Municipal Service Delivery Research Articles

A South African Study Of Influence Of Fairness Of Human Resource Management Practices On Service Quality

This paper deals with the problem of poor service delivery in municipalities across South Africa – a problem that seems to elude a lasting solution. It assesses the extent to which perceived fairness in human resource management (HRM) practices affect service quality of selected municipalities in South Africa. Falling on organizational justice theory, it is posited that the HRM practices of municipalities could explain the poor service being delivered by municipalities in South Africa. Quantitative data collected from employees of nine randomly selected municipalities in the Free State Province was used to create indices for employee fairness perceptions of HRM practices as well as service quality as perceived by customers. From regression analysis, the results indicate that: employees perceive HRM practices as unfair; service delivery does not meet citizens’ expectations; and, statistically speaking, quality of service delivery is significantly and positively related to perceived fairness in HRM practices namely compensation (distributive); recruitment and Selection (procedural); and promotion (procedural) at the .05 and .01 levels of significance – meaning that fair HRM practices are important for quality service delivery.

Self-help or public housing? Lessons from co-managed slum upgrading via participatory budget

What can the Participatory Budget (PB) teach us about slum upgrading in the cities of the Global South? This article describes the process of slum upgrading via PB in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Participatory budgeting _PB is a renowned mechanism of resource allocation that transfers decision-making power over the capital expenditure portion of the municipal budget from the City Council to public assemblies. However, the impact of PB on municipal service delivery in general and housing in particular is understudied.Ethnographic findings are based on slum upgrading process via PB in an informal settlement in the East District of Porto Alegre. Fieldwork included 16 interviews with residents who had been PB delegates, PB councilors, municipal architects, lawyers, and the social worker involved in the slum upgrading project of Vila Radiante, East District. Furthermore, analysis of district-level expenditures on public works required for slum upgrading as well as analysis of site plans informed the conclusions.The Porto Alegre PB demonstrates that slum dwellers' involvement in all stages of the slum upgrading process, from resource allocation to service delivery, contributed to the effective distribution of housing and basic infrastructure. Slum dwellers are a heterogeneous group with diverse housing needs. Housing via PB addresses this diversity and provides an alternative to the dichotomist debate in international planning between, on one hand, slum clearance followed by public housing projects and, on the other, the promotion of assisted self-help housing through programs of land tenure and basic infrastructure provision.

The "brown" environmental agenda and the constitutional duties of local government in South Africa: a conceptual introduction

This note explores the interrelationship between ecologically sustainable development (the green environmental agenda) and pro-poor urban development and environmental health (the brown environmental agenda) in relation to local government in South Africa. The meaning and relevance of the brown agenda versus the green agenda in environmental governance are discussed in general. This discussion subsequently feeds into the argument that South Africa's constitutional environmental right also foresees the advancement of the brown environmental agenda, which has implications for the interpretation and enforcement of local government's service delivery mandate. This link between municipal service delivery and the environmental right further informs understanding of what is required of government to fulfill this right. This paper is thus devoted to an introductory conceptual framing of South Africa's environmental right that goes beyond the green agenda. This impacts on how the constitutional duties of municipalities are interpreted and executed.

An Approach to assess the Urban Management Performance of Municipalities in Sri Lanka

Urbanization tends bring out a number of problems, such as inadequate housing and urban services, increase land prices and construction costs, propagation of slums, pollution and deterioration of the urban environment. Currently, spatial development activities focusing on major cities of Sri Lanka are demanding urban infrastructure and services where municipalities are facing challenges on provision of the infrastructure and proper urban management too. This study seeks to identify the relevant criteria, indicators and a method for assessing the urban management performance of municipalities in Sri Lanka since specific measurement criteria and related indicators are not yet identified to evaluate urban management by the central government or local government levels. Based on Literature review, five criteria and 25 indicators were selected considering their applicability for the context of Sri Lanka. The Full Permutation Polygon Synthetic Indicator Method (FPPSI) was applied to synthesize indicators and the Synthetic indicator has been used to show the performance of each criterion in terms of urban service delivery. Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council (SJKMC) and Moratuwa Municipal Council (MMC) have been selected as the case studies for this research. Although selected cases are within Colombo Metropolitan Region, none of the municipalities were achieved the “High” or “Very High” level of synthetic indicator (SR>= 0.50) that shows the standard of municipal service delivery of Sri Lanka as a whole. This research lays the platform to evaluate the functional performance of Municipal Councils to guide the future scenario and to make decisions at the grass root level for managing the urbanization related issues in the country. Also this research helps the government to know the current trends of development impact and to take necessary policy level decisions to guide the economic growth in a correct direction with the political manifestoes.

