Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / This study undertook to look into the management of service delivery by the Limpopo Department of Public Works. Over the past four years the researcher, through his interaction and work with departmental officials, identified various weaknesses with management. The study examines various literature relating to management and service delivery issues. A comprehensive review was made by the researcher of the available departmental documentation. The study method used was qualitative. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and provided to management. This study found that indeed there are issues with management in the Limpopo Department of Public Works. Key findings were that the maturity and experience of management is critical to the functionality of an institution and that institutions need to embrace change, particularly within a technical environment.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Information and communications technology (ICT) has proved to be a significant tool for both private and public sectors in the enhancement of service delivery. Organisations need to identify the socio-economic, political and technological needs that would help them to strengthen their business positions in order to remain competitive in the globalised economy. To achieve this goal, organisations need to accelerate the ICT skills (e-skills) development within their settings. However, there is a general lack of e-skills within South Africa. Further still, there is also lack of standards that could be followed in the development of these skills. This calls for a contextualised framework to guide e-skills development within the South African private and public sectors. The goal of this study was to use a balanced scorecard to develop a framework that could be used to align e-skills development with the strategic business objectives of the Limpopo Provincial Government of South Africa.

This is a qualitative research study undertaken to explore the extent to which Evidence based and Results based management approaches are being applied in SA in the area of public policy, with the aim of improving policy performance feedback. The orientation of this study was influenced by the problem statement which is stated in Chapter 1 as the general absence of reliable and appropriate performance information that is required to evaluate policy performance and gauge the impact of government‘s policy decisions. Reviewed literature, in Chapter 2, shows that generation and utilisation of reliable performance information, to a large extent, depend on the effectiveness of an evaluation system that is outcomes-based and embedded in a functional evidence-based system. Thus chapter 2 attempts to explain processes (mechanisms and practices) that lead to the availability and utilisation of reliable and credible performance information. Chapter 2 assists the researcher to answer the secondary research question of this study; which is, does embedding a monitoring and evaluation system in an evidence-based system contribute to an outcomes-based and accountable government? This study, though critical of the emerging policy evaluation framework in SA, acknowledges efforts made in the policy arena since 1994 (which is discussed in chapters 3). Thus, in identifying challenges, this study seeks to take a prospective approach that would outline the issues which government must grapple with in order to successfully institutionalise an outcomes based policy evaluation system. In this study institutionalisation of an outcomes-based policy evaluation system refers to the creation of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system which produces monitoring information and evaluation findings which are judged valuable by key stakeholders, and are used in the pursuit of evidence-based decision making (Mackay 2006:5). Based upon the findings of this study, the researcher concludes that the government has adopted a technocratic approach to monitoring and evaluation, paying little attention to the broader institutional and systemic issues. At the core of the matter is an under-emphasis of the political influence on the effectiveness of the evaluation systems. This study further argues that even the recent public reforms, driven through the newly established Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry, continue to advocate for this technocratic approach with little or no consideration of the political environment within which evaluations are supposed to be executed. Therefore the researcher recommends that in order to institutionalise the Outcomes-Based policy evaluation system, interventions should be made at different levels; that is, political and administrative levels. Political interventions would entail reforming the current electoral system, and strengthening the role and capacity of parliamentary organs. On the other hand, administrative interventions would entail accelerating differentiated evaluation support programmes, strengthening financial accountability and budget allocation mechanisms. This study found that, despite government‘s much publicised intentions of implementing an outcomes-based approach through the GWM&ES, most government departments are far from implementing outcomes-based policy evaluation systems. Evaluation culture is weak and, if done, evaluations only occasionally inform strategic directions of the departments. This in turn discourages departments from conducting evaluations. The extent to which departments have applied the GWM&ES is the subject of this research. Chapters 3 and 4 address this matter and thus assist the researcher to answer the main research question of this study; which is, what strides have been made by SA towards an outcomes-based policy evaluation framework – ―Where are we and what are the gaps? / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Chapter one provides a general introduction to the entire study. It covers the background; rationale; research questions; aims; objectives; and the theoretical grounding of the study. Chapter two provides a review of relevant literature on systems thinking, in particular the role of learning in living systems. This chapter also explores definitions of both learning organization and organizational learning, covering the topics of individual, team and organizational learning, types of organizational learning including single-loop, double-loop and deutero-learning. Enablers of and barriers to organizational learning are examined. Characteristics of a learning organization are discussed. Chapter three reports on a literature review on the applicability of lessons learned systems, as a knowledge sharing tool in the public sector. Attention is given to the advantages and disadvantages and there is a focus on how this can be implemented in the Eastern Cape department of Human settlements. The chapter also reviews available literature on frameworks of organizational learning. In Chapter four analyses are presented of empirical research in the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements to determine whether there are practices in place that support organisational learning, or might encourage the department to become a learning organization. The chapter interprets responses and provides findings. In chapter five a framework that could facilitate organisational learning in the Department is suggested. The chapter highlights academic implications as well as implications of the study for practitioners of organizational learning; and draws conclusions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoofstuk 1 bied ‘n algemene inleiding tot die studie. Dit handel oor die agtergrond, rasionaal, navorsingsvrae, doelstelling en die teoretiese begronding van die navorsing. Hoofstuk 2 bied ‘n oorsig van relevante literatuur oor sisteemdenke, en in besonder van leer in lewende sisteme.Die volgende temas word behandel: lerende organisasie, organisatoriese leer, individuele, span- en organisasie-leer, enkelslag-, dubbelslag- en deuteroleer. Drywers van en beperkinge op organisatoriese leer word bespreek. Hoofstruk 3 behandel literatuur oor ‘lessons learnt systems’ en hoe toepaslik dit in die openbare sektor kan wees. Daar word spesifiek gefokus op die Departement Menslike Vestigings in die Oos-Kaap Provinsie. Hoofsturk 4 bied die analise aan van ‘n ondersoek in bogenoemde departement om te bepaal in watter mate praktyke bestaan wat as organisatoriese leer gereken kan word, of as sodanig uitgebou kan word. Hoofstuk 5 stel ‘n raamwerk voor vir organisatoriese leer in die departement. Gevolgtrekkings vir die praktisyns van organisatoriese leer, sowel as die akademie daarvan, word gemaak.

