Comment ce qui s'est produit à une génération précédente est fondateur de l'identité subjective à la génération suivante ? Plus spécifiquement, comment la guerre du Liban (1975-1990/91), vécue par les parents, peut être constructive ou désorganisatrice du sujet (enfant) dans sa singularité ? La transmission psychique est inévitable et fondatrice de l'identité subjective. L'étude des éléments psychiques, relevant de cette expérience violente passée, vécue par la génération précédente, permet de comprendre la participation des processus psychiques générationnels à la formation de l'identité singulière, facilitant ou entravant le travail psychique à la génération suivante. Nos hypothèses envisagent la transmission dans la relation entre le père et le fils, à partir de l'exploration des processus d'identification et de conflictualité dans le lien père-fils, de la part négative (voire traumatique) du contenu transmis et des investissements narcissiques établis entre le père et le fils. Des entretiens de recherche ont été réalisés auprès de dix familles, dont le père était un combattant pendant la guerre, ayant des enfants (garçons, adolescents). L'objectif principal est d'interroger les effets psychiques de la guerre sur le père combattant et le vécu subjectif de l'enfant, examinant les traces de l'expérience violente vécue par le père chez l'enfant. L'analyse des processus en jeu dans le lien père-fils montre des caractéristiques de transmission différentes relatives à chaque lien étudié, et des mouvements généraux de transmission. Une étude plus approfondie de trois cas accentue, principalement, trois aspects de transmission : la violence, l'énigmatique et le narcissique. Ce travail rend compte : - de la part active et créative de l'individu dans l'élaboration de ce qui est transmis à partir de la guerre du Liban ; - des fonctions intrusive et aliénante de la transmission, par rapport à des fonctions constructive et créatrice ; - de la fonction fondatrice du collectif au niveau individuel. Dans le contexte du Liban, il s'agit, principalement, d'une transmission idéologique violente de la guerre, qui paraît être un détournement de la conflictualité oedipienne et intrapsychique. / How is it that the experiences of a preceding generation are foundational to the subjective identity of the following generation? More specifically, how can the Lebanese civil war, witnessed by parents, be constructive or destructive to the subject (child) in his/her singularity? The psychological transmission is inevitable and foundational to the subject's identity. Studies on psychological elements related to that violent experience could help us comprehend the influence of generational psychological processes on singular identity formation. This facilitates or hinders the psychological development of the second generation. The principal objective of this research is to explore the effects of the war on the father (combatant) and the subjective experiences of the child through intergenerational psychological transmission. This study examines the psychological transmission through analysis of the identification process and the ensuing rivalry between father and son. This study also seeks to analyze the negative part (traumatic) of the transmitted heritage and the narcissistic investment between parent and child. Our research interviews were conducted with ten families in which the father was a combatant during the war and have adolescent children. The analysis of these processes between father and son has revealed some common characteristics among the subjects. A more detailed study of three of those cases accentuated three aspects of the transmission process: Violent, Enigmatic and Narcissistic. The study has revealed an active and innovational role by the subject in the transmission process. The results have also revealed the function of a collective component among the individuals studied. The transmission process had an intrusive and alienating function as well as a constructive and creative function. In the Lebanese context, there's a violent ideological transmission related to the war, which seems to be a diversion of the Oedipian and intrapsychic conflict.

