This doctoral thesis analyzes the introduction, development, evolution and impacts of the Multi-Year Accountability Agreements, which were introduced to the Ontario post-secondary sector in 2006. The analysis uses an eclectic theoretical framework that builds on the accountability literature, public policy implementation theory, organizational theory, principal-agent theory and the study of instruments in the French tradition. This allows for analyzing the original object of study using multiple lenses. The field work was extensive and consisted of a documentary analysis including the agreements for Ontario’s twenty universities between 2006-07 and 2009-10, as well as thirty-seven semi-structured interviews undertaken in 2012 with representatives from Ontario universities, the Ontario government and other sector organizations. The thesis moves away from a speculative definition of accountability as it clarifies how this concept is interpreted and constructed by the actors involved in its implementation and how its dimensions evolve over time. Accountability is thus conceptualized as a “moving target” – a challenge that is not unique to the post-secondary sector, as these kinds of processes are observed in other areas of the public sector. Therefore, although accountability is often presented as a tool of “good governance” intended to reduce waste and increase trust, is actually operationalized in a highly symbolic fashion and the gaps between the public discourse, the perceptions of actors and the final implementation are demonstrated. This thesis also shows how the choice of instrument facilitates acceptance of a new requirement in the sector and helps balance the government’s need for control with the universities’ need for independence. On one hand, the type of instrument is coherent with government discourse for increased accountability. On the other hand, the instrument, presented as an agreement embodies the negotiated character of the relationship, and conveys the idea to different actors that their needs are being met. However, when the objectives are ambiguous, uncertainty is pervasive, and negotiation is limited, the increase in control reduced and the changes in autonomy are negligible. Despite the promises of the instrument, symbolic and rhetorical compliance may be the sustainable equilibrium between governments and governed.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-10-11T19:32:33Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) versaoatualizadDISSERTAÇÃO RAFAEL DOS SANTOS FERNANDES SALES.pdf: 1314874 bytes, checksum: b824fd9d65cf508ce139534c32b2e93b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-11T19:32:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) versaoatualizadDISSERTAÇÃO RAFAEL DOS SANTOS FERNANDES SALES.pdf: 1314874 bytes, checksum: b824fd9d65cf508ce139534c32b2e93b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-28 / CAPES / Esse trabalho procurou analisar a capacidade dos atores locais de interferirem na implementação da Política Pública de Mobilidade Urbana da Região Metropolitana do Recife. Para tanto, utilizamos o ferramental teórico-metodológico do Neoinstitucionalismo Sociológico, compatibilizando suas proposições centrais com os argumentos da Teoria da Estruturação, de Anthony Giddens. A análise constituiu-se em uma pesquisa exploratória, delineada em estudo de caso único, de caráter qualitativo. Inicialmente, é apresentada a problematização da pesquisa, com a delimitação de seus objetivos. Em seguida, é exposto o referencial teórico selecionado. Posteriormente, são apresentados os aspectos metodológicos que orientaram a realização do trabalho para, por último, serem apresentada a análise e discussão dos resultados. / This study examined the capacity of local actors to interfere in the implementation of the Public Policy of Urban Mobility, in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. We used the theoretical and methodological tools of Sociological Neo-institutionalism, aligning its central propositions with arguments of the Structuration Theory, by Anthony Giddens. The analysis consisted of exploratory research, outlined in a single case study of a qualitative nature. Initially, we present the problematic of the research, with the delimitation of its goals. It is then exposed the theoretical reference selected. Subsequently, we present the methodological aspects that guided the development this work to, finally, to present the analysis and discussion of results.

