Browsing by Author "Palmer, Michelle Felicia"

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    Exploring alternative methods of service delivery through mobile governance at the Swakopmund Municipality
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Palmer, Michelle Felicia; Pillay, Pregala; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Local government is a sphere of government that is closest to the community in terms of service delivery and responsible for providing basic services to enhance the lives of citizens. Unfortunately, it has been persistently characterised by ineffective service delivery, amidst formidable challenges. This study explores the impact of mobile governance on service delivery in the local government domain of Namibia. m-Government is a fairly new phenomenon in the public services sphere of Namibia and can be defined as the use of mobile technologies, applications and devices to deliver public services. It serves to mainly complement e-Government efforts, as these services are now extended to mobile platforms which are available anywhere and anytime. Mobile devices have infiltrated the developing world by storm, gaining popularity for its “anywhere anytime” convenience, as it offers an integrated platform on which value-added services are delivered for the benefit of citizens from all walks of life. In the midst of an outcry to transform public service delivery, and recognising the untapped potential this device offers, this study adopted an explorative approach to realise the potential of mobile devices as a means of service delivery at the Municipality of Swakopmund. A comprehensive literature study was conducted drawing lessons from India and South Africa respectively. Various experts in the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) fraternity were purposefully selected and interviewed, and a focus group was conducted with middle management staff members of the Municipality of Swakopmund. Unstructured questions were utilised for both sample groups to determine the current methods of operation and probable effect of m-Government. The study results indicated that the revolution of mobile technology is prevalent in the operations at the Municipality of Swakopmund. The necessary infrastructure is in place and national legislation is enacted, thus employees do recognise the importance for the municipality to access public services on mobile platforms for improved service delivery. The popularity of mobile devices shows that m-Government is an option that the Municipality of Swakopmund should invest in to transform service delivery effectively and responsively, thus creating an enabling, knowledge driven citizenry.