M.A. (Public Management and Governance) / This research is an assessment of the level of goal achievement by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s (GPL) Infrastructure Development Portfolio Committee (IDCP). The overall aim is to determine the effectiveness of the Portfolio Committee, the reasons behind the discovered level of performance, and how to improve the status quo. Research findings reveal that the IDPC managed to achieve 61% of its targets over a four-year period (2009-2014). This is a fairly respectable achievement considering that the Portfolio Committee was only established in the current legislative term. Research findings also reveal a number of factors to support this achievement, such as capacity issues for both Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) and staff and the institution’s congested programme. Quite a number of these factors need to be addressed at institutional level, including capacitation of MPLs and administrative support staff, the GPL’s congested programme, and the identification of relevant stakeholders. However, there are issues that can be addressed at committee level and include engaging in law making discussions, providing feedback to stakeholders on a regular basis and systematically, and gathering more independent information for verification purposes.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study's investigation focuses on the role played by the NCOP in the national legislature as the second chamber of parliament. It looks in particular at how the NCOP has managed in its deliberations, and as mandated by the Constitution to represent provinces. Subsection 42 (4) of the Constitution stipulates that; " The NCOP represent the provinces to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government" (RSA Act 108, 1996). The question that the study seeks to answer IS: does the National Council of Provinces in its deliberations work to represent the interests of provinces in the national legislature rather than those of the party in control of the province? In answering the research question the study's approach is qualitative in nature. In other words, data collection methods were confined to documents and other important sources such as NCOP Publications namely, the NCOP News and the NCOP Review. Looking at the literature on second chambers, the study found that for second chambers to play an effective role in the legislature, the Constitution must equip them with adequate legislative powers. This means that the Constitution must give second chambers a veto on all Bills affecting their jurisdictions. Where a veto is non existent, irrespective of what legislative powers a second chamber may posses, if not elected directly by the electorate, it will suffer the accusations of rubber stamping Bills passed by the first house. The NCOP falls in the same category of second houses with no veto over Bills affecting provinces. Its legislative powers on these Bills are blunted by the NA's twothirds majority in the legislature and as a result remain a subordinate of the first house and that of the ruling party. Furthermore, administrative and communication problems experienced by the institution hinder it in its role of representing provinces. Equally so, the dominance of the ruling ANC in the provinces makes it difficult to determine whether mandates delivered by provincial legislatures carry the interests of provinces or those of the party in power. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie-ondersoek is gerig op die rol wat die NRVP (Nasionale Raad Van Provinsies), as die tweede huis van die Parlement. Die werk is spesifiek gerig op die manier hoe die NRVP vaar in hul debatvoerings, asook in hul verteenwoordiging van provinsies soos voorgeskryf in die Grondwet. Sub-artikel 42 (4) van die grondwet stipuleer dat "die NRVP verteenwoordig die provinsies om te verseker dat provinsiale belange in ag geneem word op die nasionale sfeer van die regering." (RSA Wet 108 van 1996). Die vraag wat hierdie studie poog om te antwoord, is die volgende: werk die NRVP in hul debatsvoerings om die belange van die provinsies in die nasionale wetgewer te verteenwoordig inplaas van die belange van die party in beheer van 'n spesifieke provinsie? In die beantwoording van hierdie navorsings-vraag, is die studie benadering kwalitatief in aard. Met ander woorde - data invorderings metodes was beperk tot dokumente en ander belangrike bronne soos NRVP publikasies, naamlik die "NCOP News" en die "NCOP Review". Na 'n bestudering van literatuur rondom die tweede huis van Parlement, het hierdie studie bevind dat vir die tweede huis om 'n effektiewe rol te speel in die wetgewer, die Grondwet dit moet toerus met genoegsame wetgewende magte. Dit beteken onder andere dat die grondwet die tweede huis 'n veto-reg gee oor alle wetsontwerpe wat hulle jurisdiksie raak. Waar 'n veto-reg nie bestaan nie, ongeag die wetgewende mag wat die NRVP mag hê, sal dit bieg gebuk gaan onder die beskuldiging dat dit 'n rubberstempel plaas op wetsontwerpe uitgevaardig deur die Nasionale Vergadering. Die NRVP val in dieselfde katagorie van tweede huise wat nie 'n veto-reg het oor wetsontwerpe wat provinsies raak. Die NRVP se wetgewende mag oor hierdie wetsonwerpe word geskoei op die Nasionale Vergadering se twee-derde meerderheid en gevolglik bly dit ondergeskik aan die Nasionale Vergadering. Verder, administratiewe-en kommunikasie-probleme wat ondervind word deur die liggaam, hinder dit in die rol van verteenwoordiger van die provinsies. Gelykstaande hieraan, is die dominering van die bewindvoerende party - die ANC. In die provinsies is dit moeilik om vas te stel of die voorskrifte van die provinsiale wetgewer werklik handel oor die belange van die provinsies self of die is van die party in die meerderheid.