This diploma thesis entitled Implementing the "Effective Public Administration and Friendly Services (Smart Administration Strategy 2007-2015)" deals with the modernization of public administration, specifically the implementation of the Smart Administration strategy. Part of the work is an analysis of documents related to this strategy, which is supplemented by the opinions of experts on public administration. The main objectives of the work include mapping the prerequisites for the creation and implementation of the Smart Administration strategy. Other partial goals of the thesis include exploring the main theoretical resources of Smart Administration. Last but not least, the goal was to determine whether the Smart Administration strategy was successfully implemented and to draw conclusions and recommendations from the findings. Part of the thesis is a description of the implementation process both at the theoretical level and on the example of implementation of the Smart Administration strategy. To identify the benefits and shortcomings, qualitative expert interviews were conducted between representatives of public administration and other experts. In the final part of the thesis the author draws recommendations based on the obtained data and discusses possibilities for improving the...

Orientation: The employee engagement approach has been utilised to combat burnout in both private and public sector institutions. With increasing research, selfperceived employability is gaining popularity as an effective tool to reduce burnout in the contemporary world of work. Knowledge of the relationship between these three constructs is therefore important for public sector institutions and researchers in industrial and organisational psychology in South Africa. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability amongst employees in the South African public sector. Motivation for study: Numerous studies have highlighted the prevalence of poor service delivery in public sector institutions as linked to employees feeling disconnected from their work as a result of numerous burnout symptoms. A plethora of studies have emphasised the significance of employee engagement in reducing burnout. With increasing research, focus has also been on the employability construct as a tool to manage burnout in the ever-changing working environment and the labour market. Both employee engagement and self-perceived employability have been utilised as approaches to reduce burnout amongst employees. However, the relationship between these three constructs is unknown, and therefore the findings of this study will be crucial for both public sector institutions and researchers in industrial and organisational psychology in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: The researcher conducted a quantitative study. It involved a non-probability sample of 158 South African public sector employees. Correlational and descriptive statistical analyses were utilised to analyse the data. Main findings: Burnout has a significant negative relationship with employee engagement; however, burnout does not significantly correlate with self-perceived employability. There are significant differences between the various biographical groups and burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability. Practical/managerial implications: Approaches to reducing burnout amongst employees should consider employee engagement and self-perceived employability as effective tools to enhance employees’ wellness, morale and productivity. Improving the engagement levels of employees and enhancing their employability will greatly improve the well-being of employees in public sector institutions and help alleviate the actual employee burnout. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

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Tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning har på senare tid kommit att få en framträdande roll i Svenska kommuners styrning. Idag säger de flesta chefer inom offentlig verksamhet att de leder med tillit oavsett tidigare erfarenheter eller personlig ledarstil. Syftet med den här studien har varit att skapa ny kunskap om möjligheter och utmaningar i ledarskapet inom offentlig verksamhet sedan tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning tillkommit. Studien bygger på kvalitativ metod där vi gjort intervjuer med 13 olika chefer i två kommuner. Respondenterna har funnits på ett antal olika avdelningar inom den offentliga förvaltningen. Empirin har analyserats med utgångspunkt i tidigare relevant forskning och mot vår egen modell som baseras på en modell av Mayer et al (1995) om hur tillit byggs. För att illustrera tillitsbyggandet inom offentlig sektor har specifika faktorer för denna typ av organisation adderats modellen; ledarskap och omfattande styrning. Våra slutsatser visar att alla chefer leder med tillit enligt deras egen uppfattning och detta oberoende av ledarstil. De har en positiv inställning till tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning och ser stora möjligheter att arbeta med detta i sitt ledarskap. Däremot pekar de på att det saknas samsyn kring begreppet och att den verkligt stora utmaningen ligger i hur organisationen förhåller sig till tillitsbaserad styrning. Styrsystemen är starkt präglade av NPM som hämmar tillitsarbetet. / Trust-based governance and management have recently been given a prominent role in the governance of Swedish municipalities. Today, most managers in the public sector say that they lead with trust, regardless of previous experience or personal leadership style. The purpose of this study has been to create new knowledge about opportunities and challenges in leadership in public municipalities since trust-based governance and management were added. The study is based on a qualitative method where we conducted interviews with 13 different managers in two municipalities. The respondents have been in a number of different departments within the public administration. The empiric has been analyzed on the basis of previous relevant research and against our own model based on a model from Mayer et al (1995) on how to build trust. To illustrate the building of trust in the public sector, specific factors for this type of organization have been added to the model; leadership and comprehensive governance. Our conclusions show that all managers lead with trust in their own opinion and this regardless of leadership style. They have a positive attitude towards ‘Trust-based governance and management’ and see great opportunities to work with this in their leadership. On the other hand, they point out that there is a lack of consensus around the concept and that the really big challenge lies in how the organization relates to trust-based governance. The control systems are strongly influenced by New Public Management, which obstructs trust work.

Syfte: Tidigare forskning tyder på att Balanced Scorecard handlar om att skapa balans mellan finansiella och icke-finansiella mål, medan andra menar att det handlar om balans mellan ägarnas och intressenternas mål. Vårt syfte med studien är därför att öka förståelsen för hur balans skapas mellan olika mål, med fokus på Balanced Scorecard i offentlig sektor. Metod: Denna kvalitativa studie bygger på en hermeneutisk och socialkonstruktivistisk ansats. Den teoretiska referensramen bygger på tidigare forskning inom delämnet och empiri samlas in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Genom en abduktiv ansats vägs teori och empiri mot varandra för att öka förståelsen. Analysen sorteras efter de teman som uppkommer i studien. Resultat & slutsats: Vår studie tyder på att det inte finns någon konflikt mellan ägarnas och intressenternas mål i offentlig sektor. Verksamheter i den offentliga sektorn har istället konflikter mellan finansiella och icke-finansiella mål, där fokus ligger i att få resurserna att räcka till för att uppnå andra mål. Förslag till vidare forskning: Trots att det finns mycket forskning kring Balanced Scorecard, ser vi ändå ett behov att studera fenomenet balans vidare. Antingen i en djupare jämförande studie där konceptet i den offentliga sektorn jämförs med den privata sektorn, alternativt i en studie som belyser medarbetares attityder till Balanced Scorecard och målstyrning. Uppsatsens bidrag: Det teoretiska bidraget innefattar en ökad förståelse kring balansen mellan olika mål formulerade i Balanced Scorecard, där fokus i den offentliga sektorn ligger i att tydligt synliggöra finansiella och icke-finansiella mål. Det praktiska bidraget innefattar en ökad förståelse för de verksamheter vi studerar över vilken balans som eftersträvas i deras verksamheter, men ger också en inblick för liknande organisationer i offentlig sektor. / Aim: Previous research suggests that the Balanced Scorecard is about creating a balance between financial and non-financial objectives, while others believe that it is about the balance between owners and stakeholders objectives. Our purpose in this study is therefore to increase understanding of how to create balance between different objectives, with a focus on the Balanced Scorecard in the public sector. Method: This qualitative study is based on a hermeneutic and social constructivist approach. The theoretical framework builds on previous research in the field and empirical data is collected through semi-structured interviews. Through an abductive process, theory and empirical data is weighed against each other to increase understanding. The analysis is sorted by the themes that arise in the study. Result & Conclusions: Our study suggests that there is no conflict between the owners and stakeholders goals in the public sector. Businesses with no explicit profit-making purpose has a conflict between financial and non-financial objectives instead, where focus is in getting the resources to be sufficient to achieve their other objectives. Suggestions for future research: Although there is much research on the Balanced Scorecard, we still see a need to further study the phenomenon of balance. Either a deeper comparative study of the concept in where the public sector is compared with the private sector, alternatively a study that highlights employees' attitudes to the Balanced Scorecard and performance management. Contribution of the thesis: The theoretical contribution include an increased understanding of the balance between objectives formulated in the Balanced Scorecard, where the focus of the public sector is to clearly visualize financial and non-financial objectives. The practical contribution includes a better understanding of the businesses we are studying over the balance to be sought in their operations, but also gives an insight of similar organizations in the public sector.

