Cross-sector partnerships and social innovation: a strategy for public sector programme delivery in the department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
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Date
2023
Authors
Malete, Tshwene Bridget
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) are increasingly seen as a solution to the most pressing societal problems facing contemporary societies. As such, CSPs have become inherent to socio-economic service delivery by the public sector. CSPs are defined as partnerships between public, private, and civil society organisations and between government departments or business units within the public and private sectors working in new ways to address complex social and economic challenges.
๐ ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐: The South African National Development Plan accentuates the collective responsibility of collaborative and strategic partnerships among different sectors. In this regard exploring CSPs enable the public sector to target ''wicked issues'' more effectively by unlocking the benefits of comparative advantage while simultaneously enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of public agencies' efforts to address socio-economic service delivery issues (Andrews & Entwistle, 2010:680). Research shows that social innovation could be fundamental to CSPs that are used to addressed socio-economic public sector service delivery challenges. Moreover, CSPs are considered to be a source of social innovation, often working together to fill gaps and discover new opportunities to advance societal good (Cukier & Gagnon, 2017:2). However, the use of social innovation in CSPs to address socio-economic service delivery challenges is latent and not optimally explored in the programmes delivered by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Given the successful use of social innovation in socio-economic service delivery globally, it is deemed beneficial to enhance CSPs in rendering socio-economic service delivery programmes of the DALRRD. Against this background, this study investigates the use of social innovation in DALRRDsโ cross-sector partnerships in improving public sector programme delivery.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐: Using an interpretivism paradigm, this study applies a qualitative research approach and exploratory research design. Through content analysis of documents, the studyโs aim, research objectives and research questions were addressed.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: The significance of this study lies in four domains, namely the
(i) Public Administration discipline,
(ii) the South African policy agenda,
(iii) using social innovation in public sector programme delivery and
(iv) DALRRD use of CSPs. Concerning the Public Administration discipline, this study contributes to the discourse about the relevance of using social innovation in CSPs during public sector programme delivery. About the South African policy agenda, this study undertook research that contributes to the policy agenda regarding the use of social innovation for public sector programme delivery by DALRRD. Regarding using social innovation in public sector programme delivery this study contributed to the debate about the role and nature of CSPs towards stimulating the use of social innovation in public sector programme delivery and the discourse on the significance of using social innovation in public sector programme delivery. Pertaining to DALRRDโs use of CSPs this study presented a conceptual framework for CSPs use of social innovation in public sector programme delivery.
Description
Dissertation (M.P.A.(Public Administration))--University of the Free State, 2023
Keywords
Social innovation, cross-sector partnerships, public sector, Job Funds, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, Rural Development