Addressing the current homeland security challenges requires scholars, practitioners, elected officials, and community partners working in unison to mitigate the hazards confronting first responders. Built on public choice theory, this research addressed a specific component of the emergency preparedness matrix: the most preferred fire service organizational design. The fire department organizational designs in this study included a Florida county, city, and independent special control fire district (ISFCD) that serve residents on a full-time platform. The concurrent embedded methodology used attempted to unearth which organizational design achieves economies of scale based on quarterly emergency service calls: the centralized county model or the decentralized city/ISFCD models. This study was an inquiry into the centralization versus decentralization argument, with emphases on fire service scale economies and inter-local service agreements Using multiple linear regression modeling accompanied by face-to-face interviews with the respective fire chiefs, this research showed that the county and ISFCD achieve scale economies over 44 quarters, fiscal years 2004-2014. Moreover, the interviews uncovered that response times were the driving factor behind instituting voluntary inter-local service agreements between the three fire departments. Other positive benefits from the service agreements include an increase in personnel and scene safety, dispatch center protocol enhancements, multi-company/jurisdictional training, overtime savings on large-scale disaster incidents, and trust building. The implications of this research for the scholarly and practitioner community include a better understanding of the technical and allocative efficiencies within the fire service arena. Melding public choice theory with strands of inter-local service agreement literature provides policymakers and scholars with a template for uncovering the fire service production/provision narrative. Though the centralization-decentralization argument is not solved within the research scope presented, the future narrative as uncovered in the research requires a citizenry inclusion. The future public choice prescriptions regarding fire service consolidation requires not only statistical modeling, but a normative democratic ethos tone incorporating multiple stakeholders with the citizens’ concerns at the forefront. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Cette recherche a pour objet l’étude de l’émergence des métropoles, à partir du cas bordelais, en tantqu’acteurs locaux de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche. Dans un contexte de renforcement descapacités politiques des pouvoirs locaux, de promotion d’une économie et d’une société de la connaissance etd’un ancrage territorial des acteurs universitaires, les métropoles issues de la loi MAPTAM de janvier 2014ont renforcé leur intervention dans le domaine de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche. Elles se sontengagées dans un travail de définition de leur cadre d’intervention, formalisé par la production de documentsstratégiques. Cette institutionnalisation de l’action des métropoles a eu pour conséquence de transformer lesmodalités de coopération entre acteurs publics locaux et de mise en cohérence de leurs stratégies, en posantles bases d’une gouvernance métropolitaine de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche. / The purpose of this reseach is to study the emergence of French metropolitan governments, from the exempleof Bordeaux, as actors of higher education and research policymaking. In a context of devolution thatstrengthens local governments, of a knowledge economy and knowledge society, of universities interactingwith their local environment, metropolitan governments have developped their intervention capacity in thefield of higher eduction and research. With new interventions and strategic plans, their actions have had animpact on the cooperation between local governments and the harmonization of their political strategies, thuspaving the way for a governance of higher eduction and research policies at a metropolitan level.

E-governance is a comprehensive and well-thought out notion as it brings forth a change in the way governments communicate to citizens and to each other. Since the RSA government relies on regular consultations with the citizens in order to improve service delivery, e-governance approaches inspires citizens to be active agent of local democracy by means of providing information and participation on issues that matters the most to the society. The effectiveness of e-governance takes into account four systemic intentions which are as follows: Increased government accountability; Increased government transparency; Increased government efficiency and; Increased citizen’s trust In order for the RSA government, more particularly at the local level, to ensure quality of life to the citizens, the modernisation of government services and operations is very important. E-governance can now be considered as a source or tool for sharing ideas and initiatives that deliver a mutual enrichment. In other words, the citizens are the determining factor and actors for the rules and the role of the local bureaucrats as well as for the corresponding ICT tools persist to be developed. This treatise undertakes a strategic view and an evaluation of e- governance in local municipalities as the means of improving and transforming the delivery of services and access to information for citizens. Consequently this paper affords an exploratory analysis between e-governance and the six core elements of technology (i.e. e-strategy, e-skills development, e-services, IT governance and ICT infrastructure and e-leadership) believed to contribute positively in the effectiveness of e-governance. Finally, recommendations are made as a result of analysing the literature study and empirical study to ensure the implementation of the key initiatives of e-governance that can add value to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM).

