Teses / dissertações sobre o tema "Locan government"

This study examined the factors that influence a local government’s decision to engage in regional collaborations. Analysis of 7 local government managers and eleven elected officials revealed that the decision to engage in regional collaboration was influenced by external factors, organizational factors, and internal motivations. Elected officials and local government managers identified a disaster occurrence, fiscal stress, outside agencies, jurisdictional benefit, and communication as key factors. Further, this research highlights the importance of the role of the elected official in intergovernmental arrangements, the role of the local government manager as the policy entrepreneur, and the influence of shared norms and values.

Despite a highly centralised system of government, Tanzania, has attempted several measures aimed at achieving decentralisation of its immense powers to allow people to have a say on matters affecting their respective areas of jurisdiction. By discussing the autonomy of local government in Tanzania, this research will highlight whether or not local government in Tanzania has the autonomy to exercise its functions without undue interference from the central government. There is not much literature on the local government laws of Tanzania .Therefore, this research will contribute to the concept of decentralisation in Tanzania in particular and Africa in general.

This thesis contains one literature review chapter and three self-contained empirical studies on different but closely related topics, domestic market integration, public spending, and strategic interactions in China. In Chapter 1, we describe the general background of the Chinese fiscal reforms in the 1980s. In particular we present how the open-door policies has resulted in China’s increasing participation in the global market while at the same time its domestic market seem to still suffer from prevalent border effects and local protectionism. Besides, we outline the nature and source of this fragmentation, which stems from the fiscal and administrative decentralisation, that the fiscal reforms brought about, and the existing political system. As such the fiscal and administrative system give strong incentives for local governments to actively participate in yardstick competition, which often takes the form of the so-called ‘tournament competition‘. Chapter 2 provides a general overview of the existing literature on measuring domestic market integration (DMI). It provides the theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence of this literature, organising DMI into three main streams of the literature, which are factor-related approach, price-related approach and output and employment-related approach. Chapter 3 adopts a spatial border difference approach and a spatial border econometric approach to estimate the provincial border effects and thus infer the degree of domestic market integration in China. By using a dataset of 48 border counties and 28 2-digit industries in the Yangtze River Delta region over the time period 2005-2009, we find that border effects are present and significant and also varying across provinces and industries. On average Shanghai shows the highest level of local protectionism with its provincial border exerting greater influences on the industry patterns compared with the other two provinces. We also observe the provincial border effects are decreasing over time, albeit over a short time period, which indicates an ongoing process of deepening market integration. Moreover, we also find that Jiangsu exhibits a higher level of border effects against Shanghai and Zhejiang than that with its all surrounding neighbours. Chapter 4 looks into the role of domestic market integration and socio-economic globalisation play in the size and structure of the public sector in China. By employing a dataset of 27 Chinese provinces for the period of 1998-2006, we find that domestic market integration has negligible effects, only showing a small positive correlation with social aspects of spending. On the other hand, the results of international integration provide some support for the ‘efficiency’ hypothesis over the ‘compensation’ view. More specifically, economic integration contributes to the overall expansion of public sector and in particular it increases productive and non-social spending, while social integration results in a reduction in total spending and social spending. Chapter 5 investigates the relationship between strategic interactions and political tournament competition in China. By using the provincial-level data for 28 Chinese provinces over the period of 1998-2005, we provide strong evidence of the spatial autocorrelation in both total spending and its components, though we fail to find evidence supporting the ‘tournament competition’. Besides, the spending level in neighbouring provinces acts as a constraining effect on a local leader’s promotion. Moreover, we found that a higher level of total spending, productive spending and education spending compared with their contiguity neighbours, and a higher level of agriculture spending compared with their GDP-related neighbours would significantly increase the promotion opportunities of provincial governors. In contrast, the level of administration spending relative to local province’s GDP-related neighbours and the level of agency spending relative to geographic-related neighbours are negatively linked with the political turnover rate of provincial governors. Chapter 6 summarises the main findings of the thesis and outline the policy implications of our findings.

The objectives of this study were to determine the degree to which the Local Government reforms stipulated by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria in 1976 and subsequently incorporated into the 1979 federal Constitution were achieved during the civilian governed Second Republic, 1979-83. The administrative and legal developments of Local Governments in the northern states of Nigeria is used as general background in comparing the status of Local Government finances, social services and personnel matters before the reforms with their status after the reforms. The states' and federal governments edicts were generally found to have failed in Nigeria's attempt to establish a viable level of Local Government free of the problems present before the reforms. The study indicates that conditions at the local level worsened during the Second Republic, These failures at the local level contributed to the nation's instability setting the stage for the 1983 coup d'etat.

