WorldWideScience

Sample records for south local government

  1. South Local Government Area, Delta S

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ADOWIE PERE

    environs, Aniocha- South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria was carried out with a view to determining the ... supply for physical industrial development to achieve maximum human .... the Schlumberger O' Neil software package.

  2. The politics of service delivery in South Africa: The local government sphere in context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Purshottama S. Reddy

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The post-1994 democratic developmental South African state opted for a strong local government system which has been constitutionalised, in terms of Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. The politicisation of the local bureaucracy was inevitable as the ruling party sought to ensure that the executive leadership of municipalities shared the same political ideology and vision to facilitate local development. This raises the question, where does politicisation commence and end, and what is the ideal local political interface for efficient and effective service delivery and, more importantly, to ensure good governance? These questions have to take cognisance of the fact that South Africa is a ‘struggle democracy’ and development has to take place in historically disadvantaged areas, where services have been poor or non-existent. The historically advantaged areas have to also be maintained and upgraded, as they are key to financial sustainability of the municipalities. The increasing service delivery protests is a matter for concern, if one has to take cognisance of the popular adage highlighted in official literature, ‘if local government fails, South Arica fails’. Given that the struggles for a democratic South Africa were fought at the grassroots level, this has to translate to an improved quality of life for local communities. Consequently, sound political management is key to enhanced municipal service delivery and ultimately good local governance. This paper reviews political trends and developments up to 2016, but excludes any discussion on the recent local government elections.

  3. Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice: Reviewing the functions and powers of local government in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annette Christmas

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The chairperson of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on local government recently described local government in South Africa as “a chicken whose legs have been tied for too long”. In other words, even when the fetters that bind the chicken’s legs are loosed, it remains at a loss for what to do with its newfound freedom (Tsenoli 2007. This descriptive analogy ostensibly refers to the failure of local government to harness its newfound power in post-apartheid South Africa and to claim its rightful position as the driver of development at the local level, and instigator of bottom-up growth and progress, which is meant to shape and transform society in the new South Africa.

  4. The potential of mobile phones for increasing public participation in local government in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannah Thinyane

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a critical discussion on the current use of technology and participation in local government. It discusses the rise in popularity of mobile devices, and how they have been used in ICT for development. The paper describes the results of a baseline study undertaken in a city within Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, to empirically investigate how residents are currently using mobile phones and participating with local government around the area of service delivery. The findings illustrate the current state of mobile phone usage and capabilities, and the potential for using the mobile platform to increase participation in local government in South Africa. The paper also can be used to inform and guide project stakeholders on how best to implement m-participation strategies.

  5. Local Government in the South Pacific Islands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graham Hassall

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we seek to answer some basic questions about the condition of local government in the Pacific. Firstly, we examine what is meant by ‘local government’ in the various islands and for that matter how Pacific Island states have perceived and accepted local government institutions in practice; second, we ask basic questions about existing legal and constitutional recognition and powers; and third, we provide initial findings on current per capita expenditure and local government financial viability in a number of Pacific cities and towns. We also make some observations on current moves towards local government reform.

  6. Changing approaches to financing and financial management in the South African local government sector

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    D Sing

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Sections 152 and 153 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996 have given local government a developmental mandate. Local government has a constitutional obligation to participate in national and provincial development programmes. Local government should become a powerful development catalyst in collaboration with other spheres of government, the non-governmental sector and the local citizenry. It has to address social, economic and infrastructural backlogs and inequalities in a stable and sustainable manner to ensure developmental outcomes are reached. Different financing and financial management policies, strategies, structures, processes and procedures have to be instituted with a view to transformation and innovation. Constant and consistent monitoring, analysis and evaluation of these policies, strategies structures, processes and procedures should ensure these constitutional imperatives.

  7. Cooperation at different scales: challenges for local and international water resource governance in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mirumachi, N

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available . This paper examines how the cooperative principle has influenced stakeholder interaction at the local and international scales of water governance in South Africa. Water policies and initiatives have been set up to promote multi-level governance...

  8. An analysis of the declining support for the ANC during the 2011 South African local government elections

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    C Twala

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Local government elections are notorious for low voter turnout, but the May 2011 elections in South Africa showed a record 58 percent of the 24 million registered voters. In South Africa, local government matters and not just because it provides a pointer to what might happen in the provincial and national elections due in 2014, but helps in determining the readiness of the African Nation Congress in providing basic services to the different communities. Interestingly, these elections were preceded by service delivery protests against the ANC. The article is an analysis of the decreased support for the ANC during the 2011 local government elections. The multifaceted reasons behind the boiling cauldron of this decline in support for the ANC are scrutinised. Underpinning this decline in support often lie deep and complex factors which can be uncovered through a careful analysis of the ANC’s campaigning strategies ahead of these elections; the media which has been accused of rampant sensationalism; service delivery protests and mudslinging from other political parties. However, it is not the author’s intention in this article to deal with how other parties fared during these elections, but to highlight their impact on the declined support received by the ANC in the elections. The discussion is presented in four parts: the first presents an exploratory discussion on the theory of local government in the sphere of governance. The second part discusses some key strategies and tactics used by the ANC in attempts to galvanise support, as well as the challenges encountered. The third deals with the opposition parties’ machinery in preventing the ANC from getting a majority vote during the election. Lastly, the article concludes by highlighting the lessons learnt by the ANC during these elections within the framework of electoral politics in South Africa. Keywords: local election 2011, African National Congress (ANC, local government.  Disciplines

  9. Life expectancy estimation in small administrative areas with non-uniform population sizes: application to Australian New South Wales local government areas

    OpenAIRE

    Stephens, Alexandre S; Purdie, Stuart; Yang, Baohui; Moore, Helen

    2013-01-01

    Objective To determine a practical approach for deriving life expectancy estimates in Australian New South Wales local government areas which display a large diversity in population sizes. Design Population-based study utilising mortality and estimated residential population data. Setting 153 local government areas in New South Wales, Australia. Outcome measures Key performance measures of Chiang II, Silcocks, adjusted Chiang II and Bayesian random effects model methodologies of life expectan...

  10. Displaying Voter Gains and Losses: Local Government Elections in South Africa for 2011 and 2016

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Schmitz, Peter MU

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available of voter behavior between two subsequent local government elections from 2011 and 2016. The percentage voter gains and losses for the top three political parties in South Africa are shown. In the election of 2016, the ruling African National Congress (ANC...

  11. Participatory Democracy in Theory and Practice: A Case Study of Local Government in South Africa

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    Ntsikelelo Breakfast

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The idea of democracy is a curious oneand puzzling. There is reason for this;everyone talks about democracy no matter whether their views are on the left, centreor right of the political spectrum. Various politicians, regimes, whether in Africa, Europe or America claim to be democratic;yet what each says and does is usuallydifferent. Democracy as a practice is supposed to bestow rules, laws and decisions that are justifiable on democraticgrounds. Democracy also has evolved through social struggles. This article examines the practice of democracy withinthe context of local government in South Africa, and is an attempt to explore the concept of democracy without escaping other historical aspects of the idea and practice. From a methodological standpoint, this article is based on a literature assessment. Lastly and most importantly, this paper has made a scholarly contribution to the scholarship of Political Science and Public Administration with regard to the nexus between democracy and public participation at local government level in South Africa.

  12. Views from the Frontline: A critical assessment of local risk governance in South Africa

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    Doret Botha

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In 2005 the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction introduced the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action’ (HFA aimed at mainstreaming disaster risk reduction. Subsequently, the ‘Global Network for Disaster Reduction’ (GNDR was formed to support the implementation of the HFA. The GNDR initiated a country-based, international research project called ‘Views from the Frontline’ (VFL in order to measure progress at local level in terms of compliance with the HFA. The VFL 2011 project focused on local risk governance, which is critical for effective implementation of policy and provision of resources at grassroots level. This article provides insight into the findings for South Africa. The project made use of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was gathered by means of a survey and/or questionnaire consisting of 20 questions on ‘indicators’ which assessed progress toward the goals of the HFA. The surveys also provided for qualitative commentary. The target population for this research consisted of local government officials and community representatives. Based on the quantitative scores for all the different indicators, the research showed that South Africa could still improve significantly in terms of compliance with the HFA. More attention must be given to operationalise the HFA at local level, a culture of safety must be fostered, local actors and communities must be involved directly and consulted, indigenous knowledge must be recognised, and significant capacity development for disaster risk reduction is necessary.

  13. The Role of Local Government in Evictions | van Wyk ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Local government occupies a unique place in the South African system of government. This is circumscribed by the Constitution which contains directives. enjoining municipalities inter alia to provide democratic and accountable government for local communities and to promote social and economic development (section ...

  14. Local Government Internal Audit Compliance

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    Greg Jones

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Local government councils (LGC rely on a number of funding sources including state and federal governments as well as their community constituents to enable them to provide a range of public services. Given the constraints on these funding sources councils need to have in place a range of strategies and policies capable of providing good governance and must appropriately discharge their financial accountabilities. To assist LGC with meeting their governance and accountability obligations they often seek guidance from their key stakeholders. For example, in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW, the Office of Local Government has developed a set of guidelines, the Internal Audit Guidelines. In 2010 the NSW Office of Local Government issued revised guidelines emphasising that an internal audit committee is an essential component of good governance. In addition, the guidelines explained that to improve the governance and accountability of the councils, these committees should be composed of a majority of independent members. To maintain committee independence the guidelines indicated that the Mayor should not be a member of the committee. However these are only guidelines, not legislated requirements and as such compliance with the guidelines, before they were revised, has been demonstrated to be quite low (Jones & Bowrey 2013. This study, based on a review of NSW Local Government Councils’ 2012/2013 reports, including Annual Reportsrelation to internal audit committees, to determine if the guidelines are effective in improving local government council governance.

  15. Zupta's Next Nightmare: The South African Local Government Elections of 3 August 2016

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    Ulf Engel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available On 3 August 2016 South Africa held its fifth local government elections (LGE since the end of Apartheid in 1994. Against a backdrop of increasing political frustration with the ruling party’s poor performance and continued debates about corruption and cronyism in the highest government circles, the African National Congress (ANC maintained its dominant position but lost 8 per cent of the aggregate vote (53.91 per cent. The Democratic Alliance (DA gained some 3 per cent (26.89 per cent of the vote, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF, first-time LGE campaigners, garnered 8.02 per cent. Importantly, the ANC lost control of three of the seven big metropolitan municipalities it had previously held. Since there was no clear-cut majority in four of the eight metros, coalition politics and the art of compromise will become a major feature of South African politics in the coming years. The elections were highly competitive and considered free and fair. At 57.97 per cent, voter turnout was slightly higher than in 2011.

  16. Challenging urban health: towards an improved local government response to migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa

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    Joanna Vearey

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available This article is a review of the PhD thesis undertaken by Joanna Vearey that explores local government responses to the urban health challenges of migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa. Urbanisation in South Africa is a result of natural urban growth and (to a lesser extent in-migration from within the country and across borders. This has led to the development of informal settlements within and on the periphery of urban areas. The highest HIV prevalence nationally is found within urban informal settlements. South African local government has a ‘developmental mandate’ that calls for government to work with citizens to develop sustainable interventions to address their social, economic, and material needs. Through a mixed-methods approach, four studies were undertaken within inner-city Johannesburg and a peripheral urban informal settlement. Two cross-sectional surveys – one at a household level and one with migrant antiretroviral clients – were supplemented with semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders involved with urban health and HIV in Johannesburg, and participatory photography and film projects undertaken with urban migrant communities. The findings show that local government requires support in developing and implementing appropriate intersectoral responses to address urban health. Existing urban health frameworks do not deal adequately with the complex health and development challenges identified; it is essential that urban public health practitioners and other development professionals in South Africa engage with the complexities of the urban environment. A revised, participatory approach to urban health – ‘concept mapping’ – is suggested which requires a recommitment to intersectoral action, ‘healthy urban governance’ and public health advocacy.

  17. Challenging urban health: towards an improved local government response to migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vearey, Joanna

    2011-01-01

    This article is a review of the PhD thesis undertaken by Joanna Vearey that explores local government responses to the urban health challenges of migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa. Urbanisation in South Africa is a result of natural urban growth and (to a lesser extent) in-migration from within the country and across borders. This has led to the development of informal settlements within and on the periphery of urban areas. The highest HIV prevalence nationally is found within urban informal settlements. South African local government has a ‘developmental mandate’ that calls for government to work with citizens to develop sustainable interventions to address their social, economic, and material needs. Through a mixed-methods approach, four studies were undertaken within inner-city Johannesburg and a peripheral urban informal settlement. Two cross-sectional surveys – one at a household level and one with migrant antiretroviral clients – were supplemented with semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders involved with urban health and HIV in Johannesburg, and participatory photography and film projects undertaken with urban migrant communities. The findings show that local government requires support in developing and implementing appropriate intersectoral responses to address urban health. Existing urban health frameworks do not deal adequately with the complex health and development challenges identified; it is essential that urban public health practitioners and other development professionals in South Africa engage with the complexities of the urban environment. A revised, participatory approach to urban health – ‘concept mapping’ – is suggested which requires a recommitment to intersectoral action, ‘healthy urban governance’ and public health advocacy. PMID:21686331

  18. Water security at local government level in South Africa: a qualitative interview-based analysis

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    Richard Meissner, DPhil

    2018-05-01

    individuals and their natural surroundings. We discovered that perceptions depend on many different factors. First, the changing state of the natural environment a person lives in—eg, one respondent from eThekwini said “When it rains in summer a lot of stuff gets washed down into the storm water drains and into the sea. The main concern here is pathogens.” Second, socioeconomic status is important—one community member in Ntshongweni noted that only some community members have the financial means to buy water tanks for rain harvesting to enhance their household water security. Third, experiences relating to various interactions with local governments and members of the community can also affect perceptions—eg, some respondents were unsatisfied with responses to problems by local authorities. A respondent from eThekwini said “Sometimes when we report water leakages it takes a long time for them to get fixed”, and a respondent from Sekhukhune said “Sometimes we have asked the authorities about the problem of water supply cuts, they told us about a stolen water pump and gave us inconsistent answers”. Therefore, a changing natural environment, like flooding and drought, is not the only variable that influences water security perceptions; such conceptualisations also depend to varying degrees on interpersonal relationships (eg, with local authorities and practices (eg, collecting rainwater, which are directly or indirectly related to water security enhancement. Interpretation: How people perceive water security has policy implications at the local government level in South Africa and further afield in other low-income and middle-income countries where data collection is unreliable. We established that people from diverse lifestyles hold various understandings and interpretations of water security relating mainly to the availability, access, and quality of water resources. Understanding how people perceive water security in specific localities could aid policy

  19. Corporate municipal governance for effective and efficient public service delivery in South Africa.

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    Paulin Mbecke

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This research acknowledges the current service delivery chaos manifested through numerous protests justifying the weakness of the “Batho Pele” good governance principles to facilitate, improve and sustain service delivery by local governments. The success of corporate governance in corporate companies and state owned enterprises is recognised prompting suggestions that local governments should too adopt corporate governance principles or King III to be effective. The research reviews the King III and literature to ascertain the lack of research on corporate governance in local governments in South Africa. Considering the particular set-up of local governments, the research doubts the successful application of King III in local governments. Through critical research theory, the current service delivery crisis in local governments in South Africa is described. The success of corporate governance systems in the United Kingdom and Australian local governments justify the need for a separate corporate municipal governance system as a solution to the crisis. A specific change of legislation and corporate governance guidelines is necessary to address the uniqueness of local governments. Hence, corporate municipal governance should be compulsory and based on ten standardised good governance principles via a code of corporate governance and a corporate governance framework responding to specific prerequisites for success

  20. Groundwater governance in South Africa: A status assessment ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Groundwater governance provisions and arrangements in South Africa were studied at national level and at local level for a highly productive aquifer, the Botleng Dolomite Aquifer. Technical, legal, institutional and operational governance provisions were found to be reasonable at the national level but weak with regards to ...

  1. Local Governance and ICTs in Africa: Case Studies and Guidelines ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2011-08-01

    Aug 1, 2011 ... ... been a lack of evidence on information technology in local governance in Africa. ... land management, education, local economic development, citizen registration ... but is also a practical handbook for government decision makers. ... call for proposals to establish Cyber Policy Centres in the Global South.

  2. New Century Local Government: Commonwealth Perspectives

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    Gareth Wall

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available This ambitious and highly informative volume is premised on both the seismic shift in the perceived developmental role of local government across the globe, and the challenges that local governments will face as their key role in achieving the post-2015 sustainable development goals is increasingly being recognised within the global policy fora. New Century Local Government brings together an impressively wide geographic spread of country case studies from across the four regions of the Commonwealth, and pulls together work by leading scholars of local government who are all members of the Commonwealth Local Government Research Advisory Group (CLGF-RAG. It provides a plethora of detailed country case studies arranged around three themes: decentralisation in the Caribbean, Pakistan and England, local government finance and local economic development in India, South Africa and Tanzania, and new approaches to governance in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Not only do the papers provide detailed accounts of the changes in policy and practice within their focus country cases – but many of them, notably the papers by Brown, Reid, McKinlay and Sansom include a comparative perspective with developments from Commonwealth countries in other regions, which is one of the key strengths of the volume. It is also the raison d’être of comparative work across the countries of the Commonwealth, given the shared legal and administrative histories and the dominance of English as the academic and often administrative lingua franca. It would have been great to see more of the cross-regional and cross-country lessons being drawn out from across the contributions in a final concluding chapter, but the editors leave this to the reader – possibly to ensure they read the volume in full.

