The impact in international volunteer organisations in enhancing public service delivery in Lesotho: the case of the United States Peace Corps
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Date
Nov-11
Authors
Lepotho, Clement M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Afrikaans: Openbare dienslewering is een van regeringsbestuur se sleuteldimensies. Voldoende lewering van openbare dienste bly steeds ‘n uitdaging vir nasionale en plaaslike regerings, grootliks weens die regerings se kapasiteittekort om hierdie dienste te voorsien en te volhou. In Lesotho se geval is internasionale vrywilligerorganisasies, soos die Verenigde State se Vredeskorps, genooi om veral te vergoed vir die tekortkomings van menslike hulpbronkapasiteitsbou.
In hierdie verhandeling word die uitwerking van die Vredeskorps se organisasie in die verskaffing van openbare dienste in Lesotho ondersoek. Teoretiese perspektiewe oor die geskiedenis van openbare dienslewering en die skakels tussen menslike hulpbronontwikkeling en doeltreffende en voldoende openbare dienslewering word bespreek. Teoretiese perspektiewe oor die Vredeskorpssending, ontwikkelingsbenaderings en projekte word verder aangebied.
Empiriese navorsing is gedoen om die persepsies van die Basotho en Vredeskorpsvrywilligers oor die Vredeskorps-organisasie se bydraes tot die versterking van openbare dienslewering in Lesotho uit te lok. ‘n Metodologiese triangulasie, wat persoonlike onderhoude, fokusgroepbyeenkomste en vraelyste behels, is gebruik om die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die bevindinge te verbeter.
Die belangrikste bevindings van die studie is dat menslike hulpbronontwikkeling ontluik as ‘n basiese prioriteit in die strewe na ekonomiese groei en die verbetering van openbare dienslewering. Dit onthul ook dat die internasionale vrywilligersorganisasies, soos die Vredeskorps, betekenisvol tot die bou van menslike hulpbronkapasiteit in Lesotho bydra. Uit hierdie studie is dit egter duidelik dat die menslike hulpbronontwikkeling nie die enigste faktor in die doeltreffende en voldoende implementering van ontwikkelingsprojekte is nie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat die “menslike faktore” uiteindelik die sukseskoers van die ontwikkelingsprojekte bepaal.
Die menslike faktore beskryf die eienskappe van individue binne ‘n gemeenskap, soos verantwoordelikheid, toewyding, aanspreeklikheid, motivering en integriteit. Uit hierdie studie is dit duidelik dat ‘n betekenisvolle aantal Basotho voldoende in ‘n verskeidenheid van vaardighede opgelei is, maar steeds ‘n onvoldoende vlak van motivering, verantwoordelikheid en betrokkenheid ten opsigte van die ontwikkelingsprojekte toon. Die gevolg is die mislukking van volhoubare ontwikkelingsprojekte.
Die belangrikste gevolgtrekking wat uit hierdie navorsing gemaak word is dat, ten spyte van die tekortkominge wat uit die menslike faktore in projekimplementering spruit, die Vredeskorps-organisasie betekenisvol tot die verbetering van openbare dienslewering in Lesotho bygedra het. Dit is hoofsaaklik die voorsiening van onderrig en opleiding aan die Basotho. Die organisasie is dus selfversekerd om in die toekoms voort te gaan om ontwikkelingsondersteuning aan te bied. Vir groter invloed op die verbetering van die Basotho se lewens, word daar egter aanbeveel dat die Vredeskorps, eerstens, die ontwikkelingsprojekte herstruktureer om dit met dinamiese veranderinge in wêreldwye en plaaslike ontwikkelingsvelde in lyn te bring. Tweedens, moet beide die Vredeskorps en die Basotho self belê in die ontwikkeling van die menslike faktore in die gemeenskap, om volhoubare resultate te genereer.
Hierdie ondersoek kan waardevolle inligting verskaf aan die Vredeskorps-organisasie wêreldwyd, ander internasionale vrywilligerorganisasies, en betrokke regerings, ministeries of departemente wat vir openbare dienslewering verantwoordelik is, oor die ontwerp en implementering van programme om lewens in die gemeenskap te verbeter.
