[Truncated abstract] This thesis reviews the role that contract farming plays in the development process through an examination of the oil palm industry in Ghana and in the Philippines. It contributes to ongoing debates concerning agricultural liberalisation in developing economies. The general view is that while the private sector can provide access to capital, technology and markets, the transition to a market-led system will increase the financial vulnerability of farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, through unequal power relationships. Of particular concern is the capacity of the private sector to alleviate poverty and promote social equity amongst small rural landholders. At the heart of much of the debate is the issue of contract farming, which has increased rapidly in line with structural adjustment in the agricultural sector. One of the central difficulties in drawing any conclusion on whether contract farming should be encouraged or discouraged, is the lack of comparability between the large number of types of schemes, crops being contracted, the `actors' involved and the socio-economic, political and institutional environments in which contract farming schemes are nurtured. This study has focused on the role that contract farming plays in the pursuit of development through an analysis of the key socio-economic issues involved with the adaptation of contract farming in the oil palm industries in the Philippines and in Ghana. This analysis allowed for the identification of conditions under which the impacts of contract farming schemes can either be augmented or mitigated. The research found that cultivating oil palm has the propensity to reward outgrowers with increasing income and a better access to knowledge, information and technology, capital and credit, agricultural inputs, markets and other services. ... The two outgrower programs are presently successful and do not show signs of the major problems identified by researchers in other areas. However, both governments need to ensure that a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework for private sector agricultural development is put in place. A strong private sector could provide the vehicle for agricultural development and the reduction of poverty in the countryside, however, both governments and the various private sector companies engaged in oil palm production need to work in partnership with each other and the outgrower community towards the goal of a diversified and expanded agricultural production base.

Poverty alleviation by means of rural development has become a priority among developing countries. In turn, rural development may be significantly enhanced and supported by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the use of which is highlighted by the emerging importance of information and knowledge as key strategic resources for social and economic development. An analysis of rural case studies where ICTs have been introduced, suggests that there are a number of barriers and constraints that are faced when taking advantage of these technologies. These include access to infrastructure, limited formal education, insufficient training and capacity building, financial and political constraints, and social and cultural challenges. These challenges threaten the success and sustainability of rural ICT projects. Sustainability is key to the effectiveness of a rural ICT project; therefore it is important to understand the concept and categories associated with ICT project sustainability in rural areas. The categories of sustainability which include social and cultural, institutional, economic, political, and technological, reveal critical success factors that need to be considered in the implementation and management of rural ICT projects. The project management discipline acknowledges the importance of understanding the project’s environment, particularly environmental factors associated with rural communities. The complexity of the environment therefore implies the need for a project to be undertaken in phases comprising the project life cycle. Project management practice for rural ICT project sustainability can therefore be examined, adapting the traditional project life cycle to a rural ICT project. A Rural ICT Project Life Cycle (RICT-PLC) that is sensitive to the critical success factors of sustainability is therefore proposed. In order to further investigate the phases of the life cycle of a rural ICT project, two case study investigations are explored: the Dwesa ICT community project, and the Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project (RUMEP) (MathsNet). A multiple case study analysis confirms the practices associated with the RICT-PLC model, and identifies additional characteristics, phases and practices associated with rural ICT projects. Finally, an enhanced RICT-PLC model is developed, that sets sustainability guidelines for ICT project management in rural areas and identifies the people, environments, technologies, systems, and requirements for ICTs to support rural development activities.

M.A. (Social Development) / The North West Province is predominately comprised of rural areas. The occupants of these areas are mostly rural, underprivileged with only a few of the important basic facilities. In most areas the community still get water from the village tap, use wood for heating and candles for lighting. Unemployment is rife, despite the fact that there are mines around Rustenburg, the area in which this study is carried out, has quite a number of people who are jobless. Community Development Projects have been started in this area of the province to uplift the standard of living of these communities, but to no avail. The aim of this study ls to investigate the opinions of participants concerning these projects, with the final aim of improving maximum participation. The failure of these projects is a concern to service providers, service consumers and funders.