  3. A Critical Investigation of the Relevance and Potential of IDPS as a Local Governance Instrument for Pursuing Social Justice in South Africa

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    Oliver Njuh Fuo

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Unlike the situation in the past, when local government’s role was limited to service delivery, local government is now constitutionally mandated to play an expanded developmental role. As a “co-responsible” sphere of government, local government is obliged to contribute towards realising the transformative constitutional mandate aimed at social justice. South African scholars and jurists share the view that social justice is primarily concerned with the eradication of poverty and extreme inequalities in access to basic services, and aims to ensure that poor people command sufficient material resources to facilitate their equal participation in socio-political life. In order to enable municipalities to fulfil their broad constitutional mandate, the system of integrated development planning (IDPs came into effect in South Africa in 2000. Each municipality is obliged to design, adopt and implement an integrated development plan in order to achieve its expanded constitutional mandate. The IDP is considered to be the chief legally prescribed governance instrument for South African municipalities. The purpose of this article is to explore and critically investigate the relevance and potential of IDPs in contributing towards the achievement of social justice in South Africa. This article argues inter alia that the multitude of sectors that converge in an IDP makes it directly relevant and gives it enormous potential to contribute towards social justice because, depending on the context, municipalities could include and implement strategies that specifically respond to diverse areas of human need. In this regard, the legal and policy frameworks for IDPs provide a structured scheme that could be used by municipalities to prioritise and meet the basic needs of especially the poor. Despite its potential, it is argued that the ability of IDPs to respond to the basic needs of the poor is largely constrained by a series of implementation challenges

  4. Towards improved waste management services by local government – A waste governance perspective

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Oelofse, Suzanna HH

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available In terms of the South African Constitution (Act 108of 1996), waste management service delivery is a local government function. The Constitution further gives every person the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well...

  5. Potential Benefits of Monitoring and Evaluation as a Tool in the South African Local Government Spheres

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    T. R. Mle

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Public institutions exist for the public good and employ public officials to perform duties aimed at providing a better life for all. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 requires that the public service maintains a high standard of professional ethics, use resources efficiently and effectively, and provide services equitably.  When the new political dispensation came into being in 1994 in South Africa, the newly-elected government committed itself to ensuring a better life for all through the provision of services, for example water and electricity supply, sanitation, and houses, etc. To this end, policies and programmes were put in place. However, the challenge that faces the government is the implementation of these policies and programmes which largely remains unsatisfactory. Systems of reporting and performance are, in the main, weak. To address this short-coming, therefore, government came up with the concept of monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of policies and programmes to the extent of creating a new department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency.  Key to the effective implementation of government policies and programmes is the introduction of a tool to ensure that such policies and programmes do not gather dust. This paper therefore, posits how such a tool can have potential benefits in the local government sphere and be a panacea to the ills of this sphere which is characterized by violent service delivery protests through which communities express their dissatisfaction at the non-delivery of essential services.

  6. Local government financial autonomy in Nigeria: The State Joint Local Government Account

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    Jude Okafor

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the statutory financial relations and financial autonomy of local government in Nigeria, and the freedom of local government to generate revenue from its assigned sources without external interference. It focuses particularly on a financial instrument called the State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA and how its operations have positively or negatively affected the financial autonomy of local government councils and the inter-relations between state and local government in Nigeria.

  7. Framework for local government to implement integrated water ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Water Services Act (No. 8 of 1997) of South Africa states that water service delivery is the responsibility of local government as Water Services Authorities. The principal legal responsibility is to complete a Water Services Development Plan (WSDP) every 5 years with annual review. The WSDP encapsulates all the ...

  8. The Role of Local Government in Evictions

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    J van Wyk

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Local government occupies a unique place in the South African system of government. This is circumscribed by the Constitution which contains directives. Enjoining municipalities inter alia to provide democratic and accountable government for local communities and to promote social and economic development (section 152 as well as to undertake developmentally-oriented planning (section 153. In addition local government has a specific role to play regarding access to adequate housing and, in that context, evictions. In terms of sections 25 and 26 of the Constitution as well as legislation enacted in terms of these provisions new and different procedures have been put in place to demarcate the role of municipalities in evictions. The interpretation, by the courts, of these legislative provisions, has created a framework within which municipalities must react to and deal with evictions. In terms of that framework a number of duties and responsibilities are placed on municipalities, which include that they do the following: have policies, actions and programmes in place, draw up proper housing plans, be notified of evictions, mediate and engage with all stakeholders and provide temporary - and suitable alternative - accommodation of a specific standard, all of which must be consistent with principles of human dignity and be reasonable. Against this background this paper will interrogate the role of local government in evictions, concentrating on the constitutional directives for municipalities, the different eviction procedures and the duties and responsibilities of municipalities.

  9. The Impact and Dilemma of Unfunded Mandates Confronting Local Government South Africa: A Comparative Analysis

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    M. Basdeo

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Local government has emerged from a prolonged transition to face a second generation of challenges, namely unfunded mandates. Compliance with the current financial management system is a constant challenge for local government. To complicate matters local government is challenged by the dilemma of unfunded mandates which are an extreme manifestation of the phenomenon of governing from the centre. National government through various strategies imposes national mandates on provincial and local government at the expense of the latter. The incidence of unfunded mandate reflects a power hierarchy. Unfunded mandates are generally a significant indicator of the relative weakness of national government because it is often local government occupying constitutionally and politically the weakest position in the hierarchy that is burdened with new responsibilities. In decentralised and federal government systems, provincial/state and local governments object to unfunded mandates because they shrink their policy space, limit their expenditure choices and ultimately local government’s accountability to their electorates. Further, these systems of governance establish a hierarchy of authority that creates  notions of self-rule by national government. Unfunded mandates reflect systemic weaknesses of decentralised or federal allocation of powers and functions. Although there are principled objections, unfunded mandates remain constitutional. Given the wide incidence of unfunded mandates the critical question arises as to how in a decentralised system, one level of government can impose mandates with cost implications on another. How is it constitutionally justifiable?

  10. Economic Feasibility of Renewable Electricity Generation Systems for Local Government Office: Evaluation of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in South Korea

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    Eunil Park

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available While environmental and energy concerns have become global issues, the government of South Korea has made notable efforts and formulated plans for the diffusion of renewable energy generation facilities for the nation’s public and governmental institutions. Accordingly, Jeju Island has become one of the most promising locations for utilizing renewable energy resources. This study aims to propose potential configurations for renewable energy generation facilities (mainly solar and wind energy facilities in response to the electricity demand of the main local governmental offices of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The study utilizes the hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources software to simulate two optimized configurations for generation at a cost of energy of $0.306 per kWh (independent and $0.204 per kWh (grid-connected with 100% renewable fraction for the island. The implications of the simulation results and limitations of the study are discussed.

  11. An efficiency analysis of basic service provision in South African local government (2006/7 to 2008/9

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    Gert van der Westhuizen

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The South African local government sector has undergone changes in the post-apartheid era as policy makers have sought to improve basic services provided to disadvantaged local communities. While scholars have considered various dimensions of the reform program, little effort has been directed at evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency dimensions of the changes in service provision, with some notable exceptions (van der Westhuizen and Dollery, 2009; Krugell, et al., 2010. This article seeks to contribute to this literature by evaluating the efficiency with which municipalities have provided (Reconstruction and Development Program RDP water, RDP sanitation RDP electricity and RDP refuse removal, using Data Envelopment Analysis techniques (DEA applied to panel data from 2006/2007 to 2008/2009 for 231 local municipalities and 46 district municipalities. Keywords: Data warehousing, Systems thinking, Prescriptive theory, Descriptive theory, Interpretative research. Disciplines: Information technology, systems theory, data warehousing, hermeneutics

  12. Improving Unsustainable Environmental Governance in South Africa: the Case for Holistic Governance

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    LJ Kotze

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Environmental law in South Africa has developed in a rapid fashion since the inception of the new constitutional dispensation in 1994. This development is evident from, inter alia, the constitutionalisation of the environmental right in section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Section 24 contains amongst other provisions, directive principles that impose duties on government to protect the environment for present and future generations through reasonable legislative and other measures. It is apparent from section 24 that these measures should ensure environmental governance practices that are aimed at the achievement of sustainable results. The South African environmental governance regime is, however, characterised by fragmentation that may negate the achievement of sustainable environmental governance. It is argued in this article that, for environmental governance to become sustainable, it is necessary to integrate environmental governance efforts, possibly by way of a holistic approach to environmental governance. In light of the above, this article: investigates the nature and extent of fragmentation; explores reasons for fragmentation; discusses disadvantages of fragmented governance efforts in South Africa; investigates the concept of integration and holistic governance as means to achieve sustainable environmental governance results; and makes recommendations regarding the eventual achievement of integrated, holistic and sustainable environmental governance.

  13. Mapping Economic Development: The South Seas Government and Sugar Production in Japan’s South Pacific Mandate, 1919–1941

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    Ti Ngo

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Japan acquired the Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall Island chains as a League of Nations mandate following World War I. Why did the local administration (the South Seas Government or Nanyōchō heavily subsidize the establishment of a sugar industry? While the South Seas Government did not explicitly state why it chose to support the sugar industry despite the wealth of oceanic resources surrounding the islands, imperial maps of the South Pacific produced by the Japanese navy and the South Seas Government provide a window into how both parties envisioned and planned for the economic future of the mandate. These maps included information regarding the available natural resources, land, and culture level of the Micronesian population. The author argues that in depicting the islands as spaces where a “primitive” nonagricultural population failed to take advantage of the islands’ resources, mapmakers and officials planned for the mass migration of Japanese labor to the mandate in order to support a newly established sugar industry.

  14. The legal duty of local government to facilitate development

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    Theo Scheepers

    1999-03-01

    Full Text Available Local government in South Africa is not only facing challenges normally associated with a process of development or transformation, but needs to adjust its focus according to the new development paradigm unfolding in South Africa. Developmental local government has to accomplish this task according to the mandate issued in the Constitution and within a specific legal-institutional and value framework The legal-institutional framework is based on a set of development law principles contained in new generation legislation. The value framework consists of community values as well as constitutional values reflecting individual and community values, norms and principles. This framework imposes a legal and moral duty as well as corresponding obligations on municipalities to plan and implement future socio-economic development of the areas for which they are responsible according to a new set of development principles and values. These principles make it incumbent upon municipalities to manage development through a people-centred and community-driven process. This article briefly deals with the nature and content of the duties and responsibilities of municipalities emanating from a new development paradigm when facilitating the development process within their areas of jurisdiction.

  15. THE EVOLUTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SELF-GOVERNMENT IN RUSSIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Yashchuk

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available УДК 34The article highlights the main stages in the development of local government and self-gov-ernment in Russia. It shows the specifics of each stage. The formation of the Russian state was accompanied by the synthesis of the princely power and the community self-government. The genesis autocracy was accompanied by a struggle with the self-government institutions. The creation of rural and urban self-government in the second half of the XIX century was accom-panied by a debate on the social and public origin of these institutions.The Soviet state was based on the unity of the Soviet system. It concluded the discrete de-velopment of local self-government in Russia. There is no historical strong tradition of local government in this system.Objective of the article is to identify and characterize the main stages of development of local government and self-government in Russia. Show the discrete nature of the develop-ment of local self-government in Russia.The formation of the Russian state was accompanied by the synthesis of princely power and community self-government. Genesis autocracy was accompanied by a struggle with self-government institutions. The absence of territorial self-government in Russia was offset by the presence of social class municipality for a long time. Caste traditions tradition had a negative impact after the establishment of rural and urban self-government in the second half of the XIX century.During the preparation of the reforms and their implementation were discussions of the rela-tionship between the state and the community began in management. As a result, there is the inclusion of local authorities in the sphere of active state regulation. The desire of the county public to the political activity was suppressed by autocracy. The Provisional Government at-tempt to rely on the local self-government to create new authorities ended in failure.The Soviet state was based on a single management system. Certain powers

  16. Economics Of Rabbit Production In Abeokuta South Local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was aimed at examining the economic profitability of rabbit production based on the hypothesis that the low level of production may likely be a consequence of low profitability of the enterprise. Abeokuta South Local Government area was used as a case study. It involved the collection of primary data from a ...

  17. Local Government System in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir V. Redko

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the issues of the activities of the local government of Japan. Particular attention is drawn to the legal framework and the material basis for the functioning of local self-government bodies. The system of local self-government is considered as a special form of self-government with a specific functional and meaning; system of municipal management and delegation of authority, as well as features of interaction between civil and imperious levels. The allocation of the city with a special status, as well as the financial structure of the local government of Japan, is considered in detail.

  18. Local government and climate policy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burger, H.; Menkveld, M.; Coenen, F.H.J.M.

    2000-01-01

    Local government in the Netherlands could play a greater role than they currently do in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country. This fact formed the motivation for initiating the research project on Local Government and Climate Policy. Many local climate options are known in theory. Options for reduction that lie within the sphere of influence of Dutch local government are, for example, sustainable building or encouraging the utilisation of sustainable energy. But actual practice turns out to be rather refractory. If such options are to be implemented, then one has to overcome institutional barriers, such as the co-operation between different departments in the same local authority. The objective of this research is to improve the contribution that local government makes to climate policy

  19. Cost and returns analysis of catfish marketing in Aba South Local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Cost and returns analysis of catfish marketing in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. ... The constraints militating against catfish marketing were also identified. ... EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

  20. A study of local government HIV/AIDS projects in South Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Chantel

    Major constraints were a lack of funds, transport and trained personnel. ... Keywords: local government, HIV/AIDS, home/community-based care, Department of Social ... and the loss of skilled staff will place added pressure ... Africa, 1998, p15) as 'working with citizens and .... This was followed by a lack of equipment in.

  1. Local government and utility firms’ debts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marko Primorac

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The global financial crisis has affected the Croatian local public sector. In such circumstances, local government units’ debts and borrowing should be approached with caution. The highly interwoven financial operations of local government units and their utilities indicate the need for analysis of consolidated financial statements of local governments and utility companies in order to gain an insight into the real financial “health” of local units. Accordingly, the main aim of this paper is to analyze the size and the structure of the consolidated (local government and utility companies local public debt in Croatia. Accordingly, the paper presents the financial position of local government units supplemented with information on the financial operations of utility companies, with particular emphasis on the size and structure of their liabilities and gross and net debt. Although the current Budget Law does not require formal preparation of consolidated financial statements by local governments and their utility firms, consolidation is stipulated by International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS. The application of IPSAS regulations would be helpful in determining overall direct and indirect exposure of local government units arising from the financial operations of their utilities.

  2. Japan's nuclear PA activity in local governments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii, Nobuyuki

    1995-01-01

    This presentation emphasises some points of PA activities, based on the experience of 'cooperation projects for local governments'. Local governments distribute the public information directly to the residents. This is very important because officers of the local government can be the opinion leaders of the region. Local government exist very close to the residents, while the central government is a distant and faceless existence for the local people. It is believed that the local governments play an imperative role in PA activities. In other words, we must further utilize the organizations and functions of the local governments to implement PA activities. In conclusion, three recommendations are offered. Firstly, enough budget and authority should be given to the local governments as far as PA activities in their areas are concerned, and most of such activities should be entrusted to the local governments. Local governments should place more public relations officers, and continue the manpower development. Second, with regard to highly technical or specialized issues which a local governments cannot treat alone, related organizations like JAERO should support their PA activities. Third, such related organizations should also cooperate with local government including assistance in providing know-how, when their public information activities focus on educators, journalists, or the women. These three points should be given due consideration in our cooperation projects for the local governments, and JAERO is doing its best every day

  3. Effective Communication as Catalyst of Developmental Local Government and Rural Development amid Threats of Overpopulation

    OpenAIRE

    Naledzani Rasila; John Mudau

    2012-01-01

    South Africa’s population has risen from 40.5 million in 1996  to 44.8 million in 2001 and to 51.77 in 2011. Africans are in majority making 79.2% of the whole population. About 22.3% of blacks have received no schooling with the unemployment rate of the blacks at 28.1%. Most of these unemployed and uneducated blacks are found in rural areas. This compelled government to introduce Developmental Local government. Developmental Local government refers to the layer of public service that has the...

  4. Local economic development and globalisation : the international competitiveness of certain South African municipalities / Vincent Monti Malebo Mongake

    OpenAIRE

    Mongake, Monti Malebo Vincent

    2004-01-01

    In today's global competitive environment, a city or a town more than ever needs a strategy that articulates how its international competitiveness is to be improved. Since 1994, following its first democratic elections, South Africa started processes of significant local government reform, as well as fast integration into the global economy. These processes will place significant challenges in the way of South Africa's local government (municipalities) since they now not only h...

  5. Everything is connected: An Interpretive study of local economic development in South Africa.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kwaramba, H.M.

    2012-01-01

    Tourism in South Africa has emerged as a popular poverty reduction strategy. Nevertheless, benefit of the sector to previously disadvantaged communities remains highly contested. In efforts to increase equitable economic impacts of tourism, the Eastern Cape local government introduced a Local

  6. Life expectancy estimation in small administrative areas with non-uniform population sizes: application to Australian New South Wales local government areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephens, Alexandre S; Purdie, Stuart; Yang, Baohui; Moore, Helen

    2013-12-02

    To determine a practical approach for deriving life expectancy estimates in Australian New South Wales local government areas which display a large diversity in population sizes. Population-based study utilising mortality and estimated residential population data. 153 local government areas in New South Wales, Australia. Key performance measures of Chiang II, Silcocks, adjusted Chiang II and Bayesian random effects model methodologies of life expectancy estimation including agreement analysis of life expectancy estimates and comparison of estimate SEs. Chiang II and Silcocks methods produced almost identical life expectancy estimates across a large range of population sizes but calculation failures and excessively large SEs limited their use in small populations. A population of 25 000 or greater was required to estimate life expectancy with SE of 1 year or less using adjusted Chiang II (a composite of Chiang II and Silcocks methods). Data aggregation offered some remedy for extending the use of adjusted Chiang II in small populations but reduced estimate currency. A recently developed Bayesian random effects model utilising the correlation in mortality rates between genders, age groups and geographical areas markedly improved the precision of life expectancy estimates in small populations. We propose a hybrid approach for the calculation of life expectancy using the Bayesian random effects model in populations of 25 000 or lower permitting the precise derivation of life expectancy in small populations. In populations above 25 000, we propose the use of adjusted Chiang II to guard against violations of spatial correlation, to benefit from a widely accepted method that is simpler to communicate to local health authorities and where its slight inferior performance compared with the Bayesian approach is of minor practical significance.

  7. E-Government, Audit Opinion, and Performance of Local Government Administration in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bambang Sutopo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Local governments (LGs have an important role in providing services to the community. Nevertheless, some local governments still show relatively low performance. Scores of e-government implementation and audit opinions obtained by some local governments are also relatively low. This study examines whether there are relationships between e-government, the dimensions of e-government, and audit opinion and the performance of the local government administration. There are five dimensions of the e-government i.e. policy, institutions, infrastructure, applications, and planning. The sample used in this study includes 246 local governments from 2012 to 2014. Using regression analysis, the results of this study show that e-government has a positive association with the performance of the local government administration. This is supported by the positive association of e-government’s dimensions with performance. The audit opinion is also positively associated with performance as expected. These results suggest that e-government and audit opinion can be used as indicators of the performance of local government administration.

