Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The Performance Management System (PMS) was introduced in the public sector in order to maximise optimal performance of public institutions. The aim was to ensure that public institutions deliver services to the public effectively and efficiently. The Limpopo Department of Public Works has received bad audit opinions from the Auditor General for the financial years 2011/12 to 2013/14. The Department received the following audit opinions: a disclaimer audit opinion for the financial year 2011/12, a disclaimer audit opinion for the financial year 2012/13 and a qualified audit opinion for the financial year 2013/14. The study sought to investigate the manner in which PMS was being implemented in the Limpopo Department of Public Works. A literature review, undertaken in this study shows that there are challenges in implementing the PMS in the public sector, that there is inadequate general understanding of the PMS and that there is no adequate training provided. Data was collected through questionnaires and documentary sources of annual performance plans and annual reports for the financial years 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14. The responses collected from the questionnaires mainly indicate that the PMS is not adequately understood in the Department. The annual performance plans and annual reports of the Limpopo Department of Public Works for the financial years 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 indicate that the Department did not achieve even 50% of its targets in the core directorates. Further findings in the study indicate that the implementation of the PMS has not impacted positively on the performance of the Department. Recommendations made in the study include providing training linked to the PMS to all employees. Other recommendations include the communication of the departmental targets to employees at all levels.

Thesis (MPA. (Public Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / Local governments are obliged by the Constitution of South Africa to deliver services and development to local communities in their demarcated areas. This constitutional mandate comes at a time where South African government entered into a new regime of government indebted to fix the ill of the Apartheid systems. The government of the post-1994 had to eradicate the inequality offspring of segregation policies of the past that resulted in most of the black communities without access to decent local government services and systems. The provision of services by local government became constrained by skills gaps and distribution across a wider community that had to be included in cascading services. The question of capacity in local government formed a critical part of the transformation of government in South Africa. Never the less local government has been swept by service delivery protest since the 2004 with a sharp increase from 2008 till current. Further pressures that indicate capacity challenges are with the inability of municipalities to deal healthy with financial resource. This challenged is confirmed by the steady poor reports by the auditor general year-in-year-out. These challenges exist where there is a concentrated financing reservations and advocacy of capacity building training programmes, which in turn shows to be failing to address capacity challenges in local government. The study investigated the effects of capacity building training programmes on municipal practitioners in selected municipalities within the Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo province. The focus of the study is to establish the implication of capacity building training programmes on the capacity of officials to discharge their official duties in the municipalities. The study also dealt with the need for a methodological model that could be used to develop capacity building training programmes. Competency-Based Training was studied in pursuit for recommendation as a model for capacity building in local government. The study was grounded within the boundaries of the systems thinking with bias to the complex systems thinking. To fulfil the purpose of the study data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods. Analyses were made using the Statistical Package for Social Science. The findings of the study revealed that though there are positive effects of capacity building training programmes in local government there is much to be done especial the alignment of capacity with the strategic positioning of the participating municipalities.

Thesis (M. Dev. (Development & Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The manifestation of violence during the constitutionally protected protest action is highly questionable and unexpected feature of, the democratic dispensation in South Africa. Moreover, the right to protest is provided with strong restrictions to violence. Literature has publicised the reasons advanced for these fierce violent public protests dominating the democratic state and they are amid the lack of service delivery, maladministration and political squabbles. However, the geographic area of the protests questions the legitimacy of the so called service delivery protests. Notwithstanding, the recent statistics that show an upward increase in the accessibility of basic services by South Africans. Thus, this study dismisses the idea that the fierce public protests are as a result of a lack of service delivery, maladministration or political squabbles. Considering the location of the protests which is mostly in informal settlements close to metropolitan cities where some services have been provided. Whereas, the rural communities that receive very minimal, and to some extent no services have recorded very few protests linked to service delivery. Therefore, this study locates the violent public protests in the demonstration effect due to the geographical area and the advanced influence of media. The study used scholarship analysis to scrutinise the textual data gathered on the rationale underlying the violent public protests in South Africa’s globally-acclaimed democratic dispensation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the health service delivery by private health sector and develop guidelines to enhance provision of health service so as to increase their contribution in the country’s health system. Interviews with 1112 participants were conducted in phase I. Descriptive statistics, chi square tests and logistic regression analysis were used for analysis. Private health facilities (30.5%) were providing healthcare services in their own buildings that were constructed for that purpose while others work in a rented houses built for residence or others. Some facilities (11.7%) received loan services from financial institutions in the region. A significant association was found between obtaining loan and owning building for healthcare services delivery (x2=13.99, p<0.001). Private health facilities were mainly engaged in profit driven and curative services while their participation in the promotive and preventive services like FP, ANC HIV test, TB and malaria prevention and control was not minimal. Majority, 247 (96.5%) provide services for extended hours out of normal working time such as evening, weekends and holidays. Physicians, more than other professionals were found practicing part time work (dual practice). Service consumers of the private health sector were urban dwellers 417 (71.6%) and 165 (28.4%) rural residents. Nearly three-fourth (73.0%) of study participants had a history of multiple visits to both public and private health facilities for current medical condition. Median payment of patients in a single visit including diagnosis and medicine was 860 birr ($30.85) (IQR = 993 ($35.62). Only 2.1% have paid through insurance services while others through out of pocket payments. Price of services delivered in private health facilities were set mainly by owners’ will (91.4%) while others with established team. Satisfaction on the fairness of prices to services obtained from each facility were reported by 63.1% service consumers. Those patients without any companion (AOR=1.83, 95% CI=1.16-2.91) and no history of visit to other facilities (AOR=1.97, 95% CI=1.24-3.12) were more likely to be satisfied than those coming with companions and those with history of visit. In addition, as age of consumers increase, satisfaction to services prices tend to decline (AOR=0.97, 95% CI=0.96-0.99). Uncomplimentary regulatory system to private health facilities, lack of training and continuing education for health professionals, unavailability of enough health workforce in the market and shortage of supplies to private facilities were among main gaps disclosed. Based on findings, five guidelines were developed to enhance health services delivery in the private health sector, namely, increase facilitation for financial access to actors in the sector, increase facilitation to access regular updating trainings and continuing education for healthcare workers, enhance and scale up the capability of existing association in the private health sector, strengthen and support working for extended hours to promote user friendly services and accessibility of healthcare services for the poor through community based health insurance and exemption. Therefore, these recommendations to help enhance the private health sector for better performance and contribution. / Health Studies / D.Lit.Phil (Health Studies

"Although there have been some benefits accruing form privatisation in Africa generally and South Africa in particular, the exercise has impacted negatively on socio-economic rights and service delivery. With privatisation, the role of the state in the provision of these services has been taken over by private service providers over which states have no direct control or have failed to exercise control. Although it ought to be acknowledged that there has been an increase in the production levels of some goods and utility services, for instance water and electricity, it is unfortunate that with several people increasingly losing their jobs as public enterprises are privatised, they cannot afford to pay the increased costs of these services. This has been the case with water privatisation in South Africa where the 'full cost recovery' model and the introduction of 'pre-paid metres' have led to disconnections of water to those who are unable to pay, thus reducing access. As a result, since 1994, over 10 million South Africans have had their water disconnected. The main problem has been 'profit motives and cost recovery' on the one hand versus 'poverty, unemployment and inability to pay' on the other. This inevitably impacts negatively on the right of access to sufficient water and also affects the enjoyment of other socio-economic rights and services like food, housing, health care, inter alia. ... This study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one will set out the content of the research, identify the problem and outline the methodology. Chapter two gives a general coverage of privatisation and its inter-relationship with socio-economic rights and services. Chapter three covers the international and regional legal regime governing the protection, respect, promotion and fulfilment of socio-economic rights. It also covers the obligations of both the state and non-state actors. Chapter four will analyse the water privatisation exercise in South Africa, and how it has impacted on the enjoyment of the right of access to water. Based on the findings in chapter four, chapter five will evaluate the privatisation process and determine whether it complies with international and constitutional human rights obligations, followed by recommendations and a conclusion." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2004. / Prepared under the supervision of Prof. Pierre de Vos at the Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape, South Africa / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

MAAS / Centre for African Studies / The purpose of this research project was to explore the impact of language in public services in terms of service delivery. The study was steered by the fundamental question that required the researcher to assess the extent to which language impacts on service delivery. Previous research focused much on the challenges in service delivery that culminated in riots and demonstrations by communities. Complaints ranged from poor service delivery, lack of effective service delivery, to corruption, all of which affected quality service delivery. On the contrary, this study seeks to broaden the horizon by bringing in a new dimension that looks into the interrelation between service delivery and language, and the impact thereof. The study intends to provide a better understanding of the significance of language in the public service sector. The nature of the study is both exploratory and descriptive. The study is underpinned by two theoretical frameworks, namely, the Critical Theory and the Social Identity Theory; which were used as the lenses through which interactions between the municipality and communities were perceived. The analysis of both interviews and document study analysis outlined the importance of dissecting information through various modes of communication: in this case, orally and also in a written form. The language of the communities was also adopted in order to address the challenges of service delivery. The study elicited the importance of language in the partnership between municipalities, as the local governing structure, and its communities. This study recommends that Thulamela Municipality should, in its organisational structure, incorporate a language service (like a language desk) which would handle all issues related to language - for instance, translation and interpreting - to ensure effective communication with its communities. In addition, the study also recommends that the Thulamela Municipality should adhere to the laws and legislation of South Africa, in terms of language use in its jurisdiction. / NRF

