Masters in Public Administration - MPA / Government’s immovable assets are fundamental in achieving its service delivery objectives. If not put to productive uses the welfare of a country, or even its national income, could be reduced significantly. The value for money principle should resonate through effective asset management. “Poor management” of closed school buildings worth millions may be regarded as “financial wastage”. Four case studies reflecting various outcomes of re-use, abandonment and demolition will be reviewed. The application of legislation and policy on government immovable asset management are problematic when schools are closed down. The study focus will be on government immovable asset management and not the reasons for school closures. Literature in this field is very limited. The research findings could add value to the subject field by minimising the chances of a possible repetition of “bad management” of closed schools. Currently in public discourse is the possible closure of 26 schools in the Western Cape. The research could be used as a guiding document for stakeholders, administrators and other research scholars. The research objectives are to formulate a clear understanding on: The Governance of immovable asset management in government; The Responsibility of the different state stakeholders and their interaction on immovable asset management; and The participation of non-state stakeholders. A Qualitative research design is followed. Tools consist of four case studies, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. A literature review and study of applicable legislative and policy documents was done and empirical data analysed. An international best practice model is also discussed. This study has revealed various research findings through the primary and secondary sources collected. Based on these findings specific recommendations are made to the various stakeholders. The wellbeing of all stakeholders and respondents were set above outcomes and objectives that the research could generate.

The process of determining outputs and outcomes plays a key role in the setting of global targets, in defining national sector policy and strategic plans and in ensuring a continuous, safe supply of affordable water. Each of these actions, are integrally linked by aggregated data sets generated through an effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process. This thesis examines the various components of M&E across three case studies: Global, Kenya and Uganda, including aspects such as whether roles and responsibilities are realistically assigned and whether there is a recurring set of core indicators being monitored and reported. The research has also sought to establish an evidence base of the associated costs and efficacy of use of M&E. Through purposive and snowball sampling, fieldwork was undertaken across the case studies with 85 key stakeholders. Programme, national and global level data sets were collected through structured literature reviews, document and data archive reviews, key informant and semi-structured interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were applied. The results demonstrate that despite having a recurring global goal and associated target, the number and variety of indicators reported against has grown over time and at each level. In turn this is placing a burden on already resource constrained countries. Regardless of the various principles of harmonization and alignment, countries are still required to manage internally and externally driven parallel systems. Whilst the research suggests the costs of M&E are escalating, the full extent of this increase remains unknown as does the extent of efficacy of use of M&E. Despite evidence that country-led M&E processes are at some level achieving their objectives, with the continuing complexities of the sector particularly around the accompanying aid architecture, M&E is not currently ‘fit for purpose’ for use in the WASH sector and is unlikely to be providing value for money.

This thesis investigates the accounting and other practices performed as part of trials experienced by interested actors in forming a Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme. Prompted by the high visibility of PPP schemes and a lack of understanding about the situated roles and effects of accounting and other practices in motivating and appraising such schemes, two practice-oriented research problems are investigated. Firstly, how does an ambition for a PPP scheme form in particular times and places. Secondly, what is the agency of accounting and other appraisal processes in trialling a proposed PPP scheme. Following an introductory section, this thesis proceeds via three papers. The first paper reviews the extant accounting-related literature on PPP schemes along five research themes adapted from Broadbent & Laughlin (1999, 2004), highlighting the literary contributions and future research opportunities in this area. The second and third papers focus on the experiences of interested actors in trialling possibilities for a public housing PPP in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), using field-based research. The aim of the second paper is to understand how an ambition for a PPP can become accepted through efforts to ??envisage value?? for such schemes in particular times and places. The third paper investigates the roles and effects of accounting and other appraisal practices mobilised to translate an ambition for a PPP scheme into an agreement that promises a ??Value for Money?? (VFM) outcome. Collectively, these papers contribute to extant knowledge about the involvement of accounting and other practices in the performance of ??value?? in PPP schemes by: (i) illustrating how an ambition for a PPP scheme forms through ??envisaging value??; (ii) explicating the agency of accounting and other practices in conferring VFM with situated meaning; (iii) contradicting the dominant status attributed to the involvement of accounting calculations in PPP schemes; and (iv) highlighting the various ways in which interested actors can cope with and act in the face of significant uncertainties. Overall, these contributions further our understanding of how proposed PPP schemes are (per)formed through the complex of activities (including accounting) and interests tied to the achievement of such schemes.

