A number of organisations are continuously searching for methods which can be used to improve performance. One such method entails implementing a performance management programme. However, despite a growing body of research that supports the positive impact that effective performance management can have on an organisation’s performance, evidence suggests that organisations in South Africa and elsewhere are not implementing the practices that are recommended by the theory of best practice in Human Resources and performance management (Kock, Roodt & Veldsman, 2002:83). The institutionalisation of performance management in the South African public service after 1994 came as a result of the need to change the legacy of poor performance of the public service (Malefane, 2010:1). This study seeks to examine the effectiveness of the implementation of performance management in the Provincial Treasury, Province of the Eastern Cape (Provincial Treasury). Literature reveals that there is consensus on the view that performance management is a tool that contributes to the effective management of employees in order to yield high organisational performance. Armstrong and Baron (2005 :vii) contend that if performance levels of individuals are raised, better organisational performance levels will follow. According to Dessler, (1997:372) performance management is a systematic approach to managing people, goals, measurement, feedback, and recognition as a way of motivating employees to achieve their full potential in line with the organisation’s objectives. In the South African context, performance management is described in terms of its role and outcome with regard to employee development; hence it is widely referred to by public sector employees as a Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) (Malefane, 2010:7). The Annual Performance Plan (APP) of the Office of the Premier (OTP APP, 2010/11:5) insists that the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration is still plagued with inter alia, a work ethic that is less desirable, weak human capital management culture, poor compliance with policies, lack of accountability and discipline as well as capacity challenges in critical areas which include planning, financial management, monitoring and reporting as well as systematic performance and an inability to respond to identified service delivery challenges. Public sector reforms have been adopted in this province in an attempt to improve performance in order to meet service delivery initiatives. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 30 participants of the Provincial Treasury (employees between salary levels 6 and 8 as well as managers from salary levels 9-13). A qualitative approach was preferred in this study to enhance objectivity which would have vanished if quantitative or experimental strategies were employed. The empirical findings revealed that the employees and the management of this Department perceive that there is no clearly defined purpose of performance management. There is also a feeling that performance management is not useful in identifying under-performers and ineffective in raising the performance of employees. Consequently, it is unable to assist the subordinates to grow. Others felt that performance management is not a developmental tool. It also emerged from the empirical findings of this study that the current rating system does not serve its intended purpose and therefore it should be replaced. Recommendations and suggestions are adopted in this study to address these perceptions.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Constitution, 1996, requires a development–oriented public administration, cultivating good human resources management and career development practices to maximise human potential. Talent management complies with this constitutional requirement as a practice that ensures that people with the required skills and aptitude are attracted, developed, utilised and retained to increase workplace productivity. The Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC) has aligned itself with talent management by focusing on the attraction, development and retention of skills to address poverty and unemployment. The Western Cape Provincial Treasury (WCPT), which manages the PGWC finances, has however experienced high employee turnover rates lately with talented employees leaving the organisation for other public service departments or private sector organisations. This thesis assessed WCPT’s approach to talent management by: Obtaining an understanding for why talented employees left or are leaving WCPT; Exploring the concept of talent management in organisations globally; Exploring the legislative context for talent management in the South African public service; and Determining what WCPT’s approach to talent management is by using WCPT as a case study. A qualitative case study research design with unstructured interviews, a survey questionnaire and documentation were used to conduct this study. The case study of WCPT was used to draw inferences between the practice and theory in the literature review to understand why talented employees left and are leaving WCPT and what WCPT’s approach to talent management is. It was found that job