Poor service delivery in South Africa is a serious problem.The poor delivery of services by municipalities has left many communities dissatisfied and even led to service delivery protests. The delivery of services to municipalities is financed through municipal budgets and this study evaluated the quality of the municipal budgets of two municipalities with one budget being credible and the other not being credible. Selected municipal conditional grant spending as well as the findings of the Auditor General’s office against each municipality were assessed and compared with each other. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a municipality with a credible budget achieved more of its service delivery targets than one which had a budget which was not credible. The findings of this study were that the municipality with the credible budget performed better, in terms of conditional grant spending and against predetermined objectives, than the municipality with the budget which was not credible. Therefore, more concerted efforts should be made by all relevant spheres of government to improve the quality of municipal budgets as this will ultimately lead to improved service delivery.

This research conducts an examination of the efficacy of placing municipalities under administration with the overriding objective of determining the appropriate strategies that can be recommended for improving governance in municipalities. In a bid to achieve this overriding objective, the entire research process was guided by the research objectives and questions that examined; tools used to evaluate the success of provincial interventions, governance of Mnquma Municipality pre and post the intervention strategies which are used for improving municipal governance. Although the secondary research was accomplished through the review and analysis of the relevant literatures and theories, the qualitative research approach was used in the primary research process. The findings of the study indicate that achieving effective municipal governance in South Africa is far from being attained. In terms of the principles for effective governance, the study reveals that the effective implementations of good governance principles in municipalities is marred by factors that include; poor definitions of terms of reference of intervention processes, poor definition of what poor governance in municipalities, lack of evaluation tools for intervention and a process that is highly dependent on subjectivity which subjects it to undue external influence. In thediscussions, it was argued that this subsequently contribute poor working environment, non-improving municipal governance, lack of commitment and non-improving quality of service delivery. However, it was noted that there is still ineffective applications strategies which can be used for improving municipal governance in South Africa. While considering the primary and secondary findings of the study, it was recommended that despite all the contrasting views on the intervention, there was a lot of common ground on the strategies that could be used to improve municipal governance which should be implemented in municipalities.

Public procurement is the government activity most vulnerable to corruption. Lack of transparency and accountability are recognised as a major threat to integrity in public procurement. Repeated findings by the Auditor- General(SA) on poor document management and lack of compliance with the Public Finance Management Act ( No1 of 1999) by the SCM units in departments of the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration necessitates the use of e-procurement for purposes of accountability and proper documentation of transactions. The study assessed the current status of e-procurement in the Eastern Cape Provincial government. This entailed an overview of IFMS, identifying its implementation and shortcomings. Also reviewed was implementation of the Logistical Information System ( LOGIS) in the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration (Department of Health) as its e-procurement platform, as well as e-procurement at the Department of Social development and Special Programmes .The status of government suppliers’ internet connectivity was also assessed.