  8. IT benefits management in local government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kenneth Møller Porto; Nielsen, Peter Axel; Persson, John Stouby

    2012-01-01

    Information technology (IT) is increasingly presented as a driving force for service and efficiency improvement in local governments. However, achieving these goals in creating value from IT investments is a significant challenge for local government organizations. Practitioners and researchers...... have proposed numerous approaches to IT benefits management, but our knowledge of current practices and capabilities in local government IT management is still limited. Thus, in this paper we resent an investigation of what characterizes IT benefits management in local government in order to understand...... and improve current practices. Through a comparative case study of two Danish municipalities, we have analyzed the different characteristics of benefits management. Based on this analysis we propose an initial framework for understanding IT benefits management in local government....

  9. IT Management in Local Government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter Axel; Persson, John Stouby

    2010-01-01

    The use of information technology (IT) is increasingly important for local governments (municipalities) in adhering to their responsibilities for providing services to citizens and this requires effective IT management. We present an engaged scholarship approach to formulating the IT management...... problems with local government – not for local government. We define such engaged problem formulation as joint learning and definition of a contemporary and complex problem by researchers and those who experience and know the problem. This engaged problem formulation process was carried out...

  10. Water security at local government level in South Africa: a qualitative interview-based analysis

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Meissner, Richard

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available understanding of water security exists. The aim of this study was to research, using qualitative social scientific methods, how people in two South African localities understand water security....

  11. Quality of Governance and Local Development: The Case of Top Nine Performing Local Government Units in the Philippines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MA. NIÑA I. ADRIANO

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available There is a large body of literature that studies the link between good governance and development in a country level. However, only a few have exploited the same study in the local government unit (LGU setting. This study attempts to establish the relationship between the quality of governance and the state of local development of the Top 9 Performing LGUs in the Philippines (La Union, Albay, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Makati City Valenzuela City, Taguig City, Davao City and Angeles City as measured by the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS, the nationwide governance performance evaluation and management tool used in the Philippines. I used the data generated by the LGPMS, particularly the state of local governance and the state of local development, to see if there is a relationship between the two variables using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results revealed that that there is no relationship between the quality of governance and the state of local development in the consistently top performing LGUs in the Philippines for the period 2009-2011. The findings of this study will be useful to government officials such as public administrators, LGU executives, policy makers, researchers, and students of public administration in addressing the issue of good governance and local development in their respective LGUs.

  12. Representative Democracy in Australian Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colin Hearfield

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In an assessment of representative democracy in Australian local government, this paper considers long-run changes in forms of political representation, methods of vote counting, franchise arrangements, numbers of local government bodies and elected representatives, as well as the thorny question of constitutional recognition. This discussion is set against the background of ongoing tensions between the drive for economic efficiency and the maintenance of political legitimacy, along with more deep-seated divisions emerging from the legal relationship between local and state governments and the resultant problems inherent in local government autonomy versus state intervention.

  13. ROLE CONFLICT AND ROLE AMBIGUITY ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT INTERNAL AUDITORS: THE DETERMINANT AND IMPACTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agil Novriansa

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The bureaucratic reform at the local government level in Indonesia that was instituted in 2012 has turned local government internal auditors into an important part of government governance systems. The role of local government internal auditors has been expanded to include not only the area of audit oversight, but also the areas of anti-corruption-related and consulting activities. These fundamental changes may potentially induce role conflict and role ambiguity among internal auditors. The objective of this study is to examine empirically the determinants and consequences of role conflict and role ambiguity among local government internal auditors. More specifically, this study attempts to examine the extent to which formalization determines role conflict and role ambiguity; it further tests the impact of role conflict and role ambiguity on commitment to independence and job performance. Questionnaires were distributed to 248 local government internal auditors from 12 Regional Inspectorates in the provinces of Yogyakarta, South Sumatra, and East Java. A total of 176 responses were received, and 124 useable responses from the 176 responses were analysed to test the hypotheses. Using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square the results show that: formalization is negatively related to role conflict and role ambiguity; role ambiguity has a negative impact on commitment to independence; role conflict has a positive impact on job performance; and role ambiguity has a negative impact on job performance. These findings serve as important external validity evidence on the phenomena associated with role conflict and role ambiguity that occur in the public sector, especially among internal auditors at local government institutions.

  14. Unpacking developmental local government using Soft Systems Methodology and MCDA tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L Scott

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents two different analytical approaches that may be useful in developing an understanding of developmental local government (DLG. DLG implies a significant commitment with respect to poverty relief at the local administrative level as well as strong emphasis on participation and accountability to communities1. This paper attempts to apply Soft Systems Methodology (SSM to clarify the activities that DLG implies for local authorities and focuses specifically on their ability to be developmental and to effectively impact upon poverty. An expected product of this approach will be the identification of specific indicators of (inter alia poverty that may be used to monitor the effectiveness of local government from a constitutional and developmental perspective. Indicators may also be generated from the perspective of community needs and this paper reports on a case study which identifies the needs of a small community, Pniel, in the South African Western Cape, using a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach. This approach allows for both the identification and prioritisation of issues from the perspective of the community. Further, it is suggested that the SSM approach can be used to provide a context within which community needs may be considered. This framework clarifies what it is that local government have the aims, powers and functions to perform. Viewing the community needs within this framework provides a mechanism for realistically linking the community needs to the local authority’s budget. A process of ongoing monitoring and evaluation of DLG, using the two sets of indicators, can assist to focus the functioning of local government on effective poverty relief.

  15. Local forms of governance in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torfing, Jacob

    2010-01-01

    of representative democracy. The supplement is taking its revenge as the interactive policy arenas are expanding and the role of elected politicians is being transformed from sovereign rulers to meta-governors. This development poses important challenges to the demand for effective and democratic governing......The proliferation of local forms of governance problematizes the well-established and highly normative idea that power and democracy in Denmark are organized in terms of a 'parliamentary chain of government', according to which the sovereign people elect the parliament, which in turn controls...... the government that governs the public administration through bureaucratic control. Consecutive waves of devolution have decentralized the Danish welfare state, and the power of local governments is now being challenged by the emergence of new forms of local governance that involve a plethora of private...

  16. New directions in New Zealand local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter McKinlay

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to provide a ‘work in progress’ report on some initiatives emerging from local government practice in New Zealand which should help us consider how we think about the role of local government in a world which is undergoing dramatic change. The starting point is work which the writer undertook with the support of Local Government New Zealand (the national association and a number of New Zealand councils considering the ‘proper role’ of local government. The context is an ongoing public debate driven substantially by the New Zealand business community from a perspective that this ‘proper role’ should be restricted to the delivery of local public goods, narrowly defined. This has included argument that local governments themselves should be structured substantially to promote the efficient delivery of services generally within the now well understood prescriptions of the ‘new public management’. One implication which the business sector in particular drew in looking at the workings of local government was that there should be economies of scale through further amalgamation of councils (the local government sector having been through a major amalgamation process in 1989 which eliminated a large number of special purpose authorities and reduced the number of territorial local authorities from more than 200 to 73. Debate continues, with the latest manifestation being the National Party led government's proposals for the restructuring of local government within the Auckland region, New Zealand's major metropolitan area. The initiatives discussed in this paper are partly a response, but more significantly a result of selected local authorities reflecting on the nature of their role, and the opportunities for being proactive in using their statutory privileges in ways that could produce benefits for their communities without any associated increase in the cost of local government itself.

  17. Control of territorial communities in local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    О. А. Смоляр

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available According to Art. 5 of the Constitution of Ukraine all power in Ukraine belong to people, which is primary, unified, inalienable and carried people through free will through elections, referendum and other forms of direct democracy, including those intended to control the activity of bodies and officials of the government and local government. Paper objective. At the local level the main supervisory entity in local government is local community. Consolidation of the Constitution of Ukraine the primary subject of local self-government territorial community not only meets current international practice, but also the historical traditions of Ukrainian people. Control territorial community in all phases of local government is one of the most important functions of managing the development of appropriate settlements, and therefore needs an effective mechanism of legal regulation, clearly define mutual rights and responsibilities of controlling and controlled entities. Recent research and publications analysis. Problems Assessment of local communities and the activities of local government officials in their works viewed Y.G. Barabash, P.M. Liubchenko, O.D. Skopych, Y.P. Strilets. However, given the variety of aspects of this area of research remain many questions that need resolving, on which depends largely on the further process of local governance. The paper main body. The existing regulation territorial communities can exercise control in local government actually only through local governments. The control of the executive bodies of village, town council municipalities can only be made through the appropriate council. The existing regulation of territorial communities can exercise control in local government actually only through local governments. The control of the executive bodies of village, town council municipalities can only be made through the appropriate council. The author emphasizes that only by implementing self-control powers local

  18. Social determinants of health and local government: understanding and uptake of ideas in two Australian states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawless, Angela; Lane, Anna; Lewis, Felicity-Ann; Baum, Fran; Harris, Patrick

    2016-10-23

    To examine the awareness and perceptions of local government staff about the social determinants of health (SDoH) and health inequity and use of these ideas to shape policy and practice. 96 staff at 17 councils in South Australia or New South Wales responded to questions in a pilot online survey concerning: sources of knowledge about, familiarity with the evidence on, attitudes towards, and uses of ideas about the social determinants of health. Eight of 68 SA councils and 16 of 152 NSW councils were randomly selected stratified by state and metropolitan status. Differences between states and metropolitan/non-metropolitan status were explored. The majority of respondents (88.4%) reported some familiarity with ideas about the broad determinants of health and 90% agreed that the impact of policy action on health determinants should be considered in all major government policy and planning initiatives. Research articles, government/professional reports, and professional contacts were rated as important sources of knowledge about the social determinants of health. Resources need to be dedicated to systematic research on practical implementation of interventions on social determinants of health inequities and towards providing staff with more practical information about interventions and tools to evaluate those interventions. The findings suggest there is support for action addressing the social determinants of health in local government. The findings extend similar research regarding SDoH and government in NZ and Canada to Australian local government. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

  19. BOOK REVIEW: Improving Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaap de Visser

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available This book is a compilation of ten essays on local government with an introductory and concluding chapter. The themes discussed include metropolitan governance, the role of community leadership, the value of best practice as an administration technique, indigenous knowledge, intergovernmental relations, public-private partnerships and local management.

  20. Governance of disaster risk reduction in Cameroon: The need to empower local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry N. Bang

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The impact of natural hazards and/or disasters in Cameroon continues to hit local communities hardest, but local government lacks the ability to manage disaster risks adequately. This is partly due to the fact that the necessity to mainstream disaster risk reduction into local governance and development practices is not yet an underlying principle of Cameroon’s disaster management framework. Using empirical and secondary data, this paper analyses the governance of disaster risks in Cameroon with particular focus on the challenges local government faces in implementing disaster risk reduction strategies. The hypothesis is that the governance of disaster risks is too centralised at the national level, with huge implications for the effective governance of disaster risks at the local level. Although Cameroon has reinvigorated efforts to address growing disaster risks in a proactive way, it is argued that the practical actions are more reactive than proactive in nature. The overall aim is to explore the challenges and opportunities that local government has in the governance of disaster risks. Based on the findings from this research, policy recommendations are suggested on ways to mainstream disaster risk reduction strategies into local governance, and advance understanding and practice in the local governance of disaster risks in the country.

  1. IT Business Cases in Local Government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter Axel; Persson, John Stouby

    2012-01-01

    Effective management of value creation with information technology (IT) is increasingly important for local governments (e.g., municipalities). The business case is a tool that has increased popularity in both the public and private sector to support the management of value creation with IT....... However, experiences from local government reveal difficulties in developing effective IT business cases beyond simple cost savings. Based on collaborative action research with Danish municipalities we present insights on contemporary IT business case practices. Based on these insights we formulate...... lessons for business case practices in local government that we have incorporated into a business case method; that has subsequently been evaluated by IT managers in local government. These lessons have been synthesized into the four principles: minimal contents, benefits ownership, dynamic utility...

  2. Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terry Parker

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF Pacific Project works with local government and other stakeholders in nine Pacific Island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It seeks to strengthen local democracy and good governance, and to help local governments deal with the increasing challenges of service delivery and urban management in the unique Pacific environment. Human settlement patterns in the region are changing rapidly. The Pacific has traditionally been a rural agricultural/subsistence society, but this is no longer the case. The accelerated pace of urbanisation has impacted significantly on Pacific nations and in the very near future the majority of Pacific Islanders will be found in urban areas. Already over 50% of Fiji’s population are urban dwellers. Rapid urbanisation brings with it unique challenges and opportunities. Local governments are at the forefront of this phenomenon, with the responsibility to manage urban development and the transition from rural areas to cities and towns. Their success or failure to manage urbanisation and provide the required levels of physical and social infrastructure will affect many lives in a new urban Pacific. The project now has three components – the main Pacific Regional Project and two country-specific programmes: the Honiara City Council Institutional Capacity Building Project and the Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice Scheme in Papua New Guinea.

  3. Effective Communication as Catalyst of Developmental Local Government and Rural Development amid Threats of Overpopulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naledzani Rasila

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available South Africa’s population has risen from 40.5 million in 1996  to 44.8 million in 2001 and to 51.77 in 2011. Africans are in majority making 79.2% of the whole population. About 22.3% of blacks have received no schooling with the unemployment rate of the blacks at 28.1%. Most of these unemployed and uneducated blacks are found in rural areas. This compelled government to introduce Developmental Local government. Developmental Local government refers to the layer of public service that has the capacity to deliver and account to the people in a responsive, accountable, and efficient manner. It is also described as a sphere that encourages community participation in matters of governance and developmental initiatives. However, Developmental Local government is hindered by continuous growth of population which is likely to lead to overpopulation. Overpopulation is characterised by lack of basic resources such as water and  food. Developmental Local government on the other hand is expected to deliver on these needs. Lack of fulfilment of goals of Developmental Local government is attributed to lack of effective communication between local government and community members. Although population growth is not attributed only to high birth rate, governments around the continent have introduced measures to encourage healthy reproductive life. However, this needs community members that are self-motivated to be active participants in government initiatives. This is not achievable as there is an indication of lack of effective communication. This paper’s main focus is the provision of effective communication model at local sphere which will see community members working together with government on matters of their own development including initiatives  to preserve limited resources amid the challenges of overpopulation. This paper is based on the qualitative study on effectiveness of communication in Mutale local municipality on the enhancement of

  4. GOVERNANCE FROM BELOW A Theory of Local Government With Two Empirical Tests

    OpenAIRE

    Jean-Paul Faguet

    2005-01-01

    I examine decentralization through the lens of the local dynamics that it unleashes. The national effects of decentralization are simply the sum of its local-level effects. Hence to understand decentralization we must first understand how local government works. This paper proposes a theory of local government as the confluence of two quasi-markets and one organizational dynamic. Good government results when these three elements - political, economic and civil - are in rough balance, and acto...

  5. Distorted governance: A case of the municipal unit in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Local government community participation units or departments ineffectively and inefficiently operate based on the directive from their political organisations instead of achieving the objectives of the municipality as per the Integrated Development Plan (IDP. This has resulted in the marginalisation of the local communities on their participation in municipal governance which also has been exacerbated by the employment of employees based on political competencies rather than the unit’s core business requirements. On the backdrop of the above, this study aims to reveal municipal operational hindrances that prevent local communities to participate effectively in the eThekwini Municipality governance as permitted by South African local government legislation. This stated background has necessitated the study to adopt a qualitative approach whereby non-standardized interviews were conducted by the researcher to the sample size of 23. The findings of the study were analysed using NVivo software (version 10. The study revealed an extreme percentage (39% of activities performed by Community Participation and Action Support Unit (CP&AS which were based on coordinating unclear activities. Whereas, 22% were on capacity development of local communities, 12% on communication with internal and external stakeholders, 8% on monitoring and evaluation, 5% on policies, and 3% on partnership with other departments and spheres of government and elected officials and research respectively. The unbalanced and unclear activities performed by the respondents will assist the municipal decision-makers to understand the core causes of poor service delivery as it lies on the failure of the municipal officials to concentrate on their core business. This study contributes to the decision-makers’ understanding of the implications of using the municipal resources to advance political activities, consequently disadvantaging the alleged indigent local communities. The

  6. Moving from local to State water governance to resolve a local conflict between irrigated agriculture and commercial forestry in South Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillet, Virginie; McKay, Jennifer; Keremane, Ganesh

    2014-11-01

    In the Lower Limestone Coast, South Australia, a unique water allocation plan has been under consideration for several years. This plan is the first in Australia to consider forestry as a water affecting activity. Indeed, forestry plantations have a twofold impact on water-rainfall or aquifer recharge interception and direct extraction of groundwater in shallow water table areas-and alter the available water for irrigation as a result of the previous water budget. This paper examines how water is allocated across the competing requirements for water but also across the competing legal, economic and administrative scales embodied by the competing water users; and thus it also details the pre-judicial mechanism used to resolve the conflict over these competing scales. Qualitative and quantitative content analysis in Nvivo was applied to: (i) 180 local newspaper articles on the planning process, (ii) 65 submission forms filled in by the community during a public consultation on the draft water plan and (iii) 20 face-to-face interviews of keys stakeholders involved in the planning process. The social sustainability perspective taken in this study establishes the legal, economic and administrative competitive scales at stake in the conflict regarding water between forestry and irrigation. It also evidences the special feature of this paper, which is that to overcome these competitions and resolve the local conflict before judicial process, the water governance moved up in the administrative scale, from local/regional to State level. Initiated and initially prepared at regional level through the local Natural Resources Management Board, the water planning process was taken up to State level through the formation of an Interdepartmental Committee and the establishment of a Taskforce in charge of developing a policy. These were supported by an amendment of a State legislation on Natural Resources Management to manage the water impacts of forestry plantations.

  7. South Africa's transformational approach to global governance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    One goal was to transform structures and institutions of global governance while another aim was to place developmental goals on the global agenda. As South Africa targeted UN agencies, notably the Security Council, the IMF, World Bank, WTO and more recently the G20, the curious question begs: will South Africa ...

