This paper examines an effort to develop community capacity to engage in sustainability planning as part of a Peace Corps Municipal Services Development project in Areguá, Paraguay. It sketches the context in which the initiative occurred, outlines relevant academic research on community sustainability planning, and describes the strategies adopted to assist Areguá in securing the critical mass of community capacity necessary to engage in sustainability planning. The paper concludes with an outline of continuing challenges for sustainability in Areguá and a description of means by which those concerns might be addressed. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

This study seeks a method of evaluating the local impact of changing economic conditions (such as employment, per capita income, et cetera). Specifically, measures of the impact of changing economic conditions on the services of local governments will be formulated. These measures provide a means for comparing the impact of a project (or of alternative projects) to conditions that would prevail in its (their) absence. The data used is drawn from the Virginia Impact Projection (VIP) Model in the form of statistically derived equations representing the relationships for eleven different categories of public services. The analytical framework was developed based on theories of public decision-making, public finance, and local government expenditures and services. This framework was used to analyze the per capita expenditure relationships (functions) to obtain the information required in formulating the impact measures. For individual categories of services, a SERVICE VALUE INDEX was devised to indicate changes (including shifts) in the demand for the services, and the level of provision thereof. The NET PUBLIC SERVICE BENEFIT is a measure of the overall increase (decline) in public services provision, and balances the change in levels of service on the individual categories against each other. This measure reflects the net benefits derived by the consumer-voter following her/his reallocation of expenditures given the new cost conditions, budget constraints, et cetera, as a consequence of the project. / Master of Urban Affairs

The aim of this study was to investigate reasons for non–payment by residents for services rendered by the Vhembe District Municipality. The municipalities are responsible for delivering such services as water supply, electricity, road maintenance, refuse collection and sanitation. Multistage sampling techniques were employed. The subjects in the study were grouped into clusters and a sample was taken from each cluster. In this case the municipalities that took part in the study were selected first, followed by wards, villages and households. Households in the selected villages were selected randomly to participate in the study. The results showed that although the municipalities were making an effort to raise and send bills to the residents, the residents were not forthcoming with payments. The reasons advanced for the unwillingness to pay services by residents include ignorance, poverty and simple unwillingness to pay. / Public Administration & Management / M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration and Management)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research report is to identify the alternative service delivery models that could deliver effective and efficient services to the South African public in future. The current economic realities, the effects of globalisation, the potential for technological innovation and the public‟s demand for better services have led the South African government to reconsider the manner in which services are being rendered. A futures methodology tool that was employed in understanding the environment in which services are delivered in South Africa is the environmental scanning. Environmental scanning which took the form of literature review, analysis of statistics already produced by other researchers, official publications and correspondence, newspaper surveys, pamphlets and newsletters, dissertations and theses as well as information from the internet will be employed in this study. Constructive environmental scanning which encompasses both material monism (also known as pop-ism) and the transcendental monism (Naude.2008; 53) was employed to develop a sound understanding of the environment (factors and forces) which have a bearing on the futures of the public service delivery. This exercise revealed that in South Africa services delivery is influenced by the following driving forces (environments): cultural and social, political and legislative, technological and economic. The environmental scanning also revealed that due to the importance attached to service delivery; government had to move away from the conventional approaches to public service delivery where government was the sole provider of services to the public and sought alternative ways of delivering services to the public. The following alternative service delivery models were adopted by government: contracting out, concession, leasing, privatization, management contract, and Electronic government as alternative models of service delivery. Notwithstanding the success of most of the models, some of these proved to be a breeding ground for nepotism, corruption, fraud and a paradise for white collar criminals. Political interference, that masquerades as political oversight is the order of the day. All of these are taking place at the expense of services delivery and are costing the government dearly. Government viewed this as an unhealthy state of affairs and also realised that this situation cannot be left to perpetuate into the future. Most importantly, government has awoken to the reality that the future can no longer be left to chance. Scenario planning was adopted as the research methodology employed in anticipating and preparing for the future. In the quest for v seeking alternative service delivery models for the future, the research report adopted the six stages of scenario planning. The chief value of scenario planning is that it allows policy-makers to make and learn from mistakes without risking career-limiting failures in real life. Further, policymakers can make these mistakes in a safe, unthreatening, game-like environment, while responding to a wide variety of concretely-presented situations based on facts. Scenario planning has an added benefit of allowing participants the latitude to think freely, allows creativity and encourages innovation.

