Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis emerges from the transdisciplinary work of the Enkanini Research Centre Association. Since 2011 this Association has focused on incremental informal settlement upgrading using Enkanini, Stellenbosch as a case study. This thesis explores whether management techniques and operational practises of microfranchising can support the establishment of alternative service delivery configurations in the context of in situ informal settlement upgrading. Following a transdisciplinary and multiple-case study research methodology, the theoretical argument is presented that a synthesis of the strengths and vulnerabilities of contemporary innovations from the urban development field augmented by the principles and management techniques of microfranchising could strongly influence future in situ informal settlement upgrading. In exploring this argument two sub-questions are analysed in two free standing journal articles. The first article explores the potential synthesis of the fields of microfranchising and incremental urbanism, specifically alternative service delivery configurations in the context of in situ informal settlement upgrading. The literature on incrementalism and microfranchising originate from diametrically opposite ideological traditions, namely contemporary urban development and the management sciences. However it is argued that convergent patterns highlighted by points of coherence and convergence between the fields indicate that the proposed amalgamation has strengths potentially useful in addressing mutual weaknesses inherent to both perspectives. The intersection between these two distinct theories has potential to stitch together a new community fabric, deliver basic services, promote economic and social development and integrate the oppressed into the formal economy. Building on this theoretical synthesis the second article explores potential best practice microfranchising cases. Three microfranchising cases are reviewed, Unjani Clinics NPC, African Honey Bee and Nuru Energy. Each case presents specific within-case lessons and microfranchising techniques. Cross-cutting themes from all three cases highlight knowledge, that when bolstered by everyday urbanism thinking, could be instrumental in developing a microfranchising consolidating, operating and scaling model for the iShack and the continued testing of the proposed synthesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het ontstaan uit die transdissiplinêre werk van die Enkanini Research Centre Association. Sedert 2011 het hierdie vereniging gefokus op die inkrementele opgradering van informele nedersettings, deur van Enkanini wat net buite Stellenbosch geleë is, as 'n gevallestudie gebruik te maak. Die studie ondersoek of die bestuurstegnieke en operasionele praktyke van die mikrofranchisebedryf die vestiging van alternatiewe diensleweringskonfigurasies in die konteks van in situ opgradering van informele nedersettings kan ondersteun. Na afloop van 'n transdissiplinêre en meervoudige gevallestudie navorsingsmetodologie word „n teoretiese argument gevoer dat die samevoeging van beide die sterk- en swakpunte van die huidige innovasies van die stedelike ontwikkelingsveld aangevul sal word deur die beginsels en tegnieke van die mikrofranchisebedryf. Hierdie tegnieke en praktyke het die vermoë om in die toekoms in situ opgradering van informele nedersettings sterk te beïnvloed. In die verkenning van hierdie argument word twee sub-vrae in twee vrystaande tydskrifartikels ontleed. Die eerste artikel ondersoek die potensiële samevoeging van die velde van die mikrofranchisebedryf en inkrementele stedelikheid, met spesifieke fokus op alternatiewe dienslewerings konfigurasies in die konteks van in situ opgradering van informele nedersettings. Alhoewel daar in die literatuur oor inkrementalisme beweer word dat die mikrofranchisebedryf afkomstig is van lynregte teenoorgestelde ideologiese tradisies, word daar aangevoer dat konvergente patrone uitgelig word deur punte van samehang. Ooreenkomste tussen die velde dui daarop dat die voorgestelde samesmelting sterkpunte het wat potensieel nuttig kan wees om wedersydse swakhede wat inherent aan beide perspektiewe is, aan te spreek. Die samesmelting van hierdie twee afsonderlike teorieë het die potensiaal om ‟n gemeenskap te bou, basiese dienste te lewer, ekonomiese en maatskaplike ontwikkeling te bevorder, asook om die onderdruktes in die formele ekonomie te integreer. Geskoei op die voorafgaande teoretiese samevoeging, ondersoek die tweede artikel die potensiële beste praktyke in die mikrofranchisebedryf. Drie mikrofranchisebedryf-gevalle word hersien: UnjaniKliniekeNPC, Afrika Heuning By en Nuru Energie. Elke geval bied spesifieke binne-geval lesse en tegnieke in die mikrofranchisebedryf. Deurlopende temas van al drie gevalle beklemtoon kennis, wat met die ondersteuning van alledaagse stedelike denke, instrumentele waarde vir die ontwikkeling van 'n mikrofranchisingkonsolidasie, bedryfstelsel en skaalmodel vir die iShack, asook die deurlopende toets van die voorgestelde samevoeging, kan inhou.

