Development of a normative framework for the management of an integrated public service system and public value generation with regard to municipalities in the Western Cape province

Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : An Integrated Public Service System (IPSS) generating public value (PV) was designed to demonstrate the feasibility and implementability of a complementary system of governance, to counter the hierarchical systemic characteristics in municipalities at present. Despite the awareness of constraining factors such as political volatility, intransigence, fragmentation, silo structuring, power enclaves and organisational weaknesses in municipal government, communities have experienced long-term instability, service delivery failures and disruption of their social and economic wellbeing, owing to the housing delivery and community services departments’ lack of responsiveness and lack of reciprocity in general. The study utilises information regarding patterns and trends in housing delivery and community services in Namibia, South Africa and the United Kingdom to substantiate the need for an IPSS and PV generation, with community engagement as the fulcrum determining the success or failure of the IPSS and PV generation. A comprehensive mixed study, with a focus on the analysis of nine IPSS and PV themes, was concluded to support the study objectives outlined in Chapter 1. In addition, a critical analysis of South African local government legislation revealed support for the provision of an IPSS and the legitimacy of generating PV. An IPSS generating PV applies the principles and elements of nonlinearity synergistically in network theory, open systems theory, complexity science, complex adaptive systems (CAS), actor-network theory (ANT), PV theory and collaborative governance. A model for integration thus emerges as a result of these applications; hence ‘open government’ systems apply the ‘systemic’ elements of openness, flexibility, dynamism, holistic development, accountability, transparency, intractability, autopoiesis (self-regulatory and self-organising operations) and relationships of trust. An integrative stakeholder management team assumes responsibility for collaboration, the co-creation of tangible and nontangible PV, equity, efficiency, effectiveness, efficacy, bottom-up participation and innovation; the stakeholder team drives community programmes and projects through effective public engagement, maximising resources, information and capacity to achieve common objectives aligned to broad social and economic goals. Discursive and deliberative dialogue are therefore crucial tools in IPSS operativity. An IPSS generating PV is driven strategically by common stakeholder objectives and broad social and economic demands, i.e. envisaged PV outputs and outcomes necessary for achieving stability, adaptability, sustainability and productivity; hence the demand for integrated housing delivery and community services encompasses citizens’ needs, demands and expectations. Municipalities would benefit significantly from the adoption of an IPSS (or IPSS clusters), in the execution of community-based programmes, regeneration programmes and projects. The recommendations made to municipalities in this dissertation should have a positive impact on (i) the effective application of municipal legislation, (ii) the participatory role of communities in the obligations of a municipality to community development, (iii) open dialogue with communities, (iv) working with communities as an equal partner (stakeholder), and (v) the adoption of community stability (balance and equilibrium) as an end goal. In response to the initiation and implementation of an IPSS cluster generating PV, a crucial recommendation remains the formulation of a modus operandi for IPSS clusters to effect the holistic (interdisciplinary and inter-departmental) integration of the housing delivery and community services departments, as the objectives of these departments cannot be disparate or at variance with those of the communities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : ’n Geïntegreerde Openbare Dienstelsel (IPSS), wat openbare waarde (PV) genereer, is ontwerp om die uitvoerbaarheid en