Results based management as a tool for effective service delivery: in the case of Chegutu municipality.

The main aim of research was to examine the relationship between Results Based Management and service delivery in the case of Chegutu Municipality. Results Based Management is a concept that introduced to local authorities as way to improve quality of service delivery since most local authorities have been providing poor service delivery to the community. However, there no policy guidelines in this respect, local authorities can choose to adopt or not to adopt Results Based Management. Chegutu Municipality is the one of those local authorities which has adopted Results Based Management in Zimbabwe. In the chapter one the researcher discussed the background of the study citing the history of council and the concept of Results Based Management .The statement of the problem was to assess whether Results Based Management have improved quality of service delivery in Chegutu Municipality or not. The main objectives of the study was to identify the reasons for the adoption of Results Based Management in local authorities, to examine how Chegutu Municipality adopted Results Based Management, to determine the link between Results Based Management and service delivery and to determine the impacts of Results Based Management on service delivery .Results Based Management was defined as a way of managing organization by ensuring that all its processes, products and services are contributed to the achievements of desired results. Results Based Management was adopted in local authorities to uphold accountability and transparency, to promote effectiveness, efficiency and strong capacity building, to reduce opportunities and pressure for corruption, to promote better communication of programs and projects and to improve quality of service delivery. The researcher used descriptive and case study research design in carrying out the research and used a sample size of 52 respondents from Chegutu Municipality. The researcher used judgmental sampling to select councillors and management as well as simple random sampling to select employees. Questionnaires and interviews were used as research instruments. The data collected was analysed and presented in form of graphs, pie charts and tables. The findings of the study showed that Chegutu Municipality has extremely improved in service delivery because of the introduction of Results Based Management. It has improved in infrastructural development, social services, environmental management and in performance management and budgetary control. However, the employees have capacity problems because of low educational levels, the community has problems in identify projects and programs and the local authority is facing financial challenges to carry out identified projects and programs. The research recommends the council to sensitize stakeholders about Results Based Management, to train Results Based Management trainers who would train employees and to have purposive funding for identified projects and programs

From Pascal Triangle to Golden Pyramid

We introduce a “structure” of epic proportions – golden pyramid whose sacred geometry is “Fibonacci squared”. In terms of mathematical beauty, the golden pyramid will perhaps be found to be comparable to Pascal triangle

An assessment of student petty trading entrepreneurial activities at Midlands State University (Gweru Campus) and the impact upon their livelihoods.

The aim of this research is to examine how entrepreneurship has impacted the livelihoods of students at tertiary institutions. In particular it looks at the student entrepreneurial activities at the Midlands State University (Gweru Campus). The researcher focuses on how the university has promoted entrepreneurship around the campus. She also explores the impact of student petty trading as an entrepreneurial activity on the students’ livelihoods as well as the challenges they face. Lastly the researcher offers ways that can be used to enhance the lives of students through petty trading at the university. It is also the aim of this research to find out if the entrepreneurial activities are enough to sustain the livelihoods of students. The qualitative method was employed during the study along with two types of data gathering which are interviews and questionnaires. A total of forty students were interviewed. The researcher used the purposive and snow ball as the sampling techniques

An Ethnography of setapa music of the Basotho in the context of holoba pula rain making ceremony

Cultural erosion is a cause of concern in all community in Africa. It is on this regard that I took interest to research on the Basotho community in Kafusi village in Gwanda South rural areas in Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe. The research is entitled “An ethnography of setapa music of the Basotho in the context of holoba pula rain making ceremony.†It was conducted qualitatively with aid of research instruments such as interview guides and observation guide. These were explored since there is limited literature on the subject. The sample was chosen purposively since I had a knowhow of where to find people who are likely to bring rightful information. The research was based on the age of elders for authentic data and hence the elderly people who have knowledge about holoba pula in pre-colonial era were the ones interviewed. Also the Basotho traditional healers were some of informants; these were regarded as culture bearers who still practice the ceremony. Kraal heads and headman were part of the research project enhancing its progress. Snowballing really worked in the ongoing of research and widened the population sample. Participant observation was used in the field to get a thick description and get rid of informants who would be suspicious of the reason beyond research. The setapa dance is seldom practiced except for the local artists who perform it out of context. The instruments for ntenela are: the kudu horn, the drum and leg wrestles and the props are spears, knobkerries civet cat and the brown tail. With holoba pula the dance is solemn with three drums leg wrestles, the black bison tail the snuff and the ostrich feathered hat. The songs for holoba pula are for rituals the performance includes the dragging of feet as to show that it is more sacrilegious and the dance venerates spirit medium. Only women beyond menopause may take part in beer brewing. The attire for holoba pula cannot be performed out of context and songs are sung particularly during rainy season only. Setapa music in the context of rain making is seldom practiced in its purity as it used to be. There is solid evidence found during the field that the terminology in the ceremony that precedes holoba pula known as ntenela ceremony was once called motlholo in pre-colonial era now the new coinage might be a result of modernization and hybridization of Shona Venda, Kalanga Sotho and Ndebele. Villagers are concerned about eroding culture saying that Christians no longer want to offer sorghum associating the act as evil. While on the other hand the ceremony is not perfected since people use transport to visit Njelele. Detergents are now used. All the cultural traits which are slowly dying out were stimuli for me to carry such a study

