Bibliography: leaves 105-111. / The study set out to establish the extent to which the needs of Community's were taken into consideration in the formulation of Social Welfare Policy. The Structure in the Government service is such that Policy's are formulated by top management. Top management in the Government Service is constituted by the Ministry. When the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly sits the Minister at one of these sessions delivers the policy speech. This policy is disseminated to the Community through the Department's Secretary by the Civil Servants. As Social Workers are concerned in their delivery of Social Welfare Services about minimising problematic situations, the study will examine the role played by Social Workers in the formulation of Social Welfare Policy. The involvement of Social Workers in policy formulation is seen as a helpful tool in enabling them to play the advocacy role. Their contribution would enable the policy formulation to have an idea about issues that policy must address.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 1992. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Societies are imaginative when setting up non-marl\et responses to deal v1ith insecurity and deprivation. The result is that there are many different services (such as income support, personal welfare services, education, health care and housing) catering for the very general objective of providing security. In addition, a variety of institutions can, and do, provide these services. While the traditional theory of public goods and e::...1ernalities does not provide clear justification for increased state provision of these services (in contrast to market, family, community and employer provision), increased state provision and coordination do seem to be a clear trend both from historical and comparative perspectives. Furthermore, this increased role of the state can be interpreted as representing a reassignment of the traditional roles of other institutions (noted above) to the state. The above trend can be rationalized on economic grounds as being the result of the changing nature of societies which affects the viability of different institutions In the provision of social services. Economic devt~lopment affects the cost of production of social services by different institutions differently. Taking a more in depth view of the costs of production, there are grounds to believe that the comparative advantage of the state in the provision of these_ services grows- a-s economic development takes place. "Nationalization" of the provision of services providing social security as economic development takes place can thus be seen as a stylized fact of economic development, and as representing an adjustment which can be efficiency enhancing. lt is from this perspective that the issue of the affordabiiity of increased social provision in developing countries should be approached. The South African experience provides further evidence of the increasing pressures, over time, for greater state provision of social security. The experience also, how . .:wer, furnishes examples of how in a specific situation these forces can be obstructed by speciric political institutions and how social policy can fail to adjust to changing circumstances. This resulted in the current unequal access to social services, the inequality of benefit levels and the incomplete coverage of risks faced by people in the South African economy. In spite of the incompleteness of the South African social safety net and the inequality which it reflects, fiscal and macroeconomic constraints seem to limit the possibilities for eAtending the safety net and for making it more just These constraints imply, and have resultoo in, the lowering of benefits to the previously privileged _;-( and an adjustment in the nature of benefits, leading to a focus on lower cost services which offer high rates of return. Current demands and envisaged changes in the spht?re of social policy, especially those surrounding a national pension system with universal coverage and G:·.tensive speci31 employm.3nt programmes, however, indicate the strength of the forces making for increase:d "nationali:ation" of income support and other social services. How the perceived fiscal constraints can be reconciled with the alleged rationality of a growing role for the South African state in social provision remains a question. The very general response of this study needs to be evaluated by looking in more d.:.tail at specific programmes and specific aspects of insecurity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Samelewings is verbeeldingryk met die daarstelling van nie-markgeorienteerde installings om armoede en 'n gebrek aan bestaanssekerheid die hoof te bied. Daarom is daar 'n verskeidenheid dienste (soos inkomsteversekering, persoonlih:e welsynsdienste, gesondheid, onderwys en behuising) om die baie algemene behoefte aan bestaanssekerheid aan te spreek. Daar is dan ook 'n hele verskeidenheid instellings wat hierdie dienste voorsien, en kan voorsien. Alhoewel die tradisionele teorie van publieke goedere en ekstemaliteite nie voldoende regverdiging vir groeiende staatsvoorsiening van hierdia dlenste (in teenstelllng met verskafflng deur markte, families, gemeenskappe en werkgewers) daarstel nie, blyk dit dat toenemende staatsvoorslening uit 'n historiese sowel as vergelykende perspektief 'n duid&like tendens verteenwoordlg. Verder kan die groeiende rol van die staat in hierdle steer oak gesit:m word .:ts die gevolg van die hertoewysing van tradisionele rolle van ander instellings (soos hierbo genoem) aan die staat. Hierdie tend ens kan op ekonomiese gronde gerasionaliseer word as die gevolg van die veranderende aard van samelewlngs wat die ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid van instellings in die voorsiening van sosiale dienste beinvloed. Ekonomiese ontwikkeling affekteer verskillende instellings, en daarom die produksiekoste van sosiale dienste deur die instellings voorsien, op uiteenlopende maniere. lndien 'n bree konsep van produksiekoste gebruik word is dit moontlik am te argumenteer dat die ataat se vergelykende voordeel in die voorsiening van hierdie dienste toeneem soos 'n land ekonomies ontwikkel. "Nasionalisering" van die dienste wat sosiale sekuriteit daarstel kan dan gesien word as een van die basiese neigings wat met ekonomiese ontwikkeling geassosieer kan word. sowel as 'n aanpassing wat ekonomiese doeltreffendheid verbeter. Hierdle perspektief Is die gewensde een wanneer die kwessie van die bekostigbaarheid van toenemende sosiale voorsiening in ontwikkelende lande aangespreek word. Die Suid-Afrih:aanse ondervlnding in hierdie verband verskaf verdere getuienis van toenemende kragte, oar tyd, wat groeiende staatsvoorsiening van sosiale sekuriteit (sekerheid) In die hand werk. Die ondervinding voorsien egter oak voorbeelde van hoe hierdie kragte deur spesifleke politieke instellings omvorm kan word en hoe sosiale beleid 1\an agterbly by veranderende omstandighode. Hierdie faktore het aanleiding gegee tot die huidige ongelyke toegang tot sosiale dienste, ongelyke voordele en onvoldoende dekking teen die rlsiko's wat die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie inhou. Ten spyte van die tekortkominge van die Suid-Afrik3.anse stelsel van bestaansbeveiliging en die ongelyh:heid daarin gereflehteer, kom dit voor asof fiskale en makro-ekonomiese beperkinge die moontlikhede am die stelsel te omvorm streng beperk: Hierdie beperkinge impliseer, en het aanleiding gegee tot, 'n verlaging van die voordele van die bevoorregte groepe en 'n aanpassing van die aard van voordele, veral in die rigting van goedkoper dienste met steeds hoe opbrengskoerse. Huidige eise en voorsit3ne veranderinge in die sfeer van sosiale beleid. veral ten opsigte van 'n univo3rsele sto::l3o:.l van 3osiale pensioene en spesiale werkskeppingsprogramme, dui egter op die sterkte van die kragte wat to8n8m-:mde "nasionalisering" van sosiale dienste in die hand werk. Hoe die klaarblyklike fish:ale bepalings ta versoen is met die beweerde rasionaliteit van 'n grater rol vir die Suid-Afrikaanse staat in sosiale voorsiening bly 'n vraag. Dit is nodig am die bree perspektief van hierdie studie te evalueer deur in meer detail te kyh: na spesifiek programme en spesifleke oorsah:e van 'n gebrek aan bestaanssekerheid.