The management control systems package has been the subject of recent studies but no study was found that examined the role of management control on service delivery in local government. The Victor Khanye Local Municipality in South Africa has experienced repeated service delivery protests attributed to a deficiency in the delivery of basic municipal services. An in-depth analysis was conducted on selected planning and budgeting aspects of the management control systems package and their role in the delivery of basic municipal services. This qualitative case study, carried out with semi-structured interviews, found that the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP) and the budget were used to improve the delivery of basic municipal services. Further research may be conducted on factors inhibiting 100% alignment between the IDP, the SDBIP and the budget, and to determine the role of a quarterly review system for low ranking employees on service delivery / Management Accounting / M. Phil. (Management Accounting)

This thesis critically examines the nature and purpose of the MobiSAM partnership, in relation to its value as a model resonating with normative theories on the role of the media in South African democratic society. The MobiSAM project introduces a mobile polling application, designed for citizens to provide real-time, user-generated data on crucial municipal service delivery such as clean water in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The project has partnered with the local community newspaper, Grocott's Mail, to broadcast this data, with the aim to facilitate citizen participation in public problem solving and support local government accountability in service delivery. Despite pervasive poverty in areas such as the Eastern Cape, mobile penetration in South Africa is near universal. The MobiSAM partnership is an ongoing effort to forge new links between social accountability monitors, new media, traditional media, citizens and local government around public issues in Grahamstown, in line with the development objectives of the post-apartheid South African state. The overall theoretical framework for this thesis is taken from Christians, Glasser, McQuail, Nordenstreng and White's Normative Theories of the Media, which provides an analysis of four roles of the media in a democratic society, that is: the monitorial, the facilitative, the radical and the collaborative roles. Within each of these roles, the stated journalistic approach is explored, that is investigative journalism, public journalism, radical journalism and development journalism. Public journalism is focused on as having the most resonance with the goals of the MobiSAM partnership. The chosen research design is a critical realist case study with the selected methods of thematic document analysis and, primarily, in-depth interviews with key project participants. The research goals were to analyse this primary data against the normative theory on the role of the media in a democratic society, and the 'real world' constraints posed by the project’s specific political and socioeconomic context. The findings conclude by offering certain recommendations and areas for further research, such as the central importance of a dedicated municipal reporter for covering complex public issues. This critical realist case study, drawing on qualitative interviews with both the accountability monitors and the media practitioners, interrogates the philosophical understandings on the role of the media in this new project, towards an empirical model for advancing substantive socio-economic change through media in South Africa.

The aim of this study was to investigate reasons for non–payment by residents for services rendered by the Vhembe District Municipality. The municipalities are responsible for delivering such services as water supply, electricity, road maintenance, refuse collection and sanitation. Multistage sampling techniques were employed. The subjects in the study were grouped into clusters and a sample was taken from each cluster. In this case the municipalities that took part in the study were selected first, followed by wards, villages and households. Households in the selected villages were selected randomly to participate in the study. The results showed that although the municipalities were making an effort to raise and send bills to the residents, the residents were not forthcoming with payments. The reasons advanced for the unwillingness to pay services by residents include ignorance, poverty and simple unwillingness to pay. / Public Administration and Management / M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration and Management)

Within the new constitutional order, South African local government has been afforded specific status and is protected as a distinctive sphere of government in terms of the Constitution Act 108 of 1996. Municipalities are no longer a mere function of national or provincial governments. In addition to this entrenched status, the Constitution and other developmental local government legislation vests local government with specific functions and responsibilities as part of the process of building a new democracy and promoting socio-economic development and upliftment. Consequently, local government managers are under constant pressure to improve the performance and quality of service delivery. They are expected to satisfy a number of stakeholders, achieve increases in efficiency, as well as attain developmental service delivery goals as contained in their Integrated Development Plan (IDP). Quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy are relatively new public management approaches that changes traditional organisational decision-making practices to deliver services to its customers in more effective and efficient ways. In essence, quality management standards and excellence models are performance management methodological practices, techniques and tools designed to