  8. The history of South African inland fisheries policy with governance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The governance of South Africa's inland fishery resources in the democratic era has lacked a guiding policy, supporting legislation and government capacity based on the social, economic and environmental objectives defined in constitutional legislation. This is ironic, as during the colonial and apartheid eras South Africa ...

  9. Theoretical Ideas of Local Government and State Government Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolay I. Churinov

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In this article the characteristic of a theoretical component of model of interaction of local government bodies with the central government, and also development of scientific base in the course of history is given. Relevance to this subject in the conditions of the Russian reality is added by federalism of a state system of Russia, namely a thin side in questions of competences between bodies of one hierarchy. This article, will be useful to those who deal with issues in the field of the theory of the state and the right and the municipal right. Historic facts in the form of the regulatory legal acts adopted earlier which subsequently, were a source for development of theoretical ideas of local self-government and the government are given in article.

  10. Lesotho's Democratic Local Government Experiment | Lebusa ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The residues of Lesotho's political past (party politics, inter-party confl ict and conflict over economic resources and their distribution) remain in force within Lesotho's local government process. Despite commitment to decentralise and the promises for enhanced democracy and poverty reduction, the local government ...

  11. Responsibility with accountability: A FAIR governance framework for performance accountability of local governments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anwar Shah

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on the role of local governments in bringing about fair, accountable, incoorruptible and responsive (FAIR governance. Local governments around the world have done important innovations to earn the trust of their residents and their comparative performance is of great interest yet a comprehensive framework to provide such benchmarking is not available. This paper attempts to fill this void, by developing a general framework for performance accountability of local governments and by relating real world practices to aspects of this framework. The proposed rating framework requires several types of assessments: (a their compliance with due process and law; (b monitoring of fiscal health for sustainability; (c monitoring of service delivery ; and (d citizens’ satisfaction with local services. The approach yields key indicators useful for benchmarking performance that can be used in selfevaluation and improvement of performance. t From an analysis of practices in local government performance monitoring and evaluation, the paper concludes that ad hoc ad-on self standing monitoring and evaluation systems are more costly and less useful than built-in tools and mechanisms for government transparency, self–evaluation and citizen based accountability such as local government output budgeting and output based fiscal transfers to finance local services.

  12. Governing Carbon Mitigation and Climate Change within Local Councils: A Case Study of Adelaide, South Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather Zeppel

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available There is growing concern about climate change impacts on local government areas. In Australia, the federal carbon tax (from 1 July 2012 will also increase costs for local councils. This paper evaluates what carbon mitigation (i.e. energy, water, and waste management actions have been implemented by metropolitan Adelaide councils (n=14 and why (or why not. A survey of environmental officers profiled carbon mitigation actions, emissions auditing, and motives for emissions reduction by Adelaide councils. The main reasons for adopting carbon actions were a climate change plan, climate leadership, and cost savings. Internal council governance of climate change actions was also evaluated. A climate governance framework based on adaptive management, communication, and reflective practice (Nursey-Bray 2010 was applied to assess climate mitigation by Adelaide councils.

  13. Systems approach to waste governance: unpacking the challenges facing local government

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Godfrey, Linda K

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available and Tourism (DEAT, 2007) highlighted the obstacles that are faced by local government in achieving service delivery for waste. The three identified obstacles included Financial Capacity; Institutional Capacity; Technical Capacity. 2 Opportunity cost... the systems diagrams show (Figure 2), is that without intervention by national government departments, e.g. National Treasury, Department of Provincial and Local Government, or Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, municipalities will be unable...

  14. A comparative analysis between France and Japan on local governments' involvement in nuclear safety governance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugawara, Shin-etsu; Shiroyama, Hideaki

    2011-01-01

    This paper shows a comparative analysis between France and Japan on the way of the local governments' involvement in nuclear safety governance through some interviews. In France, a law came into force that requires related local governments to establish 'Commision Locale d'Information' (CLI), which means the local governments officially involve in nuclear regulatory activity. Meanwhile, in Japan, related local governments substantially involve in the operation of nuclear facilities through the 'safety agreements' in spite of the lack of legal authority. As a result of comparative analysis, we can point out some institutional input from French cases as follows: to clarify the local governments' roles in the nuclear regulation system, to establish the official channels of communication among nuclear utilities, national regulatory authorities and local governments, and to stipulate explicitly the transparency as a purpose of safety regulation. (author)

  15. Federal Grants to State and Local Governments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congressional Budget Office, 2013

    2013-01-01

    In fiscal year 2011, the federal government provided $607 billion in grants to state and local governments. Those funds accounted for 17 percent of federal outlays, 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and a quarter of spending by state and local governments that year. Over the past 30 years, those "intergovernmental" grants--financial…

  16. The incidence of local government allocations in Tanzania

    OpenAIRE

    Jameson Boex

    2003-01-01

    Since 1999, Tanzania has been actively pursuing reforms of the way in which the central government finances local government activities. This paper looks at the current incidence of central government allocations to local authorities in Tanzania through: 1) examining of potential problems with the current financing method, 2) showing large variations between local government allocations, and 3) finding that surprisingly what drives t his distribution of resources maybe substantial pro-wealthy...

  17. Local Government Administration and Development: A Survey of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This underscores the philosophy behind the creation of local governments. In Nigeria however, it is sad to note that local governments have performed far ... that the little money made available are directed into private pockets. It is our recommendations that local governments should increase their revenue base and also ...

  18. Voice lessons : local government organizations, social organizations, and the quality of local governance

    OpenAIRE

    Alatas, Vivi; Pritchett, Lant; Wetterberg, Anna

    2003-01-01

    As part the Local Level Institutions study of local life in villages in rural Indonesia information was gathered on sampled household's participation in social activities. We classified the reported activities into four distinct types of social activity: sociability, networks, social organizations, and village government organizations. Respondents were also asked about questions about thei...

  19. African states and global challenges in democratic local governance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In the meantime, the continent of Europe is perceived in the study as having possibly taken local government to a model level of local self-governance, through its European Charter of Local Self-Government. Europe is thus, seen in this study as a region conceivably in the lead in situating the local government, within its ...

  20. Analysis of Local Financial Management Transparency Based on Websites on Local Government in Java

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anissa Adriana

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research is to analyze financial management transparency of local governments in Java using scoring and rating. The financial management transparency of the local governments is scored based on presentation of local financial information uploaded on each local government’s official website in Jawa in the fiscal years 2016.This research is a qualitative research with the object of research is all local government in Java. Data analysis in two levels, namely the transparency of local government financial management and identification of local government characteristics based on transparency of financial management. Data analysis in two levels, namely the transparency of local government financial management and identification of local government characteristics based on transparency of financial management. The results show that the Special Capital Region of Jakarta obtained the highest transparency index, at 58, 02% whereas Madiun Regency received the lowest transparency index, at 3, 40%. The average transparency index in Jawa for the fiscal years 2016 was still low, at only 19, 59%.The conclusion of this research is that Java regional governments consider the transparency of local financial management using less important websites because it is considered as a better thing not delivered to the public.

  1. Analysis of Local Government Performance and Leadership in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ada Uche

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the quality of local government leaderships in Nigeria. It explores how local governments’ inefficiency and poor leadership have been a major challenge facing the development process in Nigeria. The paper has two objectives. The first is to identify the professionalism of a sample of Nigerian local government chairpersons. The second is to examine whether there are systematic correlations between local government chairpersons’ professionalism, political partisanship, local characteristics, and performance. The paper argues that the quality of local government chairpersons has significant policy implications because of their vital role in policy making and implementation. The concluding section provides some policy recommendations on how local government leaders could improve performance.

  2. The role of local government in redressing neighbourhood disadvantage: A case study from Penrith City Council

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason Prior

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available The concentration of disadvantage in specific neighbourhoods is a widespread characteristic of many Australian cities. A broad range of policies and programs which utilize integrated forms of governance have been designed and implemented to redress this. Within the state of New South Wales, Australia, local governments have been identified as being amongst the most effective drivers for these integrated governance approaches. Utilizing a case study of the Penrith Neighbourhood Renewal Program, this paper explores recent attempts by Penrith City Council to develop a framework to redress neighbourhood disadvantage, firstly by establishing an integrated governance framework for the program, and secondly by transforming the council’s operational structure.

  3. Government Investment, Growth and Employment in South Africa ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper focuses on the impact of government investment on growth and employment in South Africa. As a prelude to the analysis, the paper refers to theory and practical evidence which indicates the way investment can influence growth and employment. Also, a review of investment patterns in South Africa in the past ...

  4. The Comparative Study Of Local Governance: Towards A Global Approach The Comparative Study Of Local Governance: Towards A Global Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerry Stoker

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The comparative study of local governance has been too focused on the institutional arrangements of the Systems of different nation states rather than the more fundamental issue of the societal functions performed by local government. This article focuses attention on four societal roles that local government systems undertake. They can support political identity, underwrite economic development, facilitate social welfare provision or act as a lifestyle co-ordinator through the practice of community governance. Linking our investigation to the embedded societal roles of local government in different systems opens up the opportunity for a more genuinely global comparative perspective. It also helps us to understand the likely forms of politics associated with different systems of local governance. It also enables us to explore the sustainability of different systems of local governance. It is suggested that a strong system of local government is likely to be one that is able to combine societal roles to a substantial degree. A vulnerable local government system is one trapped with one function that in changing societal and economic circumstances could find itself under threat.El estudio comparado de la gobernanza local se ha focalizado excesivamente en los arreglos institucionales de los sistemas de los diferentes Estados-nación en lugar de centrarse en el tema esencial de las funciones sociales que desempeñan los gobiernos locales. Este artículo centra su atención en cuatro roles sociales que desempeñan los sistemas de gobierno local. Pueden proporcionar identidad política, garantizar el desarrollo económico, facilitar la provisión de servicios sociales o actuar como coordinador de la forma de vida mediante la práctica de la gobernanza comunitaria. La vinculación de la investigación a los roles sociales asumidos por los gobiernos locales en los diferentes sistemas proporciona la posibilidad de adoptar una perspectiva global comparada

  5. Document Management in Local Government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Bernard J. S.

    1998-01-01

    The latest in electronic document management in British local government is discussed. Finance, revenues, and benefits systems of leading vendors to local authorities are highlighted. A planning decisions archive management system and other information services are discussed. (AEF)

  6. SOCIAL ANALYSES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT POTENTIAL OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Александр Анатольевич Ткачев

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article looks over the system of territorial public self-government as one of the most effective figures of existing local communities in the Russian municipalities. Problems of territorial self-government are analyzed from theoretical point of view and on this basis there are four groups of problems distinguished. The authors primarily focus their attention on the social group problems. Verification conducted sociological problems of the social unit, which currently prevent the formation of an effective system of territorial self-government at the municipal level. A sociologic analysis selector management social issue allows us to make conclusion about the current lack of efficient data support system for local public selector. Diagnostics confirmed existence of barriers of a social field of the organization of territorial public self-government.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-9-66

  7. Assessment of burnout among health workers and bankers in Aba south local government area, Abia state, South East Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguwa, E N; Nduka, I; Arinze-Onyia, S U

    2014-01-01

    To determine the prevalence of burnout among health workers and bankers in Aba South Local Government Area in Abia State. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in 2013 among health workers and bankers in Aba metropolis. By multistage sampling method, proportionate number of the health workers and bankers were selected. The study instrument was Freudenberger Burnout Scale. A total of 327 health workers and bankers were studied: 253 (77.4%) were health workers while 74 (22.6%) were bankers. The age range was 21 to 59 years, and 229 (70.0%) were females. Most (48.3%) had worked for 5 years or less and had burnout scores within 0-25. There was significant difference between gender ( P = 0.017), level of education ( P = 0.038), and type of occupation ( P = 0.002) to burnout score. Age ( P = 0.956), marital status ( P = 0.461), and years of work ( P = 0.247) did not significantly affect burnout score. Female health workers were significantly more at risk of burning out compared to their male counterparts. Among bankers, however, though females were more at risk, this was not significant. Sex, level of education and type of work were the greatest contributors to burnout score. The prevalence of burnout risk among health workers and bankers is high. More female health workers are at risk of burnout than male health workers. There should be policies aimed at identifying those most at risk and reducing the prevalence.

  8. THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN EVICTIONS

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jeannie

    of local government laws was passed to kick-start a new local government structure .... when it is being used for business, trade or industrial purposes. 18 ..... The rationale behind joinder is one of convenience - time, effort and costs are saved.

  9. Climate change governance in the South African mining sector

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mzenda, Venantio M

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available value-added in its exports: all these expose the South African mining sector to climate change-related business risks. This study explores corporate governance as a vehicle through which South Africa’s mining companies could improve their response...

  10. Unpacking developmental local government using Soft Systems ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Unpacking developmental local government using Soft Systems Methodology and MCDA tools. L Scott. Abstract. This paper presents two different analytical approaches that may be useful in developing an understanding of developmental local government (DLG). DLG implies a significant commitment with respect to ...

  11. Health contribution to local government planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    France, Cheryl

    2004-01-01

    When local government considers future land-use plans, the local health authorities are not always included as a key partner. In Cambridgeshire, England, the former Cambridgeshire Health Authority formed a partnership with local government to address this issue. The relationship that developed and the subsequent health impact review provided an opportunity to influence strategic policy and ensure that health objectives are taken into account. Through partnership working, lessons were learned about how to incorporate health issues into a strategic land-use planning document to the overall benefit of the community

  12. Quality of Governance and Local Development: The Case of Top Nine Performing Local Government Units in the Philippines

    OpenAIRE

    MA. NIÑA I. ADRIANO

    2014-01-01

    There is a large body of literature that studies the link between good governance and development in a country level. However, only a few have exploited the same study in the local government unit (LGU) setting. This study attempts to establish the relationship between the quality of governance and the state of local development of the Top 9 Performing LGUs in the Philippines (La Union, Albay, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Makati City Valenzuela City, Taguig City, Davao City and Angeles C...

  13. Water governance challenges for rural supply: A case study of two local municipalities in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Nkuna, ZW

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available . W Nkuna Student Number: 10544403 Supervisor: Prof. C J dew. Rautenbach Department: Geography, Geo-informatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria ABSTRACT In South Africa water is regarded as constitutional right and government has therefore... the water needs of rural communities. Issues such as poverty, water resources challenges and lack of capacity and skills at municipalities create problems which leave rural communities with no alternative but to rely on unsafe water sources for their water...

  14. Fiscal Federalism and Local Government Finance in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alo, Ejikeme Nonso

    2012-01-01

    Fiscal federalism deals with the sharing of resources in a federated nation. Over the years problems about local government finance have become an important aspect of intergovernmental relations. Constitutionally, local government is the third tier of government which exists as an independent entity, possessing some degree of autonomy and…

  15. Problems of Revenue Generation in Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Every local jurisdiction has its unique economic, social and physical characteristics and its historical tradition which are better understood by its people. Thus, the Local Government Areas are created to provide the services which the Federal and State Governments cannot easily undertake due to their remoteness from the ...

  16. Prospect development of local beef cattle from South Kalimantan as supporting to food sovereignty in Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahmatullah, S. N.; Sulaiman, A.; Askalani; Azizi, N. M. K.

    2018-04-01

    Development production of Indonesia local cattle didn’t balance increasing of consumption livestock in Indonesian so that’s makes imports are still high both local beef production. Indonesian local cattle is one of cattle the largest contributed the national meat production of ruminant particular group of cattle so that the livestock has the potential to be developed as a profitable business if doing of farmer. One of advantages is potential areas in South Kalimantan mainly swamp lands was very large. It’s one effort in national promoting food sovereignty programme and the provinces especially about introduction of Indonesian local cattle in the swamp area are also important. Availability of region in South Kalimantan spacious and great forage production, then prospects for cattle productivity there is huge so that’s can even increase income for farmers. The programme more serious support from the governance of South Kalimantan province to develop Indonesian local cattle in swamp area and in that’s a real policy for encouraging farmers to maintain Indonesian local cattle to make sustainable food in Indonesia.

  17. Governing environmental conflicts in China: Under what conditions do local government compromise?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Y. Li (Yanwei); J.F.M. Koppenjan (Joop); S. Verweij (Stefan)

    2016-01-01

    markdownabstractIn recent years, governing environmental conflicts concerning the planning, construction, and operation of urban facilities has increasingly become a challenge for Chinese local governments. Chinese governments seek adequate responses to deal with these conflicts, for instance by

  18. Role of local governments in promoting energy efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, H.

    1980-11-01

    An examination is made of the incentives which influence the decisions by local governments to adopt energy-efficiency programs, either unilaterally or in partnership with the Federal government. It is found that there is significant potential for improved energy efficiency in urban residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and that exploiting these opportunities is in the interest of both Federal and local governments. Unless there is a unique combination of strong local leadership, a tradition of resource management, and external energy shocks, communities are unlikely to realize this potential. Conflicting demands, traditional perceptions, and lack of funding pose a major barrier to a strong unilateral commitment by local governments. A Federal-local partnership built upon and complementary to existing efforts in areas such as housing, social welfare, and economic development offers an excellent opportunity to realize the inherent potential of local energy-efficiency programs. At the local level, energy is not perceived as an isolated issue, but one which is part of a number of problems arising from the continuing increase in energy prices.

  19. Network governance and capacity of local governments to deliver LED in Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rose B Namara

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses network governance and its contribution to the capacity of local governments (LGs to deliver local economic development (LED in Uganda. Although a formal LED policy was only established in Uganda in February 2014, there have been LED-inspired practices in the past decade. Various scholars and practitioners have observed that the autonomy and capacity of LGs to deliver LED is limited, but have been hopeful that new governance strategies like network governance would increase the capacities of LGs. However, neither network governance arrangements among LGs, nor their potential to improve governance capacity, have been documented. In a case study of Kyenjojo District, this paper finds that existing network governance arrangements have been fundamental in improving financial autonomy at this LG, delivering some income to invest in LED activities, although no evidence was found of reduced transaction costs in transforming local economies. The study further reveals that network governance arrangements have not led to the development of specialised skills in regulation or law enforcement, and capacity gaps are evident amongst staff and members in understanding the private sector and how it works. On a positive note, there is clear evidence of attempts by the LG to be innovative. Based on these findings, this study recommends that LGs need to consider a multi-pronged or multi-network governance approach to LED, which in turn will require a refocusing of governance mechanisms to become more dynamic and responsive, and offer incentives to the various actors in the development sector.

