Much is written on the importance of participatory communication and its role in uplifting indigent communities. As the closest government sphere to communities, local government is charged with directly improving the lives of the poor and is required by legislation to conduct Integrated Development Planning (IDP). This requires that a municipal authority utilise participatory communication aspects such as dialogue, empowerment, and planning. These are most important pillars of community development. However, many studies have warned that elements such as modernisation, dependency and bureaucracy need to be re-assed and observed with caution since they have the potential to impede and limit the extent of participatory communication in community development. These concepts serve as the basic points of departure and theoretical background underpinning this study, which is tasked with exploring the extent of participatory communication in the IDP context of Jouberton Township in the Matlosana LocalMunicipality. In her public address on challenges facing North West Local municipalities (Including Matlosana Municipality) in January 2014, former premier, Thandi Modise, emphasised the need for municipalities to ensure that communities attend IDP meetings, approve earmarked IDP projects and be aware of how a municipality spends its budget earmarked for specific development projects. It is evident from theory and higher echelon of government that participatory communication is seen as the most important pillar and the basis for the existence of a municipal government. It is against this background, that this study was carried out under the assumption that the practice of participatory communication in contemporary local government only exists on paper; while in reality the public does not enjoy active participation in municipal IDP consultative frameworks. This is despite much discourse being available in government and in academia around the importance and role of participatory communication in community development. The study espoused a qualitative research approach to gather data and purposive sampling was used to select respondents linked to two IDP projects in Jouberton Township from the 2012/13 financial year. Its purpose was to explore perceptions among Matlosana municipal representatives and community members in Jouberton Township on the extent of participatory communication in the IDP context. The empirical part of the study comprised of focus group and unstructured interviews, as well as participant observation. By using a typology of participation by Anyaegbunam et al (2004), the study revealed that Jouberton communities are passive participators in municipal IDP consultative frameworks where they participate by just being informed about what is going to happen or has already happened and feedback is minimal. This is opposed to a desired form of empowered participation which is highly recommended by scholars in development communication where stakeholders should be able to and are willing to participate in joint analysis, which leads to joint decision making about what should be achieved and how. It has been discovered that there is a lack of active participation in community development in the IDP context of Matlosana Municipality and the study makes recommendations on how transformative elements of participation can be applied to improve current norms and standards in participatory communication. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In general, the improper disposal of waste may hinder the constitutional guarantee of a right to an environment to human health or well-being. This is especially true of domestic solid waste, a particular area of the waste stream frequently disposed of on South Africa's vacant land, rivers and streets amongst other. There is need therefore for municipalities as locally based authorities that are constitutionally bestowed with specific functions and duties in relation to waste, to ensure effective domestic solid waste management. The aim of this study is to investigate the content and design of some legal instruments aimed at domestic solid waste management in two municipalities of South Africa’s Limpopo Province namely the Lephalale and Greater Tzaneen Municipalities. The investigation and critical analysis of the selected instruments are based on the content of South Africa’s national waste law and policy with respect to domestic solid waste management specifically. The study concludes with a number of observations and recommendations with respect to the investigation instrumentation of Lephalale and Greater Tzaneen Municipalities. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Much is written on the importance of participatory communication and its role in uplifting indigent communities. As the closest government sphere to communities, local government is charged with directly improving the lives of the poor and is required by legislation to conduct Integrated Development Planning (IDP). This requires that a municipal authority utilise participatory communication aspects such as dialogue, empowerment, and planning. These are most important pillars of community development. However, many studies have warned that elements such as modernisation, dependency and bureaucracy need to be re-assed and observed with caution since they have the potential to impede and limit the extent of participatory communication in community development. These concepts serve as the basic points of departure and theoretical background underpinning this study, which is tasked with exploring the extent of participatory communication in the IDP context of Jouberton Township in the Matlosana LocalMunicipality. In her public address on challenges facing North West Local municipalities (Including Matlosana Municipality) in January 2014, former premier, Thandi Modise, emphasised the need for municipalities to ensure that communities attend IDP meetings, approve earmarked IDP projects and be aware of how a municipality spends its budget earmarked for specific development projects. It is evident from theory and higher echelon of government that participatory communication is seen as the most important pillar and the basis for the existence of a municipal government. It is against this background, that this study was carried out under the assumption that the practice of participatory communication in contemporary local government only exists on paper; while in reality the public does not enjoy active participation in municipal IDP consultative frameworks. This is despite much discourse being available in government and in academia around the importance and role of participatory communication in community development. The study espoused a qualitative research approach to gather data and purposive sampling was used to select respondents linked to two IDP projects in Jouberton Township from the 2012/13 financial year. Its purpose was to explore perceptions among Matlosana municipal representatives and community members in Jouberton Township on the extent of participatory communication in the IDP context. The empirical part of the study comprised of focus group and unstructured interviews, as well as participant observation. By using a typology of participation by Anyaegbunam et al (2004), the study revealed that Jouberton communities are passive participators in municipal IDP consultative frameworks where they participate by just being informed about what is going to happen or has already happened and feedback is minimal. This is opposed to a desired form of empowered participation which is highly recommended by scholars in development communication where stakeholders should be able to and are willing to participate in joint analysis, which leads to joint decision making about what should be achieved and how. It has been discovered that there is a lack of active participation in community development in the IDP context of Matlosana Municipality and the study makes recommendations on how transformative elements of participation can be applied to improve current norms and standards in participatory communication. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In general, the improper disposal of waste may hinder the constitutional guarantee of a right to an environment to human health or well-being. This is especially true of domestic solid waste, a particular area of the waste stream frequently disposed of on South Africa's vacant land, rivers and streets amongst other. There is need therefore for municipalities as locally based authorities that are constitutionally bestowed with specific functions and duties in relation to waste, to ensure effective domestic solid waste management. The aim of this study is to investigate the content and design of some legal instruments aimed at domestic solid waste management in two municipalities of South Africa’s Limpopo Province namely the Lephalale and Greater Tzaneen Municipalities. The investigation and critical analysis of the selected instruments are based on the content of South Africa’s national waste law and policy with respect to domestic solid waste management specifically. The study concludes with a number of observations and recommendations with respect to the investigation instrumentation of Lephalale and Greater Tzaneen Municipalities. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

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

The research focuses on the effectiveness of the integrated development planning (IDP) as a tool to accelerated service delivery: A case study of Aganang Local Municipality. The main problem investigated in the research is that the community of Aganang Local municipality does not have adequate services. The objective of the research is to investigate the integrated development planning process's impact on service delivery, to investigate if the budget is aligned to the IDP and to make possible recommendations on how the IDP could accelerate and improve service delivery. The hypothesis of the research centres on the acceleration of service delivery by implementing the IDP. Change in integration and cooperation in municipalities can be met if the management, process, systems, culture and innovation are improved. Qualitative and quantitative data was used in this research; the primary sources include questionnaires and interviews while the secondary sources include books, journals and reports. The findings revealed that Aganang local municipality has limited capacity in terms of human and financial resources; the municipality should have a retention and succession policy to ensure that the skills in the municipality are retained. The research also revealed that most people in the municipal area are illiterate and have insufficient skills. The study also revealed that the sector departments do not ensure that municipal strategies take cognisance of provincial strategies during the strategic sessions. The study also revealed that the budgets are only done per financial year and not on a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTERF) basis (3-year plan) and are not properly aligned to the IDP. The research recommends that municipalities should strengthen the inter-governmental relations to ensure alignment and integration both horizontally and vertically. The research also recommends that the municipality should build capacity and develop skills in the community. The study also recommends adopt the cluster planning and implementation including forward planning to ensure that there is maximum resource allocation and shared functions. The study also recommends that the budget should be on a three-year basis to allow for proper project planning. / Thesis (M.Art. et Scien. (Town and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The