Thesis(Mtech (Industrial Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / In the nuclear industry, Quality Management Systems are extremely important, especially if one wishes to improve public acceptance of radioactive solutions. There is normally minimum communication between the public and scientists, especially in nuclear science. People are not comfortable with nuclear technology, based on the past history of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Consequently, it is difficult to discuss important and sensitive issues like disposing of nuclear waste. Quality Management Systems can improve public confidence and communication. Integrated Management Systems in the project planning stage of the project can be a proactive step towards preventing unnecessary delays and costs. There is a perception that quality is implemented or executed at the implementation stage of the Project Life cycle. Most people believe that a Quality Management System is quality control only and forget the aspect of Quality assurance. The project managers are more concerned with finishing the project and saving costs. Quality holds together the three pillars of project management, which are schedule, costs and scope. There are a plethora of things that can go wrong if the Quality Management System is not implemented on time, like scope changes that are not captured, monitored and controlled. This can lead to scope creep, unnecessary costs and schedule overruns. If there is no cost control, the project can also overrun its budget and consequently be stopped. PBMR is the only company that is active in new nuclear projects in South Africa, except Koeberg, which was commissioned about thirty years ago.

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master Technology: Quality in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Penisula University of Technology / Uneven surfaces on national roads that often lead to difficulty and even danger can be extremely hazardous when wet, due to mud and cracks, and also create dust pollution for motorists, pedestrians, residents and business. The continuing use of low quality raw materials in producing hot mix asphalt for national roads, leads to regular maintenance at a very high cost. The quality aggregates (stone that is used to produce asphalt), and the quality of bitumen are often inadequate for the correct composition of hot mix asphalt. The mst important factors affecting initial and long term performance of the highways is the inferior pavement structure and condition, due to poor aggregates (raw material)from suppliers. The performance of asphalt i s largely determined by the characteristics of its constituents, the asphalt binder and aggregates.

M.Com. (Sport Management) / The fact that South Africa is back in the international sports arena, puts a lot of pressure on the South African sportsmen and women. This also gives the South African sports people the opportunity to show the world that they can participate with the best and win. Unfortunately this pressure highlighted some other shortcomings in the South African sports world. Some of these shortcomings are the standard of training, the lack of international exposure, the management of the sport federations and the lack and quality of sport and recreation facilities. The political stance of the past, contributed towards imbalances in sport and recreation in South Africa. The Government of National Unity of South Africa is trying to correct these imbalances. The importance of sport and recreation is reflected in the 1994/1995 budget as well as in the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) of the government. One of these imbalances that is addressed in the providing of sport and recreation facilities to all the communities. The reality however is that the government can't build facilities wherever the need is. This reality in the field of sport and recreation adds to the pressure on the manager. of sport and recreation facilities. This pressure implicates that facility management involves far more than just the upkeeping of fields and buildings.

This research aimed to firstly confirm the hypothesis that the current management of sewage sludge generated during the treatment of wastewater in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is poor and, as such, this material poses a threat to local environmental and human health. Secondly, through a rational design approach, the current research also aimed to design and assess the suitability of a novel integrated process incorporating appropriate technologies for improved sewage sludge management. The lack of an appropriate tool for the assessment of the integrated process necessitated the development of an appropriate technology assessment (TA) methodology based on environmental, technical, social and economic criteria. A combination of informal participatory methods such as semi-structured interviews and formal research methods including questionnaires, risk assessment exercises and laboratory analyses were used. Based on the above it was estimated that 116 tons dry sludge were generated in the province per day and that the concentration of heavy metals present in the sludge was generally within the limits for reuse on agricultural land. Furthermore the sludge from all sample sewage treatment works (STWs) was found to be free of any detectable pathogens. Despite the above, a preliminary risk assessment and chemical analysis revealed that existing sludge management practices at sample STWs posed a threat to the environment, particularly to water resources and exacerbated the problems associated with the discharge of poorly treated municipal wastewater. The root causes of the poor sludge management were considered to be a lack of non-regulatory incentives and financial resources. Highly integrated ecologically engineered systems were thought to offer a solution to the dual problem of poor sludge management and municipal effluent treatment, while providing necessary economic incentives. To facilitate the design of a system appropriate to local conditions, it was necessary to first develop a rational design methodology, which incorporated a detailed TA step. The result of the design process was an Integrated Waste Beneficiation Facility (IWBF) that incorporated a number of process units comprised of appropriate technologies including composting, vermicomposting, algal ponding technology and aquaculture. A detailed TA indicated that the benefits of the proposed IWBF would, at the majority of sample sites, outweigh the potential negative impacts and it was thus recommended that investigations should continue on pilot-scale facilities. Furthermore, although the proposed TA based on four sustainability criteria categories was thought to provide a more accurate assessment of the true sustainability of a technology, the acquisition of information was problematic highlighting the need to re-think current TA methodologies and to address associated constraints allowing the tool to be used and fully comprehensive.