  20. Governing environmental conflicts in China : Under what conditions do local governments compromise?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Yanwei; Koppenjan, Joop; Verweij, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, governing environmental conflicts concerning the planning, construction, and operation of urban facilities has increasingly become a challenge for Chinese local governments. Chinese governments seek adequate responses to deal with these conflicts, for instance by ignoring criticism

  1. Theoretical interpretation of e-government implementation challenges in South Africa: A case study of a selected provincial government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Twum-Darko

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses factors influencing e-Government initiatives by African Governments to improve services to their citizens, businesses and their constituent. It further discusses, as a socially constructed phenomenon, the degree of readiness of governments to implement e-Government initiatives to improve services. The discussion uses Actor Network Theory (ANT and in particular the concepts of moments of translation and irreversibility as a lens through which to understand and interpret the social phenomenon. Although a number of e-Government researchers have argued that strong leadership and clear vision is required to implement e-Government initiatives, the view is that Governments have continuously failed to achieve the intended results. E-Government potentials and benefits which are well documented in Information Systems and e-Government research literature have not been realised by governments due to limited capabilities in the administration of the public service. The study applied a deductive approach where semi-structured interviews were used for data collection in a selected Provincial Government in South Africa. The outcome is a general framework to determine the readiness of South Africa government and generally, African governments for e-Government initiatives to achieve the intended results.

  2. Local Governance and Corruption

    OpenAIRE

    Marius PROFIROIU; Tudorel ANDREI; Gheorghe POPESCU; Alina PROFIROIU

    2006-01-01

    This paper attempts to examine, from the Romanian perspective, the degree to which decentralization process and improvement of local governance contributes to the reduction of corruption in the short and medium term. Through the methodology that is used the paper is consistent with the international trend that endeavors to analyze the impact of corruption on economic and social processes at the local level. In addition, recent research on corruption issues has focused upon the measurement of ...

  3. The search for viable local government system in Nigeria: an ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The history of the Nigerian local government system has been one long episode of trails and errors aimed at achieving viable local government institution without much success. Local government in the country began its long series of reforms from the colonial period when the colonial government attempted to ...

  4. Systems of Local Management and Self-Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amiran G. Ananidze

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present article theoretical aspects a set of various classifications of systems of local government are considered by the author. Author reveals the available positive components and shortcomings of various systems. Opinions of various scientists-jurists are considered by the author. In the course of the research the author analyzes essence of the concepts "local management", "local government", "public administration". In the conclusion, based on the conducted research, author draws a number of scientifically based conclusions.

  5. Nanotechnology in South Asia : Building Capabilities and Governing ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Nanotechnology in South Asia : Building Capabilities and Governing the Technology ... Call for new OWSD Fellowships for Early Career Women Scientists now open ... IWRA/IDRC webinar on climate change and adaptive water management.

  6. Developmental Local Government as a Model for Grassroots Socio ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In the past five decades of political independence in Nigeria, local ... governments places a strong limitation on local autonomy and governance at the local level. ... negatively affecting grassroots socio-economic development in the Country.

  7. Local Governance and ICTs in Africa

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    the African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development ... ICTs for political inclusion and good governance in northern Ghana .... Outcome and output indicators for access to information and service delivery (e-services) ..... This means that local governments cannot provide e-services, because citizens ...

  8. Constitutional Democracy and Caretaker Committee in Nigeria Local Government System: An Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jude C Okafor

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The 1976 Local Government Reform among other landmark changes unified the local government system in Nigeria, and the 1979 constitution made local governments the third tier of government and provided for a system of local government by democratically elected councils. More recently, elected local government councils have been dissolved and replaced with Transition Committees or Caretaker Committees appointed by the Governors’ of their respective states. This paper therefore, examines the impact of the caretaker committees in Nigerian Local Government on the practice of constitutional democracy. The discussion is framed by the theoretical perspectives and Nigerian literature on local government and constitutional democracy, and by the recent phenomenal wave of dissolving elected local government councils and subsequent replacement with caretaker committees. Contrary to popular belief, that local government as the third tier of government has failed to achieve the objective for which it was created, this paper observes that party politics has been the bane of Nigerian local government since its inception, and that democratically elected local councils with political and financial autonomy are the major conditions for an effective and efficient multi-purpose local government system in Nigeria.

  9. Smart City Governance: A Local Emergent Perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, Albert

    2016-01-01

    This chapter presents a local emergent perspective on smart city governance. Smart city governance is about using new technologies to develop innovative governance arrangements. Cities all around the world are struggling to find smart solutions to wicked problems and they hope to learn from

  10. Taking Tax Revenues Over Local Governments – Some Legal Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Borodo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The power of local government to take over the taxes can lead to conflicts between the local government and another local government (in whose area the property, the building, the plant, the residence and another taxable objects are located. These conflicts are not a matter of relation: the tax authority – the taxpayer. These problems concern the determination which of the local government has the power to take over the tax.

  11. Estimation of potential scour at bridges on local government roads in South Dakota, 2009-12

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Ryan F.; Wattier, Chelsea M.; Liggett, Richard R.; Truax, Ryan A.

    2014-01-01

    In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey and South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) began a study to estimate potential scour at selected bridges on local government (county, township, and municipal) roads in South Dakota. A rapid scour-estimation method (level-1.5) and a more detailed method (level-2) were used to develop estimates of contraction, abutment, and pier scour. Data from 41 level-2 analyses completed for this study were combined with data from level-2 analyses completed in previous studies to develop new South Dakota-specific regression equations: four regional equations for main-channel velocity at the bridge contraction to account for the widely varying stream conditions within South Dakota, and one equation for head change. Velocity data from streamgages also were used in the regression for average velocity through the bridge contraction. Using these new regression equations, scour analyses were completed using the level-1.5 method on 361 bridges on local government roads. Typically, level-1.5 analyses are completed at flows estimated to have annual exceedance probabilities of 1 percent (100-year flood) and 0.2 percent (500-year flood); however, at some sites the bridge would not pass these flows. A level-1.5 analysis was then completed at the flow expected to produce the maximum scour. Data presented for level-1.5 scour analyses at the 361 bridges include contraction, abutment, and pier scour. Estimates of potential contraction scour ranged from 0 to 32.5 feet for the various flows evaluated. Estimated potential abutment scour ranged from 0 to 40.9 feet for left abutments, and from 0 to 37.7 feet for right abutments. Pier scour values ranged from 2.7 to 31.6 feet. The scour depth estimates provided in this report can be used by the SDDOT to compare with foundation depths at each bridge to determine if abutments or piers are at risk of being undermined by scour at the flows evaluated. Replicate analyses were completed at 24 of the 361 bridges

  12. Electronic Document Imaging and Optical Storage Systems for Local Governments: An Introduction. Local Government Records Technical Information Series. Number 21.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Stanley F.

    This publication introduces electronic document imaging systems and provides guidance for local governments in New York in deciding whether such systems should be adopted for their own records and information management purposes. It advises local governments on how to develop plans for using such technology by discussing its advantages and…

  13. To The Question Of Concept And Signs Of The Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Levan T. Chikhladze

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In the present article author examines concept and features of the local government, provided in three legal acts, which are significant for the development of local government in the Russian legal acts. The important factor, uniting these acts is that they all are contributed to the functioning of the local government on the principles of decentralization. A special role in the formation of a decentralized local government in Russia is played by the Russian Constitution, adopted by population vote on the December 12, 1993. Particular importance plays the provisions of Article 3 and 12 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation from 1993. Provisions of the Law "On the General Principles of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation" dated October 6, 2003 No. 131-FZ in the definition of local self-government, based on the principles of constitutional democracy. Provisions, defining the local government in the European Charter of Local Self-Government of the October 15, 1985 focus on the implementation of the relevant local government public authorities. The Charter makes an emphasis on the organs (representative government, not on the institutions (mechanisms of direct democracy. In conclusion, author underlines, that it is crucial to recognize that the municipal activities is based on the combination of local and state interests, cooperation of local governments and public authorities. Municipal authorities, by definition, cannot act outside of the general public policy management. They are endowed with the certain state powers, have a complex powers of state-imperious nature. So, the Charter make an emphasis on this fact, that local governments regulate substantial share of public affairs.

  14. Governance, violence and the struggle for economic regulation in South Sudan: the case of Budi County (Eastern Equatoria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Walraet

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available This article analyses how Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State (South Sudan was governed during the 1990s and up to mid-2007. Because its capital Chukudum was the SPLM/A headquarters almost throughout that period, it provides us with an interesting case from which to explore how the SPLM/A governed during the war and how this impacts on the post-war peace. One observation is that the war, besides a period of devastation and human suffering, was also a time of economic opportunities and social differentiation. For that reason this article will also explore livestock trade as a new mode of wealth appropriation and the changing nature of cattle raiding, and how this interferes with the struggle for regulatory power and governable “spaces”. This means that we comprehend the economy as a political terrain. At the same time we leave room for sociological perspectives, to complement the more restricted “competition for resources and gains” approach to conflict and violence. The article is written in three sections. In the first section we briefly clarify why in 1999 there was an uprising in Budi County against SPLM/A rule and why it engendered massive local support. In the second section we examine one of the most destructive manifestations of violence that affect Budi county: cattle raiding. We look at it from a perspective that has been under-researched in the eld: that of trans-border trade. In the last section we look at how, after the peace of 2005, newly appointed local government authorities are (reclaiming do- mains of state regulation that previously lay rmly in the hands of the military. Particular attention is given to the capacity of the local authorities to guarantee security and provide protection. Key words: governance, violent conflict, regulatory power, trans-border trade, South Sudan Eastern Equatoria

  15. Economics of Plantain Production in Yenagoa Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study examines the economics of plantain production in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. To do this, 63 structured questionnaire were administered among randomly selected plantain farmers in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the State. Results show that greater number of the plantain producers ...

  16. Fiscal Policy and Local Government Administration in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Opinions have varied on the utility of local government administration in promoting sustainable grassroots development. Scholars are apprehensive of the prevalence of high degree of corruption and systemic inefficiency at the local government. This paper evaluates the system of financial regulations put in place to curtail ...

  17. Local government broadband policies for areas with limited Internet access

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshio Arai

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite their wide diffusion in developed countries, broadband services are still limited in areas where providing them is not profitable for private telecom carriers. To address this, many local governments in Japan have implemented broadband deployment projects subsidized by the national government. In this paper, we discuss local government broadband policies based on survey data collected from municipalities throughout the country. With the support of national promotion policies, broadband services were rapidly introduced to most local municipalities in Japan during the 2000s. Local government deployment policies helped to reduce the number of areas with no broadband access. A business model based on the Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU contract between a private telecom carrier and a local government has been developed in recent years. Even local governments without the technical capacity to operate a broadband business can introduce broadband services into their territory using the IRU business model.

  18. Challenges of Local Government Administration in Edo State of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper examined the fundamental problems that envelope local government administration in Edo State, and discovered that the challenges are constitutional issues. It also identified problems of graft, poor revenue generation by local authorities, and poor revenue allocation cum fiscal transfer to local governments.

  19. The Role of Local Government in Sustainable Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klodiana Gorica

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Depending where one looks you will find various definitions aimed at describing ‘sustainability’. In lasts years the notion of sustainable tourism must be regarded as one of the great success stories of tourism research and knowledge transfer. It has become the first topic discourse in academic research, business fields and governance. The government takes responsibility for the social and economic development of the country. The government through the lows, programs, plans, and strategies oriented people to choose the tools in economy’s branches and to walk in sustainable development without afraid for the future. One of the economic branches, that is qualified as friend of sustainable development is tourism. But tourism cannot develop in chaos by self without a strategy or a plan confirmed by specialist, who works in different sectors of public administrate in government. While, big or central government is occupied with macro-problem and macro-policies, local government is nearest community and it know better than anyone, their human and natural resources. The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of local governance systems for sustainable tourism. So, local government can be the first promoting and encouraging tourism development, and helping the community for sustainable tourism.

  20. State and local governments cashing in

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedrelid, Ola N.

    2006-01-01

    The power companies biannual turnover and the continuing high prices this autumn are two trends pointing towards a record high profit for the power industry. This also means a solid profit for the Norwegian state and many local governments on county or municipality level. Charts illustrate the governments' share of the increased profit

  1. Contribution of transport governance to socio-economic development in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Chakwizira, J

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available (transport governance) social capital as ‘‘(transport governance) networks, together with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co-operation within and among groups’’ (Helliwell, 2003, p. 9). According to Statistics South Africa (2005... this improved figure, South African road quality is far below its peers. This situation requires urgent attention especially in rural and previously disadvantaged areas (Mashiri et al, 2007). This paper argues that all this can be traced back...

  2. Testing wagner's law of government size for South Africa, 1950-2008

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    wise, the results imply that development plans of South Africa must incorporate such fiscal policy measures that would guarantee commensurate growth in government revenue. Keywords: Wagner's law; co-integration; causality; government size; ...

  3. Preferences for alternative fuel vehicles by Dutch local governments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rijnsoever, F.J. van; Hagen, P.; Willems, M

    2013-01-01

    Using a choice model, we estimate the preferences for alternative fuel vehicles by Dutch local governments. The analysis shows that local governments are willing to pay between 25% and 50% extra for an alternative fuel vehicle without a serious loss of utility. Further, local emissions are an

  4. Spheres of SA Government, responsibilities and delivery

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Oelofse, Suzanna HH

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The institutional framework for government in South Africa was established in 1996 with the adoption of the first democratic Constitution. National, provincial and local government was established as three elected spheres of government, each...

  5. The Role of Democratic Governing Bodies in South African Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsson, Jenni

    2002-01-01

    School governance reform in post-apartheid South Africa aimed to democratize schooling while accommodating diverse school histories of underdevelopment or self-management. Analysis of relevant legislation shows the reform was structured to allow representative democracy and partnerships. But two recent studies suggest that governance reforms have…

  6. Budget Monitoring and Control in South African Township Schools: Democratic Governance at Risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mestry, Raj; Naidoo, Gans

    2009-01-01

    This article investigates budget monitoring and control in township schools in South Africa. The enactment of the Schools Act 1996 revolutionized school financial management in South Africa, making it part of the drive for democratic school governance. School governing bodies had to be established, whose responsibility it became to manage finances…

  7. Social innovations in local government : The case of local development agent

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Junjan, Veronica; Balogh, Marton

    2013-01-01

    Background: There is an increased attention in the administrative reform literature accorded to the mechanisms governing the processes of institutionalisation of changes and of diffusion of innovations in local governments. Objectives: Current paper investigates mechanisms that influence the process

  8. Political authorities of local government

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Messing, M.

    1977-01-01

    Historically the responsibility for planning, siting, constructing, and operating the generating, transmission, and distribution systems for electric utility service (as well as the end-use systems) developed within the electric utility industry itself, subject to state and local regulation. This responsibility was later sanctioned as a functional authority as both private and publicly-owned utility franchises were negotiated with states and brought under the regulatory purview of Public Service Commissions and Public Utility Commissions around the turn of the century. Since 1970 this historic framework has been substantially altered by the enactment of powerplant siting laws in approximately 23 states and by the assertion of state interests in not only the corporate regulation, but the long range planning of electric powerplants and the consideration of alternative energy systems. Thus it is instructive to consider the authorities for powerplant siting in the following context: (1) historically the reponsibility and the authority for powerplant siting has redounded to franchised utility companies; (2) since 1970 the states have begun to exercise their constitutional authority over the development of power plant siting and energy systems; (3) both local governments and electric utility companies exist as subdivisions of the state, subject to state regulation and the delegation of state authorities. However, the assertion of state authorities in this area has come at a time when changes in the technology an the institutional structure of the electric utility industry have extended the functional service areas beyond the geographic boundaries and political jurisdictions of either local or state government, thereby creating a jurisdictional hiatus between the serivce areas of electric utilities and the jurisdictional authorities of state and local government

  9. Community Participation and Local Government Planning in Lesotho

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    and planning, and promulgated it in 2001. This paper provides a critical appraisal of efforts to put local government planning into practice in Lesotho through the use of the 'Quick and SMART' local government planning model. This article uses the SWOT analysis technique to undertake a critical appraisal of this planning ...

  10. Expanding entrepreneurship opportunities through local governance: the case of Barbados

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Pounder

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper looks at the government and local governance structures of Barbados, arguing that local governance should be leveraged to expand entrepreneurship opportunities at the community level. It examines the links between local governance and entrepreneurship, and proposes a framework aimed at strengthening the relationship between Barbados’ newly formed constituency councils and its government institutions supporting entrepreneurship. The research concludes that there are many inefficiencies in the interaction between government agencies and constituency councils, which the proposed framework is a first step toward remedying.  The research suggests that local governance is a complex issue worldwide. More specifically in Barbados, even though the role of the constituency councils is defined, there are weak formal arrangements which undermine the processes and activities to support community entrepreneurship. The proposed framework highlighted in the research is a first step in formalising a way forward for entrepreneurship in the community. 

  11. A critical scientific review on South African governance of genetically ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Credible governance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is essential because of public concerns in South Africa (SA) and internationally. In this preliminary study, the opinions of a number of scientists with experience and/or interest in GMO governance were determined by means of two questionnaires to determine ...

  12. Composite Index of Local Government Employees Satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jefmański Bartłomiej

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The paper proposes a structure of a composite Index of Local Government Employees Satisfaction (ESI in Poland. The index provides a based on four sub-indices synthetic assessment of the level of employee satisfaction with the employment in local government offices. The sub-indices have been constructed using an exploratory factor analysis with the VARIMAX one. The ESI and sub-indices values have been normalized in the range of [0–100%], wherein higher ESI values indicate higher employee satisfaction. The proposed approach is used to assess the level of employee satisfaction with the employment in some local government units in the West Pomerania province. The analysis was based on the results of the measurements made in 2009–2010 by comparing the results of two groups of employees separated on the basis of a criterion of their place of employment.

