Thesis (MSc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The study focused on the market participation of the smallholder sunflower farmers of Sekhukhune District in Limpopo Province of South Africa. A total of 100 smallholder sunflower farmers of Sekhukhune were randomly selected for the study. Data was gathered through the use of structured questionnaires with open-ended questions. The data was analysed using the Logistic Regression model on SPSS 26.0 (statistical package for social sciences). The probability of the smallholder sunflower farmers participating in markets was determined significantly by gender of household head, farm size, level of education, marketing experience, distance to the market, ownership of vehicle and stakeholder availability. Recommendations were made with regard to that of training, monitoring, funding, Government support, access to production land and the involvement of organizations with the smallholder sunflower farmers. Training should be provided for the smallholder sunflower farmers because farmers are always faced with new technology and market changes, there should be a budget that is put aside for the funding of the smallholder farmers, monitoring programs should be implemented in order to monitor the progress of the smallholder farmers, increased access to production land for farming, government support through financial and input support, smallholder farmers should get involved with organizations that can help them with training and funding, and the government should implement policies that are commodity based. Key words: smallholder farmers, market participation, Logistic Regression Model, sunflower, Limpopo province

This diploma thesis analyzes the current state of development projets at company in therms of planning and monitoring of progression with using project management according to the principles PMBOK. Its aim is to design improvements that would help streamline the functioning of department.

Die vorliegende Dissertation hat die Monitoring und Evaluation (M&E) Komponente von Entwicklungsprojekten zum Schwerpunkt sowie die Partizipation der Zielgruppen des Projekts im M&E Prozess. Die Partizipation der Zielgruppen bei M&E wird in den meisten Fällen zwar geplant aber in der Realität nicht effektiv genug ausgeführt. Dies wird beispielsweise darauf zurückgeführt, dass M&E als eine teure, zeitverschwendende, schwere, Fehler suchende und nur für Fachkräfte gedachte Aufgabe aufgefasst wird. Gleichermaßen wird es hauptsächlich aus Gründen der Rechenschaftspflicht ausgeführt, um eine weitere Finanzierung sicherzustellen und meist geben die Geldgeber anderen Programmen gegenüber M&E den Vorzug, da letzteres als Geld fordernd angesehen wird. Darüber hinaus liegt der Schwerpunkt auf professionellen Evaluatoren, welche wissenschaftliche Sorgfalt im Prozess anzuwenden haben, falls Laien das M&E durchführen. Daher ist die Partizipation der Zielgruppen an M&E limitiert. Die empirischen Forschungsarbeiten wurden innerhalb der RH-OBA und der APHIA II Projekte in Kenia durchgeführt. Die M&E Mitarbeiter beider Organisationen wurden interviewt und den Nutznießern des Projektes wurden Fragebögen ausgehändigt. Die Nutznießer von APHIA II Projekte (FAIR) führten gleichermaßen M&E Aktivitäten durch, was der Herangehensweise mittels Peer Education, welche in dem Projekt verwendet wurde, zu verdanken ist. Die Zielgruppen zeigten Bereitschaft, bei M&E zu partizipieren und wiesen die Motivation auf, den Prozess fortzuführen. Sie waren in viele Aspekte des M&E involviert, jedoch bestand die Notwendigkeit, ihnen zu helfen, ihre M&E Aufgaben auf eine geplante und systematische Art und Weise durchzuführen. Hierdurch wurde es ihnen ermöglicht, ihre Partizipation im M&E zu überwachen sowie das Projekt besser zu verstehen und imstande zu sein, Projekt-Aktivitäten einzuschätzen. Ihre Ausbildung wurde als ein Weg identifiziert, sie mit dem relevanten Wissen und den einschlägigen Fertigkeiten auszustatten. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse der Forschungsarbeiten wurde für die Zielgruppe von APHIA II / FAIR die „Participatory M&E LIGHT© Assessment Checklist“ für Projekt-Zielgruppen entwickelt und Instruktionen, wie diese verwendet werden kann, damit die Zielgruppe ihre M&E-Aktivitäten auf eine partizipatorische Art und Weise planen und durchführen kann und damit sie ihre Partizipation im Prozess überwachen kann.