meet and exceed public requirements. It accomplishes this through determining what constitutes excellence in customer service, and then empowering employees to a never-ending search for quality improvement in the delivery of services, in terms of the continuous improvement and continuous process improvement philosophies, of which total quality management (TQM) is premised on. Consequently, quality management standards and excellence models (such as the ISO 9001: 2008 QMS, ISO 14001: 2004 EMS, EFQM and SAEF Excellence Models) as methodological practices, techniques or tools in support of the critical factors (CFs) of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy, namely: (1) customer-based approach, (2) senior management commitment and leadership, (3) quality planning, (4) management based on facts, (5) continuous improvement, (6) involvement of all members of the organisation, (7) education and training, (8) teamwork, (9) communication systems, (10) learning, (11) process management, (12) co-operation with suppliers, and (13) organisational awareness and concern for the social and environmental context, can provide a framework by which to achieve the goals of effective and efficient service delivery in developmental local government, as they foster a culture of performance and accountability. Local government managers could use these quality and excellence methodological practices, techniques and tools, as a starting point to improve efficiencies in their municipalities, as the programmes afford them an opportunity to systematically evaluate the municipality and determine what leads to organisational success and deliverables. Institutional theory suggests that organisations are both influenced by and can influence the society in which they operate. Institutional theorists believe that the motivation for a change in internal practices might not only be performance related, but may primarily be to enhance or maintain the legitimacy of the respective institution. Institutional theory also focuses on the social contract that exists between the institution and society. This social contract is believed to represent the expectations of society. From an institutional point of view, it has been suggested that institutions may change and adopt the norms of society to appear legitimate to that society. This infers that when societal norms and values change, institutions will be expected to change. These societal pressures combined with legislative changes, require institutional entrepreneurs to respond to these isomorphic pressures, and will work to preserve the institution's legitimacy by incorporating, or at least appearing to incorporate, new practices, norms and values. The aim of this research study was to analyse within an institutional theory framework, the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy and developmental local government within two South African municipalities. The research investigation has been undertaken within the social constructionist paradigm and using the case study method. Interviews and documents were the data sources and thematic analysis was used as a tool to analyse the data by applying a theory-driven coding procedure. The findings from the two research sites, namely Makana Municipality in Grahamstown and Drakenstein Municipality in Paarl reveal that the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy in both municipalities was not a smooth process and there were many challenges such as political instability, lack of commitment on the part of the senior leadership and management, staff and skills shortages, resistance by staff to implementation and resource constraints. Institutional theory has proved to be useful in understanding why the Makana and Drakenstein Municipalities implemented quality management standards and excellence models. Because of coercive, mimetic and normative isomorphic pressures affecting the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities, change was imperative if these institutions were to remain relevant and legitimate in order to address its service delivery mandate of effectiveness and efficiency. Institutional theory provided a theoretical lens to understand and appreciate the pressures that affected the municipalities because of its new developmental mandate as encapsulated in new municipal legislation. It also assisted in understanding how institutional entrepreneurs responded to these pressures to conform. The implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities was adversely affected by volatility amongst the political leadership of both municipalities. The successful implementation of these standards and models would require collective action from the political, bureaucratic and procedural entrepreneurs in order to enhance effective, efficient and accountable service delivery. However, in both the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities, institutional entrepreneurs, namely councillors and officials were not working together as a collective to implement quality management standards and excellence models. Evidence has shown that the absence of stable political leadership and noncooperation and collaboration amongst institutional entrepreneurs contributed significantly to the non-institutionalisation of quality management standards and excellence models in these Municipalities. This implies that legitimacy has not been achieved, due to institutional entrepreneurs not collaborating and collectively working with each other to implement the quality management standards and excellence models. Thus, this research study suggests that the strategic and collective role of the political and administrative leadership as institutional entrepreneurs is critical if the municipality is to achieve its aims and objectives, namely effective, efficient, and accountable service delivery in developmental local government. Recommendations in respect of future research and to practitioners have also been offered.

