Cette thèse s'attache à analyser les dynamiques suscitées par l'avènement de la décentralisation dans ces territoires. Il s'agit de réfléchir, à travers une analyse croisée des réalités du Congo et du Sénégal. / This thesis seeks to analyze the dynamics generated by the decentralization in Congo and Senegal. Consideration should be given, through a cross analysis of Congo and Senegal facts, on how some politicians are positioned to have control of their territory.

Self presentation is evolving; with digital technologies, with the Web and personal publishing, and then with mainstream adoption of online social media. Where are we going next? One possibility is towards a world where we log and own vast amounts of data about ourselves. We choose to share - or not - the data as part of our identity, and in interactions with others; it contributes to our day-to-day personhood or sense of self. I imagine a world where the individual is empowered by their digital traces (not imprisoned), but this is a complex world. This thesis examines the many factors at play when we present ourselves through Web technologies. I optimistically look to a future where control over our digital identities are not in the hands of centralised actors, but our own, and both survey and contribute to the ongoing technical work which strives to make this a reality. Decentralisation changes things in unexpected ways. In the context of the bigger picture of our online selves, building on what we already know about self-presentation from decades of Social Science research, I examine what might change as we move towards decentralisation; how people could be affected, and what the possibilities are for a positive change. Finally I explore one possible way of self-presentation on a decentralised social Web through lightweight controls which allow an audience to set their expectations in order for the subject to meet them appropriately. I seek to acknowledge the multifaceted, complicated, messy, socially-shaped nature of the self in a way that makes sense to software developers. Technology may always fall short when dealing with humanness, but the framework outlined in this thesis can provide a foundation for more easily considering all of the factors surrounding individual self-presentation in order to build future systems which empower participants.

Magister Legum - LLM (Public Law and Jurisprudence) / Zambia has had a system of local government whose origin can be traced back to the colonial era. This system of local government, which is comprised by local authorities, did not have constitutional recognition. The 1996 Constitution of Zambia was the first to recognise the institution of local government. Nevertheless, the only aspect of local government which was entrenched was the provision that councils were to be democratically elected by universal adult suffrage. Other key principles of local democracy, such as citizen participation, local accountability and transparency, that are necessary pillars to an effective system of local government, were not recognised in this Constitution. It was not a surprise that most Zambians experienced challenges in accessing basic public and social services such as water supply, sanitation, housing and health care, which are a responsibility of local government. The absence of sufficient democratic content in the 1996 Constitution and in the enabling legislative and policy framework partly contributed to the ineffectiveness of local authorities.

Online social networks (OSNs) have become the most popular Internet application that attracts billions of users to share information, disseminate opinions and interact with others in the online society. The unprecedented growing popularity of OSNs naturally makes using social network services as a pervasive phenomenon in our daily life. The majority of OSNs service providers adopts a centralised architecture because of its management simplicity and content controllability. However, the centralised architecture for large-scale OSNs applications incurs costly deployment of computing infrastructures and suffers performance bottleneck. Moreover, the centralised architecture has two major shortcomings: the single point failure problem and the lack of privacy, which challenges the uninterrupted service provision and raises serious privacy concerns. This thesis proposes a decentralised approach based on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks as an alternative to the traditional centralised architecture. Firstly, a self-organised architecture with self-sustaining social network adaptation has been designed to support decentralised topology maintenance. This self-organised architecture exhibits small-world characteristics with short average path length and large average clustering coefficient to support efficient information exchange. Based on this self-organised architecture, a novel decentralised service discovery model has been developed to achieve a semantic-aware and interest-aware query routing in the P2P social network. The proposed model encompasses a service matchmaking module to capture the hidden semantic information for query-service matching and a homophily-based query processing module to characterise user’s common social status and interests for personalised query routing. Furthermore, in order to optimise the efficiency of service discovery, a swarm intelligence inspired algorithm has been designed to reduce the query routing overhead. This algorithm employs an adaptive forwarding strategy that can adapt to various social network structures and achieves promising search performance with low redundant query overhead in dynamic environments. Finally, a configurable software simulator is implemented to simulate complex networks and to evaluate the proposed service discovery model. Extensive experiments have been conducted through simulations, and the obtained results have demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed model.