No abstract available.

This paper critically discusses the Basic Income Grant debate in South Africa. It briefly looks at the theoretical framework on poverty as a background. Then it goes on to three major theories that help build a coherent argument. Although it acknowledges the limitations of the Expanded Public Works Programme, nevertheless it uses it as one of the reasons for substantiating the perspective which articulates that Basic Income Grant is not an appropriate social welfare policy framework for a developing country like South Africa. The rationale is that social grants cannot be used as the sole tool for alleviating poverty especially because of the chronic nature of unemployment (which is understood in this paper as causing high rate of poverty). The assumption is that promotion of a universal grant would endorse dependency from the social grant recipients. It argues that the structural nature of unemployment is what has to be dealt with but not exactly through provision of Basic Income Grant but by getting people to work, giving them jobs so they can earn a living and live an independent and decent life. One of the few recommendations brought up (taken from Bhorat. 2002) is the expansion of the State Old Age Pension instead of starting a totally new scheme of the social grant. State Old Age Pension would almost have the same effect in poverty as the proposed Basic income grant. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal (in conjunction with Albert-Ludwigs-Universität), 2005.

No abstract available.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, have been the most effective anti‐poverty push in history. The lives of thousands of people have been improved and targets have already been met on reducing poverty, increasing access to safe water, improving the lives of slum dwellers, and achieving gender parity in primary education. Despite huge gains, progress towards the eight MDGs has been uneven, not only among regions and countries, but also between population groups within countries, with accelerated action needed in many areas (MDG, 2013). On the other hand poverty alleviation, when we look at poverty alleviation, Mbaku (2007) defines it as the creation of a social, economic, and political environment that enhances and promotes entrepreneurial activities particularly among the poorest and most deprived persons while at the same time eliminating the inequalities that have diminished their life chances.

The introduction of a new policy and approach to South Africa’s welfare system saw a shift in focus and advancement made towards, the redress of past socio-economic imbalances which was brought on by apartheid laws and legislations which deliberately discriminated against South Africa’s majority groups. Within this new welfare system, came the introduction of The White Paper for Social Development (1997) which advances Developmental Social Welfare as the new approach to social welfare in South Africa.The body of literature around this approach focuses on transformation of welfare services since the adaptation of the new developmental welfare policy in 1997. Amongst scholars there is consensus on the need to continuously explore and to make an analysis of the transformation process advocated by this new approach. Interests in recent times suggest the need to bench mark the transformation process against a set of indicators. This and the study of available literature resulted in this qualitative, exploratory-descriptive and contextual research study with the following goal: To contribute to the proposed evaluation of the implementation of the developmental social welfare approach by measuring progress towards developmental social welfare through social workers’ perceptions and experiences. On the backdrop of the research goal a qualitative research approach was used. A purposive sampling method was used to draw participants from two Non-governmental organisations in Pretoria. Data was collected by means of two focus group interviews and two individual interviews which were tape recorded for data analysis. All the interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was done using Tesch’s model for data analysis and the findings were displayed in the form of themes subthemes and categories. Data verification occurred in reference to Guba’s model for trustworthiness. The researcher then drew conclusions from this analysis of data and used literature control to discuss the findings. Through these processes this research presents findings in relation to social workers perceptions of the concept of developmental social welfare, their perception on the implementation progress of the developmental social welfare approach, perceptions on Indicators of developmental social work and social welfare and in relation to the principles of the proposed framework by Patel and Hochfeld (2008).

