Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2004 / Refer to document

Thesis (MPA)--University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2011 / Public participation in South Africa is provided for in various legislative prescripts, not limited to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996; White Paper on Local Government, 1998; Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, Act 117 of 1998; Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000. Whereas all 283 municipalities in South Africa are required, as per these legislative prescripts, to conduct community participation, and whereas the same municipalities are pursuing the Integrated Development Planning Process (IDPP), community participation is not immune from problems and challenges. Pursuant to this, the research assessed public participation in the municipality under study, and found that these problems and challenges include among others, resource constraints; abuse of participatory structures by community elites and opportunists; marginalization of communities from decision-making; legitimacy of structures, through which the public participates. In addition, the following were identified: lack of creation of democratic culture of rights; lack of induction of the citizenry into democratic discourse and practice; lack of creation of mutual, reciprocal, and political tolerance; and a normative consensus as some key issues that will not auger well for a conducive public participatory environment in developmental planning processes. To be specific, the municipality under study has failed dismally in addressing certain areas of community participation in the municipality’s IDPP, such as, providing transport to members of the public to attend public participatory forums, utilization of ward committees as platforms for community participation, and ensuring representation of previously disadvantaged groups. vi Based on the critical issues raised and conclusions drawn, the study has therefore provided possible recommendations to resolve the problems and challenges of public participation in the municipality under study. Although the problems and challenges may not necessarily be generalized to other municipalities, the recommendations proffered, can also be populated to other municipalities, to add value in enhancing respective public participation, which is believed to consequently influence positively on service delivery

Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / A large percentage of the national budget goes to municipalities to provide services to communities. Since 2000, National Treasury has been increasing the budget to municipalities to enable them to deliver better quality services and to expand the provision of basic amenities. Despite this huge financial investment, there is still poor access and use of social and infrastructure services by most communities in South Africa. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the institutional capacity of municipalities in delivering services to communities: a case study of the Polokwane Municipality in Limpopo. This case study used various data-collecting methods such as interviews, documentation and archival records to come to a conclusion. An interview schedule was used in this study to allow the key respondents to give more detailed information about the problems or challenges facing the municipality in delivering services. The study concluded that the Polokwane Municipality has the necessary institutional capacity to deliver on its constitutional mandate. However, there are specific capacity challenges that need to be addressed.

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / his article measures the expectations of citizens against local government‟s legislative mandate to deliver services to citizens within the context of the Molemole and Blouberg Municipalities in Limpopo. In doing so, it aims to contribute the discourse on governance from the perspective of the governed. The qualitative study utilized purposive sampling and collected data using unstructured questionnaires; individual and focus group interviews, observation and participatory tools. The key findings are that citizens in the study area are in dire need of the following services: water, electricity, sanitation and sewerage, road maintenance services, housing, refuse removal and health services in that order; and that citizens were unclear about the functions of national, provincial and local government in relation to housing, health and other services. They felt that a local municipality has the responsibility to tar and maintain roads within its jurisdiction, including district roads and even to provide housing and health services. They also felt that, while local government is touted as the sphere that brings government closer to the people, it has not been accorded the necessary powers and functions to provide basic services to communities at a satisfactory level. As a result, since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, communities have lost faith in the ability of local municipalities to improve their welfare. Key words: service delivery, governance, municipalities, essential services