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to provide a structural analysis of the second house of the South African Parliament - the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). The study firstly focuses on the theoretical experience of second chambers in general. It then touches on a comparative study of second chambers of selected countries. The study then provides a description of the composition of the second house in South Africa, the committee system employed as well as the information flow. It also explores the concept of co-operative governance, the powers assigned to the NCOP by the Constitution and discusses the method of selecting delegates in detail. In addition the study focuses on the role that the NCOP is expected to play within the national legislative process. This analysis is descriptive in nature and aims to serve as an educational tool for the South African public as well as in the international arena. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om 'n strukturele analise te maak van die tweede kamer van die Suid-Afrikaanse Parlament, die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies (NRVP). Eerstens fokus die studie op die teoretiese ervaring van tweede kamers in geheel. Dit gaan dan verder om sekere vergelykings te tref tussen die tweede kamers van verkose lande. Die studie beskryf onder andere die samestelling van die tweede kamer in Suid- Afrika, hoe die komiteestelsel gebruik word, asook die vloei van informasie binne die NRVP. Die studie gaan ook verder om die konsep van saamwerkende regering en die konstitusionele magte van die instelling te bespreek asook die metode om afgevaardiges te verkies tot die NRVP. Die studie fokus ook op die verwagte rol van die NRVP binne die nasionale wetgewende proses. Hierdie analise is beskrywend van aard en beoog om te dien as 'n opvoedkundige instrument vir die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek asook binne die internasionale arena.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Globally participatory democracy is viewed as essential to ensure a high level of legitimacy, contribute to empowerment and strengthen democracy. Although South Africa is a representative democracy, it also adheres to the principles of participatory democracy as Parliament and the nine Provincial Legislatures are constitutionally mandated to elicit public participation in its decision-making and policy processes. This study’s main aim is to determine whether the public participation strategies employed in the South African legislative sector at present are effective and enhance decision-making and policy processes. Following a discussion of the theoretical context and rationale for public participation, a limited international perspective on public participation was given. The study proceeded to explore the application of public participation in the local South African context with specific focus on the legislative environment. In order to provide evidence in support of the research statement an investigation was done on the current state of public participation in the South African legislative environment. Responses from a semi-structured questionnaire on public participation in the South African legislative context were processed into a comparative table to obtain an overall picture of the legislative sector. From the findings it is clear that there are many positive factors and innovative ideas in place across the legislative sector, yet the weaknesses still far outweigh the strengths.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper was written with the intention of investigating how Knowledge Management (KM) influences an organization's competitive advantage. The objective of the research questions was to determine KM's role in a competitive advantage. Knowledge is the critical asset of any organization whether profit or nonprofit. This paper will discuss the meaning of the competitive advantage focusing attention in a non-profit organization, which will serve as a framework for subsequent argument and the remainder of the study. Research into KM's relation with business issues such as leadership, IT for KM, organizational structure was conducted. The objective was to determine the readiness of the institution in implementing Knowledge Management as a basis for its competitive advantage and also to determine the role of the leadership for KM and IT for KM and to propose a new agenda for the Chief Knowledge Officer. This paper is organized around six chapters. It begins with introduction and background chapters where the research question, research setting and KM's competitive advantage are discussed. An in-depth literature review follows in chapter two. Chapter three deals with the detailed description of the methodology followed to compile this paper. A data report and analysis in chapters four and five followed by recommendations for rolling out of KM initiative are considered. Research concludes in chapter six. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studiestuk is geskryf met die bedoeling om die wyse waarop Kennisbestuur (KB) 'n organisasie se mededingende voordeel beïnvloed, te ondersoek. Die oogmerk van die navorsingsvrae was om KB se rol met betrekking tot mededingende voordeel te bepaal. Kennis is 'n belangrike bate vir enige organisasie met of sonder winsbejag. In hierdie stuk word die betekenis van mededingende voordeel bespreek met die klem op 'n organisasie sonder winsbejag wat as raamwerk sal dien vir daaropvolgende argumente en die res van die studie. Navorsing is oor die verband tussen KB en sake-aangeleenthede soos leierskap, inligtingstegnologie (IT) en organisatoriese struktuur gedoen. Die oogmerk was om die gereedheid van die instelling te bepaal vir die implementering van KB as 'n grondslag vir sy mededingende voordeel en ook om die rol van leierskap vir KB en IT vir KB vas te stel en om 'n nuwe agenda vir die Hoof Kennisbeampte voor te stel. Hierdie stuk bestaan uit ses hoofstukke. Dit begin met 'n inleiding en 'n hoofstuk met agtergrondinligting waar die navorsingsvrae, navorsingsomgewing en KB se mededingende voordeel bespreek word. 'n Deeglike literatuur-oorsig volg in hoofstuk twee. Hoofstuk drie handel oor 'n gedetailleerde beskrywing van die metodologie wat gevolg is om hierdie stuk te lewer. 'n Dataverslag en -ontleding word in hoofstukke vier en vyf oorweeg, gevolg deur aanbevelings vir die uitrol van 'n KB inisiatief. Die navorsingsgevolgtrekking is in hoofstuk ses vervat.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent years scholars and researchers have been paying specific attention to the performance and results produced by government activities. This is seen as a direct consequence of trends in the public policy field, specifically the New Public Management (NPM) approach. The South African Government has demonstrated its commitment to the NPM approach by advocating the assessment of government’s performance and putting in place substantial guiding, policy and discussion documents that would promote the monitoring and evaluation of public outputs and outcomes. This research study takes its cue from the NPM approach and evidence-based public policy analyses as it sought to evaluate the performance of a government programme by considering reported performance outputs. The researcher evaluated the performance for the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature’s (NCPL) Administration programme over a 3-year period as a case study. The research methodology is evaluative in nature and the specific design employed is programme evaluation. To solicit data from respondents, an Organisational Profile Survey was conducted. The survey responses from participants were combined with a review of media reports and scrutiny of documented reports to provide comprehensive evidence about the performance of the NCPL Administration. The overall aim of the study was to evaluate performance with a view to the improvement of future performance. The findings of the thesis indicate that the planned services and activities of the NCPL Administration are not being implemented effectively and that the overall programme is not functioning effectively. The effectiveness of the NCPL Administration can be improved by means of the resolution of organisational challenges. Recommendations are made to address performance deficiencies and further research opportunities are also identified. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsers het oor die afgelope paar jaar spesifiek begin fokus op die prestasie en uitslae van regeringsaktiwiteite. Die onlangse tendens kom as ‘n direkte gevolg van huidige openbare hervorming, en meer spesifiek die Nuwe Openbare Bestuurs- (NOB) benadering. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering demonstreer hul toewyding aan die NOB benadering deurdat die evaluasie van regerings prestasie voorgestaan word, asook deur die instelling van substansiële beleid-, leidings- en gespreksdokumente wat die monitering en evaluasie van publieke uitsette en uitkomste bevorder. Hierdie navorsingsstudie volg die NOB benadering en bewys-gebaseerde publieke beleidsontleding na. Dit is gemik daarop om die prestasie van ‘n regeringsprogram te evalueer deur die gerapporteerde prestasie uitsette in ag te neem. As deel van hierdie gevallestudie evalueer die navorser die prestasie van die Noord-Kaap Provinsiale Wetgewer (NKPW) se administrasie program oor ‘n drie jaar tydperk. Die studie se navorsingsmetodologie is waardeoordelend die spesifieke navorvingsontwerp wat gebruik word is Programevaluering. Om data van respondente te bekom was ‘n Organisasie Profiel Opname onderneem. Hierdie data was gekombineer met ‘n oorsig van koerant berigte en die noukeurige ondersoek van verslae met die oog daarop om omvattende bewyse te lewer oor die prestasie van die NKPW Administrasie. In geheel poog die studie om prestasie lewering te evalueer met die doel om toekomstige prestasie te verbeter. Die bevindinge van die tesis dui aan dat die implementering van beplande dienste en aktiwiteite van die NKPW Administrasie nie doeltreffend is nie en dat die program in geheel nie effektief is nie. Die prestasie van die NKPW Administrasie kan verbeter word deur die aanspreking van uitdagings wat in die organisasie ondervind word. Aanbevelings word gemaak om die prestasiegapings aan te spreek en verdere navorsinggeleenthede is ook geïdentifiseer.