Please read the abstract (Summary) in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (D Admin (Public Administration))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

Although most city departments use citizen surveys to gather information from the public, very few use probability sampling to ensure a representative sample of the population. This report takes a first look at how park and recreation departments use citizen surveys to gather input from the public. The purpose of this report is to explore the extent to which adequate representation of communities is considered in citizen surveys. This report uses two approaches. First, interviews with parks and recreation administrators in 13 U.S. cities are analyzed to compare the use of surveys across departments. Second, responses from two samples of visitors to Barton Springs (a representative stratified sample and a non representative online sample) are analyzed to find differences in responses between the two samples. Qualitative analysis of the interviews found that although citizen surveys are common, few managers conduct citizen surveys using probability samples. In addition, adequate representation of the population is not generally recognized as one of the principal benefits of citizen surveys. Responses to the Barton Springs survey suggest that there are important differences between probability samples and non probability samples. This report supports that sampling techniques and survey methodology have a significant impact the results of citizen surveys. / text

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Organisations in both private and public sector have embraced Project Management as the ideal means of managing projects with the hopes of ensuring that they deliver their intended benefit. Projects have therefore become particularly prominent within the public sector including Municipalities, as a means of fulfilling developmental goals and delivering services. This has resulted in organisations investing considerable resources to ensure that they build the capacity needed to effectively manage projects. This investment usually takes the form of training and development of project managers or adopting and implementing project management methodologies with clear processes that guide how projects are managed. Within academia there has also been a broad spectrum of research devoted to the field of project management. A major focus area of project management research has been to determine the value of Project Management by measuring aspects of an organization’s project management performance and how best they can improve it to ensure project success. However, despite the advances in Project research and the practice of project management, organisations continue to face low project success rates. Findings from previous research has found that project management is very context specific and that there is not a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to implementing project management practices. Therefore, organisations should be tailoring their project management approach to best suit their unique needs. This study has therefore chosen to evaluate project management performance within Municipalities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The aim of which was to find how best municipalities can improve their current performance and ensure project success. The rationale for this research is further supported by evidence which indicates that project management within the public sector is generally less developed than in the private sector. In this study a construct was developed to define project management performance consisting of Project Management Maturity, the impact of project teams and effective project partnerships. Project management maturity was analysed adapting a project management maturity model developed by Labuschagne and Marnewick (2008). Project success was defined by five project success criteria that were identified through literature reviews. The success criteria consisted of the completion of a project within time, budget, quality requirements, satisfaction of the public’s needs and ensuring organizational success. A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to 108 project managers working within a selected municipal department in South Africa. The results of this research has provided evidence of the link between project management performance and project success within municipalities. These findings provide insights on which aspects of their project management practice a municipality should focus on and develop to maximise project success. In addition, the research also contributes to a deeper insight into the application, benefits and pitfalls of project management maturity models.

This study mainly focused on defining and determining the appropriateness of noncorporate governance principles for Local Government. The target, local government organisation, which was chosen for this study, was the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipal (CTMM). The principles, which were identified to be the most appropriate for this study, were accountability, integrity and disclosure as defined by the King II Report. These principles were separately measured and based on the underlying sub components, which defines these principles. The appropriateness and level of understanding of accountability was measured through the use of sub components, which focussed on a manager’s responsibility, as well as delegations received, guided by the code of conduct of the CTMM. Integrity was measured by fairness, respect for others in the organisation, by showing adequate compassion and by being an honest person. Disclosure on the other hand was measured by the status of information, which can and should be disclosed, whistle blowing policy and protection of whistle blowers, the openness of the CTMM towards their management and workforce and finally the handling of fraud by management. The method followed with this study was to approach managers and deputy managers from the CTMM in order to obtain first hand experience regarding non-financial corporate governance principles within the CTMM by means of a qualitative survey. Results from the questionnaire and the subsequent empirical analysis indicate that the CTMM do currently apply some of these principles to specific levels of satisfaction. The viewpoint of managers and deputy managers within the CTMM reflected by the Weaver “best combination” analysis that the appropriateness and the interaction of the sub components are related and important in measuring non-financial corporate governance at Local Government. These and other detailed findings are reflected in chapters four and five for further reference. In conclusion it is important to note that the findings indicate that non-financial corporate governance principles is indeed appropriate at local government. / Mr. J. Bredenkamp

The Commission on State Governmental Management has nearly completed a five-year study of the executive branch of Virginia government and has developed a number of recommendations which have been implemented to varying degrees at this time. The reorganization efforts of this Commission have resulted in the initiation of a more integrated management and decision-making system--a system that promises to improve procedures for allocating resources and encourage increased accountability for performance in state government. The degree of success and also the particular failures that the Commission has experienced are explained through examination of previous reorganization efforts and the problems in state governmental management which prompted its formation--providing an outline of the historical and contemporary constraints and opportunities influencing the reform process. The Commission's approach and procedures, its specific proposals and the present status of these proposals are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on evaluating the management, planning, and budgeting systems developed as a result of Commission recommendations. This analysis is intended to provide a background for suggesting the difficulties that Commission reforms face in implementation and for preliminarily assessing the impact of the Commission's work on Virginia government. / Master of Urban Affairs

Managerial characteristics have an important influence on strategy implementation. Previous studies have looked at the alignment of managerial characteristics with strategic type and aspects of performance. In all cases, the focus has been on corporate strategy and, predominantly, in private sector organisations. This study combines these objectives and investigates alignment between managerial characteristics, strategy and perceived performance. It focuses on management at the functional level in a public sector setting and demonstrates that classical upper-echelon theory is also relevant when applied at the functional level of management. The Miles and Snow (1978) typology is applied to the functional strategy for Dubai government organisations, to investigate whether functional units pursuing strategies are led by functional managers with dissimilar attributes, and whether the alignment between managerial characteristics and strategy is related to performance of the functional unit. Based on the extant literature, a research model has been developed, which yields two types of hypothesis. Data was collected by means of interviews and surveys to obtain knowledge of strategy types, and demographic and psychological characteristics for the functional managers. Regression techniques have been used for data analysis rendering support for two types of hypothesis. Consequently, this study supports the view that Upper Echelon theory can also apply at the functional level, emphasising the role of the functional managers, at the lower management levels of the organisations, in strategy implementation.

In this dissertation a study of the management of change in local government is undertaken with specific focus on the North Local Council area of the Durban Metropolitan Council. In the previous era municipalities were structured to coincide with the system of separate development under apartheid. The new democratic order in South Africa at national and provincial levels ushered in the need to transform municipalities in various ways as follows: From a system of apartheid to a system of democracy. From being financially unsustainable to being sustainable. From merely providing basic services to being developmental in nature. From being tiny enclaves to covering broader catchment areas. From doing isolated land use planning to undertaking integrated development planning holistically. From being the sole service provider of municipal services to being service facilitators in certain instances. From being the regulator of development to being the facilitator of development. The above challenges were presented to all the roleplayers in municipal government to transform municipalities to meet these challenges. Change impacts on everyone in one way or another within the system that has changed. In a public environment this could mean millions of people. Municipal government was programmed to change over three phases, namely, the pre-interim phase, the interim phase and the final phase of transformation. Municipal government is currently in the interim phase of transformation and will reach the final phase of its transformation after the next municipal elections which are expected to take place any time between November 2000 and February 2001. During the apartheid era municipal government had numerous failings. The system of separate development saw the White minority having the best land which was close to economic activities and tourist facilities much to the detriment of the Black majority who were only allowed to occupy land that was far from any economic activity. Based on this method of land allocation there were wealthy White municipalities and poor Black municipalities. Blacks, mainly the labourer class, contributed to the economic growth of White municipalities whilst the areas in which they lived lacked the infrastructure and other municipal services some distance away from where they worked. The challenge to transform municipalities means that the basic needs of people ought to be linked to economic activities. This is quite a challenge given the innumerable constraints in the environment. Separate developments coupled with abject poverty the majority of people suffered from, will take time to overcome. The Indians in Chatsworth, Whites in Umhlanga Rocks and the Africans in Kwa-Mashu will be with us for a long time to come. It must be accepted that real change to overcome the effects of apartheid will not happen overnight. It will take time. However, every effort must be made to speed up the process of change to enable South Africans to benefit sooner rather than later from its chosen course of democracy. The key to achieving this would be to integrate development for which integrated development planning is a prerequisite. This dissertation provides a historical overview of municipal government in South Africa during the apartheid era and thereafter proceeds to document the post apartheid transformation of municipalities, with special focus on the North Local Council of the Durban Metropolitan region. The study also documents and evaluates new legislation that will set municipalities on the 'final phase' in its transformation. The penultimate chapter is dedicated to 'change management' which includes the theory of change and the final chapter make's general conclusions and offers several recommendations. RECOMMENDATIONS: The following recommendations have been made at the end of the study. These include: ? Municipalities must be democratic and transparent Democracy and transparency must be prevalent at the local sphere of government before South Africans can claim that their country has transformed from the legacy of apartheid to a fully fledged democracy. The way municipalities are structured is therefore important to the measure of transparency and democracy that could be achieved. If, for example, they are too large, with vast areas that are inaccessible, democracy and transparency could be compromised. ? Municipalities must be financially viable For municipalities to be effective they must be financially viable. Many of the apartheid structured municipalities relied on the national government for their funding which was grossly insufficient. This position needs to be remedied in the restructuring and demarcation of municipalities so as to ensure their financial viability. ? Promote mixed use zoning of land wherever feasible Bringing people closer to their places of employment will reduce travelling time and costs as well as improve their social well-being. ? Recognise that each town or area will have features that are unique and must be taken into account in any transformation The legislature is required to establish a framework for the orderly transformation of municipalities from apartheid to democracy. In so doing the legislation must be flexible to enable people to live out their new found democracy. ? Change must be processed in manageable portions To enable change to be managed properly it must be processed in manageable portions to enable resources allocated to manage change cope. ? Any new system must be given adequate time to settle Change and especially major change takes time. It must be afforded the time to settle. For example, the Durban Metropolitan Council started to reap the benefits of its transformation in 1999 although the transformation process began in 1994 and took effect in 1995 with the establishment of the transitional councils. However, in March 1998 the national government pronounced that the transformation of municipalities across the country was inadequate and embarked on a new transformation process. ? Senior management must be made part of the change process The technical expertise and experience of senior management must be utilised by their councils during the transformation of municipalities. ? The organisation must fit reality on the ground Municipalities must be able to meet the requirements of its citizens and consumers. When municipalities are being transformed the realities on the ground must be taken into account. ? A process for change must be determined and then change must be implemented according to that predetermined process Change must be planned and managed and must be recognised as a process and not an event. ? Avoid organisational change that is ineffective Change is instituted to improve any given situation. If change does not improve the situation or makes it worse than it already is, then such change must be avoided. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.

Greenhouse gas emissions are caused, in part, by human activities. However, consumers may assume that the burden of environmental problems, such as carbon emissions reduction through sustainable energy practices, should be borne by the entire society. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test whether behavioral determinants and demographic factors could influence homeowners' intent to conserve energy. Empirical data were collected from 436 sampled homeowners in the Northeast region of the United States using an online survey questionnaire. The survey instrument was adapted from Ajzen's theory of planned behavior instrument. Variables aligned with the theory of planned behavior, alongside sociodemographic factors, were used to explain any impact the predictors had on the outcome. A multiple ordinary least squares regression model was used to answer the 3 research questions. According to the study findings, the most significant positive relationship was found between homeowners' beliefs about energy conservation and the intent to conserve energy. There was also a significant positive relationship between the other predictors and the outcome at varying levels. Policymakers could generate support for energy efficiency and conservation by educating consumers about alternative energy options as a means of mitigating carbon emissions and air pollution. This study may lead to a positive social change by supporting regional policymakers in designing and promoting cost-effective behavioral solutions and demographic change support systems as an alternative policy tool that could encourage a sustainable energy consumption practice at the household level.

