Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2005 / One of the many challenges facing local government is to deliver an equitable service to the citizens of South Africa. Local government, like many other government institutions, has limited financial 'and human resources capacity to attend to these challenges. It is, therefore, important that local government strive within these constraints, to provide equitable services'to its people in terms of housing, water, electricity and sanitation. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the standard of municipal services delivered to the Phumlani settlement. The research survey included techniques such as a structured, self-administered interviews and observations. The target research population were a sample of households located in this settlement. The structured interview was designed to assess the achievement of the norms and standards as stipulated in the National Housing Code as promulgated in the Housing Act, 1997 (Act 107 of 1997) in respect of permanent residential structures for low-cost housing. The significance of the research is the evaluation of the service delivery as perceived by the previous Phumlani infonmal community. This research lists the existing shortcomings in the standard of service delivery to the Phumlani settlement evaluated in terms of the norms and standards as stipulated in the above National Housing Code.

Mnquma Local Municipality is located in the South Eastern part of the Eastern Cape Province. This category B municipality falls under the jurisdiction of the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) and comprises of an amalgamation of the former Butterworth, Ngqamakhwe and Centane TRC’s, Mnquma Municipality shares borders with three other local municipalities i.e. Mbhashe, Intsika Yethu and Great Kei Municipalities. In previous years this municipality was surrounded by violence, maladministration and mismanagement of funds. In 2009, Mnquma municipality received a disclaimer audit opinion. The bases for disclaimer are: - Consumer debtors who were disclosed at R13, 4 million on the face of the statement of financial positions and to the annual financial statements; and this amount did not agree with debtor’s age analysis; - Auditor-General was unable to confirm the exact amount of debtors removed from the accounting system; - Limitations placed on the scope of work and municipal records not permitting the application of alternative audit procedures; - Trade Creditors not supported by adequate documentation and supplier reconciliations did not have adequate alternative system of ensuring that all goods and services received prior to year-end, not paid but were accrued; and number of items that were recorded incorrectly. “The municipality adopted the PMS framework by March 2008. It was implemented and Councillors played a pivotal role in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of theIDP. Cluster meetings set and received performance reports on quarterly basis. Directorates produced monthly performance reports and submitted them to the Executive management and the Executive Mayor respectively. The PMS was cascaded down to lower levels. Managers reporting to Directors had signed Accountability Agreements, while employees below signed Performance promises. It should be stated that there were some challenges on the implementation process. The Framework was implemented for the first time and institution was in a learning curve”. (N. Pakade: 2009). The municipal manager agreed that the institution was in a learning curve even though he commended the good work of councillors, it is not all councillors who know exactly what they are supposed to be doing in monitoring the municipal performance management systems. This has been proved by areas which still do not have electricity, roads and some no running clean water. There were some improvements in 2010 Financial Statements because the municipality received an unqualified audit opinion, but the in- fighting amongst councilors still existing that affect municipal performance in regard to provide local communities with basic needs. The irregular expenditure continued to be incurred where two different security companies were appointed by Executive Mayor and Municipal Speaker to prevent each other in entering the municipal premises because of disagreements about the reappointment of the municipal manager. Mnquma municipality does not have an Executive Mayor due to councilors who fired the mayor. The Mnquma councilors’ in fighting affects local communities in a negative way that contributes to municipal bad performance.