Rural development can be supported by information and knowledge which are key strategic resources for socio economic development. ICTs enable the facilitation and communication of information between remotely dispersed individuals or groups and more developed regions. While it has become common place that ICTs possess capabilities to potentially support rural development, the concept of ICT for development (ICT4D) is still fraught with challenges and barriers, which impede the success and sustainability of ICT4D projects. It is therefore essential to evaluate rural ICT projects, as such an analysis may aid in revealing information related to the need, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of these projects. This research seeks to further the implementation and exploration of the Rural ICT Comprehensive Evaluation Framework (RICT-CEF), through the application of the Process Assessment domain in a real life rural ICT project environment. The RICT-CEF framework consisting of 7 evaluation domains has the primary objective of evaluating rural ICT projects from their inception stages to post implementation. A process assessment seeks to determine whether or not a rural ICT project is operating to implement its intended functions in the intended way specified in the projects plan. Such an assessment is invaluable to a comprehensive evaluation. Evaluation questions for a process assessment are centred around critical themes of project performance. Critical themes are aspects of a programme or projects implementation which must be enacted in order to achieve desired project outcomes. This research study is aimed at identifying critical themes of process assessment relevant to rural ICT4D projects. To identify critical themes, assessment approaches on social programme process assessments, evaluation of information systems in use, and rural ICT4D project evaluation case studies are comparatively analysed. Fourteen assessment approaches from these three categories are selected based on criteria. To analyse selected assessment approaches, a template is created based on the research questions, foundational literature on process assessment and identified challenges applicable to process assessments of rural ICT4D projects. Comparing and contrasting critical themes from these assessment approaches highlight critical themes essential to assess in the iterative implementation phase of rural ICT projects. Accentuated critical themes include, service utilization, organizational function and external project factors. These themes, along with suggested guiding principles from literature for conducting process assessments enable the creation of a framework for conducting process assessments of rural ICT projects. The framework is labelled "the Rural ICT Project Process Assessment Framework (RICTP-PAF)". The application of the RICTP-PAF in a real life rural ICT project through a design science case study provides lessons learned (suitability and shortcomings) from applying the framework. This essentially demonstrates the sensitivity of the RICTP-PAF to rural contexts in which it is implemented in. For instance, the implemented prototype of the RICTP-PAF reveals that the framework places a great deal of emphasis on rural beneficiary perspectives. A practice which has been lacking in such evaluation exercises. Furthermore, the guiding principles elucidated, bring to mind best practices to deal with issues such as stakeholder conflict, unreliable data elicitation and unethical assessment practices. The RICTP-PAF represents a fundamental tool for process assessments of rural ICT projects, and may be adopted and customized to various rural ICT project contexts in developing countries.

M.A. / In the former Republic of Venda, many people lost their jobs when industries that had mushroomed during the 1980's pulled out of the area. This happened just prior to the collapse of the Bantustan government. The most affected were women who, because of lack of education, could not get employment within and outside of the province. As a way of alleviating poverty, people resorted to selfemployment and community development projects. Different community development projects were started throughout Venda. Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) helped women who were unemployed by giving them training and help them to start projects such as sewing, knitting, chicken farming, creches and small-scale gardening. The training of people in different skills was done as a way of helping to equip communities so that they may start projects that they could manage, and that could become selfsustainable. The new South African government, through its Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), also assisted the poverty-stricken rural areas to start generating projects that would generate jobs for the people. These programmes involved the communities, the NGOs and the government through the RDP. Short and long term projects that were considered suitable by the members and community developers in the different areas were started. In order to maintain the smooth running and the co-ordination of all their projects, many communities instituted Community Development Committees (CDC). The CDC was an umbrella body within a community whose members had been elected by the community itself. The main task of the CDC was to help the different `Community Development Project' (CDP) committees responsible for the different projects within the community to obtain funds from different sources. They also helped to organise training for interested project members. In most cases, they worked hand in hand with the civic association committees and the traditional leaders, as well as the community members themselves. In this study, I have compared the activities of the community gardening projects within two rural communities. These two gardening projects are at Mangondi and Tshisahulu rural areas in Venda within the Northern Province. In their attempts to fight unemployment and poverty, these two communities (like many other communities within the Province and Venda in particular) embarked on the establishment of several community development projects, gardening being one of them. Most of the gardeners in these two projects are women. These women vary in age, education and family situations. The aim of this study was to establish the problems facing rural women in their attempts to free themselves from the grip of poverty and unemployment that continues to render them marginalised. The provision of government policy on the problem of women's rights on land ownership was also examined. The method of research used in the collection of data during field work was the interview method. This method was most preferred because it allowed me an opportunity to ask questions directly to these gardeners most of whom cannot read or write. A literature study was done on the role and activities of women in small gardening projects and the development process. It is my wish that this work be of assistance to the development workers and the policy-makers as well as the RDP officers of the Northern Province under which this area falls.

This study addresses the question of people-centred development as a transformative aspect of the new South African development arena. The concept is defined as the involvement and active participation of people in the decision-making, evaluation and implementation of the development processes, It is one of the forms of democratisation which involves the decentralisaton of authority to the lower tiers of government. This study provides an analysis of the efficacy, relevance, advantages and disadvantages of people-centred development in the South African context. The Zikhoya-Ngqinisa Woodlot Trust Project was chosen as a case study, The reason was that through the process of devolution of the Department of Forestry and Water Affairs (DWAF), which involved the handing over of the management and financial resources of the small woodlots to the communities for their own benefit, the two villages, Zikhova and Ngqinisa, were given the Zikhova woodlot. The devolution of DWAF is one of the various forms of decentralisation that has given more autonomy to the lower tiers of government in the sense that the communities now have to satisfy their own needs. The main focus of the study was to identify and analyse constraints on the implementation of people-centred development specific to the Zikhova-Ngqinisa Woodlot Trust Project. Other interrelated aspects of people-centred development such as sustainability, community involvement and benefits of the project were also investigated and analysed. / KMBT_363

