A Dissertation presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Social Work by Research May, 2016 / The public sector work ethics in South Africa persist to highlight negative perceptions because of overt employees’ unethical behaviour and managerial incompetence. The primary aim of the study is to explore what factors are impeding frontline staff of Department of Labour (DoL) in delivering client services in accordance with standards and requirements and what will contribute to the improvement of service delivery by DoL frontline staff. A qualitative approach was used and a multiple case study research design conducted. Non-probability purposeful sampling was used to select the participants, of DoL employees in South Africa, referred to as the Client Service Officers (CSOs), the frontline staff members and their Supervisors from two sampled offices, Johannesburg Labour Centres (LCs) in Gauteng (GP) and Witbank LC, Mpumalanga (MP) Provinces. A total of three semi-structured interview schedules were used for separate phases of individual and group face to face interviews of frontline staff and Key informants from ProductivitySA and DoL Head Office to collect data, with consented tape recording. Thematic content analysis was used and while some generalisation can be drawn, anticipation was to identify the challenges public servants experience which hampers them to deliver services. Overall findings suggest misalignment of the mandate of DoL with clients’ needs; challenges with personnel’s work knowledge; management, administrative, resources and ethical issues; and service structures’ non-compliance to standards of health and safety. Remedies include policy reviews, training and employment of social work services in frontline operations

Graduate School of Governance Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development Management) June 2016 / Knowledge on strategy implementation in the public sector is limited. A deeper understanding of how public sector economic regulators such as competition agencies implement strategies is required to ensure that these organisations are able to reap the benefits of strategy-making and implementation. The purpose of this research was to explore how competition agencies with the mandate to regulate competition implement their strategies by examining the Competition Commission South Africa (CCSA). The research aimed to uncover how the organisation’s processes and practices enable the implementation of its prioritisation strategy and how this contributes to the development of dynamic capabilities. The study identified six organisational processes associated with prioritisation that enable three categories of actions. Firstly, the governance, strategic and business planning, and scoping processes support priority setting in the organisation. Secondly, the resource allocation and case management processes support the marshalling of resources towards assembling the resources required for accomplishing organisational priorities. Thirdly, performance monitoring and evaluation processes are evaluative in that they structure actions that assess progress and account for performance, while making adjustments where required. In the analysis of the four organisational practices associated with prioritisation, it was revealed that each practice constitutes a specific mode of action and promotes specific values. The practice of managing cases from ‘cradle-to-grave’ is an approach that encourages ownership of investigations and cases. The practice of constituting interdivisional teams is a specific form of organisation that promotes joint responsibility and shared accountability. The mid-term review is a mode of alignment as it provides an opportunity to calibrate organisational alignment to priorities in a structured and periodic fashion. The practice of colour-coding the business plan according to organisational priorities is a mode of communication that supports the implementation of priorities. Finally, the research demonstrates how the capabilities built up in the organisation’s priority setting processes, sector expertise, and fledgling project management capacity enable the identification of opportunities and re-configuration of the CCSA resource base to take advantage of those opportunities The study concludes that the implementation of the prioritisation strategy has strengthened the internal capabilities of the CCSA, but that external factors should also be taken into account when evaluating effective regulatory governance. / MT2016

