The use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) by governments on all continents has been rapidly growing as government departments and their agencies continue to look for improvised means of providing high quality services. In South Africa, the demand for the replacement of the aging government infrastructure has led to the increase in the use of PPPs. The PPPs are not only used for the improvement of roads, but also in the provision of social services and many other services that are traditionally a responsibility of government. Government institutions typically enter into relationships with PPPs to address their needs and to meet specific objectives. It is, therefore, up to these institutions to choose an ideal model of procurement that best addresses their objectives of delivering effective services (Palmer, 2009:Online). Government institutions will, however, only enter into relationship with PPPs if the services can be transferred in a responsible way and if the risks for failure are limited. Inefficiencies in the disbursement of social assistance grants by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has received much attention and criticism from the stakeholders as the company contracted to perform the work on behalf of SASSA continues to provide poor quality services. In assessing a PPP, countries providing social security transfers need to take into consideration a partner that will assist in establishing and implementing the payment design and distribution mechanism that is capable of facilitating the cost effective, reliable and practical delivery of cash to the grant beneficiaries. A comprehensive review of literature and empirical investigation was carried out to respond to the research study’s set objectives. The study explored a wide-ranging survey of PPP projects in developed and developing countries focusing on the use of the PPP model in the South African context with specific reference to the disbursement of social grants by the SASSA. Alternative procurement methodologies in government were also reviewed. An analysis of relevant procurement theories was undertaken to form the basis of the research study. The mini-dissertation explores if there are any advantages for the government, and more specifically the SASSA, in using PPPs as opposed to traditional procurement methods. The study attempts to establish if a private partner can be encouraged to provide long-term investment in terms of expertise; well qualified staff; technology; infrastructure; and creation of an environment conducive for highly effective service delivery where the return on such investment is not guaranteed. / MA (Public Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research investigates opportunities for Service Design in Education. The focus is on a particular type of change happening within education that of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) where Service Design has little presence and limited knowledge. This research has been carried out through grounded theory and contextualised in English institutions of primary education. As a result it identified Service Design as an approach to enable transformational change within educational institutions that seek to move towards ESD. To establish the basis for the research, a literature review has been carried out on Service Design, the vision of ESD and its application in the context of English schools. As a result, Service Design capability to re-design services at organisational level was linked to the gap in normative re-educative change processes towards ESD in English schools. The rest of the research sought to build on these findings. In-depth case studies with five primary schools and a cross-case analysis have been carried out to establish an understanding of ESD change at organisational level. It focused on elements relevant to normative re-educative change processes, which included social and personal norms and values residing within organisational systems. From the case studies, principles, concepts and processes were identified that enabled schools to engage with ESD at the deepest level. The knowledge derived from the case studies was further developed in order to relate the ESD phenomenon to Service Design. Service thinking and organisational change theory were applied to develop a Sustainable Education as a Service Model (SES MODEL) to understand ESD as a phenomenon in a service system. A SES Model was presented back to Service Design community. The sense-making of ESD was undertaken with seven service design practitioners by conducting semi-structured interviews during which they explored the SES Model. The outcome of the interviews showed the model to build service designer s capacity to engage with ESD, while the use of the model showed that designers could envision using it at a normative re-educative change level. The research shows that ESD is a new concept, which is relevant to Service Design. It therefore offers opportunities for further service design research and practical applications.

