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1
Mutagoma, Paul. "Decentralisation for community development - a Rwanda Case study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21685.
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Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A community-centred development which can be qualified as authentic development leads to the sustainability of the community. This must be understood as a process of economic, political and social change springing from the efforts of people themselves working for the benefit of themselves, their families and, hopefully, their communities, which process can be referred to as a self-reliant participatory development. This calls for active mutual self-help among people working together in their common struggle, at the grassroots level, to deal with their common problems. It is also acknowledged that if development efforts are to be effective, then the participation of problem-affected groups is necessary, with support from local government, NGO’s, local resource people and donors, willing to live and work among them. The success of this self-reliant participatory development approach accompanied by inner conviction, a shared understanding, and awareness or consciousness-awakening that people have of their common problems, and finding ways of mobilising resources, planning, implementing and eventually controlling their own development activities. Against this background, however, the roles of government as well as of NGOs, in fighting against poverty and social transformation that leads to the development of the community, remain indispensable. Government roles should be enabling and supportive, and create a space for communities’ needs. This study aimed to explore the decentralisation process to boost the community efforts towards participation in local development management. As the public participation processes in local government do not yield the outcomes that reveal a fully optimised process, the role of the community developer is merely to create an environment of freedom within which the latent development potential of the community can bloom (Schutte, 2000:5). This Rwandan case study offers an overview of its decentralisation and community development policies. The literature review provides the definitions of key concepts regarding the topic, in both the international context as well as Rwandan context. It discusses the topic and highlights definition, objective, different forms of decentralisation, community development and its delivery framework. The findings show that community development depends on the political will that establishes effective and favourable institutions to sustain the self-reliance of the community as well as the awareness of the community of its daily problems and its participation in planning and implementing solutions. The SWOT analysis provides a situation from which to adopt new alternatives and strengthen the existing one in order to face challenges.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gemeenskapgesentreerde ontwikkeling wat kwalifiseer as oorspronklike ontwikkeling, lei tot die volhoudbaarheid van die gemeenskap. Dit moet gesien word as ‘n proses van ekonomiese, politieke en sosiale verandering wat sy oorsprong het in die pogings van die mense self, wat werk tot voordeel van hulself, hulle gesinne, en hopelik hulle gemeenskappe. Hierdie proses kan na verwys word as selfstandige deelnemende ontwikkeling. Dit vereis aktiewe, onderlinge selfhulp waar mense saamwerk en saamstreef op voetsoolvlak, om hulle gemeenskaplike probleme te oorkom. Daar word ook erken dat om doeltreffend te wees, die deelname van die voordeeltrekkers nodig is, met die ondersteuning van plaaslike regering, Nie-Regerings Organisasies (NGOs), plaaslike kundiges en donateure wat gewillig is om tussen die mense te woon en te werk. Om die sukses van hierdie deelnemende ontwikkelingsbenadering te verseker, moet dit gesteun word deur innerlike oortuiging, ‘n gesamentlike siening, en die bewuswording van die mense self van hulle gesamentlike probleme. Hulle moet maniere vind om hulle hulpbronne te mobiliseer, om te beplan, die planne te implementeer en uiteindelik om hulle eie ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite te beheer. Teen hierdie agtergrond, egter, is die rolle van die regering en die nie-regerings organisasies in die stryd teen armoede onontbeerlik en is dit nodig om sosiale transformasie wat kan lei tot die ontwikkeling van die gemeenskap, te bewerkstellig. Die regering se rol is om die gemeenskap te bekwaam en te ondersteun, en om spasie te skep vir die vervulling van die gemeenskap se behoeftes. In hierdie studie word die desentralisasieproses wat die gemeenskap se pogings tot deelname in plaaslike bestuur bevorder, ondersoek. Aangesien die uitkomste van publieke deelname prosesse in plaaslike regering nog nie ten volle geoptimaliseer is nie, moet die gemeenskapontwikkelaar ‘n omgewing skep waarin die latente ontwikkelingspotensiaal van die gemeenskap vryelik kan blom (Schutte, 2000:5). Hierdie Rwandese gevallestudie bied ‘n oorsig van die desentralisasie en gemeenskapsontwikkeling beleid in Rwanda. Definisies van sleutelkonsepte rakende die onderwerp, in beide die internasionale konteks en die Rwandese konteks word in die literatuuroorsig verskaf. Die onderwerp word bespreek en die definisie, doelwit, verskillende vorme van desentralisasie, gemeenskapontwikkeling en die raamwerk waarbinne dit moet plaasvind, word beklemtoon. Die bevindinge toon dat gemeenskapsontwikkeling afhang van die politieke wil om doeltreffende instansies te skep vir gemeenskappe wat op hulleself kan steun en wat bewus is van hulle daaglikse probleme asook hoe hulle moet deelneem in die beplanning en implementering van oplossings. Die SWOT ontleding verskaf ‘n situasie waaruit nuwe oplossings kan ontstaan en bestaande oplossings versterk kan word, om sodoende nuwe uitdagings tegemoet te gaan.
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Chan, Cheuk-yu Vivian, and 陳焯瑜. "An organizational analysis of the Mong Kok District Board, its implication to citizen participation in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1986. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31974685.
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Rebori, Marlene K. "The effectiveness of citizen participation in local governance : a case study of citizen advisory boards (CABs) /." abstract and full text PDF (free order & download UNR users only), 2005. http://0-wwwlib.umi.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/dissertations/fullcit/3198199.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2005."May 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-134). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2005]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.
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Chan, Cheuk-yu Vivian. "An organizational analysis of the Mong Kok District Board, its implication to citizen participation in Hong Kong." [Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong], 1986. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B12324346.
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Selematsela, Lebogang Eunice. "Community participation in rendering local government services in the Capricon District Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020191.
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This study sought to assess community participation in the rendering of services in the Capricorn District Municipality. The concept of community participation is central in underpinning successful development programmes. However, this is usually undermined in communities where cultural factors and political factors influence decision making. The study was premised on the review of literature and documents as the Researcher believed that more research on the subject matter has been done extensively. Personal interviews were done with officials within the Public Participation units in both the Capricorn District Municipality and its Local Municipalities so as to gain insight as to how implementation of public participation processes is done in the CDM‟s area of jurisdiction. Literature was reviewed in terms of the legislative requirements with regard to the implementation of public participation methods in the Local Government sector. Various documents were reviewed so as to understand what other scholars have written about the subject matter. Personal interviews were done with officials within the Public Participation units in both the Capricorn District Municipality and Its Local Municipalities so as to gain insight as to how implementation of public participation processes is done. An assessment of how Capricorn District Municipality implements public participation methods was done in line with what the legislation provides for as well as what the scholars said about public participation. Gaps in the implementation of such were also identified, wherein recommendations were made on how best Capricorn District Municipality can improve on the public participation processes so as to comply with the legislative requirements.
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Mengezeleli, Nomabhaca Rosamond. "Statutory local government structures to enhance service delivery : Kouga Local Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019702.
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The purpose of this study was to review ward committee structures and the role of Community Development Workers (CDWs) in terms of service delivery, with special focus on the Kouga Local Municipality in the Cacadu district. For the study to be successful main objectives were to be highlighted. The study sought to highlight and explain the correlation between ward committee structures and Community Development Workers with regard to basic service delivery. Taken further the study will review the kind of service delivery that communities expect and an analysis was undertaken to establish if there is any link between said structures and the expected service delivery by selected communities who fall under the jurisdiction of the Kouga Local Municipality. The literature review assisted in understanding the concepts of public participation, Ward Committees, Community Development Workers and Ward Councillors and their roles and responsibilities in the Local Government Sphere. In essence, the qualitative approach applied in this study has revealed the casual relationships that may be obtained between variables or events, in order to explain or predict particular phenomena in terms of specific causes. The selection of a qualitative and interpretative approach for this research is justified. The main purpose of the study was to determine the level of effectiveness of Ward Committees, as well as the Community Development Workers in co-ordinating and facilitating public participation process in the Kouga Local Municipality. The study has revealed that there is a need for renewal of the operations of the operations of formal structures, especially the ward committees, as they represent the communities at ward level. The study has revealed that the man reason why national programmes deploying community based workers fail is because of inadequate attention to the provision of institutional support such as adequate training, technical expertise and close supervision. It is recommended that a comprehensive support structure ranging from national to local level is a pre-requisite in order for the CDW programme to succeed.
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Duong, Diep Thi Ngoc. "AN ASSESSMENT OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DECENTRALIZED SERVICE DELIVERY: THE CASE OF VIETNAM." OpenSIUC, 2017. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1435.
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My dissertation investigates the effects of citizen participation and subnational fiscal arrangements on the success of fiscal decentralization efforts in Vietnam. Using cluster analysis and regression analysis, I find that the success of decentralization efforts, explains not only by the degree of decentralized fiscal responsibilities and the proximity of local government, but also by the involvement of citizens in service delivery. I further identify that the sheer existence of participatory mechanisms in local service delivery does not promise better service provision. In some cases, participation may hurt such provision. My dissertation provides a unique glimpse into the effects of citizen participation in a highly centralized political system. The results of this dissertation contribute to the study of public governance in Asia and the broader comparative literature on decentralization.
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Lipkin, Jonathan. "From delegation to participation : citizen politics in Grenoble and Toulouse, 1958-1981." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1999. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:2cededba-391b-41e7-a0a2-68e2b4f63660.