Local government is one of three tiers of government that operate in Australia. This research investigates how marketing can be applied to local government in a holistic manner. To achieve this goal, theory needed to be reviewed and developed with one particular outcome being a model outlining the components of the marketing environments that need understanding prior to the application of marketing practice. Local government was selected as the context of this study as much is written about the marketing of not-for-profit, social and public sector organisations but the literature on the integration of these practices in a holistic approach for local government is very limited. Further local government has a major economic impact on the viability and longevity of many rural and semi-rural areas of Australia. Equally in the metropolitan areas, local government accounts for a considerable proportion of the employment and impact on growth and development of these regions. Traditional marketing theory has been found wanting in the local government area, as traditional marketing practices is being applied in a piecemeal approach. This practice has caused local governments to have conflicting messages and product offerings to the community. However the review of marketing derivatives theory shows that no one derivative addressed the scope of products and activities managed by local government. Reviewing these derivatives show that marketing core concepts are relevant to local government, but the complexity lies in the application of marketing where the components of added complexity were derived from the organisational focus, structure and target market definitions. The theoretical process to develop this understanding of local government marketing and to develop a proposed model for the application of local government marketing was derived from the literature relating to the core traditional marketing concepts and the marketing derivatives of public, not-for-profit and social marketing. This review of the literature aided in defining the complexities of local government marketing and helped found the preliminary local government marketing model. With the use of case analysis three local government cases were explored. The first case, a metropolitan local government, used convergent interviewing to determine the factors relevant to the development of the holistic local government marketing model. Confirmatory case analysis was used for the remaining two cases, one semirural and one rural, to refine the developing model. Ultimately, the model was confirmed in principle but minor changes were required to make the model robust across the three cases. From a theoretical perspective the research identified that the marketing derivatives used in the development of the local government marketing model were relevant and further sets local government apart from but integrated with the three derivatives studied. From a practical perspective the development of the local government marketing model goes some way to developing practices that are coordinated and integrated across the local government organisation, thus providing local government with the advantages of having an integrated local government marketing approach.

This thesis takes as its starting point the position that equal opportunities as a concept and practice have been conceptualised and operationalised inconsistently in local government (Nanton 1989, Young 1990, 1992, Bagilhole 1997). As a result the PhD investigated the appreciative contexts and ideologies that underpinned the assumptive worlds of those who influence policy and practice in sport in three local authorities in Northshire. Operationalising a critical ‘race’ standpoint (CRT) the study critically examined the views of senior officers and councillors in local authority sport utilising Young’s (1977, 1979) assumptive worlds framework. This research was based upon a two-phase investigation. The first phase involved a multi-site case study, which took place in North City, West Town and South City between 1996 and 1998. In a similar fashion to Stone’s (1988) single case study investigation into local authority equal opportunities strategies for women employees, they were intended to clarify and crystallise the everyday pressures and assumptions underpinning equal opportunities and ‘race’ within local authority sport. The agenda for the multi-site case study was to interrogate the values and assumptions that underpinned equal opportunities and race-equality for fifteen senior officers and nine councillors. In tandem with the local government case studies the second phase was an ethnography that involved an observation and analysis of the black sports pressure group VBES. The group was followed from its inception in 1996 until it became a significant agent within the sports policy network in Northshire in 2000. VBES contributed the black perspective from outside the local authorities. Consequently, Voluntary Black and Ethnic Sport’s links and associations over the years were a clear barometer of how effective equalities work was developing in specific authorities across the region. Three dominant themes emerged out of the study of the local authorities and evidence of them found expression in the activities of VBES. These themes were the conceptual confusion surrounding equal opportunities and race-equality, the policy tensions caused by individual appreciations and interpretations of policy, and the colour blindness that ignores wider issues of ‘race’. The themes aggregated to represent the core processes that affect each authority’s ability to effectively tackle race-equality in sport. Conceptual confusions, policy tensions and colour-blindness, that enwrapped the assumptive worlds of each authority, effectively led to policy implementation gaps between their promise and practice. The marginalisation of ‘race’ from mainstream provision has resulted in the ambiguity that Young (1990, 1992) warned against and in the lack of leadership that was the focus of Ouseley’s (1990) analysis. Ultimately there are issues that need to be managed in local government about how race-equality in sport is to be translated from policy to practice.

This study examines the ways in which local authorities in England handle complaints from consumers of their services, and, in particular, looks at the extent of and use of internal complaints procedures. It is argued that complaints procedures are important because they are a part of a citizen's democratic entitlement, and that, as they are concerned with the resolution of the individual trouble case, they are a fit study for lawyers. Justifications are given for locating the study within local government, and the impact of organisational theory in this area is explored. Other methods of dealing with consumer complaints are examined, and it is concluded that, although councillors, the courts and the Local Ombudsman all have a role to play in this area, there is still a need for authorities to have internal complaints procedures. The major part of the study explores in detail the extent of authority-wide internal complaints procedures in local government in England. It justifies the use of these procedures, and compares the experiences of various departments within local government in relation to the use of departmental complaints procedures. In addition, there is more detailed study of social services departments and planning departments, not only in relation to complaints procedures, but also in relation to other practices which may reduce complaints. Authorities, in general, did not have well developed complaints procedures, and there was little evidence of their use as part of the managerial process. There were, however, some authorities with good practices, and there is evidence of change within local government, which is now recognising the necessity of taking complaints seriously.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa entrenches the status of local government as a distinct sphere of government.1 In terms of section 40(1), the government of the Republic is constituted of three spheres, namely, the national, provincial, and local spheres of government. The local sphere of government has a constitutional mandate of ensuring the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner.2 Furthermore, municipalities are required ‘to strive to achieve their mandate of the provision of essential services within their financial and administrative capacity.