CIDA, the leading Canadian agency in the area of international assistance, is responsible for approximately 78% of the country's aid budget. The Agency's mandate to "support sustainable development in developing countries, in order to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world" indicates that the Agency is concerned with social and cultural factors. However, CIDA does not have any specific mechanisms or tools such as SIA to help achieve its social and cultural sustainability goals. The objectives of this thesis were: a) to develop an analytical framework for undertaking and analysing SIA, and b) to compare CIDA's SIA-related strategies, procedures and mechanisms as they stand now to what is stated in the literature, so as to indicate how and when the Agency uses them, and also to assess their quality and effectiveness. The overarching question that constituted the pillar of this thesis was a two-pronged question: Do CIDA's strategies, procedures and mechanisms equal SIA without being SIA? And are those strategies, procedures and mechanisms adequate to cover issues that are normally dealt with through traditional SIA? This question was answered through 1) the application of the analytical framework on two proposals submitted to CIDA, and 2) an analysis of CIDA's SIA-related procedures based on the framework, key informant interviews, and a review of the literature on the Agency's policies, guidelines, and practices. Based on the literature review, the application of the analytical framework, and on the comments of the informants, the need for an SIA-type procedure for assessing social and cultural effects and impacts for CIDA funding is suggested. Such a practice might very well clarify the Agency's requirements in relation to the consideration of social and cultural factors in the development of projects. Also, it is important to stress that the process should not be reduced to a bureaucratic procedure blindly applied. CIDA could go without formulating a distinct protocol for SIA, as it already has several project planning tools and procedures that could lend themselves very well to the purpose of SIA. Indeed, the Agency's results-based management (RBM) framework could be altered so as to make it more holistic in that it would take into consideration both intended and unintended effects and impacts, and would better take into account social and cultural factors. The application of the logical framework analysis (LFA) can also be expanded to achieve similar goals. Further, the Agency could focus on developing a more integrated and comprehensive type of impact assessment that would touch on all the required types of assessments. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

MRDV / Institute for Rural Development / Mining industry Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects are designed to improve the quality of life of neighbouring communities. However, it is increasingly argued that few of them actually result in tangible benefits for the communities where they are implemented. Moreover, few empirical studies have been undertaken on this subject. The dearth in research on this subject explains why there is inadequate evidence to draw informed conclusions and decisions. The current study sought to determine the nature of benefits accruing to rural communities from mining companies CSR projects in Moses Kotane Local Municipality of the North West Province. Specifically, the study sought to determine the characteristics of mining companies CSR activities, nature of community-perceived benefits derived from them and assess the perception of surrounding local communities on such initiatives. A case study design was used because of its power of providing detailed factual information on mining CSR activities. The study was carried out following a sequential mixed research method that integrated qualitative and quantitative techniques. Document review, questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. A total of 261 respondents randomly selected from households in five villages, 30 purposively sampled key informants who included 18 officials from various institutions and youth, were interviewed. Thematic content analysis was used to draw meaning from the qualitative data. Descriptive statistics and inferential tests were carried out using the Microsoft Excel software. It was revealed that CSR projects were improving water infrastructure, in addition to being used to construct and refurbish schools and clinics. Although the CSR projects were supporting the livelihoods of local households, there was still considerable room for improvement particularly in relation to creating sustainable employment opportunities. Only 8 % of the respondents believed that CSR projects were beneficial to them. Lack of consultation when developing the CSR projects and limited awareness campaigns led to inappropriate initiatives being implemented. This highlighted the need for adopting inclusive approaches in decision making processes starting from planning to implementation.

