Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007. / Prepared for: Center for Public Policy. Bibliography: leaves 220-239. Also available online via the Internet.

Dissertation (MBus) -- AUT University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print (xiii, 101 leaves ; 30 cm.) in City Campus Theses Collection (T 658.4013 TAU)

Published Article / Despite the introduction of various legislative measures to improve the performance of local government in terms of the mandate to be an autonomous sphere of government, service delivery in South Africa remains questionable and local government in a quandary. Performance in this context is influenced by globalization, technological development and challenges such as the world-wide financial crisis, enforcement of debt collection policies, decaying infrastructure and an unresponsive political and administrative environment. Strategies are recommended to ensure that local government can move beyond this point to excellent service delivery.

Territorial reform is the most radical and contested reorganisation of local government. A sound evaluation of the outcome of such reforms is hence an important step to ensure the legitimation of any decision on the subject. However, in our view the discourse on the subject appears to be one sided, focusing primarily on overall fiscal effects scrutinised by economists. The contribution of this paper is hence threefold: Firstly, we provide an overview off territorial reforms in Europe, with a special focus on Eastern Germany as a promising case for cross-country comparisons. Secondly, we provide an overview of the analytical classifications of these reforms and context factors to be considered in their evaluation. And thirdly, we analyse the literature on qualitative performance effects of these reforms. The results show that territorial reforms have a significant positive impact on functional performance, while the effects on participation and integration are indeed ambivalent. In doing so, we provide substantial arguments for a broader, more inclusive discussion on the success of territorial reforms.

M.Phil. (Industrial Psychology) / The aim of the study was to explore the managing of employee performance in the Department of Human Settlements (DHS). The study was necessitated by increasing dissatisfaction by the public in general regarding the performance of the DHS. A qualitative study was undertaken and four participants were interviewed. This study was particularly important because the performance of government departments in South Africa continues to fall under scrutiny as pressure for service delivery mounts. Recent studies indicate that public sector performance is a critical issue for governments around the world (Kealesitse, O’Mahony, Lloyd-Walker, Polonsky, 2013) and that an efficient public service in most cases enhances or improves the social conditions of the citizens. Hope (2012) acknowledges that citizens hold high expectations for their government to continuously provide quality and timeous services. Interviews were conducted with respondents at management level. The study established that while problems regarding the performance management of employees are experienced in the DHS, this has not reached a crisis stage. These problems occur due to subjectivity of the role players, vague performance standards in performance contracts, prioritisation of compliance with submission of performance contracts rather than managing the whole process diligently, lack of training of performance moderating committees, and lack of adequate management of poor performance. The researcher has offered recommendations for the management of subjectivity, the content of performance work plans, the referral to the incapacity code, and procedure for addressing poor performance as well as other areas that could enhance the management of poor performance in the DHS.