No description available.

[pt] O objetivo desta tese é entender o papel de frições de credito em modelos de Equilíbrio Geral com mercados financeiros incompletos. Primeiro, o trabalho estuda a importância das restrições ao endividamento dos agentes para a existência de equilíbrio monetário em uma economia com informação simétrica onde a moeda (aqui caracterizada como um ativo que não paga dividendos, pode ser vendido a descoberto e está em oferta líquida positiva) tem apenas o papel de reserva de valor e é o único ativo da economia. Além disso, mostra que, apesar da moeda possibilitar as transferências de riqueza intertemporais e entre os estados da natureza, o equilíbrio monetário ainda é Pareto ineficiente. A tese também caracteriza a hipótese de impaciência uniforme, um importante requerimento para a existência de equilibrio, em termos das propriedades assintóticas dos fatores de desconto intertemporal. Como consequência, mostra que desconto hiperbólico é incompatível com a impaciência uniforme de funções de utilidade separáveis. Finalmente, mostra que, se os ativos financeiros são colateralizados para a proteção dos emprestadores em caso de default, sempre existe equilíbrio em um modelo de dois períodos com mercados incompletos e informação assimétrica onde os ativos são nominais, independente da estrutura informacional. / [en] This thesis aims to understand the role of credit frictions in general equilibrium models with incomplete financial markets. First, this work studies the importance of debt constraints for the existence of monetary equilibrium in an economy with symmetric information and where money has only the role of store of value. It also characterizes the uniform impatience assumption, an important requirement to equilibrium existence, in terms of asymptotic properties on intertemporal discount factors. Finally, it shows that, if assets are collateralized in order to protect lenders in the case of default, equilibrium always exists in a two-period incomplete markets model of asymmetric information with nominal assets, independently of the financial-informational structure.

O presente estudo apresenta os condicionantes institucionais para o nível de eficiência da gestão municipal da educação no Brasil. A evolução dos princípios da administração pública no Brasil, estabelecidos pela Constituição de 1988 e ampliados pela Emenda Constitucional n° 19/1998, por serem instituições formais, patrocinadas pelo governo, ainda não surtiram efeito a ponto de alterarem o modus operandi do governo em nível municipal, ou de disseminar a implantação de novas tecnologias de gestão em larga escala (ex. NPM). No mínimo dois fatores inibem tal disseminação institucional, a ausência de incentivos aos agentes públicos a adotarem como direcionadores de desempenho tais princípios, e efeitos institucionais informais que atuam como path dependence (ancoragem) à plena adoção. Portanto, mesmo a eficiência sendo princípio da administração pública, as equipes de administração municipal apresentarão um descolamento em relação à adoção do princípio. Da mesma forma, o fato do município não declarar o uso de uma métrica VFM (Value for Money) não significa que não exista uma eficiência atingida por escolhas econômicas mesmo que feitas sem um framework de gestão. Desta forma, existe um nível de VFM implícito da administração municipal, que por hipótese seria função da presença de instituições informais favoráveis à adoção das instituições formais. Foram criadas proxies para VFM para educação básica, assim como um índice de VFM para os 5565 municípios brasileiros controlados por disponibilidade e acesso a recursos e porte. A presença de instituições informais foi captada por variáveis socioeconômicas e históricas. Os resultados sugerem que além de fatores como PIB per capita e investimentos públicos em educação, as tradições locais, denominadas Instituições no presente trabalho, afetam a política pública considerada. Efeitos institucionais podem afetar tanto positivamente o nível de VFM quanto negativamente, dependendo do tipo da instituição instalada na localidade. / The following research presents institutional drivers for education services efficiency level in Brazilians local government management. The federal Constitution and a additional law establishes and expands principles for the public administration. Since those principles are formal institutions, implemented by government, they did not have yet an effect in local public management or promoted new ways of management such as the New Public Management. At least two things might block this institutional improvement: The lack of incentives for public managers to use these principles as drivers for higher efficiency, and institutional effects that act as path dependent. Even though local government does not declare the use of a VFM (Value for Money) index, It does not mean that there is no level of efficiency in decisions taken without a management framework. Therefore, there is a implied VFM in local public management, that is affected by the presence of informal institutions, favorable to formal institutions that enhance efficiency. Proxies for VFM were identified for public management in public education services, such as a VFM index for Brazilians local government, considering the access and availability of resources and size. Informal institutions are proxy by historical and socioeconomics variables. Results suggests that not only GDP per capita and public investments in education affects public policies, institutional effects are able to affect positively the level of VFM negatively, according to the institution that is considered.

