A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015. / This study aimed at examining the extent to which the public participates in service delivery, looking specifically at the level and nature of participation in service delivery processes, and perceptions communities have with regards to the type of services rendered. The study was necessitated by continuous protests over service delivery at local government level noticed since 2006, and reports of very slow provision of services that did not meet the expectations of residents. Communities perceived the municipal officials to be self-serving and neglectful of their needs, while some municipalities were reported to be under investigation, and some were even put under provincial administration. Therefore the significance of this research cannot be overemphasised. The researcher acknowledges that there are numerous problems hindering service delivery at local government level, and this research study could not unpack all of them, but the delimitations of the study are stated in the dissertation. Contextualisation of the study was based on the existing legislative, theoretical and conceptual perspectives that apply in the domains of public participation and service delivery. Perspectives were drawn from various sources to test the level and effectiveness of public participation processes used by uMhlathuze Municipality in its service delivery. The nature of the study necessitated the use qualitative methods of data collection such as in-depth interviews and observation in order to: assess the level of community participation in decision-making regarding service delivery; examine community perceptions of the causal factors of good or poor service delivery; identify forms of service delivery that were provided and the beneficiaries of the services delivered. The findings of the study indicate that the participation of community members has been limited to being consulted and informed, but does not include involvement in decision-making about level of service provision nor creation of the beneficiary lists. Public is not involved in the creation of implementation plans, or monitoring and evaluation procedures. The findings of the study also reveal that the community perceived the political environment as a limiting factor in that it tended to have a big influence on the delivery of some the services. Although services such as water, electricity, sanitation (in a form of VIP toilets) and houses are provided to rural communities there are concerns regarding access and distribution of some of the resources, which are allegedly influenced by political alignment. It is concluded that public participation at municipal level really only takes the form of informing and consultation of communities. The public is not involved in crafting the actual implementation plan, and monitoring and evaluation procedures. It is also concluded that service delivery is characterised by lack of clarity on the criteria used for creating the beneficiary list. However, although the community is not satisfied with the lack of clarity on such an important aspect of the delivery of services, the level of infrastructural development, nor with the delivery of services itself, their being continuously informed and consulted by the municipality reassure them of the municipality‟s commitment to service provision. Recommendations are made for uMhlathuze Municipality, including a theoretical framework of effective public participation in service delivery. There are also recommendations for further research.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Community Work) in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014 / The study focused on the implementation of a developmental approach to social welfare service delivery at Nkandla. It intended to establish whether or not existing service providers implement a developmental approach to community development initiatives with aim of developing and empowering individuals. It further looked at the extent to which local communities participate or do not participate in public affairs. The findings revealed that, the majority of people view the government departments’ system of governance as unresponsive to the societal needs. Lack of effective communication mechanisms between the officials and the communities appears to be the main factor. Communities are hardly consulted for planned initiatives as a result projects are just implemented not really looking at the felt needs. People at the grassroots level do not have knowledge on how government structures function. This makes it difficult for them to have meaningful and effective means of participation. All the undesirable effects outlined above, provide a sound and compelling basis for the strictly implementation of the developmental approach or the available policies for the benefit of the community at large. Lastly on the basis of this study, the critical recommendation was a need to change the mindset of government departments’ officials in order to involve communities more seriously.