M.Com. (Development Economics) / According to section 152 (1) of the Republic of South African Constitution Act (No. 108 of 1996), the municipalities are required by law to provide basic services in a sustainable manner to their respective communities. However, the municipalities have been facing challenges in carrying out their mandate successfully. One of the major obstacles in this regard has been the increasing rate of urbanisation due to various factors. Service delivery protests by the respective communities continue to be on the rise as well due to insufficient access to the basic services provided by the municipalities. The main aim of this paper was to explore the impact of urbanisation on the delivery of basic services by the municipalities in Gauteng Province. In this study, the four basic services categories namely, access to water, electricity, sewerage and sanitation as well as solid waste management formed an integral part of the weighted service delivery index and thus the dependent variable. Urbanisation, capital expenditure and operating expenditure were the explanatory variables. The research has demonstrated that urbanisation does have an impact on the level of basic service delivery. Even though the government mobilises resources towards the delivery of basic services, these resources are insufficient to cater for the needs of the population as a whole.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of commerce, law and management at the university of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the master of management in the field of Public management and development studies, 2017 / The study on the role of leadership in the delivery of services to the community of KaMhlushwa Township in the Nkomazi Municipality has been triggered by the growing outcry by communities regarding government’s inability to provide basic services as promised in the Human Rights Charter of the constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The said outcry finds its expression through the escalating service delivery protests as reflected in the Service Delivery Protest Barometer, (2014), the Municipal IQ Index and many other statistical surveys which have been recently conducted by professional bodies. While government reports reflects an upward mobility in the political landscape on the human development index, these surveys reflect that such a political transformation has not yet translated into economic growth to the people of the country. The black majority are still reflected to be living under heavy squalid conditions with their lives characterised by poverty, inequality and heavy unemployment levels, Mbeki, (2016). The KaMhlushwa community is no exception to the picture painted above and will be used to establish the causal factors to the dearth of leadership in directing the delivery of services to communities. The study, after exploring a number of leadership approaches, went further to suggest a number of leadership strategies which may be deployed to enhance the service delivery programme at a local level. It discusses at length the leadership trends from a global to a local level giving enough suggestions for future consideration on the same or similar topics to this one. The report concludes by drawing recommendations for further investigation by other researchers on the topic. There are also recommendations which can be used as best practice for replicability by other sectors to ensure the promotion of a coherent and effective delivery of services in local communities. / GR2018

Thesis - Master of Management in Public Policy. University of Witwatersrand, Wits School of Governance / Objective: In this study I deconstruct South Africa’s sanitation policy in order to understand why demand-driven service delivery (i.e. service delivery based on collective action) has failed as a tool for public policy management. The overall objective was to locate both case-specific as well as generalizable answers in the data. Method: Guided by deconstructivism and Grounded Theory Methodology this paper mapped out the South African policy landscape and proceeded to code the data collected in that exercise through three rounds of coding. Once these elements of the planning which went into the study were explained and demonstrated, the results were shared. Thereafter the details of theory-building were explained before moving on to provide a literature review to position the study. Lastly, the emergent theory was applied to the South African sanitation case as a test of usefulness. Results: The emergent codes indicated a general consensus around the idea that public policy governance is largely the responsibility of government which is seen as powerful, while individual citizens are seen as marginalized and disempowered in the course of hoping to realize their rights. Deeper analysis revealed that individual citizens are the true holders of power as they have outsourced their responsibility to participate in collective action to government, leaving government alone in the process of service delivery. Conclusion: Demand-driven service delivery fails as a tool of public policy governance where there is a misunderstanding of public policy which prevents collective action. A quasi-theory of governance as collaboration emerged as the necessary solution to this problem. / MT2017

