Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Text in Afrikaans / The study is undertaken to determine the influence of the Co-ordinating Council on the co-ordination of local government policy. A simplified analytical model is used to determine the activities that are undertaken by the Co-ordinating Council. The Co-ordinating Council identifies needs from the external municipal environment which are used as inputs for the submission of recommendations to the Cabinet. As a result the Cabinet uses the recommendations to promulgate parliamentary legislation. Parliamentary legislation which is applicable to local government affairs, is then linked back to the external municipal environment and implemented. The success of the co-ordinating function of the Co-ordinating Council can be measured by the variety of parliamentary acts that have been promulgated as a result of the activities of said Council. / Die studie word onderneem om die invloed van die Koordinerende Raad op die koordinering van plaaslike owerheidsbeleid te bepaal. 'n Vereenvoudigde analitiese ontledingsmodel word gebruik om die werksaamhede van die Koordinerende Raad te bepaal. Die Koordinerende Raad identifiseer behoeftes, vanuit die eksterne munisipale omgewing, wat as toevoere aangewend word om aanbevelings aan die Kabinet voor te le. Die Kabinet gebruik die aanbevelings om parlementere wetgewing te promulgeer. Parlementere wetgewing wat op plaaslike owerheidsaangeleenthede betrekking het, word daarna na die eksterne munisipale omgewing teruggekoppel en geimplementeer. Die sukses van die koordineringsfunksie ·van die Koordinerende Raad kan gemeet word aan die verskeidenheid van parlementere wette wat reeds weens die werksaamhede van die bovermelde Raad tot stand gekom het. / Public Administration and Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

This thesis focuses on the relationship between public libraries, that is, those library services provided by local authorities under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act for use by the general public, and research conducted in such services by professional library staff - 'practitioner-researchers'- within the local government context. The aims of the study are: • To examine the relationships between local authorities, public library services, and research activities. • To review and evaluate contemporary research activities in public library services carried out by practitioner-researchers. • To identify and investigate the use of particular research methods and techniques used by practitioner-researchers. • To analyse, and provide a clear understanding of, limitations in current practice. Chapter One introduces the study and states the parameters and constraints of the research. The time period covered by this thesis is from the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act until April 1998. Chapter Two argues that as local government moves from a traditional model of service provision to a model of activities in support of strategic policy objectives, more attention will need to be given to 'deep' research in order to address cross-cutting issues. Chapter Three reviews the public library research scene from three perspectives, historical, thematic and current, and demonstrates the emergence of a more coherent approach with co-ordination and funding at a national level. It also shows that research methods remain undeveloped in the public library service as a whole. Research activity is largely confined to simpler issues of service development and does not extend to research addressing the impact of the service. Chapter Four outlines and explains the methodology used for the fieldwork. It demonstrates the rigour incorporated in the naturalistic inquiry approach, verifies the sample, and describes the process of data analysis. Chapter Five examines current practice in public library services through a series of twenty interviews with Chief Librarians. An overview of the findings is followed by a more detailed analysis which draws from the qualitative data. The analysis is set in context, making links with the earlier literature reviews. The closing section broadens the discussion to consider the influence of research on policy. Chapter Six synthesises the themes of the thesis. A description of the new agenda, and an analysis of its implications for research and organisational structures, enables a reconsideration of the rationale for research in local government. It is argued that simply demonstrating the relevance of the service is not enough; the real contribution of research must be in terms of policy development. Approaches to research, and in particular research methods, are reviewed to assess their suitability and a way forward is identified.