There are a wide range of issues that stem from inadequate access to, and the unsustainable management of water resources, which can lead to ecological and human crises (Gleik, 1998: 571). With the increasing demand for clean water for drinking and sanitation, coupled with population growth, aging infrastructure, and climate change, many countries face a complex set of threats when dealing with their water resources and the management thereof (Environmental Protection Agency, 2012: 4). South Africa‟s challenges are no different, if current trends in water management continue and government does not intervene with what has been an unequal society even in terms of the division of water, it will continue to lose ground in its development and sustaining of water resources (Ukwandu, 2009: 24 - 30). “The objective of managing the quantity, quality and reliability of the nation‟s water resources is to achieve optimum, long-term, environmentally sustainable social and economic benefit for society from their use.” (Principle 7 of the National Water Policy, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, 1997: 20). The primary objective of this research is to develop a framework for water management and sustainable development by utilising a Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) to develop strategies for innovation in South Africa towards 2050. New rules and regulations have been adopted by local municipal divisions in South Africa to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings and methods. It is therefore the aim of the research to establish ways in which water can be harvested and saved in a simple and innovative yet sustainable manner. The complexity of erecting structures has also increased with some sustainable measures in water management taking place, however the water issues in South Africa continue to grow and cause concern. Government therefore plays a pivotal role in ensuring that water is managed sustainably at not only harvesting and infrastructure level but also re-cycling level, where simple innovative strategies can be adopted. This paper further seeks to highlight the positive and negative impacts of implementing water management methods and strategies that can be adopted.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in improving the performance of educators. While literature exists on IQMS as a performance management system for educators in South Africa, no research examines it as a Performance Improvement (PI) system. Given the gap in the literature, this study aimed to answer the question: How effective is the IQMS in improving the performance of educators? The IQMS policy mandates the District Office to design and implement Performance Improvement interventions. This study investigated the effectiveness of the IQMS as a PI system with specific reference to the interventions designed and implemented by the East London District of Education. The introduction of the IQMS marked a paradigm shift from the inspectorate system. It introduced a democratic system of teacher evaluation. It put consultative structures in place and allowed educators to make their voices heard during the evaluation process through pre-evaluation meetings and feedback. The IQMS is a standards based system of evaluation. As such it is morphed with the use of rating scores and rubrics to identify the performance gap, which is followed by the development and implementation of intervention strategies to close the gap. The concept of Performance Improvement (PI) which is the process of identifying and analyzing individual performance gaps, planning for future performance improvement, designing and implementing interventions to close performance gaps, comes into play. This study was conducted using qualitative research methods. Data from questionnaires and the interviews were triangulated with information from a review of policy documents from the Department of Basic Education, pertinent documents from the East London District of Education and sampled high schools in Mdantsane. The Post Level 1 Educators are primary stakeholders in this study, and the School Principals and Education Specialists are secondary stakeholders. In this qualitative study, forty-two high school Post Level 1 (PL1) educators provided responses to an open-ended questionnaire. Six PL1 educators were interviewed. Three high school principals and three education specialists provided responses to open-ended questionnaires. Pertinent documents were surveyed. Qualitative responses were categorized and analyzed into themes and sub-themes. The findings of the current study indicate that the IQMS in its current form did not impact positively on the Performance Improvement of educators. Five specific findings emerged from this study: Educators have not embraced IQMS as a Performance Improvement system; The twofold purpose of the IQMS: development and salary progression renders it ineffective in improving the performance of educators; The logical framework for the implementation of the IQMS is not adhered to; The implementation of the IQMS is not monitored; The IQMS has no impact on learner attainment. This study also documents other positive areas in the implementation of the IQMS. This study has implications and recommendations for further research, practice and provides valuable information to the Department of Basic Education and the teacher unions in the Education Labour Relations Council as they review the IQMS and in implementing future teacher performance evaluation policies.