Cette thèse a pour objet les rites d’institution municipaux autour de la parenté célébrés en France – mariage civil, baptême civil, anniversaires de mariage, Fête des mères ou encore fêtes virginales –, dont elle vise à retracer l’histoire depuis la Révolution française, à partir de matériaux de première main recueillis dans trois communes (Bobigny, Nice et Göttingen), ainsi qu’auprès de l’administration centrale, complétés par des sources de seconde main, en suivant une démarche comparative (au miroir de la situation en Allemagne), ethnographique et socio-historique. Trois temps principaux sont ainsi identifiés : l’invention de ces rites, comme résultat de la laïcisation de rites catholiques, de la Révolution française aux années 1960 avec l’entre-deux-guerres comme date charnière, puis la libéralisation de ces rites dans les décennies 1970 et 1980 et, enfin, leur individualisation dans les décennies suivantes, laquelle constitue le point de départ de nos interrogations. Cette thèse montre aussi la spécificité locale et nationale de certains des rites étudiés, ainsi que la diversité, dans le temps et dans l’espace, des figures d’exemplarité morale sur lesquelles ils reposent, en dépit de traits récurrents (ces figures sont essentiellement féminines et empruntent aux registres de la parenté mais aussi de la citoyenneté). Enfin, elle rappelle la plasticité des rites de parenté municipaux qu’illustre la diversité des usages par le bas (mode d’action collective, action politique individuelle, pratique recentrée sur ses seules fonctions de parenté, etc.) comme par le haut (instrument d’action publique, outil de légitimation, pratique clientélaire, etc.) dont ils font l’objet. / This dissertation deals with French municipal rites of institution related to kinhood – civil wedding, civil baptism, marriage anniversaries, Mother’s Day and virginal feasts – and aims to trace back their history since the French revolution. It is based on primary sources collected in three cities (Bobigny, Nice and Göttingen), as well as at the central administration, complemented by secondary sources. Moreover, it follows an ethnographic, socio-historical and comparative approach (referring to the German situation).This research identifies three main steps: first, the invention of these rites as the result of the secularization of catholic rites, from the French revolution to the 1960’s with the interwar-period as a turning point. Second, the liberalization of these rites occurring in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and finally, their individualization in the following decades, which constitutes the starting question of the research. Besides, this dissertation shows the local and national specificities of these rites, as well as the temporal and geographical diversity of the moral figures these rites are founded on, despite their steady features (they are above all feminine and recur to the registers of both kinhood and citizenship). Finally, this dissertation voices the plasticity of municipal rites of kinhood, such as illustrated by the diversity of bottom-up uses (mode of collective action, individual political action, practice focused on the sole question of kinhood, etc.), as well as top-down uses (policy instruments, tools of legitimization, clientelism, etc.) of these rites.

[pt] Eleições democráticas desempenham um papel fundamental na resolução do problema de agência entre cidadãos e governo. A literatura reconhece amplamente as vantagens das eleições enquanto sistema de incentivos políticos, mas pouco discute o potencial custo de prover tais incentivos. Esta dissertação busca um melhor entendimento do tema através de um exercício empírico com dados brasileiros. Seu objetivo é analisar se a descontinuidade política – característica inerente ao sistema eleitoral democrático, que pressupõe a troca periódica de político eleito – interfere com a provisão de serviços de saúde pública no Brasil. Utiliza-se uma estratégia de diferença-em-diferenças para examinar como a troca de prefeitos e partidos decorrente de eleições afeta o controle municipal da dengue entre 2001 e 2009. Conclui-se que, a partir do terceiro ano de mandato do novo prefeito, há um impacto positivo e significativo da troca do político eleito sobre o número de casos confirmados da doença no município, corroborando a hipótese de que a ruptura causada pela descontinuidade política compromete a provisão de serviço de saúde pública municipal no Brasil. Atribui-se a cronologia do efeito à sazonalidade da dengue e à dinâmica de transmissão do vírus. Encontram-se indícios de que proximidade política e força institucional operam como inibidores do efeito nocivo. A continuidade ao longo de dois mandatos consecutivos parece também melhorar a situação municipal de dengue. Todavia, não há resultados conclusivos quanto à influência do clima sobre a relação de interesse. / [en] Democratic elections play a fundamental role in solving agency problems between citizens and the government. The literature largely recognizes the advantages of elections as a system of political incentives, but holds little discussion about the potential costs of providing such incentives. This thesis seeks a better understanding of the issue via an empirical exercise using Brazilian data. Its objective is to investigate if the political discontinuity – a characteristic inherent to the democratic electoral system, which presupposes the periodic turnover of elected politicians – interferes with the provision of public services in Brazil. A difference-in-differences approach is used to assess how the change of mayors and parties resulting from elections affects the municipal control of dengue from 2001 to 2009. Results indicate that, as of the third year of a new mayor’s mandate, there is a positive significant impact of the change of elected politician on the number of dengue cases confirmed within a municipality. This finding corroborates the hypothesis that the rupture caused by the political discontinuity jeopardizes the provision of municipal public health services in Brazil. The timing of the effect is attributed to both dengue’s seasonality and the dynamics of virus transmission. Evidence suggests that political proximity and institutional strength operate as inhibitors of this harmful effect. Continuity throughout consecutive mandates also appears to improve the municipal state of dengue. Results regarding the influence of climate on the relationship of interest, however, remain inconclusive.