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

This study inquires how the idea of districts came into being in the South African education system in the absence of official policy. It questions why there is no explicit government policy on education districts, particularly in view of the ubiquity of districts in South African education policy discourse. In doing so, the study elucidates the character of South African local education, and illuminates the niche that districts occupy in the education system. Additionally, by invoking Sutton and Levinson’s (2001:4) thesis that ‘people make policy through practice’, the study brings to light practical meanings assigned to districts by schools, and by national, provincial and district officials. The study argues that the central dilemma of education districts in South Africa is their structural condition. It concludes that districts operate at the intersection of the dual, related dichotomies of support and pressure, centralisation and decentralisation. Districts persistently endeavour to coalesce the dichotomy of support and pressure in their work with schools; at the same time, they struggle to straddle their role as deconcentrated field units of provincial head offices and as school support centres. The study proposes that only conscious engagement with these dichotomies, as well as active agency on district-school relationships, will districts manage the tensions between the policy, support and management roles expected of them. The dominant discourse on the role of districts in South Africa places districts as support centres for schools (Mphahlele, 1999; DoE, 2000). While districts post-1994 do not reflect the authoritarian and controlling features of the apartheid era, the study found that policy transmission, policy compliance and ‘policy alleviation’ (a process where district officials attempt to ‘soften’ the rough edges of policy effects on schools), tend to dominate district functions. Even the ‘support’ provided by districts to schools reflects that which is intended by government, rather than that experienced by schools. District agendas are set from the top down rather than the bottom up; hence schools rarely experience district support as a response to their own problems and needs. In reflecting on the character of districts, the study concludes that there is no system of local education in South Africa since there are no common norms and standards governing it. Local education in South Africa does not function as a single organism but comprises disparate structures that vary considerably in organisational design and nomenclature. Despite these differences though, the all-encompassing concept of ‘districts’ to describe local education in South Africa remains ubiquitous in education discourse. An explanation for the homogenisation of the discourse on local education resides with the observation that as deconcentrated units of provincial education departments, districts reflect a common rationale for their existence, namely to serve as field units of government. The reasons for the absence of a policy on districts are rooted in constitutional, legal, historical and political influences. The Interim Constitution (RSA, 1993), for example, shaped government thinking on local education by concentrating government’s attention on school-level rather than local-level governance. Moreover, interpretations of the Constitution (RSA 1996) by key legal experts suggest that national government cannot develop policy on provincial organisation, as this is a provincial competence. However, the establishment of the district health system created by the National Health Act, 2003, stands in contradiction to this line of reasoning, and reinforces the conclusion of the study – that national education authorities have not established a statutory district education system because there is no South African precedent for it and no political incentive to create it. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Depuis plus d'une décennie, Le Sénégal à l'instar d'autres pays a adopté la gouvernance comme mode d'action publique. Cette tendance traduit une nouvelle philosophie, un ajustement par rapport au nouveau contexte économique et social mondial actuel. L'application de ce concept est singulièrement favorisée par « la crise de gouvernabilité » qui se fait jour sous nos tropiques suite à la faillite de l'Etat dans la fourniture d'un service public de qualité et l'émergence d'acteurs locaux aux pouvoirs en pleine croissance et occupant le vide laissé par l'Etat affaibli. La gouvernance et la gouvernance territoriale innovent par la place qu'elles offrent aux acteurs qui confirment leurs positions de moteurs de changements venant de la base. Ces nouveaux modes de gestion sont favorablement accueillis au Sénégal grâce une conjoncture historiquement favorable de (1) facteurs externes : contexte international marqué par la complexité des enjeux économiques, sociologiques, technologiques remettant en cause l'ordre établi et mettant en scènes de nouveaux acteurs (2) facteurs internes : un cadre juridique et institutionnel très favorable, les échecs de politiques de développement et l'émergence d'un mouvement citoyen très dynamique, la confirmation de l'option faite sur le local via la politique de décentralisation. Ce contexte rend possible une panoplie d'action dont les prétentions sont parfois contraires aux facteurs qui ont permis leur émergence. La gouvernance surtout au contact des territoires ne peut être enfermée dans des normes aussi objectives soient-elles. Le dessein de la politique de décentralisation est résolument de favoriser le développement des territoires, en gardant en perspective les caractérisques sociales, économiques, géographiques et sociétales des territoires. La participation des citoyens à la réussite de cette politique, n'a de pertinence que si elle s'évertue à instaurer un climat de confiance entre les acteurs et assure l'adéquation entre actions des autorités étatiques et les aspirations profondes des territoires pris un à un. Il ressort ainsi, que ce travail est essentiellement une réflexion sur les ressorts de cette notion qu'est la « gouvernance territoire ». Nous en sommes arrivés à la conclusion qu'elle se prête aisément aux différentes orientations de son application mais demeure le reflet d'un produit foncièrement variable, fonction d'une multitude de facteurs eux mêmes variables selon le territoire. / For more than a decade, similarly to the other countries, Senegal has adopted governance to manage public actions. This trend is a new philosophy, an adjustment in relation with the new economic and social world context. The implementation of this concept is particularly favoured by “the governability crisis” which is taking place right now after the failure of the state to supply a quality public service and the emergence of powerful local actors in full growth and occupying the empty place left by the weakened state. Governance and territorial governance are innovating because of the place they offer to the actors who are confirming their positions of change engine originating from the base. These new modes of management are favourably welcome in Senegal thanks to a historically favourable environment of (1) external factors: an international context epitomized by the complexity of economic, sociological and technological stakes questioning the normal order of things and displaying new actors, (2) internal factors: a favourable legal and institutional environment, the failures of development policies and the emergence of very dynamic citizen movements, the confirmation of the chosen local option through decentralisation policies. Such a context makes it possible for a set of actions whose aims don't sometimes tally with the factors which favoured their emergence. Governance applied to territories cannot just be limited to standards no matter how objective they may be. The purpose of the decentralisation policy is really to favour the development of territories, while keeping in mind the social, economic, geographical and societal features. The involvement of citizens in the success of that policy would be relevant only if it aimed at setting up a trustworthy atmosphere between the actors and ensuring the suitability between the actions of the state authorities and all the deep aspirations of the territories. So that work highlights essentially the main aims of the notion of “territory governance”. We finally conclude that it is suitable to the orientations of its implementation but remains the reflection of a variable product depending on a series of factors which vary according to the territory.

The efficacy of decentralised local governance to transform rural communities into vibrant modern communities has often been highlighted. The Constitution of Ghana lends a strong hand to decentralised local governance as key to achieving rural development and poverty reduction. Achieving the above is however premised on the basis that local authorities would function effectively; promote effective community participation; and are functionally autonomous. However, some conceptual and practical challenges appear to limit the achievement of the stated benefits of local governance in Ghana. This thesis seeks to examine the nature of local governance and how its function translates into rural community development. It responds to pertinent questions central to Ghana’s decentralisation. It questions the local community development initiatives implemented by local government institutions, by exploring perspectives on the usefulness of these initiatives to local communities. Further it explores how the participation of local communities is engaged in executing these initiatives; and thirdly, it investigates institutional capacities to effectively carry out the decentralised community development initiatives. The thesis sought answers by conducting in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 134 participants drawn from 32 local communities within three District Assemblies, and a variety of stakeholders including key local government actors, individuals, and groups from three Districts in Northern Ghana. The thesis argues that political, administrative and systemic deficits challenge effective local government function in Ghana. For instance, recent evidence points to the fact that regimes since December 2000 dwell on political gerrymandering to bolster their political fortunes, which further weaken existing local governments rather than facilitate their effective and efficient function. Further that, local governments are observed to work within a chaotic community development environment where initial development strategies where overly influenced by exogenous forces, which made them unrealistic to rural community development. Again, the findings suggests a history of decentralised local governance full of a continual tinkering and halfhearted implementation of the decentralisation process since colonial times. This is mostly to achieve well orchestrated political goals. This historical legacy stifles local governments’ capacities over time and also leaves mostly ineffective structures replete with opportunities for political favour and rent seeking behaviours. Evidently however, this has tendered to percolate present day systems and processes where local political elites seek to, and prosecute the political agenda of the national government instead of dealing with local needs. On the development strategies implemented by local governments, a penchant tendency to transplant national development plans as local development strategies on central governments’ insistence was discovered. Though a contradiction to the laid down local government development planning and implementation process, local governments follow through with this practice. Further, a historical legacy of powerful external multi-lateral stakeholders’ grips or influence of the local development agenda appears a paramount reason for the above, and this in real terms leads to a de-emphasises of home grown local development strategies. The implication is that unrealistic rural community development strategies perpetuate. This further leads to noted planning incongruence at the local level. Aside this, there is also an overbearing local political and administrative interferences, and manipulations which leads further to a ‘filtering’ of development strategies to meet national politically motivated strategies or interests. This notwithstanding, local communities have strong faith in local governments as viable community development agents. The findings further suggest local governments’ acknowledgement of the critical roles of active community participation in the local community development agenda. Yet again they struggle to apply the national development planning Act 1994, (Act 480), which holds the greatest promise to directly translate to effective participation. In the least, local governments preferred to consult and inform local community members. In the same vain, central governments some times implement community development initiatives within local government jurisdictions without consulting them. A chief factor which appears to work against direct local level influence of the development planning process is the existence of penurious institutions at the local level. Consequently an exercise of tokenism is thus promoted to satisfy requirements for effective local community participation. In most cases ultimate development decisions are taken by the management and political leadership and not in direct consultation with local communities. Notwithstanding the above, it appears that local governments’ institutional capacities to effectively deliver on their mandate appear potentiated when viewed from the extent of supporting legal and institutional frameworks which gives credence to local governance. Local governments possess a powerful list of constitutionally sanctioned guiding frameworks which should necessarily inure to their smooth operation. Ironically there are noted deliberate systemic and political processes which tend to constraint this smooth function. In the least central government deliberately keeps a functionally dependent relationship with local governments. One direct result of the subjection of local government within this perpetual highly dependent functional relationship is a continual blurring of roles. Local governments appear to be perpetually subjugated to functional obscurity by central governments through incomplete decentralisation, strained internal relationships, and unhealthy ‘politicking’ between District Assembly members and administrative staff to say the least. Although most decentralised departments appear to have competent technical staff, their function is limited because of numerical insufficiency as well as limited material and logistical support.

