An evaluation of the nature and extent of alignment between the strategic performance plans of selected Eastern Cape provincial government departments and the provincial growth and development plan 2004-2014
- Authors: Mbanga, Sijekula Larrington
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Eastern Cape Provincial government (South Africa) , Strategic planning , Public administration -- South Africa -- Planning , Performance -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:8253 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011942 , Eastern Cape Provincial government (South Africa) , Strategic planning , Public administration -- South Africa -- Planning , Performance -- Management
- Description: One of the key challenges that continue to confront governments, worldwide, with regard to development management, other than the obvious limited resources to meet the overwhelming and competing needs of the constituencies, is the efficiency and effectiveness of the state machinery. Within state machinery itself the major issue that is viewed as a primary shortcoming is the process of translating sound development policies into implementable programmes and projects. Within the processes of policy implementation the key weaknesses appear to lie on planning processes. As such, governments continue to cite poor alignment between policies, plans and priorities across various spheres of government, a challenge that manifests itself in a lack of integrated service delivery, duplication in application of resources and efforts, lack of sustainability of development initiatives, slow pace and poor quality of services provided to communities. This study was aimed at evaluating the nature and extent of alignment between the Strategic Performance Plans of selected Eastern Cape provincial government departments and the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP): 2004-2014. The main objectives of the study were to gain insight into the nature and extent of alignment between the Strategic Performance Plans of selected Eastern Cape provincial government departments and the PGDP objectives, indicators and targets; identify the new service delivery mechanisms, policies, procedures and change management plans that have been introduced, if any, to ensure the successful implementation of the PGDP programmes; and indentify risks and challenges that pose a threat to the successful implementation of the PGDP programmes and provide preliminary risk response strategies. Of paramount importance is that this study was not limited to assessing the nature and extent of harmony or strategic fit between a macro-provincial plan, known as the PGDP, and sector specific plans, called Strategic Performance Plans, but it sought to determine the bases of alignment, where it exists, and sources of misalignment where planning disjuncture are found. To this end, the study was intended to generate a conceptual framework for assessing alignment of plans within public institutions across all levels of government. Ten provincial government departments drawn from the four provincial administrative clusters that feed their work into, and hence accountable to various Cabinet Committees and, ultimately, Cabinet, participated in the study. Key issues that emerged, and remained unresolved, during the direct engagement of provincial government departments were consolidated and verified, later on, with the public entity that supports the Office of the Premier on matters of macro-policy and strategy development and socio-economic research, known as the Eastern Cape Socio Economic and Consultative Council (ECSECC). This study followed a qualitative research methodology approach. Strategic Performance Plans of selected provincial government departments were analysed to establish linkages with the PGDP. A standard Alignment Evaluation Matrix was utilized to provide the results of content analysis of departmental plans. This Matrix was developed based on extensive literature study conducted that yielded a working Strategic Planning Alignment Model. The results of analysis of departmental plans and the key features of the Planning Alignment Model formed the basis of engagement of selected government departments during field study. Managers and officials working in components such as Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Special Programmes, infrastructure Planning, Demand Management and Research, Budget Planning and Control, Municipal Support, Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Planning, participated in the focus groupdiscussions. This study revealed both positive and negative factors on how provincial government departments have, over time, attempted to give effect to the intentions of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan; 2004-2014. Firstly, the study demonstrated that the PGDP was viewed in the same light as any other planning framework generated at national and local government level, with its priorities and targets found in the same basket of policy issues that are competing for limited resources. Secondly, it was found that the PGDP has, over time, degenerated in terms of its strategic significance in the planning environment, with new priorities that have emerged at a national government level securing more attention of politicians and senior administrators at the detriment of the PGDP intentions. Political championing of the PGDP was viewed as having dwindled from one term of government to the next. As such, the PGDP was not found to be having the level of significance and traction that the regionalist-planning paradigm is beginning to suggest within the global policy development discourse. Thirdly, the study revealed that while plans of selected government departments had a sound articulation of the PGDP goals, this did not translate into well-costed operational plans with clear targets and timelines that link to the 2014 targets. Organisational structures and service delivery models of the selected government departments had not fundamentally changed since the PGDP was introduced in the Province. Incremental changes to departmental processes have been seen since the PGDP came into effect. The changes were more influenced by new priorities that emerged at national government level. As such, provincial government departments continued to be more inclined towards sector priorities which could be viewed as unfunded provincial priorities. As such, budget allocation to PGDP programmes was limited from department to department, due to competing national priorities. One argument advanced for this disjuncture