The analysis of jobs and roles is one of the most important techniques in personnel management. It provides the information required to produce job descriptions and person- and learning / training specifications. It is of fundamental importance in organisation and job design, recruitment and selection, performance management, training management development, career management, job evaluation and the design of pay structures. These constitute most of the key processes of personnel management. In terms of the Local Government: Municipal System Act, a municipal manager, within a policy framework determined by the municipal council and subject to any applicable legislation, must - • approve a staff establishment for the municipality ; • provide a job description for each post on the staff establishment ; • attach to those posts the remuneration and other conditions of service, as may be determined in accordance with any applicable labour legislation ; and • establish a process or mechanism to regularly evaluate the staff establishment and, if necessary, review the staff establishment and the remuneration and conditions of service. The overall purpose of the research was to develop a model for the implementation of the Tuned Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (T.A.S.K.) job evaluation system at municipalities, in the Eden/Overberg/Central Karoo region. The research methodology comprised of the following steps: • a literature study on job evaluation and a discussion of the different job evaluation systems with special reference to the T.A.S.K. job evaluation system ; • the development of a model for the implementation of the T.A.S.K. job evaluation system in the Eden/Overberg/Central Karoo region ; and • the empirical data required to achieve the research objective which was obtained by means of postal and electronic questionnaires to employees of the various municipalities in the geographical area that will be covered by this research. The following recommendations are made regarding the data obtained from this study: Firstly, briefing sessions at municipalities must include employees of all levels and the following methods must also be added to the process - • Insert articles in the in-house newsletter ; and • Attach a memorandum to employees’ pay advice, informing them about the T.A.S.K. job evaluation system and later on about the progress of the process. Secondly, all disputes regarding placement must be resolved before employees are allowed to draw up their relevant job descriptions.

The role of local level governance and participation in managing climate disasters is gaining precedence in global and local (South African), discourse. In recent years, floods have caused major disasters in urban centres around the world. A lack of disaster preparedness in developing countries has resulted in much damage in urban environments. Such damage will have long-term repercussions for governance, communities and the natural environment. Heavy rainfall events are projected to become more intense and frequent due to climate change, and many recently affected areas may consequently face increased risk of flooding in future. A range of factors influences the ability to manage disasters through all phases of preparation, response and recovery at the local level. The objective of this research is to investigate the extent to which a range of factors interacts to either enhance or limit resilience to flood disasters at the local scale. This is explored through triangulating the results of three investigations into both physical and social factors of understanding and managing flood disasters. The case study of flooding in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) in South Africa, with specific focus on the Atlasville suburb, provides the basis of the research. The research uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine disaster management, which includes perceptions and non-technical information in addition to statistical analysis. Flooding in the EMM is used as a case study to investigate how a multiple-perspective understanding of rainfall and flood events can help communities and municipalities better plan for and manage disaster events. This research argues that in order to understand the nuances of flood disasters, a combination of different sets of knowledge is necessary, as each set of knowledge plays an important part to inform how flood risks can be managed.

Thesis (MTech (Business))--Peninsula Technikon, 2003 / This dissertation sets out to develop a Performance Management System for the Greater Stellenbosch Municipality. It is proposed for use as a unit of analysis. The system provides a framework for determining developmental priorities and identifying the appropriate resources. The system monitors progress and simultaneously serves as an instrument that maintains municipal accountability for the delivery of its core developmental functions. Intemationall)(, an infInite number of research projects in the fIeld of performance management and best practices for organisational performance have been undertaken for local authorities. This includes a range of terms extending from the 1950's, known as benchmarking, to the current context where the balance scorecard has been put ori the performance agenda. The emphasis for increased and accountable performance of local authorities is currently on the foreground, because local authorities are now responsible for executing duties in the form of developmental outputs. This responsibility found its framework in a range of legislative obligations as found ill: • Sections 152 and 153 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), outlining the objects and developmental duties of municipalities; • Section 73 of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000) that outlines the general duties of municipalities in relation to service delivery; • Chapters 4 and 6 of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000) outlining, respectively, community participation and performance management procedures and systems, and • Schedules 4 and 5 parts B of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) and Section 84 of the Municipal Structures Amendments Act (Act 33 of 2000) that outlines the service portfolio of municipalities on which service standards should be developed.