This thesis represents a contribution to the literature on the relationship between decentralisation, corruption, and economic growth. This relationship is analysed both theoretically and empirically. The first chapter investigates one of the channels through which decentralisation can potentially affect corruption and economic growth. The analysis uses a dynamic general equilibrium model to gain further insights into the effects of decentralisation on the structure of corruption. The results suggest that decentralisation, by bringing the people closer to government, can enable corrupt local government officials to internalise the effects of their behaviour. It thereby generates an incentive for officials to moderate their bribe demands. This has positive effects for investment and economic growth. The second chapter examines a potential trade-off that may occur when countries embark on a program of decentralisation. On the one hand decentralisation may improve the information problems that plague overly centralised governments, but at the same time it can potentially lead to a loss of control as discretionary power is granted to local officials without implementing the required accountability mechanisms. The results of the analysis suggest that while decentralisation can potentially reduce corruption an aid economic performance in the long run, it may inevitable lead to increased corruption in the short-run. A key idea is that extra care must be taken to introducing accountability structures at the local level, but that these will likely take time before becoming effective, so that in the near term corruption may increase. In the third chapter the relationship between decentralisation, corruption and economic growth is analysed empirically, using panel data techniques. While previous studies have looked at the relationship between decentralisation and corruption, or between decentralisation and growth, or between corruption and growth, few have looked at the joint relationship between the three. Moreover, previous studies often suffer from endogeneity problems. To overcome this, the Generalised Method of Moments technique is employed; an approach that has not been used on this topic before. It is shown that, while there is evidence that corruption hampers economic growth, the effects of decentralisation are ambiguous. The chapter highlights the inherent difficulties in analysing the effects of decentralisation, which is a complex and multifaceted concept that is impossible to fully capture in the data. This suggests that empirical studies will inevitably be limited in their ability to fully assess a relationship as nuanced as this. The implication is that further investigation at the theoretical level is required. Overall, the thesis provides support for the idea that decentralisation can potentially lead to beneficial outcomes, both in terms so of combating corruption and in wider economic terms. However, it also suggest that care must be taken when implementing reforms as these beneficial outcomes a far from certain.

The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 prescribes how schools should manage their finances and involve their stakeholders in financial management decision-making. The relevant literature reveals that principals in many schools situated in township and rural areas play a dominant role in the financial management of their schools which is contrary to the prescriptions of the South African Schools Act. This study aimed to identify financial management decision-making processes utilized in fee-paying public primary schools, the factors that influence financial management decision-making and the role and influence of individual stakeholders in financial management decision-making. The study followed a qualitative research approach with a multiple case study research design. Five fee-paying public primary schools were purposively selected. Participants included governing body chairpersons, principals and financial managers of the schools. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings from the data suggest that financial management decision-making processes utilized in fee-paying public primary schools are: needs analysis, budget drafting and procurement processes. The study also reveals that members of school governing bodies (SGB) in fee-paying schools situated in affluence areas are educated professionals who, as required by the South African School Act, exert a strong influence in financial management decision-making in schools. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted