This dissertation comprises three essays in public finance. The first essay is a research of a theory of trading of club goods and its application to jurisdiction. The essay establishes a model of trading of club goods among clubs, and illustrates its effects on the process and outcome of club formation. Cost function as well as disutility of crowdedness is emphasized and integrated into the process of club formation, after allowing for exchanging club good among clubs. In the process, the essay develops a market for club goods. Then the model is revised and applied to the formation of jurisdictions. The second essay comes out of an interest regarding household demand, poverty and public goods in developing countries. The essay explores household food consumption in Jamaica and estimates the effects of related variables. With Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 2001 data, the essay estimates an Engel curve which reflects the relation between household food consumption and related variables. What’s more, to investigate the possible neighborhood effect on food consumption, the essay tests and estimates the spatial correlation among neighborhood food consumption. The estimated results can be applied to poverty reduction policy. The third essay extends the theme of poverty, consumption, and government programs by analyzing one other public program—education. Education is closely linked to poverty alleviation. Determining the demand for education and the return to education will help government focus programs aimed at reducing drop-out rates and in the long run, poverty in the country. The essay applies discrete time survival analysis techniques to analyze education duration in Jamaica. Based on Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 2002, the essay estimates the effects of household, individual and other related covariates on dropout risks of students. The essay compares discrete time Cox model and discrete time logit model and concludes that the two estimations are consistent. The estimation results could be used to predict the effects of changes in the covariates, or be used to predict the dropout risks of particular students in each grade, both of which could provide useful policy implications to improve education in Jamaica.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Thesis (doctoral) - Universitat, Marburg, 2007. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le Nov. 10, 2008). In Springer Link (Monographies électroniques). Versement en lot.

This research conducts a Critical Assessment of the Provincial Intervention Outcomes in Makana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province (2012-2014) with the overriding objectives to identify factors which cause unsuccessful Provincial intervention on local government affairs and measure the extent to which these factors played a role in the intervention in Makana Local Municipality and assess the outcomes of Provincial intervention in Makana Local Municipality. The entire research process was guided by the above research objectives and questions that strive to assess the outcomes of Provincial intervention in Makana. The study involved a qualitative research approach: conducting interviews and reviewing the Provincial Strategic Plans 2014, Financial Recover Plans 2014, Makana Annual Financial Statement 2015, Makana Budget Analysis 2014 and the Auditor Generals 2014/15 annual report on Makana. The study identified and defined challenges (factors) that contribute to poor outcomes in Provincial interventions and further identified success factors of Provincial intervention. The extent to which these factors played a role in Makana were then measured, and finally, the outcomes of Provincial intervention in Makana Local Municipality were assessed. The findings of the study indicate that the intervention in Makana Local Municipality has produced stability in the municipality and resulted in a degree of successful outcomes. However, there are priority areas that the municipality still needs to work on in order to make certain that the Makana Local Municipality is fully functional in all the areas that have been identified as priority areas of intervention. The study establish that there are many factors that may lead to Provincial interventions failing in Local government, such as lack of monitoring and evaluation during intervention, lack of commitment by the Province, political interferences and lack of budget or funds to implement the strategic plans. These factors can be prevented in order to assure that Provincial intervention in Local government is successful. The study reveals that proper intervention plans, effective implementations of the strategic plans, coordination and communication between municipal Council, Province and municipal officials, monitoring and evaluation during and after intervention can assist the Province to detect whether the interventions are to be successful. Lastly, the study makes recommendations for both Provincial and Local government.