Recent growth and co-optation of social reform programs into the structure of the State, and parallel development of public policymaking, have precipitated closer linkages between social research and the policy intervention process. Program evaluation refers to a variety of descriptive and analytical studies of program process and/or program impact. Two models of program evaluation research are relied upon in design and implementation of evaluation studies: (l) a conventional model derived from a positivist paradigm of social research and (2) an alternative model evolved from an interpretive paradigm. Critical review of these models suggests their complementarity for comprehensive evaluation studies, but emphasizes the extent to which they minimize the significance of larger political/ economic context of program development in shaping evaluation processes. The purpose of this dissertation has been to develop a wider selection of evaluation research models which specifically take into account construction of the research "product" and characteristics of the larger structural context in which such products are designed to be used. The theoretical strategy relies on aspects of Strauss' negotiated order paradigm and approaches to policy research taken by Rein and Wiseman, and involves an effort to relate more stable structural characteristics of the social, political, economic and organizational context of reform programs to a series of six basic areas of negotiation in the evaluation process. These include: (l) delineation of major actors; (2) organizational placement of program evaluation work; (3) choice of general research strategy; (k) selection of appropriate research model and methodology; (5) construction and content of research reports; and (6) planning for research utilization. This framework provided the theoretical perspective for description and analysis of four case studies: two in housing policy, one in private social service delivery and one in delivery of legal education services. Conclusions from case studies, and other research suggested four models of negotiated knowledge. New models include elements of positivist and interpretive models but are designed around the structural context of program planning and implementation and focus directly on the six basic areas of negotiation. This expanded repertoire of models of negotiated knowledge production and use have been labelled Experimental, Managerial, Collaborative, and Transformative. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

This dissertation presents an historical-sociological study of how governments of the modern western state use the language and techniques of quantification in the domain of social policy. The case material has an Australian focus. The thesis argues that by relying on techniques of quantification, governments risk introducing a false legitimacy to their social policy decisions. The thesis takes observed historical phenomena, language and techniques of quantification for signifying the social, and seeks meaningful interpretations in light of the culturally embedded actions of individuals and collective members of Australian bureaucracies. These interpretations are framed by the arguments of a range of scholars on the sociology of mathematics and quantitative technologies. The interpretative framework is in turn grounded in the history and sociology of modernity since the Enlightenment period, with a particular focus on three aspects: the nature and purpose of the administrative bureaucracy, the role of positivism in shaping scientific inquiry and the emergence of a risk consciousness in the late twentieth century. The thesis claim is examined across three case studies, each representative of Australian government action in formulating social policy or providing human services. Key social entities examined include the national census of population, housing needs indicators, welfare program performance and social capital. The analysis of these social statistics reveals a set of recurring characteristics that are shown to reduce their certainty. The analysis provides evidence for a common set of institutional attitudes toward social numbers, essentially that quantification is an objective technical device capable of reducing unstable social entities to stable, reliable significations (numbers). While this appears to strengthen the apparatus of governmentality for developing and implementing state policy, ignoring the many unarticulated and arbitrary judgments that are embedded in social numbers introduces a false legitimacy to these government actions.

Many billions of dollars each year are spent in pursuit of economic and social development goals. The field of program evaluation aims to measure the efficacy of these programs and allocate funds to achieve optimal results. However, current research on program design and evaluation tends to focus on determining causality through complex statistical methods, neglecting intermediate measures of data, such as network metrics. Similarly, research in computational social science has focused on generating hypotheses and validating theory rather than economic development applications. This thesis develops a novel technique for using computational social science to design and evaluate social and economic programs. A framework for program design and evaluation using network metrics is presented, along with two case studies that illustrate the use of this technique. In the first, we consider Start-Up Chile, an economic development program whose goal is to foster networks between Chileans and international entrepreneurs, using network metrics to evaluate its ability to facilitate connection between Chilean and non- Chilean entrepreneurs. Second, an agent-based model for designing entrepreneurial incubators is developed, with novel conclusions for more efficient design of economic development programs.

A background of serious disparities in past welfare policies, legislation and programmes, necessitated the need for a far-reaching new social welfare policy in South Africa. The adoption of the White Paper for Social Welfare by Parliament in February 1997, set the path for the new social developmental approach to social welfare, dealing with key substantive issues in addressing the restructuring of social welfare services, programmes and social security. The Eastern Cape Province is one of the poorer provinces in South Africa. Negative radio and print media reports on social welfare in the province in the past three years has made it clear that serious problems and disparities face the provincial department. Several of these media reports highlighted issues relating to poor service delivery and unacceptable conditions of underdevelopment and poverty still prevailing in the province. The Eastern Cape Welfare Department has been plagued by fraud and corruption, and in a report of the Eastern Cape legislature’s standing committee on welfare in 2001, it was found that fraudulent activities, corruption and misconduct by government officials are still prevalent in the welfare department. The objective of this research was to assess whether the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development (Welfare) is implementing this new social developmental approach to social welfare, as set out in the 1997 White Paper for Social Welfare.

O Brasil desde o período colonial caracteriza-se pela estrutura fundiária concentrada. Em decorrência disso, a partir da década de 30, leis e políticas que visam promover uma reforma agrária vêm sendo elaboradas até os dias atuais. Atualmente, funcionam no Brasil dois modelos de reforma agrária, um baseado em desapropriações de terras improdutivas (reforma agrária tradicional) e outro que se caracteriza pela aquisição de terras por meio do mercado (reforma agrária de mercado). Ambos os modelos têm como objetivos centrais desconcentrar a estrutura produtiva e assegurar o bem estar das famílias e dos trabalhadores que fazem uso da terra. Neste sentido, este trabalho teve por objetivo estimar os impactos no bem-estar das famílias beneficiadas pela reforma agrária de mercado no Brasil, especificamente o Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário, em sua linha de financiamento Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar que opera na região sul do Brasil. Os impactos foram estimados com uma amostra de tratamento (beneficiários) e controle (não beneficiários), em que os indivíduos foram entrevistados nos anos de 2007 (baseline) e 2010 (follow-up), configurando uma estrutura de dados longitudinais. Esta estrutura dos dados permitiu estimar os impactos do programa pelo método da dupla diferença. Métodos para verificar a presença e controlar os possíveis vieses amostrais (viés de seleção e viés de atrito) foram utilizados com a finalidade dar confiabilidade as estimativas e garantir que os impactos se devem a intervenção do programa. Os resultados mostraram impactos positivos e estatisticamente significantes para as variáveis de impacto renda familiar total, renda familiar total per capita e patrimônio total. O presente trabalho constatou, também, um aumento significativo na proporção das famílias beneficiadas pelo Programa que possuem casa própria após o período de tratamento do programa, mas a infraestrutura da moradia, em termos de acesso à rede coletora de esgoto, acesso à água e energia elétrica não mudou entre os períodos analisados. Neste sentido, há indícios que a linha de financiamento Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar na região Sul do Brasil gerou impactos positivos no bem-estar das famílias beneficiadas. / Since it was a colony, Brazil has presented a very concentrated land property structure. From the 30s on, laws and politics have been developed in order to promote an agrarian reform. In the present days, two alternative models of agrarian reform are being applied in Brazil expropriation of non-productive land (traditional model) and acquisition of land by means of the market (market-led agrarian reform). Both approaches seek to reduce land concentration and improve the welfare of families and farmers that use land as a productive factor. In this context, this work aimed at estimating the impact of Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário (a program of market based agrarian reform in Brazil) on the welfare of beneficiary families involved in the line of financing called Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar, which operates in the south region of Brazil. The impact of the program on beneficiary families was estimated based on the observation of a treatment and a control samples, from which data was collected in 2007 (baseline) and 2010 (follow up), constituting a longitudinal database. Such data structure allowed the estimation of impact through the double difference method. Sampling biases (selection and attrition) were controlled in order to avoid confounding effects and enhance internal validity of the results. The findings indicated positive and significant impacts on total family income, total per capita family income and total assets. Among beneficiaries, there was also a significant increase in the proportion of families that own their houses. Notwithstanding, no improvements in infrastructure conditions (sewage, water and electricity network access) were observed. In general terms, the findings indicate that the Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário in its line Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar in the South region of Brazil has generated positive impacts on the welfare of beneficiary families.

