Open source software is becoming a credible and realistic alternative to proprietary software in municipalities. The aim of this thesis is to explore the strategies and logical issues that inspire and motivate municipalities to migrate into or integrate use of open source software. The research approach used in the study is an explorative, comparative case study performed in the three Swedish municipalities of Falköping, Alingsås and Kungälv, which considers implementation and use of OpenOffice in administration. The methodologies used in the case study were in-depth interviews with Chief Information Officers in the municipalities and document analysis. The interviews were combined with the tool of SWOTanalysis to further focus on the reasons for choosing OpenOffice as an application program. There is certainly not a unique strategy to migrate into or integrate use of Free/Open Source Software. Since each municipality is autonomous in the process of decision-making, various strategic planning or guidelines are use in different municipalities. In the municipalities of Alingsås and Kungälv the strategic planning is used for leading the processes of implementation of new software applications. However, in Falköping municipality, the procedures are guided by a set of guidelines. The lower Total Cost of Ownership and the Free/Open Source Software’s freedoms besides many other advantages, make the municipalities stimulated to migrate into use of OpenOffice suite. In contrast, there are some drawbacks and barriers, such as shortage of internal and external standardization and lack of user knowledge and familiarity, which demotivate the municipalities to take this decision. To lower costs of IT administration seems to be the most significant factor in motivating municipalities to migrate into use of OpenOffice. More research is needed in order to find out the consequences of implementation of OpenOffice in municipalities as well as to investigate if Total Cost of Ownership really is decreased by the use of Open Office.

Denna intervjubaserade uppsats undersöker skillnader och likheter av denpersonliga uppfattningen av begreppet effektivitet bland ett mindre antal personerinom en vinstdrivande organisation och en icke vinstdrivande organisation.

Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Thema Beteiligungsmanagement und der damit verbundenen Steuerung öffentlicher Unternehmen auf kommunaler Ebene. Der Ausgangspunkt der Untersuchung ist die Erkenntnis, dass eine Kommune keine absolute Kontrolle über ihre öffentlichen Unternehmen ausüben kann und sollte. Stattdessen wird angenommen, dass im Zuge einer effizienten Steuerung eine Fokussierung auf relevante Themen, Bereiche und Aktivitäten der öffentlichen Unternehmen erfolgt. Da die Steuerung öffentlicher Unternehmen aufgrund der Vielzahl involvierter Akteure nur schwierig zu untersuchen ist, steht in der vorliegenden Analyse die speziell für das kommunale Beteiligungsmanagement eingerichtete „Organisationseinheit Beteiligungsmanagement“ im Mittelpunkt. Die Forschungsfrage lautet: Welche Faktoren erklären den Steuerungsfokus einer „Organisationseinheit Beteiligungsmanagement“? Im Zuge einer explorativen Annäherung an die Forschungsfrage werden vier Perspektiven aus der Literatur verschiedener Forschungsgebiete, im Besonderen aber der Agencification-Literatur, hergeleitet: eine strukturelle, eine aufgabenspezifische, eine kulturell-vergangenheitsbezogene sowie eine umweltbezogene Perspektive. Mit Hilfe dieser Perspektiven werden sowohl verwaltungs- als auch unternehmenszentrierte Faktoren erarbeitet, deren Einfluss auf die Wahl des Steuerungsfokus untersucht wird. Das Ergebnis der explorativ-vergleichenden Fallstudie von insgesamt neun kommunalen Organisationseinheiten Beteiligungsmanagement zeigt, dass die untersuchten Faktoren entweder eine Intensivierung bzw. veränderte Verortung oder eine Diversifizierung des Steuerungsfokus erklären. Eine Diversifizierung bedeutet, dass eine Vielzahl verschiedener Fokusse berücksichtigt wird. / This paper deals with the management and control of state-owned enterprises (SOE) on municipal level. Starting point of the research is the insight that municipal actors should not and cannot exercise complete control over the municipality’s SOEs. Instead, in order to guarantee an efficient management and control, it is assumed that municipal actors will focus on crucial issues, specific business fields and certain activities of the SOEs. However, as the control of municipal SOEs is in the hands of multiple actors and stakeholders (e.g. municipal council members, SOE board members, etc.), it is difficult to explore the focal points of municipal SOE management and control in its entirety. For this reason, this paper concentrates solely on the work of the organizational unit within the municipal administration, which is in charge of controlling the SOEs and catering to the informational needs of the decision-makers in the council meetings or on the SOE boards. Hence, the research question is the following: Which factors explain the focal points of the unit “SOE management” within the municipal administration. On the basis of a thorough cross-field literature research (concentrating on international literature on SOEs, the agencification literature, as well as corporate management research), this paper utilizes four different perspectives to answer the research question in an explorative manner: a structural perspective, a task-specific perspective, a cultural-historic perspective, and an environmental perspective. Taking these perspectives as basis, this paper elaborates enterprise-specific as well as administration-specific factors that may influence the focal points of the administrative unit “SOE management”. The results of the conducted explorative case study comparing nine municipal units reveal several outcomes: The explored factors either intensify a certain focus, or they cause a different localization or a diversification of the control focuses.