English: The delivery of public services is one of the key dimensions of governance. The sufficient provision of public services however continues to be a challenge to governments, this mainly as a result of the inadequate capacity of the governments to provide and sustain such services. In the case of Lesotho, international volunteer organisations such as the United States Peace Corps have been invited by the government to compensate the shortfall principally in building the human resource capacity. In this thesis, the impact of the Peace Corps organisation in improving the delivery of public services in Lesotho is examined. Theoretical perspectives on the history of public service in Lesotho and the linkages between human resource development and the effective and efficient delivery of public services are discussed. Furthermore, theoretical perspectives on the Peace Corps mission, developmental approaches and projects are provided. An empirical research was undertaken to solicit the perceptions of the Basotho and the Peace Corps volunteers on the contributions made by the Peace Corps organisation in strengthening the delivery of public services in Lesotho. A methodological triangulation involving personal interviews, focus group meetings and survey questionnaires was utilised to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings. The major findings of the study unveil that human resource development emerges as a fundamental priority in pursuit of the economic growth and improvement of public services. It was also revealed that the international voluntary organisations such as the Peace Corps contribute significantly in building the human resource capacity in Lesotho. It has emerged from this study however that the human resource development is not the sole factor in the effective and efficient implementation of development projects. The conclusion drawn is that the ‘Human Factors’ ultimately determines the degree of success of the developmental projects. The Human Factors include various qualities in individuals within a society such as responsibility, commitment, accountability, motivation and integrity. From this study that it is evident that a significant number of Basotho have been trained sufficiently in variety of skill areas and yet demonstrate a lack of motivation, responsibility and commitment to the development projects resulting in failure to sustain any developmental projects. The major conclusion drawn from this research is that despite the deficiencies resulting from the ‘Human Factor’ in project implementation, the Peace Corps organisation has contributed significantly towards enhancing the delivery of public services in Lesotho mainly by provision of education and training to the people of Lesotho and as such the organisation is poised to continue to offer the development assistance in the future. It is recommended that in order to exert greater impact in improving the lives of the Basotho, the Peace Corps organisation needs to restructure the developmental projects to align with the dynamic changes in global and local development fields and furthermore to invest in developing the positive Human Factors amongst the Basotho in order to enhance sustainable results. This study may provide useful information to the Peace Corps organisation globally, other international voluntary organisations and relevant government ministries or departments responsible for delivery of public services when designing and implementing programmes that seek to improve the public lives.
English: The delivery of public services is one of the key dimensions of governance. The sufficient provision of public services however continues to be a challenge to governments, this mainly as a result of the inadequate capacity of the governments to provide and sustain such services. In the case of Lesotho, international volunteer organisations such as the United States Peace Corps have been invited by the government to compensate the shortfall principally in building the human resource capacity. In this thesis, the impact of the Peace Corps organisation in improving the delivery of public services in Lesotho is examined. Theoretical perspectives on the history of public service in Lesotho and the linkages between human resource development and the effective and efficient delivery of public services are discussed. Furthermore, theoretical perspectives on the Peace Corps mission, developmental approaches and projects are provided. An empirical research was undertaken to solicit the perceptions of the Basotho and the Peace Corps volunteers on the contributions made by the Peace Corps organisation in strengthening the delivery of public services in Lesotho. A methodological triangulation involving personal interviews, focus group meetings and survey questionnaires was utilised to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings. The major findings of the study unveil that human resource development emerges as a fundamental priority in pursuit of the economic growth and improvement of public services. It was also revealed that the international voluntary organisations such as the Peace Corps contribute significantly in building the human resource capacity in Lesotho. It has emerged from this study however that the human resource development is not the sole factor in the effective and efficient implementation of development projects. The conclusion drawn is that the ‘Human Factors’ ultimately determines the degree of success of the developmental projects. The Human Factors include various qualities in individuals within a society such as responsibility, commitment, accountability, motivation and integrity. From this study that it is evident that a significant number of Basotho have been trained sufficiently in variety of skill areas and yet demonstrate a lack of motivation, responsibility and commitment to the development projects resulting in failure to sustain any developmental projects. The major conclusion drawn from this research is that despite the deficiencies resulting from the ‘Human Factor’ in project implementation, the Peace Corps organisation has contributed significantly towards enhancing the delivery of public services in Lesotho mainly by provision of education and training to the people of Lesotho and as such the organisation is poised to continue to offer the development assistance in the future. It is recommended that in order to exert greater impact in improving the lives of the Basotho, the Peace Corps organisation needs to restructure the developmental projects to align with the dynamic changes in global and local development fields and furthermore to invest in developing the positive Human Factors amongst the Basotho in order to enhance sustainable results. This study may provide useful information to the Peace Corps organisation globally, other international voluntary organisations and relevant government ministries or departments responsible for delivery of public services when designing and implementing programmes that seek to improve the public lives.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Administration))--University of the Free State, 2011
Keywords
Peace Corps (U.S.) -- Lesotho, Human services -- Lesotho, Volunteer workers in government -- Lesotho, Public administration -- Lesotho, Voluntarism -- Lesotho -- International cooperation, Civil service -- Lesotho