This dissertation analyzes the influence of leadership, organizational, and environmental factors on stimulating local government innovations in China. The study employed 84 Innovations and Excellence in Chinese Local Governance (IECLG) award winners as the research sample. Local innovation leaders were surveyed and six local governments were selected for intensive case studies. The major conclusion of this study is that leadership level and environmental level variables play important roles in the adoption and implementation of local government innovations in China, while organizational level variables have little effect. The leadership variable "attitude toward innovation" and the environmental variable "public demand" bore the strongest relationship to the adoption and implementation of innovation while organizational variables such as "organizational formalization," "organizational centralization," and "organizational complexity" had little relevance for innovation. Other leadership variables such as "accomplishment," "competence," and "risk taking" and environmental variables such as "competition" demonstrate moderate importance in their influence on innovation. This dissertation represents an exploratory study of local government innovation in China and as such suggests ways to conduct more extensive, in-depth research.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research report investigates the theoretical foundation of the understanding of decision-makers at local government level of the term "development", with specific reference to local government as development agent and Local Economic Development. The choice of theoretical model by these decision-makers to conceptualise their understanding has historical and analytical antecedents, and secondly, the decision-maker is faced with a basic dualism in developmental thinking, ie. the emphasis on universalism (global competitiveness) on the one hand and the need for specificity (local economic development) on the other. The theoretical principles and assumptions on which the neoliberal and market-orientated approach to development is based are incorporated in the macroeconomic policy approach 'Growth, Employment and Redistribution' in South Africa. This approach has recently overshadowed the social welfarist developmental approach represented by the 'Reconstruction and Development Program' or Sustainable Human Development. The basis for specific policy formulation and intervention strategies are found in the theoretical assumptions, goals and objectives in each of these alternate approaches to development. The research design for the study is primarily qualitative. A semi-structured interview schedule is applied in directing in-depth interviews with identified central decisionmakers in metropolitan and larger "B" municipalities. The research design and process is constructed around three themes based on current and historic analysis of development thinking as a means to address poverty and inequality: theme 1 - theoretical understanding of the term development, Economic Growth in the formal sector versus Sustainable Human Development; theme 2 - the nature and relevance of participation by civil society in the Local Economic Development (LEO) process; and theme 3- Local Economic Development and the role of infrastructure investment, land use planning and zoning as intervention strategy. A benchmark position is developed on local government as development agent and LEO, using various sources, for example, interview with Director-General in the Department of Provincial and Local Government dealing with Local Economic Development, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and legislative acts and policy papers relevant to LED. This position is compared with the position held by local government decision-makers dealing with LED. The analysis of the information collected suggests that the theoretical perspective and policy framework on development, participation and strategies to address inequality and poverty, ie Sustainable Human Development (researchers title) held by the Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) is not compatible with the definition and understanding of the majority of the decision-makers at local government level dealing directly with LED. The notion of participative development with anti-poverty strategies focussed on poor urban citizenry at the local level is not seen as the relevant theoretical or applied focus by developmental decision-makers at municipal level. In addition, limited knowledge is available to local government decision-makers on both formal and informal economic activity. In this regard, de facto leadership has already been handed over to formal-economy organisations and institutions. The idea of using land-use planning and zoning regulations to reorientate economic activity to low- and informal housing settlements and the reconstitution of low-and informal housing as sites of manufacture utilising flexible specialisation principles was positively received. However, the respondents were either not knowledgeable about these principles, for example; Globalisation of production and flexible production processes, or had not considered them in relation to their planning, land use or zoning and development functions. In the light of the above, the notion of local government as development agent with specific reference to addressing poverty and inequality utilising the Local Economic Development process as envisaged by the Department of Provincial and Local Government does not have the majority support of decision-makers at city and metro level. The majority of respondents defined the process of consultation as limited to formal economic sectors that were/could be competitive in the new global economy. The majority of decision-makers hold the view that the redefinition and location of sites of economic activity could be delegated to these formal sector organisations and institutions. Their common understanding of development and the related intervention strategies was based on formal sector growth and related job creation strategies, as well as the "trickle-down" of resources and opportunities to the informal sector. If they wish to remain relevant in this context the Department of Provincial and Local Government has to develop intervention strategies to reorientate and redefine the theoretical and applied definition of development held by the decision-makers especially with regard to Local Economic Development. If these issues are not addressed the form and shape of South Africa cities and metros will be based on the entrenchment and escalation of economic dualism and exclusion of the poor from any developmental decision-making and strategies. This has serious implications for the development of local democracies and developmental institutions based on the formulation and understanding of local conditions and circumstances of poverty and inequality and holds serious implications for social stability in the South African metros and municipalities in the future.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingsverslag ondersoek die teoretiese begronding van die begrip wat besluitnemers op plaaslike regeringsvlak het van die term "ontwikkeling "met spesifieke verwysing na plaaslike regering as ontwikkelingsagent en Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling. Die keuse van teoretiese modelle deur hierdie besluitnemers het historiese en analitiese voorlopers en tweedens, word die besluitnemer in die gesig gestaar deur 'n basiese dualisme in ontwikkelingsdenke, die klem op universalisme (globale kompeterendheid) aan die een kant en die behoefte aan spesifiekheid (plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling) aan die ander kant. Die teoretiese beginsels en aannames waarop die neoliberale en markgeorienteerde benaderings tot ontwikkeling berus, word gei"nkorporeer in die makro-ekonomiese benadering "Groei, Werkverskaffing en Herverdeling" (GEAR) in Suid Afrika. Hierdie benadering het onlangs die sosiale welsynsontwikkelingsbenadering, wat verleenwoordig is deur die "Heropbou en Ontwikkelingsprogram" (HOP) of Volhoubare Menslike Ontwikkeling, in die skadu gestel. Die basis vir spesifieke beleidsvorming en intervensiestrategiee word gevind in die teoretiese aannames, doelwitte en doelstellings in elk van hierdie altematiewe benaderings tot ontwikkeling. Die navorsingsontwerp vir hierdie studie is primer kwalitatief. 'n Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule word toegepas am rigting te gee aan in-diepte onderhoude met geidentifiseerde sentrale besluitnemers in metropolitaanse en groter "B" munisipaliteite. Die navorsingsontwerp en proses is gekonstrueer rondom drie temas wat gebaseer is op huidige en historiese analise van ontwikkelingsdenke as 'n manier waarop armoede en ongelykheid aangespreek kan word: tema 1 - teoretiese begrip van die term ontwikkeling, ekonomiese groei in die formele sektor teenoor Volhoubare Menslike Ontwikkeling; tema 2 - die aard en relevansie van deelname deur die siviele samelewing en die Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkelingsproses (PEO); en tema 3 - Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling en die rol van infrastruktuurbelegging, grondgebruikbeplaning en sonering as 'n intervensie-strategie. 'n Beginpuntposisie word ontwikkel oar plaaslike regering en PEO deur gebruik te maak van verskeie bronne, byvoorbeeld, onderhoude met die Direkteur-Generaal in die Deparlement van Provinsiale en Plaaslike Regering gemoeid met Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling (PEO) , die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid Afrika en wetgewing en beleidskrifte relevant tot PEO. Hierdie posisie word vergelyk met die posisie wat ingeneem word deur plaaslike regeringsbestuurbesluitnemers gemoeid met PEO. Die analise van die inligting wat ingesamel is suggereer dat die teoretiese perspektief en beleidsraamwerk oor ontwikkeling, deelname en strategiee om ongelykheid en armoede aan te spreek, die Volhoubare Menslike Ontwikkeling (navorserstitel) wat gehuldig word deur die Departement van Provinsiale en Plaaslike Regering (DPPR) nie versoenbaar is met die definisie en begrip van die meerderheid van die besluitnemers op plaaslike regeringsvlak wat direk gemoeid is met PEO nie. Die idee van deelnemende ontwikkeling met anti-armoede strategiee wat gefokus is op arm stedelike burgers op plaaslike vlak word nie deur die ontwikkelingsbesluitnemers op munisipale vlak beskou as die relevante oftoegepaste fokus nie. Bykomend is beperkte kennis tot beskikking van plaaslike regeringsbesluitnemers oor beide formele en informele ekonomiese aktiwiteite. In hierdie verband is de facto leierskap alreeds oorhandig aan formele ekonomiese organisasies en instellings. Die idee van die gebruik van grondgebruik- en soneringsregulasies om ekonomiese aktiwiteite tot lae en informele behuisingsnedersetfings te herorienteer en die hersamestelling van lae en informele behuising as plekke vir vervaardiging deur gebruik te maak van buigbare spesialiseringsbeginsels is goed ontvang. Die respondente was egter nie ingelig oor hierdie beginsels, of hulle het weggelaat om hierdie beginsels in berekening te bring by hul beplanning, grondgebruik of sonering en ontwikkelingsfunksies. In die lig van bogenoemde het die idee van plaaslike regering as ontwikkelingsagent met spesifieke verwysing tot die aanspreek van armoede en ongelykheid, deur gebruik te maak van die Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkelingsproses, soos in die vooruitsig gestel deur die Departement van Provinsiale en Plaaslike Regering, nie die meerderheidsteun van besluitnemers op staats- en metrovlak nie. Die meerderheid van die respondente het die proses van beraadslaging gedefinieer as beperk tot die formele ekonomiese sektore wat kompeterend was of kan wees in die nuwe globale ekonomie. Die meerderheid van hierdie besluitnemers is van mening dat die herdefiniering en plasing van plekke van ekonomiese aktiwiteite gedelegeer kan word aan hierdie formele sektororganisasies en instellings. Hierdie gedeelde begrip van ontwikkeling en verbandhoudende intervensie-strategiee was gebaseer op groei in die formele sektor en verbandhoudende werkskeppingstrategiee, asook die "afsyfering" van bronne en geleenthede na die informele sektor. As dit hul wens is om in hierdie konteks relevant te bly, moet die Oepartement van Provinsiale en Plaaslike Regering intervensiestrategiee ontwikkel om die teoretiese en toegepaste definisie van ontwikkeling, wat gehuldig word deur besluitnemers, veral met betrekking tot Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling te herorienteer en te herdefineer. Indien hierdie aangeleenthede nie aangespreek word nie sal die vorm en fatsoen van Suid-Afrikaanse stede en metros gebaseer wees op die verskansing en uitbreiding van ekonomiese dualisme en die uitsluiting van die armes van enige ontwikkelingsbesluitneming en strategie. Oit het ernstige implikasies vir die ontwikkeling van plaaslike demokrasie en ontwikkelingsinstellings gebaseer op die formulering en begrip van plaaslike toestande en omstandighede van armoede en ongelykheid en hou ernstige implikasies in vir die sosiale stabiliteit in die Suid-Afrikaanse metros en munisipaliteite in die toekoms.