Firstly, the study contributes to the understanding of voluntary IC disclosure practices in the South African metropolitan municipalities and therefore narrows the gap between IC theory and practice. Secondly, the findings provide valuable insights into the frequency, patterns and quality of voluntary IC disclosure in metropolitan municipalities across a three-year period. Thirdly, the results of the study may be used by various stakeholders of municipalities such as management, regulators and standard-setting bodies to improve disclosure of IC in this sector. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

Since the second half of the 20th century, public participation in local governance has been widely recognized and promoted by planning theorists and practitioners. Nevertheless, in practice, public participation has faced multiple criticisms, such as a disconnect between process and outcome, low levels of substantive representation for participating community groups, and rigidity in participatory methods. These three criticisms raise the question as to how effective public participatory programs are for multicultural cities, such as New York City, with their increasing numbers of ethnic residents. The goal of this three-article dissertation is to evaluate the current official participatory process in New York City while focusing on effectiveness, representativeness, and inclusiveness, that is, the three aspects of the process receiving the most criticism. Using path analysis, the first article compares and contrasts the effects of Community Board recommendations with those of the recommendations and reviews of other key representatives during the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure and neighborhood characteristics. The results indicate that, although Community Board recommendations have greater direct and indirect effects than those of the borough president, the second model, which incorporates neighborhood variables, reveals that increases in the socio-economic factor and decreases in the immigrant concentration factor are positively associated with changes in decisions within the procedure. Moreover, the second article observed the level of substantive representation in terms of Community Boards using the annual Statement of Needs and survey of residents. The research finds that, Community Board opinions exhibit a high correspondence with the opinions of residents on the need of affordable housing but that the opinions of residents and Community Boards diverged in other topics. Comparatively, Community Boards tend to choose topics that are related to developmental policies as the most pressing issues, while residents find topics relevant to redistributive policies as problematic. The research also reveals that the opinions of ethnic residents are represented less well than those of their non-ethnic neighbors. Lastly, the third article searches for the equity necessary to bring forth inclusive planning processes using interviews with leaders of Community Boards and community-based organizations. The research observes the choices that planners make and finds practical limitations, including legitimacy challenges, linguistic barriers, and definitions of culture. In conclusion, the article proposes that equity comes in multiple forms, including structured collaboration and communication among relevant participants and stakeholders, diverse participation methods for multiple cultures and publics, support from the City, and assistance from planning scholars. Although all three articles point out existing ethnic disparities, the dissertation concludes that an effective, representative, and inclusive participatory process is required for both ethnic and non-ethnic residents in multiethnic, multicultural New York City.

Text in Afrikaans / This dissertation is focused on questions on how the metropolitan municipalities, with specific reference to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM), originated and developed. Against this background, the study consists of a theoretical exploration of the nature of the metropolis as a feature, as well as specific concepts related to it, an investigation into the most important metropolitan problems and an outline of the historical complications regarding the origin of metropolitan municipalities. In addition to this, personnel matters, financial relations and systems, the integrated development plans, ward committees and the role of councillors within the context of the CTMM were also investigated. / Public Administration / M.P.A.

Text in Afrikaans / This dissertation is focused on questions on how the metropolitan municipalities, with specific reference to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM), originated and developed. Against this background, the study consists of a theoretical exploration of the nature of the metropolis as a feature, as well as specific concepts related to it, an investigation into the most important metropolitan problems and an outline of the historical complications regarding the origin of metropolitan municipalities. In addition to this, personnel matters, financial relations and systems, the integrated development plans, ward committees and the role of councillors within the context of the CTMM were also investigated. / Public Administration and Management / M.P.A.