D.Phil. / Performance management has become legislative requirement for municipalities in South Africa. Unfortunately, not many tools exist to measure and monitor municipal service delivery effectively. Municipal managers and politicians require accurate information to ensure that their decisions are not based on emotions and assumptions but that the information with regards to municipal service delivery is accurate and relevant. Descriptions and terminology used to describe engineering services are sometimes complex and confusing. To aggravate the situation, technical and non-technical people seem unable to communicate effectively about township engineering services. The development of the Service Delivery Index is a helpful tool in providing decision makers with accurate information. The index translate engineering services and service delivery aspects into numerical data that can also be represented graphically. The Service Delivery Index for municipalities comprises four components of engineering services being delivered in residential areas. The components are infrastructure quality, delivery efficiency, access to services and affordability. Each component comprises specific elements that are measured on a regular basis such as payment levels, proportion of household income to service charges, service interruptions, response times to outages and service levels. Not only can services be measured and represented graphically, they can also be compared and over time to establish trends. Desegregation of the index is easy. The index system allows municipalities to provide service delivery information to communities effectively and transparently and in an easily comprehensible manner. Components of the index can also be linked to a GIS system to display different aspects of service delivery geographically. The index system in combination with services costs graphs can also be utilised to make instant and accurate assessments of upgrading costs for township services. The data used for the compilation of the index is normally readily available form Census data, financial statements and departmental job evaluation reports. The index also effectively addresses the issue of communication between technical and non-technical people with the aid of graphical presentations.

D.Phil. / The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the new local government system in Malawi, and to determine the extent to which decentralised political and administrative structures uphold the principles of good governance. With the requirements of good governance in mind, the issues addressed include the legal and institutional framework, the factors that affect the performance by local institutions, and the broader political and socio-economic factors that complicate the promotion of principles of good governance at the local level. The study is based on an analysis of primary and secondary sources relating to local government in Malawi and selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It is supplemented by semi-structured qualitative interviews involving 38 respondents. The respondents included senior government officials, elected representatives and members of the civil society concerned with the promotion of the principles of good governance. The researcher also attended committee meetings in selected local authorities to obtain insights for the assessment of the new local government system. The major findings of this study are grouped into three broad categories. Firstly, although the legal and institutional framework tends to support the promotion of good governance on paper, it does not give any effect in practice. This is due to, among other factors, the legal provisions which are contradictory and entrench centralisation, and the inherent procedural weaknesses which are evident in the glaring omissions relating to procedures governing local authorities’ meetings, revenue collection and discipline. Secondly, a number of factors hamper the effective promotion of good governance by institutions both at the central and local levels. These include the weak institutional and resource constraints, ineffective civic education, high poverty levels, low literacy levels and negative public attitude towards government institutions and politics in general. Lastly, the effective promotion of the principles of good governance is complicated by the broader political and socio-economic factors such as the weak role of political parties, the presence of patrimonial behaviour, the lack of democratic political culture, the ineffective public sector reform, the deterioration of the economy, weak role of civil society organisations and their lack of vibrancy. In view of the study findings, it is recommended that the legal framework should be reviewed to amend contradictory provisions, and to incorporate provisions which enforce good governance at the local level. The major stakeholders in governance should embark on various capacity building measures such as holding public meetings, workshops, and curricula development to empower all sectors, particularly the rural masses in order to enable them to articulate their interests, to hold rulers accountable, and to reinforce desirable democratic values. With economic renewal in mind, the government should develop a coherent policy framework to encourage local investment in small and medium enterprises, and to guide the country towards self-reliance and food sufficiency. The government should also introduce country-wide irrigation schemes and intensify crop production, expand the tourism and the mining sectors, and adopt a fundamental land reform to restructure the unequal land distribution. / Prof. Yolanda Sadie

Magister Artium - MA / This research measured the impact of decentralisation on the promotion of good local governance in the Lilongwe District Assembly. The study explored the condition of local governance by examining the status of the facets that underpin local governance namely participation, transparency and accountability, gender equity and efficiency. It highlighted dilemmas associated with implementing decentralisation in areas where there are no functioning local institutions and where tendencies of centralisation still loom large. / South Africa

Since the democratisation of South Africa in 1994, new emphasis was placed on therole of structures of authority put in place by government. As in most other countries these structures operate on national, provincial and local levels. Particular prominence was placed on local authorities, responsible to act as custodians of the communities they serve by rendering essential services and products, upholding the local democracy and complying to the democracy’s developmental role within their jurisdiction. Management of local authorities are highlighted because of the direct and visual delivery of essential services to the communities they serve. The prominence of their responsibilities, more than in other spheres of government, are emphasised by the fact that its efficacy is critically and directly tested on an on-going basis by the communities within its boundaries – it affects the life and often the quality of life of almost everybody. Local authorities derive their status and power from the Constitution which states, inter alia, that the executive and legislative authority of municipalities is vested in their municipal council. Furthermore municipalities have the right to govern on own initiative the local government affairs of their communities subject to national and provincial legislation but with the proviso that these levels of government are not allowed to compromise or impede on the municipality’s ability or right to properly perform its functions or exercise its rights. In terms of the Constitution the municipal councils are democratically elected bodies based on the multiparty political dispensation of the community. In accordance the governance of a municipality is vested in the politically convictions and preferences of the council who, by virtue of legislation applicable to local authorities, is entitled to appoint the Municipal Manager and Managers reporting directly to it. Since councils are term bound elected bodies – which in addition may change its composition due to interim and by-elections and the transient nature of political expediencies – the appointment of municipalities’ senior executives are for limited duration only, with terms linked to those of the councils.This treatise will focus on the effect of the above on these managers and their ability to fulfil their constitutional duties with professionalism, fairness and objectivity whilst endeavouring to juggle community needs, political preferences, and self-preservation without impacting negatively on the provision of service of excellence. Specific attention will be given to practices that evolved within the sphere of local authorities pertaining to this type of employee and the compliances and conflicts of such with existing and proposed amended labour legislation – both factual and within the spirit and intent of the Constitution. Due to the intricate relationship between the different spheres of government and legislation involved, it was necessary to first deal with the background against which senior municipal managers are employed in order to discuss the employment relationship per se.

This thesis is an examination of the boundary restructure efforts of Nanaimo, B.C. It examines and compares both the background which precipitated the restructure referendum and the actions and attitudes by individuals, groups, and Government that prefaced the November 2, 1974 vote. It also explores the literature and legislation that is germane to the analysis and relates it to the above. Finally, some consideration is given to speculating probable effects of the amalgamation decision. While there are many reasons which explain the need for a re-alignment of local Government boundaries, the principal one is that the existing political structure impedes the most effective delivery of services to the public. The author's investigations revealed that there were important conflicts in the pattern of local Government in Nanaimo that could be mitigated with amalgamation. Irrespective of the stated benefits, a significant segment of the population opposed amalagamation. Opposition sentiment was based on a variety of arguments, with the effects on taxes apparently the most vocal issue. Opposition sentiment was obviously strong as the outcome of the referendum showed that only 52% were in favour of amalgamation. This despite the fact that a thorough examination of the implications of restructure by a special restructure committee concluded that there would be little initial impact on the tax burden. In general, the thesis is an assessment of an event, and as such, no specific or pre-conceived hypothesis was stated. Three recommendations of particular note, concluded specifically from the case study are: (i) the need for an immediate change in property taxation laws affecting non-municipal areas in British Columbia to bring the taxes in line with the actual cost of services provided by the province to non-municipal areas. (ii) the Provincial Government, in the Nanaimo situation, should be prepared to augment their existing financial commitment to help defray unanticipated costs if they (costs) become excessively burdensome. In future restructure proposals, however the Province should consider undertaking a more comprehensive review of cost figures, projected by local restructure committees to ensure their accuracy. (iii) in any future restructure proposals, the Provincial Government should ensure that the local people responsible for administering the restructure program have engaged in an active and effective campaign of making the local citizens aware of the full ramifications of amalgamation, (both the positive and negative aspects), and that a concerted effort is made to encourage the participation of all residents. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

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