[pt] A contribuição do papa Francisco para o diálogo inter-religioso, em especial na sua carta encíclica Laudato Si’ é o tema principal desta dissertação. Foi feita uma exposição sobre o tema do diálogo inter-religioso em geral, através de obras de referência para esta temática, a fim de compreender os desafios e a importância do diálogo em tempos de pluralismo religioso e crise sócio-ecológica. Assim, foi preparado o terreno para posicionarmos as contribuições do papa Francisco ao tema do diálogo inter-religioso, caracterizando sua atuação em prol do diálogo da fraternidade, na amizade e caminhada conjunta, que vai em busca do enriquecimento mútuo e bem comum, trabalhando em favor da paz, justiça social, tolerância e liberdade religiosa. Utilizou-se primeiramente como base a exortação apostólica Evangelii Gaudium, conteúdo programático de seu pontificado que prevê a prática do diálogo inter-religioso como parte da missão evangelizadora da Igreja Católica. Chegou-se ao entendimento de que o diálogo inter-religioso está dentro da prática pastoral de Francisco. Levantou-se então a pergunta-hipótese: há em Francisco uma contribuição original e singular para o tema do diálogo inter-religioso atual? Questão respondida positivamente. Através da análise da Laudato Si, constatou-se uma contribuição original de Francisco para a temática do diálogo inter-religioso, a construção de uma ecologia integral como tema de reflexão, encontro e colaboração inter-religiosas. Esta pesquisa integra-se no Projeto de Pesquisa sobre a Laudato Si coordenado pela professora orientadora. / [en] Pope Francis contribution to interreligious dialogue, especially through his encyclical letter Laudato Si, is the main theme of this dissertation. A presentation on the theme of interreligious dialogue in general was made, through reference works on this theme, in order to understand the challenges and importance of dialogue in times of religious pluralism and socio-ecological crisis. Thus, the ground was prepared to position Pope Francis contributions to the theme of interreligious dialogue, characterizing his action in favor of the dialogue of fraternity, in friendship and joint journey, which seeks the mutual enrichment and common good, working for peace, social justice, tolerance and religious freedom. The apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium was first used as a basis, the programmatic content of his pontificate which foresees the practice of interreligious dialogue as part of the evangelizing mission of the Catholic Church. The understanding was reached that interreligious dialogue is within Francis s pastoral practice. The hypothesis question then arose: is there in Francis an original and singular contribution to the theme of current interreligious dialogue? Question answered positively. Through the analysis of Laudato Si, it was found an original contribution of Francis to the theme of interreligious dialogue, the construction of an integral ecology as a theme of interreligious reflection, encounter and collaboration. This research is part of the Laudato Si Research Project, coordinated by the research advisor teacher of this dissertation.

In spite of growing scholarship on environmentally induced non-migration research in Africa, comprehensive empirical evidence of non-migration drivers is extremely difficult to find. We review 77 rigorously selected empirical articles on the drivers of environmental non-migration. A variety of relevant keywords was applied to search, identify, and select key publications from ScienceDirect, Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar, and the Climig databases. Content analysis and inter-rater reliability (IRR) analysis were used to summarize the literature and identify key drivers of environmental non-migration decisions across all retained articles. The study structure was informed by the Foresight (2011a) conceptual framework. A growth in the non-migration literature across the time period was observed. Social factors, particularly place-based attachment and family/cultural obligations, was identified as the most important driver of non-migration (IRR score = 0.67). Environmental factors were ranked second, particularly the ability of the affected to develop coping capacity through experiential learning even in contexts marred by resource scarcity and widespread poverty. Given the limited literature on environmental nonmigration decisions, we recommend increased non-migration research across Africa to better inform policy decisions. This is particularly important as climate-related disasters surge. Frequent reviews on diverse aspects of non-migration studies are recommended to redefine future research and non-migration policy considerations in Africa.