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Examining the period between 1958 (the inception of the Fifth Republic) and 1981 (election of François Mitterrand as President and Socialist parliamentary majority), my research sought to answer the question: why and how did grass-roots mobilisation in favour of citizen participation develop in two French cities, Grenoble and Toulouse? The thesis first develops a general conceptual framework within which to analyse each locality. It elaborates the notion that there existed two public action cycles in France. The first was a 'reform cycle' (1958-1968) which preceded, and was interrupted by, a more critical 'contention cycle' which developed post May 1968 (ending by about 1981); both were triggered by major political crises. The reform cycle was marked by a high level of extra-party organisation through clubs and educational associations, which attempted to change patterns of interaction between civil society and the political process. In contrast, the contention cycle that followed May 1968 was far more radical in its critique, range of themes, organisational structures and forms of action. In the case studies, I explore the contrasting experiences of Grenoble and Toulouse during the two cycles. We see how the development of powerful associative currents in Grenoble during the reform cycle facilitated the emergence in 1964 of a citizen action movement, the Groupe d'action municipale (GAM). The success of the GAM in coming to power in coalition with other parties of the non-Communist Left created a municipality determined to institute improved participationary practice. This commitment to new forms of democracy from within city hall meant that the contention cycle in Grenoble did not precipitate major pressure for fundamental change in local government structures. However, in Toulouse, the reform cycle had no comparable impact upon city politics or associative life in the 1960s. The local associative world was far more fragmented and unable to exert any substantial influence. The traditionalist Socialist administration and subsequently a centre-right, conservative municipality were then confronted with sustained grass-roots opposition in the aftermath of May 1968. What occurred in the city during the contention cycle was typical of patterns elsewhere in France. For close to a decade, a small core of associations, seeking a radical overhaul of municipal decision-making, consistently challenged city hall, using a mixture of diplomatic approaches and direct action techniques. I draw two central conclusions from my research, one empirical, the other conceptual. Firstly, evidence from both the national and local level indicates that associations played a key role in the public action cycles. This challenges the traditional view of France as having inherently weak associative structures. Secondly, my research questions the frequently made connection between a so-called 'new middle class' and innovative forms of political action, showing the term 'new middle class' to be misleading and inexact.
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Govender, Jayanathan P. "Citizen participation in the budget process in local government: a case study of the eThekwini Municipality." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=init_4136_1180443019.
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This study focused on participatory governance in the form of involvement of communities and community organisation in matters of local government in general, and citizens participation in the local budget process in particular. The study therefore aimed to assess the theoretical and policy framework for citizens participation in South Africa
and evaluated the perceptions of councillors and civics and ratepayer organisations on participation in the local budget process at the eThekwini Municipality.
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Ngamlana, Nontando Christine Zintle. "Public participation in local governance : a case study of two local municipalities." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1375.
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In South Africa there is an extensive legislative framework supporting public participation in local government; however, participation which is genuinely empowering, and not token consultation or manipulation, is still lacking in most local municipalities. This study seeks to explore and explain public participation approaches adopted by local municipalities in South Africa by looking at a comparative study of two local municipalities. The study will further evaluate international effective practices in public participation and drawing on those, make recommendations on how to strengthen public participation in South Africa.
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Robino, Carolina. "Citizen participation, decentralization and inclusive development : a survey on citizen participation and decentralization in South Africa with specific reference to the Eastern Cape c.2005." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/875.
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Contemporary debates about development confer a prominent role to citizen participation and decentralization. Growing scepticism about the efficacy of narrowly conceived measures add pressure to reform development both theoretically and in practical terms. There is a greater understanding that ‘traditional’ development approaches and policies need to be reformulated and decentralization and citizen participation have been proposed as remedies to previous development failures. It is frequently argued that citizen participation will improve the efficiency and efficacy of public services. Citizen participation is meant to render local government more accountable and to contribute to deepening democracy, by reinforcing representative democratic institutions with participatory forms. At the same time, decentralization reforms have been proposed as a response to the failures of highly centralized states. From a political perspective, it is argued, decentralization reforms can help the central state gain legitimacy and have been seen as a strategy for maintaining political stability. It has been repeatedly suggested that physical proximity makes it easier for citizens to hold local officials accountable for their performance. From an economic perspective, decentralization can improve the match between the mix of services provided by the public sector and the preferences of the local population. It has also been noted that people are more willing to pay for services that respond to their priorities and that increased competition between local governments generates spaces for more creative responses adapted to local needs. But then, can decentralization and citizen participation live up to the faith and expectations that they have inspired? I argue that the literature commonly over-emphasises the role of citizen participation and decentralization in development and what these processes and reforms can achieve. Much of the evidence is anecdotal in nature and tends to neglect the specific contexts in which these processes take place. Also largely ignored are political economy considerations and a critical exploration of the relationship between these two key words. At best, when their interrelationships are addressed decentralization and citizen participation are conceived as based on a symbiotic relationship. I suggest, however, that the relationship between these two processes is not as straightforward as most of the literature assumes. The meanings of these two key words in current development lexicon are explored and critically assessed. I argue that whether or not the rising prominence of these two words actually means the emergence of a new development agenda is a moot point. It critically depends on the understandings of these ambiguous terms. The thesis adopts a political economy approach. Combined with this is an awareness of the broader historical and socio-economic context in which citizen participation and decentralization take place. The thesis applies these ideas triangulating diverse research methods and data sources. It combines a literature review and documentary analysis, a survey conducted with municipal authorities and civil society organizations in the Eastern Cape as well as structured interviews with Ward councillors and with key informants. From a theoretical perspective, the study lays a foundation for understanding the relationship between development policies outcomes and the nature of citizen participation and decentralization in developing countries. This, in turn, provides a basis from which citizen participation and decentralization in South Africa can be assessed and understood. The thesis presents evidence from a case study of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. By revealing how different dimensions of decentralization and citizen participation operate and intersect, the findings demonstrate, that contrary to common knowledge, citizen participation and decentralization are frequently at odds. Moreover, contrary to frequent statements, the research also shows that opening new spaces for participation in decentralized local governance can result in fewer changes and disappointing results at best, undermining the transformative potential of the concepts of participation and decentralization.
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Memela, Siyabonga Ezra. "Public participation in local government municipalities in South Africa between 2006 and 2011 : lessons from Hibiscus Coast Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018176.
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There is an on-going debate in South Africa whether municipalities are an effective vehicle for deepening participatory democracy or not. Due to serious backlogs on services, the role of municipalities has largely been reduced to service delivery, to the detriment and total neglect of fundamental functions of local government. These are (Act 200, 1996):(a) To provide democratic and accountable government for local communities;(b) To ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner;(c) To promote social and economic development;(d) To promote a safe and healthy environment; and (e) To encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. On the other hand Haveri, Stenvall & Majoinen (2011) argue that if the municipalities are a government sphere closest to the people, they are therefore best placed to, and should, lead and support the deepening of participatory democracy, what they call self-government. As the debate rages on, there are indications that most of thechallenges that face the municipalities are related to the distance that has been developing between municipal institutions and the citizens.
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Mac, Kay Johny. "Developmental local government: a study of public participation of the Integrated Development Planning Process of the City of Cape Town." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2004. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
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Community participation is relevant to every sector of development, for example, education, health, housing, water and sanitation, agricultural development and conservation. The assumption is that public participation is positive in that it can contribute to making programmes more sustainable. Public participation in local government processes, especially in the Integrated Development Plan, is imperative to the promotion of institutional democracy. The Integrated Development Plan as a development tool promotes participatory democracy. This public participation study of the Integrated Development Plan in the City of Cape Town was conducted in four sub-council areas of the city to determine whether public participation was successful and whether the objectives of local government are being met.
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Bagui, Laban. "Public participation in government: the place of e-participation in the City of Cape Town-Western Cape." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1375.
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Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
Magister Technologiae: Information Technology
in the Faculty of Informatics and Design
at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013South Africa can be seen as one of the most advanced democracies on the African continent. Its 1996 constitution and state institutions were developed to enable a representative, deliberative and participative democracy. The legislature is predominant and public participation is expected like the element that legitimates the institutions of the state, their decisions and their initiatives. However, despite the use of ICTs to enhance the process of public participation, there remain profound misunderstandings between the government and its communities; expressed in demonstrations, strikes and other violent protests, as dissatisfaction in public service delivery grows and confidence in the government declines. The problem is that it seems that the potential of ICTs to better the processes of public participation is not fully understood and not fully realised. The aim of the study was to seek out elements helping and hindering the use of Mobile, Web and Social media in public participation in the city of Cape Town. This research endeavour falls under eParticipation research. It considers consultation for law and policy making in the city of Cape Town. It examines its democratic, social and communicational anchors in terms of facilitation and openness to change, on one hand; and it examines Mobile, Web and Social media, in terms of adoption and use for the purpose of public participation on the other hand. The research adopted the Critical Realism philosophical paradigm for its ontology and epistemology. It set out to use existing knowledge, theories and models to work mainly with qualitative data. It followed a qualitative, exploratory, holistic, and cross-sectional approach developing a case study of eParticipation in the city of Cape Town from a triangulation of methods. Data was gathered from literature, documents, in-depth interviews, a focus group and observation of meetings. The data gathered was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The case study analysis followed the structure of the research conceptual model and built the story of the development of eParticipation in the city, bringing together readiness achievements in individual community members‘ perceptions and attitudes to eParticipation, and readiness achievements in local government induced social facilitation of eParticipation. These eParticipation readiness elements were considered direct determinants of individuals‘ intention to participate using Mobile, Web and Social media, and of local government democratic engagement and openness to change, constituting the city‘s intensity of e-participation. That estimate of the intensity of eParticipation provided ground to sketch out it position towards achieving ‗cultural eParticipation‘ for the city of Cape Town. This study has implications for theory, policy and practice: It develops analytical frameworks for assessing and determining the place of eParticipation; and it suggests a map of favouring and hampering elements to eParticipation in the city of Cape Town.
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Nkuntse, Tulani. "Examining public participation as a contributor to good governance: a local government perspective." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/11854.
