle, Trixie-Belle 18 January 2012 (has links)
The aim of this study is to explore the links which exist between community development and urban food gardens. South Africa has experienced a twenty five percent growth in the urban population from 2005-2010. It is further predicted that this will increase by a further thirty six percent to thirteen million inhabitants by 2015. The practice of urban agriculture is one of the strategies that can assist in addressing development challenges in an urban setting in South Africa and around the world. Urban agriculture has the potential to provide a survival strategy for the poor and thus contribute to poverty alleviation, employment, food security, social integration and skills transfer. This research explores the economic, social and ecological benefits of the activity, questioning the ways in which the Siyakhana food garden (and larger initiative) contributes to the Siyakhana community. For the purpose of the research the Siyakhana community refers to the Siyakhana group (eight women in the inner city of Johannesburg who run Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDCs)) and the gardeners who work in the food garden. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews, in-depth questionnaires, participant observation and informal conversation, as well as primary and secondary sources. The data was collected for a twelve month period from June 2010 to June 2011. In total the food garden was visited thirty times during the field work and the ECDCs twelve to fifteen times each. Because of the initiatives potential in community development, the focus of the research gives in-depth insights into the Siyakhana group, their history with the initiative, details about their ECDCs and their expectations and their perceived benefits of being involved with the Siyakhana initiative. The key findings of the study are that there are two primary ways in which the Siyakhana group benefit from being involved in the Siyakhana initiative. The benefits relate to the supplementary food which the Siyakhana group receive on a weekly basis and the practical learning environment of the Siyakhana food garden. This research shows that through their connection with the Siyakhana initiative the Siyakhana group act as a conduit for inner city community development. The healthy and nutritious food from the food garden and the knowledge obtained from being involved with the initiative is shared with a range of stakeholders within the inner city. The Siyakhana food garden is a unique example of a community project which embraces the concepts of ecological health promotion in a multiplicity of ways – through the distribution of food, training, conscientisation and mobilisation. Finally the study shows that when exploring the links between urban food gardens and community development it is not a pre-requisite for the community to physically engage in the production activities of the garden for empowerment and skills transfer to take place.
5

Parents' role in governance: the case of early childhood development centres in Mabopane

Mbele, Kgoto Jan 10 1900 (has links)
Good governance occupies a centre stage in the development discourse. Since there are currently no guidelines on the practice of good governance for ECD centres, this qualitative study followed the exploratory research approach and employed the case study research design to gain insight into how ECD centres in Mabopane practiced good governance concerning the roles played by parents in decision-making and accountability. The study used the Social Capital and Stakeholder theoretical frameworks to contextualise the investigation and employed eclectic methodological approaches involving triangulated sampling techniques, data collection methods and tools as well as data sources to generate data. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis and it was found amongst others that there were weaknesses in the governance practices within the ECD centres regarding parents’ roles in decision-making and accountability. The study recommended, amongst others, for concerted efforts involving all stakeholders to address those flaws. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)
6

Learning Destinations : The complexity of tourism development

Gibson, Laila January 2006 (has links)
<p>Our world is becoming increasingly complex, and is rapidly changingwith distances being reduced. Societies today are also in atransition from traditional production industries to increasingreliance on communication, consumption, services and experience. Asone of these emerging ‘new industries’, tourism is part of thismovement. Globalisation also makes further development of tourismpossible through, amongst other things, the spreading of languages;the development of low-cost carriers; international monetary systems;telecommunications and other technological innovations. Tourismcontributes to the globalisation of society and at the same time is aproduct of it. This is confirmed by complexity theories that stressthe systematic and dynamic nature of globalisation and theinterdependence of the global and the local. Hence, in this thesis,it is argued that acknowledging the complexity of tourism isnecessary for understanding tourism development, and more knowledgeabout tourism also leads to greater knowledge of our society.</p><p>The main aim of this thesis is to understand the complexity of localand regional tourist destination development, by exploring social andcultural factors that influence this development. In order to fulfilthis aim, analysis has been conducted at three different levels:places, projects and people. More specifically, by examining placesand how they develop as destinations; investigating the structure of,and processes within, groups and networks important for destinationdevelopment and by exploring the roles, resources and attitudes ofenterprising people who are seen as key for development. The thesisis based on a research project including three studies of tourismdestinations and projects in Northern Sweden and Scotland.</p><p>The social and cultural factors connected to tourism development arein turn part of learning processes, which in this thesis are seen asfundamental mechanisms for processes of development. A frameworkcalled ‘Learning Destinations’ is introduced that demonstrates howimportant social and cultural factors manifest themselves at each ofthe three levels: places, projects and people. History and heritageand rationales are the main cultural factors discussed, whilstinteraction and boundaries are prominent social factors found toinfluence tourism development. It is suggested that the framework of‘Learning Destinations’ may serve as a tool for understanding thecomplexity of local and regional tourism development.</p>
7