Background: Effort estimation is one of the cornerstones in project management with the purpose of creating efficient planning and the ability to keep budgets. Despite the extensive research done within this area, one of the biggest and most complex problems in project management within software development is still considered to be the estimation process. Objectives: The main objectives of this thesis were threefold: i) firstly to define the characteristics for a large project, ii) secondly to identify factors causing inaccurate effort estimates and iii) lastly to understand how the identified factors impact the effort estimation process, all of this within the context of large-scale agile software development and from the perspective of a project team.Methods: To fulfill the purpose of this thesis, an exploratory case study was executed. The data collection consisted of archival research, questionnaire, and interviews. The data analysis was partly conducted using the statistical software toolStata.Results: The definition of a large project is from a project team’s perspective based on high complexity and a large scope of requirements. The following identified factors were identified to affect the estimation process in large projects: deficient requirements, changes in scope, complexity, impact in multiple areas, coordination, and required expertise, and the findings indicate that these are affecting estimation accuracy negatively. Conclusions: The conclusion of this study is that besides the identified factors affecting the estimation process there are many different aspects that can directly or indirectly contribute to inaccurate effort estimates, categorized as requirements, complexity, coordination, input and estimation process, management, and usage of estimates.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Wits Business School 4 November 2016 / Sub-Saharan Africa faces severe infrastructure deficits including in power generation, water facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. These deficits compound the socio-economic challenges of the most impoverished region in the world. It is estimated that funding of US$ 90 billion per annum is required to address infrastructure deficiencies. Other developing regions including Asia, the Middle East, and South America, have with varying degrees of success utilised the project finance framework to address similar infrastructure deficiencies, and also develop other commercial ventures. Africa has lagged behind in this respect, and still accounts for less than 3% of international project finance flows. The ability to attract and access international and domestic project finance capital, and execute the underlying ventures is an important opportunity to address the challenges noted above. The study contributes to knowledge by deepening our understanding of project finance in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe in the following ways. Firstly, it offers a model through which to monitor key contextual factors that influence the success, failure, and shaping of project and infrastructure ventures. Secondly, it interrogates the main capital structure theories including the static trade off and pecking order theories, and their applicability and relevance for project and infrastructure finance in the selected jurisdictions. It then compares capital structure theory with actual practice of capital structure formulation in the 7 cases studies investigated. This yields important insights as to the most important factors influencing capital structure in project finance in the three selected countries. In particular the constrained supply of capital is observed as the top factor determining capital structure. It further enhances our understanding of why ventures using project finance in these countries may have significantly lower leverage than other similar ventures in developed regions of the world. Thirdly, the study extracts key insights into how stakeholder interactions evolve in the projects by applying stakeholder agency theory to project sponsors, managers, contractors, state institutions, and community organisations. Collectively these insights should contribute to attracting increased capital to project finance in Sub-Saharan Africa, and arranging projects with greater prospects of operational success. / MT 2017

Магистерская диссертация состоит из введения, трех глав, заключения и библиографического списка. Проанализированы основные характеристики российских и зарубежных горнолыжных комплексов, оставлена карта позиционирования горнолыжных комплексов, разработано финансово-экономическое обоснование реализации девелоперского проекта строительства объекта туристско-рекреационного назначения. В заключении сформулированы основные выводы и обобщены результаты исследования. / The master's thesis consists of an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, and a bibliographic list. The main characteristics of Russian and international ski complexes are analyzed, a map of the positioning of ski complexes is left, and a financial and economic justification for the implementation of a development project for the construction of a tourist and recreational facility is developed. In conclusion, the main conclusions are formulated and the results of the study are summarized.

Магистерская диссертация состоит из введения, трех глав, заключения и библиографического списка. Рассмотрены теоретические аспекты современные подходы к формированию комфортной среды девелопмента жилой недвижимости и тенденции развития жилой недвижимости крупного города. Разработана маркетинговая концепция жилого дома и выполнено финансово-экономическое обоснование эффективности реализации девелоперского проекта. Сформулированы основные выводы и обобщены результаты исследования. / The master's thesis consists of an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion and a bibliography. Theoretical aspects of modern approaches to the formation of a comfortable environment for the development of residential real estate and trends in the development of residential real estate in a large city are considered. A marketing concept for a residential building has been developed and a financial and economic substantiation of the effectiveness of the implementation of a development project has been completed. The main conclusions are formulated and the results of the study are summarized.