<p>Problem: Nya företag är viktiga för en kommun. Kommuner arbetar dock väldigt olika när det gäller att hantera nya företagsetableringar. Vissa kommuner arbetar mer aktivt medan andra är mer passiva och ambitionerna skiljer sig starkt åt mellan dem. Företagen har ofta fler alternativa etableringsorter. En kommuns bemötande och service spelar stor roll vid en etablering.</p><p>Syfte Syftet med denna utredning är att ta fram en guide för hur en kommun bör hantera företagsetableringar. Guiden ska kunna användas av näringslivschefer och näringslivsenheter som inspiration och stöd i arbetet mot en förbättrad hantering av företagsetableringar.</p><p>Tillvägagångssätt: Data samlades in genom intervjuer med 15 personer med lika erfarenheter av företagsetableringar. Data sammanställdes och analyserades utifrån en utredningsmodell som tagits fram ur de teoretiska utgångspunkterna.</p><p>Teoretiska utgångspunkter: Utredningen hade sina utgångspunkter i teorier kring företagets etableringsprocess, faktiska faktorer som påverkar valet av etableringsort, teknisk och funktionell servicekvalitet samt extern och intern marknadsföring. Utredningen utgick även ifrån teorier kring vikten och skapandet av en relation.</p><p>Guide: Insamlad data gav information om hur kommuner bör arbeta långsiktigt och övergripande för att förbättra hanteringen av företagsetableringarna men även information om mer kortsiktiga och konkreta handlingar.</p><p>Det mer övergripande och långsiktiga arbetet innebär bland annat att ta fram en vision för näringslivet och värna om de befintliga företagen i kommunen. Gällande det mer kortsiktiga och konkreta arbetet föreslås exempelvis att kommunen bör identifiera det enskilda företagets behov, mål och önskemål samt arbeta utifrån detta. Kommunen bör även bjuda in företaget att besöka kommunen och ge företaget en personlig kontaktperson.</p> / <p>Problem: New companies are important for a municipality. The municipalities in Sweden are however working very differently when it comes to managing business establishments. Some municipalities are very active while others are more passive. Companies do often have several alternatives when they are choosing a place to establish their business. Hence, how the municipalities serve and threat the companies is very important concerning business establishments.</p><p>Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to develop a guide how to manage business establishments in a municipality. The guide should be used by industrial life executives and units as inspiration and support in their work for a better management of business establishments.</p><p>Methodology: Data was collected through 15 interviews with persons with experience of business establishments. The data was organized and analyzed with the aid of a model that was derived from the theoretical framework of this thesis.</p><p>Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework contended theories about a business establishment process, factors that influence a company’s location choice, technical and functional service-quality and internal and external marketing. The framework also contended theories about the importance of a relationship and relationship-building.</p><p>The Guide: The collected and analyzed data gave information about how the municipalities can work overall and long-term to improve the management of the new establishments, but it also gave information about how they can work more concretely and short-thermed. The overall and long-term work means for example that the municipality should create a vision for the industrial environment and that they should take care of the existing businesses. The concrete and short – term task implies identifying the needs, goals and wishes of the individual company and working with that as a base. The municipality should also invite the company to visit them and give them a personal contact person.</p>

