A research report submitted to the Faculty of Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in 50% fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Public Policy. June, 2017 / The notion of good governance in municipalities has gained prominence in the discourse around the performance of local government which is at the coal face of service delivery. The study aimed to explore the governance practices prevalent in Westonaria Local Municipality by examining how the rule of law is maintained through the enforcement of policies and by-laws in the municipality; how the executive is held to account for performance by the Council and the extent to which the community is involved in the affairs of the municipality. The study sought to understand the governance challenges experienced in the municipality that contribute to poor audit outcomes and to propose recommendations for improvement. The study found that human and financial resource constraints affect municipal performance. Furthermore, the study established that effective oversight by council and enforcement of consequence management by management are necessary in fostering good governance in the municipality. / MT2017

This is a qualitative research study undertaken to explore the extent to which Evidence based and Results based management approaches are being applied in SA in the area of public policy, with the aim of improving policy performance feedback. The orientation of this study was influenced by the problem statement which is stated in Chapter 1 as the general absence of reliable and appropriate performance information that is required to evaluate policy performance and gauge the impact of government‘s policy decisions. Reviewed literature, in Chapter 2, shows that generation and utilisation of reliable performance information, to a large extent, depend on the effectiveness of an evaluation system that is outcomes-based and embedded in a functional evidence-based system. Thus chapter 2 attempts to explain processes (mechanisms and practices) that lead to the availability and utilisation of reliable and credible performance information. Chapter 2 assists the researcher to answer the secondary research question of this study; which is, does embedding a monitoring and evaluation system in an evidence-based system contribute to an outcomes-based and accountable government? This study, though critical of the emerging policy evaluation framework in SA, acknowledges efforts made in the policy arena since 1994 (which is discussed in chapters 3). Thus, in identifying challenges, this study seeks to take a prospective approach that would outline the issues which government must grapple with in order to successfully institutionalise an outcomes based policy evaluation system. In this study institutionalisation of an outcomes-based policy evaluation system refers to the creation of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system which produces monitoring information and evaluation findings which are judged valuable by key stakeholders, and are used in the pursuit of evidence-based decision making (Mackay 2006:5). Based upon the findings of this study, the researcher concludes that the government has adopted a technocratic approach to monitoring and evaluation, paying little attention to the broader institutional and systemic issues. At the core of the matter is an under-emphasis of the political influence on the effectiveness of the evaluation systems. This study further argues that even the recent public reforms, driven through the newly established Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry, continue to advocate for this technocratic approach with little or no consideration of the political environment within which evaluations are supposed to be executed. Therefore the researcher recommends that in order to institutionalise the Outcomes-Based policy evaluation system, interventions should be made at different levels; that is, political and administrative levels. Political interventions would entail reforming the current electoral system, and strengthening the role and capacity of parliamentary organs. On the other hand, administrative interventions would entail accelerating differentiated evaluation support programmes, strengthening financial accountability and budget allocation mechanisms. This study found that, despite government‘s much publicised intentions of implementing an outcomes-based approach through the GWM&ES, most government departments are far from implementing outcomes-based policy evaluation systems. Evaluation culture is weak and, if done, evaluations only occasionally inform strategic directions of the departments. This in turn discourages departments from conducting evaluations. The extent to which departments have applied the GWM&ES is the subject of this research. Chapters 3 and 4 address this matter and thus assist the researcher to answer the main research question of this study; which is, what strides have been made by SA towards an outcomes-based policy evaluation framework – ―Where are we and what are the gaps? / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

In this research study an investigation was launched into the monitoring and evaluation system that the government introduced to monitor and evaluate the performance information produced by the Provincial Government Departments on the implementation of their annual performance plans. The Government Departments obtain budget approval from the Legislature and submit their three-year performance plans with their budgets. The government realized that service delivery was not improving against the back drop of annually increasing the budgets. The monitoring and evaluation system was introduced to assist the Government Departments with the implementation of their annual performance plans. Monitoring and evaluation serves as a control measure and deviations can be detected from the planned outputs of the Government Departments. Corrective measures must be instituted that will have the effect that the Government Departments meet the targets set in the indicators as approved in the annual performance plans. A literature review was conducted on monitoring and evaluation regarding the ideal manner in which it should be performed. The South African Government introduced a number of discussion documents from the Presidency and National Treasury on monitoring and evaluation. Several authors raised their views on the matter and it was captured in the research study. The methodology followed was based on the Systems Theory and a questionnaire was prepared and circulated amongst Political Office Bearers and Chief Officials in the Provincial Government Departments in the Eastern Cape on the issues that was researched. Interviews were conducted with selected participants to gain clarity on specific issues related to the questionnaire. The official annual report issued by the Auditor General to the Provincial Legislature served as official document in the research study. The data collected from the questionnaire, interviews and official documentation was analyzed and graphs were drawn and deductions were made from the results. Findings and recommendations were made from the data collected and a summary was compiled of the issues raised in the research study.

Since the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which identified the three spheres of government as distinctive, interrelated and interdependent, the local government sphere has been perceived in many parts of the country to be failing to fulfil its mandate of delivering essential basic services to local communities. The mandate of the South African local sphere of government has been to provide a developmental and accountable local government and to ensure provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. As a key developmental agent, local government is obliged by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 to develop a culture of municipal governance that encourage and create conditions for the local community to participate in the affairs of the municipality. In this regard, ward committees have been introduced to municipalities as community structures to play a critical role in linking and informing the municipalities about the needs, aspirations and challenges of their communities. In adherence to national legislation, such as the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 (Act117 of 1998) and the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality established advisory structures in the form of ward committees throughout its area of jurisdiction to advise the municipal council on any matter within the council’s competence. As a representative structure of the community the ward committee is expected to serve as a link between the council and the community and for this purpose articulates community needs and aspirations to better the living standards of the community. Despite the stated objectives of ward committees, the Du Noon area has been identified by City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality IDP: 2012-2017 as the ward with backlogs in infrastructure and service delivery. This study evaluates the extent at which the Du Noon ward committee (Ward 104) is enhancing service delivery in its area of jurisdiction. A sequential use of mixed methods was preferred, since quantitative and qualitative research methods were found to be complementary rather than opposed approaches. Using both obtrusive and unobtrusive collection procedures, the methods employed proofed practically useful. To this end, the study sought to examine extent at which the Du Noon ward committee is enhancing service delivery in its area of jurisdiction. The study further attempted to suggest practical techniques of bringing a resolve to the challenges faced by the ward committee in as far as providing effective and efficient service delivery to the community without fail.

Thesis (MA (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The study investigated what the degree of political accountability is in water projects as practiced by project implementers. The evaluation was also aimed at determining the impact of political accountability on project sustainability. In order to evaluate the question, field research was conducted. Field research was of a quantitative nature, using a questionnaire. This involved (a) selecting two systems (project implementers, a municipality and a non-governmental organisation) where the systems’ political accountability within water projects could be compared, and (b) interviewing community respondents from a set questionnaire in four villages. The main findings are that (i) the level of political accountability in water projects depends on the system implementing a water project, (ii) three elements of political accountability (responsibility, information, and inclusion) differ significantly between the two systems, and (iii) political accountability has a significant impact on project sustainability. It is recommended that project implementers take into consideration the identified three elements of political accountability in order to improve project sustainability.

This study was undertaken with the purpose of analysing the public accountability system of secondary schools in the Johannesburg North District. It also tested the relationship between the accountability system and the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary schools. Over and above principals, learners and parents, the study also utilised numerous published literature to analyse the current accountability system. The findings of the empirical study revealed that there were disparities between the literature review and the current accountability system. Three major findings were made by this study. Firstly, there is a lack of synergy between internal and external accountability systems. Secondly, there are different accountability systems used by different secondary schools in the same District and lastly grade twelve results are used to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary schools in the chosen District. In conclusion, proposals which may assist in improving the current accountability system were made. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)

This thesis critically examines the nature and purpose of the MobiSAM partnership, in relation to its value as a model resonating with normative theories on the role of the media in South African democratic society. The MobiSAM project introduces a mobile polling application, designed for citizens to provide real-time, user-generated data on crucial municipal service delivery such as clean water in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The project has partnered with the local community newspaper, Grocott's Mail, to broadcast this data, with the aim to facilitate citizen participation in public problem solving and support local government accountability in service delivery. Despite pervasive poverty in areas such as the Eastern Cape, mobile penetration in South Africa is near universal. The MobiSAM partnership is an ongoing effort to forge new links between social accountability monitors, new media, traditional media, citizens and local government around public issues in Grahamstown, in line with the development objectives of the post-apartheid South African state. The overall theoretical framework for this thesis is taken from Christians, Glasser, McQuail, Nordenstreng and White's Normative Theories of the Media, which provides an analysis of four roles of the media in a democratic society, that is: the monitorial, the facilitative, the radical and the collaborative roles. Within each of these roles, the stated journalistic approach is explored, that is investigative journalism, public journalism, radical journalism and development journalism. Public journalism is focused on as having the most resonance with the goals of the MobiSAM partnership. The chosen research design is a critical realist case study with the selected methods of thematic document analysis and, primarily, in-depth interviews with key project participants. The research goals were to analyse this primary data against the normative theory on the role of the media in a democratic society, and the 'real world' constraints posed by the project’s specific political and socioeconomic context. The findings conclude by offering certain recommendations and areas for further research, such as the central importance of a dedicated municipal reporter for covering complex public issues. This critical realist case study, drawing on qualitative interviews with both the accountability monitors and the media practitioners, interrogates the philosophical understandings on the role of the media in this new project, towards an empirical model for advancing substantive socio-economic change through media in South Africa.

This study was undertaken with the purpose of analysing the public accountability system of secondary schools in the Johannesburg North District. It also tested the relationship between the accountability system and the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary schools. Over and above principals, learners and parents, the study also utilised numerous published literature to analyse the current accountability system. The findings of the empirical study revealed that there were disparities between the literature review and the current accountability system. Three major findings were made by this study. Firstly, there is a lack of synergy between internal and external accountability systems. Secondly, there are different accountability systems used by different secondary schools in the same District and lastly grade twelve results are used to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary schools in the chosen District. In conclusion, proposals which may assist in improving the current accountability system were made. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)