in planning was that the PGDP itself should have, from time to time, been reviewed to consider priorities that might have emerged at national and local government sphere, including conditions that have changed in the socio, economic and political environments. This seemed not to have happened, despite a Planning Coordination and Monitoring Unit being established within the Office of the Premier, during PGDP inception, for this explicit purpose. Fourthly, the study noted the challenge of different planning cycles between the provincial and local government spheres, which was viewed as promoting planning disjuncture within the two spheres. This was pointed out as of critical importance in alignment since provincial government departments are expected to respond to community needs that are embodied in Integrated Development Plans of municipalities. For this vertical integration to happen, the study revealed that there has been over-reliance in inter-governmental structures which were relatively weak in various municipalities. In the same vein, horizontal integration at provincial government level seemed to be a challenge also due to the ineffectiveness of the cluster system introduced since 1999. While part of a Cluster system, and submitting plans and reports to Clusters, provincial government departments continued to work in silos. Priority setting, spatial targeting and resource allocation has remained a competency of individual provincial departments. The cluster budgeting and programme implementation envisaged in the PGDP was still to be seen, and it appeared that there was no Treasury tool to give effect to this noble intention. In fact, this intention was viewed as contradictory with the spirit of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 that places single financial accountability on Heads of Departments, as individuals rather than a group or cluster. Fifthly, the study further revealed that the PGDP itself had design deficiencies that created a challenge for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The PGDP was viewed as straddling between being a strategic framework that guides socio-economic planning, with a longer-term focus, and being a provincial plan. The PGDP was also found to be an all encompassing plan that contains a basket of everything that a provincial government would be expected to do. A viewpoint advanced herein regards international experience which suggests that being strategic means being selective, sorting the critical few from the important many, and giving that selection a ‘bite’ by shifting resources and demanding performance sufficient to make the desired impact. The latter was viewed as a fundamental shortcoming of the PGDP. In fact, the study revealed that some of the PGDP programmes were underway within provincial government departments even before the PGDP was formulated. Whether those programmes would serve the province achieve the few outcomes it set itself for 2014, is a matter the PGDP design could not confirm. It also transpired that a number of provincial departments were not adequately consulted during the determination of PGDP targets. Furthermore, it has emerged that the province lacks coherent competency at a level higher than provincial departments, which is capacitated with a pool of analysts possessing a deeper appreciation of various government sectors and the provincial economy. This competency would include development planners, spatial planners, sector policy analysts, researchers and other technical skills.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Mbanga, Sijekula Larrington
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Eastern Cape Provincial government (South Africa) , Strategic planning , Public administration -- South Africa -- Planning , Performance -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:8253 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011942 , Eastern Cape Provincial government (South Africa) , Strategic planning , Public administration -- South Africa -- Planning , Performance -- Management
- Description: One of the key challenges that continue to confront governments, worldwide, with regard to development management, other than the obvious limited resources to meet the overwhelming and competing needs of the constituencies, is the efficiency and effectiveness of the state machinery. Within state machinery itself the major issue that is viewed as a primary shortcoming is the process of translating sound development policies into implementable programmes and projects. Within the processes of policy implementation the key weaknesses appear to lie on planning processes. As such, governments continue to cite poor alignment between policies, plans and priorities across various spheres of government, a challenge that manifests itself in a lack of integrated service delivery, duplication in application of resources and efforts, lack of sustainability of development initiatives, slow pace and poor quality of services provided to communities. This study was aimed at evaluating the nature and extent of alignment between the Strategic Performance Plans of selected Eastern Cape provincial government departments and the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP): 2004-2014. The main objectives of the study were to gain insight into the nature and extent of alignment between the Strategic Performance Plans of selected Eastern Cape provincial government departments and the PGDP objectives, indicators and targets; identify the new service delivery mechanisms, policies, procedures and change management plans that have been introduced, if any, to ensure the successful implementation of the PGDP programmes; and indentify risks and challenges that pose a threat to the successful implementation of the PGDP programmes and provide preliminary risk response strategies. Of paramount importance is that this study was not limited to assessing the nature and extent of harmony or strategic fit between a macro-provincial plan, known as the PGDP, and sector specific plans, called Strategic Performance Plans, but it sought to determine the bases of alignment, where it exists, and sources of misalignment where planning disjuncture are found. To this end, the study was intended to generate a conceptual framework for assessing alignment of plans within public institutions across all levels of government. Ten provincial government departments drawn from the four provincial administrative clusters that feed their work into, and hence accountable to various Cabinet Committees and, ultimately, Cabinet, participated in