This study evaluates the implementation of Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) policy to improve the quality of teaching and learning at schools in the Cofimvaba Education District. IQMS involves the measurement and evaluation of teacher performance for developmental purposes and to reward the best performers in order to improve teaching. A qualitative research approach was adopted and data was collected using questionnaires distributed and retrieved from schools in order to determine educators’ experience of IQMS implementation. The data were then analysed using constant comparative methods. The findings indicate that most participants agreed with the objectives of the policy and felt that it should be retained to evaluate teacher performance for accountability purposes and improved teaching and learning results. The system has the potential to develop educators if is implemented honesty and as long as educators trust the evaluation processes to identify weaknesses and strengths. A key recommendation is that IQMS should be part of the school management team’s responsibilities, which must report quarterly on implementation.

The study focused on identifying ways in which the delivery of the building infrastructure projects that are executed by SME contractors can be improved. TQM, which has been widely used in other sectors with great success, has been explored as the tool that can be used to improve the delivery of building projects. The literature review that was conducted focused on the entire spectrum of the project cycle. It first addressed the functioning of the public sector and the legislative mandate of the DPW. Then it addressed the construction industry and SME contractors that are working in the built environment. TQM together with its elements were explored in detail to determine its applicability in terms of the delivery of building projects. The empirical study was undertaken to test the outcomes of the literature review in the context of the built environment. A quantitative research method was adopted for the study which achieved a response rate of 44 percent. Descriptive statistics were computed during the analysis of the data with the mode being used as the main measuring tool. The findings revealed that there was an uneven distribution of human capital in the industry and the consulting firms were the biggest benefactors of this. The study also revealed a high turnover rate in the SME contractors while the public sector has the oldest employees. Architects and construction managers were found to be the least represented profession. There was also a high concentration of role players in the Amathole Region. The recommendations were four fold and the Department of Public Works (DPW) as client body had to take the centre stage in implementing such recommendations. The recommendations are meant to address: the development of technical people to enhance their capacity, the reduction of the high turnover rate of technical people, the uneven distribution of resources, and specifying of the roles and responsibilities of all the people that are involved in building infrastructure projects.

This dissertation summarises an analysis and assessment of the application of Quality Management Systems (QMS) by Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), in the Engineering Manufacturing Sector of the greater Cape Town Metropolitan area. An outline of the existing hypothesis derived from previous international SMME studies related to the adoption of QMS by SMME’s, the management’s understanding of quality principles, the potential business benefits of QMS and the reasons for implementing Quality Management systems are given as background to the study. The dissertation includes a discussion of literature on the state of QMS in SMMEs, in particular, recent international research literature hypothesising that SMME management lack essential QMS knowledge and that, in general, most SMME’s do not have a QMS and that SMMEs only implement a QMS as a result of contractual pressures / requirements. Also reported are the results and findings of a survey conducted to test the validity of the existing hypotheses amongst a representative sample of Engineering Manufacturing SMMEs registered with the Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Western Cape. Results of the survey indicate that almost 90 percent, of the companies surveyed had some type of Quality management System, the only two companies that reported not having a QMS, were companies classified as “Micro”, in terms of the National Small business Act. Analysis of the response to the survey concludes that, in general, more than 80 percent of Engineering SMMEs in the Manufacturing Sector have adopted a QMS based on ISO 9001 and that, on average, their management have a medium to high level of understanding of QMS and the associated business benefits. It is also apparent from survey responses, that companies classified as “Micro” in terms of the Small Business Act of 1996, do not see the need for a formal QM system as the owners of these companies consider them too small for a formal QMS. Instead they take direct ownership of their service and product quality in the face of the customer.

M.Sc. / Water quality management is the effort of the community to control the physical, chemical and biological qualities of water. Water quality is mainly controlled by the activities of the community and the hydrological cycle. Usually an effort is made to control only one of the two causes, namely the activities of the community. The Sasolburg industrial complex is the largest of its kind in the Free State and consists mainly of chemical industries. A large proportion of the effluent is returned to the Vaal River via the Sasol sewerage works while some industries have permission to send their effluent to the Taaibosspruit, east of Sasolburg. The most industries let their storm water flow into the Taaibosspruit The option of the location of a monitoring point should determine whether the collected data is representative of the water quality and whether it is useful to observe trends in the water quality. The reliability of the data on water quality is strongly dependent on inter alia, the frequency of monitoring, which is determined by the availibility of staff and funding. By investigating the present monitoring sytem by Rand Water, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and the industries through this study it had to be determined whether the functioning of the monitoring network was optimal.Deficiencies like: unmonitored and unauthorised streams; badly contaminated areas which pollute the storm water and; the absence of retention facilities for contamninated storm water were found. Recommendations like: extra monitoring points; retention facilities for storm water and; biomonitoring for combined streams were made. Of great importance is the recommendation for the establishment of a local water quality management body to control the water quality of the water sources in the region.