  13. Between Dependency and Autonomy – Taiwanese Entrepreneurs and Local Chinese Governments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun-yi Lee

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on the changing interaction between Taiwanese entrepreneurs and local Chinese governments. Through the analysis of this changing process, it can be seen that Taiwanese businesses are a special “asset” of Chinese governments. The main argument of this paper is that both central and local governments in China have strategic considerations in respect of Taiwanese businesses. The Chinese central government values Taiwanese businesses because more Taiwanese investment in China strengthens the Beijing government in negotiations with the Taibei government. Nevertheless, since the Kuomintang (KMT (Guomindang regained power in 2008, the strategic value of Taiwanese businesses in the cross-Strait relationship seems to have decreased. The central government has created a profitable macro-environment enabling local officials to give a warm welcome to Taiwanese businesses. Chinese local governments value Taiwanese businessmen not only because of the central government’s deliberate policy but also because they are pursuing their own self-interest. This paper firstly focuses on the changing interaction between Taiwanese businesses and Chinese local governments. It then further analyses the different but complementary interests of both central and local governments in China in relation to Taiwanese investors.

  14. The Factors of Local Energy Transition in the Seoul Metropolitan Government: The Case of Mini-PV Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jae-Seung Lee

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available As a way of enhancing urban sustainability, Seoul Special City, the capital of South Korea, has shown strong enthusiasm for urban energy transition by tackling climate change and expanding renewable energy. The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG has adopted the “One Less Nuclear Power Plant (OLNPP” strategy since April 2012 and specific policy measures, including a mini-photovoltaic (PV plant program, were introduced to facilitate the energy transition. However, varying degrees of success were achieved by 25 district-level local governments (Gu with mini-PV plant programs. This study explored the reason why those local governments showed different levels of performance despite the strong will of municipal government (SMG to implement urban energy transitions through the mini-PV plant program. The tested hypotheses were based on capacity, political context, public awareness and geographical diffusion. The findings indicated that institutional capacity, financial dependence, political orientation and public perception had positively affected the performance of mini-PV plant installation at each district level. Especially, the political will of each district mayor played an important role in the implementation of the policy.

  15. State Independent Electoral Commissions and local government elections in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johnson O. Olaniyi

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Many state governments have not been allowing their State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs to conduct elections as at when due but rather settle for ‘caretaker committees’. Where elections have been conducted, the party in control of a state apparatus has been known to have cleared the polls. The general objective of this study is to assess the impact of electoral contest at the local government level on the political development of Nigeria. Specific objectives include (1 assessing the role of the political executives of a state in the determination of representation at the local government level in Nigeria; and (2 assessing the activities of SIECs in the management of local government polls. This study adopts comparative cum case study approach to analysing local government polls in Nigeria. This is discussed on a geopolitical basis. Some of the findings of the study include: (1 local government election in Nigeria is not given premium position by many state governments in the political landscape of their state because of the fear of playing into the hands of their political rivals; and (2 SIECs are only independent in name and not in practice. The study recommends, among others, that (1 the country should adopt the arrangement in the aborted Third Republic where the country’s EMB was empowered to conduct all elections at all levels of government and (2 local government elections in Nigeria should key into the electoral process of the country in all ramifications.

  16. ITALIAN LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICES: SOME GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LARGER CITIES’ EXPERIENCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DE MATTEIS Fabio

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Entrusting most local public services to local government entities has led to proliferation of public groups and, consistently, to greater complexity of the governance dynamics of local authorities. Differently from Anglo-Saxon countries, the Italian local public services provision has been characterized by a hybrid externalization process where local entities are legally autonomous but owned by the local government. This leads to a peculiar governance complexity source represented by the dual role (stakeholder and customer assumed by the local authority. Considering these elements (hybrid externalization and governance structure, this work tries to investigate some governance issues of public groups, basing on the two most populous Italian municipalities. The empirical findings highlight a gap between the presence of the conditions for defining a group governance structure and the adoption of a group approach by the parent local government. The authors try to suggest how to bridge this gap.

  17. The Impact of Metagovernance on Local Governance Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damgaard, Bodil; Torfing, Jacob

    2011-01-01

    in which the municipality and a state agency shared responsibility for employment policy, while the other two were linked to jobcentres in which the municipality had full responsibility. We explore two types of metagovernance that the local governance networks were subject to: general, hands......This article analyses the impact of metagovernance on the functioning of local governance networks. It does so by comparing the functioning of four local governance networks in the field of local employment policy in Denmark. Between 2007 and 2009, two of these networks were linked to jobcentres......-off metagovernance consisting of the assignment of full responsibility to the municipality alone, or of shared responsibility to the municipality and the state jointly; and tailored and fine-tuned metagovernance directed towards only one or a few networks and their corresponding jobcentre(s). Our findings suggest...

  18. Local government under the defenders of the constitution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svirčević Miroslav

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper explains the development of local government under the rule of the constitution defenders 1842-1858. The author describes the historical facts that led to the abdication of Prince Miloš and the establishment of an oligarchic government of chieftains assembled in a council (Toma Vučić Perišić, Avram Petronijević, Hadji Milutin Garašanin and his son Ilija Stojan and Aleksa Simić, as well as the process of building a modern state administration and cultural identity, an integral part of which was a narrower process of constituting local government. A distinct role in the latter process was played by the Austrian-born Serbs, the only intelligentsia in the Principality of Serbia which was still under Turkish suzerainty. Special attention is given to the analysis of two local government acts instituting centralized local authorities with an enhanced law enforcement role in the districts, counties and communes. Those are District Prefectural System and of County Prefect Office Act of 12 May 1839 and Communal System Act of 13 July the same year. Of great importance was the former law, one of the longest-lived in the history of nineteenth-century Serbian constitutionalism. It was in force in 1839-88 and 1894-1903. Every autocratic regime in Serbia was to rely on it. Its distinctive feature is that it subordinated district and county prefects to the central authority and to the minister of internal affairs. They were reduced to mere police agents deprived of any freedom of action. Thus the local officials assumed the character of rigid administrators looking down on the common people. A natural continuation of this law was the other law of communal organization which turned the lowest local units into mere executive agencies of counties. Thus local government took on the form of a mere transmission of the central government, functioning according to a principle similar to the medieval lord-vassal system: my vassal's vassal is not my

  19. School Governing Bodies in South African Schools: Under Pressure to Enhance Democratization and Improve Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heystek, Jan

    2011-01-01

    Governing bodies in South Africa are expected to have an important role in ensuring high quality education in schools as well as in the democratization of the post-apartheid South Africa. However, current legislation precludes governing bodies from involvement in the professional management of schools. Governing bodies are democratically elected…

  20. The institutional logics of local government budget in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palupi Ade

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study asks how and why a local government settings budget. It aims to deliver an understanding on how a government entity perceives that budget is important element to manage public expenditures. It uses the S local government in Indonesia as a case study. This study applies Institutional Logics Theory as a theoretical framework in order to analyze data. Data is collected by interviewing seven key persons who directly involves in budgeting process. This research shows that the budgeting process includes determining the purposes of annual budget, setting up planned programs and actvities, determining the amount of revenue that will be collected, allocating resources to expenditures and setting up standar pricing. Some important points in the budgeting process are identified. Those are considering political aspect to determine local tax rate, focusing on competition with other local governments, fulfilling the political promise of local government leader to the constituents, involving community to determine planned program and activities, and allocating resources based on community basic needs. This study concludes that those points develop the institutional logics of politic and managerial in budget setting process.

  1. The Capacity and Institution Building (CIB Working Group of United Cities and Local Governments: Towards Improving Aid Effectiveness in the Local Government Sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim Kehoe

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG Capacity and Institution Building (CIB Working Group gather together professional practitioners of local government associations (LGAs and individual local governments active in international cooperation, with the overall objective to improve the quality, coordination and alignment of their development cooperation interventions. The Working Group is the successor of the CIB Platform, which existed for many years within the former International Union of Local Authorities (IULA as an informal gathering of staff members of local government associations (LGAs involved in the field of municipal international cooperation (MIC and association capacity building (ACB. In addition to information exchange, the CIB Platform undertook specific initiatives such as a World Bank-funded program supporting ACB in several countries. In May 2004, the CIB was integrated into the structures of the newly-founded UCLG organisation, and its membership was expanded to also include staff members of international departments of cities active in international cooperation.

  2. Extensiveness and Effectiveness of Corporate Governance Regulations in South-Eastern Europe

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Bobirca; Paul-Gabriel Miclaus

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of the article is to illustrate the main characteristics of the corporate governance challenge facing the countries of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) and to subsequently determine and assess the extensiveness and effectiveness of corporate governance regulations in these countries. Therefore, we start with an overview on the subject of the key problems of corporate governance in transition. We then address the issue of corporate governance measurement for SEE coun...

  3. Doing more with the same: A reality-check on the ability of local government to implement Integrated Coastal Management for climate change adaptation

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Rosendo, S

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available nations, Mozambique and South Africa. Using a mixed-methods approach (content analysis of local government planning documents and semistructured interviews with key informants), results demonstrate the level of integration of coastal management, disaster...

  4. The role of local governments in traditional market revitalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prastyawan, A.; Isbandono, P.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents the discussion the role of local government in traditional market revitalization. It is obvious that traditional market contributes economically into a certain region. However, the existence of the traditional market is decreasing since there are modern markets that are fully facilitated by the government. In order to increase the economic standard of the traders, the government and the legislative revitalized the improper traditional market, without the participation of the society and the stakeholders. Government’s intention to revitalize the market is to increase local revenue. While the Legislative Council considered politically motivated by profit, rent-seeking. Restrictions on the aspirations of the traders in the revitalization cause resistance to the government. The traders wished to be recognized as part of the stakeholder. In the future, the market revitalization activities should involve the traders as the main actors who have received services from the government. Government as policy makers should consider as it partners in developing business traders and increase local revenues.

  5. Mobile government implementation for government service delivery in developing countries: a South Africa context

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ogunleye, OS

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available an opportunity to use of this platform to provide better service delivery to the citizens of the developing countries. This paper identifies major service delivery issues in South Africa. Various m-government systems that have been implemented in other countries...

  6. Slope stabilization guide for Minnesota local government engineers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    This user guide provides simple, costeffective methods for stabilizing locally maintained slopes along roadways in Minnesota. Eight slope stabilization techniques are presented that local government engineers can undertake using locally available ...

  7. Island development: Local governance under globalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huei-Min Tsai

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Issues surrounding island development have generated a growing volume of research. What does it mean to develop? How can island communities maintain control over development processes to the benefit of the local economy, rather than seeing economic flows enter and exit the island with little or a primarily negative impact? And how important is local knowledge for edifying local governance and enhancing potentials for innovation in island development? Island histories have repeatedly been forwarded as exemplars and ‘lessons’ for global learning on (unsustainability. To consider these issues, we have selected a number of papers from among the presentations given at the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Islands Conference, Island Development: Local Economy, Culture, Innovation and Sustainability, which took place in the Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan, 1–5 October 2013. These papers serve as examples of how the processes of globalization have penetrated the borders and changed the political and economic structures of islands. They also explore how island-based innovations in science, technology, culture, and formal or informal governance might contribute to sustainable island development.

  8. prevalance of alcohol abuse in calabar south local government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eyamba

    sample consisted of 400 respondents aged 10-50 years resident in Calabar South. Life time ... easily brand it as a norm to drink alcohol across the whole social spectrum with the student population constituting a .... TABLE 5: Ranking of the various brands of Alcoholic beverages according to order of preference by gender.

  9. Local Government Units in Indonesia: Demographic Attributes and Differences in Financial Condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rusmin Rusmin

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the outcome of decentralisation reforms in Indonesia, focusing on the association between demographic characteristics and differences in the financial condition of local governments units. It investigates cross-sectional data pertaining to demographic characteristics and financial statements audited by the Supreme Audit Body of 419 Indonesian local government units for the fiscal year 2007. It utilises demographic attributes including scope of entity, location, tenure (date of entry, gender, human development index (HDI and size of local governments to explain differences in the financial condition of Indonesia’s local government. Local government financial condition is proxied by quick ratio, debt ratio, services ratio, and ratio of local to total revenues. The results suggest that scope and location of local government units help explain all of the financial condition variables. The findings further infer that local government units domiciled in Java tend to report better financial conditions relative to those domiciled in other islands. Our results also show that local government units with greater female populations and higher HDI are more likely to have a local authority that (1 has better ability to finance their general services from their unrestricted net assets, and (2 has greater ability to earn more revenues from local sources. Finally, this study documents that the larger the population of a local government unit, the higher its liquidity position, the stronger its ability to funding general services, and the greater its possibility earning revenues from its local sources.

  10. Nuclear materials transportation workshops: USDOE outreach to local governments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    To provide direct outreach to local governments, the Transportation Management Division of the United States Department of Energy asked the Urban Consortium and its Energy Task Force to assemble representatives for two workshops focusing on the transport of nuclear materials. The first session, for jurisdictions east of the Mississippi River, was held in New Orleans on May 5--6, 1988; the second was conducted on June 6--7, 1988 in Denver for jurisdictions to the west. Twenty local government professionals with management or operational responsibility for hazardous materials transportation within their jurisdictions were selected to attend each workshop. The discussions identified five major areas of concern to local government professionals; coordination; training; information resources; marking and placarding; and responder resources. Integrated federal, state, and local levels of government emerged as a priority coordination issue along with the need for expanded availability of training and training resources for first-reponders

  11. Problems of Revenue Generation in Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2013-07-07

    Jul 7, 2013 ... discernible from budget deficits and paucity of funds for robust economic growth and .... a) Local rates and commission paid to Local Government for assisting in the collection of some ..... Lake Hotel, Enugu. Uhunmwuangho ...

  12. Baby steps: The expanding financial base of local government in Ireland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Considine John

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available There are two essential elements to this paper. In the first instance, we explore the specific details of revenue and expenditure trends for local authorities over the last decade. The analysis is framed against a longer-term political context of forty years which focuses especially on the weakness of local government in Ireland. Despite an official narrative of financial overdependence on central government, the comparative examination of budgetary records of local authorities reveals considerable diversity in both the revenue and expenditure patterns of authorities across the state. While some authorities are heavily reliant on central government funding, others have a much stronger base of local funding, and indeed the financial crisis since 2008 may have increased these differences. The second dimension to the research is an exploration of the impact of the great recession from 2008 on local government finance in Ireland. Using a framework of new institutionalism, we identify the crisis as another critical moment for local government. We consider the political, economic and administrative variables which have brought local government to a financial crossroads, and we explore the potential for long-lasting financial change in local government, as well as speculating on the nature and outcome of that change.

  13. Searching LOGIN, the Local Government Information Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jack, Robert F.

    1984-01-01

    Describes a computer-based information retrieval and electronic messaging system produced by Control Data Corporation now being used by government agencies and other organizations. Background of Local Government Information Network (LOGIN), database structure, types of LOGIN units, searching LOGIN (intersect, display, and list commands), and how…

  14. Examining Auditing as an Essential Element of Financial Management and Good Governance in Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sindisile Maclean

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to address issues of auditing in the context of financial management as a contribution to good governance. Generally, not all local governments have effective and operational audit units and committees. As a result, auditing is not used as an essential element of good governance and this leads to bad audit outcomes like disclaimers and adverse opinions. The bad audit outcomes in local government have motivated the researcher to conduct the study on auditing. There are internal factors within the municipalities as well as external factors that are of interest and directed the researcher to have desire and commitment to make a contribution in this particular field of research. The key issues, amongst others, are principles of financial management, financial strategy, auditing functions such as forensic auditing, fraud auditing, forensic accounting and detection of fraud, including accounting systems and auditor’s role. This article will also attempt to reinforce existing theories and add value to local government financial discourse and good governance.

  15. A business model for a South African government public cloud platform

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mvelase, P

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available of public services is conducted. This paper designs a cloud business model that suits South Africa’s perspective. The idea is to model a government public cloud which does not interfere with the secured business functions of the government but find a...

  16. Paving the Way for Heat. Local Government Policies for Developing Bioenergy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bente Johnsen Rygg

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Local governments play dual roles in developing renewable energy projects. They are the targets of many goals concerning energy and climate, set by national and international actors, and they are important actors in energy planning, regulation setting, and the development of infrastructure and residential areas. In this paper, I study how local governments’ technology policies affect the actual outcome of project development based on experiences from 14 local governments. Technology policies are studied from the perspective of Sørensen’s [1] four areas of concern: direct support of innovation, infrastructure, regulation (protection and standards and public engagement. I find that local governments use policy instruments within all four areas, and that the way local governments involves in the process of bioenergy development are surprisingly similar despite differences in location and size of both the local government and the project.

  17. Theory of Intergovernmental Grants and Local Government

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rittenoure, R. Lynn; Pluta, Joseph E.

    1977-01-01

    The article prepares the ground for an investigation designed to trace the economic effects of intergovernmental transfers by examining the motivations for the expenditure behavior of local governments and anticipates local responses to revenue sharing, both general and special. (Author/NQ)

  18. How do local governments decide on public policy in fiscal federalism?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Köthenbürger, Marko

    2011-01-01

    Previous literature widely assumes that taxes are optimized in local public finance while expenditures adjust residually. This paper endogenizes the choice of the optimization variable. In particular, it analyzes how federal policy toward local governments influences the way local governments...... decide on public policy. Unlike the usual presumption, the paper shows that local governments may choose to optimize over expenditures. The result holds when federal policy subsidizes local taxation. The results offer a new perspective of the efficiency implications of federal policy toward local...

  19. Reforming Security Sector Governance South Asia | CRDI - Centre ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    In South Asia, security discourse has traditionally been confined to government circles, with no room for voices from civil society. ... L'honorable Chrystia Freeland, ministre du Commerce international, a annoncé le lancement d'un nouveau projet financé par le Centre de recherches pour le développement international ...

  20. Is there a role for traditional governance systems in South Africa's ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The transition to democracy in South Africa in 1994 catalysed new forms of governance in all sectors of society including water resource management. This paper examines the extent to which traditional governance systems have been acknowledged and incorporated into these new water management institutions and ...

  1. Strategic plans for designing information systems under local government

    OpenAIRE

    Raman Nair, R.

    1998-01-01

    In decentralized administration local bodies are concerned with various administrative, educational and development issues. So in local government the planning for use of technology have started to recognize the value of information. This study attempts to evolve technical guidelines for building up an information system under local government that has to provide networking services by connecting various offices and institutions like Block Panchayat Office, Village Panchayat Office, District...

