Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.P.D.(Prof.)) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

The concept public participation as the bedrock of participatory democracy has the advantages of empowering civil society in decision-making skills and in legitimizing execution of programmes and projects. The vehicle driving public participation is the system of Ward Committees. legislations such as White Paper on Local Government and the Constitution obligate municipalities to involve communities in facilitating development. Participation is an essential part of local democracy and is a statutory prerequisite for the local community to be drawn into decision-making through processes such as the integrated development planning. The task of Mafube Local Municipality is not only to provide services that encourage sustainable living standards but, to also guarantee that the Mafube community is involved in council strategies and activities that affect the lives of local community. The study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of ward committees in becoming partners in the developmental role of Mafube Local Municipality. For the purpose of the study, hypothesis was formulated that ward committees are necessary mechanisms for facilitating service delivery and yet social and administrative challenges confront their efficient functioning at Mafube Local Municipality which needs to be resolved. To test the hypothesis, empirical research method of open ended questionnaires and interviews was used to test attitudes and perceptions of councillors, ward committees and the community of Mafube Local Municipality on the effectiveness of ward committees. Amongst other findings, it was found that: * Ward committees as community structures are well known by the community of Mafube. * Ward committees need an on-going training with regard to their roles and responsibilities so that they are empowered to execute their duties as is required of them. * The literacy level among certain ward committee members poses a challenge in enabling them to understand municipal programmes or projects. * Public participation is viewed as consultation because there is minimal participation of the community during the planning and decision making of the municipal programmes or projects. * Majority of community members do not attend ward or public meetings. * Elections of ward committees are sometimes not fair and transparent, depending on political affiliation. The study concludes with recommendations for consideration and implementation by Council of Mafube Local Municipality in enhancing service delivery. / M Development and Management (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

This report documents my experience as a graduate arts administration intern at Pelican Bomb, a New Orleans contemporary visual art nonprofit. The internship was completed over the course of seven (7) months from January to July 2015. Starting with an overview of the organizational structure, mission, and programming, this report analyzes the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report concludes with best practices and recommendations with a focus on board development, strategic planning, staff retention, and membership. The insights provided in this report are designed to enhance Pelican Bomb’s operations as it prepares for organizational growth.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Planning is central to service delivery especially at the local government level being supported by both national and provincial spheres. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa established three spheres of government which must work together in both vertical and horizontal manner in order to achieve aligned government programmes through integrated planning. Planning at the local government level requires all relevant stakeholders to participate such that all programmes and projects of government are implemented for communities without creating “white elephants” of completed projects which may result in poor community service delivery. It is on this basis that this study evaluated the participation of sector departments in the integrated development planning process of Mopani District Municipality. Sector departments have been selected from various other role players due to the huge impact they have on development initiatives at local level. Government is moving away from uncoordinated planning which results in uncoordinated implementation and causes communities to vandalise infrastructure as they do not benefit from the planned services at the time of completing the project. Thus, these projects become government liabilities with huge financial implications and might be directly linked to the wastage of tax payer‟s money in the main. The objective of this study was to determine how sector departments participate in the IDP process of the Mopani district municipality. To that end, the study determined the impact of sector departments in producing a credible IDP for Mopani district municipality and also analysed the implementation of the IGR (Intergovernmental relations) framework Act. The study exposes the challenges facing municipalities in developing their integrated development plans. The integrated development plan of a municipality serves as a tool for public participation where all stakeholders have to participate in the local planning processes. This study found out that non-submission of sector plans is one of the threats that affect Mopani District Municipality‟s IDP negatively. Failure to submit sector plans by sector departments denies the District Municipality an opportunity to integrate and align programmes and plans respectively as there will be nothing to consider. It is clear that the participation of sector departments is of paramount importance in the development of a Municipal IDP. The absence of sector plans in an IDP is the best recipe for implementing scattered and uncoordinated development without supporting the local economic development nodes of either the district or the local municipalities. The study recommends that the issue of planning must find a proper cluster provincially so that both the Municipal Managers and the Heads of Sector Departments find a way of discussing this matter. For synchronization of plans, all the three spheres of government must cooperate and work together, as municipalities cannot on their own develop the underdeveloped areas without the support of both the national and provincial departments which bring financial aid through their programmes.

Il lavoro di ricerca approfondisce la riflessione pedagogica in riferimento alle prassi educative in materia di sostenibilità. L'approccio di approfondimento si impernia sul carattere interdisciplinare del concetto di sviluppo sostenibile. la prima parte del lavoro di ricerca approfondisce L'area sociale in riferimento alla partecipazione della comunità locale nei processi di promozione dello sviluppo sostenibile. La seconda parte del lavoro di ricerca prende in esame una significativa prassi di partecipazione: la progettazione partecipata. / The research provides a pedagogical consideration in relation to the educational techniques concerning sustainability. The approach of a thorough analysis is based on the interdisciplinary nature of the tenable development. The first part of the research gives importance to the social area and the presence of the local community in order to promote the bearable development. The second part takes into consideration an important participation technique: the shared planning.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes special study report entitled: Interface of old and new: transformation of shophouse to museum. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.E.S.)--The Evergreen State College, 2009. / Title from title screen (viewed 2/25/2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-107).

The concept public participation as the bedrock of participatory democracy has the advantages of empowering civil society in decision-making skills and in legitimizing execution of programmes and projects. The vehicle driving public participation is the system of Ward Committees. legislations such as White Paper on Local Government and the Constitution obligate municipalities to involve communities in facilitating development. Participation is an essential part of local democracy and is a statutory prerequisite for the local community to be drawn into decision-making through processes such as the integrated development planning. The task of Mafube Local Municipality is not only to provide services that encourage sustainable living standards but, to also guarantee that the Mafube community is involved in council strategies and activities that affect the lives of local community. The study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of ward committees in becoming partners in the developmental role of Mafube Local Municipality. For the purpose of the study, hypothesis was formulated that ward committees are necessary mechanisms for facilitating service delivery and yet social and administrative challenges confront their efficient functioning at Mafube Local Municipality which needs to be resolved. To test the hypothesis, empirical research method of open ended questionnaires and interviews was used to test attitudes and perceptions of councillors, ward committees and the community of Mafube Local Municipality on the effectiveness of ward committees. Amongst other findings, it was found that: * Ward committees as community structures are well known by the community of Mafube. * Ward committees need an on-going training with regard to their roles and responsibilities so that they are empowered to execute their duties as is required of them. * The literacy level among certain ward committee members poses a challenge in enabling them to understand municipal programmes or projects. * Public participation is viewed as consultation because there is minimal participation of the community during the planning and decision making of the municipal programmes or projects. * Majority of community members do not attend ward or public meetings. * Elections of ward committees are sometimes not fair and transparent, depending on political affiliation. The study concludes with recommendations for consideration and implementation by Council of Mafube Local Municipality in enhancing service delivery. / M Development and Management (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Thesis (PhD)--University of Technology Sydney, 2007.