Exploring Monitoring and Evaluation within a Good Governance perspective: A case study of Stellenbosch Municipality
Nelson, Chrizelle (2016-03)
ENGLISH SUMMARY: The focus of this dissertation was to explore the good governance and the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms within local government. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory research approach, which included the selection of the Stellenbosch Municipality in the Western Cape as the case study.
The literature study revealed, firstly, that the concept of good governance is largely influenced by strategy and policy direction within the field of public administration. Within the South African context, this is evident by the constant challenge to balance the political and administrative components of government towards ensuring positive synergy in the maintenance of good governance. Secondly, the literature study reflected on the theoretical aspects of monitoring and evaluation, and the application of monitoring and evaluation within the local sphere of government in South Africa. The literature highlighted the differing policy frameworks that exist between the three spheres of government in South Africa.
The empirical study investigated the case of Stellenbosch Municipality through a review of the current good governance practices and the extent to which monitoring and evaluation arrangements are in place. Semi-structured interviews were used as the basis for investigating views and practices with regards to good governance and monitoring and evaluation from the perspective of the municipal officials tasked with operational implementation. The study revealed that the municipal officials are not utilising the monitoring and evaluation system to its full potential within the municipality and that this creates a disabling factor in the pursuit of good governance.
The thesis calls for national government to implement processes within the local government environment that utilise aspects of monitoring and evaluation, as well as the newly developed national evaluation framework. It offers the opportunity to move in a direction of governance within local government that is perceived as being good, and the adoption of monitoring and evaluation systems that contribute to the pursuit of good governance. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to contribute to learning and innovation in local government within South Africa, and highlights alternative and best practices to further the governance agenda.
AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die fokus van hierdie verhandeling was om goeie bestuur en die meganismes vir monitering en evaluering binne plaaslike regering te verken. Die studie het 'n kwalitatiewe verkennende navorsingsbenadering met betrekking tot die Munisipaliteit Stellenbosch in die Wes-Kaap as gevallestudie behels.
Die literatuurstudie het eerstens aan die lig gebring dat die konsep van goeie bestuur grootliks deur strategie en beleidsrigting binne die gebied van openbare administrasie beïnvloed word. Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is dit duidelik in die voortdurende uitdaging om die politieke en administratiewe komponente van regering in balans te bring om positiewe sinergie in die handhawing van goeie bestuur te verseker. Tweedens, het die literatuurstudie die teoretiese aspekte van monitering en evaluering, en die toepassing van monitering en evaluering binne die plaaslike regeringsfeer in Suid-Afrika, in oorweging geneem. Die literatuur het klem geplaas op die verskillende beleidsraamwerke wat in Suid-Afrika tussen die drie regeringsfere bestaan.
Die empiriese studie het die geval van die Munisipaliteit Stellenbosch ondersoek deur die huidige goeie bestuurspraktyke en die mate waartoe reëlings vir monitering en evaluering in plek is, te hersien. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik as basis vir die ondersoek van sienings en praktyke met betrekking tot goeie regering en monitering en evaluering vanuit die perspektief van die munisipale amptenare wat met die operasionele implementering daarvan belas is. Die studie het getoon dat die munisipale amptenare nie die monitering- en evalueringstelsel tot sy volle potensiaal binne die munisipaliteit gebruik nie en dat dit 'n belemmerende faktor in die nastrewing van goeie bestuur skep.
Die tesis doen 'n beroep op die nasionale regering om prosesse wat aspekte van monitering en evaluering gebruik, sowel as die nuut ontwikkelde nasionale evalueringsraamwerk, binne die plaaslike regeringsomgewing te implementeer. Dit bied die geleentheid om binne plaaslike regering in die rigting van bestuur wat as goed beskou word, te beweeg, en die aanvaarding van monitering en evaluering stelsels wat 'n bydrae lewer tot die nastrewing van goeie bestuur.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98507