The Municipal Systems Act (32 of 2000) stipulates that municipalities must establish a performance management system that is proportionate with its resources, and more importantly advance a culture of performance management among its political structures, office bearers, councillors as well as administrators, and further administer its affairs in an economical, effective, efficient and accountable manner. To ensure that the culture of accountability prevails, structures such as the Mayoral and Audit Committees were established, whose primary function was to oversee the implementation of regulations and policies enacted by parliament and councils. It is however not clear what prevents these structures to function as stipulated in legislations. This would be important to know as this would assist the government to identify challenges faced by our municipalities to perform as expected. Currently, a number of municipalities are said to be underperforming against targets as set both by Provincial and National spheres of government. As a result, local communities have taken to the streets to vent their discontentment over poor performance by our local municipalities through the emergence of pressure groups called “Concerned Groups”. This is evident that the accountability and performance of our municipalities is being questioned. The prime objective of this study was to conduct research into the successes or failures of the implementation of Performance Management at Fezile Dabi District municipality. The process of research included among others, literature review as well as empirical research in order to test the validity of the hypothesis that effective policy implementation depends on the successful implementation of Performance Management system across all municipal departments, a practice the Fezile Dabi District Municipality has not successfully implemented. A number of officials’ views were tested through the use of a structured questionnaire. The study found, among others: That half of Fezile Dabi District Municipality’s employees have limited knowledge and understanding of Performance Management regulations. Performance Management feedback sessions, when conducted, focused only on section 57 managers and all other employees were not included. The structures such as Audit Committee have not been meeting as expected and thus its monitoring role was compromised. The Performance Management section at the municipality is under-resourced, thus it is difficult to coordinate all performance matters pertaining to the municipality. In conclusion, recommendations are made in an attempt to assist the municipality to implement policy through effective, efficient and transparent Performance Management strategies. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

