Doctoral Degrees (Policy and Development Studies)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/14279

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An analysis of the perceptions of the implementers and beneficiaries of the child grants programme. A case study of selected regions in Lesotho.
(2024) Khiba, Mankuebe Bernice.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
This study investigates the implementation of the Child Grants Programme (CGP) which is a social assistance programme implemented by the government of Lesotho to meet the needs of vulnerable children. Implementation theory forms the basis for understanding how this programme is delivered. The approaches and models of implementation have been considered to assess the potential for programme success and the associated challenges. Policy implementation involves various actors, and in the case of the CGP, networks and partnerships have been formed with private companies. Policy networks and partnerships are commended for their efficiency and effectiveness. The success of the policy depends on several factors that the implementers need to take cognisance of. These factors hamper or affect the implementation of the CGP. The delivery or payment modes are a vital component of any grant transfer programme. This concerns the manner in which the beneficiaries access the grant, the cost of access and appropriateness of the payment mode. Other issues include security, reliability and the potential or ability of the payment mode to allow the beneficiaries the opportunity to use the modern financial systems. Social protection is defined and articulated to acknowledge its significance as a basic human right enshrined in various international, regional and domestic legal and policy frameworks. It serves various purposes which are generally concerned with uplifting the poor and vulnerable to restore their dignity, address issues of social inequality and injustice as well as economic exclusion. The CGP systems and processes of implementation are explored to provide an understanding in terms of how the programme is delivered. Systems and processes include issues of targeting; eligibility and enrolment as well as the delivery or payment modes, and the implementation networks and partnerships. Targeting is an important aspect of most social assistance programmes especially in poor countries. The CGP uses a means testing criteria through the national household database called NISSA. Several suggestions for targeting and enrolment emerge in this study. Qualitative research methodology was used to conduct this study; in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect the data. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents, the various programme implementers, government and non-government officials and the beneficiaries. The programme is appreciated by the beneficiaries; however, criticisms are inevitable. The unpredictability and irregularity of the payment dates and the low value of the grant diminish the goals of this programme. The implementers commend the partnerships formed, however, there are challenges. The overall impression from the results of this study suggests that this programme still need a lot of improvement in different areas to increase its credibility as well as ensuring sustainability.
Funding dilemmas in tertiary education institutions: The case of internally generated revenue (IGR) in public universities in Ghana.
(2019) Mensah, Paul Kwasi.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.;
Tertiary education institutions in Ghana have been enjoying full financial support from the state. However, recent national financial challenges have made fully-funded tertiary education unsustainable. The decision of the state to cut funding to tertiary education institutions was further fueled by the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) policy of the World Bank and its affiliate Bretton Woods institutions, as a condition for attracting international financial assistance to manage its fiscal imbalances. Public universities in Ghana which had enjoyed full state financial support were severely hit by the state subvention cuts. The aim of this study was to examine: ―funding dilemmas in university education institutions, with a focus on the management of internally generated revenue for the effective mandate delivery of public universities in Ghana. Using non-probability sampling, the following four public universities were involved in this study: the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Education and University for Development Studies. This survey study used a mixed method approach whereby self-administered questionnaires and in-depth interviews were the techniques used for data collection. The four main theories which underpinned this study were: neo-liberal ideology, human capital theory, new public-management paradigm and resource dependence theory. The findings revealed that government appreciates the relevance of university education in the national development agenda. Subvention cuts to the universities however were informed by the national financial crisis coupled with competing demands for social services and infrastructural goods; and not because university education yields less productivity while promoting divergent views unacceptable to government, as compared to basic education. Since a university degree is perceived to enhance employment prospects that guarantee a middle-class life, parents are willing to contribute through cost-sharing to fund their children‘s university education. The acceptance of cost-sharing has led government to focus its financial responsibility on the payment of workman‘s compensation in the universities, with fund allocations inadequate to cover the salaries of all categories of staff. There are also delays in subvention payments which force some universities to contract with banks for loans at high interest rates in order to pay staff, and government does not pay the accrued interest. The universities‘ engagement in extensive Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) mobilization for supplementary funds has expanded the workload of its staff without corresponding direct benefits to the