Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Research was conducted in this paper on organisational performance management. Various definitions are offered in order to provide an explanation to the topic. Different models on performance management were discussed including the balanced scorecard. The City of Cape Town was identified as a case study to ascertain how the provisions for the performance management system, as stipulated in legislation, were implemented. The use of the balanced scorecard was also reviewed. Officials were interviewed, as well as various documentation considered, dealing with performance management in the City of Cape Town. From the findings various recommendations were made to improve the performance management system.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The dawn of a democratic South Africa in 1994 was seen as the beginning of a new era in South Africa. Land Reform, as a matter of moral reconciliation, and within the context of rural development, was high on the agenda to be addressed by the new democratic ANC-led government. Although South Africa’s history of systematic racial land dispossession is not unique; the extent of the dispossession, and racial nature of the dispossession gave a uniqueness to South Africa’s land history. In 1994 the racially skewed land ownership pattern reflected that 55 000 white commercial farmers owned 87 per cent of the land, yet the African majority of had access to 13 per cent of the marginal land. The land reform imperative was restricted in approach by the compromise reached during the negotiations resulting in a transitional government for South Africa. In addition, the early 1990’s, was a period of increasing dominance of the neo-liberal ideology with its minimal state and minimal state intervention, and reliance on the free market principles informing interventions and programmes. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa enshrined private property rights protection; and whilst given recognition to the requirement of land reform it enshrined a market-led approach with enabling legislation and policy statements such as a “willing-buyer/willing-seller” requirements for redistribution and market related prices for land acquisition. The Department of Land Affairs, a national government department, was tasked with the development and implementation of land redistribution. Therefore, despite the neo-liberal principles informing land reform, a state-led approach towards the actual implementation was embarked upon. In 1998 a target was set to be achieved within 5 years; which the Department failed dismally to reach. The target was then extended to be reached by 2014, and the thesis predicts that unless the delivery mechanism currently utilised for land redistribution is changed the target will not be reached by 2014. The New Public Management paradigm, and various alternative delivery mechanisms have been considered, in addition to assessing the delivery mechanisms and approaches towards land reform in Brazil and the Philippines in an attempt to identify suitable delivery mechanisms for land reform in South Africa to enable it to achieve its target and objectives. A detailed evaluation of an existing Public-Private Partnership, which exists to implement land redistribution was undertaken in terms of primary data collection and secondary data statistics. The evaluation assessed whether this delivery mechanism will enable targets to be met and land redistribution objectives in relation to rural development be achieved. The thesis argues that the Public-Private Partnerships alternative delivery mechanism is a suitable vehicle to delivery land redistribution across agriculture commodities, with key recommendations on matters to address within the PPP mechanism. For land reform to be implemented at the required scale and to achieve its developmental objectives innovation is required within partnership approaches and not a traditional bureaucratic-led approach.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The Staff Performance Management System (SPMS) was introduced and implemented in the public service at the start of the 2003/2004 financial year. Apart from being called to align with the Constitution and other relevant acts, it signalled a change in approach and philosophy to measure performance. One of the aims of this new system was to assist in communicating and reinforcing the organisation strategies, values and norms and to integrate individual and corporate objectives. It also aims to ensure that employees are evaluated in terms of a system that is fair, objective, transparent and which provides equitable rewards and recognition. Prior to the implementation of the system it was envisaged that the SPMS should be a system that is characterised by the following: • Managers/supervisors provide leadership and integrate performance with other aspects of their work by accepting primary responsibility to manage the people entrusted to them. • Employees understand that their performance directly contribute to the ongoing success or the organisation. • Individual employees have a full understanding of their work responsibilities and the standards of work expected of them. • Individual employees receive regular and structured feedback on their performance. • Valued performance is recognised and rewarded. However, when the system was implemented no norms and standards were developed against which performance of staff at the Gene Louw Traffic College could be managed. The focal point of this study was to collect data on the current practices of the SPMS as implemented at the Gene Louw Traffic College in order to analyse the data and to identify possible challenges. The key question that stimulated this study is – How can the SPMS be improved to prevent low morale? Recommendations are made regarding the proper implementation of the system, development of norms and standards, SPMS training and incentives in order to alleviate low morale and inefficient performance.