implementeerbaarheid van ’n komplementêre bestuurstelsel tot die hiërargiestelsel, wat tans in munisipaliteite aanwesig is, te demonstreer. Hoewel bewus van beperkende faktore soos politiese onbestendigheid, onverdraagsaamheid, fragmetering, silostrukture, magsenklawes en organisatoriese swakhede, binne munisipale bestuur, het gemeenskappe langtermyn onstabiliteit, diensleweringstaking en aftakeling van hulle sosiale en ekonomiese welsyn ervaar – veral van die kant van die afdelings verantwoordelik vir lewering van behuising en gemeenskapsdienste, en dit as gevolg van munisipale traagheid, gebrek aan antwoordende optrede en gebrek aan wederdiens oor die algemeen. Dié studie gebruik inligting oor patrone en tendense rakende behuisingslewering en gemeenskapsdienste in Nambië, Suid-Afrika en die Verenigde Koninkryk om die behoefte aan ’n IPSS- en PV-generasie te staaf, met gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid as die toppunt van sukses en mislukking van die IPSS- en PV-generasie. ’n Omvattende allesoortige studie, met die fokus op die ontleding van nege IPSS- en PV-temas is afgesluit om die studiedoelwitte, wat in hoofstuk 1 uiteengesit is, te onderskraag. Daarbenewens het ’n kritiese blik op wetgewing ten opsigte van Suid-Afrikaanse plaaslike regering steun ontdek vir die voorsiening van ’n IPSS- en PVgenerasie legitimiteit. ’n IPSS-genererende PV pas die beginsels en elemente van nie-liniêariteit sinergisties toe in netwerkteorie, ope stelselsteorie, kompleksiteitskunde, komplekse aanpasbare stelsels (CAS), akteurnetteorie (ANT), PV-teorie en samewerkende bestuur. ’n Model vir integrasie bestaan dus as gevolg van hierdie toepassings. Openbare ‘regerings’-stelsels is derhalwe van toepassing op die sistemiese elemente van openheid, buigsaamheid, dinamika, holistiese ontwikkeling, aanspreeklikheid, deursigtigheid, weerbarstigheid, outopoiëse (selfregulerende en selforganiserende operasies) en vertrouensverhoudinge. ’n Integrerende bestuurspan van belanghebbendes aanvaar verantwoordelikheid vir samewerking, mede-skepping van tasbare en onontbeerlike PV, billikheid, effektiwiteit, doeltreffendheid, komplekse deelname en innovasie; die bestuurspan van belanghebbendes dryf gemeenskapsprogramme en -projekte deur doeltreffende openbare betrokkenheid, die maksimalisering van hulpbronne, inligting en kapasiteit om gemeenskaplike doelwitte te behaal wat in lyn is met breë sosiale en ekonomiese doelwitte. Beredeneerde en doelbewuste dialoog is derhalwe belangrike instrumente in IPSSoperasies. ’n IPSS-genererende PV word strategies gedryf deur gemeenskaplike belanghebbende doelwitte en breë sosiale en ekonomiese eise; dit wil sê PV-uitsette en uitkomste wat nodig is vir die bereiking van stabiliteit, aanpasbaarheid, volhoubaarheid en produktiwiteit; die vraag na geïntegreerde behuisingslewering en gemeenskapsdienste sluit hierdie behoeftes, eise en verwagtings van die burgers in. Munisipaliteite sal aansienlike voordeel trek uit die diens van ’n IPSS (of IPSS-groepe) wat betref die uitvoering van gemeenskap-gebaseerde programme, herlewingsprogramme en projekte. Die aanbevelings aan munisipaliteite in dié proefskrif behoort ’n positiewe impak hê op (i) die doeltreffende toepassing van munisipale wetgewing, (ii) die deelnemende rol van munisipaliteite in die verpligtinge van ’n munisipaliteit in sy strewe na gemeenskapsontwikkeling, (iii) oop dialoog met gemeenskappe (iv) werk met gemeenskappe as gelyke vennote (belanghebbendes) en (v) die aanvaarding van gemeenskapstabiliteit (balans en ewewigtigheid) as ’n einddoel. In reaksie op die inisiëring en implementering van ’n IPSS-groeperende PV, bly ’n belangrike aanbeveling die formulering van modus operandi vir IPSS-groepe vir die holistiese (interdissiplinêre en interdepartementele) integrasie van die department(e) vir behuisingslewering en gemeenskapsdienste aangesien die doelwitte van hierdie department(e) nie uiteenlopend of afwykend kan wees met dié van gemeenskappe.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Integrated public service system, Civil service -- Evaluation -- Western Cape (South Africa), Civil service -- Citizen participation -- Western Cape (South Africa), Normative economics, Value -- Economic aspects, UCTD
Citation