Learning Destinations : The complexity of tourism development

Gibson, Laila January 2006 (has links)
Our world is becoming increasingly complex, and is rapidly changingwith distances being reduced. Societies today are also in atransition from traditional production industries to increasingreliance on communication, consumption, services and experience. Asone of these emerging ‘new industries’, tourism is part of thismovement. Globalisation also makes further development of tourismpossible through, amongst other things, the spreading of languages;the development of low-cost carriers; international monetary systems;telecommunications and other technological innovations. Tourismcontributes to the globalisation of society and at the same time is aproduct of it. This is confirmed by complexity theories that stressthe systematic and dynamic nature of globalisation and theinterdependence of the global and the local. Hence, in this thesis,it is argued that acknowledging the complexity of tourism isnecessary for understanding tourism development, and more knowledgeabout tourism also leads to greater knowledge of our society. The main aim of this thesis is to understand the complexity of localand regional tourist destination development, by exploring social andcultural factors that influence this development. In order to fulfilthis aim, analysis has been conducted at three different levels:places, projects and people. More specifically, by examining placesand how they develop as destinations; investigating the structure of,and processes within, groups and networks important for destinationdevelopment and by exploring the roles, resources and attitudes ofenterprising people who are seen as key for development. The thesisis based on a research project including three studies of tourismdestinations and projects in Northern Sweden and Scotland. The social and cultural factors connected to tourism development arein turn part of learning processes, which in this thesis are seen asfundamental mechanisms for processes of development. A frameworkcalled ‘Learning Destinations’ is introduced that demonstrates howimportant social and cultural factors manifest themselves at each ofthe three levels: places, projects and people. History and heritageand rationales are the main cultural factors discussed, whilstinteraction and boundaries are prominent social factors found toinfluence tourism development. It is suggested that the framework of‘Learning Destinations’ may serve as a tool for understanding thecomplexity of local and regional tourism development.
8

Social context, social cohesion and interventions: an assessment of early childhood development (ECD) programmes in selected communities in the Cape Flats

Sonnenberg, Edwina Samantha 01 1900 (has links)
Text in English with abstracts in English, isiZulu, and isiXhosa / South Africa’s education system is in crisis. Problems in education directly impact the country’s economy through its influence on skills development for employability. Young children trapped in an environment under serviced by educational resources and haracterised poor social cohesion cannot reach their full potential. This study, undergirded by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, sought to establish whether stateled early childhood development centres (ECDCs) in the Cape Flats can establish social cohesion and foster responsible citizenship and youth resilience. A qualitative study was conducted in selected ECDCs. Focus group interviews with caregivers of children from sampled centres and face-to-face interviews with the owners/managers of centres were augmented by an interview with an official from local government. The study concluded that the sampled ECDCs are merely coping, but restricted by various problems. They cannot function optimally as institutions for community development, although the community holds them in high esteem. Recommendations are made for improvements. / Uhlelo lwemfundo yaseNingizimu Afrika lunezingxaki. Izinkinga ezitholakala kwezemfundo zinomthelela othintana ngqo nezomnotho ngenxa yethonya ezinalo ekuthuthukisweni kwamakhono kuzokwenza abantu ukuba baqasheke. Izingane ezisezincane ezibiyelwe esibayeni esincishwa izimfanelo zezemfundo, ezingenakho nokubumbana okufanele komphakathi, ngeke zakufeza lokho ezinamandla okufinyelele kukho. Ucwaningo olususelwe esibonelweni sikaBronfenbrenner ngobudlelwane bomuntu nesizinda sakhe, lwaluhlose ukuthola ukuthi ngabe izikhungo eziholwa ngumbuso zokuthuthuka kwezingane ezincane (ama-ECDC) eCape Flats ziyakwazi yini ukugxilisa ukubumbana komphakathi, zikhulise kumuntu ukuba yisakhamuzi esiqotho nabasha abakwazi ukuqina bomelele. Kwenziwa ukuhlolisisa ezikhungweni zama-ECDC ezikhethiwe. Kwaba nokuxoxisana namaqembu aqokiwe abanakekeli bezingane zakulezo zikhungo ezikhethiwe, kwabuye kwaba nokuxoxa bukhoma nabanikazi/abaphathi bezikhungo, okwengezwa kukho nesikhulu esivela kuhulumeni wendawo. Lolu cwaningo lwafinyelela ekuthini izikhungo ezikhethiwe zama-ECDC zazipatanisa nje ngoba zazinqindwa yizinkinga ezahlukene, okusho ukuthi zazingakwazi ukusebenza ngokuphelele njengezikhungo zokuthuthukisa umphakathi, noma umphakathi wona wawuzibabaza kakhulu. Kukhona nezincomo ngokungase kwenziwe ukuze isimo sibe ngcono. / Isimo senkqubo yemfundo yoMzantsi Afrika simandundu. Iingxaki ezikhoyo kwezemfundo ziluchaphazela ngqo uqoqosho ngenxa yokuba zinefuthe kuphuhliso lwezakhono ezilungiselela ukuqesheka komntu. Abantwana abaselula abakwazi ukuphuhla ngokugqibeleleyo kuba bavaleleke kwimeko yemfundo eneenkonzo ezingekho mgangathweni nakwisimo esingazinzanga somphakathi. Esi sifundo sisekelwe kwinkqubo kaBronfenbrenner yolwalamano lwezinto eziphilayo nendalo, kwaye sizama ukuqonda ukuba ingaba ukusekwa kwamaziko ophuhliso lwabantwana abancinci (iiearly childhood development centres- ECDCs) eCape Flats kungadala uzinzo eluntwini, kukhuthaze ukuba ubani abe ngummi othatha uxanduva, ulutsha lungathabatheki lula kusini na. Uphando lomgangatho lwenziwe kumaziko iiECDCs ezikhethiweyo. Udliwano-ndlebe namaqela abantu abagcina abantwana kumaziko akhethiweyo kwanabaphathi baloo maziko luxhaswe ludliwano-ndlebe esiphathamandla sorhulumente wendawo. Esi sifundo sifikelele kwisigqibo esithi ezi ECDCs zikhethiweyo ziyazama kodwa zikhonkxwa ziingxaki ezahlukeneyo, nto leyo ithetha ukuthi azikwazi ukusetyenziswa ngokupheleleyo njengamaziko ophuhliso lomphakathi nangona umphakathi wona uzixabise kakhulu. Kunikwe iingcebiso zokuphucula imeko. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

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