A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Building to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / Payments are an essential component of construction contracts (Murdoch and Hughs, 2015). The nature of the payment regime has an effect on the contractor’s cash flow, project performance and therefore achievement of project objectives. Finance has been claimed as the most important resource in the construction process (Mawdesley et al., 1997). As such, proper financial planning to ensure healthy cash flow during the lifespan of a project is central to its performance and ultimate success. The obligation of an employer is to pay the contractor timeously, as per agreed payment plan and likewise the obligation of a contractor is to produce the build works according to an agreed schedule of works and to set standards of quality. Project finance in its totality is therefore of major importance to the progression of the construction process. Purpose - The main purpose of this study is to identify current problems in relation to late payment issues encountered by contractors that have been commissioned to construct public infrastructure for the government of South Africa. The paper seeks to highlight the extent of occurrence, to measure, and to assess the extent of late payment, in public infrastructure projects in the Gauteng Province. This study is done with a view to study the correlative relationship between the deviance in contractually scheduled payment time and time of actual payment and to identify factors that influence these. Design methodology and approach – With regard to research methods, the study adopts a mixed approach. Both Qualitative and Quantitative approaches to the study were adopted. This was done by collecting data through structured questionnaires and the research instruments administered to key personnel in the various Sector Departments as well as the Finance Department and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development. Sample invoices were gleaned and scrutinized from 189 projects with regard to invoice payment data. Respondents were asked to provide information on Invoice Date, Date Invoice Received By Department and Date Invoice Paid On. This information was gathered for approximately half the total number of invoices received per project. Adopting a project by project approach, respondents were asked to provide data and causal factors linked to late payment. The results were then analyzed to determine significant relationships between late payment patterns and the factors that influence these. / XL2018

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 31 March 2014 / This thesis was designed to examine the South African state’s capacity in the provision of basic services. State capacity is defined as the ability of the political system to enforce rules and deliver services. This reinforcement of control by the state over persons and resources within governments is critical for the performance of a political system. State capacity is therefore vital in ensuring that the provision of basic services is satisfactory and sustainable so as to optimise client satisfaction. Sedibeng is a District Municipality in one of the nine South African provinces called Gauteng Province. In spite of its rich and enduring political history and heavy industry, the situation in Sedibeng is partly attributable to the lack of adequate skills capacity with which to drive service delivery in the area. Within this context, this investigation sought to explore the role of state capacity in the provision of basic services to citizens at local government level by focusing on three local municipalities: Emfuleni, Midvaal and Lesedi. The research was underpinned by four inter-related and mutually reinforcing concepts positioned within the context of local government, namely skills capacity-building, leadership and governance, performance management and service delivery. This conceptual framework was based on the assumption that skills capacity-building is a catalyst or enabler in enhancing leadership, governance and the overall performance of organisations. A qualitative research approach through interviews, focus groups and document analysis was adopted. The researcher also used a case study design and its advantage is that, apart from it enabling understanding of the contextual issues impacting skills capacity-building, it also provided an ideal opportunity for the researcher to tap into the vast municipal experiences of Emfuleni, Midvaal and Lesedi. Of importance was the contribution of executive managers, senior managers and ward councillors regarding the state of skills capacity, the process followed to implement skills capacity and to learn whether skills capacity efforts have been used to improve employee performance in the provision of service. From the cross-case analysis involving the three municipalities, it emerged that despite the common difficulties encountered in organisational culture, resource for capacity-building initiatives, recruitment, selection and retention strategies and aligning skills capacity with the municipal strategic direction, the skills capacity-building initiatives were being implemented with some degree of success. The findings of the study concluded that although there had been significant progress in the implementation of skills capacity-building programmes in Emfuleni, Midvaal and Lesedi, it is not clear whether these training initiatives were producing the desired outputs across Sedibeng’s three municipalities as a step to provide and improve service delivery, as the scope, intensity and sustainability of these efforts varied markedly across the three local municipalities. The investigation also revealed that there was no evidence of monitoring and evaluation with intense feedback and review of the progress made through skills capacity-building. Further findings were the loss of skilled and highly experienced employees and managers, which undermined the organisational memory which is critical for strategic planning and effective service delivery in any institution. Even though the researcher had assumed that skills capacity-building was the most important ingredient in service delivery, the findings of the study revealed that training is not the only important variable needed to improve service delivery in local municipalities. Other crucial variables include the alignment of training with performance management, career management, reward systems, skills transfer, employee welfare and retention strategy for the protection and preservation of organisational memory. The study concludes that learning provides the intellectual basis which stimulates the impetus for effective and sustainable organisational memory, which in turn plays a key role in facilitating strategic planning, skills formation, staff motivation and retention to improve service delivery. This learning emphasises the important consideration to locate the problematic of organisational memory towards possible improvement of service delivery where skills capacity and other related factors play a major role. The contribution of this thesis to the body of knowledge is underpinned by the interface between learning and organisational memory as surfacing beyond skills capacity and as a necessity to enhance service delivery in municipalities. / MT2016

