Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Municipalities in South Africa, especially rural ones, have been struggling to deliver services to communities to the extent that government placed those worse-off under Project Consolidate. The implementation of Project Consolidate indicate that the capability of municipalities to deliver services to their communities faced several challenges. Most challenges are attributed to skills, processes, procedures and resources. During the dawn of democracy municipalities were merged into manageable demarcated areas for efficiency, effectiveness and inclusive governance to improve service delivery. The study primarily looks into whether DSS are implemented in Letsemeng Local Municipality and what the benefits are for service delivery to the community. The study was conducted in Letsemeng Local Municipality because it is representative of rural municipalities facing similar changes. It focuses on the administrative and political capability to transform Letsemeng Local Municipality into an effective service delivery vehicle. Administrative capability primarily concentrates on the ability of procedure, systems and management skills to manage a transformed municipal institution within the new democratic dispensation, while political capability concentrates on the role of politicians (councillors) on support and facilitation to meet the needs of the community. Taking these factors into consideration the role of DSS and IKM in successful service delivery was investigated through interviewing key managers (municipal, financial, technical and corporate managers) and analysing support documentation used by the municipality. It was discovered that the performance of Letsemeng Local Municipality is affected by the lack of DSS to support management and politicians, absence of appropriate IKM application for continuous service improvement, high turnover of staff leaving mostly unskilled and less experienced and to a lesser extent political interference. It was also concluded that the implementation of DSS and IKM cannot on its own improve service delivery, but improvement might be achieved if accompanied by Letsemeng Local Municipality BPR (Business Process Re-engineering). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Munisipaliteite in Suid-Afrika, veral dié in landelike gebiede, sukkel dermate om dienste aan gemeenskappe te lewer dat die regering dié wat die slegste gevaar het, moes plaas onder Projek Konsolideer. Die implementering van Projek Konsolideer is ‘n aanduiding dat munisipaliteite se vermoë om dienste te lewer voor verskillende uitdagings te staan kom. Die meeste van die uitdagings word toegeskryf aan vaardighede, prosesse en hulpbronne. Met die aanbreek van demokrasie is munisipaliteite saamgesmelt in beheerbare afgebakende gebiede met die oog op doeltreffendheid, doelmatigheid en inklusiewe bestuur wat gemik is op verbeterde dienslewering. Hierdie studie ondersoek primêr of beslissingsteunstelsels (DSS) geïmplementeer word by die Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit en watter voordele dit vir die gemeenskap inhou insoverre dit dienslewering betref. Die studie is in Letsemeng onderneem aangesien hierdie munisipaliteit verteenwoordigend is van munisipaliteite met soortgelyke uitdagings. Dit fokus op die administratiewe en politieke vermoë om die Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit te omvorm in ‘n effektiewe instrument vir dienslewering. Administratiewe vermoë konsentreer primêr op die vermoë van prosedures, stelsels en bestuursvaardighede om ‘n getransformeerde munisipale instelling binne die nuwe demokratiese bestel te bestuur, terwyl politieke vermoë gerig is op die rol van politici (raadslede), ondersteuning en fasilitering om in die behoeftes van die gemeenskap te voldoen. Met inagneming van hierdie faktore is die rol van DSS en IKM (Inligting- en Kennisbestuur) in suksesvolle dienslewering ondersoek deur onderhoude te voer met sleutelbestuurders (munisipale-, finansiële-, tegniese- en bedryfsbestuurders) en deur ondersteunende dokumentasie wat deur die munisipaliteit gebruik word, na te gaan. Daar is bevind dat Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit se werksverrigting geraak word deur ‘n gebrek aan DSS ter ondersteuning van bestuurslui en politici, die afwesigheid van toepaslike IKMaanwending vir voortgesette verbetering in dienslewering, hoë personeelomset as gevolg van werknemers wat bedank en minder geskoolde en minder ervare werknemers agterlaat en, in ‘n mindere mate, inmenging deur politici. Daar is ook vasgestel dat die implementering van DSS en IKM nie op sigself dienslewering sal verbeter nie, maar dit kan verbetering meebring indien dit saamval met die Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit se BPR (Herbouing van die Bedryfsproses).