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Both Afghanistan and Sudan have experienced extended periods of war and violent conflict. Sudan has been engulfed in a nearly continuous and bitter civil war since independence in 1956. Afghanistan has been in a state of conflict since the Soviet invasion in 1979. Both nations are also among the poorest and least developed in the world. The article on Sudan addresses the interlinkages that exist between conflict and natural resources and how access to and unequal distribution of natural resources have triggered and fuelled violent conflict. In the case of Afghanistan, the article looks at the reasons for US military intervention in 2001 and analyses the reconstruction and development programmes devised by the international community in order to rebuild the country. Based on these, the article looks at the potential for creating a sustainable society in Afghanistan and putting in place an effective system of environmental governance. Although it is recognised that both countries have managed to address some of the causes of conflict, the articles also state that in both cases, the agreements that were signed between the warring parties are far from being comprehensive. This is illustrated by the fact that in Afghanistan, conflict with the Taliban has increased dramatically in recent months, and in Sudan, by the still ongoing conflict in Darfur. It is argued that in both countries the potential for promoting long-term sustainable development is limited not unrelated, in large measure, to the nature of the development agendas being imposed by external decision-makers. Financial institutions and other international development actors have played an instrumental role in devising these agendas. They are promoting development strategies mostly based on neo-liberal policies and reliant on market forces, despite the fact that these policies have, in the past, often failed to trigger economic growth and alleviate poverty. Finally, while issues relating to the management of natural resources, particularly those of global and strategic importance, receive a fair amount of attention in the development plans, environmental protection as such, is often lacking political and financial commitment.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The birth of democracy in South Africa launched a paradigm shift in the public sector aligning it with the new political ideology. To meet this objective, state organs had to be radically transformed to embrace this new political ideology so as to extend and enhance service delivery to all South Africans. The democratisation of state organs led to the transformation of public institutions both statutory and non-statutory. The urgency to transform strategic state institutions whose mandate was to provide basic and primary needs like health, housing and social services, led to the neglect of other like sport, culture, and the natural environment. The transformation of some of the latter institutions was attended to only after a couple of years after the democratisation. This led to flaws in these legislative development processes which resulted in the creation of different institutions by various laws. This was the root cause of fragmentation. The provisions of these Acts are in some areas ambiguous and contradictory. The consequences are duplications and overlaps in the implementation processes. Heritage institutions have different regulatory frameworks and management systems – regulations, policies, guidelines and procedures. Furthermore, complex internal management systems expedite fragmentation of this sector. This institutional fragmentation has enormous impact on heritage conservation and management. There is limited cooperation and collaboration between heritage institutions. This study will outline how theories, strategies and instruments from the new public management approach, can be utilised to address these challenges. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die totstandkoming van ‘n demokratiese Suid-Afrika het in paradigma verskuiwing in die openbare sektor gevolg wat dit in lyn gebring het met die nuwe politieke ideologie. Om hierdie doelwit te bereik staats instelling moes radikaal getransformeer word om hierdie nuwe politieke ideologie te ondersteun en diens lewering na alle Suid-Afrikaners uit te brei. Die demokratisering van staatsinstellings het tot die transformasie van beide statutere en -nie statutere instellings gelei. Die noodsaak om strategiese staatsinstellings wie se mandaat dit was om basiese en primere dienste soos gesondheid, behuising en maatskaplike dienste te verskaf en transformeer, het tot die verwaarlosing van sport, kultuur en omgewingsake gelei. Dit het ‘n paar jaar geduur na demokratisering voordat die transformasie van hierdie instellings aandag gekry het. Die gevolg was ‘n gebrekkige wetgewende ontwikkelingsproses wat tot die totstandkoming van verskillende instellings in terme van verskeie wette gelei het. Hierdie is die bron van fragmentasie. Die voorskrifte van hierdie wetgewing is in sekere areas dubbelsinnig en teenstrydig. Die gevolg is duplikasie en oorvleuling in die implementeringsprosesse. Erfenis oorvleueling instellings het verskillende regulatoriese raamwerke en bestuurstelsels- regulasies, beleide, riglyne en prosedures. Verder vererger die komplekse interne bestuurstelsels fragmentasie in die sektor. Die institusionele fragmentasie het groot impak op erfenisbewaring en-bestuur. Daar is beperkte samewerking tussen erfenis instellings. Hierdie studies sal aandui hoe teoriee, strategie en instrumente van die nuwe benadering tot openbare bestuur aangewend kan word om hierdie uitdagings die hoof te bied.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This study was carried out to assess the extent of citizen participation in local government decision-making, with focus on the local government budgeting processes. A framework of participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil is used to assess participation in budgeting in the Mantsopa Local Municipality in the Free State Province with a view to drawing appropriate lessons for South Africa as a whole. The research looks at three important concepts in governance. The first is the issue of good governance. The second is citizen participation and collaboration as cornerstones of good governance. The third is participatory budgeting as an aspect of citizen participation and collaborative decisionmaking. A multiple research approach was employed, which included the use of focus group discussions, and interviews to examine the level of citizen participation in local government decision-making process within the Mantsopa Municipality. Municipal documents and records were used to analyse the existing situation within the municipality. The research found out that the political and administrative elites are still holding on to power that should be in the hands of citizens. Civil society groups are still being neglected in local government decision-making. Citizens are also not being encouraged and mobilised to take part in the budget process. The issue of racial discrimination in engaging citizens in decision-making still exists. Mostly, the white business and farming community felt that they were largely excluded from these processes.