Cancer is a potentially life-threatening disease, which affects millions of people worldwide. It is multifaceted in nature and can lead to impairment in a person‟s physical, social and emotional functioning (Beatty, Oxlad, Koczwara, & Wade, 2008). Multidimensional treatment, with highly specialised professionals, equipment and services is thus needed for the effective treatment thereof (Mathews, West, & Buehler, 2009). Patients treated within the private and public healthcare sectors of South Africa have vastly differing treatment experiences. Only about 20% of the South African population has access to and can afford treatment within the private healthcare sector (Somdyala, Bradshaw, Gelderblom, & Parkin, 2010). While private sector patients have access to information, social workers and support groups, those in the public sector face life-threatening waiting times and a lack of empathy by public sector staff, weighed down by patient numbers and a lack of resources (Pillay 2002; Bateman, 2011). A study previously conducted by the researchers highlighted cancer patients‟ perceptions and experiences of treatment as being one of the most prominent themes influencing patients‟ overall cancer experience (Venter, Venter, Botha, & Strydom, 2008). This, coupled with the fact that the majority of research studies previously conducted in South Africa generally focused on the biomedical aspects of cancer (Albrecht, 2009), make exploring patients and healthcare professionals‟ perceptions and experiences of cancer treatment in a South African context potentially valuable. The thesis consists of three sub-studies reported in three manuscripts. The aim of the first article was to provide a narrative literature review exploring cancer survivorship and management in the South African context by scrutinising research previously conducted on cancer treatment. The aim of the second and the third article was to explore patients and healthcare professionals‟ perceptions and experiences of cancer treatment in the private and public healthcare sectors in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A 100 participants were purposively sampled from a government-funded hospital (n = 30 patients; n = 22 healthcare professionals) and a private treatment facility (n = 30 patients; 18 healthcare professionals). Data was collected by making use of both qualitative (self-report questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions; interviews) and quantitative (Needs Evaluation Questionnaire) measures. A qualitative content and statistical analysis was conducted. Findings indicate that despite the expressed need for treatment to move towards a more biopsychosocial approach, the majority of the healthcare professionals in the current study are still primarily following a biomedical approach. Findings also indicate that the majority of the difficulties and frustrations experienced could be seen as being contextual problems and were not necessarily related to cancer treatment per se. Poor availability of resources and the South African population‟s diverse characteristics were responsible for the majority of the difficulties reported. Differing cultural beliefs, language barriers, illiteracy and unemployment were al seen as negatively influencing the treatment process. This is consistent with Serin et al. (2004), who reported that there is a significant relationship between the systemic nature of medical issues and the social, material and psychological difficulties cancer patients‟ experience. The systemic nature of healthcare needs highlighted in the current study emphasises the necessity for cancer treatment in South Africa to employ a more biopsychosocial approach. True collaboration between healthcare professionals working towards a common goal should thus be considered as being the ideal. Considering the socioeconomic divide and resource discrepancy between the private and public healthcare sectors in South Africa, credence must be given to the allocation of resources in the public sector. If this incongruity is to be addressed, there would have to be cooperation at government level. Assistance with regard to the allocation of funds, as well as the meticulous monitoring of the distribution thereof, is needed. Funding should be used to increase human and technical resources, as well as for staff development. Equitable care for all cancer patients, regardless of their socioeconomic status, is the ideal. The following recommendations on how to improve overall cancer care, in both sectors, can also be made: existing treatment sites need to be updated and additional sites developed; continuous research needs to be conducted; funds need to be allocated towards the development of effective transport and translation services; cultural diversity should be taken into account when developing awareness campaigns and treatment plans; healthcare professionals need to adopt a holistic approach during which attention is given to communication, establishing rapport and patient participation; and lastly healthcare professionals should also be encouraged to pay attention to their own healthcare needs as well. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The strategic alignment and reengineering of business processes is critical for institutions across sectors worldwide to achieve performance improvement and subsequently, competitive advantage. Competition within higher education forces higher education institutions, such as TUT, towards management approaches such as business process reengineering to improve effectiveness and efficiency. This research was triggered by an observation of a lack of a framework, within TUT, to guide the manner in which business processes could be strategically reengineered in a uniform, coordinated, and focused fashion. The main focus of the research was to identify core elements which could be included in a comprehensive framework to assist higher education institutions, specifically TUT, to strategically align and reengineer their core business processes in order to achieve performance improvement, which is a prerequisite for higher education institutions across sectors to achieve competitive advantage. The findings of the research were based on the triangulation of data from a robust literature survey to uncover the theoretical underpinnings and to pinpoint core elements of business process reengineering and strategic planning, prescripts from legislation and the regulatory framework governing higher education in South Africa, an analysis of relevant strategic documents within TUT, and opinions and perceptions of sampled respondents within TUT to compare and contrast the data gathered. The findings of the empirical exploration confirmed the problem that triggered the research, namely, that TUT lacks a framework to guide the manner in which it could strategically align and reengineer business processes. An analysis of documents within TUT and consistent with the results of the empirical exploration revealed that although various strategic documents allude to the strategic alignment and reengineering of business processes, lack of a standardised methodology hampers the uniform, coordinated, and focused operationalisation of this noble intent which is critical for the enhancement of strategic planning across sectors worldwide. Consequently, the main contribution of the research was to develop a comprehensive framework to guide the manner in which TUT and other similar higher education institutions could strategically reengineer business processes. The proposed framework advocates an incremental approach to business process reengineering to allow for the continuous improvement of reengineered business processes. At the core of the proposed business process reengineering framework is strategy alignment and stakeholder focus. The framework suggests that when higher education institutions, such as TUT, embark on business process reengineering, they should realise that they are engaging in a strategic endeavour and that business processes targeted for reengineering should be of critical importance to the enhancement of a strategic orientation. It is imperative that higher education institutions, such as TUT, should prioritise the strategic alignment and reengineering of business processes that provide stakeholder satisfaction to create competitive advantage and survival. Considering that TUT and other similar higher education institutions operate as an open system, the proposed framework is based on the systems approach to management. Given the dynamic nature of the South African higher education sector, the proposed framework promotes a business process reengineering methodology which, amongst others, involves the reengineering of business processes with due consideration of the national higher education imperatives and legislative requirements. Consideration of the external environment should cover an analysis of critical developments within higher education, including changes to national legislation and other national strategic imperatives. TUT and other similar higher education institutions should continuously monitor changes that might have an impact on their business processes to ensure timeous and strategic alignment and reengineering of core business processes in accordance with the changing environment. Due cognisance of the internal factors and acknowledgement of a need for internal interaction of various departments and operational units within higher education institutions, such as TUT, should also form the basis of all business process reengineering efforts. Given the theoretical underpinning that business process reengineering is a strategic endeavour and that the strategic alignment of business processes is critical for institutions across sectors to improve institutional performance so as to achieve competitive advantage and survival, proposing a comprehensive business process reengineering framework and advocating the strategic reengineering of business processes within a South African public higher education institution constitute an advancement of knowledge within the Public Administration field of study. / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Cancer is a potentially life-threatening disease, which affects millions of people worldwide. It is multifaceted in nature and can lead to impairment in a person‟s physical, social and emotional functioning (Beatty, Oxlad, Koczwara, & Wade, 2008). Multidimensional treatment, with highly specialised professionals, equipment and services is thus needed for the effective treatment thereof (Mathews, West, & Buehler, 2009). Patients treated within the private and public healthcare sectors of South Africa have vastly differing treatment experiences. Only about 20% of the South African population has access to and can afford treatment within the private healthcare sector (Somdyala, Bradshaw, Gelderblom, & Parkin, 2010). While private sector patients have access to information, social workers and support groups, those in the public sector face life-threatening waiting times and a lack of empathy by public sector staff, weighed down by patient numbers and a lack of resources (Pillay 2002; Bateman, 2011). A study previously conducted by the researchers highlighted cancer patients‟ perceptions and experiences of treatment as being one of the most prominent themes influencing patients‟ overall cancer experience (Venter, Venter, Botha, & Strydom, 2008). This, coupled with the fact that the majority of research studies previously conducted in South Africa generally focused on the biomedical aspects of cancer (Albrecht, 2009), make exploring patients and healthcare professionals‟ perceptions and experiences of cancer treatment in a South African context potentially valuable. The thesis consists of three sub-studies reported in three manuscripts. The aim of the first article was to provide a narrative literature review exploring cancer survivorship and management in the South African context by scrutinising research previously conducted on cancer treatment. The aim of the second and the third article was to explore patients and healthcare professionals‟ perceptions and experiences of cancer treatment in the private and public healthcare sectors in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A 100 participants were purposively sampled from a government-funded hospital (n = 30 patients; n = 22 healthcare professionals) and a private treatment facility (n = 30 patients; 18 healthcare professionals). Data was collected by making use of both qualitative (self-report questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions; interviews) and quantitative (Needs Evaluation Questionnaire) measures. A qualitative content and statistical analysis was conducted. Findings indicate that despite the expressed need for treatment to move towards a more biopsychosocial approach, the majority of the healthcare professionals in the current study are still primarily following a biomedical approach. Findings also indicate that the majority of the difficulties and frustrations experienced could be seen as being contextual problems and were not necessarily related to cancer treatment per se. Poor availability of resources and the South African population‟s diverse characteristics were responsible for the majority of the difficulties reported. Differing cultural beliefs, language barriers, illiteracy and unemployment were al seen as negatively influencing the treatment process. This is consistent with Serin et al. (2004), who reported that there is a significant relationship between the systemic nature of medical issues and the social, material and psychological difficulties cancer patients‟ experience. The systemic nature of healthcare needs highlighted in the current study emphasises the necessity for cancer treatment in South Africa to employ a more biopsychosocial approach. True collaboration between healthcare professionals working towards a common goal should thus be considered as being the ideal. Considering the socioeconomic divide and resource discrepancy between the private and public healthcare sectors in South Africa, credence must be given to the allocation of resources in the public sector. If this incongruity is to be addressed, there would have to be cooperation at government level. Assistance with regard to the allocation of funds, as well as the meticulous monitoring of the distribution thereof, is needed. Funding should be used to increase human and technical resources, as well as for staff development. Equitable care for all cancer patients, regardless of their socioeconomic status, is the ideal. The following recommendations on how to improve overall cancer care, in both sectors, can also be made: existing treatment sites need to be updated and additional sites developed; continuous research needs to be conducted; funds need to be allocated towards the development of effective transport and translation services; cultural diversity should be taken into account when developing awareness campaigns and treatment plans; healthcare professionals need to adopt a holistic approach during which attention is given to communication, establishing rapport and patient participation; and lastly healthcare professionals should also be encouraged to pay attention to their own healthcare needs as well. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The strategic alignment and reengineering of business processes is critical for institutions across sectors worldwide to achieve performance improvement and subsequently, competitive advantage. Competition within higher education forces higher education institutions, such as TUT, towards management approaches such as business process reengineering to improve effectiveness and efficiency. This research was triggered by an observation of a lack of a framework, within TUT, to guide the manner in which business processes could be strategically reengineered in a uniform, coordinated, and focused fashion. The main focus of the research was to identify core elements which could be included in a comprehensive framework to assist higher education institutions, specifically TUT, to strategically align and reengineer their core business processes in order to achieve performance improvement, which is a prerequisite for higher education institutions across sectors to achieve competitive advantage. The findings of the research were based on the triangulation of data from a robust literature survey to uncover the theoretical underpinnings and to pinpoint core elements of business process reengineering and strategic planning, prescripts from legislation and the regulatory framework governing higher education in South Africa, an analysis of relevant strategic documents within TUT, and opinions and perceptions of sampled respondents within TUT to compare and contrast the data gathered. The findings of the empirical exploration confirmed the problem that triggered the research, namely, that TUT lacks a framework to guide the manner in which it could strategically align and reengineer business processes. An analysis of documents within TUT and consistent with the results of the empirical exploration revealed that although various strategic documents allude to the strategic alignment and reengineering of business processes, lack of a standardised methodology hampers the uniform, coordinated, and focused operationalisation of this noble intent which is critical for the enhancement of strategic planning across sectors worldwide. Consequently, the main contribution of the research was to develop a comprehensive framework to guide the manner in which TUT and other similar higher education institutions could strategically reengineer business processes. The proposed framework advocates an incremental approach to business process reengineering to allow for the continuous improvement of reengineered business processes. At the core of the proposed business process reengineering framework is strategy alignment and stakeholder focus. The framework suggests that when higher education institutions, such as TUT, embark on business process reengineering, they should realise that they are engaging in a strategic endeavour and that business processes targeted for reengineering should be of critical importance to the enhancement of a strategic orientation. It is imperative that higher education institutions, such as TUT, should prioritise the strategic alignment and reengineering of business processes that provide stakeholder satisfaction to create competitive advantage and survival. Considering that TUT and other similar higher education institutions operate as an open system, the proposed framework is based on the systems approach to management. Given the dynamic nature of the South African higher education sector, the proposed framework promotes a business process reengineering methodology which, amongst others, involves the reengineering of business processes with due consideration of the national higher education imperatives and legislative requirements. Consideration of the external environment should cover an analysis of critical developments within higher education, including changes to national legislation and other national strategic imperatives. TUT and other similar higher education institutions should continuously monitor changes that might have an impact on their business processes to ensure timeous and strategic alignment and reengineering of core business processes in accordance with the changing environment. Due cognisance of the internal factors and acknowledgement of a need for internal interaction of various departments and operational units within higher education institutions, such as TUT, should also form the basis of all business process reengineering efforts. Given the theoretical underpinning that business process reengineering is a strategic endeavour and that the strategic alignment of business processes is critical for institutions across sectors to improve institutional performance so as to achieve competitive advantage and survival, proposing a comprehensive business process reengineering framework and advocating the strategic reengineering of business processes within a South African public higher education institution constitute an advancement of knowledge within the Public Administration field of study. / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

De senaste decennierna har miljöfrågor blivit mer och mer aktuella och kommuner i Sverige har idag ett ansvar att arbeta för hållbarhet och med miljöaspekter. Detta försvåras av att begreppet hållbar utveckling är vagt och därmed är öppet för tolkningar om var tyngdpunkten ska ligga när det gäller de sociala, ekonomiska och ekologiska aspekterna. Inom en kommun sker arbete inom många olika verksamhetsområden och ofta finns övergripande styrdokument, till exempel miljöpolicys eller visioner som gäller miljöpåverkan och som syftar till att miljöhänsyn ständigt ska finnas närvarande i all verksamhet. En vanlig arbetsform inom kommunal verksamhet är i dag att arbeta i projekt, vilket gör att projektledare då har möjlighet att inom ramen för projektet kunna påverka miljöaspekter. En del projekt har som uttalat syfte att ha en positiv miljöpåverkan, men den här studiens inriktning är projekt där miljökopplingen inte vid en första anblick är så uppenbar. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgår från teorier och modeller om hållbar utveckling i projekt, men handlar också om vilka faktorer individer påverkas av när det gäller vad som hindrar eller möjliggör för dem att bete sig på ett miljövänligt sätt. Studien använder sig av kvalitativ metod och utgår från tre olika kommuner där sex projektledare har intervjuats om deras upplevelser av hinder och möjligheter för att ta in miljöaspekter i sina projekt. Flera av respondenterna upplevde att det fanns goda möjligheter för att ta in miljöaspekter i projekt. De visade själva en positiv attityd och upplevde att det generellt fanns god vilja för miljöarbete, både hos politiker, ledning och medarbetare, samtidigt var detta svårare att koppla till projekt för en del respondenter, då det inte alltid framgick tydligt i styrdokument och arbetsuppdrag och hälften av respondenterna upplevde inga förväntningar på att ta in miljöaspekter i det aktuella projektet. De hinder som framkom var projektets ekonomiska ramar, brist på detaljerad miljökunskap, brist på kommunikation men också att det fanns motsättningar, vilket också kunde påverka att andra, både inom projektgrupp, i verksamheten eller bland kommuninvånarna har olika syn på vad som bör prioriteras. Även projektets förutsättningar kunde innebära både hinder och möjligheter för att ta in miljöaspekter i projekt. Inom den dagliga verksamheten fanns inom vissa områden rutiner och vanor etablerade av miljöskäl, men när det gällde hur miljöaspekter skulle tas in i projekt var förutsättningarna sämre. I studien redovisas också förslag på hur utvecklingsområden som skulle kunna förbättra förutsättningarna för kommunala projektledare att ta in miljöaspekter i sina projekt och som kan göra att en del hinder kan övervinnas. Enligt respondenterna är dessa mer kunskap, utbildning och stöd, fler konkreta hjälpmedel men också mer diskussion kring miljöfrågor för att de ska kunna få högre prioritet. / Over the recent decades environmental issues has become increasingly more relevant and municipalities in Sweden carry the responsibility to strive for the attainment of sustainability and environmental aspects. This work is however obstructed by the difficulty to define the term sustainable development which leads to a hesitancy of which aspect to focus on when it comes to social, economic and environmental aspects. Within a municipality, work is often performed within several branches and there are often regulating documents, environmental policies or visions which aim for the environmental aspect to always be included. Projects are common within municipality work, which means that project managers have an opportunity to influence the environmental aspect within their respective project. Some projects have a clear purpose to attain an environmental effect, though the purpose of this study is to examine projects where the environmental aspect is not clearly stated. The theoretical framework in this study is based on theories about sustainable development within projects, as well as the factors affecting individuals when it comes to behaving in a fashion that is environmentally plausible.This study make use of a qualitative method and was conducted in three municipalities with six project managers interviewed about their experiences of obstacles and possibilities to work with environmental aspects within their projects. Several of the respondents had good experiences of working with environmental aspects in their projects. These respondents showed a positive attitude and had the general conception that there was a positive attitude towards environmental aspects among politicians, the management and co-workers alike. For some respondents though, this was not the case. They had difficulties connecting environmental aspects to their projects. Partly because there were no clear instructions in the regulating documents or assignments, but also because they perceived no expectations of such. Obstacles that were observed were uncovered economical hindrance, lack of detailed environmental knowledge and lack of communication. There were also issues of disagreement within the project staff, the branch or between the residents of the municipality of what to prioritize. Even the prerequisites of the project would sometime be a hindrance, as well as promotive, to the environmental aspects. Within the daily work there were routines and habits established because of environmental reasons, though when it came to how environmental aspects were to be included in projects the conditions were worse. This study also suggest development areas that could improve the conditions for project managers within municipalities to include environmental aspects. According to the respondents these are knowledge, education and support, concrete support as well as more discussions concerning environmental issues with the purpose of increasing their priority.