A Comparative Study of the Effects of Institutional Arrangements in Municipal Solid Waste Services in Korea

In Korea, local governments are primarily responsible for providing municipal solid waste services to citizens. This paper examines the effects of different institutional arrangements and characteristics on cost savings, efficiency gains and productivity in the delivery of municipal solid waste services to citizens. In order to carry out this research, a hybrid cost function approach was employed, and cross-sectional time-series data from local governments of Korea covering a ten-year period (2000–2009) were used for empirical analysis. Empirical findings indicated that there were no effects of contracting-out on cost savings, efficiency and productivity gains in Korea. Specifically, the solid waste service costs were not significantly lower under contracting-out than under direct public delivery. In addition, contrary to the arguments of the proponents of privatization or contracting-out, efficiency and productivity gains were actually higher under direct public delivery than when contracted out.

The "Brown" Environmental Agenda and the Constitutional Duties of Local Government in South Africa: A Conceptual Introduction (note)

This note explores the interrelationship between ecologically sustainable development (the green environmental agenda) and pro-poor urban development and environmental health (the brown environmental agenda) in relation to local government in South Africa. The meaning and relevance of the brown agenda versus the green agenda in environmental governance are discussed in general. This discussion subsequently feeds into the argument that South Africa's constitutional environmental right also foresees the advancement of the brown environmental agenda, which has implications for the interpretation and enforcement of local government's service delivery mandate. This link between municipal service delivery and the environmental right further informs understanding of what is required of government to fulfill this right. This paper is thus devoted to an introductory conceptual framing of South Africa's environmental right that goes beyond the green agenda. This impacts on how the constitutional duties of municipalities are interpreted and executed.

The Implications of Centre-local Relations on Service Delivery in Local Authorities in Zimbabwe: The Case of Chitungwiza

The area of centre-local relations in local government is a contemporary and topical debate in Zimbabwe. It was on this background that the research on centre-local relations was undertaken with a view to assessing the implications of service delivery in Chitungwiza Municipality (CM). The views of different authorities on centre-local relations were reviewed to further analyse the implications of centre-local relations on service delivery in municipalities. The study triangulated different data collection methods such as key informant interviews, documentary search, in-depth interviews, observation and survey to obtain detailed data on the state of centre-local relations and its implications on service delivery in CM. The findings of the study revealed that centre-local relations between the Ministry of Local Government and the CM are highly centralised. The parent ministry retains overall powers and control over the municipality. The Minister who is supposed to play a strategic role in policy formulation and implementation is involved in the day to day running of the municipality leaving little room for elected councillors and residents in general to determine their own destiny. It has been established that centre-local relations that are supposed to foster independence and autonomy of the municipality has turned into a master-subordinate relationship that has negatively affected service delivery. The study concluded that hyper-centralised governance relations are hindering effective service delivery in the municipality. This has been evidenced by erratic water supply, potholed roads, poor refuse collection and bursting of sewer pipes. The study recommends that the central government through the Ministry of Local Government must grant the municipality more autonomy as a measure of improving service delivery.

Analysing the Concept of Municipal Budgeting and Service Delivery Pattern in a South Africa’s District Municipalit

Budget allocation and expenditure patterns in South African municipalities have been a matter of concern as it affects its service delivery. The South African government has clear policies which state that municipalities and municipal officials should be sensitive to community views and problems. The recognition of municipality as a sphere of government enhances the status of municipalities which gives them the role of providing community services. To this end, there is a need for efficacy of financial management and accurate budgeting mechanisms to transform the municipalities into a better place. This accumulation of service delivery and the deteriorating infrastructure has placed a burden on municipal budgets. The inadequate financial management capacity for example, in the area of budgeting skills and its allocation, has given rise to the current ineffective service delivery in municipalities. The inadequacy in the area of budgeting skills and allocation as it affects service delivery motivated this research. The study also investigated how budgetary allocation and expenditure patterns can lead to optimal delivery of services for the benefit of the community it serves. Using SPSS 22.0 this study tested the validity and reliability of the measurement instruments used. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed and limitations and future research directions are indicated.