E- Government is defined as the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly the Internet, to deliver government services. Potential benefits of E-Government include increased efficiency and effectiveness in government operations, empowerment of citizens and enhanced social and economic development leading to strengthened conditions for good governance. Governments worldwide have embraced E-Government and set up websites where they conduct their business online with citizens and other stakeholders. Due to the international significance of E-Government, methods and approaches for its development have therefore become an important area of research. Studies of E-Government have typically focused on E-Government at national level and there are few studies that have investigated the issues and challenges of E-Government at local level. This is unfortunate because research suggests that most local governments are struggling to develop effective E-Government initiatives. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the research literature on E-Government does not present clear strategies for local authorities to follow since it is often contradictory and emphasises models of maturity. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to investigate and critically analyse the development of E-Government among local governments. A qualitative research methodology was used to analyse how selected councils in the Perth Metropolitan Area plan for and develop E-Government including an assessment of their operational requirements, objectives, problems and opportunities. The results of the analysis would be used to inform local governments on the design of new ICT solutions that would improve business efficiency and productivity. The findings of this research revealed that local governments often fail to develop a strategy for the development of E-Government. Therefore, a framework for the development of EGovernment based on strategic planning is proposed. A strategic planning approach provides a framework for understanding and addressing all the complex issues in a particular organization. The findings of this research will help to extend important scholarly literature regarding the development of E-Government among local governments. Most studies of E-Government have focused on national level and there have been calls for studies that focus on local government level. Local government is described as the level of government closest to the citizens, providing majority of services and having the greatest level of interaction (Moon, 2002). Previous studies of local E-Government maturity have also been based on theoretical models which do not necessarily represent the reality on the ground. The findings in this study are based on empirical investigation and represent what is happening in practice. The cases selected have been identified as leaders in the use of ICT among local councils in the Perth metropolitan area. Their experiences (how they plan for and develop E-Government including barriers they face and the impacts of E-Government for their communities) can be useful to other local administrators involved in planning for the development of EGovernment.