In the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Annual Report of 2011/2012 it is stated that there were more than 15 million social grants paid out to needy beneficiaries of which 10 927 731 were Child Support Grants. A major challenge that is continually being addressed is the management and administration of these grants. In particular, the focus is on service delivery and zero tolerance to fraud and corruption. SASSA has made various attempts to address these issues, such as the rollout of biometric smart cards in 2012. This research endeavour attempts to discover whether a framework can be designed where necessary factors are taken into consideration to provide for an efficient social grant application and delivery process that uses biometrics. The framework aims to suggest improvements in the use of biometrics for the social grants. Seeing that biometrics in this case is used as a technology to improve a system involving humans, this study followed a Design Science approach and made use of a case study to collect the data required for the study. Literature studies reviewed the fields of social grants and biometrics. The challenges and lessons learnt from current implementations of social grants and biometrics within the South African context and further abroad were also relevant for the study. The framework that resulted from the above was evaluated for validity and applicability after which a modified framework is presented. The research concludes with specific implementation guidelines as well as areas for future research.

This study focused on community development education and practice for the democratic and transformative South context. Social and community development are relatively new approaches to social welfare and community development is emerging as a discipline and profession to contribute to the goal of developmental social welfare. Community work, albeit to a minimal extent and not community development was viewed as a method of social work during apartheid. With community development being prioritized as an intervention strategy for poverty reduction by the national government, the gap in community development education needs to be addressed. The goal of the study was to develop an undergraduate curriculum framework for community development education that would produce a new generation of ethical community development professionals to contribute to the goal of developmental social welfare. The study focused on the integrated approach to community development education and practice; with education of the student as a whole human being as critical for community development in a transformative South Africa. To achieve its goal, the study identified three themes that were critical to the research: a conceptual framework, clarifying key terms; a curriculum framework for community development education; and qualities and ethics for a new generation of development practitioners. The qualitative study was based in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and because of the lack of a referential framework for community development education, the researcher looked towards learning from India which has over fifty years of experience in social and community development education and practice. The state of Kerala established a social development approach in 1957 and was chosen as a learning experience. The state’s Kudumbashree Mission which aims at poverty alleviation through the empowerment of women was chosen as a case study. The integral and values based education system of Sri Sathya Sai University in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the community development education and practice of Loyola College in the state of Kerala were examined. The research design was exploratory, conceptual, descriptive and developmental in nature. The qualitative methodology best suited the nature of this study and a combination of methods to obtain data from a variety of sources across national boundaries was employed. The participants interviewed in both countries were purposively selected for their involvement in social and community development directly as target groups, practitioners, managers and policy makers. The research produced a philosophical and theoretical framework that is unitary and integral and aligned with the current social development policy to guide community development education and practice. The unitary and integral framework encompasses the individual within the family and community context and locates the various dimensions of development such as the social, physical, cultural, psychological, spiritual, political and economical dimensions within a unitary platform. The framework is dominated by the holistic and humanistic philosophies without negating the rational and pragmatic perspectives. In conclusion, the study conceptualizes community development as a natural process; the integration of individual and collective consciousness and an intervention. The outcome of the study is a recommended curriculum framework for community development education that would be of relevance to the Eastern Cape Province in particular and for the South African context generally.

Governments strive to improve the efficiency of service delivery with the intention of achieving societal goals. Thus, in order to ensure the quality of public services and goods provided to the people, central governments need to follow a decentralised governance approach. The decentralisation theorem states that, if the consumption of public goods and services over different geographical regions of the total population and the cost of providing these public goods and services in each region are the same for both the central and the sub-national government, the provision of public goods and services will be more efficient if they are provided by the sub-national government to their respective jurisdictions. This dissertation’s main aim is to investigate the extent to which the Eastern Cape Provincial Government (ECPG) is efficient in the provision of social services to the people under their jurisdiction. The efficiency scores obtained using the Data Envelopment Analysis Computer Program (DEAP) 2.1 version proved that the ECPG, education, health, social welfare and the housing departments are inefficient in the provision of social services. In this case, fiscal decentralisation as an appropriate vehicle for service delivery seems not to be working for the Eastern Cape Province, unless there is an improvement in the efficiency levels at which the social services are provided by these departments.