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to conduct a process evaluation of the Working for Water Social Development interventions as determined in the Medium Term Strategic Plan for 2003-2007. The study focused on the two projects namely Great Letaba and Mamathola projects within the Tzaneen Management Area in Limpopo. The study focused on whether the recruitment and selection process, followed within Working for Water, fosters the employment of equity targets as determined in the Expanded Public Works Programme Guidelines and the Ministerial Determination for Special Public Works Programme. The study also evaluated the process followed in the implementation of HIV and AIDS programmes as a Social Development intervention. Lastly, the study evaluated the processes followed during the implementation of the Skills Development and Training programme within Working for Water. The theoretical background focused on the Social Development theories as well as evaluation theories. In addition the study used the Working for Water Norms and Standards, HIV and AIDS policy, Skills Development and Training Guidelines as the basis for the process evaluation. Data was collected from three Working for Water job categories namely, the Contractors, HIV and AIDS Peer Educators and Workers by means of questionnaires. The responses were analysed by using the Moonstats statistical software where findings revealed gaps in the planning, monitoring and evaluation processes of Social Development interventions. Furthermore, the study recommended that there be improvements in the implementation processes of Social Development interventions particularly in planning, monitoring and evaluation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om die proses van die Werk vir Water se Sosiale OntwikkelingIntervensie te evalueer soos gestipuleer in die Middel termyn Strategiese plan vir 2003-2007. Hierdie studie het op twee projekte gefokus naamlik, die Groter Letaba en Mamathola projekte in die Tzaneen Bestuursarea in Limpopo. Die fokus van die studie was of die werwing en seleksieprosesse wat binne die Werk vir Water Program gevolg word, wel gelyke werksgeleenthede en kwotas bevorder soos uiteengesit in die riglyne vir Uitgebreide Openbare Werke Program en die Ministeriele Determinasie vir Spesiale Openbare WerkeProgam Die studie het ook die proses geevalueer wat gevolg was in die implementering van MIV en VIGS programme as ‘n Sosiale Ontwikkeling intervensie. Laastens, het die studie die prosesse ge evalueer wat gevolg was tydens die implementering van die Opleidingsen Vaardigheids Ontwikkelings program binne die raamwerk van die Werk vir Water Program. Die teoretiese agtergrond het gefokus op die Sosiale ontwikkelingsteorieë sowel as die evalueringsteoriee. Verder het die studie gebruik gemaak van die Werk vir Water Norms en Standaarde, MIV en VIGS beleid en Vaardigheidsontwikkeling en Opleidingsriglyne as basis vir die evaluasieproses. Data was dmv vraelyste ingewin vanuit drie Werk vir Water poskategorieë naamlik, die Kontrakteurs, MIV en VIGS Eweknie Opvoeders en Werkers. Die inligting was geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van Moonstats Statistical Software. Die bevindings het leemtes uitgewys in die beplanning, monitering en evalueringsprosesse van die Sosiale Ontwikkelingsintervensies. Verder het die studie aanbeveel dat daar verbeteringe gemaak moet word in die implementeringsprosesse van Sosiale Ontwikkelingsintervensies. Klem moet veral gelế word op die gebiede van beplanning, monitering en evaluering.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Since its establishment in the 19th century, the City of Johannesburg has metamorphosed from a gold mining dormitory, a segregated town to a modern metropolitan municipality that is one of the flagships of South African municipalities. The formerly apartheid city had the legacy of fragmentation along racial lines based on the disintegrated economic logic that systematically developed areas disproportionately with black urban and peri-urban areas at the mercy of the white urban areas1. The advent of democracy in 1994 necessitated the city’s transformation into a democratic, non-racial, developmental and mega municipality encompassing the townships that were previously on its periphery. This required the national government, as the superior government to formulate a regulatory framework for local government to foster a developmental orientation, democracy, good governance and accountability to the constituent inhabitants, provincial and national government. Similar to all other municipalities country wide, it became paramount to improve the provision of public services to cover the backlogs that were created by the previous separate development policies of apartheid, but specific to Johannesburg, to maintain its position as the biggest city by population, gross domestic expenditure and economic growth. In this study the researcher maintains the seven assumptions advanced by Caiden (1982:14-6) about public administration i.e. that it is unavoidable, expects obedience, has priority, has exceptional size, has political top management, poses difficulties in performance measurement and that more is expected from it. Although public management is not entirely unique in the above ways due to the phenomenon of new public management (NPM), it is easy in the South African context to identify public administration through the schedules in the Constitution (1996), the Public Finance Management Act, 2002 (PFMA)2 and the formation structures of service providing municipal entities. Public policy analysis literature documents the paradigm shift in public management from traditional bureaucratic structure to decentralisation, NPM and policy networks amid the complexity theory in the public service endeavour to provide services. The local legislature i.e. the municipal council is granted the authority over the sphere of work of the municipality and therefore has the final say in the running of the municipality to meet the expectations of the electorate. In this study the researcher focuses on the analysis of the council’s choices of the above public management structures or policies options in exercising its authority. The council has to decide on functional activities i.e. municipal services from what the Constitution (1996) allows and decide on the executive institutions that are tasked to execute the functions within the budgetary allocations. Regarding research methodology, annual reports, departmental reports, AG performance reports, community complaints, council meeting minutes, provincial government reports, national treasury reports and primary data from questionnaires and expert interviews were consulted to answer the questions on the levels effectiveness and efficiency. It was found that the provision of services has substantially improved as from the beginning of the 21st century and the reason for this improvement is the public service reforms that include NPM. The semi permanency of entities and utilities could inhibit the provision of services in future. It was also found that the weaknesses with the utilities and entities can well be covered by the implementation of policy networks and the municipality finds it difficult to cope under exogenous complexity challenges.