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Yes / Integrated models of care intend to provide seamless and timely access to health and social care services. This study investigated the integration of musculoskeletal services across community and secondary care boundaries, including the introduction of a single point of access from which patients were triaged. Staff (n = 15) involved in service development and delivery were interviewed about how, why and to what extent integration impacted service delivery. The analysis focused on staff experiences of using an on-line patient self-referral form and co-located clinics to enhance decision-making in triage, and on the provision of educational materials and de-medicalising language in patient consultations to support self-management. Single point of access, including online self-referral, were operationalised during data collection, but co-located clinics were not. Triage staff explained that the volume of referrals and quality of information provided in online self-referrals sometimes constrained decision-making in triage. Secondary care staff discussed concerns that the single point of access might not consistently identify patients with hard to diagnose conditions that require timely surgical intervention. This concern appeared to constrain staff engagement with integration, potentially inhibiting the delivery of co-located clinics. However, triage staff accessed support to inform secondary care referral via alternate modes. Patient circumstances, for example, need for reassurance, necessitated multiple self-management strategies and innovative approaches were developed to provide patients ongoing and professionally led support. Findings emphasise that restructuring services requires engagement from diverse stakeholders. Collaborating with stakeholders to address their concerns about the impact of restructures on well-established pathways may help cultivate this engagement. / Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / his article measures the expectations of citizens against local government‟s legislative mandate to deliver services to citizens within the context of the Molemole and Blouberg Municipalities in Limpopo. In doing so, it aims to contribute the discourse on governance from the perspective of the governed. The qualitative study utilized purposive sampling and collected data using unstructured questionnaires; individual and focus group interviews, observation and participatory tools. The key findings are that citizens in the study area are in dire need of the following services: water, electricity, sanitation and sewerage, road maintenance services, housing, refuse removal and health services in that order; and that citizens were unclear about the functions of national, provincial and local government in relation to housing, health and other services. They felt that a local municipality has the responsibility to tar and maintain roads within its jurisdiction, including district roads and even to provide housing and health services. They also felt that, while local government is touted as the sphere that brings government closer to the people, it has not been accorded the necessary powers and functions to provide basic services to communities at a satisfactory level. As a result, since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, communities have lost faith in the ability of local municipalities to improve their welfare. Key words: service delivery, governance, municipalities, essential services

Over the past months, newspapers and news bulletins are riddled by service delivery protests – to the extent that the President of the country acknowledges these protests. Many reasons were offered for the protests, but the main reason is cited as dissatisfaction with the level of basic services delivered by the municipalities. Questions were asked to obtain possible solutions to the problem. These challenges motivated the researcher to undertake a study to investigate the possible cause of poor delivery of service by municipalities to the communities. A possibility was to study and recommend a possible solution that would ensure that service is delivered on time, at the right price, at the right location and that quantity and quality meet the needs of the community. The system suitable to address this concern is demand management, the first element of the supply chain management system. The purpose of demand management is to ensure that the resources required to fulfil the needs identified during the strategic plan of the municipality, are delivered at the correct time, price and place, and that quantity and quality will satisfy the needs of the users. The research was conducted by means of a literature study and an empirical study. The literature study entails a literature discussion on three variables identified as crucial in achieving the objectives of the study, namely sustainability, demand management and change management. These variables form the basis of the evaluation of the factors which ensure that effectively used demand management results in sustainable service delivery. Delivering sustainable service will ensure that the service is delivered on time, at the right price, at the right location, and quality that meets the needs of the users. These variables were empirically tested in practise by means of a measurement instrument and subsequently evaluated. Based on the evaluation of the empirical study, the demographical data were analysed and concluded on. The reliability and internal consistence of the measurement instrument were determined by means of Cronbach Alpha coefficient. The results of the reliability test revealed that only change management’s Cronbach Alpha coefficient was less than the cut–off value of 0.7. Despite the results of change management’s Cronbach Alpha coefficient, the reliability of the other latent variables was found to be reliable and internally consistent. The variables were analysed and concluded upon by means of a descriptive statistical analysis, using frequency on the questionnaire responds. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation per construct was also calculated, using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The relationship between the variables was also evaluated through determining the effect size and correlation of coefficient being calculated. Practical recommendations were suggested to address the weaknesses found during the evaluation of the questionnaires, in order to improve future continuity of both municipalities used as unit of measure. Recommendations of future research needed, were also made. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Over the past months, newspapers and news bulletins are riddled by service delivery protests – to the extent that the President of the country acknowledges these protests. Many reasons were offered for the protests, but the main reason is cited as dissatisfaction with the level of basic services delivered by the municipalities. Questions were asked to obtain possible solutions to the problem. These challenges motivated the researcher to undertake a study to investigate the possible cause of poor delivery of service by municipalities to the communities. A possibility was to study and recommend a possible solution that would ensure that service is delivered on time, at the right price, at the right location and that quantity and quality meet the needs of the community. The system suitable to address this concern is demand management, the first element of the supply chain management system. The purpose of demand management is to ensure that the resources required to fulfil the needs identified during the strategic plan of the municipality, are delivered at the correct time, price and place, and that quantity and quality will satisfy the needs of the users. The research was conducted by means of a literature study and an empirical study. The literature study entails a literature discussion on three variables identified as crucial in achieving the objectives of the study, namely sustainability, demand management and change management. These variables form the basis of the evaluation of the factors which ensure that effectively used demand management results in sustainable service delivery. Delivering sustainable service will ensure that the service is delivered on time, at the right price, at the right location, and quality that meets the needs of the users. These variables were empirically tested in practise by means of a measurement instrument and subsequently evaluated. Based on the evaluation of the empirical study, the demographical data were analysed and concluded on. The reliability and internal consistence of the measurement instrument were determined by means of Cronbach Alpha coefficient. The results of the reliability test revealed that only change management’s Cronbach Alpha coefficient was less than the cut–off value of 0.7. Despite the results of change management’s Cronbach Alpha coefficient, the reliability of the other latent variables was found to be reliable and internally consistent. The variables were analysed and concluded upon by means of a descriptive statistical analysis, using frequency on the questionnaire responds. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation per construct was also calculated, using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The relationship between the variables was also evaluated through determining the effect size and correlation of coefficient being calculated. Practical recommendations were suggested to address the weaknesses found during the evaluation of the questionnaires, in order to improve future continuity of both municipalities used as unit of measure. Recommendations of future research needed, were also made. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Thesis (MPA. (Public Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the role of traditional leaders in supporting service delivery in the communities of Polokwane Municipality as a third sphere of government. Moreover, not much research has been conducted in this field especially in Limpopo Province. The latest policy document on Transforming Public Service Delivery stipulates that public services are not a privilege in a civilised and democratic society, they are a legitimate expectation. Hence, meeting the basic needs of all citizens is one of the five key programmes of the government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). From the literature review, it was evident that service delivery is essential in the communities and traditional leaders and the municipality have a critical role to play. Therefore this study also aimed at examining the problems and challenges the community is confronted with during the provision of services and also reflects on the strategic importance of the municipality in service delivery. This information may be used as a point of departure in showing the municipalities and traditional leaders the perception of communities and their level of satisfaction and serves as a yardstick in terms of their effectiveness in delivering services to the community. The study used data collection instruments such as interview schedule, questionnaires and supporting documents, such as the Polokwane Integrated Development Plan and relevant scientific articles to collect data in the four selected villages. The participants ranged from the youth, adults, to people with disabilities and the elderly. The main patterns of concern that emerged from the data related to the low levels of satisfaction among the community in terms of service delivery in general. From the analysis of data it was realised that the lack of proper service delivery impacts negatively on members of the community. It is advisable for the Municipality to take note of these findings and concerns. In an effort to improve and ensure effectiveness in this sphere as stipulated in the White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery and the Reconstruction and Development Programme documents. Therefore, it can be concluded that the provision of service delivery in the municipality is of a substandard quality, and that the provision of quality services in the municipality is required. This can be achieved through the participation of traditional leaders, municipalities and community members.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / For South African higher education institutions to compete globally, they must be able to provide quality service to their clients and stakeholders. The increasing competition puts pressure on institutions to strive to be the best. The importance of quality service delivery cannot be over-emphasised. Students are there to receive education that will enable them to meet the market requirements which will, in turn, improve the economy of the country. Therefore, all staff members of the university, including the administrative staff of Faculty of Science and Agriculture, cannot be excluded from this. Recent challenges and the University of Limpopo have also exerted a lot of pressure on the administrative staff and secretaries to deliver quality services to its clients. The administrative staff from the Faculty of Science and Agriculture are not excluded from the above challenges, hence the study on factors affecting service delivery at the University of Limpopo focuses on them. The performance of the administrative staff in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture depends on the factors that influence them to deliver quality services in the area of the study. Service delivery at the University of Limpopo was fraught with challenges such as lack of clarity on policies and alternative strategies, inadequate resources, lack of managerial skills, monitoring and evaluation. The study also seeks to investigate the factors that hinder effective service delivery by the administration at the university. The data were obtained by means of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. These were then used to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that were encountered by the respondents in the area of the study. The findings of the study confirm that there are negative factors that are associated with the implementation of service delivery in the area of the study. Lack of staff development and relevant training to the administrative staff were regarded as the main challenges that hinder quality service delivery in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture. In conclusion, the study also suggests some strategies and recommendations that can enhance effective service delivery in the area of the study.

For rational theories of organisational change, organisational dysfunctionalities are nothing more than the inadequacy of organisations to maximise on their goals or lack of co-ordination of different types of inputs and processes. Usually, such observations are made in exclusion of the analysis of organisational realities and the experiences that are part of their daily realities. This thesis explores the experiences of organisational change in a single case of the provincial department of education, namely the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDE). Using the qualitative and exploratory methods of interviews and document analysis, it asks how and why the department was perceived to be in a state of crisis in terms of service delivery, eight years after its initial transformation. To explore these questions, the thesis looked at the interplay between context, organisational design and internal skills and capacities, as the triad of processes that influenced the patterns for organisational change in this context. Broadly, the findings revealed that issues of organisational efficiency and service delivery cannot be debated and analysed outside of the political processes that influence them. The ECDE revealed that it was caught in endless politics of networks of coalition which influenced the pattern of service delivery. As a result this thesis concluded that organisational change and service delivery debates have to extend beyond the rational inputs and outputs paradigms to look at the complexities of networks that were a coincidence of transitional politics. It therefore proposes a focus on relational and network analysis of organisations to unravel their politics and pattern of influence on service delivery.