New world trade relations: A developing country's perspective

Seminar pape

An investigation on the impacts of budgets and budgetary controls on profitability of an organization: case of Marsh Zimbabwe private limited

The study sought to investigate the impacts of budgets and budgetary controls on the profitability of Marsh Zimbabwe Private Limited. The increase in the use of budgetary controls to attain profits have moved Marsh Zim (Pvt) Ltd to implement budgetary controls and move away from just a mere operation without budgetary control methods. As a result, it is the objective of this study to investigate the impacts of budgetary control on the operational and financial performance (profitability) of Marsh Zim (Pvt) Ltd. The researcher used the mixed approach research design to collect data and primary data was collected through the use of interviews and questionnaires. Four departments of Marsh Zim (Pvt) Ltd were used to draw the population sample and stratified random sampling technique was used. The results showed that the use of budgetary controls created several benefits, which included the operational performance, workers motivation and an improvement in the coordination of workers. However, these benefits were outweighed by the increase in expenditure, operating costs as well as the decline in the profitability from period 2013-2015. The implementation of budgetary controls did not improve the profitability of Marsh Zim (Pvt) Ltd as expected. Based on the results obtained, the researcher recommended that Marsh Zim (Pvt) Ltd should adopt the use of flexible budgetary controls, also the use of budget software’s and the budgetary control techniques, which include strategic management, in-depth variance analysis and forecast

Spatiotemporal patterns of clinical bovine dermatophilosis in Zimbabwe 1995-2014

A retrospective study of clinical bovine dermatophilosis outbreaks and cases for the period 1995-2014 was conducted, using data obtained from the Division of Veterinary Services (DVS). A total of 3856 outbreaks and 26 659 cases of dermatophilosis were reported countrywide during this period. The post rainy season accounted for 37.9% of the outbreaks followed by the rainy season (26.7%), cold dry season (22.1%) and the hot dry season (13.2%). A retrospective space-time scan statistic in SaTScanâ„¢ was used to detect clusters. From this study, it was evident that dermatophilosis was spreading from the north-west of Zimbabwe through the central to the north-east during the period 2010-2014. Five clusters were identified mainly in the central and north-western regions of Zimbabwe. The primary cluster was centred at Ungwe, Gokwe district in Midlands; the second, third, fourth and fifth likely clusters were centred at Bonga (Mashonaland Central), ARDA (Mashonaland West), Nsenga (Matabeleland North) and Zanda in Gokwe, respectively. The findings of this study suggest the continued spread of dermatophilosis across the country; as such the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services are advised to develop measures aimed at managing this spread such as dipping, quarantine, movement control and raising farmer awareness

Challenges of local authorities service delivery: a case study of Bulawayo city council (BCC)

This study was carried out to evaluate the challenges of local service delivery at Bulawayo City Council. The researcher used analytical survey method which enabled the researcher to collect a lot of information regarding the study. Secondary source of available literature relating to the council was used. The researcher used random sampling; questionnaires were used to capture data from 13 residential areas. Questionnaires were distributed in 5 departments of Bulawayo Municipality to collect data. The results confirmed that there were lots of challenges faced by service seekers of Bulawayo Municipality. The challenges which mostly emanate from fatal economic doldrums caused instability that affects the success of council policies working towards improving service delivery thus curtailing the challenges thereof