This study undertook a critical analysis of the role of public participation in local governance and service delivery, with specific reference to the Buffalo City Municipality. The main aims of the study were to identify possible deficiencies in public participation processes, the development of strategies to enhance public participation, the development of mechanisms to ensure coordinated, integrated and focused public participation initiatives and the development of a normative model for improved public participation. The triangulation research methodology was employed with emphasis on the quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The sample comprised of councillors, officials and ward committee members. Questionnaires, with open and closed questions, were employed for the councillors and focus group interviews were conducted with ward committee members. Statistical procedures were utilised to interpret and analyse the quantitative data to determine the results using the Statistica package for data analysis. The qualitative data analysis involved thematic content analysis. Findings suggest that the current public participation strategies are inadequate. The correlation of results further reveals that a significant negative relationship exists between the councillors, officials and ward committee members. Despite various legislative prescriptions pertaining to public participation requirements in local government, the results imply that the Buffalo City Municipality has not fully complied with such prescriptions and national policy directives. The thesis proposes specific recommendations on how the Buffalo City Municipality can address the current short comings in terms of its public participation programmes and strategies. Recommendations include the establishment of a centralised Public Participation Unit, the empowerment of ward committee members and ward councillors, adequate resource allocation for ward committees, enhanced coordination between the various community structures, improved interaction with local communities, enhanced public participation initiatives and the need for additional anti-fraud and anti-corruption strategies within the municipality. A normative model, for enhanced public participation in local government, is also proposed in the thesis.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research analyses traditional public sector delivery impediments and the resultant reforms which have emanated from these impediments, how the reforms have been implemented in the developed and developing countries and the challenges facing rural local government structures, which must implement alternative service delivery mechanisms at the grassroots level in South Africa. The research further explores external and internal issues affecting public service delivery in general, and then concludes by exploring the local government and rural development realities in South Africa. The developmental divide between developed and developing countries is increasing for various reasons, among them, the public management reforms that have enhanced performance in developed countries, but cannot do the same in developing countries due to the overwhelming constraints. Developing countries experience constraints which include vague definitions of what performance entails in a developing context, unresponsive organisational cultures, unclear performance indicators, a resilient ethos of governance, unfavourable organisational factors, incorrect use of resources and unsuccessful policy initiatives. A literature review has shown that ideological contradictions, lack of a common vision and policy process constraints are also hampering South African public sector service delivery processes. Although local government legislation and reforms have freed municipalities from many impediments to improve delivery, the huge service backlog, infrastructure neglect, lack of integration with other spheres of government, lack of capacity, the impact of HIV/AIDS and the culture of non-payment are still eroding that ability, especially in rural areas. In addition, rural areas have even greater levels of underdevelopment, poverty and service backlogs and consequently municipal structures in deep rural areas carry less legitimacy. The ethnographic research chapter focuses on a rural municipality in South Africa, Engcobo, and on how effectively it will be able to deliver the required municipal services in the absence of resources and amid a culture of non-payment for services, a huge unemployment rate and escalating HIV/AIDS in the area. Local economic development will be hard to realise because the municipality faces the constraints of finance, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, lack of institutional skills and inadequate infrastructure to foster and drive developmental local government. The premise, that such