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This study undertook to examine public participation as a contributor to good governance in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), as part of the process of improving this Municipality’s governance. The main objectives of the study were to analyse the existing processes and arrangements for public participation in the NMBM; to examine the extent to which community participation influences decision-making; to investigate the factors that improve or lead to good governance in a municipal environment; to examine a framework for robust participation, in which communities are able to influence decisions that affect them; and to propose recommendations to potentially improve the Municipality’s governance. The triangulation research methodology was employed with emphasis on both the quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The sample comprised of two Ward Councillors, two selected Mayoral Committee members and 14 Ward Committee members. Questionnaires, with open and closed questions, were employed for the Ward Committee members and semi-structured interviews were conducted with both the Ward Councillors and the two Mayoral Committee members. Statistical procedures supplied by the NMMU Unit of Statistics were utilised to interpret and analyse the quantitative data to determine the results for data analysis. The qualitative data analysis involved thematic content analysis. The findings suggest that the current public participation processes are inadequate. The correlation of results further revealed that a significant negative relationship exists between the Ward Councillors, the Municipality and Ward Committee members. Despite various legislative prescriptions pertaining to public participation requirements in local government, the results suggest that the NMBM may be undertaking the public participation exercise for the sake of compliance and therefore it might not be a genuine exercise. The thesis proposes specific recommendations on how the NMBM can address the current shortcomings in terms of its public participation processes and strategies. Recommendations include significant civic education for the public to understand that being in a democratic country involves active participation in local affairs; more participatory initiatives need to be done to make the public aware of the role of Ward Committees and to invite people to apply to be on these Committees; recommendations also suggested that it would be crucial that Ward Committees are not used as a political platform to push political agendas, as this deters public participation. The NMBM needs to establish a monitoring and evaluation process to track their progress with public participation and develop and implement a public participation strategy and policy for enhanced public participation is also proposed in the thesis.
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Araujo, Xiomara. "Decentralisation in Venezuela and citizen participation in local government : the case of local councils for public planning and the communal councils." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7002.
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Venezuela began a process of decentralization in the late 1980s as part of a major period of institutional reform designed to restore legitimacy to the discredited political system of the time. The first efforts towards this end did not complete the process of decentralizing political power, since they did not open more spaces or channels for citizen participation in public affairs. With the adoption of a new National Constitution in 1999, however, new channels for citizen participation were opened through the creation, amongst other mechanisms, of the State Councils of Public Policy Planning, the Local Councils of Public Planning and later, the Community Councils. The primary objectives of this thesis were to analyze the degree to which this decentralization process has improved local governance in Venezuela. More specifically, the investigation focused on exploring the effectiveness of the measures introduced to enhance civil society participation in public affairs. The analysis draws upon and attempts to integrate insights from a range of academic literatures including those dealing with: the debates surrounding good governance , organizational and institutional theory, decentralization and civil society participation in public affairs. Rich empirical research into the degree to which the decentralization process has promoted citizen involvement in decision making involved the exploration of a wide range of secondary materials and the conducting of interviews with key actors and participants within the programmes under investigation. Key findings include the observation that the creation and operation of the Local Councils of Public Planning and Community Councils have led to the evolution of a participatory process that has been marred by a lack of legal continuity, institutional disorganization and a lack of awareness of the existence of the mechanisms (and some suspicion regarding their intentions amongst the general population). Outcomes have also been heavily influenced by the political polarization that exists in contemporary Venezuela. The community councils in particular have been the subject of considerable debate within the country with opinion sharply divided along political lines as to whether they represent a radical new vision of decentralization or another way to further centralize power within the hands of President Hugo Chávez.
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Ngqele, Sandile Wiseman. "An investigation of ward committees as a means for structured public participation: the case of the Knysna local municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1143.
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This study investigated the effectiveness of Ward Committees in co-ordinating and facilitating authentic public participation processes at local government levels. This study focused specifically on the Knysna Local Municipality. Before 1994 the majority of South Africans had never had the vote, and therefore, had not had the opportunity of participating in South Africa’s governance and administration (Hilliard and Kemp, 1999:40). In this governance system, local government was the lowest tier of government in a strict hierarchical structure; and it had no constitutional standing of its own, but derived its powers from the two superior tiers of government, namely national and provincial. The local government elections of 5 December 2000 in South Africa provided municipalities with a historic opportunity to transform local government to meet the needs of the country for the next century. The local government transformation process (in tandem with the demarcation process that established the new municipal boundaries) introduced more developmental responsibilities to municipalities. In addition, this further implied that local government became an autonomous sphere of government with its own original powers and a broad developmental mandate. This had profound implications for local governance. An important element of the current local government system is the promotion of local democracy and participation in local governance. Public participation is an integral part of local democracy and is a legislative requirement for the local community to be drawn into the v municipal processes through inter alia: Integrated Development Planning (IDP), budgeting, performance management and Ward Committees. Although the ‘old’ South African local government system did not have an extensive history in ensuring a culture of actively engaging communities in developmental issues, the IDP under a Developmental Local Government (DLG) system now presents a framework through which such a culture can be established. The Ward Committees in particular, play a critical role in linking community needs with municipal planning processes. In South African local government the commitment to public participation is reflected in a host of laws and policy documents (namely the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Act 117 of 1998), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa , 1996). These laws and policies are intended to be realised through development initiatives that require formal participatory processes and institutions in local governance. Since 2001 Ward Committees have emerged as a key institutional mechanism intended to contribute towards bringing about people-centred, participatory and democratic local governance. The rationale for Ward Committees is to supplement the roles of the elected Ward Councillors by creating a link between communities and the political and administrative structures of municipalities. These Ward Committees have been established in the majority of wards in municipalities across the country in line with the vi requirements of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act,1998 (Act 117 of 1998) which stipulates that: Only metropolitan and local municipalities of certain types may have Ward Committees. The main objective of the study was to investigate the overall functioning of Ward Committees within the Knysna Local Municipality and to determine their impact on democratic local governance thus far. The study will carry out an investigation into the effectiveness of Ward Committees: whether they are useful conduits for public participation in local governance; whether they are inherently capable of playing the critical role expected of them; and whether they actually create opportunities for real power-sharing between the Knysna Local Municipality and its communities. The study’s main objective stated above was achieved by breaking it down into realisable objectives, namely: • A brief background of the Knysna Local Municipality, and in particular, an outline of its institutional arrangements and its Ward Committees in general. • An evaluation of the theoretical and legislative framework of public participation and the Ward Committee System in local government. • An analysis of the practical performance of Ward Committees in the Knysna Local Municipality and to provide a research report on the empirical findings. • Recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of Ward Committees at local government levels in general, and in particular, in the Knysna Local Municipality. The hypothetical position of this study was that the maximum utilisation of Ward Committees as a means for public participation processes at local government levels, specifically in the Knysna Local Municipality, could improve communication between local municipalities and the public. Furthermore, this would also contribute towards the speedy delivery of services to communities, as Ward Committees could serve as the Local Municipality’s strategic partners in Council’s projects. Ward Committees should therefore be utilised to enhance a constructive interaction between a municipality and its local community. This position was premised on the fact that authentic and empowering participation can be established at local government levels if Ward Committees act as a foundation for development and Ward Committee Members as development change agents in their respective wards
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Bokwe, Nosiphiwo Gloria. "Assessing the local government turnaround strategy: the case of Ngqushwa Local Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020084.
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The thrust of the study is to investigate the Local Government Turnaround Strategy as introduced by Cabinet in the year 2009. In this treatise a critical evaluation of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy that was passed by cabinet as a panacea that seeks to address the challenges that are being faced by municipalities today will be embarked upon. A case study of the Ngqushwa Local Municipality in the Amathole District Municipal area will be undertaken with the view to understand whether the Local Government Turnaround Strategy will indeed assist ailing local municipalities like Ngqushwa. As can be seen in our country, apartheid has left many problems both in the social, economic and political realms of our society. When local government was first established it was for the perpetuation of separate development as enshrined in the policy of apartheid. Apartheid was not the beginning of geographic, institutional and social separation at the local level. Segregation was already a policy by the time apartheid was introduced in 1948. However, the Group Areas Act, the key piece of legislation, instituted strict residential segregation and compulsory removal of black people to own group areas. Through spatial separation, influx control, and a policy of own management for own areas, apartheid aimed to limit the extent to which affluent white municipalities would bear the financial burden of servicing disadvantaged black areas. These separate developments led to the collapse of the former Black Local Authorities. When the democratic government took over the same challenges reared their heads again. Many intervention programmes were introduced to assist ailing municipalities to be viable. The study thus has tried to indicate how the Turnaround has assisted municipalities like the Ngqushwa Local Municipality.
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Kurebwa, Jeffrey. "Rural women's representation and participation in local governance in the Masvingo and Mashonaland central provinces of Zimbabwe." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020085.
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This study focused on the representation and participation of rural women in local governance in the Masvingo and Mashonaland Central provinces of Zimbabwe. It argued that increased representation and participation of women in local governance, particularly as ward councillors and senior administrative employees, is important and should be pursued. This has the potential to change the local governance system. The research further argued that change is more likely to occur when elected women are supported by the presence of more women at the most senior administrative levels in the local governance system. The presence of more women is required if the local governance system is to become inclusive of the diversity of the people it represents, especially women. This study rejected the assumption that rural women are passive recipients of local governance since they contribute significantly in fulfilling household and community needs and interests. Through their knowledge and understanding of the construction of power relations at the local level, rural women have creatively managed to produce, reproduce and use alternative strategies which are based on their sexuality and traditional gender roles in challenging and transforming gender inequality at the local level and in improving the quality of rural women. A National Gender Management System (NGMS) that can be used to effectively promote gender equity, equality and justice in local authorities has been developed. It is desirable that the NGMS be established within the existing organisational framework of central and local governments in Zimbabwe. This should be connected to the national structures to ensure that local level activities are systematically accounted for at the national level. The NGMS recognises the strategic importance of building partnerships with social actors at all levels. Qualitative research method was used in the study. The study used both primary and secondary data in analysing the representation and participation of rural women in local governance in the two selected provinces in Zimbabwe, namely Masvingo and Mashonaland Central. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires, while secondary data was gathered through a literature survey of relevant textbooks, newspapers, and peer-reviewed journals, reports and legislation. The research findings indicated that rural women face a number of constraints in getting access to and participating in local governance. Some of the constraints include; cultural beliefs; violence against women; lack of resources; lack of mutual support among women; domestic responsibilities; and institutional factors. The contributions of the research to the study of women in local governance are discussed. Recommendations to increase the participation of women in local governance are made. These include creating an enabling environment for women’s political empowerment, gender-responsive budgets, capacity-building programmes, establishment of gender focal points, gender management committees and teams, increasing women’s self-worth and changing perceptions by men. The study also found that decentralisation in Zimbabwe has not brought local governance closer to rural women due to the interweaving cultural, structural, physical and financial barriers local government faces in ensuring gender equality.
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Mathabathe, Pheladi. "The participation of rural women in local governance structures in Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality since 2013." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6530.
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The rural women in EMLM hew the wood, carry water, satisfy the men, produce and take care of the children to continue the family tree, and manage all the household chores. Their contribution is central to the effective functioning of families and communities. Yet, in terms of decision-making and local governance structures, they are absent. Indeed, there is truly a large constituency of women out there who are largely unrepresented; and therefore, they have no idea how governance is conducted – even around them. This is unfair, especially in jurisdictions where women are clearly in the majority. It is inconceivable that local governance structures have over a decade recorded only a single elected female member. With this in mind, this study seeks to explore the extent of rural women’s participation in local governance in Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality. It is a comparison of traditional and democratic local governance structures; and the methods the researcher has used are qualitative and quantitative data on women councillors from 2013, in order to assess the factors that may be accountable for their small numbers, as compared to their male counterparts. The conclusion drawn was that the social structure, its traditions and cultural was identified in the study as the main obstacle to the advancement of women in the political arena. This study has not exhausted all the facets of the challenges; but it has brought a few to the fore, in an attempt to help stimulate debate, and inform policy and practice in the future.
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Fuku, Mzwamadoda. "An evaluation of public participation on service delivery at Lukhanji Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016495.
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After 1994, the democratic South Africa passed a number of legislations in order to address the imbalances of the previous apartheid regime. The new South African government had a special mandate to provide appropriate services to all the citizens of the country. In 1995 the government formulated the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service. The aim was to transform the South African public service, which is the indication of the importance of service delivery, as the key machinery of the government to equalize service delivery to all citizens. In 1996, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa anchored the Bill of Rights as the cornerstone of democracy that enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. Chapter ten of the Constitution stipulates the basic values and principles governing public administration. The South African Government has developed a wide range of legislation that ensures that communities are consulted on a continuous basis with regard to how services need to be rendered. Communities have a right to be consulted and to give input into issues affecting them. Public consultation as envisaged in the South African legislation has, however, not yielded the desired results which is evident in the spate of service delivery protests over poor or non-service delivery. Section 152(1) (e) of the constitution stipulates amongst others, promotes involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. Section 73 of the Municipal Structures Act (no.117 of 1998) also requires municipalities to establish ward committees in a manner that seeks to enhance participatory democracy at the local level. The study therefore is to check that decision-makers at the Chris Hani Municipality understand the consequences of their decisions before they act and people affected get the opportunity to participate in designing their future.
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Penderis, Sharon. "State–society relations in the ‘South African developmental state’: integrated development planning and public participation at the local level." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4548.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDIn various formulations, the idea of a developmental state has appeared in official discourse in South Africa since the advent of democratic government in 1994, albeit that its adoption as state policy has been slow, uneven and inconsistent with the original East Asian model. What has been a feature of developmental state thinking in South Africa is the fact that the concept has been so poorly articulated in policy that it has come to mean different things to different state actors and to the public. This has been aggravated by the fact that the idea of a strongly interventionist developmental state has run counter to the idea of a diminished state enunciated in various neo-liberal policies. Moreover, unlike the authoritarian and top-down East Asian model, the government envisages a South African developmental state which is infused with democratic content where citizens assist in the formulation of policy from below. In its emphasis on a bottom-up approach to policy formulation the South African model differs markedly from the conventional idea of a developmental state which is heavily reliant on a strong central bureaucracy to drive economic growth. In the South African model local government has been assigned a pivotal role in addressing persistent economic exclusion and uneven development. A central tenet of this approach is the need for local authorities to institutionalise participatory processes at grassroots level and devise effective structures and processes to facilitate citizen participation in local affairs. In the light of the above, this thesis sets out to examine the manner in which a system of developmental local government is being implemented in the City of Cape Town. Taking as a case study the township of Delft, the study looks at the systems and processes (and particularly the process of integrated development planning) set in place to advance citizen participation. It examines the extent to which the model is perceived to be achieving its goals from the perspective of political office bearers, officials from different spheres of government and residents. The research found that notwithstanding an enabling legislative and policy framework, there is little comprehension of, or interest, in the idea of developmental local government and municipal officials largely pay lip service to participatory processes which are carried out in a top-down fashion and which neither empower local residents nor enhance their welfare. It also concluded that developmental government, in its present form, is contributing little to the establishment of a national developmental state.
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Jaroszynski, Taru. "Preparing for the ethical encounter investigating the role and type of citizen education to encourage participation in local government." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/4703.
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Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.
This dissertation looks at the possibilities for an ethical encounter' at a local government level. Much has been written on the problems and challenges of local government in its structure, its politicisation and the dynamics within these invited spaces. This is compounded by service delivery protests which are directed at the inadequacy of local government. These protests suggest that the invited spaces do not provide the options for ethical encounters.
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Mbane, Masibulele. "Community participation in the decision-making process in Mnquma Local Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018501.
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The study investigates community participation in the decision-making processes in Mnquma Local Municipality. The issue of community participation in decision making is receiving attention in South Africa, from both government and civil society sectors. Governments in many parts of the world have begun to take a fresh look at the need for public participation in decision-making processes. The main problem to be addressed in this study is the extent to which the community can be involved in decision making processes in Mnquma Local Municipality. To address the research problem and to achieve the aims of this study, an in depth review of the literature on decision making was done. The empirical search was done by distributing self-administered questionnaires to the participants in Mnquma Local Municipality. The research findings revealed that in Mnquma Local Municipality community participation in decision-making is not effective. Consequently, the delivery of services in this municipality is poor. Another factor that inhibits community participation in the decision making processes in the municipality is that most of the municipal documents are written in English a language in which the majority of the members of the community are not competent in because they are Xhosa speaking people. Recommendations for improved satisfaction in service delivery, communication, consultation, regular meetings, and language were made with regard to community participation in decision making. If these recommendations are implemented, they will assist Mnquma Local Municipality in the area of decision making.
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Sado, Davis Greg. "An assessment of local participation within the decentralised framework: a case of Lilongwe District Council." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/375.
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The research analyses local participation as it is implemented within the Lilongwe District Council. The study explores decentralisation in the council by examining important facets that contribute to good local governance with a special interest in local participation. The study finds that while local participation is a recognized feature in the decentralisation policy, lack of proper involvement and integration has limited the efficacy of local participation. The neglect of government in conducting local government elections to have ward councillors in place is brought to the fore as a major setback to the implementation of decentralisation reforms. The study therefore notes that decentralisation must not be seen as just a policy goal, with the aim of shifting development to the communities, but as a policy instrument which aims to improve local democracy, efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of social services. In order to achieve this, the study proposes five key recommendations and a proposed model for the attainment of good governance in the Council.
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Mbewana, Stembiso Matthews. "Public participation in integrated development planning, New Brighton, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality : 2006-2010." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1775.
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The most important difference between the new form of local government and that of the past is the creative and dynamic “developmental role” for local government to ensure maximum impact on poverty alleviation within resource constraints, and to address spatially entrenched socio‐economic inequalities. This needs to take place within the framework of integrated development planning, which is linked to the annual budgeting cycles. The IDP process is intended to provide communities with opportunities for participation in articulating, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating their needs. The aim of the research was to establish to what extent cooperation between the communities and the ward committees in the ward of New Brighton exists, with specific reference to consultation and participation in terms of IDP. A qualitative study was undertaken and literature review on public participation in terms of the IDP was conducted. Relevant secondary data was sourced and structured interviews were conducted with councillors representing New Brighton. Focus group interviews were also conducted with ward committee members from New Brighton. The research revealed that the priorities and genuine needs of the communities were often ignored by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. There is no correlation between the genuine needs of the communities and those perceived to be the needs of the communities by the public officials. Challenges on public participation in IDP process were also found to be associated with the relationship between the councillors and public officials on what constitute the genuine needs of the communities.
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Sondaba, Nomakhaya Princess. "An assessment of community consultation and participation: a case study of the Umhlontlo Local Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14389.
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South African municipalities have often been labelled as failing in the provision of services to local communities. These allegations include poor governance, mal administration, corruption and poor delivery of services to where they are needed most. Certain municipalities, however, are unable to deliver sufficient services to the communities of their geographic areas due to mal administration, political interference and corruption. This study is about the analysis of Community Participation and Consultation in Local Government, using the Umhlontlo Local Municipality as a case study. The focus of the study was on the participation of communities in the decision making processes of their local municipalities. The issue of community participation in decision making has been receiving attention in South Africa, from both government and civil society sectors. Only 50% of the areas are receiving running water, enjoying electricity and living in RDP houses. Government in many parts of the world has begun to take a fresh look at the need for public participation in the decision making process. The main problem that will be addressed in this study, is the extent to which communities can be involved in the decision making process in the Umhlontlo Local Municipality. To address this research problem and to achieve the aim of this study, an in-depth review of the literature on decision making was conducted. The empirical research was done by distributing self-administered questionnaires to the participants in Umhlontlo Local Municipality. The research findings will reveal that there is poor community consultation. This report presents the findings of a study conducted to identify the strategies and consultation structures used in the participation of communities in the decision making processes. Measures of effectiveness of these strategies are also indicated in the report. A key indicator of the need for this study was triggered by the non-attendance of the communities in the IDP (Define IDP – Integrated Development Plan) road shows and also by the complaints of a serious lack in service delivery. It was also noted that there was little understanding of the IDP concept & documentation. The results of this study also show that the communities do not fully participate in the development planning processes. The researcher hopes that this study will sensitize the communities to participate in the affairs of their development so as to accelerate progress in communities, which will further improve the quality of their lives.
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de, Vries Stephen. "Enhancing participatory democracy: in municipal affairs through the ward committee system: A participatory monitoring and evaluation approach." University of the Western Cape, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/6522.