This research investigated the application of section 139 of the Constitution of Republic of Republic of South Africa, 1996. Koukamma, Sundays River Valley and Mnquma Local Municipalities are the case studies for this research as provincial interventions to these municipalities will be analysed. The study was conducted within the legal and legislative framework of local government which clearly defines how municipalities should be governed. Furthermore, it explains the procedural and substantive requirements for intervention should a municipality fail to deliver on its constitutional mandate as stipulated in Section 152 of the Constitution. A descriptive approach was used in the study, with data collection coming from primary and secondary sources such as textbooks, minutes of meetings of the Eastern Cape Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, National Council of Provinces and reports by administrators appointed by Member of the Executive Council (MEC) responsible for local government in the respective province. Several recommendations were provided in the final chapter. Should these be implemented properly, it could result in effective local government, and thereby reduce or eliminate the need for the application of section 139 of the Constitution.

In order to eradicate the legacy of the past, the South African democratic government adopted a developmental approach to local government. The White Paper on Local Government (WPLG) (1998:17) defines developmental government as government committed to working with citizens and groups within the community to find sustainable ways of meeting their social, economic and material needs and of improving their quality of life. A developmental approach aims at enhancing the skills and capacity of community members by promoting their own development process (Theron, 2005a: 120). South Africa made provision for an Act of Parliament to authorise the establishment of a cross-boundary municipality. The Municipal Demarcation Board, after initial research, noted that there are a number of areas in South Africa where large tracts of land, including a number of different communities and settlements, straddle provincial boundaries. A cross-boundary municipality refers to a situation where parts of a local municipality are located within the borders of two different provinces. For example, in the case of Merafong, the smaller part in the south was located in North West Province and the larger part in the east was located in Gauteng Province. This in effect meant that the governance of these municipalities was a shared political and fiscal responsibility of two different provinces. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of public opinions on post-violent protest recovery processes in the Merafong Local Municipality. Both qualitative and quantitative approach was followed that included a review of documents from public administration and conflict theories literature; discourse analysis of interviews with municipal officials and councillors, and community members. The document review included a review of municipal documents that incorporated demarcation or describe development and use of public participation. It also included the legal frameworks and statutory requirements for community/citizen participation. The key findings of the study indicated contrasting views between the community and the municipality perspectives in particular with regard to the role of the community during the prioritisation of needs and the decision-making processes. The researcher concluded that in order for community participation to have maximum impact, local government is obliged to create an enabling environment for participation which includes amongst others addressing the institutional obstacles and the capacity gaps within the community. The researcher finally recommended that these roles be implemented, evaluated and integrated in the current performance management system of Merafong Local Municipality.

Public administration seems to have shifted towards the New Public Management doctrines that emphasize performance management. The healthcare reforms have been a global phenomenon ever since the early 1980s, with the major focus on managerial restructuring, to produce a more responsive and efficient system (Liang and Howard , 2007:393). The South African public sector has gradually introduced a comprehensive performance management system, since the early 80s. In response, the Province of the Eastern Cape began the design and the development of a performance-management policy in early 2000. This policy was later refined and aligned to the National Department of Public Service and Administrations’s performance management policy. The policy was intially implemented in the Province of the Eastern Cape in mid-2003, through a Performance Management and Development System (PMDS). Moderating Committees were established at each level of government, and at the institutional level. The mandate of these Moderating Committees was to ensure the proper implementation of the perfomance-management policy. The purpose of the policy is to provide practical guidelines on the improvement of individual and organisational performance; however, the implementation challenges of this policy have been identified in Joe Gqabi Health District. This study evaluates the implementation challenges of performance-management policy at all the Joe Gqabi District Municipality public hospitals. The main objectives of the research study are, therefore, to : To provide exposition of the provision of the Province of the Eastern Cape performance management policy and regulatory guidelines; To analyse the utilization of performance-management information for determining emunerations, rewarding outstanding performance and for the development of the personnel; To provide a set of recommendations for the policy implementation to improve service delivery in the Joe Gqabi Health District. Both qualitative and quantitave methods were utilised to collect the data for the study. The research questionnaire was distributed to the eleven public hospitals in the Joe Gqabi Health District. The response rate was 52percent and this was considered adequate for scientific analysis and reporting. The research study reached the conclusion that there is generally poor adherence to policy guidelines in the district, in that: Although most hospitals have structured PMDS committees, their meetings are inconsistent, and are generally held only once a year during final assessment.  Performance contracts are signed very late, towards the end of the first quarter. Performance-related bonuses are also effected very late, and are considered a demotivating factor by most participants. The support provided by the provincial and district offices for the implementation of the performance-management policy was viewed as being quite inadequate by most of the participants. The majority of the respondents recommended that the policy be replaced by another form of performance management; however, some considered it adequate, but the implementation of the policy requires further attention. The study therefore came to the following recommendations: The Province and the District should provide consistent support to district hospitals for the implementation of the performance-management policy. The provincial offices should authorize performance-related payments timeously, and the district should effect these payments promptly. The co-ordination of the skills-development programme should be decentralized, in order for district hospitals to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in co-ordination. The Accounting Officers of the respective institutions should monitor the implementation of these policy guidelines to ensure compliance. The research findings conclude that provided the above recommendations are implemented, this would improve the implementation of the provincial performance-management policy, and service delivery in public hospitals in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality.

