Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is a reality that public participation processes in local government do not yield
the outcomes that reveal a fully optimised process. Communication is the
lifeblood of any development initiative (Swanepoel & De Beer, 1996:1) and is one
way of breaking the isolation of people. By having the ability to communicate (i.e.
to reach and to be reached) people can truly have a say in matters shaping their
current and future reality.
The objectives of this thesis were to explore the communication short falls
hindering effective participation in local government, and also to provide a
practical implementation framework aimed at guiding municipalities in
communication with the view to enhance public participation. This was
accomplished by way of a literature study and an analysis of the West Coast
District (WCD) Communication and Participation Project (2003).
In Chapter 1 the thesis topic was introduced and the background to the thesis,
the research problem, the design and methodology, as well as the outline of the
chapters was explained. In Chapter 2 the key concepts of this thesis were
discussed and included sustainable. development, public participation and
communication. This selection of concepts is justified by the argument that
communication supports public participation, which will in turn promote
sustainable development.
A description of the WCD Project (2003) findings was provided in Chapter 3,
which was followed by an analyses and interpretation of the WCD Project
findings in Chapter 4. During the analyses a number of observations were made.
Firstly, there is a distinct relationship between communication, public
participation and sustainable development. Communication facilitates information
sharing which supports informed decision-making during public participation. The
latter in turn is vital in establishing sustainable development.
Secondly, there should be distinguished between community communication and
corporate communication. Dealing with the local community requires a unique
approach to communication, which varies from the communication approach
followed by the internal administration of the municipality.
Thirdly, local communities should be consulted to identify and communicate their
unique communication needs, issues and perspectives as they have unique
knowledge of their own local challenges. These inputs from the community cause
for powerful communication content and messages key to successful
participation and to sustainable development.
Fourthly, that the perceptions as expressed by community members, embody
their unique and specific communication needs. By converting and translating
community perceptions into community needs. positive motivation for public
participation could be created.
Based on the findings of the analyses and interpretation of the WCD Project
findings, a communication framework aimed at enhancing participation was
developed in Chapter 5. The framework focussed on guiding the implementation
of communication and participation when embarking on development initiatives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is 'n realiteit dat openbare deelname prosesse in plaaslike regering nie die
uitkomste wat sprekend is van 'n optimale. proses lewer nie. Kommunikasie is die
lewensaar van enige ontwikkelingsinisiatief (Swanepoel & De Beer, 1996:1) en
word beskou as een manier om die isolasie van mense verbreek. Deur die
vermoë te hê om te kan kommunikeer (om uit te reik en bereik te kan word), kan
mense werklik seggenskap hê in aangeleenthede wat hul huidige en toekomstige
realiteit beïnvloed.
Die doelwitte van hierdie tesis was om die kommunikasie tekortkominge wat
effektiewe deelname in plaaslike regering verhinder te ondersoek en ook om 'n
praktiese implementeringsraamwerk wat daarop gemik is om munisipalitieite te
lei rakende kommunikasie, met die oog daarop om openbare deelname te
bevorder. Dit is bereik deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en 'n analise van die
Weskus Distrik (WD) Kommunikasie en Deelname Projek (2003).
In Hoofstuk 1 was die tesis onderwerp bekend gestel en die agtergrond van die
tesis, die navorsingsprobleem, die onderwerp sowel as die raamwerk van die
hoofstukke is verduidelik. In Hoofstuk 2 is die sleutel konsepte van die tesis
bespreek wat volhoudbare ontwikkeling, openbare deelname en kommunikasie
ingesluit het. Hierdie seleksie van konsepte word geregverdig deur die argument
dat kommunikasie openbare deelname stimuleer, wat beurtelings volhoudbare
ontwikkeling sal bevorder.
'n Beskrywing van die WD Projek bevindinge (2003) is in Hoofstuk 3 verskaf, en
word gevolg deur 'n analise en interpretasie van die WK Projek bevindinge in
Hoofstuk 4. Gedurende die analise van die WD Projek bevindinge is 'n aantal
waarnemings gemaak. Eerstens, is daar 'n betekenende verhouding tussen
kommunikasie, openbare deelname en volhoudbare ontwikkeling. Kommunikasie
fassiliteer die meedeel van informasie wat beurtelings ingeligde besluitneming
tydens openbare deelname bevorder. Laasgenoemde is krities in die vestiging
van volhoudbare ontwikkeling.
Tweedens, moet daar 'n onderskeid getref word tussen gemeenskap
kommunikasie en korporatiewe organisasie. Om met die gemeenskap te werk
vereis 'n unieke benadering tot kommunikasie, wat verskil van die kommunikasie
benadering wat gevolg word tydens munisipale administrasie.
Derdens, plaaslike gemeenskappe behoort meer gekonsulteer te word om hul
unieke kommunikasie behoeftes te identifiseer en te kan kommunikeer, omdat
hulle kennis het van hul eie unieke plaaslike uitdagings. Hierdie insette van die
gemeenskap dra by tot kragtige kommunikasie inhoud en boodskappe wat 'n
sleutel rol speel in suksesvolle deelname en in volhoudbare ontwikkeling.
Vierdens, dat die persepsies soos beskryf deur gemeenskap lede, hul unieke en
spesifieke kommunikasie behoeftes vergestalt. Deur die gemeenskap persepsies
om te skakel in gemeenskap behoeftes, sal positiewe motivering rakende
openbare deelname geskep' kan word.
Op grond van die bevindinge rakende die analise en interpretasie van die WK
Projek bevindinge, is 'n kommunikasie raamwerk wat gemik is op die verbetering
van deelname ontwikkel in Hoofstuk 5. Die raamwerk is ingestel daarop om
leiding te gee rakende die implementering van kommunikasie en deelname.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49809 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Mouton, Lorette |
| Contributors | Burger, A. P. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Managent Sciences. School of Public Leadership. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 130 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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