Road freight transport is changing, with an uncertain future and climate change calling for adaptation. Batteries as the power source are one solution for sustainable transport, yet these are affected by degrading effects, eventually making the batteries unusable. However, previous studies have shown that stationary second-life applications are possible for the used batteries. Another possibility is to reuse batteries in trucks with lower load requirements, thus extending their useful life, which also could aid in coping with the large number of batteries that battery electric vehicles will require. Nevertheless, few scholars have focused on this, and the literature is scarce. How battery usage affects truck performance in different life cycles must then be answered. Additionally, a proper business model must be adopted since the ownership of batteries and responsibility for the degrading becomes less clear with several users. Hence, investigating how more circular business models for batteries perform compared to linear business models is enticing. However, the uncertain future makes several possible future scenarios equally likely to happen, leading to future planning struggles. This work dives into the problem by developing a simulation model that uses a future scenario framework to simulate the effect of battery usage and different business models in the future. This work has several valuable contributions. First, it shows that using batteries in several lifecycles has benefits. Second, more circular business models for batteries can be more beneficial than linear business models, depending on the future values and payment methods. Above all, this work also has implications on a greater level, showing the potential value of using simulation methods in product and business model development processes. Using such models can develop products and business models to be sustainable, robust against futu reuncertainties, and perform the best on a module, product, and company level. In short, this study has shown the value of combining future scenarios with technical and business model aspects to simulate the future and gain insights for development. / Vägtransport är under förändring, där en osäker framtid och miljöförändringar kräver anpassning. Batterier som energikälla är en lösning för hållbara transporter, dock är dessa påverkade av degraderingseffekter, som till slut gör batterierna oanvändbara. Tidigare studier har visar på att återanvändning i stationära applikationer är möjligt för använda batterier. En annan möjlighet är att återanvända batterier i lastbilar med lägre belastningskrav, och därmed förlänga dess användbara liv, vilket också kan hjälpa att hantera det stora behovet av batterier som batteri-elektriska fordon kommer kräva. Dock är litteraturen om detta otillräcklig. Därmed måste batterianvändingens påverkan på lastbilsprestanda i olika livscykler av batteriet undersökas. Utöver det måste också en lämplig affärsmodell användas eftersom ägandeskapet av batterier och ansvaret för degradingseffekter blir mindre tydlig med flera användare. Därför är det intressant hur cirkulära affärsmodeller för batterier presterar jämfört med linjära affärsmodeller. En osäker framtid med många möjliga framtida scenarier gör planering för framtiden svårt. Detta arbete hanterar problemet genom att skapa en simuleringsmodell som använda ett ramverk för framtida scenarier för att simulera effekten av batterianvändning och affärsmodeller i framtiden. Detta arbete bidrar med flera viktiga insikter. För det första, visas att användning av batterier i flera livscykler har fördelar jämfört med bara en livscykel. För det andra, visas att mer cirkulära affärsmodeller för batterier kan vara förmånligt jämfört med linjära affärsmodeller, beroende på framtida värderingar och betalningsstrukturer. Framförallt visar detta arbete implikationer på en högre nivå, genom att visa potentialen av att använda simuleringsmodeller i utvecklingsprocesser för produkt och affärsmodeller. Genom att använda denna typ av model kan produkter och affärsmodeller utvecklas till att vara hållbara, robusta mot framtida osäkerheter, och prestera bäst på en modul-, produkt-, och företagsnivå. Sammanfattat visar denna studie på värdet av kombinera framtida scenarier med tekniska- och affärsmodellsaspekter för att simulera framtiden och få insikter för utveckling.