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / Governments throughout the world are increasingly under pressure to transform in response to rapid changes in the global economy. They are faced with new and challenging situations as the social world, the economy, demography and technology keep changing. While literature reports some degree of success towards e-government implementation in the developed world, there is lack of empirical research on successes of e-government and information sharing practices of government agencies in developing countries. Designers of e-government solutions in all countries face challenges that are unique to their specific sociocultural, economic, geographic, environmental, political, and technical context. However, the peculiarity of e-government challenges is more evident in developing countries than in developed ones. This research is motivated by the need to investigate an e-government phenomenon in a developing country context like Zimbabwe which is characterised by complex dynamics rooted in politics, economy and social setting. Emphasis is placed on the political nature and the complex institutional environments in which e-government develops and recognition is given to the key concepts of e-government which involve the technological and social aspects. This study has been scoped empirically to explore e-government implementation efforts at government level then a case study of the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality’s e-Administration dimension of e-government, with focus on information sharing. Tourism is an example that e-government’s parameters do not stop at the boundaries of the public sector. The research first conducted a document study of all policies and programmes initiated by the government of Zimbabwe towards public sector modernisation using ICTs. Secondly, in order to identify the status of e-government and information sharing as well as government’s vision in the same, interviews were conducted with the Ministry of ICT’s administration. Thirdly, a case study of the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality was conducted to establish the extent and tools of information sharing between the ministry and other line ministries, departments and other institutions nationally and internationally. Data from the case were analysed using the Activity-Driven Needs Analysis (ADNA). Research findings from all activities have been discussed and further developed in two solutions-oriented focus group meetings with senior managers at both ministries of ICT and tourism in the area of cross-government information sharing, and in feedback sessions with research participants. Literature review, analysis of ICT policy documents and case study analysis were insights which underpinned the development of an e-government framework for developing countries. The emphasis of the framework is for e-government designers to place importance on political and institutional factors ahead of any other determinant. Consistent with ADNA and the critical realist perspective, the aim is not to influence these political and institutional factors, but to understand their modus operandi and hence to construct an e-government solution which recognizes the dictates of all stakeholders.

The research seeks to assess the effectiveness of the provincial intervention in accordance with section 139 of the Constitution, 1996 in dysfunctional municipalities in the Eastern Cape as a viable instrument vis-à-vis the implementation of the continuous support in terms of section 154 of the same Constitution. Both sections are legislative obligations on the part of the national and provincial spheres of government. The two sections are legal instruments of monitoring and support and their implementation in municipalities by the then Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs (now known as Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) in the Eastern Cape is the focus of the study. However, the two instruments are not achieving their objectives as more municipalities continue remaining dysfunctional despite provincial interventions. The government set out a broad vision of developmental local government. This is essentially a vision that calls on municipalities to find means of confronting the legacy of underdevelopment and poverty in their local areas. Whereas section 154 seeks to ensure support and strengthen capacity of municipalities, section 139 presupposes intervention in areas where a municipality has failed to perform. The latter section is usually invoked when everything else has failed by way of the continuous support provided by section 154. The study examined critical aspects on the implementation of the two instruments by DLGTA, particularly at Sundays River Valley Local Municipality. It looked at the challenges that necessitate the provincial government to intervene in dysfunctional municipalities as well as at implementation challenges. It also looked at the impact of the provincial intervention and checked on the section that is likely to make an impact between the two. In so doing, the municipal functionaries; Mayor/Speaker, Section 56 Managers, departmental officials of DLGTA and stakeholders representing citizens of Sundays River Valley were interviewed. The results of the study reflect challenges in the implementation of the two instruments by the DLGTA and it would be advisable for the DLGTA to consider the findings and recommendations in an attempt to contribute in overcoming the section 139 challenges.

D.Litt et Phil. / The departure point of this research is that the emergence of a system of intergovernmental relations will have direct and profound implications for the development of the country as a whole, as well as providing an additional dimension to the understanding of the approach to development in South Africa. A sound academic understanding of the nature of development in this country will therefore have no choice but to take into account the structures and processes which the major role-player (government) makes use of to facilitate and implement development ...