a municipality cannot deliver the expanded local government designated services while it faces the above internal constraints and external ones that emanate from the traditional public sector context, the global economic set up and the South Africa national government constraints, is qualified in this research. Amid the magnitude of the service backlogs, delivering the basic services in Engcobo Municipality will require sustainable funds and skills currently lacking. Engcobo Municipality does not have the required capacity to deliver the designated services for local government and neither will this capacity be built up in the short term. A number of recommendations for improving on the prospects are nevertheless made. These recommendations focus on institutional development and capacity building, improving financial viability, harnessing profit in service delivery, public participation, partnership arrangements, dealing with HIV/AIDS, infrastructure development as well as waste and environmental management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing analiseer die tradisionele hindernisse vir openbare sektor dienslewering en die hervormings wat daaruit voortspruit, hoe die hervormings uitgevoer is in ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande en die uitdagings van landelike plaaslike regeringsstrukture wat die implimentering van alternatiewe diensleweringsmeganismes op voetsoolvlak in Suid Afrika in die gesig staar. Die navorsing ondersoek verder die eksterne en interne aspekte wat openbare sektor dienslewering oor die algemeen beïnvloed, en ondersoek dan plaaslike regering en landelik ontwikkelingsrealiteite. Die ontwikkelingsskeiding tussen ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande vergroot vir verskeie redes, insluitend die openbare bestuurshervormings wat prestasie in ontwikkelde lande verbeter het, maar wat nie dieselfde doen in ontwikkelende lande nie, weens oorweldigende beperkings. Ontwikkelende lande ondervind beperkings wat vae definisies oor wat prestasie in 'n ontwikkelende konteks behels, insluit, onresponsiewe organisatoriese kulture, onduidelike prestasie-indikatore, 'n elastiese karakter van regeerkunde, ongunstige organisatoriese faktore, verkeerde gebruik van hulpbronne en onsuksesvolle beleidsinisiatiewe. 'n Literatuuroorsig het getoon dat ideologiese teenstrydighede, gebrek aan 'n gemeenskaplike visie en beleidsproses beperkinge ook Suid Afrikaanse openbare sektor diensleweringsprosesse aan bande lê. Alhoewel die wetgewing oor plaaslike regering en hervormings munisipaliteite bevry het van baie hindernisse om lewering te verbeter, veroorsaak die enorme diensagterstand, die verwaarlosing van die infrastruktuur, die gebrek aan integrasie met ander sfere van regering, die gebrek aan kapasiteit, die impak van HIV/VIGS en die kultuur van nie-betaling nog steeds dat diensleweringsvermoë aangetas word, veral in die landelike gebiede. Boonop, het landelike gebiede nog groter vlakke van onderontwikkeling, armoede en diensagterstande en dus geniet munisipale strukture in diep landelike gebiede minder legitimiteit. Die etnografiese navorsingshoofstuk fokus op 'n landelike munisipaliteit in Suid Afrika, Engcobo, en hoe effektief die munisipaliteit in staat is om verlangde munisipale dienste te lewer te midde van die afwesigheid van hulpbronne en te midde van 'n kultuur van niebetaling vir dienste, enorme werkloosheid en stygende HIV/VIGS in die area. Plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling sal moeilik wees om te realiseer omdat die munisipaliteit die beperkinge van onvoldoende fondse, HIV/VIGS, 'n gebrek aan institusionele bekwaamhede en 'n onvoldoende infrastruktuur om ontwikkelende plaaslike regering te bevorder en te bestuur, in die gesig staar. Die premis dat so 'n munisipaliteit nie die aangewese uitgebreide plaaslike regeringsdienste kan lewer terwyl dit die interne gedwongendhede en eksterne beperkinge voortspruitend uit die konteks van 'n tradisionele openbare sektor, die globale ekonomiese opset en die gedwongendhede van die Suid Afrikaanse nasionale regering in die gesig staar nie, word met hierdie navorsing gekwalifiseer. Te midde van die omvang van diensagterstande, sal die lewering van basiese dienste in Engcobo Munisipaliteit genoegsame fondse en vaardighede wat tans ontbreek, benodig. Engcobo Munisipaliteit het nie die vereiste kapasiteit om die aangewese dienste vir plaaslike regering te lewer nie en ewemin sal hierdie kapasiteit oor die korttermyn opgebou word. 'n Aantal aanbevelings ter verbetering van die vooruitsigte word nietemin gemaak. Hierdie aanbevelings fokus op institusionele ontwikkeling en kapasiteitsbou, verbetering van finansiële lewensvatbaarheid, aanwending van die winsmotief in dienslewering, publieke deelname, vennootskapsreëlings, hantering van MIV/VIGS, infrastruktuur ontwikkeling sowel as afval en omgewingsbestuur.