Decreasing revenues and the public's natural antipathy towards taxes have made cash management crucial to the financial health of any organization. Local government financial executives have become increasingly aware that cash is an asset that must be used wisely, unless it is to become a liability. Thus, there have emerged serious efforts by local government finance executives to maximize the utility of every dollar available to their jurisdictions: first, by influencing the availability of receipts while delaying the outflow of funds; second, by investing available funds in interest yielding securities until the funds are needed to meet legal commitments and obligations. Although this perspective is easily stated, it is common knowledge that local jurisdictions encounter insurmountable obstacles in the effort to maximize the returns on their investments of temporarily idle funds. This study has evaluated local government cash management policies and practices with a view to identifying those factors militating against the efforts to achieve optimum returns on investments. A cash management questionnaire supplemented with very elaborate personal and telephone interviews constituted the diagnostic tool that facilitated the collection of the data necessary to: (a) develop an understanding of contemporary money management policies and practices in local governments; (b) evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and practices; (c) identify and describe the constraints that impede efforts to optimize investment returns in the public sector; and (d) develop strategies that will enable local government finance executives to cope with the identified constraints. The study found that local governments face three kinds of constraints in the attempt to maximize the return on their investments of financial assets. First, there are problems that are internal and peculiar to each local jurisdiction, such as inadequate resources: funds to invest and the skills to search for the right investment instruments under a given set of circumstances; second, there are legal and political constraints imposed by higher governments such as the requirement that public funds can only be invested in certain instruments, and the prescription that local governments do business with specified banks. In some jurisdictions, how much money should be deposited in each bank are also legislated. Third, there are constraints imposed by exogenous factors such as interest rates, minimum investment requirements and the naturation dates of investments. The study also found that local finance executives try to achieve some social responsibility through a careful manipulation of their jurisdiction's cash management techniques. Given these factors, public institutions can not achieve maximum levels of return on investment; they can only achieve satisficing returns.
Ph. D.

This thesis explores policy variation in local government. 'Me main purpose of the research is twofold; to examine the methodological issues in the analysis of policy variation in local government; and to further our understanding of Korean local government, which has been undergoing sweeping changes in recent years. In the first half of this thesis the distinction between output and process approaches is examined and reformulated in theoretical and methodological terms. Output studies are reclassified into four modes of explanation: socioeconomic analysis, political studies, urban hierarchy theory and incrementalism. A general model based on British literature is established for a process approach consisting of three dimensions: political leadership, administrative process and social inputs. The second half of the study examines local social policy-making in Korea with the aim of assessing the working of the newly-launched Korean local government system. A two-stage method is developed in the research design. In the first stage, an output analysis is carried out in order to identify how the outputs of local social policies vary and to what extent this variation is related to policy environments. In the second stage, the dynamics of the policy process are explored using a case study approach. This shows HOW political factors are associated with policy variation in local government. This study indicates in theory how the research question itself has predetermined not only the methods but also the findings of empirical studies. In the methodological dimension, six differences are noted between the output and process approaches. This study concludes by calling for more attention to innovation in the management side of Korean local government.

This paper sets out to investigate the impact of government fragmentation on local government debt. The weak government hypothesis states that government fragmentation leads to higher budget deficits and higher public debt. The hypothesis is tested on a panel dataset comprised of 285 out of 290 Swedish municipalities over the period 2000-2017. The impact of government fragmentation is explained using government inaction theory and the common-pool problem. I find no evidence supporting that coalition governments generally accumulate higher public debt compared to single-party governments. However, there is evidence for the that ideological differences within coalition governments have a positive effect on the municipal debt level.

The public's trust in government is a subject that arouses interest and debate among researchers and politicians alike. This thesis is concerned with public trust in government in China and particularly in local government. It provides insights both on the patterns of public trust in different levels of government and explores the key factors that account for variance in this respect. In light of the findings in this respect, the thesis also makes suggestions about measures that might be taken to improve public trust in local government particularly in the China context. A mixed methods research design has been employed that has included analysis of responses to a major trans-China quantitative survey of public opinions and the conduct of a series of semi-structured interviews with local government officials operating at different governmental levels within one municipal city. The research examines the commonalities and differences between the perspectives of citizens and of officials with regard to the scale, nature and causes of public distrust in local government. The thesis considers the implications of the findings and makes suggestions as to the kinds of policy and practice responses that would seem necessary to improve Chinese's citizens' trust levels in their local government.

This study, therefore, inquires into whether the regional states are discharging their constitutional obligation of creating adequately empowered local government. It will attempt to do so by examining the decentralisation programme of four of the nine regional states of the Ethiopian federation.The argument in this study is developed in the following manner. First, it will be examined whether decentralisation is favourable for democratisation, development and accommodation of ethnic minorities. Second, institutional frameworks will be identified which will be used to examine whether Ethiopia’s local government is indeed empowered enough to achieve these objectives. Third, the structural organisation, powers and functions of local government of four of the nine regional states of Ethiopia will be described. The regional states are Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities and Peoples’ regional states. Fourth the Ethiopian local governance system will be assessed in light of the institutional principles that are identified in chapter 2.

This chapter seeks to provide an overview of the entire Doctor in Business Administration. The structure of the DBA involves three individual study elements, named Projects 1, 2 and 3. This present Chapter acts as a ‘linking document’ and provides an overview of the entire DBA. For the purposes of this thesis, I have assumed that the knowledge gained, together with the underpinning literature, is cumulative, and will therefore not be repeated in every single project.

This thesis examines the electoral performance of minor parties in English local government from 1973 to 2008, a period that has seen a sharp increase in the numbers of candidates from such parties. Beginning with an overall assessment of the extent to which candidates from minor parties have contested local elections and the level of success in being elected, the thesis then explores the spatial distribution of minor party candidates, the types of people that become candidates and, considering the relative lack of electoral success, their motivations for standing. Traditional studies of party systems frequently exclude parties that do not win a relatively large share of votes and seats or are incapable of forming part of a subsequent government or administration. However broader definitions of what constitutes a party allow that small political parties can influence policy and the behaviour of mainstream parties simply because they are present in an electoral contest. Using the concept of presence, this thesis demonstrates that there has been an unprecedented increase in contestation by minor parties over the past 10 years that has not been proportionally matched by vote share and electoral success. Examination of patterns of contestation reveals that the growth in minor party contestation is uneven across England but is not apparently related to the different electoral systems used by local authorities. Furthermore, it becomes clearer that minor party contestation appears to be primarily a function of temporal local factors and is not necessarily influenced by electoral history, thus making it difficult to predict beforehand where and when such parties may begin to contest local elections and the relative level of electoral support they might subsequently enjoy. Having examined at a general level the electoral nature of minor party activity the thesis offers a new typology, an analytical framework within which to locate the various types of minor parties that feature in modern English local government. Using individual level data we examine whether it is possible to distinguish between candidates based on their party’s location within this typology, thus testing whether the recent increase in minor party activity is due to the rise of a new political class. Initial survey observations subsequently inform the development of a multinomial logistic regression model that seeks to identify similarities and differences between candidates standing for the range of parties currently contesting English local elections. This modelling suggests that candidates from across the range of minor parties are rather similar to each other and, moreover, similar to candidates from major parties. There does not, therefore, appear to be any association between the rise in the frequency of minor party candidates and the existence of a new political class of candidates that are different to those already located within the party political mainstream. Consequently, the value of the typology as a heuristic for establishing a better understanding of minor party activity is brought into question and further research into the phenomenon of minor party contestation in English local government is recommended.