the study. Key issues that emerged, and remained unresolved, during the direct engagement of provincial government departments were consolidated and verified, later on, with the public entity that supports the Office of the Premier on matters of macro-policy and strategy development and socio-economic research, known as the Eastern Cape Socio Economic and Consultative Council (ECSECC). This study followed a qualitative research methodology approach. Strategic Performance Plans of selected provincial government departments were analysed to establish linkages with the PGDP. A standard Alignment Evaluation Matrix was utilized to provide the results of content analysis of departmental plans. This Matrix was developed based on extensive literature study conducted that yielded a working Strategic Planning Alignment Model. The results of analysis of departmental plans and the key features of the Planning Alignment Model formed the basis of engagement of selected government departments during field study. Managers and officials working in components such as Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Special Programmes, infrastructure Planning, Demand Management and Research, Budget Planning and Control, Municipal Support, Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Planning, participated in the focus groupdiscussions. This study revealed both positive and negative factors on how provincial government departments have, over time, attempted to give effect to the intentions of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan; 2004-2014. Firstly, the study demonstrated that the PGDP was viewed in the same light as any other planning framework generated at national and local government level, with its priorities and targets found in the same basket of policy issues that are competing for limited resources. Secondly, it was found that the PGDP has, over time, degenerated in terms of its strategic significance in the planning environment, with new priorities that have emerged at a national government level securing more attention of politicians and senior administrators at the detriment of the PGDP intentions. Political championing of the PGDP was viewed as having dwindled from one term of government to the next. As such, the PGDP was not found to be having the level of significance and traction that the regionalist-planning paradigm is beginning to suggest within the global policy development discourse. Thirdly, the study revealed that while plans of selected government departments had a sound articulation of the PGDP goals, this did not translate into well-costed operational plans with clear targets and timelines that link to the 2014 targets. Organisational structures and service delivery models of the selected government departments had not fundamentally changed since the PGDP was introduced in the Province. Incremental changes to departmental processes have been seen since the PGDP came into effect. The changes were more influenced by new priorities that emerged at national government level. As such, provincial government departments continued to be more inclined towards sector priorities which could be viewed as unfunded provincial priorities. As such, budget allocation to PGDP programmes was limited from department to department, due to competing national priorities. One argument advanced for this disjuncture in planning was that the PGDP itself should have, from time to time, been reviewed to consider priorities that might have emerged at national and local government sphere, including conditions that have changed in the socio, economic and political environments. This seemed not to have happened, despite a Planning Coordination and Monitoring Unit being established within the Office of the Premier, during PGDP inception, for this explicit purpose. Fourthly, the study noted the challenge of different planning cycles between the provincial and local government spheres, which was viewed as promoting planning disjuncture within the two spheres. This was pointed out as of critical importance in alignment since provincial government departments are expected to respond to community needs that are embodied in Integrated Development Plans of municipalities. For this vertical integration to happen, the study revealed that there has been over-reliance in inter-governmental structures which were relatively weak in various municipalities. In the same vein, horizontal integration at provincial government level seemed to be a challenge also due to the ineffectiveness of the cluster system introduced since 1999. While part of a Cluster system, and submitting plans and reports to Clusters, provincial government departments continued to work in silos. Priority setting, spatial targeting and resource allocation has remained a competency of individual provincial departments. The cluster budgeting and programme implementation envisaged in the PGDP was still to be seen, and it appeared that there was no Treasury tool to give effect to this noble intention. In fact, this intention was viewed as contradictory with the spirit of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 that places single financial accountability on Heads of Departments, as individuals rather than a group or cluster. Fifthly, the study further revealed that the PGDP itself had design deficiencies that created a challenge for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The PGDP was viewed as straddling between being a strategic framework that guides socio-economic planning, with a longer-term focus, and being a provincial plan. The PGDP was also found to be an all encompassing plan that contains a basket of everything that a provincial government would be expected to do. A viewpoint advanced herein regards international experience which suggests that being strategic means being selective, sorting the critical few from the important many, and giving that selection a ‘bite’ by shifting resources and demanding performance sufficient to make the desired impact. The latter was viewed as a fundamental shortcoming of the PGDP. In fact, the study revealed that some of the PGDP programmes were underway within provincial government departments even before the PGDP was formulated. Whether those programmes would serve the province achieve the few outcomes it set itself for 2014, is a matter the PGDP design could not confirm. It also transpired that a number of provincial departments were not adequately consulted during the determination of PGDP targets. Furthermore, it has emerged that the province lacks coherent competency at a level higher than provincial departments, which is capacitated with a pool of analysts possessing a deeper appreciation of various government sectors and the provincial economy. This competency would include development planners, spatial planners, sector policy analysts, researchers and other technical skills.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Strategy implementation: a critical assessment of the application of integrated risk management in the implementation of Eastern Cape Province provincial growth and development strategy (ECPGDS)