dissatisfaction was the broad reason why talented employees left WCPT. Job dissatisfaction includes dissatisfaction about competitive salaries, sufficient training and development, a career planning programme, work-life balance, and so on. A draft talent management strategy has been formulated for WCPT but has not been implemented because the Human Resources department of WCPT has been relocated to the Department of the Premier as a result of the modernisation1 of public service departments in the PGWC. This thesis has made recommendations that the draft talent management strategy be implemented, despite the absence of the Human Resources department, as part of a broader strategy to establish WCPT as an employer of choice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: The Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet, 1996 vereis ʼn publieke administrasie wat goeie menslike hulpbron bestuurspraktyke bevorder en loopbaanontwikkeling sowel as menslike potensiaal aanhelp. Talentbestuur voldoen aan hierdie vereiste deur te verseker dat mense met vaardighede gewerf, ontwikkel, aangewend en behou word om produktiwiteit te verbeter. Die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Regering het homself in lyn gebring met hierdie grondwetlike vereiste deur te fokus op die werwing, ontwikkeling en behoud van vaardighede om armoede en werkloosheid aan te spreek. Die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Tesourie (WKPT) het egter, inteendeel, ʼn hoë omset in talentvolle werknemers ondervind, wie die organisasie verlaat het vir posisies in ander openbare sektor departemente sowel as privaatsektor organisasies. Hierdie verhandeling het die WKPT se benadering tot talent bestuur gemeet deur: ʼn Begrip te verkry vir hoekom talentvolle werknemers WKPT verlaat het; om die begrip talentbestuur in organisasies wêreldwyd te verken; om die wetlike konteks van talentbestuur in openbaresektor organisasies in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek; en om vas te stel wat WKPT se benadering tot talentbestuur is deur WKPT as ʼn gevallestudie te gebruik. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp was gebruik om die navorsings probleem te ondersoek met ongestruktureerde onderhoude, ʼn meningsopname vraelys en dokumentasie as navorsingsmetodes. Die gevallestudie van WKPT was gebruik om verskille tussen die praktyk en die teorie te verstaan en vas te stel waarom talentvolle werknemers WKPT verlaat het en wat die organisasie se benadering tot talentbestuur is. Daar was gevind dat werknemerontevredenheid die oorhoofse rede was waarom talentvolle werknemers WKPT verlaat het. Werknemerontevredenheid sluit in hierdie geval ontevredenheid oor kompeterende salarisse, genoegsame opleiding en ontwikkeling, ʼn loopbaanontwikkelingsprogram en werk-leefbalans in. WKPT het ʼn konsep talentbestuur strategie ontwerp, maar dit was egter nog nie geimplementeer nie omdat die menslikehulpbronne department van WKPT verskuif was na die Departement van die Premier. Hierdie verhandeling het aanbeveel dat die konsep talentbestuur strategie nog steeds geimplementeer word ten spyte van die feit dat die menslikehulpbron department verskuif was. Die implementering van hierdie strategie sal deel uitmaak van ʼn oorhoofse strategie om WKPT te vestig as ʼn werknemer by keuse.

Thesis (MBA) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of this study was to investigate challenges faced by Supply Chain Management (SCM) officials in the implementation of the procurement process at the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Sekhukhune and Capricorn District as per the approval by TREC. The researcher requested the Head of Department for the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to grant approval to conduct the study at Sekhukhune and Capricorn Districts. The Head of Department delegated the Departmental Research Committee to attend to the researcher’s request. The Departmental Research Committee advised the researcher and granted approval to conduct the study at Waterberg, Mopani and Vhembe District offices, since the researcher is working at Sekhukhune District sharing the same complex with Capricorn District office. A qualitative research method was used to collect data which was collected using structured interview questions. Participants in the study were officials working at Waterberg and Vhembe District. The researcher was unable to conduct research at Mopani District due to the unavailability of the participants. The findings revealed that SCM officials are not adequately trained but are still expected to deliver service efficiently and effectively. The study further revealed that there is a shortage of staff and SCM officials are struggling to deliver because of IT Infrastructure network problems. It was concluded that SCM Practitioners are facing some challenges in the implementation of the procurement process at Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Waterberg and Vhembe District offices. The respondents indicated that there is a shortage of staff and also that posts which are vacant are not given priority. In addition, the IT Infrastructure Network problem was a big challenge to SCM Practitioners since they are without network most of the time while their