The Municipal Systems Act (32 of 2000) stipulates that municipalities must establish a performance management system that is proportionate with its resources, and more importantly advance a culture of performance management among its political structures, office bearers, councillors as well as administrators, and further administer its affairs in an economical, effective, efficient and accountable manner. To ensure that the culture of accountability prevails, structures such as the Mayoral and Audit Committees were established, whose primary function was to oversee the implementation of regulations and policies enacted by parliament and councils. It is however not clear what prevents these structures to function as stipulated in legislations. This would be important to know as this would assist the government to identify challenges faced by our municipalities to perform as expected. Currently, a number of municipalities are said to be underperforming against targets as set both by Provincial and National spheres of government. As a result, local communities have taken to the streets to vent their discontentment over poor performance by our local municipalities through the emergence of pressure groups called “Concerned Groups”. This is evident that the accountability and performance of our municipalities is being questioned. The prime objective of this study was to conduct research into the successes or failures of the implementation of Performance Management at Fezile Dabi District municipality. The process of research included among others, literature review as well as empirical research in order to test the validity of the hypothesis that effective policy implementation depends on the successful implementation of Performance Management system across all municipal departments, a practice the Fezile Dabi District Municipality has not successfully implemented. A number of officials’ views were tested through the use of a structured questionnaire. The study found, among others: That half of Fezile Dabi District Municipality’s employees have limited knowledge and understanding of Performance Management regulations. Performance Management feedback sessions, when conducted, focused only on section 57 managers and all other employees were not included. The structures such as Audit Committee have not been meeting as expected and thus its monitoring role was compromised. The Performance Management section at the municipality is under-resourced, thus it is difficult to coordinate all performance matters pertaining to the municipality. In conclusion, recommendations are made in an attempt to assist the municipality to implement policy through effective, efficient and transparent Performance Management strategies. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Ideas about water use and ethics have been linked for many thousands of years. In this millennium, water resources remain a primary area of concern throughout the world, including such issues as shortages, supply, flooding, quality, restoration, allocation and regulation. Today, electronic environmental news and specialty websites contain a breadth of information on current water resources conflicts and issues throughout the world. In many parts of the world, water quantity is decreasing and water quality is worsening, lack of access to improved water supplies is decreasing, as is access to basic sanitation. Water challenges relating to water quantity and water quality are increasingly common in Canada and the United States due to water resources being under increasing pressure from population growth, economic activity and intensifying competition for the water among users. Faced with these challenges, humans are confronted with momentous decisions. Before making more decisions that will have an influence over water resources, and in response to repeated calls for a water ethic, this research takes the perspective that it is necessary to explore the ethical intentions of decision-makers with respect to water resources legislation and policy in Canada. The ultimate goal is to define a set of principles for a proposed water ethic that could and should be implemented at the municipal level of government in Canada. A review of academic and professional literature and a mixed methods research approach comparing two case study areas was used to gain a baseline understanding of the potential influences of underlying ethical frameworks on policy makers in Calgary, Alberta and Guelph, Ontario. A proposed water ethic, containing a set of principles compiled from ethical considerations for water use in academic and professional literature, was also developed and presented to case study participants. Participants provided feedback on their strength of agreement with each principle, thoughts on modifications, improvements and/or deletions of any principle, and implementation considerations of the proposed water ethic at the municipal level of government. The results indicate that case study participants in both areas apply a variety of ethical frameworks when making professional decisions about water resources management, and when preparing water legislation and policy. A review of relevant legislation, policies, documents and strategies in the case study areas supports this conclusion. In particular, components of the Consequentialist ethical framework (a perspective that can be associated with sustainable development and sustainability) are most often acknowledged in the statements of intent of the participants and water resource legislation and policies. Respondents also indicated that value positions associated with the Intrinsic Value ethical framework influenced policy preparation and decision-making; however, the ethical considerations associated with this framework are not as obvious in the language and intent of relevant legislation, plans, documents, and strategies. The case study participants in both areas supported all six proposed principles of the proposed water ethic and offered only minor modifications to the presented wording and intent. The endorsed principles of the proposed water ethic are: (1) allocate sufficient water to maintain and enhance ecosystem integrity; (2) establish conservation and efficiency measures as a priority over new supply initiatives in water resources planning; (3) meet basic human needs and enhance equity; (4)establish open and participative decision-making processes; (5) identify and seek to obtain multiple sustainability benefits from water-centered initiatives; and, (6) explicitly acknowledge system complexity and emphasize precaution. The feedback from the participants about the proposed water ethic, in association with the results of the ethical frameworks, informed the eight implementation recommendations, including: (1) entrench a water ethic vision in Provincial and municipal legislation; (2) work from within existing governance structures and institutional arrangements; (3) use an incremental model of decision-making; (4) provide specific policy examples for each principle within a water ethic; (5) include realistic and measurable targets within the policies; (6) accept that all six water ethic principles are unlikely to be accepted at once; (7) ensure the overall vision of the water ethic, principles, associated examples, and measureable targets, are defensible; and, (8)acknowledge the importance of strategy. The recommendations acknowledge that while the proposed water ethic is presented as a package and each principle is valuable, conflict and trade-offs may occur during the implementation process. The recommendations are therefore pragmatic and take into account the current governance structures and institutional arrangements. There is a growing recognition that understanding the underlying ethical perspectives that influence decision-makers may contribute to more effective water resources management legislation and policy. This research adds to this body of knowledge by showing that it is possible to identify ethical frameworks, extract the defining characteristics associated with each framework, and use case studies to suggest which ethical frameworks assert varying degrees of influence. This link between theory and practice may help organizations recognize what ethical considerations influence decision-making and identify the strengths and limitations of these ethical approaches to managing water resources. In addition, prior to this study, research had only been conducted into the identification of principles for the ethical use of water and not into the potential for implementation of a realistic and desirable water ethic that reflects sustainability and lasting well-being at the municipal level of government in Canada. Several opportunities exist to build on this research. They include (1) investigate if the ethical intent of legislation and policy related to water resources management is put into practice, (2) identify other ethical frameworks that may apply to decision-making, (3) focus on political decision-makers and their claims and intentions about water use, (4) test the implementation of the water ethic proposed in this study, and (5) investigate how to integrate ethical considerations about water into checklists and protocols related to land use development, professional codes of conduct and standards, institutional and organizational training programs, performance measures for official plans, and as standard components for municipal council reports and ministerial presentations. This exploratory research concludes that policy makers are willing to become more aware of their underlying ethical underpinnings and to learn how ethical considerations embedded in legislation and policy have the potential to exert significant influence over the behaviour of current and future water users.

This research responds to the problem of minority teacher under-representation within North America’s increasingly diverse urban school systems. It weaves together what is known about educational equity, teacher education admission policy, and policy implementation to explore the research question, “How did equity-based admission policy shape candidate diversification in an urban Canadian teacher education program?” The conceptual framework grounds this study within organizational culture and describes how culture both shapes and is shaped by interactions between structure and agency. The conceptual question asks, “How did institutional norms and individual will work to support or constrain equitable candidate diversification?” Data collection occurred during private interviews with members of three organizational groups: Policymakers, policy implementers, and policy beneficiaries. Policymakers were senior administrators with several years’ experience in their respective positions. Policy implementers were admission personnel, ad hoc faculty, and field-based educators. The policy beneficiaries were candidates who self-identified as future French and Physics teachers, and as members of Aboriginal, Disabled, Gendered/Invisible, and Racialized/Visible minorities. Data analysis was an iterative process of applying demographic, thematic, and editorial coding to the interview transcripts. Discussion highlighted several themes that shaped the admission process: External admission policy context, Faculty of Education Equity Policy, admission policy instrumentation, qualification precedence and weighting, academic qualifications, non-academic identity-based and experience-based qualifications, admission policy gaps, and last-minute Policy disclosure. It also addressed admission personnel recruitment, training, and performance during candidate personal information form assessment. Significant findings emerged in the areas of preservice program partnerships, candidate support services, qualification transparency, labeling of identity-based candidate characteristics, and admission personnel training. Research applicability extends to consecutive and concurrent teacher education programs, other tertiary professional licensing programs, and multi-site qualitative research projects. Recommendations for policy and practice target teacher education admission, policy implementation, and equity policy development.

<p>Botswana's population and water demand are growing at a high rate particularly in the dry south eastern part of the country. In 1999, a Water Conservation Policy and Strategy framework document was formulated to guide a transition from a supply driven water management approach to water demand management. This study investigated whether there was a disparity between the framework policy and strategy recommendations and their actual implementation.</p>

No description available.

abstract: This study examined the enactment of a high school district's college-going mission. Treating mission enactment as a case of policy implementation, this study used the lens of complexity theory to understand how system actors and contexts influenced variation and adaptation. Data collection methods included observations, interviews, focus groups, and surveys of various system actors including district staff, principals, counselors, teachers, and students. This study used a mixed methods analytic inductive technique and Social Network Analysis to describe the mission's implementation. Findings reflect that the mission was a vaguely defined value statement; school staff reacted to the mission with limited buy-in and confusion about what it really meant in practice. The mission lacked clear boundaries of what constituted related programs or policies. Consequently, in this site-based district, schools unevenly implemented related programs and policies. School staff wanted more guidance from district staff and clear expectations for mission-related actions. To help meet this need, the district was moving to a more centralized, hierarchical approach. Though they were providing information about the mission, district staff were not providing specific, responsive support to organize school staff's efforts around implementation. District staff were trying to find an approach that both supported schools towards a common vision and provided flexibility for school-level adaptations. Yet, the district had not yet fully formed its position as a facilitator of implementation. Further, as the district lacked a cohesive measurement system, the effectiveness of this initiative was unknown. This study sought to present policy implementation as varied phenomenon, influenced by system actors and conditions. Findings suggest that while policy cannot determine actions, district staff could help create conditions that would support implementation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / This research critically sought to conduct a study, to find out whether there was public participation prior to the installation of portable flush toilets (porta potties) in Makhaza Area, Khayelitsha, during 2011-2015. A discussion of a theoretical framework on public participation and decision making forms the basis upon which this study is grounded. The study proceeded to explore public participation in public policy in the local South African context with a specific focus on the legislative environment. To gather information, a maximum number of 30 households in the area of study were interviewed using the technique of purposive sampling falling under non-probability sampling. The selected participants have a distinct connection with the phenomenon under research, and adequate and significant living knowledge of public participation, but have not participated in the process of public participation. Furthermore, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were followed in order to enrich the study deeply.