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Commerce (Information Systems), in the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand, March 2017 / In spite of the challenges arising from poverty, illiteracy, corruption and inefficient government processes, cities around the world are resolute in their quest to deliver key information and services to citizens by adopting and developing online government applications. For these applications to be successful, it is imperative that they offer services that adequately address the needs of citizens. The present study aimed at exploring the extent an e-government application is being effectively used, in a context of an African Smart city. Initially, the study reviewed a handful of relevant literature to support the aims of this study and to underpin the results on evidence-based theoretical foundations. The study moved beyond the commonly studied behavioural concepts of adoption and use, towards value-driven Information Systems diffusion. While adoption and use of Information Systems are two widely recognised concepts throughout academia and extensively supported by literature, the effective use of Information Systems is generally neglected in theory and fails in practice. This gap presented in literature, an opportunity for this study to understand the value derived by citizens in using an e-government application and by governments in implementing it. The study has applied the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Theory (UTAUT) frameworks to explain the determinants of use and subsequently, effective use. From the conceptual definition of the use of e-governance, this study has identified the motivating or selfregulating factors of effective use. The study then empirically measured a handful of them in order to infer and argue a case for effective use of such applications. The initial findings suggest that an inferential discipline was applied and that Actual Usage infers Effective Use as intended by this study. The results also suggest that diffusion and effective use of an e-government application still requires some improvements. The user experience, lack or out-dated information and general lack of awareness of the application are among the more pertinent findings on effective use of an e-government application. The findings highlighted that effective use is inferable when use of IS has been established. The empirical findings of this study demonstrate a need for a ‗one-stop shop‘ model and citizen-focused service delivery agenda for e-government applications. More specifically, the results of this study highlighted an inferential relationship between actual usage and effective use. This means that factors that affect Actual Usage, based on UTAUT are positively related to SDT factors of Effective Use. For instance, Performance Expectancy has been found to have a positive effect on Actual Usage, implying that citizens with high Performance Expectancy are more likely to use an e-government. Social Influences were also found to significantly affect the citizens‘ motivation and intentions to engage with an e-government application. A large number of users have indicated that their inclination to use the application was influenced by social connections. The Facilitating Conditions construct has been found to significantly influence the citizens‘ behavioural intention to use an e-government application. Predictably, the study also found Self-efficacy to be a weak predictor and moderator of a relationship between a dependent and an independent variable. The immediate relevance and application of this study lies in the expected return on investment derived from an effective use of an e-government application, which is particularly beneficial for a budding African Smart City. The need to effectively and affordably deliver needed government information and services to citizen across the spectrum is even more pronounced in Africa. This study makes specific contributions to the formulation of a model and suggestions for future research. The theoretical contribution is in bridging the literature gap by providing a model for effective use of e-government application in the context of an African Smart City. The current study is one of the first to demonstrate the influence SDT has on actual usage and effective use. This is useful to studies in the IS Domain, particularly for the new concepts of e-government and Smart City. / XL2018

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2006 / The topic Political interference in Administration remains a serious challenge to both Administrative practitioners and politicians in government, although the history of the debate is well documented. Are officials enabled to operate freely and professionally without political interference in Limpopo Department of Health and Social Development? The Department has been faced with various and serious challenges related to poor service delivery. There have been allegations of Political interference in Administration, where by some of highly politically connected officers’ cases just disappears. There has been complains about the appointment under qualified or unqualified officials for strategic positions. Chapter one introduces the reader to the study; this indicating what is contained in the research and its objectives. The background of the study is also included in this chapter. The chapter also explains why the study is necessary. It also indicates the importance and relevancy of having the understanding of each territory. Chapter two reviews the literature on Political-Administration Dichotomy. The chapter also gave indications about the history of the debate. It also explained the different theories from various authors. The information collected from those authors was put together in this chapter as the historical background to the challenge and taking the readers through where the debate originates from. Various opinions and suggestions from various authors were dealt with.Chapter three focused on sampling and data analysis. The data collected included official documents, such as charge sheets and investigation reports. The manner in which information was collected is briefly outlined in this chapter. In chapter four the collected data was analysed. The specific objectives were used as a guiding line for selecting the relevant data. Information interviews were also taken into consideration. Chapter five is about what position is developed, the conclusion made from the analysis and the recommendation. It includes suggestions on how the problem could be resolved.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The purpose of this research was to evaluate the electronic-business readiness of the South African Government using the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) as a case study. Electronic-business in this research would be referred to as e-business.

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the merger between the Office of the Premier and the North West Communication Services on Labour relations with a view to provide recommendations to the management of the Office on how to resolve grievances and disputes arising from the merger. The study focuses on the Office of the Premier. A qualitative research design which made use of data obtained from the Management of the Office, Advisory Committee, NWCS staff and a union representative was used in this study. The memoranda and other correspondence on the merger were analysed. The population in this study was confined to the Office of the Premier. The investigation conducted showed that the grievances/dispute lodged by the NWCS staff arise out of the merger. The merger negotiations were conducted in an atmosphere that was not conducive to proper negotiations, which consequently had adverse effects on labour relations. Employees who were absorbed from the NWCS into the Office of Premier had their benefits discontinued. This gave rise to litany of grievances/disputes wherein the grievants accuse the Management of the Office with unilateral change of terms of conditions of employment. There is a need to re-negotiate the terms and conditions of employment of the employees affected by the merger to ensure a smooth completion of this process. The amended Labour Relations Act, Section 197, on transfer of a business as a going concern allows parties to the negotiation to enter into an agreement regarding new terms and conditions of employment. It is an option that the office is advised to pursue to bring the merger process to finality . / M.Admin. (IRL) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

This study examines service delivery such as housing, water, electricity, roads and garbage removal in local government with specific reference to Schulzendal township. The main objective of the study is to investigate the services mentioned above in Schulzendal township, (1) to assess the satisfaction of Schulzendal community in services delivered by Nkomazi municipality / (2) to examine and identify factors impacting on the Nkomazi municipality's ability to deliver services effectively and efficiently / (3) and to assess the ability of the Schulzendal community to pay for services delivered.

