Governance in food security programmes in the OR Tambo District, South Africa.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews, this study investigated the
role of organisational culture, coordination, planning, monitoring, and evaluation and how they affect
good governance, i.e., effectiveness, efficiency, responsiveness, accountability, and the
approach to governance in food security programmes in the OR Tambo District. Literature is
often silent on factors impacting food security governance in rural municipalities. Fifty-eight
purposively selected individuals participated in the face-to-face interviews. Collected data
was analysed using Thematic analysis. The study finds that organisational culture impacts
good governance in the implementation of food security programmes. The Department of
Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) and the Department of Social
Development mainly use the top-down approach, with the local government mainly using a
bottom-up approach to the implementation of programmes. Within this context, the lower-level
employees of DRDAR feel that they are not involved in decision-making. Further, some state
agencies implementing food security programmes are highly centralised while others are
decentralised. The centralisation of certain services by the Head Office of the DRDAR to
address procurement delays, are only effective when decisions are taken timeously when there
were contracts with service providers. It was also established that most challenges faced by
food security policy implementation in the District are attributed to planning and coordination
while the one-size-fits-all approach used in project implementation is detrimental to efficiency,
effectiveness, and responsiveness. It is recommended that food security implementation finds
a solution to the challenges of planning, coordination, and the politics-administration
dichotomy. Further, effective consequence management mechanisms, monitoring and
evaluation are to be established to enhance programme effectiveness. A favourable work
climate and organisational learning will go a long way in improving programme impact. The
theoretical contribution of the study is that contrary to the notion that the bureaucratic
approach to governance is 'long dead', food security implementation in the Eastern Cape,
specifically in the OR Tambo District, still retains many aspects of a bureaucratic approach.
Further, contrary to the general belief that the New Public Management has replaced the
bureaucratic approach as a model of public policy implementation, this study found very little
evidence to support that notion.
Description
Doctoral Degree, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.