State Capabilities in Colombian Municipalities Measurement and Determinants

This paper constructs a comprehensive set of State Capacity indicators for Colombian municipalities, focusing in four basic governmental capabilities: fiscal, financial, physical and operational. First, a group of relevant variables was selected from a vast array of sources and classified into these four categories. Second, synthetic indicators were constructed using Principal Component Analysis (six in total as operational capabilities were further divided into three subcategories). These indicators allow us to study differential effects of a wide scope of potential determinants and controls upon each component. Such determinants included geographical features, natural resources, internal conflict, local political competition and early indigenous presence and immigration Controls included present income per capita and population density. This interdisciplinary variable selection provides a holistic explanation of State Capabilities related to public service delivery in Colombian municipalities.

Evaluation of strategic management in assisting South African municipalities improve service delivery

The reports tabled by the Auditor General on yearly basis reflect poor performance on a number of areas in respect of service delivery in South African municipalities. As a possible solution, the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs (DLGTAs) has introduced a strategic management plan that should be implemented by municipalities to assist them improve their performance. Hence, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the perceptions of municipal managers and councillors on the role of the strategic management in assisting them improve service delivery. The findings show that the assistance provided by the EC DLGTAs is not without weaknesses. It is then recommended that the areas of improvement should be addressed in an effort to improve audit reports.

Benefits of good corporate governance principles: A study of the city of Tshwane, South Africa

Annual reports issued by the City of Tshwane (2015) for the financial years 2010 to 2014 show that the City of Tshwane has received qualified audit reports from the South African Auditor General (2015). The two key causes of underperformance were lack of adherence to norms and standards that are applicable to municipal service delivery and lack of adherence to the fundamental principles of good corporate governance (King, 2009). A study was conducted in the City of Tshwane, South Africa in order to assess and evaluate the degree of adherence to good corporate governance principles stipulated by Mervin King (King, 2009) in the form of the King III report. Data was collected from a stratified random sample of size 1, 012 residents of the City of Tshwane. Stratification was done by geographical zone. Data was collected from respondents by using a structured, pre-tested and validated questionnaire of study consisting of 22 indicators of service quality. The study found that 84.37% of respondents who took part in the study were satisfied with the overall quality of municipal services that were provided to them by the City of Tshwane. Only 15.63% of respondents were not satisfied with the overall quality of services provided to them. The study showed that most of the respondents had a positive perception on the quality of routine municipal services such as water and lights and waste removal by employees of the City of Tshwane. The study showed that the degree of satisfaction of residents, ratepayers and stakeholders with the quality of municipal services that were provided to them was significantly influenced by the degree of motivation of employees of the City of Tshwane at work, the ability of employees of the City of Tshwane to treat all customers with respect, the ability of employees of the City of Tshwane to provide adequate answers promptly to queries raised by customers, and the degree to which employees of the City of Tshwane were skilled on technical issues, in a decreasing order of strength.

Capacity self-assessment as a catalyst for improved municipal service delivery

This research paper illustrates that accurate and truthful capacity assessments are a fundamental phase of any capacity building process, and that capacity assessments play a fundamental role in reaching the necessary performance efficiency. Service delivery performance enhancements by municipalities are becoming increasingly necessary. At the same time, however, the majority of municipalities in South Africa find themselves under-capacitated. Some municipalities are aware of the lack of capacity within their organisation, but are unable to identify, define and quantify these shortcomings. Many other municipalities are not aware of their capacity shortfalls. In both cases, this is often caused by the lack of necessary systems and procedures to assess the different dimensions of organisational capacity. In this regard, this research paper introduces a proposed Subjective Municipal Capacity Self-Assessment Model (SMCSAM) as an alternative solution to the current practices of the Municipal Demarcation Board. It is intended that this model be used internally by municipalities to sustain internal capacity building and performance enhancement initiatives.

Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Local Government Service Delivery Efforts in Limpopo Province, South Africa

There is an on-going debate with regard to the effectiveness of local governments in terms of service provision in South Africa. It is evident that the country has been experiencing several violent service delivery protests in different localities. Hence, this study aims to explore the attitude and perceptions of officers and community representatives regarding the current status of service delivery in Polokwane, Lepelle-Nkumpi and Aganang local municipalities in Limpopo Province. Techniques such as interviews, group discussions and questionnaire were used to collect data. The findings from interviews and discussions show that respondents have discomfort and frustration with the current level of services in their local municipalities. Furthermore, the analysis of the overall attitude indicated that the majority of the respondents uphold the view that service delivery is largely inadequate in the local municipalities under study. Likewise, the analysis on the degree of response revealed the key factors that affect the local service delivery, inter alia: limited administrative capacity to function and manage finances; huge service delivery backlogs; and insufficient incentives for performance. Therefore, it is recommended that the local municipalities should continuously assess the satisfaction level of their beneficiary community with regard to the various types of services provided by municipalities. The local municipalities should also focus on key strategic interventions such as: building their institutional capacity; improving financial management and administration; and improving incentives and stipends to the key role players of service delivery. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p224

Community Expectations and Perceptions of Municipal Service Delivery: A Case Study in a South African Municipality

The new South Africa came into being in 1994 and has been a democracy for twenty years in 2014. The incoming government faced a significant task of transformation, requiring an effective public service capability. The lack of service delivery by South African municipalities has received considerable attention in recent years including the public expression of dissatisfaction with service delivery failure becoming an almost daily occurrence. According to the South African Constitution, the mandate of a municipality is to ensure service deliveries through satisfying citizens’ basic needs. Therefore, an understanding of customers’ expectations and perceptions is vital for any service organisation’s success. This study was conducted against the backdrop of the White Paper on Local Government that calls for the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. This study sought to determine the community’s expectations and perceptions of the quality of service delivery by a South African municipality, in order to present findings and recommendations on the service quality gaps identified, for the benefit of municipalities in general. Based on previous theoretical discussions regarding customer’s expectations and perceptions, an empirical study was conducted to identify the most important service quality dimensions, using the SERVQUAL gap score. A quantitative research approach was employed, whereby a structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data on the expectations and perceptions of service quality. A convenience sample of 400 residents of a South African municipality, situated in the Gauteng province, by means of mall-intercept, was taken. The collected data were analysed using paired t-test. The findings indicate negative perceptions of the quality of services delivered by the municipality. This article concludes with recommendations to municipalities and service organisations in general regarding the quality of service delivery. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n21p281

Exploring Challenges of Municipal Service Delivery in South Africa (1994 - 2013)

This article aims to explore municipal service delivery challenges in South Africa between 1994 and 2013 in order to stimulate debate in addressing problems and challenges confronting municipalities. A fundamental question to be asked stems from the challenges of municipal service delivery. Why, in spite of the existence of regulatory and institutional frameworks, are municipalities still struggling to satisfy basic community needs such as water and electricity amongst others? All of government’s official documents and contemporary literature reviewed, including the summative record of historical facts and narrative data, are evidence of the qualitative research design employed in this study. It is clearly articulated in this article that the existence of a local municipality with poor service delivery is, amongst others, a direct consequence or manifestation of municipal capacity constraints, financial viability problems, service delivery protests, convoluted political process, corruption and poor planning as well as monitoring and evaluation challenges. In the main, the article accounts for why service delivery has failed to meet the expectations of the communities and thereby provide some possible propositions for consideration to attempt to bring a resolve to critical issues raised.

Institutional Challenges to Municipal Waste Management Service Delivery in South Africa

This paper describes the link between inadequate waste service delivery and institutional arrangement challenges affecting municipal waste management service delivery in South Africa. Using secondary data from Statistics South Africa in relation to literature review, the study finds that there are no distinct ion between responsibilities and powers among levels of government; no clear definition of roles and responsibilities among municipal waste staff; lack of experience among waste staff; the existence of discrepancies between job specification and managerial staffs' qualifications; and the failure to consider parameters peculiar to specific waste location as some of the institutional challenges that resulted in poor waste service delivery in South Africa. This paper recommends a clear and elaborate job descriptions as practiced in the private sector; adequate training on legal provisions of waste management and sanitation rules; the establishment of a professional waste management association; and ensures that waste contractors adhere strictly to the requirements of their contract through effective monitoring.

