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.

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.

This thesis examines the notion of developmental local government within the context of the implementation of a local economic development policy and the interrelationship that exists between national development frameworks underpinning growth and development objectives developed at the national and provincial spheres of government and the local economic development policy executed at the local sphere of government. Chapter One provides a historical overview of the Integrated Development Plan and of Local Economic Development in the Republic of South Africa. The concept of a developmental state within the context of the Republic of South Africa and also the evolution of the system of local government are examined. Chapter Two discusses research methodology within the context of the discipline of public administration and provides a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research and the rationale behind the adoption of a qualitative research approach for the purpose of this study. An overview of Public Administration and Public Policy literature is broadly discussed in Chapter Three. The theoretical framework of developmental local government and its characteristics is discussed in the same chapter. The trajectory of national economic development policies, namely, the Reconstruction and Development Programme, the Growth, Employment and Redistribution Policy, Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa and New Growth Path and the interrelationship with the LED policy objectives are examined in Chapter Four. The analysis of the case study underpinning this study and presentation of research findings flowing from a field research undertaken in the Emakhazeni local municipality situated in the Mpumalanga province of the Republic of South Africa are discussed in Chapter Five. An LED policy implementation model suited for developmental local government is also discussed in this chapter. The overall deductions, recommendations, limitations of this study, and suggestions for further research are presented in Chapter Six. / Thesis (DAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / School of Public Management and Administration / unrestricted

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This mini-thesis seeks to understand why infrastructure projects fail to contribute effectively to poverty (rural) reduction. The thesis assumes that though infrastructure provision can impact positively on rural poverty reduction, the same infrastructure provision has worsened or put people in worse conditions of poverty. Therefore it is not automatic that infrastructure provision would reduce rural poverty as often held. The thesis goes on to postulate that a positive relationship between infrastructure and rural poverty reduction is best achieved within a broad or generic policy which provides the framework for providing such infrastructure. The thesis assesses these assertions empirically by first, testing the relationships between infrastructure and rural poverty reduction. Here a large scale infrastructure project in Ghana known as the Keta sea defence project serves as the case study. Secondly the thesis assesses Ghana's infrastructure provision policy environment and its implications on rural poverty reduction in the affected communities of the Keta sea defence project. / South Africa

Discussions about the significance of the social license phenomenon have been increasing over the last two decades, yet the trend has been to approach it from a company perspective. Over the same period, there have been increasing challenges in mine-community relations, and company interventions have not led to the desired outcomes. A credible process for achieving a social licence within a complex and historically sensitive context is currently not in place, which has perpetuated the feelings of dissatisfaction and has led to serious conflict between mining communities and companies. The literature revealed a lack of clarity on the role of the community in the process, necessitating an interrogation of the phenomenon from a community perspective. Legitimacy theory was used as the basis of the study. The multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of the study necessitated the use of qualitative methods and an inductive approach, based upon a case study within two South African mining communities. The results of the study demonstrated that communities are limited in influencing the social licence, and this highlighted the need to incorporate community specific legitimacy, which more closely reflects the reality within communities (their diversity, informality, broad representation, and dynamic nature). The lack of agreement (emanating from communities, government and industry) on legitimate community leadership significantly also impacts on the social licence process. Communities are unable to articulate their expectations to mining companies, and the requirements for a social licence are not being satisfied. The study also highlighted the deep and complex nature of discourse transition, and that mining companies must concentrate on understanding context and produce context-specific interventions. This research contributes by extending the theorisation of legitimacy, as it relates to the social licence, by adding the concept of community legitimacy and proposes a community leadership framework, to incorporate this aspect. A conceptual model, which integrates the context-specific nuances, is therefore proposed for sectors which are dependent upon achieving accord with stakeholders via a social contract, and are experiencing increasing complexity and social tensions relating to their operations. Such a framework would facilitate engagement through representative structures and result in a more robust social licence outcome. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / PhD / Unrestricted

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This study analyses public participation in the formulation of the Integrated Development Planning in the Beaufort West Municipality. The aim of the study is to examine the nature and extent of public involvement in the formulation of the IDP document through the lens of legislative mandatory processes and public views. It looked at the extent to which the public’s view was considered and also focused on the quality of this engagement with citizens.

The aim of this thesis is to develop PC-based integrated development environment that would allow to interpret the resulting adventure game on the Android platform. This thesis describes the theory of adventure games and their history. It deals with the design and implementation of a library, that is used in other applications developed in this thesis, a development environment and platform interpreter for Android. It also describes the sample game created in the development environment. At end it contains testing of development environment and sample game on interpreter for the Android platform.

Workplace violence is a phenomenon which is growing and it has the potential to affect individual performance and organizational productivity. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of employees regarding workplace violence in the National Department of Social Development. The researcher was motivated to choose this subject as a result of her observation working as Employee Health and Wellness Manager in the same Department whereby there were cases reported were related to workplace violence such as poor working relationships, conflict , work related stress and high level of mental health. Furthermore, lack of research and literature studies concerning workplace violence motivated the research. The qualitative approach was utilized and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data about the experiences of employees utilizing interview scheduled, 10 employees who were employees of the National Department of Social Development were interviewed. Purposive sampling method was used to select the suitable participants of the study who met the specific defined criteria. The type of research utilised was applied research to explore the experiences of employees regarding workplace violence and to give meaning to it. A collective case study was used to focus on participants who have experienced workplace violence in order to understand the types of workplace violence that were experienced, the effects it had on individuals as well as factors contributing to workplace violence in the National Department of Social Development. Theoretical overview that was discussed focused on understanding the how the different concepts related to workplace violence is defined in literature as well as looking at the effects of workplace violence on employees and employer as well as highlighting the different types of workplace violence. The research findings indicated that workplace violence is well conceptualised by the employees of Social Development and they understand the meaning of workplace violence. The study has also confirmed that workplace violence exists within the department and most of participants have experienced internal workplace violence. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted