Research Articles (Public Administration and Management)

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    ItemOpen Access
    Reasons that deter qualifying primary caregivers from applying for child support grants.
    (University of Johannesburg, 2014) Du Toit, Mangalane; Lues, Liezel
    The Child Support Grant (CSG) came about as a strategy to address child poverty in South Africa, granted to caregivers that care for children up to the age of eighteen years. In 2012, the number of children aged up to 18 years receiving the CSG stood at 11 306 024, an increase from 800 476 in 2001. Despite amending the Social Assistance Act, 2004 (Act 13 of 2004), and numerous marketing campaigns conducted by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) since 2009 in the Northern Cape Region, SASSA struggles to meet the annual projected targets for CSG intakes. An empirical study to investigate the reasons that deter primary caregivers from applying for child support was conducted in the Northern Cape. In this study, it was hypothesised that amending the criteria for CSG will increase the number of qualifying primary caregivers applying for the CSG, and assist the Frances Baard District Municipality in achieving the annual projected targets.
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    A conceptual framework for using social innovation as an approach to local economic development
    (AOSIS, 2021) Chomane, Pontso; Biljohn, Mareve I.
    Background: Approaches such as social innovation were visible during many of the responses that public-sector organisations, civil society, communities, and the private sector collaboratively implemented to address the issues of unemployment and the impact of economic challenges during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The use of social innovation as an approach to local economic development by South African municipalities, however, reveals a research gap in terms of a conceptual framework for enabling such use. Aim: This article explores a conceptual framework for using social innovation as an approach to local economic development by South African municipalities. Setting: Conventional top-down local economic development approaches by South African municipalities have become inadequate for dealing with contemporary local economic development challenges. Such inadequacy calls for municipalities to rethink and adapt their approach to dealing with economic challenges and to developing and implementing their local economic development strategies. Methods: Through an interpretivist paradigm, the adopted methodology is underpinned by a qualitative research approach. Content analysis was performed of relevant research documents concerning social innovation and local economic development. From this content analysis, a conceptual framework was developed through an inductive approach. Results: The findings illustrate that the praxis for using this conceptual framework is vested in the interconnected nature of its attributes, antecedents, and consequences, which will contribute to the achievement of certain local economic development outcomes. Conclusion: This article suggests that a conceptual framework could contribute to stimulating future research concerning the phenomenon and can serve as an impetus and direction for research inquiry.
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    Role of service providers in ensuring effective service delivery in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024) Ruwanika, Joseph M.; Maramura, Tafadzwa C.
    The purpose of this article is to determine the role of service providers in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) in ensuring effective service delivery. The absence of transparency, accountability, and proper and trustworthy structures and procedures in public procurement leads to corruption and abuse of resources, costing the nation its livelihoods, when services are ill-delivered. Therefore, service delivery has become increasingly important as a driving force in the South African economy. However, there has been limited research done in the role of service providers in ensuring effective service delivery. The article is a case study research design and data were gathered using semi structured interviews at the Supply Chain Management Department at the MMM based on a snowball sampling technique. The article reveals the role of service providers in ensuring effective service delivery in the MMM. It also found that there needs to be training to minimize corruption and poor service delivery within the public sector. Furthermore, the study recommended that service providers should monitor projects and they should perform their duties and responsibilities in terms of specification to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. The participants recommended that to enhance service delivery, there is a need to hire people in supply chain management with the capacity, skills, and knowledge to do the job. 𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗣𝗖𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 The processes of public procurement through which the public sector and governments obtain required goods, works and services can be used to uphold certain guidelines. Therefore, to ensure efficient, effective and economic service delivery, there is a need to shift away from inner observing, bureaucratic structures, procedures, and approaches and a look into innovative ways of working, which put the requirements of the community first, is better, quicker, and more receptive to the citizens requests. It also implies a broad shift in the method that services are provided. The article reveals the role of service providers in ensuring effective service delivery in the MMM. It also acknowledges that there needs to be training to minimize corruption and poor service delivery within the public sector. Furthermore, service providers should monitor projects and they should perform their duties and responsibilities in terms of specification to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.