Thesis (DTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008. / Public service professionals can no longer afford to be ethnocentric, inward looking, focused on the past, and defensive. They must be forward-looking, globally oriented, innovative, adaptable, and ready to take advantage of opportunities to serve the community more effectively. Public Administration, if it is to be well done, must be aggressive, not a passive enterprise; in the pursuit of public interest (Cooper et al., 1998). Industrial era Public Administrators, characterized by high degrees of centralization and large driven bureaucracies, cannot meet the needs and challenges of the new information era. New kinds of Public Institutions are therefore required which are more flexible and more customer and results oriented. This trend follows what is emerging outside the public sector where organizations are promoting flatter management structures, decentralization of authority and a greater focus on improving quality and customer service. The many decades of dormancy in the administrative and organizational structure of the public sector were reflected in and influenced by the unchanging nature of public service culture (Caiden, 1990). In contrast, there has been a rush for reform during the past 12 years, reflected in new policies, structures, financial management frameworks and service outcomes aimed at enhancing public sector accountability, transparency and efficiency. This, however, has not been accompanied by a vision for a new public sector organizational culture, of more customer driven and business like mentality.

Samevattende oorsig: In hierdie skripsie, is 'n studie onderneem ten opsigte van die Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsbeplanningsproses, wat die proses van beplanning en die toepassing van hierdie beplanningsresultate ten opsigte van twee klein B-munisipaliteite in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie insluit. Die skripsie bestaan uit sewe hoofstukke en is gebaseer op die veronderstelling dat die beplanningsproses van so 'n tegniese aard is dat kleiner owerhede nie in staat is om die proses na behore te kan bestuur nie. Dit gaan verder van die onderstelling uit dat die implementeeringskapasiteit by kleiner owerhede ontbreek om dievoorsiene uitkomste na behore te realiseer. Die primêre doelwitte van die navorsing sluit die volgende in: 'n basiese oorsig van openbare bestuur, die rolle en funksies van funksionarisse binne hierdie omgewing en die veranderende aard van openbare bestuur. Die proses van geïntegreerde ontwikkelingsbeplanning binne plaaslike regering word bestudeer met 'n volledige proses toeligting. Die noodsaaklikheid van beplanning en prestasiebestuur word bevestig tesame met die uitdagings en probleme wat die nuwe benadering bring aan klein plaaslike owerhede. 'n Finale waardebepaling rond die studie af. Die studie bestaan uit bronnavorsing om die veranderende aard van openbare bestuur toe te lig tesame met die werklike aard van die beplanningsproses soos vereis binne relevante wetgewing. Die impak van hierdie vereistes op klein plaaslike owerhede in die Wes-Kaap word ontleed aan die hand van twee geïntegreerde ontwikkelingsplanne soos deur die skrywer hiervan gefasiliteer by dié owerhede. Die gevolgtrekkings gemaak uit hierdie studie word dan ook aangedui met 'n aanbeveling oor die mees sinvolle inkrementele benadering ten opsigte van ontwikkeling as proses en die deelname van rolspelers daarbinne.

This study is about the employee perceptions of the effect of the Quality Management System intervention that was implemented at one of South Africa’s government departments. This organisation’s Quality Management System being one of the first in the government or public sector in South Africa to be implemented, creates the possibility for this Quality Management System model to be used to develop Quality Management Systems in other departments or organisations belonging to the government or the public sector in South Africa and the Southern African region. According to Madu & Kuei (1995), Quality Management System describes a situation where all business functions are involved in a process of continuous quality improvement. This implies that the development and implementation of Quality Management Systems in government departments and the public sector will improve the quality of services delivery. The findings of this study indicated that a Quality Management System can be used to improve the level of service delivery in the public sector. The Quality Management System should be planned developed and implemented over a period of time in five phases (i) Phase 1 - Determination of the scope of Quality Management System implementation (ii) Phase 2 – Training (iii) Phase 3 – Development of Procedures (iv) Phase 4 – Pilot implementation of procedures (v) Phase 5 – Evaluation of Quality Management System and rollout. It usually takes three or more years to establish an organisation-wide Quality Management System, although technical improvement to the workflow can be as quickly as six to eight months. And finally, for the Quality Management System to be developed, implemented and maintained successfully, Maximisation of Performance objectives, Good Leadership, Motivation of staff, Implementation of Change Management, Employee Involvement, Long-term Top Management Commitment, Provision of Training, Introduction of Quality Improvement Projects, Measuring Quality Management System Progress and Reward Accomplishment, are the fundamental concepts or principles that should be considered.