The growing investing interest in real estate in Russian market economy has led to the emergence and development of a new type of active investment and construction activities – development, which was related to the realizing of investment projects. The development of the market real estate services should be directed to the elimination of problems in the sphere of development of commercial real estate, which include: - delaying the time of construction and, as a consequence, the increase of payback period of real estate development projects; - low or negative return on capital due to the excess costs (caused, for example, irrational design decisions); - corrupt nature of the relationship of business and government in the real estate market. However, inspite of the existing problems, the most attractive at the moment for investors are still the objects of commercial real estate. The volume of commercial and office building is increasing all the time. Developers are looking for new solutions to increase the economic impact of existing projects. As a result of writing the Master's thesis has achieved the goal of enhancing the economic and social efficiency of development projects on the example of real estate TEC "Spectrum", this has caused a number of difficulties, the solution of which is described in this paper. Taking into account a number of risks occurring in the way of developers for projects, conceptual solution, unfortunately, could not provide for all possible threats. So there is always the likelihood that a strategic decision fell short of expectations due to a variety of external factors. For Order to adapt the project to the new market conditions it is necessary to carry out a series of actions, identify strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats; take into account the errors, identify the main participants of the project, to predict demand. When developing a new concept of the project TEC "Spectrum" the practical research method was chosen. The starting point was not a forecast of the lease, but the real demand of potential tenants to the shopping areas. Knowing the demand, a market proposal was formed. Thesis can be used both by developers and marketers as an algorithm in the development of conceptual solutions implementation of development projects and enhancing its economic effect. / Повышенный интерес к инвестициям в недвижимость в условиях перехода к рыночной экономике привел к возникновению и активному развитию нового вида инвестиционно-строительной деятельности - девелопмента, связанного с реализацией инвестиционных проектов в сфере недвижимости. Развитие рынка девелоперских услуг должно быть направлено на устранение проблем в сфере девелопмента объектов коммерческой недвижимости, к которым относятся: - затягивание сроков строительства и, как следствие, увеличение сроков окупаемости девелоперских проектов; - низкая или отрицательная отдача на капитал, обусловленная как избыточными затратами (вызванными, например, нерациональными конструктивными решениями); - коррупционный характер отношения бизнеса и власти на рынке недвижимости. Однако, несмотря на существующие проблемы, наиболее привлекательными в настоящее время для инвесторов являются все же объекты в сфере коммерческой недвижимости (что нашло свое отражение в увеличении объемов торгового и офисного строительства). Девелоперы ищут новые пути решения увеличения экономического эффекта уже в существующих проектах. В результате написания магистерской диссертации была достигнута цель повышения экономической и социальной эффективности девелоперского проекта на примере объекта недвижимости ТРЦ «Спектр», это вызвало ряд сложностей, решение которых описано в настоящей работе. Учитывая ряд рисков, встречающихся на пути у девелоперов при реализации проектов, концептуальное решение, к сожалению, не может предусмотреть все возможные угрозы, поэтому всегда есть вероятность того, что стратегическое решение не оправдает ожидание в связи с различными внешними факторами. Для того, чтобы адаптировать проект к новым рыночным условиям необходимо провести ряд действий, определить сильные и слабые стороны, возможности и угрозы; учесть ошибки, выявить основных участников проекта, спрогнозировать спрос. При разработке новой концепции проекта ТРЦ «Спектр» был выбран практический метод исследования, отправной точкой стал не прогноз арендных отношений, а реальный спрос потенциальных арендаторов на торговые площади. Ощутив спрос, было сформировано предложение. Диссертация может быть использована как девелоперами, так и маркетологами в качестве алгоритма при разработке концептуальных решений реализации девелоперского проекта и повышении его экономического эффекта.

Thesis (MPhil) Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this thesis was to investigate if the Conservation Agriculture (CA) project being implemented by Zimbabwe Farmers Alliance Trust, a non-governmental organisation, has improved the livelihoods of participant farmers. The research was done in the Mazowe, Chiweshe area where the organisation has been working with farmers with the key objectives of improving food security, livelihoods and stabilising production for the rural households. The research also looked at production trends and adoption levels of CA in the area. Yields were viewed as an important element since food security of rural communities is constantly under threat because of droughts. A key element of the thesis was primary research done in Mazowe Chiweshe Ward 4, where farmers were interviewed to get information on their experiences with the CA project. The study was informed by both primary and secondary data. A literature review was conducted to give a background on sustainability and multifaceted problems facing the globe; dubbed as a polycrisis. In order to assess the impact of the project, a framework was developed to define sustainability at global level and also at small-scale farmer level. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach framework was used as the assessment tool that looks at capital assets as given by Conway and Chambers. The framework goes beyond financial gains and looks at capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living. The CA project was thus assessed according to this framework as a yardstick for improvement of livelihoods in the area. Primary data was gathered from a sample of 25 farmers randomly selected from a total of 250 farmers involved in the project under ZFAT. The data was gathered through questionnaires, key informant interviews and participant observation techniques. With regards to the adoption of CA and its principles, the research suggested that farmers are eager to practice sustainable agriculture, but the scale of the project is too small to expand the project to more than the 250 farmers already in this project. It was also found that non-governmental organisations have played a significant role in introducing sustainable farming and that the government now need to step up efforts in supporting the projects. The study concluded that the CA project has improved livelihoods and is helping to stabilise production through sustainable land use and advanced farm management practices. The project has not only benefited the direct project beneficiaries or key participant farmers but also the environment as soil fertility is improving and biodiversity is being protected and enhanced. The programme has managed to create a mind-set in the community that; what we have today is a result of the way past generations operated and that we should feel challenged to leave behind a better-managed and flourishing environment for the next generation. This was concluded as a significant number of farmers in the interviews showed that they have changed perceptions since joining the project. The study concluded with recommendations for up-scaling of the project as well as the need for collaboration between relevant stakeholders. This would promote projects of similar nature that promote sustainability and sustainable livelihoods. However, the case study was specific to the Mazowe Chiweshe area and the findings presented in this thesis cannot be viewed as representative of the larger smallholder farming sector though it may provide relevant and positive pointers for similarly beneficial projects to be implemented elsewhere. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis was om te bepaal of die bewaringslandbouprojek van die nie-regeringsorganisasie Zimbabwe Farmers Alliance Trust (ZFAT) die deelnemende boere se lewens verbeter het. Die navorsing is in die Mazowe Chiweshe-gebied onderneem, waar die organisasie boere bystaan om landelike huishoudings se voedselsekerheid en lewensgehalte te verbeter en landbouproduksie te stabiliseer. Die navorsing het ook aandag geskenk aan produksietendense en die vlakke van aanvaarding van bewaringslandbou in die streek. Opbrengste is as ’n belangrike element beskou, aangesien droogte voortdurend die landelike gemeenskappe se voedselsekerheid bedreig. ’n Kerndeel van die tesis was primêre navorsing wat in Wyk 4 van Mazowe Chiweshe onderneem is, in die vorm van onderhoude met boere om inligting in te samel oor hul ervarings van die bewaringslandbouprojek. Die studie is deur sowel primêre as sekondêre data gerig. ’n Literatuuroorsig is onderneem vir agtergrond oor volhoubaarheid, sowel as oor die veelsoortige probleme waarmee die wêreld te kampe het en wat as die ‘polikrisis’ bekend staan. Om die impak van die projek te beoordeel, is ’n raamwerk ontwikkel om volhoubaarheid op algemene sowel as kleinboervlak te omskryf. Conway en Chambers se ‘volhoubare bestaan’-benadering is as assesseringsinstrument gebruik om kapitaalbates te beoordeel. Die raamwerk strek egter verder as finansiële gewin en ondersoek ook die vermoëns, bates en aktiwiteite wat nodig is vir ’n volhoubare bestaan. Aan die hand van hierdie raamwerk is daar dus beoordeel tot watter mate die bewaringslandbouprojek plaaslike mense se lewens verbeter het. Primêre data is ingesamel uit ’n steekproef van 25 boere wat aan die ZFAT-projek deelneem. Die data is met behulp van vraelyste, onderhoude met sleutelinformante sowel as deelnemerwaarnemingstegnieke bekom. Wat die aanvaarding van bewaringslandbou en die beginsels daarvan betref, toon die navorsing dat boere gretig is om volhoubare landbou te bedryf, maar dat die skaal van die projek te klein is om meer as die bestaande 250 boere in die projek te help. Daar is ook bevind dat nie-regeringsorganisasies ’n beduidende rol gespeel het in die inwerkingstelling van volhoubare boerdery, maar dat die regering nou sy pogings ter ondersteuning van die projek moet versterk. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die bewaringslandbouprojek, deur volhoubare grondgebruik en gevorderde bestuurspraktyke, lewensgehalte verbeter en produksie gestabiliseer het. Nie net die deelnemende boere het by die projek baat gevind nie, maar ook die omgewing, aangesien grondvrugbaarheid verbeter en biodiversiteit beskerm en versterk word. Die studie sluit af met aanbevelings oor die uitbreiding van die projek, sowel as die behoefte aan samewerking met tersaaklike belanghebbendes. Dit sal ander soortgelyke projekte vir volhoubaarheid en ’n volhoubare bestaan bevorder. Tog het die gevallestudie bepaald op die Mazowe Chiweshe-omgewing betrekking gehad en kan die bevindinge in hierdie tesis nie as verteenwoordigend van die groter kleinboersektor beskou word nie. Nietemin kan dit relevante en positiewe wenke bied vir soortgelyke voordelige projekte wat elders in werking gestel word.