staff. The university profession has therefore become less attractive to many quality professionals who only accept temporary engagements at a higher cost to the universities, and government subvention does not cover such temporary engagement costs. The extensive IGR drive often shifts the universities‘ cost burden to their students, most of whom are funded by their parents. The results have been a reduction in university access to prospective students from poor family backgrounds which perpetuates inequalities in Ghanaian society. Furthermore, the findings reveal that state policy directives are issued to restrict the IGR mobilization efforts of the universities. Also, at different phases of leadership, the government has made several efforts to categorize universities among the revenue mobilization agencies. Consequently, in the 2017 fiscal year, the government issued directives requesting universities to pay 34 percent of its IGR into the consolidated funds to finance government projects. The adverse impact of the state funding cuts and extensive IGR drive has been increasing student enrollment in favour of the few more wealthy persons in society, and large class sizes with inadequate lecturers resulting in graduates with poor quality training. Finally, the IGR drive has eroded specialization in the universities who mount similar programs attractive to students who have the resources to pay. This has resulted in the training of more arts/humanities than science/technical graduates in the ratio of 60:40 percent respectively instead of the state policy of 60:40 percent for science and humanities respectively. The study recommends that the universities should lobby the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education to have government subvention payments for workman‘s compensation released at the beginning of every quarter to eliminate the necessity for contracting bank loans and accruing interest for workman‘s compensation. Government should insist that a specified percentage of IGR in the universities should be invested in academic infrastructure, including more lecture theatres for manageable class sizes to ensure quality delivery, instead of its decision to access funding from the universities for other government projects. The universities should take advantage of their existing large markets and team up with the private sector for public-private-partnership ventures in commercial farming, estate management, commercial consultancies and other activities to improve upon their IGR. This will minimize the rate at which their financial burden is pushed onto students which deprives many suitable prospective students of access to university education. The study concludes that the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) Act 454, 1993 should be reviewed by government to equip it to be able to enforce its directives and sanctions appropriately instead of having the mere advisory role that it currently plays. This will be beneficial for the supervision of tertiary education institutions in Ghana.
The implementation of the foster child grant: a case study of the experiences of caregivers and implementers in the Umgungundlovu District.
(2023) Ngubane, Nokuthula Philile.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of foster parents. It also examined the experiences of foster care programme implementers. There has been an increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) who require care and protection, and while there is a wealth of literature and legislative frameworks that address their needs and care, little is known about the lived experiences of their primary caregivers. The study aimed to address this gap. Many studies on the implementation of foster care services have been conducted but the focus of these studies has been on interviewing social workers (as key participants). This study differs in that all key stakeholders were interviewed to gain a better understanding of the study phenomenon. Based on a case study approach, the findings show that foster parents, as the primary caregivers of OVC, face a variety of challenges including dealing with foster children who display behavioural issues, family and community interference with their foster care roles and responsibilities, and a lack of support from welfare agencies. The study’s findings also show that a key barrier to efficient and effective foster care implementation is a lack of administrative capacity while other barriers include political interference and a lack of senior management support. The significance of this study rests in its contribution to the body of knowledge on foster care services through the recommendations that follow: The study recommends, based on its findings, that a comprehensive needs assessment be carried out in foster families before a child is placed with them and that programmes and policies that are informed by the real-life circumstances of these families be explored. The needs assessment approach must include foster parents’ needs, and it must be ensured that foster parents, who play a critical part in raising foster children, are psychologically, spiritually, financially, and physically prepared to take on the duty. For effective implementation of the foster care programme, it is recommended that comprehensive research and expert consultation be conducted before policy development and that personnel training, the availability of necessary resources, and monitoring of policy implementation are essential in terms of the policy’s success. It is also recommended that a collaborative approach between bureaucrats and key policy programme implementing partners be established. This includes developing a clear legislative framework or policy document that includes all relevant stakeholders, their roles and responsibilities, and a clear application procedure. The implementing agencies must be provided with new and enhanced existing technologies to simplify the application, verification, and selection criteria processes for all involved in the foster programme implementation including, importantly, the recipients of the programme. Iqoqa Inhloso yalolu cwaningo wukuhlola izinto ababhekana nazo osingamzali. Lwaphinda lwahlola nezinto ezenzeka ngasohlangothini lwalabo abenza umsebenzi wohlelo lokwabiwa kwezinsiza zokunakekelwa kwezingane ezingenabazali. Lenyukile inani lezintandane nezingane ezingenabani ezidinga ukunakekelwa nokuvikelwa, ama-orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), futhi nakuba kunenqwaba yezincwadi nezinhlaka zezomthetho ezikhuluma ngezidingo zalezi zingane nokunakekelwa kwazo, kuncane kakhulu okwaziwayo ngezimo ababhekana nazo abanakekeli balezi zingane abangosingamzali. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuvala leso sikhala. Luningi ucwaningo olwenziwe olumayelana nokwabiwa kwezinsiza zokunakekela izingane ezinosingamzali kodwa lolo cwaningo lugxile ekuxoxeni ikakhulukazi nosonhlalakahle (njengababambiqhaza abasemqoka). Lolu cwaningo lwehluke ngokuthi kuxoxwe nabo bonke abathintekayo ukuze iqondakale kangcono le ndaba. Ucwaningo olunzulu olwenziwe lubonisa ukuthi osingamzali, okuyibona abanakekeli abahamba phambili bama-OVC, babhekene nezinselele ezihlukahlukene ezibandakanya ukukhulisa izingane okungezona ezabo ezinenkinga yesimilo, inselelo yokugxambukela kwabomndeni nomphakathi lapho befeza indima nemithwalo yabo yokunakekela ingane, nokungakutholi ukusekelwa okwanele okuvela ezinhlanganweni zezenhlalakahle. Okutholakala kulolu cwaningo kuveza nokuthi ingqinamba enkulu ekuhlinzekweni kosizo lokunakekelwa kwezintandane nezingane ezidinga usizo ngaphandle kwezihibe nangempumelelo, ukuntuleka kwabaqondisi, kanti ezinye izingqinamba zihlanganisa ukugxambukela kwabezepolitiki nokungatholakali kosizo lwabaphathi abaphezulu. Ukubaluleka kwalolu cwaningo kuncike egalelweni lwalo ekuthuthukiseni ulwazi oluphathelene nosizo lokunakekelwa kwezingane ezinosingamzali ngokulandelwa kwezincomo ezilandelayo: Ngenxa yalokho okutholakele, lolu cwaningo lutusa ukuba kwenziwe ukuhlolwa okubanzi kwezidingo zemindeni ezinakekela ingane ngaphambi kokuba ingane idluliselwe kulowo mndeni, nokuba kuzanywe izinhlelo nezinqubomgomo ezisekelwe ezimweni ezingokoqobo zokuphila kwale mindeni. Inqubo yokuhlaziya izidingo kumele ihlanganise izidingo zosingamzali, futhi kumele kwenziwe isiqiniseko sokuthi osingamzali abadlala indima ebucayi yokukhulisa izingane abazinakekelayo, bakuhlomele ngokwengqondo, ngokomoya, ngokwezimali nangokwesiqu ukufeza lo msebenzi. Ukuze uhlelo lokunakekelwa kwezingane ezinosingamzali lusebenze ngempumelelo, kutuswa ukuba kwenziwe ucwaningo olubanzi, nokuba kuxoxiswane nongoti abafanele ngaphambi kokuba kwenziwe izinqubomgomo. Kuqokonyiswa nokubaluleka kokuqeqeshwa kwabantu, ukutholakala kwezinto zosizo ezidingekayo nokulandelela ukuthi izinqubomgomo ziyafezwa ukuze kube nempumelelo. Kutuswa nokuba kusungulwe inqubo yokubambisana phakathi kweziphathimandla zikahulumeni nabathintekayo, ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukusebenza kwezinqubomgomo eziwumgogodla. Lokhu kuhlanganisa nokwenziwa kohlaka olucacile lokushaywa komthetho noma idokhumenti yenqubomgomo equkethe bonke ababambiqhaza abathintekayo, izindima zabo nemisebenzi yabo, nenqubo ecacile yokusebenza kwalolo hlaka. Abanomthwalo wokuqinisekisa ukuthi izinto ziyenzeka kumele bahlinzekwe ngezobuchwepheshe bakamuva nobuthuthukisiwe ukuze yenziwe lula inqubo yokufaka izicelo, ukuqinisekisa abafake izicelo nokukhethwa kwabantu abafanele kubo bonke abathintekayo ohlelweni lokunakekelwa kwezingane, kuhlanganise nalabo lolu hlelo olwenzelwe bona, okuyibona ababaluleke kakhulu.
The implementation of the government-wide monitoring and evaluation system in South Africa : a provincial case study of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
(2014) Majola, Mbali.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
Monitoring and evaluation practice is an imperative for a country to ensure good governance in government departments, including transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency. Successful implementation of Government-Wide Monitoring and Evaluation (GWM&E) systems results in a government that is well co-ordinated, legitimate, credible, relevant and a government that seeks operational excellence (Kusek & Rist: 2004). The South African government seeks to achieve greater developmental impact and one of the ways government is increasing effectiveness is by concentrating on monitoring and evaluation. Improving monitoring and evaluation leads to improvements in the quality of planning and implementation systems. The implementation of GWM&E and its strategies should be characterised by a management culture within government departments, which demands performance and utilises monitoring and evaluation (M&E) findings for planning and budgeting. Otherwise M&E systems could degenerate into superficial ‘tick the checklist’ exercises which comply with the GWM&E framework, but undermine its spirit. This study investigated the implementation of the GWM&E system, using the KwaZulu -Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT) as a case study. This study explored how the intended aims and objectives of the GWM&E have been realised at a provincial level and the understandings and processes employed in institutionalising it. The research methodology used is interpretative, using semi-structured interviews and content analysis to establish the relationship between what needs to be done according to legislation and what is done in practice. Theories of change, organisations, implementation, results-based evaluation and public policy were reviewed to examine the interrelationships between context, mechanisms and outcomes, with regards to GWM&E. The review of implementation of the GWM&E system found that public institutions craft impressive monitoring and evaluation frameworks but it will take time before these frameworks are actually fully operationalised and M&E findings are influential in shaping policy and strategy formulation in public resource allocation. Implementation of GWM&E requires clear aims and objectives of the M&E systems, co-ordination and integration in a decentralised system like the South African system. There needs to be a balance between top-down guidance and bottom-up expertise. There is a need for M&E to be taken more seriously in South Africa in order for government mandates to be met and policy initiatives and programmes to be improved.