government has taken constructive steps to address the issue of poverty in South Africa. The principal strategy on the government, and for that matter municipalities for poverty alleviation is to promote sustainable development (better quality of life for all) through the process of integrated development planning (IDP). Municipalities are, by virtue of legislation, required by the Government to use Integrated Development Planning as the vehicle to improve and fast-track service delivery and development. One of the main objectives of the IDP is to promote sustainable development. The objective of this study is to determine the extent to which the IDP is used to promote sustainable development at Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM). For the purpose of the study, the hypothesis was formulated that the implementation of IDP as a tool for promoting sustainable development within ELM is significant for improving service delivery and the living standard of local communities. To test the validity or otherwise of the hypothesis use was made of theoretical review of literature in promoting sustainable development at ELM. Further there was an empirical research method of open-ended questionnaires that was used to test attitudes and perceptions of municipal officials, IDP representatives and the community of ELM on the effectiveness of IDP. It was found among others that:The council and management of ELM consider the IDP as effective management tool in promoting sustainable development; ELM has elaborate plans and mechanisms for initiating programmes on the IDP; Public participation in the process needs to be intensified. While the municipality has achieved much success with the use of the IDP, the rural residents of ELM are largely ignorant of the process and its benefits. The study ends with recommendations for improvement of the IDP process. / Thesis (M.A. (Public Management and Administration))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Despite stipulations in local government legislation that Municipalities should build the capacity of the local communities to enable effective public participation and to foster community participation in local government, little is known on how municipalities capacitate their people staying in the rural areas to participate effectively in the IDP process. This research study investigated, explored and analyzed capacity building programmes used by Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality to capacitate its people staying in the rural areas to participate effectively in the IDP process. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with officials working and people living in two rural wards. An analysis of the interviews yields that Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality does not have a capacity building policy or strategy for promoting effective participation of people in the IDP process. The capacity building programmes used by the municipality are more focused on ward committees, ward councilors and project steering committee members than on traditional leaders, small businesses and other people staying in the rural areas. The municipality has planned training programmes for ward committees, ward councilors and project steering committee members and none for other people. Information sharing is done through ward committees, municipality and council meetings for all categories of citizens. People who practise subsistence farming are capacitated through agricultural research based interventions. Skills development programmes are used to enhance participation of project steering committee members in monitoring the implementation of IDP projects. The capacity building programmes are effective in making people aware of structures they can use to participate in the IDP process and to participate during IDP project implementation and to a minimal extent enhances people’s participation in monitoring the implementation of IDP projects. The Municipality’s capacity building programmes enhances people’s skills to participate effectively during implementation of IDP projects and not in the decision making during analysis, strategies and approval phases of the IDP process.

A indústria aeronáutica no Brasil tem se desenvolvido de modo acelerado em termos de desenvolvimento tecnológico e dos processos de fabricação aplicados. Com isso, tem se buscado melhores resultados durante o desenvolvimento do projeto e fabricação de aeronaves, visando uma melhor avaliação dos processos de fabricação, montagem, manutenção, confiabilidade e fatores humanos (ergonômicos). O intuito é aperfeiçoar a fabricação e simplificação da montagem dos conjuntos, de modo a facilitar a manufatura dos componentes que formarão o produto depois de acabado e tornar a montagem dos produtos aeronáuticos com o menor custo e da forma mais otimizada possível. Sendo assim, este trabalho visa o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta que utiliza os conceitos de DFMA para aplicação específica no projeto e fabricação de aeronaves. O objetivo da ferramenta é auxiliar os engenheiros que atuam nas fases de desenvolvimento do avião, para que benefícios de facilidade de montagem possam ser alcançados com a utilização dos quadros de verificações. O trabalho inicia-se com a história da aviação, da indústria aeronáutica no mundo e no Brasil, e uma revisão teórica dos conceitos e princípios da metodologia DFMA. Em seguida é apresentado o ambiente da indústria aeronáutica, incluindo o processo de desenvolvimento integrado do produto, a implementação de projetos nestes segmentos e as fases de fabricação de uma aeronave. Na seqüência é apresentada a ferramenta de auxílio que foi desenvolvida em forma de quadros de análises, elaboradas com as regras e verificações a serem seguidas durante a criação do projeto, com o objetivo de consolidar