<p>The Swedish municipalities have traditionally, as suppliers of gas, electricity and district heating to end-use consumers, been one of the key actors of national energy politics. Yet, although Swedish district heating systems typically are owned by the public, neither electricity nor heat production is always under public control. This has historically imposed limitations on municipal plans for own CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plants and district heating systems. Previous research in the field have established that an organisational division between companies active in either heat or electricity supply was one of the most serious challenges for municipal engagement in energy affairs after WW2. Yet, in many cases municipal energy departments have engaged in joint cooperation projects with process industries and power companies, in order to utilize technical expertise and industrial waste heat for the build-up of the local energy system. Processes of initiating, developing and maintaining such cooperation projects - and the erection of municipal CHP plats - are focused upon here.</p><p>The <em>purpose</em> of this research project is to describe and analyse the roles played by two municipalities (Helsingborg and Gävle) in the years 1945-1983. The specific research questions were as follows: How were different socio-technical systems for electricity and heat supply introduced and how were different alternatives received within the frames of the municipal organisations? What was the impact of competition between different alternatives on the development of the local energy systems? It shows that strategies for municipal-industrial cooperation are vital for the possibilities of municipal energy companies to come to terms with the organisational gulf between power and heat companies. It is argued that the forming of strategical alliances can illustrate how municipal organisations not always act in autonomous positions. It can rather be the other way round - it is strategies for cooperation and competition that make the municipality a key actor in the local energy system.</p>

<p>This study aims to identify the municipalities of Hallands’ methods, guidelines and policies in integration concerning new arrivals of children and teenagers. Some of the new arrivals are under the power of Swedish Migration Board and some of them are by a contract handed over to the municipalities. The evaluation is based on Michael Lipskys street-level bureaucracy which puts its focus on the lower level of bureaucrats meeting with clients. The frame is Skolverkets guideline for education of new arrivals which is more or less a way towards a common policy. The other document used to put up evaluation criteria’s is the Integration office united goals towards the receiving of new arrivals. The material for this evaluation is empirical in the sense of interviews made in the municipalities and document handed from each responsible bureaucrat. The result shows implications of the wide interpretation that the municipalities have. Some of them follow the directions and stop there, while others form routines and policies which go beyond the expectations. The conclusion of this study is that some municipalities have a lack of structure in the area for new arrivals of children and teenagers. This is in most of the cases because there also is a lack of liability areas. Most of the jobs are handed over to the principals who in the same way hand theirs over to the teachers. Bureaucrats need to know what is expected and there need to be documents or a reliable structure to work under.</p>

<p>The New Public Management (NPM) has made the public sector go through a period of privatization and externalization which has affected the method of accounting of municipalities, from cash to accrual accounting. The NPM has also resulted in a mix of private and public sector that makes the matter of consolidation of municipal groups complicated because of the municipalities’ use of public sector accounting and the municipal companies’ use of private sector accounting.</p><p> </p><p>In Sweden, the Swedish Council of Municipal Accounting (SCMA) has the task of producing recommendations concerning the accounting of municipalities so that the goal of the “true and fair” view of the municipalities’ is met. In 2009, the SCMA produced the recommendation 8.2 (RKR 8.2) containing guidelines concerning consolidation of the municipal group. The purpose of this article is to investigate the use of RKR 8.2 and what kind of municipality is more inclined to use the recommendation. This question shall be answered by a quantitative, document study of the annual reports of Swedish municipalities from 2009 together with the Stakeholder Theory and the Positive Accounting Theory.</p><p> </p><p>The result of the article shows that the municipalities that are more inclined to implement the RKR 8.2 and to implement it to a larger degree are municipalities of a larger size, with a high performance, with a high tax income and with large municipal companies.</p><p> </p><p>Still, the document study shows that only 43 out of 239 municipalities have implemented the recommendation. To increase the implementation and use of the recommendations of SCMA we suggest merger of municipalities as larger municipalities, for different reasons, have implemented the recommendation to a larger degree than smaller ones.</p>