M.A. / The interest in this mini-dissertation is on enhancing accountability in the local government system of the Republic of South Africa. Specifically, the focus is on the assessment of the enforcing mechanisms among councillors and senior officials in municipalities. Local government refers to that sphere of government closest to its constituents and involved in the provision of a wide range of services that affect the lives of its inhabitants residing in its area of jurisdiction (Zybrands, 1998:193). Section 151 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996 (the Constitution) provides that the local sphere of government consists of municipalities, which must be established for the whole territory of the Republic. In section 3 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Bill, 1999 it is stated that the municipalities constitute the local sphere of government despite their separate legal personality. The rising public expectations and the growing demand for the provision of social services by municipalities demands acceptable working standards by councillors and municipal officials in the municipalities. The municipalities are directly in touch with the public and perform a variety of functions that affect the lives of the citizens. The councillors and municipal administrators have substantial authority and power that have to be exercised in line with democratic principles that include accountability. Section 152 (1) (a) of the Constitution states that local government should provide a democratic and accountable government for local communities. The councillors and municipal officials are subject to accountability and they are required to demonstrate a sense of responsibility when carrying out their functions and account. for their decisions and activities in public (Gildenhuys, 1997:17). However, the Constitution does not specifically state the mechanisms and how councillors are accountable to their citizens and what citizens can do to exact accountability from them (Craythorne, 1997: 198). Inadequate mechanisms to ensure accountability constrain the achievement of the local government objects. The lack of accountability among councillors and officials is a major factor that contributes to the financial and administrative crisis in most municipalities. The Researcher observed growing concerns on the issues of accountability among councillors and municipal officials. Hence an exploratory study on the issue based on qualitative research methodology was undertaken. The method of work comprised a literaturereview, unstructured interviews conducted with senior municipal officials and field visits to municipalities. The accountability systems examined include the legal, political, bureaucratic and professional accountability systems. The major mechanisms designed to enhance accountability in municipalities that are analysed include bodies such as the office of the Auditor-General, the Public Protector and the courts; elections; structures such as the municipal council and its committees; the code of conduct; leadership; training and development; performance appraisals and the reward systems among others. The assessment of the mechanisms highlights the major challenges in the enforcement of accountability in municipalities, which include the lack of adjudicative powers among the bodies; financial and human resource constraints; the apathetic community; non-compliance with the code of conduct; the lack of exemplary behaviour and adequate skills among the councillors and officials and uncoordinated local government training and development programs among others. The major conclusion drawn from the research study is that a multi-dimensional approach is required to ensure effective accountability systems in municipalities. The recommendations include the enforcement of the legal instruments, codes of conduct and regulations; the impartial prosecution of violators; implementing effective policies on training and personnel management; educating citizens and encouraging associations and all stakeholders to play a catalytic role in enforcing accountability in municipalities. It is important that municipalities apply effective mechanisms for the promotion of accountable behaviour, as the lack of it undermines the democratic principles and efficient and effective operations in municipalities.