Os setores de infraestrutura exigem investimentos intensivos de capital envolvendo significativos custos irrecuperáveis (sunk costs), entre outras características específicas que os tornam pouco atraentes aos investimentos da iniciativa privada. Apesar da concepção historicamente aceita de que a estrutura de monopólio garantiria uma maior eficiência nesses setores, nas últimas décadas o ambiente institucional tem sofrido mudanças importantes, entre as quais se destaca a provocada pelo advento da regulação. O presente trabalho se desenvolve em torno do tema da eficiência dos serviços públicos de saneamento básico. A partir do recorte dos serviços operacionais, busca-se verificar se o advento da agência reguladora provocou impacto no nível de eficiência dos mesmos. Para tanto, parte-se da premissa que as características das transações da organização em foco estão alinhadas com a abordagem da Economia dos Custos de Transação, constructo elaborado por Williamson (1985) que tem origem nas proposições dos institucionalistas da década de 1920, entre os quais destaca-se Coase. Os elementos-chave da Economia dos Custos de Transação (ECT) são os pressupostos comportamentais da racionalidade limitada e do oportunismo, e os atributos da transação decodificados por Williamson (1985), dos quais o mais importante é a presença de ativos específicos. A unidade básica de análise é a transação consubstanciada pelo contrato. Assim, utilizando como campo uma empresa de serviços de saneamento básico, cujas transações envolvem ativos específicos, busca-se, sob a lógica da eficiência preconizada pela ECT - a de que um melhor alinhamento entre as características das transações, dos agentes e das leis devem reduzir os custos de transação - e tendo em mãos um contrato, partiu-se para a pesquisa; que foi pautada, principalmente, a partir de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com gestores da organização em foco, e subsidiariamente pela análise do contrato. Adicionalmente fez-se uma breve incursão pela Economia da Regulação e pela Nova Economia Institucional de North (1994). Os resultados são avaliados sob três perspectivas: primeiramente, evidenciou-se haver uma percepção geral por parte dos gestores sobre os atributos da transação preconizados por Williamson (1985). No entanto, esses atributos não são considerados na confecção do contrato. Com relação à interação entre o microambiente organizacional e o macroambiente institucional, teorizada por North (1994), os resultados apontam para uma falta de alinhamento entre o contrato e as regras da agência reguladora e do município. Finalmente, com relação ao impacto provocado pelo advento da agência reguladora sobre o nível de eficiência discutido nesse trabalho, conclui-se que a agência pode provocar um incremento nos custos da execução dos contratos, mas não interfere nos custos ex ante e ex post. / The infrastructure sectors require intensive capital investments involving significant sunk costs and other specific characteristics that make them unattractive to private equity investments. Despite the historically accepted concept, that the monopoly structure to ensure greater efficiency in these sectors, in recent decades the institutional environment has undergone major changes, among which stands out caused by the advent of regulation. The present work evolves around the theme of the efficiency of public sanitation. From the cut of operational services, we seek to verify if the advent of regulation brought any impact on the level of them. To this end, we start from the premise that the transaction characteristics of the organization in focus are aligned with the approach of Transaction Cost Economics, construct developed by Williamson (1985), whose origins lays on the propositions of the institutionalists of the 1920s, among which stands out Coase. The key elements of the ECT are the behavioral assumptions of bounded rationality and opportunism, and the attributes of the transaction decoded by Williamson (1985), of which the most important is the presence of specific assets. The basic unit of analysis is substantiated by the transaction agreement. Thus, using a basic sanitation services company as a field, whose transactions involve specific assets, sought, under the logic of efficiency recommended by ECT - that a better alignment between transaction characteristics, agents and laws should reduce transaction costs - and having a contract in hand, headed to the survey, which was based mainly from semistructured interviews with managers of the organization in focus, and secondarily by the analysis of the contract. Additionally we make a brief excursion into the Economics of Regulation and the New Institutional Economics of North (1994). The results are evaluated from three perspectives: first, there was a perception by the managers about the attributes of the transaction envisaged by Williamson (1985). However, these attributes are not considered in making the contract. In respect to the interaction between the organizational environment (micro) and institutional environment (macro), theorized by North (1994), the results point to a lack of alignment between the contract and the rules of the regulatory agency and municipality. Finally, with respect to the impact caused by advent of the regulator on the level of efficiency discussed in this paper, it is concluded that the agency may cause an increase in the cost of the contract, but do not interfere in costs ex ante and ex post.

Esta investigação tem por objeto o estudo do princípio da continuidade do serviço público. Inicia-se pela definição de serviço público (e de serviço público essencial) e os princípios que regem a prestação dos mesmos. Aborda-se a matéria em relação às leis de concessões e os direitos e garantias dos usuários dos serviços delas decorrentes, somadas às garantias constitucionais e consumeristas. Enfrenta-se o problema da interrupção do serviço público por inadimplemento e o direito de greve, em face do princípio da continuidade. No intuito de cumprir tal tarefa, realizou-se cuidadosa análise dos entendimentos doutrinários nacionais e estrangeiro, adotando-se o método analítico. As técnicas de pesquisa utilizadas, por sua vez, foram a bibliográfica, em livros e artigos extraídos de revistas especializadas, através da qual foram reveladas as semelhanças e as oposições existentes entre os entendimentos formulados pela doutrina. Por fim, manifestamos nosso entendimento sobre o assunto. / This investigation has as main objective analyzes the principle of continuity public service, facing the problem of the interruption of essential public service because of the default and the right of strike. Starts studying the definition of essential public service and its principles taking to account the concession law, the rights and guarantees of the consumers and the constitutional precepts about the subject. Intending to fulfill this duty, it was made a carefully analyses of the national and foreigner authors, using the analytic method to examine these documents. The bibliography method had revealed resemblances and differences between the authors opinions and the rules of law that are related in the conclusion of this research.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:26:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leticia Guimaraes.pdf: 408463 bytes, checksum: 94326497aeff0b9b9cc27b58c7cde3f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-10-29 / The present work is aimed at the study of the principle of continuity of public services and of themes related to it. In order to permit the delimitation of the work s range of application, several aspects that characterize public service were given special focus, bearing in mind that this type of service consists of the activity developed by the State in the exercise of the administrative function. Once the concept of public service had been delimited, we sought to point out the norms pertaining to the principle of continuity, as well as to understand their content. Next, a few mechanisms that ensure the enforcement of the principle of continuity were identified, mechanisms such as those that might be linked to administrative contracts, to the properties used in rendering the public service, or to the exercise of the public function. Greater emphasis was placed on the legal hypotheses that allow for the interruption of the public service. In the legal system, the following situations imposing or authorizing such an interruption were identified: when an emergency is declared; technical or safety reasons regarding the workplace; in case of default on the part of the user, taking into consideration the interests of the community; when workers that render a public service go on strike. Currently, the most controversial hypotheses in the doctrine and in the jurisprudence are the interruptions brought about by user default or by labor strikes. Our dealing with the theme regarding the interruption of public services due to user default was meant to check whether or not such an interruption is in violation of the principle of continuity. Also thoroughly examined, were the situations that demanded maintenance of the public service even in case of default, with the interests of the community in mind. Concerning the interruption of public services due to labor strikes, it was observed that the matter requires specific regulations, mainly in what regards the discipline of strikes by civil servants. In the present scenario, while the matter is not yet regulated by law, the Judiciary has been playing a relevant role by ensuring the exercise of the right to strike and, at the same time, faced with the hard fact, by laying down rules to minimize loss on the part of users. Lastly, two procedural instruments were presented the individual mandatory injunction and the public civil action requiring the State to render, or to guarantee the rendering of the public services in a continuous way / O presente trabalho destina-se ao estudo do princípio da continuidade dos serviços públicos e de temas a ele relacionados. Para permitir a delimitação do âmbito de aplicação do trabalho, foram destacados vários aspectos que caracterizam um serviço público, ressaltando-se que este consiste em atividade desenvolvida pelo Estado no exercício de função administrativa. Delimitado o conceito de serviço público, procurou-se apontar as normas que contemplam o princípio da continuidade, bem como compreender o seu conteúdo. Em seguida, foram identificados alguns mecanismos que asseguram a efetivação do princípio da continuidade dos serviços públicos, mecanismos estes que podem estar atrelados aos contratos administrativos, aos bens utilizados na prestação do serviço público, ou ainda ao exercício da função pública. Maior ênfase foi destinada às hipóteses legais que admitem a interrupção do serviço público. Foram identificadas no ordenamento jurídico as seguintes situações que impõem ou autorizam a sua interrupção: em caso de emergência; quando houver razões de ordem técnica ou de segurança das instalações; na hipótese de inadimplemento do usuário, considerado o interesse da coletividade; e a deflagração de greve dos trabalhadores que prestam serviços públicos. Atualmente as hipóteses mais controvertidas na doutrina e na jurisprudência são as interrupções ocasionadas pelo inadimplemento do usuário e pelos movimentos grevistas. A abordagem do tema relativo à interrupção dos serviços públicos em razão da inadimplência do usuário teve por objetivo verificar se tal interrupção viola ou não o princípio da continuidade. Além disso, foram perquiridas as situações que impõem a manutenção do serviço público mesmo diante do inadimplemento, tendo em vista o interesse da coletividade. Com relação à interrupção dos serviços públicos em razão de movimentos grevistas, verificou-se que a matéria necessita de regulamentação específica, principalmente no que se refere à disciplina da greve de servidores públicos civis. No cenário atual, enquanto a matéria não é regulamentada por lei, o Poder Judiciário vem desempenhando papel relevante, assegurando o exercício do direito de greve e, ao mesmo tempo, diante do caso concreto, estipulando regras para minimizar os prejuízos dos usuários. Por fim, foram apresentados dois instrumentos processuais, o mandado de segurança individual e a ação civil pública, utilizados para impor ao Estado o cumprimento do dever de prestar ou garantir a prestação dos serviços públicos de forma contínua

Investimento, definido como dispêndio de capital para aumento de capacidade produtiva, é uma variável importante para compreender a estrutura e o desempenho da firma e das economias de mercado. Esta tese analisa empiricamente o comportamento do investimento no período recente por duas óticas: no nível da firma, utilizando dados de empresas brasileiras no período 2003-2013, e cross-country, empregando dados de 150 países no período 1996-2014. Após capítulo inicial de revisão das principais teorias do investimento, que dão suporte à análise empírica, a tese busca investigar, no segundo capítulo, a relação entre taxa de investimento de firmas brasileiras de capital aberto e estrutura de propriedade do capital. O modelo empírico utiliza características financeiras e de governança como variáveis explicativas, e define cinco categorias de propriedade do capital: estatal, privada, familiar, acordo entre acionistas e estrangeira. No Brasil, são usuais acordos entre acionistas nos quais há a participação do Estado, seja por meio de bancos, empresas públicas ou de fundos de pensão de seus funcionários. Os resultados sugerem que as categorias acordo entre acionistas e estrangeira apresentam relação positiva e significativa com investimento e que as firmas não sofrem restrição financeira, sendo o investimento financiado sobretudo por meio de endividamento. No terceiro capítulo, estima-se um modelo com dados cross-country, testando variáveis explicativas institucionais e socioeconômicas. As variáveis socioeconômicas referem-se à provisão de serviços públicos básicos à população, como saúde, educação e infraestrutura de comunicação e informação. São encontradas evidências de que boas instituições, sobretudo controle da corrupção, são relevantes para a taxa de investimento dos países. A oferta de serviços públicos intensivos em trabalho, como saúde e educação, também apresenta relação positiva com o investimento. Já a oferta de serviços públicos intensivos em capital parece ter um impacto negativo sobre o investimento. / Investment, defined as capital expenditure to increase productive capacity, is an important variable to understand the structure and performance of the firm and the overall economy. This dissertation focuses on investment behavior in the recent period from two perspectives: at the firm level, using data from Brazilian companies along the years 2003-2013, and cross-country, using data from 150 countries in the period of 1996-2014. After reviewing the main theories of investment in the first chapter, we investigate in chapter two the relationship between the investment rate and the structure of capital ownership of Brazilian publicly traded companies. The empirical model uses financial and governance characteristics as explanatory variables, and defines five categories of capital ownership: state, private firms, family, shareholders\' agreement and foreigners. The Brazilian state has agreements with major shareholders of many public companies wherein it holds minority equity stakes through its banks, public companies or pension funds of employees from companies it controls. We provide evidence that suggests that shareholders\' agreement and foreigners show a positive and significant relationship with investment and also that companies do not face financial constraint, being the investment financed mainly through debt. In the third chapter, we estimate a model with cross-country data, testing institutional and socioeconomic explanatory variables. Socioeconomic variables refer to the provision of basic public services to the population, such as health, education and communication and information infrastructure. We find that good institutions, especially corruption control, are pretty relevant to some countries\' investment rate. The supply of public services, such as health and education, also shows a positive relation with the investment, while the supply of capital public services seems to have a negative impact on investment.

Thesis (MPA. (Public Administration) -University of Limpopo, 2008 / Today, in South Africa, as we grapple with challenges brought by our new democracy, its appropriate to have practical guide that guide that can be used not primarily on issues of labour relations but also on issues of service delivery improvements. This study comes at the most opportune time, when all involved have to help shaping the public service and to come to grips with the implications of Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act 66 of 1996). The study’s main objective is to find out the major labour related conflicts that are prominent at Mokopane Provincial Hospital and broadly discuss them in order to find out if they are threats to service delivery. After identifying threats to service delivery, it shall be appropriate to recommend through the application of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act 66 of 1995), important areas that will enhance service delivery. In brief, this study is intending to close gaps between labour relations issues and service delivery.