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Magister Administrationis - MAdminLocal government is a key point of service delivery and is the sphere where most people interface with government. A good relationship with communities at local government level is therefore critical. Ward committees were designed to improve the relationship between citizens and municipalities and to give effect to the constitutional obligations of municipalities, to provide democratic government and to involve citizens in the affairs of local government. The establishment of ward committees has been met with great enthusiasm by local communities, as a platform to engage with municipalities. National government and provincial governments were key drivers in this project , with support to municipalities in the establishment of ward committee. This endeavour was intended to facilitate better relationships and cooperation between council and its communities. This objective of this research study was to explore whether participatory democracy can be enhanced through a participatory monitoring and evaluation approach within the current ward committee system. The main research question was whether ward committees could be utilised as effective instruments for participatory monitoring and evaluation of municipal service? The sub-questions were: what is the theoretical and legal framework for ward committees; what was the status of ward committee in Knysna Municipality; what were the challenges of the ward committee system; is there a role for ward committees in participatory monitoring and evaluation; and were there recommendations for the involvement of ward committees in participatory, monitoring and evaluation and improvement of the efficacy of ward committees? The study arose out of continuous service delivery protests by communities because of the dissatisfaction with the state of municipal services. Secondly, various research studies have found that, despite national, provincial and local government support programmes for ward committees, the majority remain ineffective and inefficient, and the social distance between communities and municipalities is growing. The lack of communication and the non-responsiveness of municipalities were found to be some of the main causes for the ineffectiveness of ward committees. Key theorists suggest that some of these protests would not occur if effective monitoring and evaluation are institutionalised and communities are involved in monitoring and evaluation. A participatory approach for monitoring and evaluation was therefore examined within the local government legislative framework of South Africa. A qualitative research method was chosen, using a case study design. The case study design was chosen because such studies do not attempt to make any generalisations in term of the results or that it will be similar in another case study. This study was focussed on exploring and understanding the issue. Primary data was collected through interviews and focus groups with ward committee members, ward councillors and municipal officials. Key findings gave emphasis to challenges of lack of communication, non-responsiveness of municipalities and contestation from other community-based organisations that had a negative impact on the credibility and authority of ward committees. The effectiveness of the municipal performance management system as a monitoring and evaluation tool was also questioned in the findings. The significance or value of the study lies in the finding that willingness for participatory monitoring and evaluation exists as does the insight into the status of municipal performance management systems. Recommendations are made for delegating monitoring and evaluation functions to ward committees. Further investigations into modalities for participatory or result-based monitoring and evaluation, as well as the impact of financial and audit driven performance management system are recommended.
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Mouton, Lorette. "A communication framework for public participation in municipal development initiatives." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49809.
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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.
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Kayuni, Happy Mickson. "The role of party politics in local participation and representation: challenges and prospects in Malawi's local assemblies." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2772.
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Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.Soon after independence in 1964 the Malawi government made an attempt to decentralise some of its activities through the creation of district development committees. However, in practice local-level institutions were not fully operational as the one-party system of government (led by the Malawi Congress Party) tended to manipulate the autonomy and operations of these institutions. Accordingly, there was no manifestation of local participation and representation. The period of one-party rule in Malawi came to an end in 1994 with the introduction of multi-party democracy. The new government revitalised the idea of decentralised governance by passing the Local Government Act of 1998, which saw the establishment of local assemblies. Thus officially Malawi has a very supportive system in relation to citizen participation and representation through decentralised local institutions. However, in practice, there is no clear evidence that this is actually being realised. Consequently, this study was undertaken to examine the role of party politics on local participation and representation. The study was conducted in three district local assemblies of Malawi ...
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Nicolay, John. "Historic preservation: a study in local public administration." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27843.
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Do citizen volunteers, sitting on legislatively created local historic architectural review boards, represent a part of the American governance tradition? This study examines the relationships between public board members, citizen interests, career public administrators and the elected appointing authorities. This research involved a national survey of over 1200 members of boards of historic architectural review. In addition, four town or county case studies are presented in detail. These case studies are Jonesborough, Tennessee; Lynchburg, Virginia; Cobb County, Georgia; and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. These case studies are examined through an ecological perspective.
Within the context of this study, boards of historic architectural review are very much a part of the urban/town/county governance model. They are highly professional in their composition, highly egalitarian, and deeply committed to furthering highly individualistic notions of community. Although some national community studies suggest a malaise in communitarian ideals, this research suggests just the contrary. The failure of citizenship falls more upon the legitimacy accorded to citizens as public administrators rather than an apathy toward manifesting that citizenship.
Historic preservation itself is in a national state of disarray. Its ethos is poorly defined, and the national wellspring for preservation impetus to the local community is strained. Most communities find themselves struggling to fit a nostalgic, sentimental vision of the preserved environment into a well articulated economic model.
This research suggests that local historic architectural review boards need to draw upon themselves to create better opportunities through self-study and formal certification programs. By enhancing their natural reserves of professionalism and commitment, they will advertise what they already do very well: administer in the public interest. By joining with like-minded community-based public boards this new coalition promises a energy and direction for municipal governments. The key is to foster an open environment of dialogue and debate centered on furthering good, responsive government.Ph. D.
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Leduka, Moliehi. "Participatory budgeting in the South African local government context : the case of the Mantsopa local municipality, Free State Province." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2835.
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Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.This study was carried out to assess the extent of citizen participation in local government decision-making, with focus on the local government budgeting processes. A framework of participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil is used to assess participation in budgeting in the Mantsopa Local Municipality in the Free State Province with a view to drawing appropriate lessons for South Africa as a whole. The research looks at three important concepts in governance. The first is the issue of good governance. The second is citizen participation and collaboration as cornerstones of good governance. The third is participatory budgeting as an aspect of citizen participation and collaborative decisionmaking. A multiple research approach was employed, which included the use of focus group discussions, and interviews to examine the level of citizen participation in local government decision-making process within the Mantsopa Municipality. Municipal documents and records were used to analyse the existing situation within the municipality. The research found out that the political and administrative elites are still holding on to power that should be in the hands of citizens. Civil society groups are still being neglected in local government decision-making. Citizens are also not being encouraged and mobilised to take part in the budget process. The issue of racial discrimination in engaging citizens in decision-making still exists. Mostly, the white business and farming community felt that they were largely excluded from these processes.
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Thompson, Bryan Matthew. "Rashomon Comes to the Courtroom: The Adoption of the Lay Judge System in Japan, Its Impact on Jurisprudence, and the Implications for Civic Engagement." PDXScholar, 2010. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/440.
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In May of 2009, Japan began formal operations of the saiban-in seido or lay judge system, a quasi-jury means of criminal trial adjudication that represents the first occasion since 1943 that average Japanese citizens will be required to fulfill a role in the criminal jurisprudential process. While the lay judge system promises to affect the methods and procedures of criminal trials in Japan, recent scholarship in the United States has raised an interesting question: to what degree can the lay participatory adjudication process facilitate greater levels of civic engagement in past citizen jurists once their service has completed? It is with this question in mind that the Japanese lay judge system is examined. In this work I first analyze how the Japanese judicial system fits within the global context, measuring it against the adversarial and inquisitorial archetypes that are followed by other liberal democracies. I then look to describe how lay adjudication is handled elsewhere around the world, finding that two major systems are employed - the Anglo-American jury and the European mixed-tribunal - with the Japanese lay judge system bearing great resemblance towards the latter. In investigating the origins of the lay judge system, and the changes this new method brings to Japanese criminal jurisprudence, I seek to detail the goals of this recent reform and the opportunities the lay judge system has to realize those aims. Finally, I look to how lay participation in the courtroom can inspire individuals to be more civically active once their service at trial is finished. In this pursuit, I look to relevant theoretical literature that describes how deliberative participation can spur further participation in civil society, as well as recent research in the United States that document linkages between jury service and an individual`s later inclination to be more civically engaged. With this evidence in hand, I return the focus to Japan and the lay judge system and ask what results can be expected under this new system. As sufficient data is not readily available to make definitive declarations as to the civic engagement-enhancing potential of the lay judge system - due to the relative newness of the institution - this thesis instead offers theories and hypotheses that may prove fruitful to later investigations on this very question. Moreover, I examine opinions prevalent in the current literature that would question the ability of the lay judge system to invigorate the civic engagement-tendencies of past lay jurists and analyze their veracity. In this manner, I seek to provide future research in this area with a more stable footing to proceed.
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Nsibirwa, Martin Semalulu. "An Examination of the domestication of normative standards on women's political participation at Local Government Level in Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/37360.
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This study is premised on the assumption that women’s right to political participation in
Africa is vital, especially as women constitute half of the population in African states. Since
the 1990s, much attention has been focussed on the role of women in African politics.
Consequently, women’s inclusion, especially in legislatures and in the executive arm of
government, has increased during this period. International and national law, combined
with political will, have been relied upon to ensure that women are included in key decisionmaking
positions in national government. However, women’s political participation in local
government has received less attention, despite the fact that local government may be the
level of government best suited to positively impact on women’s daily lives. Four of the
leading African states in respect of women’s political participation in local government are
Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. The study focuses on these states with a view to
establishing the extent to which they have domesticated international norms that advance
women’s political participation in local government.
Surveying relevant international instruments at the global and Africa regional level, the
study establishes that generally, international law recognises women’s right to participate in
politics. Local government was, in particular, not even mentioned and participation in local
government could be inferred from the wider right to political participation. However,
recent developments in international law are increasingly paying attention to local
government. In addition, attention is increasingly being paid to ensuring that women enjoy
the right to political participation on the basis of equality with men. Consequently, parity in
representation is being promoted and states are expected to domesticate the international
norms to which they are parties in order to realise the goal of equality in political
participation.
States have made efforts to domesticate international norms by including them in their
constitutions or legislation. In addition, states have put in place temporary special measures
focussing on the area of local government. These measures are to be utilised by states, to
ensure that women participate more fully in local government.
vi
With respect to the four states under investigation, it is observed that there is a limited
application of temporary special measures that can be used to promote women’s political
participation in local government. In terms of the actual extent of women’s participation,
the limited available data illustrates a relatively high percentage of women in local
government, especially at the level of councillors where all the four states reviewed are
performing reasonably well. None of the four states has attained gender parity among
directly elected councillors even though the number of women councillors is fairly high in
some of the states. Among other senior local government positions, the rate of including
women is inconsistent. In some cases women are included in substantial numbers but there
are also cases were the inclusion of women is disconcertingly low. States are also failing to
provide detailed information on women’s political participation across all portfolios in local
government. The implication of such shortcomings is that the actual levels of women’s
inclusion remain largely unknown and therefore efforts to address women’s marginalisation
are undermined.