The research focused on public policy implementation, unintended consequences of government action and policy mess, using the particular example of West Lothian College's Private Finance Initiative procured Livingstone campus as a case study. A public policy change led to the college becoming financially insecure, undermined the college's business case and the the college's ability to meet its contractual and financial obligations. If left unresolved, the college would have run out of money, defaulted on the contract and threatened the very existence of the institution. The college estate was taken into public ownership as the result of a negotiated settlement with the private sector owners of the campus. The importance of the research lay in adding to the body of knowledge around public policy implementation theory, which is not well researched or understood in the context of further education. The research design led to an in-depth interpretive, instrumental, single case study that explored, described and explained public policy implementation from the perspective of participants in a public policy network. The techniques of semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis were used. Using a policy networks approach, the research identified: how policy gets modified; how unintended consequences arose; how the unintended consequences resulted in policy mess; what policy learning took place as a result of policy mess; what policy change occurred as a result of policy mess; my role as an interested researcher and agent of change in the situation. In the West Lothian College case it was found that an ensemble of public policy had been at play rather than simply one policy. This ensemble of top-down policies comprised the UK-wide private finance initiative and two Scotland-wide further education funding policies. The research was timely as the literature suggests that policy networks are increasingly identified as an important governance mechanism in the areas of public policy implementation and new public management. The findings show that in respect of the West Lothian College case, networks have reconfigured relationship between government and other actors. They have also linked previously separate central, vertical, policy makers with an array of horizontal policy implementation actors.

Este trabalho analisa o avanço da política de enfrentamento à violência contra as mulheres no Brasil, e se debruça sobre o processo de formulação nacional e de implementação municipal, visando identificar e compreender seus limites e desafios. A dissertação parte da perspectiva da responsabilização e do protagonismo do Estado, que na última década tem conseguido desenvolver e consolidar políticas públicas para as mulheres. Neste processo, foram adotadas as estratégias de transversalidade, intersetorialidade e capilaridade para a promoção da política de enfrentamento à violência contra as mulheres. A análise desse processo deu-se em três etapas. Inicialmente, apresenta-se a formação das políticas para mulheres no Brasil sob a perspectiva analítica do processo do ciclo de políticas públicas. Em seguida, analisa-se a formulação da Política de Enfrentamento à Violência a partir da criação e desenvolvimento da Secretaria Especial de Políticas para as Mulheres em âmbito federal. Por fim, são investigados os processos de implementação da política nos municípios brasileiros, por meio do estudo de três cidades paulistas: São Paulo, Poá e Ferraz de Vasconcelos. Foram realizadas entrevistas de campo, e analisados dados qualitativos e quantitativos, além da recente literatura de Gênero e Políticas Públicas. Constatou-se uma enorme heterogeneidade entre os municípios quanto à implementação da política. Apesar do aumento gradativo do número de municípios que desenvolvem políticas para as mulheres, este é ainda um processo em construção / This work analyzes the advances of policy of facing up to violence against women in Brazil, and focuses on the national formulationand local implementation process, seeking to identify and understand their limits and challenges. The dissertation starts from the perspective of responsibility and protagonism of the State, which in the last decade has been able to develop and consolidate public policies for women. In this process, were adopted the strategies of transversality, intersectoriality and capillarity to promote policies of facing up to violence against women. The analysis of this process ocurred in three stages. Initially, it shows the formation of policies for women in Brazil under the analytical perspective of the public policy cycle process. Then, analyzes the formulation of policy of facing up to violence starting from the creation and development of Special Secretariat of Policies for Women at the federal level. Finally, the policy implementation processes isinvestigated in Brazilian municipalities, through the study of three cities in São Paulo: São Paulo, Poá and Ferraz de Vasconcelos. Field interviews were realized, and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data, as well as recent Gender and Public Policy literature. It was found a huge heterogeneity among the municipalities in relation to the implementation of the policy. Despite the gradual increase in the number of municipalities who develop policies for women, this is still a process in construction

p. 1-224 / Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2013-03-13T19:22:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 99999a.pdf: 1747605 bytes, checksum: 40da942ce532ba52bc1409b3a578da5a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Meirelles(rodrigomei@ufba.br) on 2013-03-23T14:14:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 99999a.pdf: 1747605 bytes, checksum: 40da942ce532ba52bc1409b3a578da5a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-03-23T14:14:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 99999a.pdf: 1747605 bytes, checksum: 40da942ce532ba52bc1409b3a578da5a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Esse trabalho utilizou o modelo proposto por Michael Lipsky (1980) para analisar a implementação da política de Avaliação da Aprendizagem em 163 escolas públicas urbanas situadas em 11 municípios do Estado da Bahia, no período 2002-2003. Para esse autor, a burocracia de linha de frente – funcionários públicos em contato direto com o cidadão – , no desenvolvimento do seu trabalho, cria estratégias de enfrentamento para lidar com as dificuldades e pressões inerentes ao serviço público. Ao fazê-lo, altera as políticas públicas sob sua responsabilidade, caracterizando, em última análise, o seu formato final. Aplicando esse modelo ao estudo da política de Avaliação da Aprendizagem, em um primeiro momento, foi feito o levantamento das orientações oficiais que a representaram sob a ótica de seus formuladores (Secretaria da Educação do Estado e Universidade Federal da Bahia, através do Projeto de Avaliação Externa). Em seguida esse desenho foi contrastado com os padrões de prática relatados pelas escolas responsáveis pela implementação da Avaliação de Aprendizagem, na busca de desvios de implementação, analisando-os à luz de suas condições de trabalho. As informações provenientes das 163 escolas foram coletadas a partir da leitura, categorização e tabulação de 654 Relatórios do Diretor encaminhados à equipe central da Avaliação em seis unidades letivas de 2002 e 2003. Verificou-se que, de 48 possibilidades de associação das condições de trabalho aos padrões de prática relatados, apenas 08 tiveram um resultado mediano a forte, o que abre uma discussão sobre possíveis outras causas para o estabelecimento dessas práticas. Além disso, das três etapas da política na escola (planejamento, aplicação e uso), concluiu-se que os padrões de prática associados à etapa de aplicação dos instrumentos não provocaram um redesenho da Avaliação de Aprendizagem, mas aqueles relacionados à fase de planejamento e de utilização dos dados implicaram em dificuldades e usos não previstos inicialmente pelos formuladores da política, sendo, portanto, as etapas que merecem maior atenção quando da proposta de novos desenhos de avaliação em larga escala. / Salvador

Este trabalho analisa o avanço da política de enfrentamento à violência contra as mulheres no Brasil, e se debruça sobre o processo de formulação nacional e de implementação municipal, visando identificar e compreender seus limites e desafios. A dissertação parte da perspectiva da responsabilização e do protagonismo do Estado, que na última década tem conseguido desenvolver e consolidar políticas públicas para as mulheres. Neste processo, foram adotadas as estratégias de transversalidade, intersetorialidade e capilaridade para a promoção da política de enfrentamento à violência contra as mulheres. A análise desse processo deu-se em três etapas. Inicialmente, apresenta-se a formação das políticas para mulheres no Brasil sob a perspectiva analítica do processo do ciclo de políticas públicas. Em seguida, analisa-se a formulação da Política de Enfrentamento à Violência a partir da criação e desenvolvimento da Secretaria Especial de Políticas para as Mulheres em âmbito federal. Por fim, são investigados os processos de implementação da política nos municípios brasileiros, por meio do estudo de três cidades paulistas: São Paulo, Poá e Ferraz de Vasconcelos. Foram realizadas entrevistas de campo, e analisados dados qualitativos e quantitativos, além da recente literatura de Gênero e Políticas Públicas. Constatou-se uma enorme heterogeneidade entre os municípios quanto à implementação da política. Apesar do aumento gradativo do número de municípios que desenvolvem políticas para as mulheres, este é ainda um processo em construção / This work analyzes the advances of policy of facing up to violence against women in Brazil, and focuses on the national formulationand local implementation process, seeking to identify and understand their limits and challenges. The dissertation starts from the perspective of responsibility and protagonism of the State, which in the last decade has been able to develop and consolidate public policies for women. In this process, were adopted the strategies of transversality, intersectoriality and capillarity to promote policies of facing up to violence against women. The analysis of this process ocurred in three stages. Initially, it shows the formation of policies for women in Brazil under the analytical perspective of the public policy cycle process. Then, analyzes the formulation of policy of facing up to violence starting from the creation and development of Special Secretariat of Policies for Women at the federal level. Finally, the policy implementation processes isinvestigated in Brazilian municipalities, through the study of three cities in São Paulo: São Paulo, Poá and Ferraz de Vasconcelos. Field interviews were realized, and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data, as well as recent Gender and Public Policy literature. It was found a huge heterogeneity among the municipalities in relation to the implementation of the policy. Despite the gradual increase in the number of municipalities who develop policies for women, this is still a process in construction

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-08-01T13:27:25Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Dissertacao Raquel Monica Lopes de Mendonca.pdf: 11290122 bytes, checksum: 358e7fae57d378c6df3e435c056bb642 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-01T13:27:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Dissertacao Raquel Monica Lopes de Mendonca.pdf: 11290122 bytes, checksum: 358e7fae57d378c6df3e435c056bb642 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-16 / Essa dissertação se propôs a analisar o processo de implementação do Centro Acadêmico do Agreste (CAA) - UFPE à luz das variáveis intervenientes no processo de implementação propostas por Sabatier (1986). Esse modelo considera seis variáveis, três delas ligadas às decisões políticas: objetivos claros e coerentes; adequada teoria causal; e o processo de implementação legalmente estruturado. E as outras três variáveis ligadas às pressões políticas: implementações governamentais comprometidas e habilidosas; apoio de grupos de interesse e superiores; e mudanças nas condições sócio-econômicas. A pesquisa teve uma abordagem qualitativa e foi realizada por um estudo de caso de caráter descritivo. Os dados secundários foram coletados com a realização de pesquisa documental, em que as variáveis ligadas às decisões políticas foram analisadas, e por pesquisa aos dados primários, em que foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com os atores implementadores. A seleção inicial desses atores se deu por grau de participação no processo de implementação e prosseguiu utilizando a técnica “bola de neve”, em que cada entrevistado foi indicando outros agentes importantes na implementação do CAA. A análise dos dados foi realizada pela técnica da análise de conteúdo. Os resultados encontrados permitiram conhecer a dinâmica de cada variável nesse processo de implementação. A interiorização apresentava objetivos claros e coerentes, como: a elevação do nível educacional da população, provendo a demanda da região por educação pública superior e o desenvolvimento regional. A política também se valia de uma teoria causal válida: o desenvolvimento da região por meio da oferta da educação superior. Quanto ao processo legalmente estruturado, apesar do Programa não ter sido criado por meio de uma lei, o Ministério da Educação assumiu o compromisso de prover os recursos necessários para implementação. A burocracia encontrada nos trâmites do serviço público foi apontada como um fator de “engessamento” do processo de implementação. O comprometimento do Governo Federal com a interiorização foi destacado como principal diferencial para o êxito do processo, que também contou com apoio de grupos de interesse que viabilizaram a chegada da UFPE em Caruaru. A implementação foi também beneficiada por um momento de estabilidade econômica que favoreceu a implementação, como um todo. Apesar desse período de estabilidade, outras dificuldades interferiram nesse processo. Conclui-se que o cenário político nacional facilitou o processo de implementação do campus do Agreste, que apesar de ter encontrado alguns apoios importantes, também encontrou barreiras de natureza interna e externa, que foram administradas com a decisão política e a articulação da comunidade caruaruense. / This dissertation aimed to analyze the process of implementing the Academic center of the Agreste (CAA) -UFPE according to the intervening variables in the process of implementation proposed by Sabatier (1986). This model considers six variables, three of them related to political decisions: clear and consistent goals; suitable causal theory; and legally structured implementation process. The other three variables are related to political pressures: committed and skilled government implementations; support of interested and superior groups; and changes in socio-economic conditions. The research had a qualitative approach and was conducted by a descriptive case study. Secondary data were collected through desk research in which the variables linked to political decisions were analyzed; for primary data research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the implementing actors. The initial selection of these actors was based on the degree of participation in the implementation process. After these first interviews, this study used the technique "snowball" in which each interviewee indicated other important actors in implementing process. Data analysis was performed by the technique of content analysis. The results allowed us to know the dynamics of each variable in this implementation process. The process of internalization had a clear and consistent objectives, such as: raising the educational level of the population, providing the region's demand for public higher education and regional development. The policy also worth a valid causal theory: the development of the region through the provision of higher education. Although the policy has not been created by a law, the Ministry of Education is committed to providing the necessary resources for its implementation. The bureaucracy found in public service procedures was identified