La desregulación y apertura a la competencia de los servicios públicos de infraestructura, clave para el proceso de integración económica europea, pretendía beneficiar unívocamente a los ciudadanos en su papel como consumidores, a partir de su aprovechamiento óptimo y homogéneo de las posibilidades de elección introducidas en el mercado. Sin embargo, actualmente, la Comisión Europea se replantea el diseño de la regulación de estos servicios desde el punto de vista de su beneficio sobre los ciudadanos como consumidores. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es, en dicho contexto, evaluar las políticas de regulación de los servicios públicos de infraestructura desde la perspectiva de los ciudadanos, aspecto insuficientemente analizado hasta la fecha. Para ello, se desarrolla un análisis microeconométrico de las decisiones y percepciones de los ciudadanos ante estos servicios, a partir del contraste de sus preferencias reveladas y preferencias declaradas en tres grandes países europeos: España, Reino Unido e Italia. Los resultados obtenidos reflejan la heterogeneidad de los ciudadanos como consumidores, ligada a sus condicionantes socioeconómicos. Derivado de ello, se observa cómo las reformas han tenido efectos duales, particularmente en el sector de las telecomunicaciones, generando determinados problemas de insatisfacción, participación y confianza en aquellos ciudadanos particularmente vulnerables como consumidores. / Deregulation and opening to competition of public infrastructure services, key to European economic integration, would ostensibly benefit all the citizens, as consumers, assuming they took homogeneously optimal choices in the market. However, the European Commission is currently rethinking the design of the regulation of these services from the point of view of benefits for citizens as consumers. The main objective of this thesis is, in this context, to evaluate the regulatory policies of these services from the citizens’ perspective, which has been insufficiently analyzed to date. To do so, a microeconometric analysis of citizens’ decisions and perceptions towards these services is performed, through contrasting their revealed and stated preferences for three large European countries: Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The results reflect the heterogeneity of citizens as consumers, linked to their socio-economic conditions. On this basis, it can be observed how the reforms have had dual effects on citizens, particularly in the telecommunications sector. Thus, certain problems of dissatisfaction, low participation and low confidence have been generated among those citizens particularly vulnerable as consumers.

The aim of this two years master thesis is to explore the relationship between public libraries and deaf adults. I want to know if deaf adults are a prioritized group in Swedish public libraries. Deaf adults use Swedish sign language witch is a visual language and differs from Swedish. I discuss the difference in Swedish Sign Language and Swedish and the importance of Sign Language literature. I also explore what methods can be used for mak-ing the library service towards the deaf group more customer centered and service oriented.The lack of sign language knowledge among the library personnel can lead to communication barriers. I want to illustrate these communication barriers, both psychological and semantic barriers, with Richard Dimble-by and Graeme Burton´s interpersonal communication theory. The psychological barriers consist of negative attitudes and prejudices. In this case these psychological barriers prevent the libraries from further proceedings with the marketing of their service, all based on the notion of deaf being uninterested in library service. This, on the other hand, leads to deaf people not knowing what public libraries can offer and therefor has become some-what of an invisible group in the libraries today.I performed ten surveys on ten public libraries in Sweden and a more detailed questioner to Teckenhörnan in Örebro public library. Thees surveys was done based on the IFLA Guidelines for Service for Deaf People. The result of this survey shows that deaf adults are not a prioritized group in public libraries. The lack of knowledge among library personnel about deafness, sign language and an understanding of the situation of deaf people is an obstacle. It is important to separate deaf from other disabled groups since deaf is more a linguistic minority then a disabled group.

This thesis evaluates the current transformation of the concept of public service, which has been reflected as new trends in the domain of the public services, within the context of changes in the role of state and the discipline of public administration that have been experienced under the influence of neo-liberal policies of the post-1980s. In the thesis, the concept of public service, which has been used in reference to administrative law, and dynamics of its transformation have been analyzed from the perspective of public administration discipline. In this regard, besides examining what public service is and its basic features, the connection between the transformation of the concept of public service and new genre of public administration, subsumed under the title of new public management, has been investigated. Throughout the study, the process, in which the transformation has taken place, has been examined in the light of the basic tenets of neo-liberalism, new public management, reinventing government and governance approaches by focusing on their distorting impacts on the public characteristics of the public services.