Satellite constellations are becoming more common as the prices for satellite launches drops. These constellations have different purposes such as communications, navigation or Earth-observation. Earth-observation constellations can be used to detect natural disasters such as wildfires, floods and landslides. Many of these events occur in remote areas that are hard to reach. This means that detecting that they have occurred can take a long time and the delayed response can have serious consequences for the area. Forest wildfires for example spread quickly and a delayed response can lead to the fire growing out of control. These events can be detected using satellite imagery from Earth-Observation satellites. One issue is that even if it’s detected, satellites orbit Earth approximately once every 90 minutes in low Earth orbit, which for fast spreading disasters might not be fast enough. Another issue is that downlinking large amounts of data in the form of images often requires large, powerful and expensive satellites. The processing on the ground also takes time. This means that by the time the event has been detected it can already be to late. Combining the satellite sensors with software that can detect the critical events in-orbit, eliminates the need to downlink all images and only send the needed information. Instead it can be processed on-board the satellites, enabling smaller, less expensive satellites. When a satellite detect an event there is no certainty that it is above a ground station. The information can’t be sent to until it has line of sight of one. Having many ground stations spread across the world would increase cost and is limited by the availability of antennas. The information can instead be shared with the other satellites in the constellation via Inter-Satellite Links to reduce the latency of the information. The AlertSat constellation from the Swedish company PandionAI aims to do this. With it’s twin concept constellation design it will be able to do autonomous tasking, change detection and decision control using small, specialized satellites. When for example a wildfire is detected an Alert will be generated and quickly be sent through the constellation to a satellite within line of sight of a ground station so that it reaches the end user who can respond. This thesis aims to answer the question of how Inter-Satellite Links can be used ii | to reduce latency for the AlertSat constellation. It will identify the parameters, limits and trade offs that the communication has. Inter-Satellite Links have limits due to the distance that the satellites in orbit have to each other. The satellites are also limited in size and power which needs to be quantified for us to be able to see how much data that can be sent, while the link can still be closed. / Satellitkonstellationer blir ett mer vanligt fenomen då priset för satellit uppskjutningar sjunker. Dessa konstellationer har olika syften så som kommunikation, navigation och jordobservation. Jordobservationkonstellationer kan användas för att upptäcka naturkatastrofer så som skogsbränder, översvämmningar och jordskred. Många av dessa naturkatastrofer händer i avlägsna områden som är svåråtkomliga. Det betyder att upptäckten av de kan ta lång tid och den försenade responsen kan få allvarliga konsekvenser för området. Skogsbränder till exempel sprider sig snabbt och en sen respons kan leda till att branden sprider sig utom kontroll. Dessa händelser kan upptäckas genom att använda satellitbilder från jordobservationssatelliter. Ett problem är dock att även när en händelse observaras så är tiden för en satellit i låg omloppsbana runt jorden ungefär 90 minuter, vilket för vissa naturkatastrofer inte är snabbt nog. Ett annat problem är att nedlänka stora mängder data i formen av bilder vilket ofta kräver stora, kraftfulla och dyra satelliter. Att processera den här mängden data på jorden tar också tid. Det betyder att när en händelse blir upptäckt är det redan försent. Genom att kombinera satellitsensorer med mjukvara för att upptäcka dessa kritiska händelser i omloppsbanan kan man ta bort behövet att nedlänka alla bilder utan bara skicka den allra nödvändigaste informationen. Bilderna analyseras istället ombord själva satelliterna vilket möjliggör mindre, billigare satelliter. När en satellit upptäcker en händelse finns det ingen garanti för att den befinner sig ovanför en markstation. Informationen kan därför inte skickas förrens markstationen och satelliten har siktlinje av varandra. Att ha flera markstationer spridda över världen skulle öka kostnaden och är dessutom begränsad av antennernas tillgänglighet. Informationen kan istället delas med de andra satelliterna i konstellationen via inter-satellit länkar för att reducera latenstiden för informationen. AlertSat konstellationen från det svenska bolaget PandionAI har som mål att göra detta. Med sitt tvillingkoncept på konstellationen kommer den kunna utföra autonoma uppgifter, förändringsdetektering och beslutskontroll med hjälp av små, specialiserade satelliter. När till exempel en skogsbrand upptäcks kommer en varning bli genererad och snabbt skickas genom konstellationen till en satellit ovanför en markstation så att den kan nå den slutgiltiga användaren som kan agera. Den här uppsatsen har som mål att svara på hur inter-satellitlänkar kan användas för att reducera latensetiden för AlertSat konstellationen. Den ska också identifiera vilka parametrar, begränsningar och avvägningar som den här kommunikationen har. Eftersom satelliterna är begränsade i storlek och kraft behöver dessa kvantifieras så att det går att se hur mycket data som kan skickas medans länken fortfarande kan stängas.