The local government tax-exempt debt market is a growing, and complex, sector of public finance. As local governments turn to debt financing the factors that contribute to interest costs of that debt have become important considerations for local government officials and politicians. Governance at the local level involves a network of overlapping governments some of which share a tax base. This system of overlapping governments that share a tax base are subject to externalities that arise from taxation, expenditures, and debt. These externalities are usually analyzed in terms of tax or expenditure reactions, but there are implications for local government debt as well. For example, it can be shown that overlapping governments that share a tax base and issue debt can increase the interest costs paid on bonds by a higher level government. Further complicating the debt situation of local governments is the prevalence of a variety of special districts with the authority to issue tax-exempt debt. These special districts may have the authority to issue debt, but little is known about their financing processes. By comparing how different types of government approach the credit rating process this dissertation compares risk assessment of traditional municipalities and special districts. Through this comparison similarities and differences in the credit rating process across types of local governments can be identified. To explore these issues of local government debt several advanced econometric techniques are used to estimate various models.

As the level of goverrument closest to the people, local authorities have been credited with a key role in action towards sustainable development (United Nations, 1992). This thesis describes research which addresses mechanisms for evaluating sustainable development practice by local govemment. A review of approaches to measuring progress, in economic, social and environmental terms, identified sustainable development indicators as an evaluation framework whose applicability to local government warrented further research. A review of research literature highlighted the need for a dynamic and cyclical research approach which would acknowledge the contested and valueladen nature of both sustainable development and the research endeavour. The fieldwork is written up in three stages. The first stage explores the scope for transferring experience from public sector quality and performance indicators work. The second stage is a thin and linear description of the process of Fife Regional Council's role as a pilot authority in a Local Government Board Sustainability Indicators project. The third stage uses the wide range of written and experiential data gathered through the role of Project Consultant/Researcher to the Fife project to present a rich description of 'Sustainability Indicators for Fife'. The dialectic and hermeneutic framework adapted for this study enabled a detailed examination of the iterative movement between the sustainable development framing of the whole report and the process of crafting individual indicators. The study concludes that sustainable development indicators have considerable value as a performance management tool for use in local government, particularly in the context of the Local Agenda 21 and Community Planning initiatives. However, it is the quality and approach to local governance that will have an overiding impact on the achievement of effective action towards sustainable development. Recommendations are made for good practice and for further research.

This thesis examines recent experiments with participatory democracy in the context of decentralised local government. It charts the evolution in attitudes to the role of the generality of citizens in their own government, from commentators who were convinced that stability depended upon their apathy, to the current belief that mass involvement will save local democracy from deteriorating further into crisis. From the literature it is apparent that various authorities have pursued decentralisation initiatives for very different, sometimes conflicting reasons, not all concerned with democratisation. These have frequently been only vaguely articulated and then half-heartedly implemented. Where democratisation has actually been attempted and has included a participatory element, it is the particular contention here that there has been a mismatch between the structures adopted and the objectives to be achieved such that the community participants involved are prevented from playing the role envisaged for them. Furthermore, it is argued that a belief that the emergent participants are non political overlooks their true party affiliations; consequently there has been a failure to introduce sufficient safeguards to ensure true accountability to the constituents for whom they are intended to speak. The case studies on which the research is based are drawn from Scotland where there is an existing grassroots network of community councils which might have formed the building block for any new structures of involvement. Two quite contrasting models are examined, one primarily intended to improve the council's responsiveness to local needs and aspirations in regard to provision of public services, and one intended to offset disadvantage through empowerment. These are evaluated in the light of the above hypotheses and alternative models are evolved better suited to achieving the council's apparent aims. Finally lessons are drawn in relation to their effectiveness or otherwise as examples of new forms of participatory democracy which would have a potential to lower the barriers to involvement by those who currently choose, or are forced, to remain excluded from our present representative forms of democracy.

Longtemps consideree comme l'exemple ideal de l'autonomie locale, l'administration locale britannique, ou local government, est pourtant entierement subordonnee au parlement souverain. En fait, ses fonctions, sa structure et son territoire dependent de la volonte gouvernementale, via la majorite parlementaire, comme le montre l'accumulation des reformes dont elle fait l'objet depuis plus d'un siecle. Et depuis la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale, la centralisation des politiques publiques se confirme a travers la multiplication des transferts de competence locale au profit de l'administration centrale et des agences nationales ou regionales et meme a travers le controle de l'etat sur des depenses locales. La " revolution thatcher " n'a fait qu'accentuer ces phenomenes, radicalisant la crise ancienne et latente des relations entre le pouvoir central et les autorites locales. Le local government est devenu un des principaux lieux de conflit de la vie politique et un enjeu de la reforme de l'etat-providence par le biais d'une reduction drastique des finances locales, d'une etatisation ou d'une privatisation, selon les domaines, des services locaux qui constituaient sa raison d'etre. Pour comprendre cette evolution jusqu'au programme travailliste de modernisation institutionnelle et de regionalisation du gouvernement blair elu en 1997, il faut apprehender le systeme politico-administratif britannique dans la diversite de ses quatre nations-regions, avant de voir le fonctionnement des institutions administratives anglaises. En effet l'idee sous-jacente est qu'on ne peut dissocier le systeme politique du systeme administratif. De plus, l'etude des rapports entre les acteurs politiques et administratifs depasse la question de la nature juridique du local government et oblige a s'interroger sur la legitimite et la representativite des elus locaux. Ceci amene a traiter le sujet sous l'angle combine du droit, administratif et constitutionnel, et de la science administrative.