The primary aim of this study was to examine the role of inter-governmental relations in the local economic development processes of the Cacadu district municipality. The sample for the study was selected from Cacadu District Municipality, with five respondents participating in the survey. A qualitative methodology was used in the data collection and item analysis. This showed that the research instrument had good reliability. The literature review reveals that municipal local economic development in South Africa does not rely exclusively on competition. The Cacadu district municipality developed an inter-governmental relations policy that outlines the inter-governmental system and structures that need to be established in the district. In terms of this policy, a number of inter-governmental structures were established, ranging from the Cacadu District Mayor’s forum through Communications and AIDS structures to the Integrated Development Planning and LED Forums. Apart from the Local Economic Development (LED) forum, the findings of this study reveal that there are two further LED-related structures in the Cacadu District Municipality (CDM), namely: an operational District Support Team and a Rural Economic Development Initiative. The co-ordination takes place at the IDP forum, during the IDP processes, and at the Mayor’s and Municipal Managers’ forum. During the time of the research, the CDM was reviewing its economic growth and development strategy. The findings of the study suggest that the district is moving away from planning for isolated local economic development projects. The case study of Camdeboo Satellite Aquaculture Project (CSAP) illustrates the impact of inter-governmental relations and co-ordination in the Cacadu District Municipality. The design of the Project took place between November 2007 and June 2008.A detailed Business Plan for both farming and factory operations over a ten-year period has been compiled and subjected to a thorough evaluation by the CSAP Project Steering Committee, which includes the Industrial Development Corporation, the Development Bank of South Africa, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries – with financial support from Thina Sinako (a joint venture between the European Union and the Eastern Cape provincial Treasury).

The Constitution Act, 108 of 1996 declares that: 'in the Republic, government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres of government that are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated". Section 41(1)of the above Constitution further states that there shall be cooperation, mutual trust and good faith between these three spheres. They should inform and consult one another on matters of common interest, co-ordinate their legislation, and adhere to agreed procedures. In addition, it is expected that acts of Parliament should establish structures and institutions to promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations, and provide mechanism and procedures to facilitate settlement of intergovernmental disputes. In view of the above, it is evident that co-operative government can be regarded as one of the cornerstones of the new constitutional dispensation in South Africa and intergovernmental relations can be regarded as practical instrument for ensuring co-operative government in the delivery of services by the three spheres of government. The study therefore seeks to assess the impact of intergovernmental relations on service delivery in the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Eastern Cape Province from the year 1994-2009. It also attempts to show the importance of intergovernmental relations to service delivery especially in integrated development planning, co-operation and co-operation and co-ordination of policies and plans. "The assessment of the impact of intergovernmental relations on service delivey in the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Eastern Cape Province (1994-2009)".

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The practice of public-sector strategic planning has gained dominance in public sector management in imitation of the concept of strategy in military science and later of the practice of strategic planning in the private sector. Its institutionalisation in the public sector should be welcomed as a positive development. The policy and regulatory framework instils a culture of cooperative governance through the promotion of effective intra- and inter-governmental relations that assume a developmental approach to planning. It is this culture that sets parameters within which the practice of strategic planning should be managed in the public sector. Strategy alignment is critical in achieving cooperative governance in strategic planning, as is shown in this study. The study sought to establish the extent to which the existing strategic planning guidelines could be manipulated to achieve alignment between the provincial and local spheres of government. A qualitative study was performed. It relied on both a non-empirical literature