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2004 / Refer to document

Thesis (MBA) -- University of Limpopo, 2010 / The research focuses on the effectiveness of Polokwane Local Municipality to provide basic infrastructure services, adherence to project management principles and the involvement of communities in project implementation. Provision of basic infrastructure project has always been a challenge to local government. Polokwane Municipality as part of local government is mandated to fulfil constitutional obligations to ensure that provision of sustainable, effective and efficient municipal services to the communities, while promoting social and economical development. Quantitative research methodology was used in this research; the primary source was the questionnaire while the secondary sources include books, journals, dissertations and reports. The population in the study include community members, ward committee members or councillors, managers and technicians of the Polokwane municipal area. The findings revealed that the municipality is performing well in project scope management. Other project knowledge area such as project time management, project quality management, project human resource and project communication management requires more attention as they are not performing well. Project cost management is perceived to be performing well from the community and councillors side while officials see it differently. The research recommends that the municipality should ensure that the community members are involved during the project implementation. It further recommend that the municipality should implement cost recovery, develop policies to deal with quality management, train officials, instil project ownership to the communities and do proper project planning analysis before project implementation.

Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / A large percentage of the national budget goes to municipalities to provide services to communities. Since 2000, National Treasury has been increasing the budget to municipalities to enable them to deliver better quality services and to expand the provision of basic amenities. Despite this huge financial investment, there is still poor access and use of social and infrastructure services by most communities in South Africa. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the institutional capacity of municipalities in delivering services to communities: a case study of the Polokwane Municipality in Limpopo. This case study used various data-collecting methods such as interviews, documentation and archival records to come to a conclusion. An interview schedule was used in this study to allow the key respondents to give more detailed information about the problems or challenges facing the municipality in delivering services. The study concluded that the Polokwane Municipality has the necessary institutional capacity to deliver on its constitutional mandate. However, there are specific capacity challenges that need to be addressed.

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The study deals with the service delivery challenges facing the Limpopo Department of Public Works with regard to the discharging of its mandates “Provision of government infrastructure, management and maintenance of government immovable assets”. Literature review was conducted as a secondary source of information and primary information was collected from a sample of 61 respondents. The study used both qualitative (focus group discussions) and quantitative (questionnaires) in data collection and analysis. The findings revealed that the root causes of the challenges and the challenges themselves that the Department of Public Works: Limpopo is facing are internal and are as follows; Unavailability of work tools, low morale, budget constraints, long supply chain management processes and a lack of skilled personnel. Recommendations for these challenges are developing human resource capacity coupled with a good human resource plan, availability of a proper budget, business process reengineering, the introduction of a monitoring and evaluation system, a customer relationship management system and lastly a change of the organisational culture.