Browsing by Author "Van Baalen, Sarel Migael"

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    Investigating capacity self-assessment as a catalyst for improved municipal service delivery
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Van Baalen, Sarel Migael; Schutte, C. S. L.; Von Leipzig, Konrad; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The enactment of the new Constitution of South Africa, 1996, gave prominence to the trans-formation of local government in South Africa. Rooted in the Constitution, the Municipal Systems Act, 2000, and the Municipal Structures Act, 1998, guide municipalities towards establishing structured performance management practices. As part of a comprehensive legislative framework for local government, these acts moreover state the functions of mu-nicipalities that include the delivery of basic municipal services. These services include amongst other, water provision, refuse removal, sanitation, electricity provision, municipal roads as well as stormwater management. Despite a range of statutory provisions, policy instruments and capacity improvement initiatives with a view to provide a democratic, participative, responsive, effective and efficient local sphere of government, South African municipalities, in general, continue to fail in eradicating service delivery backlogs. This is, at least partially, the result of the policies and practices of the apartheid era. Apart from eradicating backlogs, non-sustaining service delivery to communities has become a noticeable phenomenon. As a result, in 2012 the highest number of service delivery protests over the past decade occurred. The underperformance of municipalities can be linked to insufficient organisational capacity. This multidimensional concept consists of individual, institutional and environmental capacity. This study views capacity building as a key enabler for municipal performance improvement. Relating to this, capacity assessment is the first and foremost component of capacity building. Hence, it can be assumed that a correlation exists between municipalities’ service delivery performance and the degree to which municipalities are aware of its capacity to fulfil its service delivery mandate. Municipalities are mandated by the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 to perform internal capacity assessments when a new or reviewed Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is considered, and also when outsourcing of municipal services is considered. Besides this the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) is mandated by the Municipal Structures Act, 1998, to perform annual municipal capacity assessments. Though criticised for its untimeliness, narrow approach and inconsistency, the MDB municipal capacity assessment generates valuable insight. This is widely used by provincial governments, municipalities and private parties for policy formulation, strategic decision-making and capacity building initiatives. This exemplifies that if accurate municipal capacity data can frequently be attained, the effects on service delivery improvement initiatives can be profound. This research study aims to make a contribution in formulating solutions for needs that currently exist in this regard in South Africa. The focus of this study is the development of both a municipal capacity assessment frame-work and a subjective municipal capacity self-assessment model (SMCSAM), a software tool built in Microsoft’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for engineering services at municipalities. The framework for municipal capacity assessment comprises of fifteen elements of capacity and eighteen service delivery phases. A third dimension of the framework exists in recognition of the six basic municipal services. This framework accordingly implements the matrix-method. SMCSAM implements the consolidated framework based on statements to be rated by the municipality according to their reality. SMCSAM allows the municipality to allocate weights to each of the fifteen elements of overall organisational capacity through the use of a Fuzzy Logic Hierarchical Analytical Process. Consequently, ratings of the statements are weighed and illustrated through two interactive user-interfaces which allow the municipality to instantly identify capacity strengths and weaknesses. To achieve this, assessment results are illustrated using colour-coding and related spider-diagrams. SMCSAM was implemented at Drakenstein Municipality and demonstrated to academics as well as experts in the public and private sector for validation purposes. Its results proved to be accurate and applicably related to the performance of this municipality. Through its implementation and validation, SMCSAM proved to be a valuable, understandable and practical solution to a noteworthy problem at municipalities in South Africa. In doing so, SMCSAM significantly contribute to research in the field of engineering management.