Construction and operation of cross-boundary transportation infrastructure is a challenge at the local, state, and international levels. Trends in travel patterns show increases in travel demand in both the United States and Europe resulting in greater attention to cross-boundary infrastructure and services. In the United States, this challenge has arisen most frequently in provision regional transit services and infrastructure while Europe is faced with a challenge of connecting its member-states. One question that remains unknown is whether when governments are faced with providing cross-boundary infrastructure or services, do they develop similar organizational arrangements when meeting these challenges regardless of what level of government is involved? This research asks whether governments at all levels of governance develop similar organizational solutions in the construction and operation of transport infrastructure. This question is answered through an examination of regional transit provision in seven U.S. metropolitan areas, six commuter rail systems in the United States, a series of bi-state river highway bridges in the United States, and five cross-border segments of the Trans-European Transport Network in the European Union, three similar organizational arrangements types were found to govern cross-boundary provision of transportation infrastructure and/or services. These three types, an independent entity, an intergovernmental agreement or contract, or direct financial payment, were found at all levels of governance. The research suggests that there is a relationship between the complexity of the service involved the level of financial control indicating that more complex operations such as network of services requiring day-to-day operation tend to be arranged as independent entities with various levels of public and/or private financing.

M. Tech. Public Management / In this case study of the Section 79 governance model, adopted by the City of Tshwane in 2011, the researcher explores the feasibility of the implementation of the Section 79 Governance Model in the local government. The key lessons learnt from the experience of the implementation of Section 79 Governance Model by the City of Tshwane are used to make three sets of recommendations. The first set of recommendations advises policy makers in RSA on development / establishment of a legislative framework that would formalize the section 79 oversight committees. The second set of recommendations relates to identifying the challenges faced by the City of Tshwane in implementing the Section 79 governance model. The third set of recommendation identifies the resources required for successful implementation of section 79 governance model.

Orientador: Carlos Antonio Brandão / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T14:43:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alves_MariaAbadiadaSilva_D.pdf: 2557698 bytes, checksum: 122af6ea5d88e628d53fd7e946025d21 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: O objetivo desta tese é, inicialmente, identificar do ponto de vista teórico e analítico, o que é um problema metropolitano e quais as características, potencialidades e limitações da escala metropolitana de atuação política. O argumento desenvolvido é que há diferentes espacialidades das carências metropolitanas e que, portanto, estas podem ser tratadas sob diversos arranjos institucionais, que são, neste trabalho, exemplificados pelas experiências internacionais de gestão metropolitana em cinco países e outros arranjos não propriamente metropolitanos como os comitês de bacia, os pactos territoriais, os consórcios municipais e a contratualização inspirada no caso francês. Ou seja, buscar-se-á demonstrar que os problemas metropolitanos exigem escalas de atuação diferentes, que não se restringem apenas à escala metropolitana. A partir deste desdobramento analítico, analisaremos o caso específico da Região Metropolitana de Campinas, identificando as características e principais constrangimentos na gestão desta metrópole, a partir de duas dimensões distintas: uma política e institucional de ordem mais geral, que faz parte principalmente da estrutura federativa brasileira e outra mais específica, ligada à realidade regional, decorrente da características de sua institucionalidade recente. Também tomando o caso específico da RMC, selecionamos alguns problemas metropolitanos (Saneamento Ambiental, Transportes, Habitação e Segurança Pública), a partir dos quais discutiremos qual a interação escalar existente em cada uma dessas áreas de atuação. Realizaremos também um breve diagnóstico de cada um destes problemas bem como destacaremos as principais ações metropolitanas tentadas e implementadas recentemente / Abstract: The objective of this thesis is, initially, to identify from a theoretical and analytical perspective, what is a ¿Metropolitan Problem¿ and what are the characteristics, capabilities and limitations of the metropolitan action. The argument put forward is that there are different needs from the metropolitan areas that can be treated under different institutional arrangements, which are, in this work, exemplified by the experiences of international metropolitan government in five countries and other arrangements such as territorial pacts, consortia and municipal contracting based on the French case. We will demonstrate that the metropolitan problems require different scales of action, which are not restricted only to the metropolitan scale. From this analytical breakdown, we will review the specific case of the Campinas Metropolitan Area (CMA), identifying the characteristics and key constraints in managing this region, from two different dimensions: one political and institutional, which is part of the Brazilian federative structure, and other more specific, linked to regional reality, emerging from its recent institutionality. Also taking the specific case of CMA, we select some metropolitan problems (Environmental Sanitation, Transportation, Housing and Public Security), from which we discuss the interaction of different scales in each of these areas of expertise. Finally, we will make a brief diagnosis of each of these problems as well as the main metropolitan actions tried and implemented recently / Doutorado / Desenvolvimento Economico, Espaço e Meio Ambiente / Doutor em Economia Aplicada