Poor Service Delivery Research Articles

Librarians’ Perceptions of Tribalism/Ethnicity and Favouritism Practices and the Perceptions’ Effect on Job Satisfaction and Service Delivery in Federal University Libraries in Southern Nigeria

Objective – This study examined librarians’ perceptions of tribalism/ethnicity and favouritism practices and the perceived effect on job satisfaction and service delivery in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria. The study was aimed at observing whether or not librarians perceive that their senior library managers engage in tribalism/ethnicity and favouritism practices; discerning the extent to which they are perceived to be engaging in tribalism/ethnicity and favouritism practices; ascertaining how the perceived tribalism/ethnicity and favouritism practices can affect job satisfaction of librarians and service delivery by librarians in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria. Methods – This study used a descriptive survey research design. The total population for this study comprised 296 librarians who were below the rank of senior library manager from 18 federal university libraries in the southern region of Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data collected for this study were analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighted mean. Results – This study found that librarians in university libraries in Southern Nigeria believe that senior library managers engage in tribalism/ethnicity and favouritism practices and that the extent of these practices is very high. These librarians clearly have strong concerns that the practise of tribalism/ethnicity and favouritism in libraries can have negative effects on librarians’ job satisfaction and can lead to poor service delivery. Conclusion – It is glaring from this study that tribalism and favouritism practices by senior library managers are perceived to be prevalent in university libraries in Southern Nigeria, significantly impacting librarians' job satisfaction. This negative workplace dynamic can hinder effective service delivery, ultimately affecting user experience and the library's role in education. Addressing these biases is crucial, as promoting fairness and inclusivity can enhance job satisfaction, improve staff morale, and lead to higher quality library services for all patrons.

An interrogation of poor service delivery causes and their impact in local economy of Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality

South Africa's governance structure follows a three-tier system, emphasizing co-operative governance among the national, provincial, and local authorities. The responsibility for crucial service delivery lies primarily with local governments, specifically municipalities. This research delves into the problems and deficiencies associated with service delivery in the Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality, exploring the perspectives of stakeholders impacted by and responsible for service delivery at strategic, political, and administrative levels. The study employs qualitative methods, utilizing questionnaires and interviews to gather diverse insights. The research reveals a pervasive sense of apathy towards government service delivery, with a majority of local residents perceiving the municipality as unresponsive to community needs. This contributes to a trust deficit, hindering effective collaboration between residents and local authorities. Divergent perspectives on the reasons for inadequate service provision highlight the complexity of the issue. While municipal officials acknowledge their limitations, some residents resort to extreme measures, such as vandalism and criminal activities, to express their frustrations. The findings emphasize the necessity of a mediating factor to foster understanding and cooperation between local authorities and residents. Motivated by the recurrent violent confrontations and protests stemming from service delivery disputes, this research underscores the significance of addressing these issues for the well-being of citizens and the overall quality of life. Effective communication, responsiveness, accountability, and transparency emerge as essential elements to tackle the challenges identified in the study.

Promotion of Service Delivery in Terms of the Social Contract Theory in South Africa's Legal Framework

As is evident in the prevailing water and electricity rationing, South Africa is reeling from a crisis of poor service delivery. Against the background of its apartheid history and liberal constitution, this article examines how South Africa's legal framework promotes efficient service delivery in the context of a social contract theory. Using a literature review and content analysis of legislation, this article argues that basic service delivery is a human right that underlies the core function of the State regarding its social contract with citizens. The article critiques cooperative governance and the demarcation of service delivery duties between the spheres of government in the 1996 Constitution, the Municipal Structures Act, the Municipal Systems Act, and the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act. It demonstrates how the legal framework places a heavy burden on the local government to provide basic amenities. By highlighting how a social contract informs the purpose of the constitutional State, the article demonstrates why service delivery must be taken seriously in a nation desperately in need of socio-economic transformation.

The Cost of Coordination Failures: Impacts on Urban Development Projects and Citizen Services in Bangladesh

Rapid urbanization in Bangladesh places significant pressure on City Corporations to effectively plan and implement urban development projects, often in collaboration with national agencies. However, coordination failures are prevalent, leading to significant costs and hindering urban development. This study investigates the challenges in service delivery coordination faced by City Corporations in Bangladesh, focusing on Cumilla and Dhaka as case studies to understand the complexities of coordination in varying urban contexts. A qualitative research approach was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 110 stakeholders across both cities. This included 40 City Corporation officials, 30 government agency representatives, and 70 community representatives, ensuring a multi-faceted understanding of the issue. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis and interpretive techniques to identify recurring patterns and themes related to coordination challenges, their consequences, and potential solutions. Rigor and trustworthiness were ensured through data triangulation, member checking, and reflexivity. The study identified several key coordination challenges, including dysfunctional coordination committees, power struggles between City Corporations and national agencies, non-compliance with regulations, unclear roles and responsibilities, dual control over tasks, breaches of agreements, political interference, self-serving leadership, and inadequate corrective measures. These challenges hinder project progress and negatively impact citizens, leading to subpar work quality, project delays, funding withdrawals, poor service delivery, financial waste, and increased public distress. In conclusion, this study underscores the urgent need for improved coordination mechanisms, accountability frameworks, and capacity-building initiatives to enhance urban development and service delivery in Bangladesh.

Qualitative study exploring reintegration of clinical trial participants with HIV to public health services in Johannesburg, South Africa

ObjectivePeople living with HIV (PLHIV) are often recruited from primary healthcare clinics (PHC) into clinical trials. On trial completion, they are transferred back to the facility for continued care and...

Implications of Municipal Revenue Collection on Service Delivery in South Africa: Challenges and Recommendations

In South Africa, citizens have protested against inadequate services provided by municipalities across different provinces. It is argued that most protests were caused by poor service delivery, a lack of community engagement, corruption, mismanagement of public resources, lack of institutional capacity and unqualified personnel. Thus, this study evaluates the difficulties associated with revenue collection and its implications on service delivery. To assess this aim, the study adopted a qualitative research approach. This study reviewed secondary data from different databases. The study keywords were used to search for relevant studies. The study was analyzed using a thematic content approach. Moreover, the study adopted two theoretical frameworks namely; ability to pay and the benefits theory. The key findings of this study include substantial difficulties in revenue collection, which in turn affect the provision of services. Poor service delivery is continuously caused by a lack of sufficient financial resources and ineffective revenue collection mechanisms. This study indicates a significant link between low revenue collection and inadequate service delivery. The recommendations of this study to municipalities include employing qualified officials, creating rebates and discounts for paying consumers, regularly examining critical credit regulations, guaranteeing high-quality service, and boosting revenue collection in light of these findings.

Social Discontent and Voting Behaviour in South Africa’s 2024 General Elections: The Transition from One-party Dominance to a Multi-party Coalition

The main aim of this paper was to analyse South Africa’s transition from one-party dominance to a multi-party coalition government, with specific reference to the 2024 general elections in South Africa. Through the use of secondary data collection, the paper critically analysed the nexus between social discontent and voting behaviour in South Africa’s 2024 general elections. Using rational choice theory, the paper argued that voting behaviour in the 2024 elections was influenced by people’s choice to vote for a political party that promised to improve their welfare by addressing existing socio-economic challenges. The study found that the African National Congress (ANC), which has been a single dominant party in national government for 30 years, has failed to address pressing challenges that cause social discontent such as poor service delivery, poverty, unemployment, inequality, corruption, and the energy crisis. As a result, the party fell below the threshold to govern on its own, leading to the formation of a multi-party coalition government with former opposition parties named the Government of National Unity (GNU). The paper concluded that parties that form multi-party coalition government should prioritise people’s interests such as mitigating existing social discontents, because failure to do so shall influence voting behaviour in the upcoming election cycles, which might affect their electoral support as was the case with the ANC’s decline of support post-2024 general elections. This study anticipates making a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge by offering practical insights into the nexus between social discontent and voting behaviour in South Africa’s elections. In addition, the study provides recommendations on how the newly formed government of national unity can mitigate the existing social discount among electorates. Keywords: Multi-Party Coalition Government, One-Party Dominance, Social Discontents, Voting Behaviour, South African 2024 General Election

Integrated development plan strategies for service delivery in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality

Background: Following the end of apartheid in 1994, the democratic government recognised the importance of local government as a key vehicle for service delivery.Aim: This article examined the effectiveness of the integrated development plan (IDP) strategies of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM) as a public service delivery tool.Setting: In South Africa, poor service delivery has remained a challenge. This has been attributed to the challenge of transparency and accountability. Thus, the lack of access to basic needs is more profound at the local government level. While urban centres have access to certain basic facilities, rural communities such as Walmer and Motherwell townships remain underdeveloped.Methods: The study used a qualitative research design for data collection and analysis. Thirty participants were purposively selected among municipal officials, ward councillors and community members for semi-structured interviews. Thematic data analysis was used for the analysis of data.Results: Despite the IDP’s well-structured strategic framework, various challenges, such as insufficient community participation, inadequate resource allocation and a lack of essential planning skills among officials hindered its effective implementation.Conclusion: The study concluded that for the IDP to achieve its aims, its implementation should be evidence-based and responsive to community needs. Effective service delivery requires a fundamental transformation in municipal leadership and public participation.Contribution: The article presents the challenge of public service delivery within the context of the IDP strategies in a specific municipality. It serves as a signpost for understanding the implementation of the IDP as a public service delivery strategy.

Assessment of Husbandry Practices, Production and Reproductive Performance of Indigenous Cattle in Urban and Peri -urban Areas of Gambella City, Ethiopia

The objective of the present study was to characterize cattle husbandry practices, production and reproductive performance of cattle in the urban and peri-urban areas of Gambella city. Sample of respondents from each selected kebele were selected randomly using simple random sampling technique. A total of 133 household (70 from urban and 63 from peri-urban) were selected for questionnaire interview. Data was analyzed using SPPS version 23 software. The overall mean of the respondents revealed that, the management system practiced was semi-intensive (87.2%), extensive system (12.8%) and there was no intensive management system practiced. the overall mean daily milk yield was 1.58± 0.017 Littre/cow/day. The overall mean daily milk yield analysis of variance was significantly (P<0.05) difference among urban and peri-urban areas. The current result also indicated that, the overall average lactation length was and 10.59± 0.15 months, and was not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the study areas. The overall average age at first services, age at first calving and calving interval was 46.31±0.33, 51.51±0.54, and 19.01±0.11 months respectively. In Addition, disease prevalence, poor animal health service delivery, grazing land and feed shortage were among the major constraints affecting production and productivity in the study areas. In conclusion, Age at first services, age at first calving and calving interval of indigenous cow was low compared to some of the indigenous breed in other regions, animal health and health services delivery are the problems affecting cattle productivity. Hence, all concerned stakeholders need to take urgent interventions in order to improve production and productivity of cattle.

NEXUS BETWEEN THE ABSENCE OF A SOCIAL COMPACT, SOCIETAL POLARIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY IN SOUTH AFRICAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

South Africa, a nation marked by profound disparities, is deeply entrenched in the painful historical legacies of its past. The discourse on socio-economic transformation has been ongoing since the African National Congress (ANC) came into power in 1994, aiming to foster a social compact and reconcile the polarized society. Despite these efforts, black communities continue to face discrimination in service delivery. Daily reports of protests in impoverished, predominantly black communities emphasize the absence of a social compact in South Africa. This paper, primarily conceptual in nature and relying on secondary data, seeks to explore the nexus between the absence of a social compact, societal polarization, and its impact on service delivery in South African local government. It contends that addressing issues of poor service delivery, public protests and anti-government sentiment must start with acknowledging the absence of a social compact. This recognition should serve as the foundation for pursuing new paradigms for effective development and good governance practices at the local government level. The findings of this study suggest that the absence of a social compact is not only a result of human actions but also reflects structural issues. This absence exacerbates societal divisions, erodes trust in governance structures and hampers collaborative efforts crucial for effective service provision. Furthermore, societal polarization compounds challenges related to resource allocation and perpetuates disparities in service access, particularly impacting marginalized communities. In conclusion, the paper proposes policy recommendations aimed at fostering social cohesion, addressing structural inequalities, and promoting inclusive governance practices.

Public-Private Partnership for Local Economic Development in the Kintampo Municipality of Ghana

Local governments are regarded as the primary stakeholders in Local Economic Development (LED) yet, they do not have adequate resources to execute their mandate (Ghana National Policy on PPP, 2011). Public-Private Partnership (PPP) presents a viable option for the delivery of local infrastructure and services for LED. The general objective of the study was to assess the contributions and opportunities of PPPs for LED in the Kintampo Municipal Assembly. A descriptive and exploratory study design was used for the study. According to the findings, the only documented PPP projects identified were public toilets and an enterprise development initiative with REP-BAC. There was another ‘loose’ arrangement of PPP between the KMA and the garages at the ‘magazine’. The PPP initiatives contributed to employment creation and income for the local people and internally generated funds for the KMA. Some identified projects were worth the consideration for investment under PPP e.g. Construction of a Lorry station under B.O.T/ Concession and the Upgrading of Kintampo Waterfalls under Concession. However, the low capacity of local partners to raise funds for investment, bad previous experiences of the KMA, poor service delivery by partners, and weak formalization processes by partners were challenging to PPPs in the Municipality. Despite the challenges, PPPs hold great potential for LED in the KMA. As such it is recommended that the KMA should increase awareness of the local people on PPP as an alternative strategy for funding projects for LED, create the enabling environment, and engage the necessary contractual instruments that commit both partners in all PPPs while maintaining proper documentation.

Municipal Performance and the Utilisation of the King IV Governance Report in South African Municipalities

Since 1994, South Africa has made progress in consolidating its democracy. However, in post-apartheid constitutional democracy, there has been growing concern about the government’s incapacity to render public services to its constituencies. In 2002, the King II report on corporate governance in South Africa was issued with the intention of “promoting the highest standards of corporate governance in South Africa.” The characteristics of corporate governance in the report included transparency, discipline, accountability, independence, fairness, responsibility, and social responsibility while the King IV report was underpinned by 17 principles. Based on these King codes and concerns, the study intends to examine whether the King IV report governance outcomes of 2016 can be used for the benefit of South African municipalities. To realise this objective, the study employed a qualitative research approach in the form of document reviews. Theoretically, the study is underpinned by the elements of the King IV report. The reason for adopting the King IV report is because it is the first code that is outcomes-based and allows the municipalities to see benefits if implemented accurately. The study reveals that there is persistent poor service delivery caused by unethical practices and poor governance in South African municipalities. The study proposes that South African municipalities should embrace the corporate governance principles outlined in the King IV report to mitigate risks such as corruption through the implementation of effective control measures, reduce political interference by ensuring the presence of balanced check mechanisms, and uphold legitimacy by adhering to government policies and laws.

Mediating Effect Of Employee Wellbeing On The Relationship Between Recruitment And Selection Practices And Employee Commitment Of National Police Service In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Low employee commitment has been a prevalent issue within the National Police Service (NPS), often leading to negative consequences such as low morale, poor service delivery, and public distrust. Therefore, this study sought to determine the mediating effect of employee wellbeing on the relationship between recruitment and selection on employee commitment of National Police Service in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The study was guided by Ability motivation opportunity theory. This study adopted explanatory research design. The sample size of 328 for this study was calculated based on Yamane’s formula. The researcher used a questionnaire as research instrument. A pilot study was conducted in national police service in Nandi County. Quantitative data collected using the questionnaires for all the objectives were analysed using descriptive statistics that is frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Inferential analysis was carried through correlation and multiple regression analysis. Analyzed data were presented in form of tables and charts. The study findings revealed that the effect of recruitment and selection practices on employee commitment through employee wellbeing is 0.3041, indicating that for every standard deviation increase in recruitment and selection practices. The study concluded that improving recruitment and selection practices can lead to higher levels of employee wellbeing, which in turn can enhance employee commitment. The study recommended that organizations should focus on improving recruitment and selection practices to enhance employee wellbeing and ultimately increase employee commitment.

Midwives’ Knowledge, Perceptions and Practices on Utilization of the Partograph at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital

Globally, maternal death has been an issue of concern, while obstructed and prolonged labour are among the top five causes of these deaths in Africa and Zimbabwe particularly. Proper and effective utilization of the Partograph significantly helps in preventing and reducing the high numbers of birthing complications of such a nature. A Partograph is a labour monitoring chart that provides a pictorial overview of maternal and foetal well-being during the intrapartum period. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices on the utilization of the Partograph among midwives working at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital. A descriptive cross sectional design was used, and a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 60 participants chosen using the purposive sampling technique. Data were collected and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22) and presented using charts, tables, and narration. The study identified that midwives were knowledgeable, although they had a negative attitude towards the Partograph attributed by a lack of motivation caused by the absence of support from mentors and supervisors, lack of workshops, and on-the-job training on the use of the graphical chart. Underutilization of the tool, which pointed to poor practice, was attributed to understaffing of midwives, high workload, and burnout syndrome among the labour ward midwives. These implications could lead to omissions, litigations, poor maternal service delivery, and lawsuits. Periodic workshops, symposiums, on-the-job training would go a long way in improving attitudes. The study concluded that the Partograph is a very important tool that should be effectively used in the labour ward so that complications are picked up early, thereby improving maternal outcomes. Support for the midwives, supervision, mentorship, non-monetary incentives, and increased staffing with an acceptable midwife-patient ratio of probably 1:2 would improve practice and yield a positive birthing outcome of a live and healthy mother and baby.

Work autonomy and its associated factors among health professionals in public hospitals of North East Ethiopia

A low level of work autonomy is the bottleneck for the health service delivery and the quality of the service. Although work autonomy is the pillar of organizational commitment and a means of employee retention mechanism, information about the magnitude of work autonomy among health professionals is limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess work autonomy and its predictors among health professionals working in public hospitals of Northeast Ethiopia. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 24 to April 24, 2021, among health professionals using a stratified sampling technique. Variables with a p-value of < 0.25 in bivariable analysis were included in the multivariable analysis and variables with a p-value of < 0.05 in multivariable analysis were regarded as significantly associated factors. The overall good work autonomy in public hospitals (Dessie and Boru Meda Hospital) of North East Ethiopia was 54.5% (95% CI 54.48–54.53). Satisfaction with organizational policy and strategy (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.29–4.25), satisfaction with supervisor support (AOR 7.20, 95% CI 3.97–13.07), good health service delivery planning practice (AOR 1.88, 95%CI: 1.13–3.13), being married (AOR 4.26, 95%CI: 2.06–8.82) being pharmacy professionals (AOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.19–0.98), and being anesthesia and radiology professionals (AOR 4.66, 95% CI 1.65–13.19) were significantly associated with work autonomy of health professionals. More than half of the health professionals working in public hospitals in Northeast Ethiopia are autonomous in their work. Satisfaction with organizational policy and strategy, satisfaction with supervisor support, having good health service delivery planning practice, being married, and type of profession were significantly associated factors in public hospitals. Thus, strengthening strategies aimed at shaping poor health service delivery planning practices and dissatisfaction of employees concerning supervisor support and organizational policy might have a substantial contribution to improving the work autonomy of health professionals.

Exploring the Scarcity of Municipal Resources as Contributors to Illegal Strikes and Protests in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

The shortage of resources at municipalities are a national problem in so many ways. By lacking resources and maintenance municipalities are unable to provide communities with quality service delivery. This article aims to highlight the impact of scarcity of resources in the City of Tshwane (CoT) Metropolitan Municipality which bring about illegal and unprotected strikes by employees, and protests by the local community. When residents or employees are unhappy with poor municipal services, be it no water or electricity for days, poor service delivery, low employee salaries or better working conditions, people tend to take to the streets and show their discontentment with lack of proper services by local government. Strikes and protests arise for a number of reasons, though principally in response to economic conditions. When employees strike for better wages or residence for proper services, both demonstrations have an impact on the economic welfare of any country. The methodological rigor of this paper is ethnographical in nature and data was collected through literature study. Major contributions is to identify advanced methods of policing through intelligence gathering and enforcement when or before illegal strikes and protests take place. This will assist in eliminating fear from the public, tourists, non-striking employees, law enforcement officers and local business operators, etc. The implications should instill the norm of zero tolerance to violence and intimidation, and punishments are inevitable within the prescripts of the law of the Republic of South Africa. Enforcing the law by ensuring that legal mechanisms are reactive and punitive will hinder anyone to partake in illegal strikes or protests.

Gendered risks: access to and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services among young migrants in Southwestern Uganda: the role of the 'lending a hand' intervention.

Young migrants may engage in risky behaviours due to social, economic, and psychological challenges as they try to "get by" in their new host communities. This can result in unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and poor mental health outcomes.During a study to test the feasibility and acceptability of an early intervention to reduce the harm of patterns of risk associated with migration, we assessed access to and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) among recent migrants (14-24 years) in south-western Uganda. The intervention conducted in 2022/23 involved training peer supporters to provide referral advice and support to young people. Between March-November 2022, 20 young migrants (11 males and 9 females) were purposively selected to participate in two in-depth interviews each to explore their experiences during the intervention. Data were analysed thematically. Women engaged in transactional sex to supplement their low pay while men got involved in risky behaviour once they had earned some money. Many suffered from sexually transmitted infections-related symptoms, were at risk for HIV infection and some women had fears of unwanted pregnancy. While some tried to seek for SRH services from public facilities, poor health service delivery such as long queues and shortages of drugs, discouraged them from going there. Young people tried to access treatment from private facilities but could not afford the costs. The intervention increased knowledge about SRH and supported young people to access services from the public health facilities at no cost thus increasing utilization. Sexual health risks were experienced differently by women and men. The women were likely to experience symptoms related to sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) much earlier than men and this could increase their likelihood to engage with SRH services. The intervention served to increase men's readiness to access SRH services by providing them at a time and place that is convenient. Recognizing the different risk profiles of young people is important in tailoring appropriate interventions to promote equitable access and utilization of SRH services for both genders in this vulnerable population.

Xenophobia: a hindrance factor to South Africa’s ambition of becoming a developmental state

The prevalence of xenophobic violence toward foreigners has hindered South Africa’s ambition to become a developmental state since 2007, when the concept of a “democratic developmental state” was first endorsed during the African National Congress (ANC) conference in Polokwane. This ambition has also been thwarted by the inability of the post-apartheid regime to provide adequate and sustainable services to the citizens. Xenophobia has disrupted economic growth and has contributed to poor service delivery in local municipalities, thus leading to social protests. The developmental state depends mainly on a solid balance of economic growth and human development. It also leans on the capacity of the state to establish policies that address poverty and promote the expansion of solid economic opportunities. In this endeavor, migrants increase economic growth and make it sustainable, increase productivity, and promote the labor market. They also promote the labor force and human capital, economic growth, and public finance, thus enabling the realization of a developmental state. However, xenophobia has limited migrants’ contributions to economic growth and social well-being in South Africa. It has destructive effects on South Africa’s economic structure and growth, thus affecting the delivery of adequate services that would enhance its ability to achieve a developmental state. The paper recommends that there is a need for South Africa to understand that xenophobia affects economic growth and the service delivery framework. To address the prevalence of xenophobia and achieve its ambition of a developmental state, South Africa needs to hasten its responses to curb xenophobia and integrate migrants into economic opportunities. The paper adopted a qualitative research methodology and conceptual and document analysis techniques to collect data that enabled the achievement of the above assertions.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Municipal Planning and Management: A Pathway to Improve South African Service Delivery

In the years after 1994, the democratic government of South Africa worked to transfer and extend basic service provision to practically all sections of the country. The delivery of public services continues to be an embarrassment to humanity and the developmental state. Without proper basic services such as water, sanitation, power, infrastructure, health facilities, and housing, a large section of South Africa’s people would continue to live and die. As a result, society remains disenfranchized and exposed to socioeconomic shocks, contributing to the economy's decline and destruction. To support successful service delivery, the integration of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as a shift from human-led operations to computerized operations is now recognized and required in municipal planning and management. The central purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of applying GIS as a crucial planning tool infused within integrated development planning in municipal planning and management. The current state of service delivery in existing municipal planning and management procedures, as well as the factors that influence it and the effect it has on society, will be examined. This conceptual study employs secondary data and follows a certain methodology. Using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methodology, secondary data were examined. The results demonstrate that political influence and manipulation, a lack of openness and accountability, insufficient citizen participation, a lack of personnel capability, and poor planning, monitoring, and evaluation contribute to poor public service delivery in South Africa. Furthermore, the findings indicate that GIS functions as a tool for visualization and collation of spatial information, map production, and data capturing and storage in local municipalities with the aim of enhancing public service delivery.

Emerging Issues on the Performance of Ward Executive Officers in Tanzania

For effective and speedy service delivery the Local Government (Urban Authorities) Act, 1982 established the ward system in urban areas. Wards Executive Officers (WEO) supervise all government activities and Ward Development Programs at the ward level. Despite the efforts made by the Government of Tanzania to ensure that the communities in the wards have access to quality services, wards still experience poor service delivery. This study aimed to investigate emerging issues affecting the performance of Ward Executive Officers in delivering services in the wards. The study was conducted at Morogoro Municipal Council and employed the qualitative technique. The data collection methods were in-depth interviews and documentary reviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Data were collected from 29 wards of Morogoro Municipal Council. Findings from the study indicated that inadequate human resources, financial resources, lack of career development, lack of training, and a poor working environment mostly influenced the performance of Ward Executive officers. The study recommends strengthening the availability of resources and a conducive environment for the effective performance of Ward Executive Officers.