  2. Is Aboriginal nutrition a priority for local government? A policy analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helson, Catherine; Walker, Ruth; Palermo, Claire; Rounsefell, Kim; Aron, Yudit; MacDonald, Catherine; Atkinson, Petah; Browne, Jennifer

    2017-11-01

    The present study aimed to explore how Australian local governments prioritise the health and well-being of Aboriginal populations and the extent to which nutrition is addressed by local government health policy. In the state of Victoria, Australia, all seventy-nine local governments' public health policy documents were retrieved. Inclusion of Aboriginal health and nutrition in policy documents was analysed using quantitative content analysis. Representation of Aboriginal nutrition 'problems' and 'solutions' was examined using qualitative framing analysis. The socio-ecological framework was used to classify the types of Aboriginal nutrition issues and strategies within policy documents. Victoria, Australia. Local governments' public health policy documents (n 79). A small proportion (14 %, n 11) of local governments addressed Aboriginal health and well-being in terms of nutrition. Where strategies aimed at nutrition existed, they mostly focused on individual factors rather than the broader macroenvironment. A limited number of Victorian local governments address nutrition as a health issue for their Aboriginal populations in policy documents. Nutrition needs to be addressed as a community and social responsibility rather than merely an individual 'behaviour'. Partnerships are required to ensure Aboriginal people lead government policy development.

  3. Government Internal Control System Maturity: The Role of Internal Guidance and External Control of Local Government in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sutaryo Sutaryo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study discusses the Government Internal Control System (SPIP. The purpose of this study is to obtain empirical evidence of influence of guidance, external control, and the characteristics of Local Governments on Internal Control (SPIP maturity of local governments in Indonesia. The samples used in this study are 188 local governments in 2014. The variables used include the dependent variable, i.e. the SPIP maturity of local government; Independent variables, i.e. guidance frequency, the number of internal control findings, total assets, total expenditure and the number of local government units. This study uses secondary data obtained from the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK. This study uses multiple regression analysis and the results show that the guidace frequency and total expenditure have a positive influence on maturity of SPIP, SPI finding has a negative influence, and the total assets and the number of units do not have significant influence on the maturity of SPIP.

  4. Towards a conceptual model for an e-Government interoperability framework for South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Kotze, Paula

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In September 2016, the South African Government published a White Paper on the National Integrated ICT Policy highlighting some principles for e-Government and the development of a detailed integrated national e-Government strategy and roadmap...

  5. The Political-administrative interface in South African municipalities: Assessing the quality of local democracies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaap de Visser

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available South African municipalities experience serious challenges in dealing wit the interface between politicians and officials. Inappropriate political interference in administrative matters as well as strained relations between key political and administrative officials in the municipalities appear to be the order of the day. Oftentimes, the lack of a separation of powers between legislative and executive authority at local government level is blamed for this. This contribution has attempted to draw the attention away from the conflation of legislative and executive authority in the municipal council while still recognising it as an important background. It is suggested that, instead of spending energy on examining a possible separation of powers in local government, the relevant stakeholders (i.e. national lawmakers, municipalities and supervising provinces should consider smaller institutional changes to the governance makeup of municipalities. Even more importantly, the political and administrative leadership of municipalities and political structures that surround them should be acutely aware of the consequences that inappropriate political leadership has on the functioning of municipalities and therefore on service delivery.

  6. The public healthcare sector and governance in South Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Melody Brauns

    2015-01-01

    This article reviews literature on governance in order to facilitate an analysis of the governance of the South African public healthcare sector. Some of the key theoretical perspectives have been presented on how best to organise the state and its bureaucracy. Theorists have long interrogated in what way public institutions foster or impede economic growth. Evans and Rauch point out for example, that the role of bureaucratic authority structures in facilitating economic growth has been a soc...

  7. How Do Local Governments Decide on Public Policy in Fiscal Federalism?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Köthenbürger, Marko

    2008-01-01

    Previous literature widely assumes that taxes are optimized in local public finance while expenditures adjust residually. This paper endogenizes the choice of the optimization variable. In particular, it analyzes how federal policy toward local governments influences the way local governments...... decide on public policy. Unlike the presumption, the paper shows that local governments may choose to optimize over expenditures. The result most notably prevails when federal policy subsidizes local fiscal effort. The results offer a new perspective of the efficiency implications of federal policy...

  8. IT portfolio decision-making in local governments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agger Nielsen, Jeppe; Pedersen, Keld

    2014-01-01

    by the IT PPM literature) plays a minor role. Our account also reveals how the decision-making practices create IT portfolio problems and in some aspects is considered to have a negative impact on the outcome of e-government investments. Our analysis and previous research into decision-making allows us to argue......IT project portfolio management (IT PPM) has evolved into a significant area of research interest, but we know little about IT PPM practices in public sector organizations. Therefore this article investigates decision-making processes in the IT PPM practices of local governments, and discusses how...... these practices match the normative advice proposed by the IT PPMliterature.We rely on decision-making theories togetherwith case-studies of four Danish local governments.We find that politics, intuition and coincidence play a crucial role in IT PPM decisionmaking, while technical rationality (as proposed...

  9. Determinants and impediments of whistle-blowing in local government councils: A case study of the South-East District Council, Botswana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abiodun M.T. Omotoye

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This article investigates the perceptions of public service employees regarding the role of whistle-blowing in local government. Whistle-blowing has received increased attention and support as a means of detecting and correcting wrongdoing in organisations. Yet, as this case study discusses, the absence of whistle-blower protection measures and fear of reprisal and job loss deter potential witnesses from reporting wrongdoing in the workplace. A mixed research method approach was employed to undertake the study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to public servants employed within the South-East District Council (SEDC and literature related to corruption and whistle-blowing was reviewed. The findings indicate that public service employees strongly support the role whistle-blowing has to play in curbing corruption in the workplace, particularly if the corrupt activity could potentially threaten people’s lives and suppress social justice. However, the absence of whistle-blower protection measures was cited as the most significant impediment to reporting wrongdoing. The article proposes the need for the SEDC to adopt effective policies and procedures that place a strong emphasis on providing protection for employees to disclose misconduct and fraudulent conduct.

  10. Challenges of local water governance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk Ravnborg, Helle; Bustamante, Rocio; Cissé, Abdoulaye

    2012-01-01

    This article presents the results of comprehensive inventories made of water-related conflict and cooperation occurring in five districts in Africa, Asia and Latin America between 1997 and 2007. Following a description of the conceptual and methodological framework developed for undertaking...... these inventories, the article documents the extent, nature and intensity of water-related conflict and cooperation in the five districts. The article concludes by identifying three challenges relating to the magnitude, complexity and invisibility of local-level conflict and cooperation about water, which efforts...... to improve local water governance would have to address....

  11. Provision of information by local governments using the Internet: case studies in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshio Arai

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The Internet is an effective medium that has great potential for the low-cost provision of information from local government. This paper discusses the relationship between geographic conditions and local government policy for the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs, via case studies of official websites operated by local governments in Japan. This paper explores three main issues. First, the process of the diffusion of local government websites in Japan is analyzed. Second, the diversity of website content presented by local governments is assessed. Finally, the effects of national policy on Internet utilization by local governments is discussed. The following results are based on data collected by a questionnaire survey and an analysis of websites for local governments in selected areas of Japan. The diffusion of official websites for local governments began in the mid-1990s and was largely complete by 2000. In the early stages of this diffusion process, many websites aimed to transmit information to audiences outside of the municipality. In the later stages, however, larger cities established official websites and a greater proportion of websites were internally oriented. The content of these sites targeted the multiple needs of the local residents in terms of public services. Although the Japanese Government established a positive policy with the aim of improving ICT utilization by both local and national government, the national policy had only a minor effect on official local government websites.

  12. The Effectiveness of Social Media Implementation at Local Government Levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elvira NICA

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to gain a deeper understanding of the management of social me-dia at the local government level, the availability of opportunities for citizen dialogue on govern-ment websites, and the impact that social net-working applications have on e-government. The results of the current study converge with prior research on the growing awareness amongst government practitioners regarding the relevance of social media, the use of social media for feed-back on service quality, and privacy and security commitments in e-government. The literature on the use of information technology to transform government, the potential for online government information to contribute to citizen engagement, and the rapid growth in local government use of social media is relevant to this discussion.

  13. Infrastructure Quality, Local Government Spending and Corruption

    OpenAIRE

    Ig. Sigit Murwito; Boedi Rheza; Sri Mulyati; Elizabeth Karlinda; Ratnawati Muyanto

    2012-01-01

    We study on how a larger local government budget on infrastructure does not reflect into good quality of road in forty-one district/city across Indonesia given the fact of low infrastructure quality and low government spending on infrastructure. This study excels its preceded studies done by Tanzi and Davoodi (1997) at country level. The methodology used is a combination of quantitative and qualitative approach since our main research query is to seek facts on why a larger government spending...

  14. Local Government and Traditional Authorities in Concert: Towards a More Productive Relationship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Callistus Mahama

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Ghana embarked on decentralisation in 1988 as a way of bringing decision making closer to the people. Since then, there have several reforms with a view to strengthening local governance. This article identifies a major challenge still facing Ghana’s decentralisation: Partnership between local government and traditional authorities. The paper discusses the fuzzy relationship between local governments and traditional authorities as a result of constitutional and legislative ambiguity on their relationship. Traditional Authorities perform important functions in the country, albeit their roles have waned since independence. Yet current legal provisions on local government have not sufficiently clarified their role in local administration. This has led to a murky and competing relationship between traditional authorities and local governments. In localities where mutual relationship exists, it is mainly as a result of the personalities involved and this has had a positive effect on the development of the area. The paper concludes by advocating for measures which among others include a re-enactment of legislation which will define the working relationship between traditional authorities and local government.

  15. 28 CFR 33.11 - Units of local government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Criminal Justice Block Grants Eligible Applicants § 33.11 Units of local government. (a) Units of local... city, county, township, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a...

  16. Education leadership, management and governance in South Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    This book contains chapters on education leadership, management and governance in relation to schools in South Africa supplemented with a chapter on gender issues in Zimbabwe. It has been fifteen years since a new Constitution dawned, which promised a society based on the people of South Africa......, that recognized the injustices of the past and would be built on fundamental human rights and justice for all no matter their race, ethnicity, or economic power. South Africa has moved a long way in developing a democratic society. The emergence of this book is the result of a collaborative effort of people...... with diverse cultural, social and ethnic roots, who share a common belief in the development of a just and equal society, and who share a specific interest in developing schools as a fundamental element in developing this equal and just society....

  17. Modelling local government unit credit risk in the Republic of Croatia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petra Posedel

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to determine possible indicators that affect local unit credit risk and investigate their effect on default (credit risk of local government units in Croatia. No system for the estimation of local unit credit risk has been established in Croatia so far causing many practical problems in local unit borrowing. Because of the specific nature of the operations of local government units and legislation that does not allow local government units to go into bankruptcy, conventional methods for estimating credit risk are not applicable, and the set of standard potential determinants of credit risk has to be expanded with new indicators. Thus in the paper, in addition to the usual determinants of credit risk, the hypothesis of the influence of political factors on local unit credit risk in Croatia is also tested out, with the use of a Tobit model. Results of econometric analysis show that credit risk of local government units in Croatia is affected by the political structure of local government, the proportion of income tax and surtax in operating revenue, the ratio of net operating balance, net financial liabilities and direct debt to operating revenue, as well as the ratio of debt repayment and cash, and direct debt and operating revenue.

  18. Decentralization can help reduce deforestation when user groups engage with local government

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Glenn D.; Gibson, Clark C.; Evans, Tom P.

    2016-01-01

    Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff. PMID:27956644

  19. Decentralization can help reduce deforestation when user groups engage with local government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Glenn D; Andersson, Krister P; Gibson, Clark C; Evans, Tom P

    2016-12-27

    Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff.

  20. Problematic Results and Perspectives of the Local Self-Government Reform in Russia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey Nikolaevich Leonov

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The article examines the premises, problems of implementation and results of the local self-government reform that began 25 years ago in Russia. The incentive for resurrecting of local self-government was not political, but economic details of decentralizing the governing based on the ideas of territorial economic accounting and during the years of reform the role of local self-government in the political system of the country had changed – from the local state authorities to the local self-governing authorities, technically independent, but virtually heavily intervened by the government. The article identifies the unsolved problems of the reform over establishing the basics of finance and budgeting for local self-government, when municipalities (based on functions and main sources of budget income became removed from the development of economic base of corresponding territories, from the dynamics of investment, from the development of business. The actual results of the reform differ strongly from the goals declared. During these 25 years it was impossible to overcome low financial self-sufficiency of municipalities, the loss of population’s influence over formation and activity of local self-governing authorities, incorporation of local authorities into state authority, their particular ‘unitization’. The article substantiates the proposals of perfecting the socio-economic part of the reform in the framework of ‘evolutionary approach’

  1. An exploration of the role of records management in corporate governance in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mpho Ngoepe

    2013-08-01

    Objectives: Utilising the King report III on corporate governance as a framework, this quantitative study explores the role of records management in corporate governance in governmental bodies of South Africa. Method: Report data were collected through questionnaires directed to records managers and auditors in governmental bodies, as well as interviews with purposively selected auditors from the Auditor-General of South Africa. Data were analysed using various analytical tools and through written descriptions, numerical summarisations and tables. Results: The study revealed that records management is not regarded as an essential component for corporate governance. Records management is only discussed as a footnote; as a result it is a forgotten function with no consequences in government administration in South Africa. The study further revealed that most governmental bodies have established internal audit units and audit committees. However, records-management professionals were excluded from such committees. Conclusion: The study concludes by arguing that if records management is removed as a footnote of the public-sector operations and placed in the centre of operational concern, it will undoubtedly make a meaningful contribution to good corporate governance.

  2. Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andy ASQUITH

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available This article examines the impact of the reformist agenda implemented in English local government since the election in 1997 of the first Blair government. Under 18 years of Conservative administrations (1979-1997, English local government had survived what some described as a legislative onslaught which had been designed to direct, control and remove functions from local authorities. Against this background, the first Blair administration inherited a system of local government upon which it would depend for key policy implementation. However, many within the Blair inner circles were deeply suspicious as to the motivations and capacity of local government to deliver on these key policies. The result therefore was a widespread overall of how local authorities were to be managed and importantly how they were to connect with their respective communities. As the article will examine, one of the key strategies for achieving Blair’s objectives was to be, in terms of the UK, both a radical and controversial innovation. Central to the Blairite agenda was the introduction to the UK of the concept of a directly elected mayor.

  3. Learning in Australian local government: A roadmap for improving education & training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Woods

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Faced with a context of national and state reform agendas as well as resource scarcity, Australian local government has pressing workforce development issues. This level of government is small in scale, geographically dispersed and subject to variations in state jurisdiction. These factors represent structural constraints to identifying and advocating a national approach for addressing workforce needs such as the provision of tailored education and professional development. This paper documents a sector consultation process exploring education and professional development for local government which aimed to identify needs on both supply and demand sides. The research found that aspirations for education and professional development tailored to the needs of local government aim to support the development of better local governance and leadership, and to address critical skills shortage issues. This may provide empirical grounds for promoting, planning, implementing and evaluating capacity-building initiatives in this third tier of government in the Australian federation.

  4. Assuming too much? Participatory water resource governance in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Julia

    2011-01-01

    This paper argues that participation in natural resource management, which is often coupled with moves for more local ownership of decision making, is based on three sets of assumptions: about the role of the state, the universality of application of such approaches and the transformatory potential of institutional reform. The validity of these assumptions requires investigation in view of the rapid institutionalisation and scaling-up of participatory approaches, particularly in developing country contexts. Post-apartheid South Africa is widely recognised as a pioneer of participatory and devolutionary approaches, particularly in the field of water resources. It is 12 years since the promulgation of the forward-thinking 1998 National Water Act, and thus an opportune moment to reflect on South Africa's experiences of participatory governance. Drawing on empirical research covering the establishment of the first Catchment Management Agency, and the transformation of existing Irrigation Boards into more inclusive Water User Associations in the Inkomati Water Management Area, it emerges that there may be fundamental weaknesses in the participatory model and underlying assumptions, and indeed such approaches may actually reinforce inequitable outcomes: the legacy of long-established institutional frameworks and powerful actors therein continues to exert influence in post-apartheid South Africa, and has the potential to subvert the democratic and redistributive potential of the water reforms. It is argued that a reassessment of the role of the state is necessary: where there is extreme heterogeneity in challenging catchments more, rather than less, state intervention may be required to uphold the interests of marginalised groups and effect redistribution.

  5. Government's contribution to the development of translation in South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Bureau's failure to cope with its huge load of government work led to outsourcing translation work, and a realisation that the country needed a comprehensive strategy for translation service development. This included the introduction of translation courses or programmes at South African universities. Southern African ...

  6. Government's contribution to the development of translation in South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The South African government has contributed tremendously to the development of translation, a contribution which is not always rightfully acknowledged or valued. The development of translation benefited significantly from the country's official bilingualism policy of 1910 which necessitated the translation of a variety of text ...

  7. Telecommunications in South Africa: Governance of who is actually regulating?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L-F Pau

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Although the Republic of South Africa telecommunications market is a maturing one with a large customer base to serve, it has been repeatedly been observed over the past few years that many good intentions were formulated in the regulatory sphere with sometimes poor outcomes and unclear governance. A number of surprising observations have been made on the outcomes, the delays or other process related events linked to regulatory measures. The paper thus researches first, from a governance point of view, who is actually regulating the telecommunications industry; it identifies next opportunities and bottlenecks whereby a change might happen to reach the expected outcomes. A political economy methodology is taken, backed up by extensive field work over 2010 and 2011, leading to a web of conjectures providing answers to the first question, based on an extensive analysis of key stakeholders goals, positions and interactions. Finally, a number of measures are proposed to improve the governance, regulatory impact and efficiency, and evolve the South African telecommunications eco-system.

  8. Gender and Governance in Conflict Zones: A South Asian Perspective

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    ... zones across South Asia, including laws that perpetuate a culture of impunity and ... women face when trying to influence governance practices in conflict zones: ... the media, non-governmental organizations, and others in three workshops ...