In order to ensure increased political participation of women at the local government level,
a number of measures must be taken. First, efforts should be made at the international level
to further elaborate the right to political participation with particular reference to local
government, especially in so far as indirectly elected or appointed office is concerned. These
are areas of local government where the current norms do not sufficiently advance
women’s inclusion and as a result inclusion of women is inconsistent. Second, human rights
treaty bodies should pay greater attention to questioning states on their performance in
including women in local government. Questioning state performance will create greater
awareness and increase the attention that states pay to women’s political participation in
local government. Third, concerted efforts should be made to streamline legislation on local
government in the four states under review with a view to making it simpler, clearer and
consistent. The current proliferation of laws can create challenges in understanding the
extent to which the law promotes women’s political participation in local government.
Finally, the four states should display greater transparency with regard to providing data on
women’s political participation in local government. Providing sufficient data would enable
proper scrutiny and provide a diachronic picture of developments as far as women and
men’s political participation in local government is concerned.Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
gm2014
Centre for Human Rights
Unrestricted
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Peter, Zola Welcome. "The role of ward committees in enhancing community participation: a South African perspective." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19938.
Full textAbstract:
Community participation in municipal affairs is the bedrock of participatory democracy, and it has been hailed as the panacea for most public community programmes in South Africa. High-level public community participation empowers communities, increases self-reliance, self-awareness and confidence in self-examination of problems and seeking solutions for them. Community behavioural changes are promoted and utilisation and support of services is facilitated, which are of great significance to all community efforts, especially in areas where the service delivery rate from municipalities is low. The vehicle for driving community participation is the system of ward committees, legislation that is rooted in the Constitution, the Municipal Structures Act, and the Municipal Systems Act. The study sees community participation as people being involved in government decision-making that affects them directly or indirectly. It involves three types of action, namely facilitating rational deliberation, creating and communicating moral principles, and expressing personal and group affects and needs. This research investigated the role of ward committees in enhancing community participation from a South African perspective. Municipalities are organisations tasked with ensuring the equal distribution of services to local communities. Municipalities were chosen on the basis of commitment to communicate effectively with the community and in turn to encourage the community to participate fully in municipal activities. The study is conducted within the parameters of the Constitution of South Africa (1996), which mandates local government to provide a democratic and accountable local government, and to encourage the involvement of communities in the matters of local government. Section 152(1)(e) of the Constitution stipulates that the objective of local government, amongst others, is to ensure the involvement of communities and community organisations in matters of local government, and section 73 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act (Act No. 117 of 1998), further requires municipalities to establish ward committees in a manner that seeks to enhance participatory democracy at the local sphere of government. The study therefore investigated the role of ward committees in enhancing community participation. Ward committees are advisory bodies created at ward level in terms of the Municipal Structures Act (Act No. 117 of 1998), and consist of the ward councillor (who is the chair) and not more than 10 members representing diverse groups within a particular ward. The White Paper on Local Government (1998) further indicates that municipal councils should promote the involvement of citizens and community groups in the design and delivery of municipal programmes. A literature survey was conducted to investigate and conceptualise the role of ward committees in enhancing community participation, and to determine the responsibilities of ward committees in municipalities. A desktop approach was used to track down useful existing pre-published information (also known as secondary research), with the data collection coming from secondary sources, such as municipal records. A number of recommendations regarding the improvement of ward committees were made. Recommendations are provided for enhancing community participation in different municipalities in South Africa. It is envisaged that these changes could impact positively in encouraging community participation and ultimately improve service delivery.
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Cheung, Hoi-yee. "Citizen-driven public participation in planning processes within an executive-led government a case study of local action and central harborfront planning /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2009. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B42930340.
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Arends, Darrin. "An assessment of the effectiveness of public consultation: the case study of selected ward committees in the Northern Bay Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1535.
Full textAbstract:
Since 1994, the South African local government has been obligated to consult with its citizenry in respect of the processes of relating to service delivery. The South African Government has developed a wide range of legislation that ensures that communities are consulted on a continuous basis with regard to how services need to be rendered. Communities have a right to be consulted and to give input into issues affecting them. Public consultation as envisaged in the South African legislation has, however, not yielded the desired results which is evident in the spate of service delivery protests over poor or non service delivery. Therefore, this study seeks to analyse the effectiveness and efficiency of pubic consultation in the Northern Areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The researcher used qualitative research methods since it would provide the reader with more insight into how public consultation is implemented in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The communities, senior municipal officials, and councillors have been interviewed in a structured manner and a content analysis has been made of the minutes of the ward committees in the Northern Areas, the annual reports of the Municipality’s Oversight Committee and a range of other reading material. A number of findings has been made during this research project with the most pertinent being the non-compliance to certain sections of legislation by the Municipality. The communities in the Northern Areas generally felt that efficient and effective public consultation would reduce the number of service delivery protests in that part of the Municipality. A number of interventions need to be made by the political leadership with regard to public consultation and more resources need to be committed towards those processes.
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Helao, Tuhafeni. "The role of regional councillors in consultation and communication regarding rural service delivery in the Oshana region of Namibia." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2005. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
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This study examined the role of regional councilors in consultation and communication regarding rural service delivery in Namibia, with specific reference to the Oshana region. The research includes a case study that assessed the degree and the extent to which consultation and communication takes place between regional councilors and community members at constituency level in the region. It also examined the inevitability of consultation and communication concerning basic services provision such as water and electricity in the Oshana region.
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Dywili, Siyanda. "The role of public participation in the integrated development planning process: Chris Hani District Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14983.
Full textAbstract:
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, in Chapter 7, requires all municipalities to encourage members of the public to participate in the matters of local government. Public participation is the process by which public concerns, needs, and values are integrated into governmental and corporate decision making. The Integrated Development Plan is an example of local government instruments which seek public participation in order to address community needs through service delivery. Consequently, this study was to explore the role of public participation in the Integrated Development Planning process of the Chris Hani District Municipality. The main objectives of this study were to understand the IDP making process, establish the importance of public participation, understand the role played by the municipality to encourage public participation in the IDP processes, understand the influence of IDP in service delivery and to make recommendations based on the findings presented. To conduct this study, qualitative research methodology was employed. The population sample comprised of councillors and municipal officials. Structured interviews were conducted with the councillors, while semi-structured interviews were held with municipal officials. The findings of the study revealed that the Chris Hani District Municipality views public participation as an integral part of the IDP making process. Measures and strategies are taken by the municipality to enhance public involvement in all matters of the municipality, including the IDP process. To achieve this the municipality partners with a number of stakeholders such as the local municipalities, government departments and organised groups. However, this is not enough hence recommendations are presented to improve this situation. Recommendations proposed include introducing capacity building programmes for councillors, establishment of a public participation unit, availing budget for public participation and educating members of the public about public participation and the IDP process.
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Ned, Samora. "An assessment of community participation in strategic decision-making: the case of Amothole District Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5742.
Full textAbstract:
The South African Constitution of 1996, as amended, provides for three spheres of Government, namely National, Provincial and Local Government. The local sphere of government is mandated to provide developmental and accountable local government and to ensure the provision of basic services to communities in a sustainable manner. The Department of Provincial and Local Government Community-Based Workbook and Guide provided that local government legislation has been put in a place to enable South Africa to constructively work towards providing basic services and improving the social and economic lives of citizens. As local government is the sphere of government where delivery takes place at community level, it is important to ensure and secure the support and participation of communities. It is critical to mention that local government faces many challenges in providing services that will contribute to developing a peaceful, stable and healthy environment. In adherence to Local Government legislation, which includes, inter alia, the Municipal Systems Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act, the local authorities are required to provide systems and processes to enable public participation processes in the affairs of the municipalities. This requirement is mandatory to ensure that citizens contribute by making input in the planning of the municipality. Amathole District Municipality adopted a Public Participation and Petitions Policy to ensure that citizens participate in the activities of the municipality. The main purpose of this study was to establish whether those structures are effective and whether the municipality, in its planning processes, considered the views and input of the communities. The study investigated the extent of community participation in municipal planning and performance and also investigated the effectiveness of ADM community participation strategies. Quantitative research methods were used to collect data for the study. The research questionnaire covered a wide range of council related activities ranging from knowledge of local government legislation relating to public participation, understanding of public participation processes by councillors, compliance of the municipality with public participation processes and related legislation and feedback to communities on the input they make to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the Budget planning processes. The questionnaires were administered to all Councillors within the municipality to ensure that all municipal programmes were covered, and the Executive Mayor, Council Speaker who ensures that council resolutions are implemented and the Chief Whip of Council, who is responsible for the welfare of all political parties in Council. There was also the inclusion of the Chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee who is responsible for oversight and monitoring the performance of the Executive. The sample group was carefully chosen to represent a wide range of councillors who serve in the ADM Council. The positive response rate therefore provided an acceptable scientific basis for analysis and objectivity to the study.
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Yekani, Babalo. "Enhancing public participation in the integrated development planning process: a case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8989.
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The aim of the study is to investigate effective strategies and processes for public participation in the IDP process in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. A qualitative study was undertaken and literature review on public participation in terms of the Integrated Development Planning was conducted. Relevant secondary data was sourced and structured interviews were conducted with three (3) ward councillors in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipal. Focus group interviews were also conducted with ward committee members from three (3) wards in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The findings of this research indicate that ward councilors have limited information on administrative processes. This could lead to ward councillors not be able to provide feedback on various service delivery issues and the progress of the municipal projects. Also ward councillors may not be able to influence public participation if they do not understand their role in administrative processes such as monitoring implementation of council decisions and policies. Ward councillors have no influence on the Integrated Development Planning especially the cost and budget estimates for municipal projects which are intended to benefit the members of the community. On the basis of the key findings, recommendations were made that ward committees should be empowered to deal with the complex developments in the Integrated Development Planning process and ward councillors should play a leading role in the Integrated Development Planning process.