O presente estudo apresenta os condicionantes institucionais para o nível de eficiência da gestão municipal da educação no Brasil. A evolução dos princípios da administração pública no Brasil, estabelecidos pela Constituição de 1988 e ampliados pela Emenda Constitucional n° 19/1998, por serem instituições formais, patrocinadas pelo governo, ainda não surtiram efeito a ponto de alterarem o modus operandi do governo em nível municipal, ou de disseminar a implantação de novas tecnologias de gestão em larga escala (ex. NPM). No mínimo dois fatores inibem tal disseminação institucional, a ausência de incentivos aos agentes públicos a adotarem como direcionadores de desempenho tais princípios, e efeitos institucionais informais que atuam como path dependence (ancoragem) à plena adoção. Portanto, mesmo a eficiência sendo princípio da administração pública, as equipes de administração municipal apresentarão um descolamento em relação à adoção do princípio. Da mesma forma, o fato do município não declarar o uso de uma métrica VFM (Value for Money) não significa que não exista uma eficiência atingida por escolhas econômicas mesmo que feitas sem um framework de gestão. Desta forma, existe um nível de VFM implícito da administração municipal, que por hipótese seria função da presença de instituições informais favoráveis à adoção das instituições formais. Foram criadas proxies para VFM para educação básica, assim como um índice de VFM para os 5565 municípios brasileiros controlados por disponibilidade e acesso a recursos e porte. A presença de instituições informais foi captada por variáveis socioeconômicas e históricas. Os resultados sugerem que além de fatores como PIB per capita e investimentos públicos em educação, as tradições locais, denominadas Instituições no presente trabalho, afetam a política pública considerada. Efeitos institucionais podem afetar tanto positivamente o nível de VFM quanto negativamente, dependendo do tipo da instituição instalada na localidade. / The following research presents institutional drivers for education services efficiency level in Brazilians local government management. The federal Constitution and a additional law establishes and expands principles for the public administration. Since those principles are formal institutions, implemented by government, they did not have yet an effect in local public management or promoted new ways of management such as the New Public Management. At least two things might block this institutional improvement: The lack of incentives for public managers to use these principles as drivers for higher efficiency, and institutional effects that act as path dependent. Even though local government does not declare the use of a VFM (Value for Money) index, It does not mean that there is no level of efficiency in decisions taken without a management framework. Therefore, there is a implied VFM in local public management, that is affected by the presence of informal institutions, favorable to formal institutions that enhance efficiency. Proxies for VFM were identified for public management in public education services, such as a VFM index for Brazilians local government, considering the access and availability of resources and size. Informal institutions are proxy by historical and socioeconomics variables. Results suggests that not only GDP per capita and public investments in education affects public policies, institutional effects are able to affect positively the level of VFM negatively, according to the institution that is considered.

