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Decision support systems for the Letsemeng Local Municipality

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
Municipalities in South Africa, especially rural ones, have been struggling to deliver services
to communities to the extent that government placed those worse-off under Project
Consolidate. The implementation of Project Consolidate indicate that the capability of
municipalities to deliver services to their communities faced several challenges. Most
challenges are attributed to skills, processes, procedures and resources. During the dawn of
democracy municipalities were merged into manageable demarcated areas for efficiency,
effectiveness and inclusive governance to improve service delivery. The study primarily
looks into whether DSS are implemented in Letsemeng Local Municipality and what the
benefits are for service delivery to the community.
The study was conducted in Letsemeng Local Municipality because it is representative of
rural municipalities facing similar changes. It focuses on the administrative and political
capability to transform Letsemeng Local Municipality into an effective service delivery
vehicle. Administrative capability primarily concentrates on the ability of procedure, systems
and management skills to manage a transformed municipal institution within the new
democratic dispensation, while political capability concentrates on the role of politicians
(councillors) on support and facilitation to meet the needs of the community. Taking these
factors into consideration the role of DSS and IKM in successful service delivery was
investigated through interviewing key managers (municipal, financial, technical and
corporate managers) and analysing support documentation used by the municipality. It was
discovered that the performance of Letsemeng Local Municipality is affected by the lack of
DSS to support management and politicians, absence of appropriate IKM application for
continuous service improvement, high turnover of staff leaving mostly unskilled and less
experienced and to a lesser extent political interference. It was also concluded that the
implementation of DSS and IKM cannot on its own improve service delivery, but
improvement might be achieved if accompanied by Letsemeng Local Municipality BPR
(Business Process Re-engineering). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:
Munisipaliteite in Suid-Afrika, veral dié in landelike gebiede, sukkel dermate om dienste aan
gemeenskappe te lewer dat die regering dié wat die slegste gevaar het, moes plaas onder
Projek Konsolideer. Die implementering van Projek Konsolideer is ‘n aanduiding dat
munisipaliteite se vermoë om dienste te lewer voor verskillende uitdagings te staan kom. Die
meeste van die uitdagings word toegeskryf aan vaardighede, prosesse en hulpbronne. Met
die aanbreek van demokrasie is munisipaliteite saamgesmelt in beheerbare afgebakende
gebiede met die oog op doeltreffendheid, doelmatigheid en inklusiewe bestuur wat gemik is
op verbeterde dienslewering. Hierdie studie ondersoek primêr of beslissingsteunstelsels
(DSS) geïmplementeer word by die Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit en watter voordele dit
vir die gemeenskap inhou insoverre dit dienslewering betref.
Die studie is in Letsemeng onderneem aangesien hierdie munisipaliteit verteenwoordigend is
van munisipaliteite met soortgelyke uitdagings. Dit fokus op die administratiewe en politieke
vermoë om die Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit te omvorm in ‘n effektiewe instrument vir
dienslewering. Administratiewe vermoë konsentreer primêr op die vermoë van prosedures,
stelsels en bestuursvaardighede om ‘n getransformeerde munisipale instelling binne die nuwe
demokratiese bestel te bestuur, terwyl politieke vermoë gerig is op die rol van politici
(raadslede), ondersteuning en fasilitering om in die behoeftes van die gemeenskap te voldoen.
Met inagneming van hierdie faktore is die rol van DSS en IKM (Inligting- en Kennisbestuur)
in suksesvolle dienslewering ondersoek deur onderhoude te voer met sleutelbestuurders
(munisipale-, finansiële-, tegniese- en bedryfsbestuurders) en deur ondersteunende
dokumentasie wat deur die munisipaliteit gebruik word, na te gaan. Daar is bevind dat
Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit se werksverrigting geraak word deur ‘n gebrek aan DSS
ter ondersteuning van bestuurslui en politici, die afwesigheid van toepaslike IKMaanwending
vir voortgesette verbetering in dienslewering, hoë personeelomset as gevolg van
werknemers wat bedank en minder geskoolde en minder ervare werknemers agterlaat en, in
‘n mindere mate, inmenging deur politici. Daar is ook vasgestel dat die implementering van
DSS en IKM nie op sigself dienslewering sal verbeter nie, maar dit kan verbetering meebring
indien dit saamval met die Letsemeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit se BPR (Herbouing van die
Bedryfsproses).

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4054
Date03 1900
CreatorsMofokeng, Mpuse Frans
ContributorsBotha, D. F., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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