systems require daily network access. The research indicated that officials are not well trained and that there is lack of communication between the districts and Head office. It is recommended that vacant posts be filled immediately after the post becomes vacant and that the Department should develop a communication tool which will be circulated to all SCM officials. Management at head office is advised to arrange iv monthlymeetingsanda SCM forum inviting all SCM officials starting from the lower level upwards to address challenges and update each other about the new developments within the Unit. It is recommended that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development introduce intensive Training programmes within the Department to ensure that SCM Practitioners remain well informed. It is also recommended that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development make a concerted effort to train top management in order to solicit their full support to the districts. It is recommended that the Department develops its SCM policy. The Department is advised to install Wi-Fi to officials working for the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at all five Districts in order to promote effective and efficient service delivery. It is recommended that the Department should allocate all necessary Logis training to SCM officials before they get access to the system. The Department needs to work with Provincial Treasury on the allocation of the items which need to be procured e.g seed and seedling in order to speed up service delivery. It is recommended to the Department to appoint well qualified and experienced SCM officials to fill vacant posts, to offer training to officials who are already within the Unit and provide Bursaries to SCM officials to acquire long-term qualifications such as Diplomas and Degrees.

This thesis brings together for the first time, in an organised account, Saskatchewans search for a pulp industry. This thesis will show that, in a fundamental tension between goals of fiscal prudence and of economic growth, fiscal prudence won out again and again, to the point that the CCF governments could be characterised as risk-averse where pulp production was concerned. The cautious approach is in contradiction both to the activist reputation of the CCF governments and to their aggressive development of other resources, notably mining. Pulp offers an example of the contradictions that plagued the CCF governments and their policies for the north, contradictions that included disagreements between moderates and radicals over the roles of public and multinational enterprise, colonial attitudes towards the north, and risk aversion despite bold rhetoric and announcements.<p>The methodology used in this thesis has generally maintained an economic policy and political discourse, and incorporates mostly a top-down governmental approach. The personal papers of Tommy Douglas and Woodrow Lloyd provided CCF government correspondence and departmental memos that included premiers, ministers, deputy ministers, and departmental directors involved with the Department of Natural Resources, the Timber Board, the Industrial Development Office, and the Economic Advisory and Planning Board, and with pulp company officials. Furthermore, pulp reports, surveys, and studies helped contextualise all of the interrelated correspondences. To supplement government discourse I utilised the Prince Albert Daily Herald to gain an understanding of what issues the public was debating and found to be most important.

This thesis brings together for the first time, in an organised account, Saskatchewans search for a pulp industry. This thesis will show that, in a fundamental tension between goals of fiscal prudence and of economic growth, fiscal prudence won out again and again, to the point that the CCF governments could be characterised as risk-averse where pulp production was concerned. The cautious approach is in contradiction both to the activist reputation of the CCF governments and to their aggressive development of other resources, notably mining. Pulp offers an example of the contradictions that plagued the CCF governments and their policies for the north, contradictions that included disagreements between moderates and radicals over the roles of public and multinational enterprise, colonial attitudes towards the north, and risk aversion despite bold rhetoric and announcements.<p>The methodology used in this thesis has generally maintained an economic policy and political discourse, and incorporates mostly a top-down governmental approach. The personal papers of Tommy Douglas and Woodrow Lloyd provided CCF government correspondence and departmental memos that included premiers, ministers, deputy ministers, and departmental directors involved with the Department of Natural Resources, the Timber Board, the Industrial Development Office, and the Economic Advisory and Planning Board, and with pulp company officials. Furthermore, pulp reports, surveys, and studies helped contextualise all of the interrelated correspondences. To supplement government discourse I utilised the Prince Albert Daily Herald to gain an understanding of what issues the public was debating and found to be most important.