Abstract
D.Litt. et. Phil. (Public Management and Governance)
This study focused on a literary analysis to determine critical future considerations required to position the South African Local Government National Capacity Building Framework (NCBF) of 2011. The study addressed, inter alia, the research question: What is the nature and scope of the NCBF in local government and which priority interventions could be taken at an institutional level to promote the objectives of local government as constructed within the Constitution? Although the former Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) (currently the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and its key stakeholders compiled the NCBF by 2004 and reviewed it in 2008, no study has yet been made of the effectiveness of the NCBF to coordinate support, capacity building and training initiatives aimed at local government to ensure that the necessary impact is achieved. Much attention has been given to individual capacity building in local government however, their inter-relatedness to institutional and environmental capacity is not sufficiently addressed to improve each municipality’s capacity. It is widely acknowledged that the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach adopted by the national and provincial government to implement legislation in terms of the fiscal, functional and planning arrangements for local government, has not assisted municipalities with varying legacies and backgrounds to deliver uniformly on their mandates and obligation. This ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach does not take into consideration the impact of major integration challenges compounded by spatial differences between municipalities in terms of capacity to raise revenue and to deliver services.
The lack of capacity in local government is a recurring theme as is the lack of coordination and the impact on the current initiatives. There is also not yet at least one set of capacity indicators against which to measure local government’s capacity.
A qualitative research methodology was followed in general and a conceptual and theoretical analysis in particular. The thesis contributed to understanding of capacity building and related concepts, theories, approaches and phenomena that influence the capacity of local government to meet its objectives. The study included a detailed exploration of skills development within the realm of capacity building. It also contributed to a specific level of understanding of the variables influencing the institutional, regulatory and policy framework of the South African government system and legislation and related frameworks relevant to local government, support, capacity building and training.
The study provided an integration of the determinants influencing a differentiated approach to support, capacity building and training in the local government sector and developed a model to measure support, capacity building and training at local government level, by developing measureable capacity indicators to optimally implement the NCBF of 2011 to 2016 in the long term.