This study investigated the effectiveness of Ward Committees in co-ordinating and facilitating authentic public participation processes at local government levels. This study focused specifically on the Knysna Local Municipality. Before 1994 the majority of South Africans had never had the vote, and therefore, had not had the opportunity of participating in South Africa’s governance and administration (Hilliard and Kemp, 1999:40). In this governance system, local government was the lowest tier of government in a strict hierarchical structure; and it had no constitutional standing of its own, but derived its powers from the two superior tiers of government, namely national and provincial. The local government elections of 5 December 2000 in South Africa provided municipalities with a historic opportunity to transform local government to meet the needs of the country for the next century. The local government transformation process (in tandem with the demarcation process that established the new municipal boundaries) introduced more developmental responsibilities to municipalities. In addition, this further implied that local government became an autonomous sphere of government with its own original powers and a broad developmental mandate. This had profound implications for local governance. An important element of the current local government system is the promotion of local democracy and participation in local governance. Public participation is an integral part of local democracy and is a legislative requirement for the local community to be drawn into the v municipal processes through inter alia: Integrated Development Planning (IDP), budgeting, performance management and Ward Committees. Although the ‘old’ South African local government system did not have an extensive history in ensuring a culture of actively engaging communities in developmental issues, the IDP under a Developmental Local Government (DLG) system now presents a framework through which such a culture can be established. The Ward Committees in particular, play a critical role in linking community needs with municipal planning processes. In South African local government the commitment to public participation is reflected in a host of laws and policy documents (namely the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Act 117 of 1998), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa , 1996). These laws and policies are intended to be realised through development initiatives that require formal participatory processes and institutions in local governance. Since 2001 Ward Committees have emerged as a key institutional mechanism intended to contribute towards bringing about people-centred, participatory and democratic local governance. The rationale for Ward Committees is to supplement the roles of the elected Ward Councillors by creating a link between communities and the political and administrative structures of municipalities. These Ward Committees have been established in the majority of wards in municipalities across the country in line with the vi requirements of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act,1998 (Act 117 of 1998) which stipulates that: Only metropolitan and local municipalities of certain types may have Ward Committees. The main objective of the study was to investigate the overall functioning of Ward Committees within the Knysna Local Municipality and to determine their impact on democratic local governance thus far. The study will carry out an investigation into the effectiveness of Ward Committees: whether they are useful conduits for public participation in local governance; whether they are inherently capable of playing the critical role expected of them; and whether they actually create opportunities for real power-sharing between the Knysna Local Municipality and its communities. The study’s main objective stated above was achieved by breaking it down into realisable objectives, namely: • A brief background of the Knysna Local Municipality, and in particular, an outline of its institutional arrangements and its Ward Committees in general. • An evaluation of the theoretical and legislative framework of public participation and the Ward Committee System in local government. • An analysis of the practical performance of Ward Committees in the Knysna Local Municipality and to provide a research report on the empirical findings. • Recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of Ward Committees at local government levels in general, and in particular, in the Knysna Local Municipality. The hypothetical position of this study was that the maximum utilisation of Ward Committees as a means for public participation processes at local government levels, specifically in the Knysna Local Municipality, could improve communication between local municipalities and the public. Furthermore, this would also contribute towards the speedy delivery of services to communities, as Ward Committees could serve as the Local Municipality’s strategic partners in Council’s projects. Ward Committees should therefore be utilised to enhance a constructive interaction between a municipality and its local community. This position was premised on the fact that authentic and empowering participation can be established at local government levels if Ward Committees act as a foundation for development and Ward Committee Members as development change agents in their respective wards