South Africa has a long history of linguistic imbalances in senior secondary schools. In the past, learners in township schools were made to use English for teaching and learning, instead of their indigenous home languages. There are 11 official home languages in South Africa. In order to redress these past injustices in educational provision, the government developed the Language In Education Policy to work as a guideline for the formulation and implementation of school language policy in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The government indicated that school governing bodies (SGBs) should establish language committees in an attempt to solve the language policy issues in schools and redress past inequities. However, to date there has been no common practice by school language policy developers and implementers that indicates a common understanding of this activity and recognition of the national School Language Policy documents. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

This study analysed the strategies of selected National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) in the process of policy implementation of Sport England s generic Clubmark (a quality mark accreditation framework). Within the overarching Clubmark framework, other policies (safeguarding and increasing membership and/or participation) adopted by VSCs working towards the accreditation (or re-accreditation) standard were also examined. Policy-makers are predominantly centrally located, often a distance from the point of delivery where, it is argued; the environment is highly variable, pressured and political, often requiring negotiation and interpretation during the process of implementation. Traditionally, implementation analysis assumed two distinct approaches: top-down theorists (e.g. Hogwood & Gunn, 1984) suppose a perfect rational, systematic process as the starting point, with the focus placed on central policy-makers. The top-down theorists acknowledge that the ideal is unattainable but use the perspective to establish generalisable descriptive policy advice; in contrast, bottom-up theorists (e.g. Lipsky, 1980) argued that to gain a more realistic understanding of implementation the role of street-level bureaucrats (e.g. VSC members at the point of delivery) should be the focus for analysis and seek to offer prescriptive advice. More recently, a number of theorists have developed hybrid implementation models, which offered a synthesis of the two contrasting approaches, such as Matland's (1995) Ambiguity-Conflict model. The combination of these three approaches coupled with Kingdon's (1997) Multiple Streams framework, used to help organise and set a context for the understanding of implementation during analysis, established the theoretical framework that guided this study. The research adopted a qualitative approach using case studies for the three sports of boxing, swimming and rugby union. Data collection consisted of 29 semi-structured interviews from VSC members, NGB officials, a senior Sport England official and a County Sports Partnership officer. The interview data were combined with document analysis (from VSCs, NGBs and Sport England), which included policy documents, guidance templates, electronic communications and various website content. Two clubs from each sport were examined (one urban, one rural). VSC member selection was based on positions of authority within the committee who had some prior knowledge of Clubmark. Three to four NGB officials from each sport provided data for the top-down perspective of policy implementation. Analysis of the data revealed that policy implementation is not straightforward; NGBs had to be flexible with their strategies and be willing to modify criteria to deal with the varying nature and capacities of VSCs. Available NGB capacity to offer VSC support proved to be pivotal for implementation success in addition to the ability of the NGBs recognising the range of contextual constraints, which limited VSCs in the implementation process. At the club-level, motivation and willingness of VSC compliance for the three main policy strands varied across sports and clubs, which demonstrated how the role of the VSC members, as implementing agents, was fundamental in the policy process. At the NGB-level, the urgency or importance placed on the three policies and the variable capacity (to offer support) affected implementation. Application of the theoretical framework that guided the research proved effective in developing the understanding of implementation in this particular sport context. Furthermore, this research has provided a contribution to the literature by demonstrating how the complex and heterogeneous nature of VSCs affects the implementation process in community sport, which provides a useful point of reference for future comparative studies analysing NGBs and VSCs in different contexts.