O Brasil desde o período colonial caracteriza-se pela estrutura fundiária concentrada. Em decorrência disso, a partir da década de 30, leis e políticas que visam promover uma reforma agrária vêm sendo elaboradas até os dias atuais. Atualmente, funcionam no Brasil dois modelos de reforma agrária, um baseado em desapropriações de terras improdutivas (reforma agrária tradicional) e outro que se caracteriza pela aquisição de terras por meio do mercado (reforma agrária de mercado). Ambos os modelos têm como objetivos centrais desconcentrar a estrutura produtiva e assegurar o bem estar das famílias e dos trabalhadores que fazem uso da terra. Neste sentido, este trabalho teve por objetivo estimar os impactos no bem-estar das famílias beneficiadas pela reforma agrária de mercado no Brasil, especificamente o Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário, em sua linha de financiamento Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar que opera na região sul do Brasil. Os impactos foram estimados com uma amostra de tratamento (beneficiários) e controle (não beneficiários), em que os indivíduos foram entrevistados nos anos de 2007 (baseline) e 2010 (follow-up), configurando uma estrutura de dados longitudinais. Esta estrutura dos dados permitiu estimar os impactos do programa pelo método da dupla diferença. Métodos para verificar a presença e controlar os possíveis vieses amostrais (viés de seleção e viés de atrito) foram utilizados com a finalidade dar confiabilidade as estimativas e garantir que os impactos se devem a intervenção do programa. Os resultados mostraram impactos positivos e estatisticamente significantes para as variáveis de impacto renda familiar total, renda familiar total per capita e patrimônio total. O presente trabalho constatou, também, um aumento significativo na proporção das famílias beneficiadas pelo Programa que possuem casa própria após o período de tratamento do programa, mas a infraestrutura da moradia, em termos de acesso à rede coletora de esgoto, acesso à água e energia elétrica não mudou entre os períodos analisados. Neste sentido, há indícios que a linha de financiamento Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar na região Sul do Brasil gerou impactos positivos no bem-estar das famílias beneficiadas. / Since it was a colony, Brazil has presented a very concentrated land property structure. From the 30s on, laws and politics have been developed in order to promote an agrarian reform. In the present days, two alternative models of agrarian reform are being applied in Brazil expropriation of non-productive land (traditional model) and acquisition of land by means of the market (market-led agrarian reform). Both approaches seek to reduce land concentration and improve the welfare of families and farmers that use land as a productive factor. In this context, this work aimed at estimating the impact of Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário (a program of market based agrarian reform in Brazil) on the welfare of beneficiary families involved in the line of financing called Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar, which operates in the south region of Brazil. The impact of the program on beneficiary families was estimated based on the observation of a treatment and a control samples, from which data was collected in 2007 (baseline) and 2010 (follow up), constituting a longitudinal database. Such data structure allowed the estimation of impact through the double difference method. Sampling biases (selection and attrition) were controlled in order to avoid confounding effects and enhance internal validity of the results. The findings indicated positive and significant impacts on total family income, total per capita family income and total assets. Among beneficiaries, there was also a significant increase in the proportion of families that own their houses. Notwithstanding, no improvements in infrastructure conditions (sewage, water and electricity network access) were observed. In general terms, the findings indicate that the Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário in its line Consolidação da Agricultura Familiar in the South region of Brazil has generated positive impacts on the welfare of beneficiary families.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Public Management, Department of Public Management & Economics, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In order to eradicate the legacy of the apartheid past, the South African democratic government adopted a development approach to local government. This necessitated a commitment on the part of local government, through the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), to facilitating community participation by finding ways to meet economic, social and material needs, as well as improving quality of life. The IDP can only be well received and implemented if there is an effective public participation process to ensure that the needs and aspirations of the people are met. This research focused primarily on evaluating community participation in the IDP process through the use of the case study of Umzumbe Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Furthermore, the research answers the following questions: to what extent do communities participate in the IDP process?; what were the challenges facing communities with regard to participation in the IDP process?; and what was the role of ward councillors and ward committees in promoting community participation in the IDP process? In order to answer these questions, an empirical study was conducted using quantitative research methodology. The case study approach was used in this study in order to obtain detailed views of respondents and issues relating to the objectives of the study. Using the quantitative research methodology, the study employed a questionnaire to collect information linked to community participation. Three hundred and ninety respondents from ten wards in the local municipality were randomly sampled. In addition, ten ward councillors were requested to participate in the study in order to explore the factors influencing community participation in the study area. The questionnaires were developed and approved by the Durban University of Technology’s ethics committee before the commencement of the study. Data was then collected. The results of the study, conclusions and recommendations are provided in a way that will enable the reader to draw his or her own conclusions on the value of this study. The study was worth undertaking since the challenges of community participation for local economic development and the IDP enhance service delivery. The results of the study should expand the knowledge base of rural community participation in the IDP process in Umzumbe Municipality. The findings of this study should benefit the municipality by highlighting the challenges of community involvement in the IDP process. The envisaged outcome of this study is the development of a theoretical framework for rural community participation in the IDP process in local government. Findings from the study point to the profusion of poor or non-participation of the community in the IDP process. The study shows sour relationship between ward councillors, ward committee members and community members. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations have been made: upgrade levels of education/capacity development for ward councillors, ward committee members and community members; poverty alleviation and economic development to create employment; encourage youth and adults to engage in public forums; encourage the involvement of all stakeholders in the identification of development initiatives; co-ordination and information sharing sessions; and systems of monitoring and evaluation should be put in place to monitor community participation in the IDP process, with guidelines for the implementation of community participation initiatives. / M