Within the neoliberal context of today’s urbanism, a growing number of inner-city megaprojects aim to transform brownfield sites—accompanied by gentrification and tourism. However, there is no systematic review exploring the interplay between these phenomena. This paper aims to systemize the existing scientific contributions by means of a literature review. Using different databases, a total number of 797 scientific documents have been identified. After several screening steps, a final set of 66 studies was included in the review. I present an analysis from a quantitative and a qualitative perspective, exploring bibliometric aspects, concepts, methods, and relevant lines of discussion. The area studied is a relatively young and emerging field. Within the discussion, there is a strong dominance of countries located in the global north, with Spain, the UK, and the U.S. at the forefront. From a methodological point of view, qualitative and mixed methods are mostly applied. The discussion of megaprojects, gentrification, and tourism has an important descriptive focus, with main topics such as planning, justice, and motivations. There are considerable conceptual deficits, as one-quarter of the studies do not clearly explain their methods. Future research needs to find ways to enable knowledge transfer to planning practice.

Thesis (Ph.D. Agriculture. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Many researchers in different parts of the world have advocated the use of irrigation water to reduce levels of poverty, especially among rural households. This is made possible through the development of irrigation schemes in these areas and giving the necessary support to these farmers. If this is done sufficiently, irrigation schemes` participants are sure to realise improved livelihoods and poverty reduction. However, different communities are faced with different challenges and are subjected to rules and norms applied in their respective communities. On one hand, farmers are individuals who also have personal beliefs and characteristics that may be critical in determining the success of their irrigation schemes. On the other hand, certain characteristics (e.g., unequal distribution of water and land) can be inherited as challenges by farmers in such communities, making it difficult to overcome and thus posing threats to the success of irrigation schemes. A purposive-multistage technique together with a simple random sampling were used to sample 300 smallholder farmers from the Vhembe and Sekhukhune districts of Limpopo Province. An analysis of data was done using a combination of analytic techniques such as the Binomial Logit, Principal Component Analysis, Multiple Regression Analysis, Poverty Indices and the Women Empowerment Agriculture Index. The latter was employed to examine whether or not there are efforts by the irrigation schemes to empower women. The main aim was to analyse the contribution and impact that irrigations schemes have on poverty reduction among smallholder farmers. There was also a need to consider the role that positive psychological capital may play in uplifting the hope, confidence, resilience and optimism by farmers in their irrigation schemes. The results revealed that women’s participation was high (58%) in the irrigation schemes as compared to men. However, this did not mean that women were empowered automatically. After administering the Women Empowerment Agriculture Index, it was found that women are actually disempowered in three (out of five) indicators that were used as a measure of empowerment. Meanwhile, most farmers who used irrigation, saw their livelihoods improve and their poverty status improve too. Irrigation was able to increase their yields, incomes, employment, and other household assets. It was again proven that positive psychological capital played a significant role in reducing poverty. However, factors such as lack of capital assets, social grants, illiteracy, old age, lack of vocational training and risk aversion in some instances contributed to poverty. In order to enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, the government and other relevant bodies should see to it that agricultural extension services are improved and include vocational training for these farmers together with the provision of market information and business training. This may help farmers realise the importance of farming as a business and not relying on government for everything they need. A larger share of income for most farmers came from social grants and remittances. This is likely to have a negative impact on the success of irrigation schemes. Therefore, farmers need to be trained for self-reliance. The need to promote women’s participation in decision-making for water management and also suggests ways in which women’s access to water can be improved through equitable development cannot be overemphasised. There is also a need to conduct a study on the measurement and role of psychological capital in rural livelihoods using other methods such as revealed preference approach, experimental economics and behavioural economics.

This study investigates some of the issues affecting participation of the poor in two development projects in Inkosikazi communal lands in Zimbabwe. Recent trends in participatory development are reviewed and discussed in the study. Some definitions of the concept of participation are explored, including its historical background, importance and challenges. Fieldwork was undertaken in Inkosikazi communal lands in July 2004. Two projects were randomly sampled, and in one of them involving goat-rearing, some of the participants were classified as being very poor, while in the other, a heifer loan-scheme project, none of the participants could be classified as very poor. The possible reasons for these variations are explored in the study. The conclusion of the thesis is that the study succeeds in examining certain key issues affecting participation of the poor in Inkosikazi communal lands in Zimbabwe and recommendations thereof are made. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)