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The uMgungundlovu District Municipality is one of the ten district municipalities of the KwaZulu-Natal Province which was formed after the disestablishment of the Indlovu Regional Council in the year 2000. This Municipality has within it seven local municipalities that have varying capacity in terms of service provision. The thesis investigates how the evolution of the uMgungundlovu District Municipality’s organisational structure has impacted on the Municipality’s service delivery over the past eight years. The investigated problem is that the Municipality and its predecessor have never reviewed their organisational structures, while their functions, leadership and staff complement have changed over the past eight years. The purpose of the study was to address a practical problem at the Municipality, with the intention to throw some light on the impact of organisational structures on service delivery, and possibly suggest some solutions for the Municipality to implement. The investigation focuses on the challenges faced by the Technical Department, as a line-function department, in their efforts to deliver services to the public. The exploration begins with an analysis of the structure that populated the erstwhile Indlovu Regional Council, and follows through to the structure of the current Municipality. The investigation has been done through the consultation of documentation of the Municipality as well as interviewing staff and management of the Municipality. The staff who were interviewed included technical staff who were employed during the reign of the Regional Council, as well as technical staff who joined the organisation once it had become the District Municipality. In addition, Human Resources staff, performance management staff, the staff union representative and general staff were also interviewed. The focus of the study excludes political influences on the problem of the Municipality due to the sensitivity of this issue. However, responses from the interviews that relate to the role of political principals of the Municipality have been discussed to illustrate the necessary points. The thesis draws on relevant theories, legislation and policies to form the basis for the arguments that are put forward. The legislation and policies used include national, provincial and local government legislation and policies that guide the functioning of municipalities. One of the main findings of the investigation is that the staff and management do not have the same understanding of organisational structures or of their functions. The management understand that organisational structures need to be done with all staff of the organisation and that the structure should be informed by the organisational strategy to ensure that all plans that are followed thereafter assist with the implementation of the organisational strategy; the Integrated Development Strategy. The staff, on the other hand, owing to their exclusion from the relevant organisational structuring and design processes, believes that their work is separate from the organisational strategy. Furthermore, the staff argued that the formulation and implementation of the organisational strategy is the responsibility of the management and they, as low-level staff, have to focus on their ‘normal work’. One of the limitations to the study is that one of the senior managers that was going to be part of the study group resigned before the interviews were conducted. It is submitted that this did not substantially alter the conclusions of the thesis because the Municipal Manager, as the manager of the senior manager and as the Chief Information Officer and Accounting Officer, was available for the interview and has provided the required information. The thesis concludes that the Municipality’s service delivery efforts can only be efficient and sustainable if the organisation ensures that its structure is informed by its strategy, and that these are both reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that this is done in an up-to-date manner.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has employeds about 18 000 officials in both the water and forestry domains. Employees in the same Forestry and Water sections perform differently. For example, some of these employees in the same sections complain that they have no work to do, while others in the same section complain that they have too much work. It is not clear how performance bonuses are allocated in the same Forestry and Water sections. The situation is affecting staff morale and eventually service delivery provided by DWAF. DWAF has a performance management system that is currently being implemented throughout the whole Department. As indicated, this system is not effective and it is not applied consistently with regard to all staff members in the same sections and also in different sections of the dDepartment. The study seeks to analyse the causes and circumstances why some that other employees have little work to do, while others have too much work to do. In short, it seeks to analyse as to why the current system is ineffective and inconsistently applied. The main methodology that informs this study is document and data analysis and thereafter, follow interviews with DWAF officials from different sections of DWAF. The recommendations based on conclusions and findings of this study are that it is important to align individual and organisational goals, that rewards and corrective measures should be part of the performance management system and that capacity building, training and support interventions are essential to ensure an effective and consistent performance management system.