as a factor of "inflexibility" of the implementation process. The commitment of the Federal Government with the campus internalization was highlighted as a key differentiator for the success of the process, which also had the support of interest groups that enabled the arrival of UFPE in Caruaru. The implementation was also benefited from a time of economic stability that favored the implementation as a whole. Despite this period of stability, other difficulties interfered in this process. We conclude that the national political scene facilitated the implementation process of UFPE campus in the Agreste region of Pernambuco, that despite having found some important support, also found internal and external nature barriers, which were managed by the political decision and the articulation of local community of Caruaru.

The phenomenon of the public policy process, which encapsulates the public policy implementation, has been in existence long before the political transformation that took place in South Africa in 1994. However, the ushering in of the new dispensation saw the integration of the existing public policies. In addition, it inevitably heralded the introduction of the new public policies and national guidelines across all sectors of the South African public institutions. Public policy implementation, as an integral stage of the public policy process, emerged as indispensable towards effective and efficient public service. The basic education, as a public institution, could also not be exempted from such inevitability of heightened public policy implementation. The introduction of the new education related public policies included the developmental appraisal system (DAS), the whole school evaluation (WSE), the integrated quality management systems (IQMS) and the discipline and safety national guidelines (DSNG). This, consequently, bears testament to what became an inevitable transformation process in South African basic education. Using the DAS, the WSE, the IQMS and the DSNG as points of departure and Empangeni education district as a reference area, the focus of this study has been the public policy process, the internal organisational arrangements and structures for public policy implementation, the public policy implementation process together with its inherent challenges and an improved model aimed at alleviating or even eradicating such public policy implementation challenges. The theoretical models, both descriptive and prescriptive, suggest that the public policy process, which entails namely: public policy agenda, public policy formulation, public policy adoption, public policy implementation and public policy evaluation, is premised on the public policy models. Of all the above-listed public policy process stages, public policy implementation stands out as the pinnacle around which the public policy process revolves. The public policy implementation stage, therefore, suggests a point where the influence, the impact and the successes or failures of the public policy process unfold. In light of this inextricable link of the public policy implementation stage to the general public policy process that is influenced by models, the effective public policy implementation is, subsequently, embracive of attributes and lessons derived from the public policy models. Some of these attributes and lessons, inter alia, include; the mutual participation by all actors involved, rather than dominance by an elite group (derived from the elite/mass model), the identification of institutional structures responsible for the public policy implementation (derived from the institutional model) and the accommodation of the implementation review as well as feedback (all indicative of the systems model). The literature review and the empirical data analyses show convergent views that suggest that the effective public policy implementation is directly proportional to the extent of internal organisational arrangements and structures as well as to the basic functionality of schools as centres for the implementation process. This implies that where internal institutional arrangements and structures are evident and functional, the implementation of public policies is bound to be effective and efficient, while the contrary also holds. Given Empangeni education district being the focal point of the study, it has emerged that the use of personnel from other units and the absence of a district unit designated to solely oversee the coordination, the implementation and the evaluation of the education related public policies, inhibit the potential of adequately achieving the intended objectives of the education related public policies implemented. In case of schools as the institutional centres for public policy implementation, empirical data analyses have established an inter-connection between the public policy implementation and the schools‟ basic functionality. Consequently, it is in functional schools (i.e. schools where the school management teams and school governing bodies are visible, effective and work collaboratively), where public policy implementation thrives and is effective. The contextualisation of the empirical research analyses to the study focus area, Empangeni Education District (EED), established that its current implementation model faces public policy implementation challenges. The most evident challenges, inter alia, include: * the inadequate advocacy of the education related public policies to be implemented; * the two or three days, currently accepted as a capacity building period by those expected to implement education related public policies, are not proportional to the volume of work to be covered and it suggests an inadequate time-frame for capacity development in the EED's current model; * the material and mechanisms used to perform functional work do not accommodate all role-players (also called actors in this study) according to their demographical needs, like language, which renders them inept to perform to their optimum level; * the primary structure of the current EED's public policy implementation model is a top-down directional structure which underscores the top-down cascading model; * current communication technology employed, do not take advantage of the 21 century‟s information computer technology in order to make the work environment more user-friendly, efficient and effective; * the simultaneous implementation of education related public policies poses a challenge to internal organisational arrangements, such as public policy implementation (PPI) structures and personnel, for effective implementation of such policies; and * the evident inadequate continuous and deliberate monitoring of implemented education related public policies. Conclusions and inferences drawn from this study suggest that the EED's current public policy implementation model is inadequate to deal with the identified challenges. Finally, this study proposes a strengthened EED public policy model, which accommodates recommendations to EED's public policy implementation challenges. Inherently, the proposed strengthened public policy implementation model is not limited to dealing with the identified challenges only, but it radically embraces the introduction of systems and internal organisational structures that promote inclusive, collaborative and traceable implementation of education related public policies. / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The phenomenon of the public policy process, which encapsulates the public policy implementation, has been in existence long before the political transformation that took place in South Africa in 1994. However, the ushering in of the new dispensation saw the integration of the existing public policies. In addition, it inevitably heralded the introduction of the new public policies and national guidelines across all sectors of the South African public institutions. Public policy implementation, as an integral stage of the public policy process, emerged as indispensable towards effective and efficient public service. The basic education, as a public institution, could also not be exempted from such inevitability of heightened public policy implementation. The introduction of the new education related public policies included the developmental appraisal system (DAS), the whole school evaluation (WSE), the integrated quality management systems (IQMS) and the discipline and safety national guidelines (DSNG). This, consequently, bears testament to what became an inevitable transformation process in South African basic education. Using the DAS, the WSE, the IQMS and the DSNG as points of departure and Empangeni education district as a reference area, the focus of this study has been the public policy process, the internal organisational arrangements and structures for public policy implementation, the public policy implementation process together with its inherent challenges and an improved model aimed at alleviating or even eradicating such public policy implementation challenges. The theoretical models, both descriptive and prescriptive, suggest that the public policy process, which entails namely: public policy agenda, public policy formulation, public policy adoption, public policy implementation and public policy evaluation, is premised on the public policy models. Of all the above-listed public policy process stages, public policy implementation stands out as the pinnacle around which the public policy process revolves. The public policy implementation stage, therefore, suggests a point where the influence, the impact and the successes or failures of the public policy process unfold. In light of this inextricable link of the public policy implementation stage to the general public policy process that is influenced by models, the effective public policy implementation is, subsequently, embracive of attributes and lessons derived from the public policy models. Some of these attributes and lessons, inter alia, include; the mutual participation by all actors involved, rather than dominance by an elite group (derived from the elite/mass model), the identification of institutional structures responsible for the public policy implementation (derived from the institutional model) and the accommodation of the implementation review as well as feedback (all indicative of the systems model). The literature review and the empirical data analyses show convergent views that suggest that the effective public policy implementation is directly proportional to the extent of internal organisational arrangements and structures as well as to the basic functionality of schools as centres for the implementation process. This implies that where internal institutional arrangements and structures are evident and functional, the implementation of public policies is bound to be effective and efficient, while the contrary also holds. Given Empangeni education district being the focal point of the study, it has emerged that the use of personnel from other units and the absence of a district unit designated to solely oversee the coordination, the implementation and the evaluation of the education related public policies, inhibit the potential of adequately achieving the intended objectives of the education related public policies implemented. In case of schools as the institutional centres for public policy implementation, empirical data analyses have established an inter-connection between the public policy implementation and the schools‟ basic functionality. Consequently, it is in functional schools (i.e. schools where the school management teams and school governing bodies are visible, effective and work collaboratively), where public policy implementation thrives and is effective. The contextualisation of the empirical research analyses to the study focus area, Empangeni Education District (EED), established that its current implementation model faces public policy implementation challenges. The most evident challenges, inter alia, include: * the inadequate advocacy of the education related public policies to be implemented; * the two or three days, currently accepted as a capacity building period by those expected to implement education related public policies, are not proportional to the volume of work to be covered and it suggests an inadequate time-frame for capacity development in the EED's current model; * the material and mechanisms used to perform functional work do not accommodate all role-players (also called actors in this study) according to their demographical needs, like language, which renders them inept to perform to their optimum level; * the primary structure of the current EED's public policy implementation model is a top-down directional structure which underscores the top-down cascading model; * current communication technology employed, do not take advantage of the 21 century‟s information computer technology in order to make the work environment more user-friendly, efficient and effective; * the simultaneous implementation of education related public policies poses a challenge to internal organisational arrangements, such as public policy implementation (PPI) structures and personnel, for effective implementation of such policies; and * the evident inadequate continuous and deliberate monitoring of implemented education related public policies. Conclusions and inferences drawn from this study suggest that the EED's current public policy implementation model is inadequate to deal with the identified challenges. Finally, this study proposes a strengthened EED public policy model, which accommodates recommendations to EED's public policy implementation challenges. Inherently, the proposed strengthened public policy implementation model is not limited to dealing with the identified challenges only, but it radically embraces the introduction of systems and internal organisational structures that promote inclusive, collaborative and traceable implementation of education related public policies. / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In response to the passage of the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and its lead cash assistance program Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), states have taken unique and divergent approaches to welfare policy implementation. One popular approach to workfare delivery, known as privatization, involves contracting with non-profit and for-profit entities operating within the private sector. The General Accounting Office reports that nearly every state is privatizing TANF services to some degree through third-party contracts, but very little is understood about why variation in contracting exists and the ramifications for the program outcomes of welfare recipients. This dissertation initially explores the possible factors that influence welfare privatization decisions. Ordinary least squares regression estimations suggest that contracting patterns are significantly associated with levels of fiscal capacity, urbanization, African American caseloads, and non-profit presence. Secondly, this dissertation examines the potential ramifications of privatization on the TANF program outputs and outcomes of individual welfare clients. After exploring state-level patterns in privatization and performance, I estimate multilevel models that simultaneously incorporate both individual-level and contextual-level variables providing the discipline with the clearest picture of how welfare clients are fairing under various administrative environments. The results of the multi-level analysis favor the null hypothesis as the majority of privatization coefficients are statistically insignificant, indicating minimal direct ownership effects on the quality of TANF outcomes. That being said, there is inconsistent yet persistent evidence emerging from both the state-level and multi-level analyses suggesting that non-profit welfare delivery induces superior TANF work participation rates and employment outcomes. Privatizing welfare provision is not a panacea in that TANF outcomes are seldom improved under profit-seeking or non-profit arrangements, but an unwavering commitment to social missions and assisting the poor could put non-profits in a relatively superior position to transform welfare recipients into self-sufficient, fully employed members of society.