This research explores how English local authorities and their partners work together on electronic government. E-government is the use of computer technologies by government to transform the provision of services and information, improve internal organisation, encourage citizen participation and promote sharing between partners. In the UK and elsewhere there is increasing emphasis on public sector organisations working together in local partnerships. Partnerships can potentially encourage the delivery of joined-up services to citizens, promote democracy and improve public policy making, but partnership working is not always easy and can be challenging for the individuals and organisations involved. This thesis addresses the research question: "How can local authorities and their partners work together to successfully implement electronic government? " The research is based on a systematic literature review and comparative case studies of three sub-regional e-government partnerships, using a mixed methods approach. The literature review covers local governance, e-government, public sector partnerships, dissemination of best practice and social networks. In each case study social network data was collected from participants using a short questionnaire to ascertain who they dealt with in relation to e-government. This data was analysed using social network software and then used during qualitative interviews and workshops to generate discussion. A model of partnership effectiveness has been developed which identifies network structure, governance, maturity and context as four themes contributing to the success of local e-government partnerships. Network structure influences effectiveness in three ways: cohesion amongst the partners encourages organisational learning; a central core agency is important to ensure that partnership ideas reach fruition; opinion leaders come up with good ideas and can mobilise others. Governance includes the existence of a clear shared vision and strategy, the commitment of leaders, accountability and getting the right people involved. Maturity refers to a stable group of people from different perspectives working together over time, facing challenges and persevering. Councils with smaller populations have more to gain from partnership working because they lack the capacity to develop e-government solutions alone. The study contributes to academic research by developing a theoretical model of the factors contributing to effective e-government partnerships. This is the first study to examine how public organisations network together on e-government and the methodological approach is novel in research into UK local governance.

This dissertation examines whether men and women in rural local government differ on a number of demographic and attitudinal variables. Using survey data for city council members in rural Iowa, this dissertation used difference of means tests, cross-tabs and multiple regression modeling (OLS and logistic regression) to compare the responses of male and female town councilors. Scholarship on state legislatures and Congress often find that male and female legislators are different on a number of important demographic and attitudinal variables and many feminists argue that electing more women to office will change the way government institutions work. However, council members are very different from legislators at higher levels of government, and many of the theories developed using data from Congress and state legislators do not apply. Male and female town councilors share many important characteristics and attitudes, with some important exceptions. Women and men in local government are different on many demographic characteristics, in their approach to the delegate-trustee dilemma and regarding the initial motivation to run for office. On occasions where council members disagree with their constituents on policy issues, women are more likely to be politicos than trustees. Female council members were less likely than male council members to run for office because they were interested in addressing a particular issue and more likely to say that they ran for office because they believed there was no good alternative. Several factors contribute to the differences between council members small town Iowa and other types of elected officials in the U.S: the nature of elections and office responsibilities at the local level, and conservative rural politics.

This study is a contribution to the ongoing debate concerning the role and involvement of foreign donor entities in the processes of transforming and creating viable and sustainable municipal entities in South Africa. The discussion particularly focuses on the relationship between the donor community and the Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) and how this relationship has been nurtured, coordinated and managed. The study acknowledges the challenges pertaining to local government transformation and the role and mandate assigned to the DPLG by the South African Constitution and the Presidential Coordinating Council (PCC) for it to facilitate the creation of developmental local government. In discussing this, consideration is given to capacity and resource constraints within the Department, which necessitate that it collaborates closely with other stakeholders, particularly donors, in seeking to augment its resource base and capacity. The Department's lack of capacity is further complicated by the various pieces of legislation, which have a serious bearing on how municipalities have to work - irrespective of their capacity and resources limitations. The research also focuses on how this relationship, between the DPLG and foreign aid donors working in the local government sector, is coordinated and managed. From evidence gathered and interviews conducted, the conclusion is drawn that there is much room for the DPLG to improve and strategically focus its interaction with donors as informed by its mandate and strategic priorities. Proposals, which entail development of donor management guidelines, setting up of a donor coordination unit within DPLG, the improvement of the understanding of donor work politics and modalities among DPLG officials, etc., are made.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2006.
Title from first page of PDF file (viewed October 11, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-232).

Published Article
The South African public service has unfortunately rapidly gained a reputation for inefficiency, corruption and incompetence. Government has therefore introduced a variety of legislative measures to ensure that the public service would play a meaningful role in a well-functioning country, one that maximises its development potential and the welfare of its citizens. Examples of these measures are the Single Public Service (SPS) and the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS), two seemingly contradictory measures to accomplish the above-mentioned objectives. Concerns that a SPS was a move towards recentralisation by central government were countered by the LGTAS to strengthen local government per se. It was found that both projects endeavour facilitative measures for improved coordination and integration of services in local government to provide efficient and effective services.