Management of any aspect of life remains the single determining factor for success, wealth, growth and prosperity – this is a general truth. Without an effective management system, nothing will have direction and no milestone can be achieved. The most important management section of any organization is the management on ground level. If ground level management of an organization is defective, the organization will not function and will soon only serve as a reference to a valuable lesson. The sustainability of local government is determined by the same principle, with the success thereof ascribed to the management of infrastructure and processes within a municipality. One such functioning aspect of municipalities is the electrical energy metering system. A wellmanaged and maintained electrical energy management system is one of the few capital resources of any municipality. The electrical supply system can however also be one of many constraints, impeding development if mismanaged. This research study shows the effects of management, or the lack thereof, on selected rural municipalities. Research was done to determine the current state of technology and the associated financial impact on these municipalities. Although it is not possible to generalize, it is evident from this research study that an underlying problem is the lack of proper ground level management. Design science research was used to add value in the form of a capability maturity model for rural municipalities. Such a model can be used to score a municipality in terms of its capability maturity at national level. When applied correctly, this model can be used as a management tool. By the implementation of certain management strategies based on technical principles, the impact of an electrical energy metering management system was also illustrated by this research study. This research study also covers the applied method and results as implemented by several municipalities within the Republic of South Africa. / Thesis (MIng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The purpose of this research is to determine the extent of public participation in waste management, willingness of the community to assist the municipality in waste management and how the officials involve the community as partners in waste management. Waste management has become a big environmental challenge in Sedibeng District Municipality due to rural- urban drift leading to population increase in the region. In cities and towns where there is population increase there is excessive generation of waste which demands new methods of waste management including public engagement and participation. This can be achieved through education and awareness campaigns in all municipality Wards to capacitate residents to minimize waste at household level. Community participation in waste collection, prevention of waste generation, recycling methods and assistance of waste management departments is one of the recommended methods and solution to waste collection challenges. The challenge in waste management is how to identify the informal sector stakeholders that can be involved in sorting of recyclable waste material that has been separated at source. Another challenge is how private sector can be approached to participate in household refuse collection to reduce backlog of un-serviced areas in the three local municipalities of Sedibeng District Municipality. The objectives of the research are: firstly, to determine the status quo of the household waste collection in the three local municipalities comprising Sedibeng District Municipality. Secondly, it is to determine the extent of backlogs emanating from the un-serviced households in Emfuleni; Midvaal and Lesedi local municipalities. Thirdly, it is to determine how local communities, informal sector and private sector can be involved in waste solutions. Fourthly, it is aimed to identify limitations; constraints and challenges that confront municipalities in engaging stakeholders in waste management solutions. The responses were from the officials of the three local municipalities, relevant supporting departments and stakeholders. Qualitative research and data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. Findings of the research indicated, among others, that: *Though sustainable household collection services are rendered in the three local municipalities, there is a backlog of 10 000 houses at Emfuleni, 270 at Midvaal and 6 000 at Lesedi local municipalities *There are no other stakeholders rendering waste management services in the region except for the operations of the landfill sites *Only 35% of householders recycle at source. The residents are prepared to participate but lack knowledge *The study revealed that in public participation, the community, Office of the Speaker, officials and Executive Mayor are the most important stakeholders to promote sustainable waste management services. They should ensure that public participation policies and strategies are implemented in the region. The study recommends, among others, that municipalities must support the community in the form of education and awareness campaigns, recycling at source, establish infrastructure for recyclable and separated goods, how to establish co-operatives and public-private-partnerships in waste management. New approaches such as composting of organic waste, proper disposal of electronic, medical and hazardous waste need to be communicated to the public. The study ends with recommendations for further research to be pursued in the following fields of study: *The role of the private sector in a municipality. *Integrated Waste Management Plans as tools to promote public participation in the Sedibeng District Municipality *Education and awareness to the public as a strategy to promote sustainable development in waste management in the Sedibeng District Municipality *The impact of waste storage containers in the prevention of illegal dumping in local municipalities *The role of environmental committees within a municipality in waste management and public participation / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Management of any aspect of life remains the single determining factor for success, wealth, growth and prosperity – this is a general truth. Without an effective management system, nothing will have direction and no milestone can be achieved. The most important management section of any organization is the management on ground level. If ground level management of an organization is defective, the organization will not function and will soon only serve as a reference to a valuable lesson. The sustainability of local government is determined by the same principle, with the success thereof ascribed to the management of infrastructure and processes within a municipality. One such functioning aspect of municipalities is the electrical energy metering system. A wellmanaged and maintained electrical energy management system is one of the few capital resources of any municipality. The electrical supply system can however also be one of many constraints, impeding development if mismanaged. This research study shows the effects of management, or the lack thereof, on selected rural municipalities. Research was done to determine the current state of technology and the associated financial impact on these municipalities. Although it is not possible to generalize, it is evident from this research study that an underlying problem is the lack of proper ground level management. Design science research was used to add value in the form of a capability maturity model for rural municipalities. Such a model can be used to score a municipality in terms of its capability maturity at national level. When applied correctly, this model can be used as a management tool. By the implementation of certain management strategies based on technical principles, the impact of an electrical energy metering management system was also illustrated by this research study. This research study also covers the applied method and results as implemented by several municipalities within the Republic of South Africa. / Thesis (MIng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