This study undertook to examine public participation as a contributor to good governance in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), as part of the process of improving this Municipality’s governance. The main objectives of the study were to analyse the existing processes and arrangements for public participation in the NMBM; to examine the extent to which community participation influences decision-making; to investigate the factors that improve or lead to good governance in a municipal environment; to examine a framework for robust participation, in which communities are able to influence decisions that affect them; and to propose recommendations to potentially improve the Municipality’s governance. The triangulation research methodology was employed with emphasis on both the quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The sample comprised of two Ward Councillors, two selected Mayoral Committee members and 14 Ward Committee members. Questionnaires, with open and closed questions, were employed for the Ward Committee members and semi-structured interviews were conducted with both the Ward Councillors and the two Mayoral Committee members. Statistical procedures supplied by the NMMU Unit of Statistics were utilised to interpret and analyse the quantitative data to determine the results for data analysis. The qualitative data analysis involved thematic content analysis. The findings suggest that the current public participation processes are inadequate. The correlation of results further revealed that a significant negative relationship exists between the Ward Councillors, the Municipality and Ward Committee members. Despite various legislative prescriptions pertaining to public participation requirements in local government, the results suggest that the NMBM may be undertaking the public participation exercise for the sake of compliance and therefore it might not be a genuine exercise. The thesis proposes specific recommendations on how the NMBM can address the current shortcomings in terms of its public participation processes and strategies. Recommendations include significant civic education for the public to understand that being in a democratic country involves active participation in local affairs; more participatory initiatives need to be done to make the public aware of the role of Ward Committees and to invite people to apply to be on these Committees; recommendations also suggested that it would be crucial that Ward Committees are not used as a political platform to push political agendas, as this deters public participation. The NMBM needs to establish a monitoring and evaluation process to track their progress with public participation and develop and implement a public participation strategy and policy for enhanced public participation is also proposed in the thesis.

E-government which refers to electronic Government is the process of transformation of relationships of government with its constituents ie the citizens, the businesses and between its own organs, through the use of the tools of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). E-government services are the outcome of e-governance that come as automated services delivered through ICTs particularly Internet based applications that provide access to and delivery of information or services to the public, businesses, other agencies and governmental departments. This study seeks to examine the factors affecting citizens ability to access e-government services in Nkonkobe Municipality in the province of Eastern Cape and come with recommendations of how to address the issue. E-government services should be developed on platforms with the consideration of devices that people can have access to. The study showed that in as much as one can have cell phone that has access to internet , some website services such as home affairs enquiry applications are not accessible on a phone with a general web browser that has no Java Script capacity but has acces to internet. Therefore developing Short Message Service (SMS) based services or Unstructured Supplementary Serviuce Data (USSD) code that is available on all Globile System for Mobile (GSM) cell phones can increase accessibility of most services at a cheaper cost. The study concludes that although e-government is the future for our country and in this era of technology, much still has to be done in areas like Nkonkobe Municipality in Eastern Cape, as the citizens have no or lack appropriate tools to access the internet, and sometimes citizens are not aware of e-government services available. The research indicates that most citizens have cell phones despite the differences in handset capabilities, which therefore means that applications developed for e-government services can be ported foe accessibility to ordinary GSM cell phone including those without internet access.

This study attempts to assess the level to which effective political and management leadership for contributes to sustainable services. Looking at the past performance of the municipality one can see that around the years of 2003 and 2004, the municipality achieved a financially unqualified report from the Auditor General with just two points raised. However, from that point on the municipality has been on a steady decline. The most decline was from the period 2006 - 2011. The decline in the performance of the municipality has been so rapid in the five year period mentioned above so much that the 2010/2011 Auditor General Report on the municipality ran up to eighty issues over fourteen pages. Noteworthy is the fact that the decline in service delivery and financial management confirmed by the performance decline marked by the Auditor General coincided with several changes at the senior political and management levels. For example under the period of decline, the Municipality operated without a permanent Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a period of more than four years. Also, during the period of decline the municipality had six municipal managers all in acting capacities and about four executive mayors in the same period. Regarding the issue of leadership in the municipality, the Auditor General made the following observation.