Glykosidhydrolaser (GHs) är enzymer som katalyserar hydrolys av glykosidbindningar i polysackarider och fungerar på endo- eller exo-sätt, beroende på om de riktar sig mot mitten eller änden av en glykan-kedja. De är viktiga i kolcykeln och i olika industrier som använder biomassa som substrat. GHs är fördelaktiga i många industriella processer på grund av deras höga specificitet, omsättningsgrad och biologiska nedbrytbarhet, men de kan vara instabila och är ofta dyra att producera. De varierar i specificitet och har ibland flera katalytiska domäner eller icke-katalytiska tillbehörsdomäner, vilket hjälper till att bryta ner polysackarider och/eller främjar enzymets livslängd. Många GHs kan ha kolhydratbindande moduler (CBMs) som ökar deras termostabilitet och/eller katalytiska aktivitet. CBMs är kopplade till andra domäner i multimodulära domäner av inter-domän länkar (IDLs), vilket är polypeptidkedjor som ger strukturell flexibilitet och låter CBMs nå önskade mål på ett substrat, men den fulla funktionen av IDLs i enzymstabilisering har inte dokumenterats. Kitinaser är en grupp av GHs som riktar sig mot det motsträviga polysackaridet kitin, vilket finns i både marina och markbundna miljöer. De finns i organismer såsom insekter med kitinhaltiga exoskelett och i svampar eller andra mikrober med kitininnehållande cellväggar, men de finns även i organismer som inte syntetiserar eller ens metaboliserar kitin, på grund av deras andra relevanta funktioner inom patogenicitet, immunförsvar, etc. Kitin och dess oligosackarid-derivat har flera funktioner i biomass-industrier och kan användas för medicinska ändamål. Många GHs innehåller icke-katalytiska CBMs, varav många är kitinbindande, och spelar därför en roll i att främja kitinbindning och hydrolys av deras enzympartners. Detta projekt fokuserar på ett modulärt GH18-kitinas kodat av genen Cpin_2580. Kitinasdomänen är flankerad av två CBMs. Tidigare forskning har visat att dessa inte är kitinbindande men föreslog att de påverkar enzymets termostabilitet. Däremot undersöktes inte IDL:ernas påverkan i den tidigare studien. För att bestämma rollen av IDLs designades primers för att klona nya genvarianter av Cpin_2580 för att producera nya proteiner med varierande längder av länkar för att bestämma vad för effekt längden har på enzymets termostabilitet. Dessa primers användes till PCR för att skapa gensekvenser med den befintliga Cpin_2580-18s-plasmiden som mall, följt av kloning, proteinproduktion, rening och analys med hjälp av fluoroforbindningsanalys. Nya proteinvarianter kunde genereras och produceras i liten skala, men produktionen upplevde problem, vilket ledde till att IDLs roll inte kunde fastställas fullt ut. / Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) are enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in polysaccharides, functioning in endo- or exo-manners, depending on whether they target the middle or the end of a glycan chain. They are crucial in the carbon cycle and various industries that utilise biomass as substrate. GHs are advantageous in many industrial processes due to their high specificity, turnover rates, and biodegradability, but they can be unstable and are often costly to produce. They vary in specificity and sometimes carry multiple catalytic domains or non-catalytic accessory domains, aiding in polysaccharide breakdown and/or promoting the longevity of the enzyme. Many GHs can have carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) attached that can be considered accessory domains, which increases their thermostability and/or catalytic activity in many cases. CBMs are attached to other domains in multi-modular enzymes by inter-domain linkers (IDLs), which are polypeptide chains that give structural flexibility and allow the CBMs to reach desired targets on a substrate, but the full function of IDLs in enzyme stabilisation has not been documented. Chitinases are a group of GHs that targets the recalcitrant polysaccharide chitin, which exists in both marine and terrestrial environments. They exist in organisms such as insects that have chitinous exoskeletons and in fungi or other microbes with chitin-containing cell walls, but they are also found in organisms that do not synthesise or even metabolise chitin, due to their other functions of relevance in pathogenicity, immune defence, etc. Chitin and its oligosaccharide derivatives have multiple functions in biomass industries, and can be used for medical purposes. Many chitinases contain non-catalytic CBMs, many of which are often chitin-binding, and therefore have a role in promoting chitin attachment and hydrolysis by their enzyme partners. This project focuses on a modular GH18 chitinase encoded by the gene Cpin_2580. The chitinase domain is flanked by two CBMs. Previous research has shown that these are not chitin-binding but suggested they do influence the thermostability of the enzyme. However, the impact of the IDLs was not explored in that previous study. To determine the role of the IDLs, primers were designed with the purpose of cloning new gene variants of the gene Cpin_2580 to produce novel proteins with varying lengths of linkers to determine the effect the length has on the thermostability of the enzyme. These primers were used for PCR to create novel gene sequences using the pre-existing Cpin_2580-18s plasmid as a template, followed by cloning, protein production, purification, and analysis using fluorophore binding assay. Novel protein variants could be generated and produced at small scale, but scaled-up protein production experienced problems, which led to the role of IDLs not being fully determined.