D. Tech (Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The expectation by South Africans is that the public sector must contribute positively to the economy. However, the general perception is that the public sector is failing to fulfil its mandate due to systemic problems in the entire public sector. Its supply chain in South Africa is both volatile and imperfect. This is demonstrated by the level of service delivery protests, which emanate from the feeling that the public is not receiving the quantity or quality service that they need. This study aimed to assess the relationship between supply chain risks, supply chain flexibility and supply chain performance in the South African public sector. A conceptual framework was developed, which included six supply chain risk factors, namely, government policies, supply complexity, availability of skills, supplier performance monitoring, information security and process efficiency, which feed into supply chain flexibility, which in turn leads to supply chain performance. Seven hypotheses underlying these relationships were put forward for testing. A quantitative approach using the cross-sectional survey design was adopted in which a questionnaire was distributed to 306 conveniently selected supply chain professionals who were based in Gauteng province. Items used in the survey questionnaire were adapted from previously validated scales. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the psychometric properties of the measurement instrument. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the perceptions of respondents towards the factors under consideration in the study. Hypotheses were tested using the structural equation modelling approach. The results of the study show that the threat from supply chain risks in the South African public sector remains high, and that flexibility and performance of the supply chain remains unsatisfactory. Hypotheses tests showed that all six supply chain risks significantly predicted supply chain performance. While the other supply chain risks were positively related to supply chain flexibility, the relationship between the flexibility and supply complexity was negative. Amongst the supply chain risks considered in this study, availability of skills emerged as the strongest predictor of supply chain flexibility. The study further showed that supply chain flexibility significantly and positively predicts supply chain performance. Theoretically, the study provides a specific conceptualization of the relationship between supply chain risks, supply chain flexibility and supply chain performance within the South African public sector, where no such study has been conducted before. Practically, it provides information to supply chain professionals in the South African public sector regarding the improvement of supply chain performance. The study underscores that the performance public supply chain in South Africa can be improved by managing the six risks considered in this study, and their contribution to supply chain flexibility.

This thesis examines the law relating health care in South Africa rather than medical law which is a subset of this field. It attempts to synthesise five major traditional areas of law, namely international, constitutional, and administrative law, the law of contract and the law of delict, into a legal conceptual framework relating specifically to health care in South Africa. Systemic inconsistencies with regard to the central issue of health care across these five traditional fields are highlighted. The alignment of the various pre-existing areas of statutory and common law with the Constitution is an ongoing preoccupation of the executive, the judiciary, the legislature and academia. In the health care context, the thesis critically examines the extent to which such alignment has taken place and identifies areas in which further development is still necessary. It concludes that the correct approach to the constitutional right of access to health care services is to regard it as a unitary concept supported by each of the five traditional areas of law. The traditional division of law into categories of public and private and their further subdivision into, for instance, the law of delict and the law of contract is criticized. It promotes a fragmented approach to a central constitutional construct resulting in legal incongruencies. This is anathema to a constitutionally based legal system. There is no golden thread of commonality discernible within the various public international law instruments that contain references to rights relating to health and it is of limited practical use in South African health law. The rights in the Bill of Rights are interdependent and interconnected. The approach of the courts to the right of access to health care needs to be considerably broader than it is at present in order to fully embrace the idea of rights as a composite concept. Administrative law, especially in the public health sector, offers an alternative basis to pure contract for the provider-patient relationship. It is preferable to a contractual relationship because of the many inbuilt protections and legal requirements for administrative action. Contracts can be unfair but courts refuse to strike them down purely on this basis. Administrative action is much more likely to be struck down on grounds of unfairness: The law of contract as a legal vehicle for health service delivery is not ideal. This is due to the antiquated approach of South African courts to this area of law. There is still an almost complete failure to incorporate constitutional principles and values into the law of contract. The law of delict in relation to health care services has its blind spots. Although it seeks to place the claimant in the position in which he or she found himself prior to the unlawful act whereas the law of contract seeks to place him in the position he would have occupied had the contract been fulfilled, in the context of health care this is a notional distinction since contracts for health services seldom guarantee a specific outcome. / Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Public Law / unrestricted

This study analyzed data from Dallas Public Schools and Dallas Youth and Family Centers (YFCs) to explore variables associated with referrals to and utilization of Youth and Family Centers. Data from students enrolled in third, eighth or tenth grade during the 1996-1997, 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 school years were analyzed to determine the reasons for YFC referral and utilization, and to compare standardized test scores and attendance. Of the 6956 students in third, eighth and tenth grades initially referred to YFCs during those three school years, 5173 (74.3%) made at least one YFC visit. The 5173 students made an average of 2.69 visits and accessed an average of 1.18 services per year. Medical visits accounted for 42.5% of YFC visits, and mental health visits accounted for 46% of YFC visits. Results of logistic regression analyses indicate a significant difference for utilization upon referral and continued use of the YFC when the constant is compared to a set of predictor variables. For both analyses, the predictor variables were Chapter I status, LEP status, reason for referral, gender, special education status, ethnicity, distance from home school to referral YFC, food stamp eligibility and referral source. While outcome data regarding attendance and scores on standardized tests was limited to records available, results suggest that mean reading scores for eighth graders were significantly higher during Year 1 for the group that accessed YFC services. School attendance was better for eighth graders who made continued use of a YFC. Use of medical services by third graders was associated with a gain in attendance rather than a slight loss for the third graders who did not access medical services upon referral. Results of this study were limited by missing data for several records. The competitive atmosphere of health care service delivery and the practical need to know about service delivery at the sites should make data management a priority.