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Falisse, Jean-Benoît. "The community governance of basic social services in fragile states : health facility committees in Burundi and South Kivu, DR Congo." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6e81e494-f01f-4df6-a934-3acd7e2c20f0.
Full textAbstract:
In many low-income and 'fragile' states, citizens' committees are elected to co-manage basic social services. However, the effects of such committees on service delivery, and the way they are influenced by local contexts, remain understudied. This thesis seeks to fill these gaps by examining the case of the health facility committees in Burundi and South Kivu between 2011 and 2014. It relies on original health facility and committee surveys, household surveys, nested interviews and focus groups, and interviews with key informants. The thesis firstly explores how the committees came about. It then looks at the questions, What makes them get involved in decisions at their health facility? and, How do measures designed to improve committee functioning lead to changes in service delivery, if at all? Mixed-methods work finds that chief nurses largely dominate the health facilities, and the committees appear to be both the product of recent political and administrative changes and a façade of community governance. The work's randomised controlled trial tests the idea that this inefficiency arises from an 'institutional knowledge gap': the committee members and nurses do not know the committee's (official) functioning. An information session has strengthened the committees and led to changes in health facility management in South Kivu, but not in Burundi. This difference seems to come from dissimilar management structures and people's relationships to service providers. The intervention has had no effect on service provision. The remaining chapters report on additional interventions in Burundi, which theory and qualitative research suggest might improve the effects of the knowledge intervention: trust-building between nurses and committee, information about health facility performance, and increased interaction between local leaders and committees. These are either ineffective or have unintended consequences. Overall, the thesis nuances the promises of social accountability mechanisms and stresses the importance of power relationships within basic social services.
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Nqwemeshe, Nomvuyo. "The structural arrangements in local government and their role in promoting community participation in basic service delivery: a case study of Emalahleni and Intsika Yethu local municipalities in the Chris Hani District Municipality area." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003103.
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This study analyses the effectiveness of community participation in service delivery. The area of study, the Chris Ham District Municipality (CHDM), is a Water Services Authority, responsible for ensuring access to water services (water and sanitation) by all communities within its jurisdiction. There are eight local municipalities within the CHDM. The objective of this study is to determine whether systems are in place in local government to promote participation by communities in service delivery projects and whether these systems are being utilised efficiently by the role-players concerned. The role-players in this research are people who are involved in community development programmes of the municipality (municipal staff in the relevant departments of the municipalities under study, the social facilitators, civil society organisations, ward committees, ward councillors, traditional authorities as well as the representatives of communities (Project Steering Committees) who are beneficiaries of the projects under study). The projects that are under study were selected from a readily available list of CHDM capital projects that appear in the 2003/2004 financial year funding plan and are running. The findings of the study at both levels (local and district) show that the municipal environment is not conducive to promoting community participation. This is linked to factors such as the structural arrangements, whereby the offices relevant for promoting community participation are not fully occupied, which provided evidence that community participation is not prioritised. There is lack of coordination of programmes within the local government spheres as well within departments of the DM and strategies for community participation have been found to be non-effective. At project level lack of community participation is linked to the utilisation of ward committees as the only mechanism for community participation regardless of its un-equal and party biased representation. This study therefore concludes that although the systems to promote community participation are in place, they are not effective.
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Yau, Kwai-chong Eliza, and 尤桂莊. "A critical review of the District Administrative Scheme in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2006. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B36429788.
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Mattsson, Anny. "Accessibility to democracy through participation -A case study of how social vulnerability and marginalisation is taken into consideration by local governments in their participatory process." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för humaniora, utbildnings- och samhällsvetenskap, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-83456.
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Participation as a way to ensure equal accessibility to democracy has gained importance alongside the concept of sustainability. At the same time, it has become clear that not everyone has equal opportunity to participate in these participatory events, creating power issues that leave out the voices of certain societal groups from the political context. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to research how this issue can be solved, by looking at how local governments are working to ensure that everyone is given equal opportunity to participate when it is of relevance to them. The purpose is also to specifically research how social vulnerability and marginalisation is taken into consideration in the participatory process. The researched questions used to fulfil this purpose is: 1) How do local municipalities work to ensure equal accessibility to participatory events? 2) How is social vulnerability or marginalisation taken into consideration in the participatory process? 3) Can the strategies used by the municipality be argued to increase citizens’ accessibility to democracy? To answer these questions this study uses a case study design and a combination of two methods: interviews and text analysis. The data material consists of interviews with public officials and politicians at Örebro municipality along with the guidelines and handbooks developed by the municipality about their work with participatory events. The study concludes that Örebro municipality uses a number of different strategies that arguably enables them to have a more inclusive participatory process. They for example uses target group analysis, adapts the event to the group it concerns, take language, place of event, method of announcement into consideration and adapts the language to make the event more accessible. The study could conclude that through these strategies, along with directed efforts towards socially vulnerable and marginalised groups, the municipality appears to take these aspects in to consideration and therefore enhance the possible for more citizens to participate. The questions whether the strategies used by the municipality could increase citizens accessibility to democracy through participatory events generated a more ambivalent discussion and could not be giving a clear answer. There were aspects that to a certain degree could indicate that it was made possible through the strategies used by the municipality. But other aspect such as the ambiguity related to the purpose and definition of the participatory events contradicted this and showed that there exists a tension between wanting to enforce decisions and including citizens perspectives and input.
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Botha, Johannes Rudolf. "Xenophobia conflict in De Doorns; a development communication challenge for developmental local government." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20094.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Xenophobic hostility is not an unfamiliar concept – it is practiced all over the world, also in South Africa. Defined by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) as a deep dislike of non-nationals by nationals of a recipient state, it constitutes a violation of the human rights of a targeted group, threatening the very principals upon which the young democracy is modelled on. What distinguishes xenophobia in South Africa from the rest of the world is its violent manifestation. In this country xenophobia is more than just an attitude, it is a violent practise, fuelled by racism, intolerance, ignorance and incapacity to deliver on developmental expectations. The 2008 xenophobic attacks in major centres in South Africa stunned the local and international communities, causing researchers to rush in search of answers. Just as the furore turned into complacency, on 17 November 2009, 3000 Zimbabwean citizens living in the rural community of De Doorns in the Western Cape were displaced as a result of xenophobic violence. Reasons for the attacks vary, with some blaming the contestation for scarce resources, others attribute it to the country’s violent past, inadequate service delivery and the influence of micro politics in townships. In assessing the reasons for the attacks the study claims that the third tier of government in terms of its Constitutional developmental mandate fails to properly engage with communities on their basic needs; that its inability to live up to post-apartheid expectations triggers frustration into violent xenophobic action. The De Doorns case offers valuable insight into the nature and scope of the phenomenon in rural areas, highlighting local government’s community participation efforts in exercising its developmental responsibility and dealing with the issue of xenophobia.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Xenofobie is nie ’n onbekende verskynsel nie, dit kom reg oor die wêreld, ook in Suid- Afrika voor. Gedefinieer deur die Suid Afrikaanse Menseregte Kommissie as ’n diep gesetelde afkeur aan vreemdelinge deur die inwoners van ’n gasheer land, verteenwoordig dit ’n skending van menseregte en hou dit ’n bedreiging vir die jong demokrasie in. Xenofobie in Suid-Afrika word gekenmerk deur die geweldadige aard daarvan. Hier verteenwoordig dit meer as ’n ingesteltheid, dit is ’n geweldadige uiting van gevoelens, aangespoor deur, rassisme, onverdraagsaamheid, onverskilligheid en die onvermoë om aan ontwikkelings-verwagtinge te voldoen. Die 2008 xenofobiese aanvalle in die stedelike gebiede van Suid-Afrika het die land en die wêreld diep geraak en ’n soeke na oplossings ontketen. Op 14 November 2009 word die gerustheid na die 2008 woede erg versteur toe 3 000 Zimbabwiërs in De Doorns in die Wes-Kaap deur xenofobiese geweld ontheem is. Redes wat aangevoer word wissel vanaf mededinging vir werksgeleenthede tot die land se geweldadige verlede, onvoldoende dienslewering en die invloed van mikro politiek in woonbuurte. Met die oorweging van redes vir die aanvalle maak die studie daarop aanspraak dat die derde vlak van regering in terme van sy Konstitusionele ontwikkelings-mandaad gefaal het om na behore met die gemeenskappe rondom hul behoeftes te skakel, dat die regering se onvermoë om aan die post-apartheid verwagtinge te voldoen frustrasie in xenofobiese geweld laat oorgaan het. Die De Doorns geval bied waardevolle insig in die aard en omvang van xenofobiese geweld in landelike gebiede en lê klem die plaaslike regering se hantering van openbare deelname in terme van sy ontwikkelings verpligtinge.
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Leistner, Paul Roland. "The Dynamics of Creating Strong Democracy in Portland, Oregon : 1974 to 2013." PDXScholar, 2013. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1521.
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Communities across the United States are experiencing a "civic revival" that is reconnecting community members with local decision-making and civic life in their communities. Since the 1980s, academic researchers and local governance reformers have advocated for a shift away from the traditional top-down, expert-driven approach to governance and toward a governance model in which government leaders and staff and community members work as partners to shape the community and make local decisions. Portland, Oregon, since the 1970s, has been known nationally and internationally as a city with a tradition of strong community involvement. Portland's successes and failures offer a valuable case study into what it takes to develop, implement, and sustain policies, structures, and programs that encourage greater participatory democracy.
This dissertation reviews the evolution of Portland's community and neighborhood system from its creation in the 1970s through 2013 through an examination of the many reviews of the system over the years supplemented by reviews of newspaper accounts and informal, unstructured interviews with individuals who were involved in different processes and programs. This dissertation investigates which elements are important to the success of a city-wide community and neighborhood involvement system, the factors that help or hinder the adoption and implementation of system reforms, and strategies that help embed system advances to prevent them from being eroded or undone.