- Tshayingca-Mashiya, Nontsikelelo Valencia
- Authors: Tshayingca-Mashiya, Nontsikelelo Valencia
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Risk assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Risk assessment -- Development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Strategic planning , Risk management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (in Public Administration)
- Identifier: vital:11678 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007305 , Risk assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Risk assessment -- Development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Strategic planning , Risk management
- Description: Strategic Management cycle consist of strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review of strategy. Strategy implementation has thus become the most significant management challenge. Yang et al. (2010) claim that although formulating a consistent strategy is a difficult task for any management team, making that strategy work and implementing it throughout the organisation is even more difficult. Yang further argues that Strategy implementation has been recorded as a key challenge for today’s organisations. According to Gurowitz (2008, there is evidence which shows that less than 10 percent of strategies formulated are effectively executed. Hrebiniak (2005) advances that; failure in organisations to effectively execute strategies is often as a result of limitation in linking organisational goals with objectives (operations). There are many other factors that influence the success of strategy implementation, ranging from the people who communicate or implement the strategy, to the systems or mechanisms in place for co-ordination. Brynard (2005) asserts that strategy implementation is equally challenging for management in Government departments, given that efforts of Government are aimed at improving service delivery. Poor strategy implementation is linked to poor service delivery. It is also worth noting that whilst implementation is acknowledged as a challenge, joint planning and joint implementation policies and strategies experience even a greater challenge in their implementation According to Young (2006), Debra and Yeates (2008), strategy implementation is in itself a risk because of its impact on the processes, people, and the systems. Strategy implementation is thus considered one of the main risk factors in organisations. In concurring with this view, Lorenzi et al. (2008) proposes that, strategy implementation implies change, and therefore poses risk to the processes, the people and the systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Tshayingca-Mashiya, Nontsikelelo Valencia
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Risk assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Risk assessment -- Development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Strategic planning , Risk management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (in Public Administration)
- Identifier: vital:11678 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007305 , Risk assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Risk assessment -- Development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Strategic planning , Risk management
- Description: Strategic Management cycle consist of strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review of strategy. Strategy implementation has thus become the most significant management challenge. Yang et al. (2010) claim that although formulating a consistent strategy is a difficult task for any management team, making that strategy work and implementing it throughout the organisation is even more difficult. Yang further argues that Strategy implementation has been recorded as a key challenge for today’s organisations. According to Gurowitz (2008, there is evidence which shows that less than 10 percent of strategies formulated are effectively executed. Hrebiniak (2005) advances that; failure in organisations to effectively execute strategies is often as a result of limitation in linking organisational goals with objectives (operations). There are many other factors that influence the success of strategy implementation, ranging from the people who communicate or implement the strategy, to the systems or mechanisms in place for co-ordination. Brynard (2005) asserts that strategy implementation is equally challenging for management in Government departments, given that efforts of Government are aimed at improving service delivery. Poor strategy implementation is linked to poor service delivery. It is also worth noting that whilst implementation is acknowledged as a challenge, joint planning and joint implementation policies and strategies experience even a greater challenge in their implementation According to Young (2006), Debra and Yeates (2008), strategy implementation is in itself a risk because of its impact on the processes, people, and the systems. Strategy implementation is thus considered one of the main risk factors in organisations. In concurring with this view, Lorenzi et al. (2008) proposes that, strategy implementation implies change, and therefore poses risk to the processes, the people and the systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
A study of the factors influencing the success of internet marketing in small South African tourism businesses
- Authors: Elliott, Roger Michael
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Tourism -- South Africa -- Management , Small business -- South Africa -- Management , Internet marketing -- South Africa , Strategic planning , Marketing -- Management , Communication in management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1204 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016252