For the Emfuleni Local Municipality to successfully realize its fiduciary mandate of providing service. effectively and efficiently to the public, it is of paramount importance that the employee of the municipality have to possess the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding on the theoretical aspect of on-the -job training. The government has created an enabling environment through the enactment of legislation such as the Skills Development Act and the White paper on Public Service Training and Education to ensure that the municipality is able to realize this. mandate. The role of the training department of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) becomes central in enabling the council to realize this critical objective of service delivery. The success or otherwise of the municipality to deliver quality services is' inextricably interlinked with the capacity of the employees in the training department to provide up to date on-the-job training to employees of the municipality. The objective of this study is therefore to study the effects of on-the-job training on service delivery at the Emfuleni Local Municipality. For the purpose of this study, the hypothesis was formulated that the current deficiencies in performance management and low levels of payment of rates can be linked to the ineffectiveness and in efficiency of the Emfuleni Local Municipality in prioritising the training of its employees. In order to test the validity or otherwise of the hypothesis, a comprehensive theoretical exposition of the literature on on-the-job training was undertaken. The empirical method of interviews and questionnaire was employed to gather qualitative and quantitative data. These methods assisted in arriving at some of the following findings: • Training as a strategy to improve effective and efficient service delivery is supported by the employees of the municipality and as such should enjoy a larger slice of the budget allocation from the ELM executive. • There are at times when the training offered is incompatible with the actual work situation. • The majority of the resident of Emfuleni, including the very employees of the municipality are not content with the quality of the services delivered by the ELM as reflected by their ratings of the performance of the ELM, hence the need to capacitate the training department. • The Employees Assistance Programme’s existence is in name only with the majority of employees not utilizing its services, an indication of lack of confidence in the office/officer's ability to help employees with their problems. • Members of the public still have confidence in the relevance of local government as a sphere that should be able to respond to their needs, since they are able to interact with officials at that level as a result of their close proximity. The study ends with recommendations for management action by the Mayoral Committee of the Emfuleni Local Municipality / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Geography))--Rhodes University, 2006.

The diploma thesis deals with the issue of the role of mayor in the bodies of a municipality. The main goal is a complex analysis of the mayor's rights and reposibilities to other municipal authorities. Despite the emphasis on the description of the current state is in the introductory part of the thesis described the historical development of the position of the mayjor and other municipal authorities. Further in the thesis is defined the function of each of the municipal authority. In the main part of thesis is first described the notion and function of the mayor, regardless of the other municipal authorities. After that, in the subchapters, is dealed with the position of the mayor in relation to indiviual organs and their interdependence. This position is not viewed only from the point of view of law, but also from the unlawful aspect of this relationship. In accordance with the stated goal is discussed a number of current issues such as the method of electing the mayor or requirements on the person or obligations stemming from the law on conflict of interests. For these questions, de lege ferenda solution is proposed here. Particularly for practice may be an interesting part about the mayor's responsibility and the related effort to educate mayors from the Union of Towns and Municipalities or...

Literacy is a key outcome of education. Although literacy is a basic human right, and, can lay the foundation for further education and training, there is still a high number of illiterate people in South Africa. Black rural women form the majority of non-literates in the country and this has a negative impact on the development of the country. This means that rural women are still marginalized and stay in conditions of squalor because they are unemployed, poor and lack skills required by the labour market. This study focuses on the importance and benefits of literacy programmes to the empowerment of black rural women. It was conducted in two rural areas of Mopani District Municipality, in Greater Giyani. Rural women who have been socially excluded and benefited less from the growing economy need to be empowered through literacy programmes to stand up and fight poverty, ill health and other social ills they face. The qualitative method was employed where participants were involved in focus group and one on one interviews so as to evaluate the effectiveness of the literacy programmes. The results of the study indicate that literacy programmes did empower women to a certain extent because they have gained functional skills and they involve themselves in community development programmes. However, the engagement of all stakeholders in the provision of quality literacy programmes can emancipate rural women so that they may take their rightful places in society. / Educational Studies / (M. Ed. (Secialisation in Adult Education))