os conhecimentos de manufatura e prevenir problemas futuros de montagem. Um estudo de caso é apresentado para evidenciar e comparar os resultados obtidos pela não aplicação efetiva dos conceitos da metodologia DFMA no desenvolvimento do projeto inicial, com os benefícios alcançados após a modificação do projeto baseado na aplicação dos conceitos de projeto para manufatura e utilização das tabelas. Por fim, os resultados são discutidos e a conclusão estabelecida. / Brazilian aeronautical industry has been developed faster and faster in terms of technology development and manufacturing processes. Thus, it has been planning to reach better results during the aircraft development and manufacturing phases, aiming to better evaluation of manufacturing processes, assembly, maintenance, capability and human factors (ergonomics). It is expected to improve the manufacturing and simplify the assembly to become easier the manufacturing of parts that will make the aircraft final assembly with low costs, high quality and the best optimized condition. So, the main objective of this study is to develop a guideline which uses the DFMA concepts for specific application on aircrafts design and manufacturing. The main goal of the guideline is to drive the engineers who work on aircraft development phases, about the manufacturing benefits that can be achieved when using the check list table of the guideline. This study starts with the aviation history and world and brazilian aeronautical industries and a theoretical review of the principles and concepts of the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) methodology. Next, the study describes the aeronautical industry environment, including the process of product integrated development, the implementation of projects in this sector and the airplane manufacturing phases. Subsequently, it has shown the guideline routine, which was developed in form of check list tables that contain rules and steps to be followed during the design creation and attempts to consolidate manufacturing knowledge and to prevent possible assemblies discrepancies. A case study is also presented to evident and makes the comparison between the results of aeronautical design that had been developed without DFMA concepts and post benefits reached after the project revision using the design for assembly concept and guideline tables. Finally, the results are discussed and the conclusion established.

O objetivo geral deste trabalho é investigar as possibilidades de integração entre o norte do Brasil e a Venezuela com base nos planos de desenvolvimento regional dos dois países, em suas políticas externas e nas iniciativas de integração da América do Sul. A hipótese central é a de que a formulação e a execução de um plano nesses moldes só são possíveis em um contexto em que as fronteiras sejam entendidas mais como oportunidade de integração e desenvolvimento conjunto do que como espaço de disputas e ameaças, em que o planejamento, as políticas públicas e a cooperação técnica extrapolem o âmbito nacional e tenham como objetivo maior a diminuição de assimetrias. Para tanto, apresenta-se o debate sobre a relação entre desenvolvimento e planejamento na construção teórica latino-americana e sua relação com o processo integracionista regional; em seguida, os planos de desenvolvimento dos dois países, enfatizando que historicamente foram pensados de forma exclusivamente nacional (interna), desconsiderando as potencialidades da integração com os vizinhos e de um projeto regional de desenvolvimento; pretende-se também discutir as mudanças no contexto regional que possibilitaram a articulação conjunta de políticas para o desenvolvimento regional, principalmente no período mais recente e avaliar as ações das instituições contemporâneas de desenvolvimento regional, notadamente a Sudam, Suframa, o Projeto Calha Norte e o Banco da Amazônia, no Brasil, e a CVG, o Mibam, o Projeto Socialista Orinoco (PSO) e o Plan Guayna Socialista, na Venezuela; por fim, discutem-se as especificidades das relações entre Brasil e Venezuela e a importância da nova cooperação entre os dois países para a diminuição das assimetrias, além do protagonismo de Brasil e Venezuela no processo de integração atual. / This thesis aims to investigate the possibilities of integration between the north of Brazil and Venezuela based on their regional development plans, their external politics and on the initiatives for integration of South America. The main hypothesis is that the formulation and execution of this kind of plan is only possible in a context where the borders are seen as opportunity for integration and joint development instead of seen as space of dispute and threat; in a context in which the planning, the public policies and the technical cooperation extrapolate the nations with the objective of decrease the asymmetries. Thus, the thesis starts with the discussion about the Latin-American theoretical debate of the relation between development and planning. After that, it discuss the Plans for development of both countries, emphasizing that historically these plans where planned to be exclusively internal (national), disregarding the prospective of integration with neighbors as well as the prospective of a regional development project. Then, the text discusses the regional context changes that made possible the joint articulation of policies for regional development, especially done today, and evaluate the contemporary institutional actions for regional development, markedly Sudam, Suframa, Projeto Calha Norte and Banco da Amazônia, in Brazil, and CVG, Mibam, Proyecto Socialista Orinoco (PSO) and Plan Guayna Socialista, in Venezuela. Finally, this thesis discuss the special relationship between Brazil and Venezuela and the importance of the new cooperation between them to decrease the asymmetries, besides their role on todays integration process.