The overall purpose of this research was to develop an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State. The aim was to integrate current legislation and policy into this inter-agency reporting protocol to create standardised reporting procedures to ensure effective access to and response from the child protection system for the child in need of care and protection. The thesis comprises six sections: SECTION A: This section comprises the problem statement, the research purpose statement and objectives, the central theoretical statement, the approach to the research, the research methodology, as well as the limitations and restrictions of the research. Furthermore, key words are defined and an explanation of the research report is provided. The problem statement shows that problems have been experienced for quite some time regarding the way reports are being handled within the child protection system. The result is that children in need of care and protection do not have effective access to the child protection system and they don’t get effective response when their cases are reported. Although the rights, interests and wants of the child in need of care and protection are addressed in existing legislation and policy, there is still a problem with the implementation and enforcement of said legislation and policy. SECTION B: This section comprises four consecutive articles: Article 1: Legislation and policy for reporting within the child protection system of South Africa In this article, Phase 1 (problem analysis and project planning) of the intervention model was used. An analysis was made of the existing legislation and policy regulations currently in use in South Africa during reporting at the child protection system. This was done by means of literature analysis. Article 2: Agents, cases, persons and response during reporting at the child protection system In this article, Phase 2 (information gathering) of the intervention model was used. An analysis was made of the stipulations of current legislation and policy in South Africa regarding agents, cases, persons and response that should be kept in mind when developing an interagency reporting protocol for the child protection system. It was done by means of literature analysis. Article 3: Reporting procedures and protocols from abroad applicable to an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system In this article, Phase 2 (information gathering) of the intervention model was used. The contents of foreign reporting procedures and protocols were analised in an effort to determine what contribution such procedures and protocols can make to the development of an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system. It was done by means of literature analysis. Article 4: An inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State In this article, Phases 3 (design), 5 (evaluation and advanced development) and 6 (dissemination) of the intervention model were used. The researcher used the information that came to the fore during the literature analysis in Phases 1 and 2 of the intervention model, to design an inter-agency reporting protocol and flow charts for the child protection system in the Free State. The suitability of this protocol was tested by means of semi-structured interviews with the agents responsible for handling reports within the child protection system. The qualitative data obtained from this was used for the further development of an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State. SECTION C: This section comprises a summary of the collective findings and conclusions that came to the fore during the research, whereafter recommendations were being made. SECTION D: This section comprises the various appendices used during the research. SECTION E: This section comprises a complete list of references. SECTION F: This section comprises the final inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Clive J. A. Fullagar / New scales were developed to measure conflict between work and school and family and school. These scales displayed adequate psychometric properties. A scale was developed to measure the propensity to experience inter-role conflict. The Propensity for Inter-role Conflict Scale (PIRCS) has excellent psychometric properties as established through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and scale and item analysis. PIRCS scores mediated the relationship between 14 of the 15 inter-role conflict to inter-role conflict pairs and displayed incremental validity, beyond known correlates of inter-role conflict, in the prediction of the six forms of inter-role conflict included in the study. The consequences of inter-role conflict were shown to affect the frequency of conflict between roles. However, this was only true when the data were aggregated. This indicates people take deliberate actions to limit certain forms of inter-role conflict. The boundaries between roles are differentially permeable. The work role boundary was most resistant to inter-role conflict. The family role boundary was least resistant to conflict from other roles. Personal characteristics affected the amount of inter-role conflict a person experienced. Women experienced significantly more conflict between family and school and school and family than men. Women were more adversely affected by the presence of children in the home than were men. Work conditions were also related to the experience of inter-role conflict. Working more hours was associated with higher levels of work-to-family and work-to-school conflict. Participants who worked weekends reported higher levels of work-to-family and work-to-school conflict. Employees who perceived greater flexibility at work reported less work-to-family and work-to-school conflict than those with less flexibility. The more semester hours participants were taking, the more conflict they reported between family and school, school and family and work and school. Spending more time on homework and study was associated with higher levels of conflict from school to family. The spillover of conflict between spouses was also demonstrated. The more hours a participant‟s spouse worked the more conflict the participant experienced from family to school and school to family.

Published Article / Increased diversity in the agricultural sector in South Africa is forcing farmers to focus on the production of value-added commodities in the face of mounting global competitive pressures. However, many farmers, by operating individually, are unable to expand operations to the scale necessary to become involved in value-adding processing. This requires too much capital, skills, and time. By pooling resources and forming integrated small and medium sized agricultural enterprises even small producers can enter the processing arena successfully. This paper focuses on the specific driving forces, pitfalls and strategies that agricultural SMEs need to pursue in order to survive.

The overall purpose of this research was to develop an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State. The aim was to integrate current legislation and policy into this inter-agency reporting protocol to create standardised reporting procedures to ensure effective access to and response from the child protection system for the child in need of care and protection. The thesis comprises six sections: SECTION A: This section comprises the problem statement, the research purpose statement and objectives, the central theoretical statement, the approach to the research, the research methodology, as well as the limitations and restrictions of the research. Furthermore, key words are defined and an explanation of the research report is provided. The problem statement shows that problems have been experienced for quite some time regarding the way reports are being handled within the child protection system. The result is that children in need of care and protection do not have effective access to the child protection system and they don’t get effective response when their cases are reported. Although the rights, interests and wants of the child in need of care and protection are addressed in existing legislation and policy, there is still a problem with the implementation and enforcement of said legislation and policy. SECTION B: This section comprises four consecutive articles: Article 1: Legislation and policy for reporting within the child protection system of South Africa In this article, Phase 1 (problem analysis and project planning) of the intervention model was used. An analysis was made of the existing legislation and policy regulations currently in use in South Africa during reporting at the child protection system. This was done by means of literature analysis. Article 2: Agents, cases, persons and response during reporting at the child protection system In this article, Phase 2 (information gathering) of the intervention model was used. An analysis was made of the stipulations of current legislation and policy in South Africa regarding agents, cases, persons and response that should be kept in mind when developing an interagency reporting protocol for the child protection system. It was done by means of literature analysis. Article 3: Reporting procedures and protocols from abroad applicable to an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system In this article, Phase 2 (information gathering) of the intervention model was used. The contents of foreign reporting procedures and protocols were analised in an effort to determine what contribution such procedures and protocols can make to the development of an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system. It was done by means of literature analysis. Article 4: An inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State In this article, Phases 3 (design), 5 (evaluation and advanced development) and 6 (dissemination) of the intervention model were used. The researcher used the information that came to the fore during the literature analysis in Phases 1 and 2 of the intervention model, to design an inter-agency reporting protocol and flow charts for the child protection system in the Free State. The suitability of this protocol was tested by means of semi-structured interviews with the agents responsible for handling reports within the child protection system. The qualitative data obtained from this was used for the further development of an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State. SECTION C: This section comprises a summary of the collective findings and conclusions that came to the fore during the research, whereafter recommendations were being made. SECTION D: This section comprises the various appendices used during the research. SECTION E: This section comprises a complete list of references. SECTION F: This section comprises the final inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free State. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014