review and an empirical investigation to generate its data. Interviews were conducted with representatives of a sample of four Provincial Departments and seven different Municipalities drawn from the three categories of Local Government, namely metropolitan, local and district Municipalities. The Eastern Cape Provincial Government structure with its composite Municipalities constituted the case selected for this study. The study revealed that strategic planning in the province assumes different formats ranging from basic and medium-term to comprehensive and long-term, as well as sector- and project-specific strategic planning processes. The public sector strategic processes are politically influenced, taking their tone from political directives, but driven mainly by administrators. Whereas the active participation of politicians in shaping integrated development plans (IDPs) as the principal strategic plans for Municipalities is acknowledged, the concern that politicians at a provincial level are playing a limited role in shaping Provincial Departments’ strategic plans remains relevant. It is vital that the political governance centre in the province; namely the premier’s office, should take charge of coordinating strategic planning and should be responsible for the alignment efforts of the government structures in the province. Strategic planning plays a significant role in defining the organisational growth path of every public-sector organisation, as well as the management of public resources, financial and non-financial. This study advocates for learning as a central organisational value and recommends that the existing strategic-planning guidelines be improved to embody a cooperative governance approach. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toonaangewende posisie wat strategiese beplanningspraktyk in die openbare sektor, binne die kader van bestuur in die openbare sektor, verwerf het, het beslag gekry weens die nabootsing van strategiese beplanningskonsepte eie aan die militêre wetenskapsmilieu. Dit is later versterk deur navolging van strategiese beplanningsmodelle uit die privaatsektor. Die institusionalisering van strategiese beplanning in die openbare sektor moet as ’n positiewe ontwikkeling verwelkom word. Beleidstelling en ’n reguleringsraamwerk vestig ’n sterk korporatiewe verantwoordelikheidsin. Dit word bewerkstellig deur die bevordering van effektiewe intra- en interregeringsvehoudinge, wat ’n ontwikkelingsbenadering tot beplanning veronderstel. Hierdie kultuur omskryf die raamwerk vir die toepassing van strategiese beplanning in die openbare sektor. Soos hierdie ondersoek aandui, is ’n voorvereiste vir deelnemende bestuur, wanneer daar strategies beplan word, koördinering van strategie. Die ondersoek het ten doel gehad om te bepaal tot watter mate bestaande strategiese beplanningsriglyne aangepas kon word om gerigdheid tussen provinsiale en plaaslike regeringsfere te bewerkstellig. ’n Kwalitatiewe ondersoek is gedoen, gebaseer op navorsingsdata verkry uit sowel ’n nie-empiriese literatuurstudie as ’n empiriese ondersoek. Onderhoude is gevoer met verteenwoordigers van ’n monster werknemers, saamgestel vanuit vier provinsiale departemente en sewe verskillende munisipaliteite. Die volle spektrum van plaaslike regeringsinstellings is gedek, naamlik metropolitaanse, plaaslike en distriksmunisipaliteite. Die provinsiale regeringstruktuur van die Oos-Kaap en sy saamgestelde munisipaliteitstrukture vorm die basis vir hierdie gevallestudie. Die ondersoek het aangedui dat strategiese beplanning in hierdie provinsie verskeie vorme aanneem; dit wissel in formaat van basies en mediumtermyn tot omvattend en langtermyn, asook sektorale en projekspesifieke strategiese beplanningsprosesse. Die strategiese proses van die openbare sektor word polities beïnvloed deur die politieke ondertoon teenwoordig in direktiewe, maar dit is hoofsaaklik administrateurs wat die agenda bepaal. Alhoewel die aktiewe betrokkenheid van politici in die daarstelling van geïntegreede ontwikkelingsplanne (GOP’s), die hoof strategiese planne vir munisipaliteite, erken word, is daar steeds rede tot kommer dat politici op provinsiale vlak slegs ’n beperkte rol vervul as dit kom by die skep van die provinsiale departemente se strategiese planne. Dit is van kritieke belang dat die kern van politieke bestuur, naamlik die kantoor van die premier, in beheer van die koördinering van strategiese beplanning moet wees en verantwoordelikheid sal aanvaar vir die koördineringspogings van regeringstrukture in die provinsie. Strategiese beplanning speel ’n betekenisvolle rol wanneer die organisatoriese ontwikkelingspad vir elke openbare sektor instelling uitgestippel word, asook by die bestuur van openbare bronne; sowel finansieel as nie-finansieel. Hierdie ondersoek maak voorspraak vir die beklemtoning van kennisontwikkeling as ’n sentrale organisatoriese noodsaak en beveel aan dat bestaande strategiese beplanningsriglyne sodanig aangepas word dat dit ’n koöperatiewe bestuursplan vir beter deelnemende bestuur beliggaam.