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Thesis (PhD (School of Public Management and Planning ))—University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Using an investigative approach the study starts by outlining the governance quandary that exists within the public sector, with observations made over the past decade by scholars and active role players in the governance arena both in the private sector and in the public sector. It continues to show a growing need for good governance in the public sector, especially in the developing economies of emerging democracies. It uses South Africa as an example in this regard, although the discussion can just as well be applied to other countries finding themselves in a similar situation. It places the governance debate in perspective and provides the background for the development of the Public Sector Integrated Financial Governance Framework (IFGF). A brief look is taken at the reasons for the growing focus on governance in general, governance in the private and public sector, the need for governance, the basic dynamics of governance, stakeholder relationships, the regulatory framework and the role of the judiciary. It then places this understanding of governance – from a financial perspective – within the South African context. Using the South African context the study discusses the need for an IFGF, the basic requirements for such an IFGF and then as a response proceeds to discuss the role of values and principles, functional application areas and governance-related activities in an IFGF. It develops a financial governance universe, which provides an overview of the various subsections within these aspects. From this basis the study proceeds to develop the IFGF by identifying specific principles and values applicable to South Africa, followed by a description of functional application areas consisting of leadership, management and control practices required as a minimum to ensure healthy public sector financial governance. It continues to develop governance-related activities based on existing frameworks recognised by public sector agencies globally and in some instance, designed for the private sector. The study proceeds to develop these areas to enable employees in the public sector to discharge their duties in a manner that can form the cornerstone in governance excellence. Having used a deductive approach during the first few chapters to develop the IFGF, the study then proceed using an inductive process to construct the conditions and the related activities required by the IFGF. It develops detailed information on specific activities that must be in place for the IFGF to be functional. These activities provide the “how” and are grouped together based on a recognised framework. Governance effectiveness depends on a situation where all areas are considered. Lastly the study focuses on the conclusions regarding the IFGF outcomes and therefore discusses the implementation of the IFGF and the impact on the accounting system, measuring governance and keeping the IFGF updated with developments internally and externally. The study shows the growing importance for developing countries and emerging economies to demonstrate healthy governance processes and practices. However, no consensus yet exists on the approach or methodology, particularly with regard to building national ownership of and political commitment to governance (Landell-Mills, 2003:369). Fortunately similar initiatives have been forthcoming from a number of countries and, although they are each focussed differently, they provide a base for developing a public sector IFGF for South Africa in particular, but can also be used as a guideline for other emerging democracies. Developing the governance universe facilitates the process of keeping track of a multitude of possibilities that are relevant in day-to-day management. The study determined the applicable criteria that an IFGF must satisfy to attract attention when funding is required from the donor community and to provide assurance to stakeholders with limited skills and knowledge that objectives are achieved effectively and efficiently in an ethical environment. The benefit of this framework is that it has passed the first scrutiny in South Africa namely that of the Provincial Treasury of the Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC) public sector audit committees in the public sector (PGWC) and is currently being subjected to a four-year implementation process, starting with an awareness phase in all Departments of the PGWC. During this process the senior management of all the departments are being exposed to the principles contained in the IFGF and their practical observations and suggestions will be applied towards formulating an updated version of the Governance Framework of PGWC (Draft version 2.20e). This is significant, because it represents a healthy interaction between academic research and practical application, a process that is more often than not balanced, but appears to be in favour of either the one or the other.