Social security and older people in Swaziland.
(2018) Mabundza-Dlamini, Lungile Patience Nakiwe Bonsile.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
This study explored the lived experiences of older people in Swaziland who are recipients of the Old Age Grant in Swaziland (OAG). It sought to understand their views on being old in an environment where there is insufficient social security coverage and disintegration of the extended family structure. The study sought to examine older people’s ways of life on a daily basis, the levels of independence and ability to care for themselves as well as other forms of care, in which they are involved in based on the Active Ageing Framework, the Notion of Care and Human Rights Based Approach. The Policy Implementation Theory was used to understand the context, content, nature of the policy process, actors involved in the formulation process and how all these components influence the implementation of OAG in Swaziland. This theory therefore, showed the dynamics of implementation and how each component is important in the effective policy implementation of the grant. The study utilized indepth interviews and focus group discussions in order to strengthen the methodological vigor of the study. A qualitative research methodology was used in order to gain a rich and detailed account of the social security experiences of older people. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for the study who were recipients of OAG and who live in different geographical regions of Swaziland (Hhohho, Manzini, Lubombo and Shiselweni). Qualitative methods included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with older people and a questionnaire was used with government officials and implementing partners (local and non-government organization representatives) involved in social protection and ageing issues. In total, there were 172 participants for the study, including sixty-one in-depth interviews and one hundred focus group participants. Eleven questionnaires were distributed to five government officials and six representatives of local and international NGOs working in social security issues or as implementing partners for the government of Swaziland. Further, there were some differences in terms of overall needs, educational levels, previous employment, perceptions and overall understanding of the issues, which they face based geographic on location (whether urban, peri-urban or rural). The overall perception of participants in the study was that government and non-governmental organizations have been slow in responding to the urgent needs of the ageing population in Swaziland. The study further revealed that there is lack of understanding of the experiences of the ageing population in Swaziland, and that their needs are not known or inadequately addressed because there is no platform to discuss the issues of older people in the country. Overall, the older people perceived social security as a right which government must award to them since they are citizens of the country. From the participants’ responses, it was clear that HIV/AIDS had caused significant strain for older people as they had assumed caregiving duties in old age. All these experiences were well captured under the Notion of Care, Human Rights Based Approach and Active Ageing Framework. Regardless of all their caring responsibilities, older people desire to live in an environment free of ageism, abuse and social exclusion. At a policy level, the study revealed numerous implementing challenges of the OAG and that Swaziland needs a programme that is more responsive to the daily needs of older people. HIV/AIDS is a significant factor in the lives of older people and as such need to be weaved into programmes targeting this population. The study further revealed the importance of designing programmes that take into account Swaziland’s specific socio-political and cultural heritage. From the study, it emerged that in Swaziland formal and indigenous social systems co-exist and both play an equally important role in an environment where the majority of the ageing population is not protected or supported by formal social security. Indigenous social security mechanisms cover the gaps created by lack of adequate coverage from state provided social security. Community-based and neighbourhood welfare practices have somewhat assisted older people in maintaining their social networks which are built on reciprocity and Ubuntu in meeting some of their needs. Conclusions and inferences from this study suggest that the current State social security systems (SSS) have not adequately responded to the day-to-day needs of older people. Older people in the study were more heterogeneous than homogenous therefore, makers need to factor in these differences during policy formulation and implementation. The study proposed a more inclusive, collaborative and bottom-up approach to implementing programmes targeting older people. Improvement on the current safety net could be realised if the input of the recipients is solicited. The study further proposed strengthening of indigenous social security systems (ISSS) to supplement State based social security in an effort to improve the livelihood of older people in Swaziland. Lastly, a one-stop comprehensive model in the delivery of the old age grant was proposed in order to improve the quality of services and to encourage cooperation between the different agencies working with older people in Swaziland.

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