Three arguments are normally presented as rationale for the privatisation of state owned enterprises. The first relates to the problem of the financing of higher levels of public expenditure / the second is based on the viewpoint that private ownership is more efficient than public ownership / whilst the third claims that the losses of inefficient public enterprise are responsible for excessive budget deficits and other fiscal problems.<br /> <br /> Although empirical evidence proves that privatisation enhances economic efficiency, it negatively affects the affordability of and access to essential services, which may have serous consequences for poorer households. This happens through increased prices of essential services, such as electricity and telecommunication, as well as through loss of employment opportunities during and after privatisation.<br /> <br /> Many countries, also in Africa, implemented various types of privatisation programmes over the past two decades in order to decrease the relative size of governments and to improve efficient delivery of services. Towards the end the 1990&rsquo / s and after the tragic genocide, Rwanda&rsquo / s Government of National Unity also embarked on an ambitious restructuring programme of its state-owned enterprises.<br /> The main purpose of this study was to assess the likely impact of privatisation on poor households in developing countries. The report presents a general overview of the literature, with a specific focus on Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. It investigates the experiences of these countries and derives lessons that can be learnt. Finally it assesses the possible impact of the privatisation of essential service delivery on poor households in Rwanda.<br /> <br /> The main conclusion of the study is that governments should look beyond efficiency benefits of restructuring and focus on the overall opportunity cost of the privatisation of essential service delivery. The specific method of privatisation may determine the final social impact. The case studies also highlight the need for more research into the challenges facing the privatisation of essential service delivery. It is clear that any restructuring should be preceded by a thorough analysis of the likely impact on the poorer sections of the community.

<p>This study focused on governance and financial sustainability of NGO's in South Africa. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate existing governance and financial arrangements of NGO's, CBO's and CSO's with the view to developing alternative approaches to governance and financial arrangements with specific reference to lessons of experiences for South African NGO's. The secondary objectives of the study were to firstly develop a historical perspective on trends and tendencies of NGO funding in South Africa.</p>

The institutionalisation of neo-liberalist discourse has significantly changed the way in which the relationship between government and community organisations is described and regulated in Australia. These changes are most clearly articulated in government policy discourse as a move away from ‘funding’ community service organisations, to ‘purchasing’ the delivery of services. Under previous funding models, responsiveness to community need was emphasised. Local knowledge was valued and community organisations were largely viewed as best positioned to assess local needs and to design services to the meet those needs. In contrast, new highly regulated funding models have created a change in discourse that positions the community organisation as a seller of services to the government. In the ‘quasi-market’ the government is usually the only (or main) purchaser of services. As the sole purchaser, the government is now (potentially) responsible for specifying the nature of services that they are prepared to purchase. These changes in positioning have been accompanied by significant devolution of previous government provision of human services to the non-profit sector, and are supplemented by considerable changes in regulation practices. The principal questions asked in this research are: How have the changes in discourse and practice at the government level influenced existing discourse and practices in community organisations? How have changes in discourse and practices within and among community organisations affected their capability to operate in a way that is consistent with the values inherent in community discourse? This research approaches the research questions from a Social Constructionist epistemology informed by the work of Michel Foucault and also neo-institutional theorists. This research implements Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as the methodological framework to draw out and analyse tensions that arise from a contest of the discourses of ‘community’ and ‘managerialism’. This research critically examines emergent structures and practices of community organisations in New South Wales (NSW) through the critical analysis of relevant texts and data from four focus groups and nineteen interviews of management committee members and coordinators from community organisations throughout NSW Australia, with a focus on Greater Western Sydney. The way in which these changes at the government level have been translated in discourse and practice at the organisational level, has resulted in a number of tensions within and among community organisations. The major tensions that emerged, and are discussed and analysed in this research, were: Increased managerialism and the impact on ‘traditional’ beliefs – or the ‘institutional myths’ – of community discourse and practice. Increased reliance by governments on community organisations and the effects of this on organisational capacity: A shift of emphasis in accountabilities coupled with increased ‘professionalisation’ and the impact on ‘community representation’. Need or desire for alliances among community organisations and the impact of this on diversity and individual responsiveness. With these tensions came significant frustration and hardship as traditional strategies became more difficult to action in the quasi-market. Much of this tension was due to the use of one discourse to interpret another. What is required in community organisations is an increase in ‘critical consciousness’ to develop a ‘cultural literacy’. This study identified a number of strategies that were assisting community organisations to re-define their position in the new discursive context. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Joseph Farrell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 393-420).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-06, Section: A, page: 2014. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-269).

Thesis (M.S.)--George Mason University, 2008. / Vita: p. 113. Thesis director: Mark Goodale. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 9, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-112). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-152). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-147). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-163). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, March, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.