Bakgrund: Under 2015 gjordes upphandlingspliktiga inköp för cirka en sjättedel av Sveriges BNP vilket visar på de betydande pengabelopp som upphandlingsförfarandet innefattar. Samtidigt är det också ett stort antal organisationer som är berörda av upphandlingslagstiftningen där bland annat Sveriges sekundärkommuner ingår som en del av organisationerna. Tidigare studier på global nivå har visat på bristande regelefterlevnad gentemot upphandlingslagstiftning men att studera fenomenet i en svensk kontext har inte tidigare låtit sig göras. Det finns därför både samhällsrelevans såväl som teoretisk relevans att studera fenomenet närmare i en svensk kontext. Syfte: Syftet med vår studie är att bidra med ökad förståelse för hur regelefterlevnaden hos svenska sekundärkommuner har sett ut gentemot lagen om offentlig upphandling och dess grundläggande principer. För att öka förståelsen vill vi synliggöra faktorer som har påverkat regelefterlevnaden hos sekundärkommunerna. Metod: Denna studie utförs genom en innehållsanalys med både kvantitativa och kvalitativa inslag. En ansats tillämpas där både positivism och hermeneutik återfinns i olika delar av studien. Gällande empiriskt underlag så bygger det på sekundärdata i form av revisionsrapporter som sekundärkommunerna publicerat. Slutsats: Studiens resultat konstaterar att regelefterlevnaden har varit bristfällig i motsvarande 75 procent av de svenska sekundärkommunerna. De faktorer som påverkat regelefterlevnaden mest har varit interna regler och rutiner, ansvarsfördelning och uppföljning. Motsatsvis har utbildning och kompetens samt förekomst av en central databas ej visat sig ha samma påverkan på regelefterlevnaden. / Background: In 2015 procurement affairs were made for about one sixth of Swedish BNP which is pointing at the considerable amounts of money that the procurement procedure involves. Simultaneously there is also a large amount of organizations who are affected by the procurement legislation where secondary municipalities of Sweden is one of these organizations. Earlier studies on a global basis have been providing evidence pointing at lack of compliance towards procurement legislation but studying of this phenomenon in a Swedish context has not previously been done. It is therefore relevant to study this phenomenon closer, both socially as well as theoretically, in a Swedish context. Purpose: The purpose of our study is to contribute to a further understanding of how compliance in secondary municipalities of Sweden have been towards The Public Procurement Act and its basic principles. In order to contribute to this further understanding, we want to make factors visible which have affected compliance in secondary municipalities. Methodology: This study is performed through a content analysis using both quantitative and qualitative elements. An abductive approach is applied were both positivism and hermeneutic can be found in different parts of the study. Regarding the empirical basis it is built up by secondary data which is based on audit reports that secondary municipalities have published. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that compliance towards The Public Procurement Act have been insufficient in 75 percent of the Swedish municipalities. The factors that have affected the compliance most have been internal rules and procedures, division of responsibility and follow-up of the procurement process. On the contrary, education and competence as well as the presence of a central database have not shown to have the same effect on compliance.

This thesis empirically investigates how well the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ensures value for money (VfM) in its exploitation of Nigeria’s oil resources. This focus on VfM distinguishes the study from other researches carried out on the performance of national oil companies (NOCs) where the common approach in the literature has been to assess performance using the metrics applicable to private oil companies. The rationale for the new approach is that the NNPC is a quasi-public sector organisation and thus its performance should be measured in the same way as that of public sector bodies and state owned enterprises (SOEs). Informed opinions on NNPC’s management roles in Nigeria’s oil and gas upstream sector were sought from a range of relevant experts in twelve stakeholder groups involved in oil and gas upstream operations. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire and interview surveys, and further subjected to statistical analysis to determine and assess significant differences in views between respondent groups. The empirical results obtained from the questionnaires were used to draw a conclusion on the hypotheses formulated for the study. Furthermore, the findings of the interview survey were used to validate the conclusions drawn. The study revealed that the NNPC was perceived to be deficient in keeping its mandate of adding value to Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources. In specific terms, the respondents were of the view that NNPC has not been able to ensure VfM in its operations because of defects in its organisational structure, administrative system, and accountability. External factors such as political interference, instability and an inappropriate legal framework against which NNPC operates have also been perceived to impede the corporation’s performance. The main conclusions were: firstly, it is argued that the use of conventional private sector metrics to evaluate the performance of NOCs makes it difficult to form an appropriate view on their performance. Secondly, NOCs with numerous conflicting roles as is the case with NNPC are unlikely to achieve satisfactory performance. Thirdly, the NNPC lacks the capability required to ensure multinational oil companies’ (MOC) conformity with operational provisions and best practice. Finally, the thesis concludes that establishing a standardised performance/benchmarking framework is an essential requirement to ensure value addition, VfM and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas operations.

The aim of the thesis was to analyze possibilities of utilization financing from European Union funds by municipality Srubec. In the next step I calculate the possible debt. This results into calculating possible financing of investment plan of municipality and need of co-financing from EU funds. At the end I analyze the possibility of self-financing already realized investment project, which was financed from ROP NUTS II Jihozápad.