Inferring urban household socio-economic conditions in Mafikeng, South Africa, using high spatial resolution satellite imagery

Updated household socio-economic information is necessary for planning the delivery of municipal services, particularly for cities in third world countries. The repetitive coverage of satellite imagery provides a possibility for sourcing and frequently updating information on household socio-economic conditions in urban landscapes. This paper examines the potential use of satellite imagery in inferring urban household socio-economic variables, using two high-resolution images of 2001 and 2010. Manual image interpretation was employed in deducing selected socio-economic variables that are utilised in census enumerations in South Africa, at four suburbs in Mafikeng. Of the three socio-economic variables that were examined (type of main dwelling, toilet facilities, and energy source for cooking), type of dwelling could more readily be deduced from the high-resolution imagery. Identified change in number of formal and informal houses indicated potential of satellite imagery in monitoring third world setting urban sprawl and the associated growth in informal settlements due to migration, among other factors. Satellite imagery appears useful as a supplementary source of socio-economic data to municipal authorities, for periods between regular censuses.

Examining the possible influence of societal violence on governance effectiveness in South Africa

This paper examines the possible influence of violent protests on the effectiveness of governance in South Africa. South Africa continues to experience huge number of labour as well as popular municipal service delivery protests. The popular social view with ensuing protests has often pointed at governance inefficiency as the cause of violent protests. This paper adopts a slightly different view in its analysis of violent protests and instead looks at possible influence of violence as possible instigator of ineffective governance. The paper is conceptually rooted in reviews – combined with simple regression test of possible relationship between violent protest and governance effectiveness. The authors also present an examination of probable relationship between violent protests and governance effectiveness using observation of macro-economic data trends from the World Bank. The findings reveal a probable weakening in governance effectiveness or its perception thereof as a result of violent protests. Amongst others, violent protests produces a psyche of perpetual victimhood that leads to further violence resulting in less value attached to lives, destruction of economic property, increases pollution, production stoppages for goods and services and in turn depletes government revenue generation and frustrates international investors. We postulate that under condition explained above, government effectiveness in managing public resources becomes weakened and may lead to wastage and inefficiency as the resources and revenues employed in controlling violent protests are unplanned and do not often lead to constructive and sustainable public policy. We suggest that this condition therefore may result in reduction in economic growth which in turn perpetuates the same weaknesses that led to society protests and violence

Comparing local fiscal autonomy in the water and sanitation sectors of Johannesburg and Nairobi

The rationale for local fiscal autonomy suggests that local expenditure and local revenue generation should remain in close proximity. This is achieved through fiscal decentralisation to local government, to ensure efficient provision of local services that align with local needs, and to improve accountability to residents. Fiscal decentralisation has found resonance in developing countries through local government reforms, but in Africa fiscal decentralisation has been focussed mainly on revenue sharing, except in a few cases where some local fiscal autonomy has been achieved. Urbanisation in Africa is likely to continue (UN-Habitat, 2008), necessitating an increase in municipal service delivery which African cities must finance − hence the need for local fiscal autonomy. Local fiscal autonomy is arguably contentious for African cities, partly because provision of municipal services must be tempered with considerations of equity and redistribution to the poorer urban populations, and because inadequate welfare nets from national government do not subsidise the gap in municipal revenue. In the recent past, Kenya and South Africa adopted local government reforms in different forms that has yielded different forms of local fiscal autonomy. The paper conducts a comparative of local fiscal autonomy in municipal services provision in Nairobi and Johannesburg.

On the Cost-Efficiency of Service Delivery in Small Municipalities

Arcelus F. J., Arocena P., Cabasés F. and Pascual P. On the cost-efficiency of service delivery in small municipalities, Regional Studies. This paper analyses the determinants of the efficiency of local government spending. To that effect, a stochastic cost frontier is estimated on a sample of 260 small municipalities from Navarre, a region located in northern Spain. The results suggest that the cost-efficiency in the provision of municipal services increases with (1) the level of pooling or joint provision of services among municipalities; (2) the saliency of local taxes, as compared with regional grants, in its operating budget; (3) the presence of external public comptrollers; and (4) the magnitude of the municipality's accumulated past investment in infrastructures.