Deriving traditional reproductive regimes to explain subnational fertility differentials in Zambia

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (p. 228-245).This thesis applies multivariate statistical techniques to six data sets to account for past and present-day features underlying ethnic fertility differentials in Zambia

Social Capital as Survival Strategy for Immigrants in South Africa: A Conceptual Framework

Social survival strategies are premised on relations anchored around ethnicity, culture, nationality, and language. Out of this strategy is the concept of social capital which is defined as the link that allow people to discover opportunities as well as employment based in social relationships with previous migrants. There is no doubt that foreign nationals utilise different forms of social capital to achieve different means—the reliance on family at the point of entry to access shelter and employment opportunities whereas they access friendships and networks within the employment circles to access other employment opportunities. The aim of this research is to detail how foreign nationals employ social capital networks as a survival strategy in South African urban townships using Diepsloot, found in the northwest of Johannesburg, as a case study. It is an important study because there is a lack of literature linking social capital as a survival strategy. We focus on social capital because it is a propeller—at least at initial and transition stages of migration—to access other forms of survival strategies. This paper, before all else, derives a conceptual framework that should guide the empirical part of such a research

Conceptual framework for subnational citizen-based participatory democracy and empowerment : case of Vhembe District Municipality

The apartheid government had consciously entrenched a governance system in which local communities did not have a voice in their local development agenda. During the apartheid era, the national government held command of local authorities on all matters of developmental initiatives. This was the case with all areas inhabited by Blacks while those inhabited by Whites were allowed some degree of self-governance. Post–1994, as outlined in the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, the African National Congress government undertook to correct the apartheid governance discrepancies. As a result, Parliament enacted pieces of legislation and various regulatory frameworks to foster community participation in local development initiatives. Subsequent transformation has arguably registered some success in urban areas, amidst persistent failures in rural areas. Reasons for these variable spatial effects range from literacy issues among community members to capacity challenges of the elected municipal councils. This is exacerbated by persistent migration of the young and educated citizens to urban areas. This article assesses and, thereafter, formulates a subnational citizen-based participatory and empowerment model that allows for vulnerable communities to participate in their local development initiatives. Additionally, it derives a conceptual framework for assessing subnational citizen-based participatory and empowerment arrangements

A Conceptual Framework for Researching Disruptive Innovation and Innovative Business Models

The number of entrepreneurs in South Africa and, therefore, the Total Entrepreneurial Activity is lower than expected. The absence of entrepreneurial orientation is not the problem but, rather, instead of focusing on the innovative products and services, we should focus on innovative business models that change the processes. This chapter conceptualises an appropriate conceptual framework for effectively researching disruptive innovation and innovative business models at subnational level. We employ systems thinking to interrogate literature to realise three objectives. First, to understand the root causes and consequences of low innovation in new business ventures in South Africa and more specifically Gauteng Province. Second, to uncover the knowledge gap on this subject generally and specifically Gauteng Province. Lastly, to establish the most appropriate framework in innovation and entrepreneurship studies for interpreting anticipated empirical results. Eventually, this research will detail innovativeness in new business ventures after interrogating the theoretical material and empirical data and information on disruptive innovation and innovative business models. We have sufficient theoretical grounding on this subject but not empirical grounding to support some of our assertions. Even though most of the interrogations are general, it is within the context of Gauteng Province and, therefore, we may not generalise our conclusions and proposals. We do not address how innovativeness influences policies in general and we do not restrict ourselves to any specific sector

Using systems thinking to conceptually link the monitoring and evaluation function within development interventions and public policy

The monitoring and evaluation function provides for accountability and to some extent transparency and, therefore, governance. However, this function can only be effective if it is conceptually linked within development interventions and public policy. There is an explicit discussion of the middle-third tier (how to monitor and evaluate) as well as the bottom-third tier (data collection and storage, data processing and analysis, reporting results and findings, integrating results and findings into planning and implementation as well as overall decision making). Unfortunately, the top-third tier that links monitoring and evaluation within development interventions (the what) and public policy (the how) is implicit, if present. The discussions often point out that monitoring and evaluation is a management and decision-making tool but they omit or fail to link it to development interventions and public policy, leadership and governance. In this paper, we interrogate literature from a systems thinking perspective to derive a model that conceptually links the monitoring and evaluation function within development interventions and public policy. In doing so, we point out and link the five components (cultural, political, economic, social and environmental) and two processes (imminent and immanent) of development. Similarly, we point out and link the five components (leadership, governance, political-economy, institutional arrangements and organisation arrangements) and three processes (research, decision-making and the public policy cycle) of public policy. It is in the latter that we point out, situate and link the monitoring and evaluation function. We envisage that the proposed model may be useful in reconfiguring institutional and organisational arrangements to foster effective monitoring and evaluation of development interventions