- Description: The tourism sector has been identified as an industry that has the potential to make a substantial contribution to job creation, economic growth, and redressing past imbalances in South Africa as it has been recognised as an underexploited sector with considerable potential for growth. The majority of tourism enterprises fall within the definition of small businesses, which have been identified as the most appropriate enterprises through which the economic challenges facing South Africa can be addressed. Small businesses differ from their larger counterparts not only in terms of size, but also in regard to access to resources and marketing expertise. Not surprisingly, one of the issues identified as preventing this sector from reaching its full potential is access to markets. The focus of this study is to identify the primary factors driving the success of the use of the Internet for marketing in small businesses operating in the tourism sector in South Africa. If these factors can be identified, this will allow existing and emerging small businesses to access markets and retain customers more easily leading to a proliferation of these enterprises. A theoretical model was formulated from the literature in which the factors influencing the success of Internet marketing were identified. These factors can broadly be divided into generic (marketing or management) factors and Internet specific factors. The technological aspects of the Internet were not ignored, but regarded as a resource to be managed rather than an autonomous source of competitive advantage. This model was tested by making use of a large-scale empirical study. Convenience sampling was used and the data was collected from small tourism businesses (that is businesses with fewer than 100 employees) in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. The factors were identified using exploratory factor analysis and the Cronbach alpha coefficients were assessed to confirm the reliability of these scales. Structural equation modelling was used as the principal mode of statistical analysis to measure the relationships amongst the variables in the model proposed in this study. A correlation analysis was used to measure the impact of marketing objectives on the success of Internet marketing. The primary determinants of the success of Internet marketing in small businesses operating in the tow-ism sector in South Africa were identified by the empirical study as: Product champion Links Alliances Owner-manager knowledge Entrepreneurial orientation Owner-manager vision Customer orientation Marketing objectives Interestingly, one factor, Strategic planning, recorded a negative influence on the success of Internet marketing. This is possibly because the owner-manager felt that this was a redundant exercise given the dominant and pervasive influence of the owner-manager in all spheres of the business. Nevertheless, if small tourism firms consider the factors identified in this thesis as essential aspects in the use of the Internet for marketing, this will allow them to overcome one of the biggest hurdles to their prosperity, namely, the access to markets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Elliott, Roger Michael
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Tourism -- South Africa -- Management , Small business -- South Africa -- Management , Internet marketing -- South Africa , Strategic planning , Marketing -- Management , Communication in management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1204 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016252
- Description: The tourism sector has been identified as an industry that has the potential to make a substantial contribution to job creation, economic growth, and redressing past imbalances in South Africa as it has been recognised as an underexploited sector with considerable potential for growth. The majority of tourism enterprises fall within the definition of small businesses, which have been identified as the most appropriate enterprises through which the economic challenges facing South Africa can be addressed. Small businesses differ from their larger counterparts not only in terms of size, but also in regard to access to resources and marketing expertise. Not surprisingly, one of the issues identified as preventing this sector from reaching its full potential is access to markets. The focus of this study is to identify the primary factors driving the success of the use of the Internet for marketing in small businesses operating in the tourism sector in South Africa. If these factors can be identified, this will allow existing and emerging small businesses to access markets and retain customers more easily leading to a proliferation of these enterprises. A theoretical model was formulated from the literature in which the factors influencing the success of Internet marketing were identified. These factors can broadly be divided into generic (marketing or management) factors and Internet specific factors. The technological aspects of the Internet were not ignored, but regarded as a resource to be managed rather than an autonomous source of competitive advantage. This model was tested by making use of a large-scale empirical study. Convenience sampling was used and the data was collected from small tourism businesses (that is businesses with fewer than 100 employees) in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. The factors were identified using exploratory factor analysis and the Cronbach alpha coefficients were assessed to confirm the reliability of these scales. Structural equation modelling was used as the principal mode of statistical analysis to measure the relationships amongst the variables in the model proposed in this study. A correlation analysis was used to measure the impact of marketing objectives on the success of Internet marketing. The primary determinants of the success of Internet marketing in small businesses operating in the tow-ism sector in South Africa were identified by the empirical study as: Product champion Links Alliances Owner-manager knowledge Entrepreneurial orientation Owner-manager vision Customer orientation Marketing objectives Interestingly, one factor, Strategic planning, recorded a negative influence on the success of Internet marketing. This is possibly because the owner-manager felt that this was a redundant exercise given the dominant and pervasive influence of the owner-manager in all spheres of the business. Nevertheless, if small tourism firms consider the factors identified in this thesis as essential aspects in the use of the Internet for marketing, this will allow them to overcome one of the biggest hurdles to their prosperity, namely, the access to markets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
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