This dissertation argues that a community that wants to move toward much greater participatory democracy and community governance must develop and implement a comprehensive strategy that accomplishes three goals: involving many more people in the civic life in their community, building community capacity to organize and be involved in local decision making, and significantly improving the willingness and ability of city leaders and staff to work in partnership with community members and organizations. This dissertation also argues that community and neighborhood involvement systems need to include not only traditional geographic-based neighborhood associations but also communities of people who find their community through shared identity.
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Jakatyana, Xolile Christopher. "An investigation of the role of selected ward committees in enhancing basic service delivery: the case of Buffalo City Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1256.
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This study investigated the role of selected ward committees 29 and 32 of Nompumelelo and Tsholomnqa respectively in the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in enhancing basic service delivery. In terms of the White Paper on Local Government (1998:4), developmental local government promotes a system that centres on working with local communities to find sustainable ways to meet their needs and improve the quality of their lives. The study on that basis examines the nature and extent to which wards 29 and 32 committees enhanced basic service delivery within BCM. The study is premised on the assumptions that: The involvement of party-elected Councillors in ward committees inhibits members of ward committees from playing an active role in their communities; Ward committees are not clearly communicating municipality programmes to their communities; BCM is biased in favour of urban wards in service delivery; If the committees of wards 29 and 32 were given more powers to play a much wider role in providing leadership and make decisions in their communities (being elevated from an advisory role to ward management structures), they would make an impact in enhancing basic service delivery; and, With additional decision-making powers ward committees could play a more effective role in local government matters. The perceived slow pace of service delivery by municipalities has resulted in growing impatience and dissatisfaction, in particular among poor communities. This has been demonstrated by the spontaneous protests and unrests directed at municipalities that have been taking place nationally since 2003. The uprisings explain two aspects, namely local government is considered by communities to be the delivery arm of government in South Africa and poor communities feel betrayed because their active participation in government-provided spaces for participation such as municipal elections, ward committees and IDPs did not yield the result of promised development (Theron, 2008:36). iv The study employed the qualitative research design using an interview survey as a method of data collection and the reviewing of existing study material and documents to test the validity of the afore-mentioned assumptions. Lastly, with the aim of assisting BCM in nurturing the potential of ward committees operating in its area of jurisdiction, the following recommendations based on the findings of the study are made: BCM considers subjecting ward committees to structured formal and accredited training; BCM delivers services in a legally compliant manner; BCM delegates sufficient powers to ward committees; Ward committees be trained together with officials that drive the CBP process when BCM starts implementing the process; and, BCM provides support to ward committees.
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Erasmus, Vernon William Hendry. "Administrative support for community participation in the IDP : a case study of the Oostenberg Municipality." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51566.
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Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explains community participation in the Integrated Development Planning (lDP) process and indicates that administrative support in the Oostenberg Municipality is not conducive for the facilitation of effective participation in this process. This resulted in poor attendance of the 1997/98 cycle of the IDP meetings. Certain improvements in this regard to the 1998/99 cycle did not show any significant difference. This situation did not allow the Oostenberg Municipality to achieve the objective of meaningful input from the community in the IDP policy process. It resulted in the budget not reflecting the priority needs of community specifically. Data in the study was obtained by means of a questionnaire. Information derived at supports the researcher's hypothesis that administrative support is not conducive to effective participation. The study yielded various reasons for non-participation, inter-alia that: the community was uninformed about the IDP, preventing people from access to information and effective participation; II> community participation was undertaken by various directorates on a fragmented basis while no official plan for implementing participation in a coordinated fashion existed; the Oostenberg Municipality relied only on community meetings as a method of participation. The illiteracy factor in the Oostenberg community however, made this an ineffective method; and the community do not value their participation because of the perception that the municipality and it's officials do not regard the community input in a serious light. Based on these findings, criteria for supporting effective community participation processes were developed. Practical recommendations which can be used to overcome the problems of participation in the context of the study were formulated. The principle recommendations derived at in this study are the following: ~ participation should be institutionalised by making one directorate responsible for it; ~ incorporating a participation policy into the organisation; ~ introducing alternative participation mechanisms, techniques and structures for the IDP; ~ the establishment of better communication systems and processes for the IDP; and, ~ the use of developmental-orientated officials and councillors (by providing them with ongoing training and development). If officials and councillors become developmentorientated they will eventually value community participation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie verduidelik deelname in die Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsbeplanning proses (GOP) en dui daarop dat administratiewe steun in die Oostenberg Munisipaliteit nie bevorderlik is vir die ontwikkeling van effektiewe deelname in die proses nie. Dit het veroorsaak dat daar swak bywoning van die 1997/98 siklus van GOP vergaderings was. Verbeterings in hierdie verband tot die 1998/99 siklus het nie enige merkwaardige verbeterings getoon nie. Die swak bywoning het nie die Oostenberg Munisipaliteit toegelaat om die doelwitte van betekenisvolle insette van die gemeenskap in die GOP proses te bereik nie. Dit het gevolg dat die prioriteite van die gemeenskap nie in die begroting gereflekteer is nie. Data in die studie was verkry deur middel van 'n vraelys. Afleiding gemaak vanafinligting ondersteun die navorser se hipotese dat administrasie steun nie bevorderlik is vir effektiewe deelname nie. Die studie verskaf verskeie redes vir die swak deelname, onder andere dat: die gemeenskap oningelig was oor die GOP en dat dit die mense weerhou het van toegang tot informasie en effektiewe deelname; .. gemeenskapsdeelname onderneem was deur verskeie direktorate op 'n gefragmenteerde basis terwyl geen amptelike plan vir die implementering van effektiewe deelname op 'n gekoordineerde manier bestaan het nie; Oostenberg Munisipaliteit slegs op gemeenskapsvergaderings staatgemaak het as 'n metode van deelname. Die ongeletterdheid in die Oostenberg gemeenskap het dit 'n oneffektiewe metode gemaak; en .. die gemeenskap heg geen waarde aan hul deelname nie aangesien die persepsie bestaan dat die munisipaliteit en sy amptenare nie die gemeenskap se insette in 'n ernstige lig beskou nie. Gebaseer op hierdie bevinding was kriteria vir effektiewe deelname ontwikkel. Praktiese aanbevelings wat gebruik kan word om probleme van deelname te oorkom was in die konteks van hierdie studie geformuleer. Die belangrikste aanbevelings is as volg: .. deelname moet ge-institusionaliseer word en een direktoraat verantwoordelik te maak daarvoor; .. die daarstelling van 'n deelname-beleid by die munisipaliteit; .. die bekendstelling van alternatiewe deelname meganisme, tegnieke en strukture vir die GOP; .. die vestiging van beter kommunikasie stelsels en prosesse vir die GOP; en .. die aanwending van ontwikkeling georiënteerde amptenare en raadslede (deur hulle te voorsien van deurlopende opleiding en ontwikkeling). Indien amptenare en raadslede ontwikkelings-georiënteerd is, sal hulle waarde kan heg aan gemeenskapsdeelname.
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Turyahabwe, Nelson. "Local capacity to manage forestry resources under a decentralised system of governance : the case of Uganda." Thesis, Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1321.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (PhD (Forest and Wood Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.This study aims at examining technical and institutional capacity in local organisations to manage decentralised forest resources in Uganda. Specifically the study assessed the roles, responsibilities, powers and legal instruments, incentives, facilities and human and fiscal resources of local organisations to undertake decentralised forest governance. Semistructured and key informant interviews were conducted in local organisations and legal and policy documents reviewed to ascertain strategies for implementing decentralised forestry. An inventory of selected forests was conducted to assess effect of decentralisation policy on the condition of forests in Uganda. Chi-square tests were used to show the factors that motivate local organisations to participate in decentralised forest governance. Tree species diversity and richness, density, diameter at breast height and basal area and sings of human disturbance were used to compare the condition of forests under local government and those under private and central government ownership. Similarity between the forests was assessed using a Two Way INdicator SPecies Analysis, while the differences in the composition and structural characteristics of trees among forest ownership categories were compared by oneway analysis of variance. Multiple regression analysis was used to show the influence of household pressure, forest size, the distance of the forest from roads and forest administrative office, and the market demand of the forest produce on the capacity of forest agencies to regulate timber harvesting. The findings reveals that local organisations supported devolved forest management functions such as forest monitoring, tree planting, environmental education, networking, collaborative and integrated planning, resource mobilisation and formulation of byelaws. The role of forestry in the livelihoods of the people, the desire to control forest degradation and access to forest revenue, donor and central government fiscal support were the most important incentives in decentralised forest management. However, limited capacity in terms of qualified staff, funds, facilities and equipment and inadequate decision-making powers over fiscal resources from forestry, inequitable distribution of forest revenue and unclear forest and tree tenure hindered decentralised forest management. The diversity and richness indices, density, diameter at breast height and basal area of trees were significantly higher in central forest reserves, intermediate in private and lower in local forest reserves. The frequency of human disturbances was significantly higher in local forest reserves than in private and central forest reserves. The variation in composition and structure of the local forest reserves is partly attributed to human disturbances. The capacity of the forest agencies to regulate forest resources use in the Mpigi forests was significantly affected by the size of forest, and its location in relation to the well-maintained roads, forest administrative office and the number of households in close proximity and the market demand of the forest produce. Large forests in close proximity to densely populated areas and far a way from roads and the forest administrative office were more affected by timber harvesting. The results demonstrated that local governments are not yet efficient in monitoring and regulating forest use and maintaining the condition of forests in Uganda. Local organisations need to play an increased role in the implementation of the Forest Policy, the National Forestry and Tree Planting and the Local Government Acts for successful decentralisation of forest management and to recruit more technical staff, strengthen internal sources of revenue and develop integrated forestry work plans. There is also a need for the central government to integrate and co-ordinate local and central interests, and facilitate a working relationship with local governments, civil society and the private sector involved in forestry. Forest owners and managers in the Mpigi forests and Ugandaâ s tropical forests in general need to manage human impacts so as to balance utilisation and conservation forest resources. There is need for longterm studies to fully understand the real significance of ownership on the composition and structure of the Mpigi forests and forests in other districts of Uganda.