Deriving Ethno-geographical Clusters for Comparing Ethnic Differentials in Zambia

This article derives seven ethno-geographical clusters comprising ethnic societies with similar histories, regional settlements and common kinship lineage arrangements. The procedure reveals the origin of social diversity in Zambia. To explore the usefulness of these clusters, we apply population counts to explain the genesis of the seven ‘official’ languages from several Zambian languages. Comparing and contrasting ethno-geographical clusters reveals features underlying ethnic similarities and differences in Zambia. We resolve that common origin and migrations that occurred between the twelfth and nineteenth century define ethnic distinctions in Zambia. These characteristics provide a lens through which we can place and analyze current social, linguistic, political, and demographic forces. Compared to provincial administrative regions, ethno-geographical clusters are useful units-of-analysis for comparing ethnic differentials in Zambia

Introduction to South Africa’s Monitoring and Evaluation in Government

No abstract availabl

A proposed monitoring and evaluation curriculum based on a model that institutionalises monitoring and evaluation

Background: African politicians, bureaucrats and technocrats have thrown their weight in support of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). This weight has compelled training institutions to add M&E to their offerings. Most often at the end of these training programmes, attendees know what they have learnt but seem not to internalise it and, worse, they hardly ever put their newly acquired knowledge into practice. This allegation has led to what we term ‘monitoring and evaluation training hopping’ where participants move from one training to another hoping that they will eventually fully comprehend the skill and apply it to their work. This rarely happens and as such participants often blame themselves and yet the problem is with the training institutions that are teaching the middle-third tier (how to monitor and evaluate) as well as the bottom-third tier (data and information management). However, the top-third tier that links M&E to ‘the what’ and ‘the how’ as well as ‘the why’ in the development intervention and public policy landscape is missing. Objectives: To propose a M&E curriculum that institutionalises M&E within implementation and management of development interventions. Method: We use systems thinking to derive the key themes of our discussion and then apply summative thematic content analysis to interrogate M&E and related literature. Firstly, we present and describe a model that situates M&E within development and public policy. This model ‘idealises or realises’ an institutionalised M&E by systematically linking the contextual as well as key terms prominent in established descriptions of M&E. Secondly, we briefly describe M&E from a systems thinking approach by pointing out its components, processes, established facts, as well as issues and debates. Lastly, we use this model and the systems thinking description of M&E to propose an institutionalised M&E curriculum. Results: Our results show that for an explicit understanding of M&E, one needs to understand all three tiers of M&E. These are development interventions and public policy (top tier), M&E concepts, terminologies and logic (middle tier) and data collection and storage, data processing and analysis, reporting and some aspects of integrating the findings into planning, implementation and management (bottom tier). Conclusion: Unless we offer an all-round M&E training, we will not move beyond monitoring and evaluating development interventions for compliance

Some Initial Thoughts on Assessing Monitoring and Evaluation of the Tshwane Metropolitan Public Transportation Intervention

Journal articles of the 7th Annual International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives, 14 - 16 September 2022Sprawled spatial patterns and fragmented infrastructure have contributed to the ineffective public transportation systems in South African cities, including Tshwane. As a response, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) intervention is an integral component of the Public Transport strategy meant to address this challenge. Since the onset of its implementation in 2009, scholars and other interested parties have assessed the Public Transport strategy more broadly or its components or programmes. One of the components assessed is its effectiveness with regards to addressing public transportation challenges. Some of these assessments have reported positive changes in public transport operations. However, other scholars feel that public transport challenges are still evident. Therefore, the mixed messages could be the problematic monitoring and evaluation system of this intervention, either the lack or ineffective instutionalisation of the monitoring and evaluation arrangements or its alignment to the policy aim and objectives. For this reason, this research intends to assess the monitoring and evaluating arrangements for tracking and assessing the Tshwane metropolitan public transportation intervention. This paper, however, is restricted to conceptualise such a research. To do so, we undertake a thematic summative content analysis to interrogate literature on (i.) the research physical context or setting, (ii.) the research problem, and (iii.) the research knowledge gap. Further and exclusively to the research problem analysis, the paper applies the problem tree, the theory of constraint, and trend analysis to interrogating literature on ineffective public transportation systems. This interrogation provides for conceptualising an appropriate research problem statement as well as the accompanying research purpose statement and the research questions for such a research. We also propose the research strategy, design, procedure and methods as well as established frameworks that we can use to interpret the anticipated empirical results