  9. Does local government have capacity for enabling local economic development? Lessons from Jamaica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eris D Schoburgh

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Implementation of the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED1began in 2012 in seven countries for a duration of six years, to support sustainable economic growth in the region. CARILED has introduced the idea of local economic development (LED to the ‘development’ debate in the region but has also brought the organisational capacity of local government, and local government’s role as ‘facilitator’ of LED,to the fore. This paper assesses organizational behaviour and capability in local government in Jamaica to determine the state of readiness for a developmental role. The paper draws on two sets of research data to aid its analysis–a capacity audit (CAPAUD conducted in 2010 and an organisational analysis (OAcommissioned by the Ministry of Local Government in 2010, both of which targeted a sample of local authorities in Jamaica. The study found that when assessed against established criteria for an LED organisation, ie: research and information provision; marketing and coordination; learning and innovation; and leadership - local government’s institutional and organisational capacity for development is unevenly distributed. For instance, local leaders understood organisational purpose but efforts to give effect to this appeared undeveloped, sporadic and uni-directional. It was also evident that participatory strategies are used to gain information from communities but these were often devoid of systematic research methodologies rendering formal community impact on local planning negligent. Finally there is strong potential for the kind of administrative leadership required by a developmental local government to evolve,indicated by the quality of training, quantum of managerial/supervisory staff, and stability of staff establishment. However, this potential is threatened by the deficiencies in the non-traditional functional areas that are strategic to the organisation’s effectiveness as a ‘facilitator’ of LED, ie

  10. Local Governance and Corruption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marius PROFIROIU

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper attempts to examine, from the Romanian perspective, the degree to which decentralization process and improvement of local governance contributes to the reduction of corruption in the short and medium term. Through the methodology that is used the paper is consistent with the international trend that endeavors to analyze the impact of corruption on economic and social processes at the local level. In addition, recent research on corruption issues has focused upon the measurement of the level of corruption level and on its impact on the growing rate of the GDP (Mauro [1995]1, Abed and Davoodi2, Krueger [1974]3, on the impact upon some of the national economical sectors (Tanzi [1998]4, Shang-Jin Wei [2001]5, or on the decentralization processes (Shah [2006]6.

  11. The Utilisation of Facebook for Knowledge Sharing in Selected Local Government Councils in Delta State, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uzoma Heman Ononye

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: Facebook has made it possible for organisation to embrace social and network centric knowledge processes by creating opportunities to connect, interact, and collaborate with stakeholders. We have witnessed a significant increase in the popularity and use of this tool in many organisations, especially in the private sector. But the utilisation of Facebook in public organisations is at its infancy, with many also believing that the use of Facebook is not a common practice in many public organisations in Nigeria. In spite of this fact, our discernment on the implications of Facebook usage in public organisations in Nigeria, especially organisations at the local level, seem to be remarkably limited. This paper specifically sought to ascertain if Facebook usage influenced inward and outward knowledge sharing in the selected local government councils in Delta State, Nigeria Methodology: The qualitative method was adopted. The study used interview as the primary means of data gathering. The study purposively sampled thirty-six employees as interviewees, twenty from Oshimili South and sixteen from Oshimili North local government councils respectively. The thematic content analysis method was used to analyse interview transcripts. Contribution: This research made distinct contributions to the available literature in social knowledge management, specifically bringing to the fore the intricacies surrounding the use of Facebook for knowledge sharing purposes in the public sector. Findings: The local government councils were yet to appreciate and utilise the interactive and collaborative nature of Facebook in improving stakeholders’ engagement, feedback, and cooperation. Facebook was used for outward knowledge sharing but not for inward knowledge sharing. Recommendations for Practitioners: Local government councils should encourage interaction via Facebook, show willingness to capture knowledge from identifiable sources, and effectively manage

  12. TEACHER GOVERNANCE REFORMS AND SOCIAL COHESION IN SOUTH AFRICA: FROM INTENTION TO REALITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Salmon

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The governance of teachers during apartheid in South Africa was characterised by high levels of disparity in teacher distribution and in conditions of labour. In the post-apartheid context policies and interventions that govern teachers are critical, and teachers can be seen to be placed in a central role as actors whose distribution, employment, recruitment and deployment can serve to redress the past, promote equity and build trust for social cohesion. In this context, this paper examines several teacher governance mechanisms and interventions, namely the post provisioning norm and standards (PPNs, the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme (FLBP, and the South African Council of Educators. The analysis suggests that undifferentiated policy frameworks for teacher governance result in measures that weakly account for differing contextual realities and persistent inequality. Additionally, the emphasis on technocratic measures of accountability in teacher governance interventions constrains teachers’ agency to promote peace and social cohesion.

  13. Governance, agricultural intensification, and land sparing in tropical South America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceddia, Michele Graziano; Bardsley, Nicholas Oliver; Gomez-y-Paloma, Sergio; Sedlacek, Sabine

    2014-05-20

    In this paper we address two topical questions: How do the quality of governance and agricultural intensification impact on spatial expansion of agriculture? Which aspects of governance are more likely to ensure that agricultural intensification allows sparing land for nature? Using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the World Database on Protected Areas, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, we estimate a panel data model for six South American countries and quantify the effects of major determinants of agricultural land expansion, including various dimensions of governance, over the period 1970-2006. The results indicate that the effect of agricultural intensification on agricultural expansion is conditional on the quality and type of governance. When considering conventional aspects of governance, agricultural intensification leads to an expansion of agricultural area when governance scores are high. When looking specifically at environmental aspects of governance, intensification leads to a spatial contraction of agriculture when governance scores are high, signaling a sustainable intensification process.

  14. Municipal Climate Governance and Formation of Local Transition places

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søndergård, Bent; Stauning, Inger; Holm, Jesper

    for the need of studies of local situated transition arenas and how they by integrating specific local conditions become sites of development of innovative practices. Jesper Holm, Inger Stauning and Jesper Holm, Department of Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Roskilde University (RUC......Theme: Sustainable spaces Municipal Climate Governance and Formation of Local Transition Places The paper examines how municipalities develop new local governance efforts for climate mitigation and analyses how these efforts contributes to the development of local transition places. It is based...... authorities and policy networks tend to show more willingness for performing experimentation in transition. • Reduction of CO2-emission and transformation of social-technical energy systems has a complexity and a dependency of local context (bio resources, companies, energy systems, technologies, build...

  15. Local Governance and ICT Research Network for Africa | Page 2 ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Local Governance and ICT Research Network for Africa (LOG-IN Africa) is an emergent pan-African network of researchers and research institutions from nine countries. LOG-IN Africa will assess the current state and outcome of electronic local governance initiatives in Africa, focusing on how information and ...

  16. A Global Overview of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E and its Meaning in the Local Government Context of South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ngengelezi W.K. Masuku

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The article explores the global overview of M&E from the ancient governance perspective that has been ignored by the modern government in the African contest. African M&E approach is required in the local rural municipalities due to its complex and diverse set of problems. These problems are as a result of leadership dichotomy which is witnessed between Amakhosi and municipal authorities. Amakhosi have a role to hold municipal authorities accountable from a Citizen-Based Approach.  The underlying philosophy of the article is not about the discourse of the modernists and traditionalists around the evolution of M&E, but is how and in what ways M&E should be designed and planned for the implementation of a successful relevant M&E approach for local rural municipalities. The article made use of secondary data, gathered from various sources. Case studies of the international countries were also sourced through desktop to ascertain their best practice on M&E. The article concludes that the lack of M&E approach for the local government in the rural municipalities requires the Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E approach to allow stakeholders, including Amakhosi to assess the performance ofthe rural municipalities. The study is significant to the local and internal public scholarship of public administration since it bring approaches in M&E policy in the field of public administration. For example, indigenous African knowledge is critical in knowledge management.

  17. Sustainable Cities : Local Solutions in the Global South | CRDI ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Sustainable Cities : Local Solutions in the Global South. Couverture du livre Sustainable Cities: Local Solutions in the Global South. Directeur(s):. Mélanie Robertson. Maison(s) d'édition: Practical Action Publishing, CRDI. 6 avril 2012. ISBN : 9781853397233. 178 pages. e-ISBN : 9781552505366. Téléchargez le PDF.

  18. An exploration of the role of records management in corporate governance in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mpho Ngoepe

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Corporate governance maybe approached through several functions such as auditing, an internal audit committee, information management, compliance, corporate citizenship and risk management. However, most organisations, including governmental bodies, regularly exclude records management from the criteria for a good corporate-governance infrastructure. Proper records management could be the backbone of establishing good corporate governance.Objectives: Utilising the King report III on corporate governance as a framework, this quantitative study explores the role of records management in corporate governance in governmental bodies of South Africa.Method: Report data were collected through questionnaires directed to records managers and auditors in governmental bodies, as well as interviews with purposively selected auditors from the Auditor-General of South Africa. Data were analysed using various analytical tools and through written descriptions, numerical summarisations and tables.Results: The study revealed that records management is not regarded as an essential component for corporate governance. Records management is only discussed as a footnote; as a result it is a forgotten function with no consequences in government administration in South Africa. The study further revealed that most governmental bodies have established internal audit units and audit committees. However, records-management professionals were excluded from such committees.Conclusion: The study concludes by arguing that if records management is removed as a footnote of the public-sector operations and placed in the centre of operational concern, it will undoubtedly make a meaningful contribution to good corporate governance.

  19. Local Government Administration and Development: A Survey of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    The quest for development has been a major issue of concern to both domestic and foreign ... In the view of a scholar like Wraith, local government refers to locally .... the researchers and the simple percentage method used to analyze the data.

  20. Residences Satisfaction Towards Service Quality Provided By Bogor Local Government

    OpenAIRE

    Setiawan, Budi; Oswari, Teddy; Kuswanto, Adi

    2011-01-01

    The lowest local government as a frontline government has some crucial duties in­cludes residences administration, village development, residences identity, land ad­ministration, and other duties. Up to present, the performance of the lowest local government is measured based on the regulation, but has never been measured based on the perception of its residences that have had service directly. The objective of the study are(1) to explore whether there is a differences between the perception ...

  1. Epidemiological study of snake bite in some local government areas ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Envenomation is a common public health problem in many local government areas of Plateau state in Nigeria. Its incidence has increased over the years as reported by the outpatient departments of the General Hospitals in Shendam and Langtang local government areas. In Shendam alone, the increase was from 192 in ...

  2. Socio-economic status of fish farmers in Phalga Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Survey of socio-economic status of fish farmers in Phalga Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria was carried out to evaluate the trend, structures, operations, management of fish farms and the level of acceptability of new technologies. The Local Government Area was divided into eight zones, and each zone was ...

  3. Women's participation and gender issues in local governance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Local governance, interpreted as the active involvement of the local population in ensuring improved quality of service and leadership at the local level, involves greater participation by civil society in decision-making processes. The paper examined women's participation and the prevailing gender issues in local ...

  4. Should states and local governments regulate dietary supplements?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starr, Ranjani

    2016-01-01

    Federal regulation of dietary supplements in the United States is governed by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. The law has been criticized as weak and ineffective. Alarming research has emerged demonstrating that supplements may be mislabelled, contaminated, adulterated with dangerous or unknown compounds, or sold at toxic doses. As a result, the health community has raised concerns about the safety and quality of dietary supplements. Increased federal oversight is an important avenue for improving supplement safety; however, states and local governments may also pursue strategies to strengthen the overall regulatory control of dietary supplements. States and local governments have substantial experience in regulating other products that pose a risk to public health, such as tobacco. Additionally, much has been learned about the tactics the tobacco industry has employed to protect its interests. Lessons learned may be applied to new regulatory efforts aimed at improving the safety of dietary supplements at the state and local levels. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Economic Efficiency of Selected Financial System Institutions of Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Urszula Rabiej

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Functioning of local government units, as for as the economic sphere is concerned, is based on the financial law regulations. Those regulations aim at solving economic and social problems. The analysis of economic efficiency concerning implemented regulations is of particular importance for changing the EU’s attitude towards the influence, which EU has on functioning of the local governments. Implementing the local budgets, based on regulations which economic efficiency hasn’t been evaluated on the stage of legislation, may have a negative impact on local community and the economic situation of the country. Frequent changes of financial law cause actions, which financial effects cannot be predicted. What is more, those unstable regulations make it impossible to plan essential parts of a budget in a right way. That has a great importance in terms of correctness of long-term financial perspectives of the local government units.

  6. Governance, agricultural intensification, and land sparing in tropical South America

    OpenAIRE

    CEDDIA Michele Graziano; BARDSLEY N. O.; GOMEZ Y PALOMA Sergio; SEDLACEK S

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we address two topical questions: How do the quality of governance and agricultural intensification impact on spatial expansion of agriculture? Which aspects of governance are more likely to ensure that agricultural intensification allows sparing land for nature? Using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the World Database on Protected Areas, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, we estimate a panel data model for six South A...

  7. Controversies regarding decentralism, regionalism, and local governance in Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitrović Milovan M.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is composed from three parts. In the first part, I emphasize the importance of theoretical and sociological discussion for the design of the model of social system reforms and stress the problems that occur in Serbia with regard to this. In the second part, I discuss public controversies regarding decentralism, regionalism, and local governance in Serbia. I advocate for regionalism that is closer to local then to para-state governance and argue for the advantages of alternative model of 'functional autonomy of different tempo', that could harmonize inherited historical geopolitical, economic, and cultural differences and reconcile current political antagonisms in Serbia. In the third part I give a proposition that envisages central (Republic administration and local (municipal and city self-governance as main levels of territorial organization of governance (with original authorities, while federal and regional levels would be complementary with it, not parallel. In that sense, I propose 15 autonomous regions for Serbia, with possibility of making 4 to 6 larger regions out of them, at different pace.

  8. The efficacy of control environment as fraud deterrence in local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuswantara Dian Anita

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In a globalised scenario, the topic of an enormous increase of malfeasance in the local governments, posing catastrophic threats which come from vicious bureaucratic apparatus, becomes a global phenomenon. This current study uses case study material on the risk management control system specially the control environment in Indonesia local governments to extend existing theory by developing a contingency theory for the public sector. Within local government, contingency theory has emerged as a lens for exploring the links between public sector initiatives to improve risk mitigation and the structure of the control system. The case illustrates that the discretion of control environment - the encouragement of a local government’s control environment - is considered as a springboard for fraud deterrence and might be the loopholes in the government control systems.

  9. Page | 70 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL AS A CONSTITUENT ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Fr. Ikenga

    Government of every State to ensure their existence under a law that provides for its establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions. This is the first impediment to the autonomy, independence and incorporation of the Local Government Councils as part of the federating units, having made them subject to the ...

  10. Work Ethics and Productivity in Local Government System in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The main thrust of this paper is motivated by the desire to examine the implications of the negative work attitudes that is prevalent among the employees of the local government system in Nigeria. The paper argued that the Nigeria local government system is engulfed in Negative work tendencies characterized by such ...

  11. The search for local government autonomy in Nigeria: legal and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article examines the status of the local government under the tripartite governmental system in Nigeria that has been in operation since 1979. It reviews the various reforms that the administration of local government has gone through from the colonial era till 1999 when the extant Constitution of Nigeria came into force.

  12. Impacts of NRC programs on state and local governments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nussbaumer, D.A.; Lubenau, J.O.

    1983-12-01

    This document reports the results of an NRC staff examination of the impacts of NRC regulatory programs on State and local governments. Twenty NRC programs are identified. For each, the source of the program (e.g., statutory requirement) and NRC funding availability are described and the impacts upon State and local governments are assessed. Recommendations for NRC monitoring and assessing impacts and for enhancing NRC staff awareness of the impacts are offered

  13. Factors of quality of financial report of local government in Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muda, Iskandar; Haris Harahap, Abdul; Erlina; Ginting, Syafruddin; Maksum, Azhar; Abubakar, Erwin

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this research is to find out whether the Accounting Information System and Internal Control in Local Revenue Office to the affect the Quality of Financial Report of Local Government. The sampling was conducted by using simple random sampling method in which the sample was determined without considering strata. The data research was conducted by distributing the questionnaires. The results showed that the degree of Accounting Information System and Internal Control simultaneously affect the Quality of Financial Report of Local Government. However, partially, Partially, accounting information system influence to the quality of financial report of local government and the internal control does not affect the quality of financial report.

  14. Local self-government potential in sustainable development of region providing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Y. Bobrovska

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Ongoing decentralization of power in Ukraine enhances abilities of each region to independently choose their development path and use their own resources. It requires reviewing and updating of mechanisms and instruments of local government and public administration projected to increase the sustainability of development. This necessitates further research of issues of this extremely complex phenomenon. The problem of sustainable development of the regions and their internal capacities over the past decades has attracted the attention of many Ukrainian scientists. They considered the question of the essence and characteristics of this phenomenon, categorical apparatus, and formed approaches to the assessment of the state etc. Existing scientific researchers provided an opportunity for better understanding and deepening of the issues of processes of development formation, becoming the basis for further research. The purpose of the article is the definition of the potential of local governments in the sustainable development of the region, finding approaches for improving management and rational use of resources to enhance the regional development. Development of regions is the scope of display of results and public nature of local self-government. However, the results which are achieved by regional development and its level of sustainability do not meet the needs of society. The results of ongoing reforms, their economic, environmental and social significance do not correspond to spent resources and efforts of society. Strategies of regions for the transition to sustainable development are not systematic. To search for answers and ways to address the issues of the article attempts to identify common root causes in the organization of local government, the underlying increase its impact in the direction of creating conditions and ensure the flow of sustainable regional development through research and their potential influential factors. It is

  15. Governance, agricultural intensification, and land sparing in tropical South America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceddia, Michele Graziano; Bardsley, Nicholas Oliver; Gomez-y-Paloma, Sergio; Sedlacek, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we address two topical questions: How do the quality of governance and agricultural intensification impact on spatial expansion of agriculture? Which aspects of governance are more likely to ensure that agricultural intensification allows sparing land for nature? Using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the World Database on Protected Areas, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, we estimate a panel data model for six South American countries and quantify the effects of major determinants of agricultural land expansion, including various dimensions of governance, over the period 1970–2006. The results indicate that the effect of agricultural intensification on agricultural expansion is conditional on the quality and type of governance. When considering conventional aspects of governance, agricultural intensification leads to an expansion of agricultural area when governance scores are high. When looking specifically at environmental aspects of governance, intensification leads to a spatial contraction of agriculture when governance scores are high, signaling a sustainable intensification process. PMID:24799696

  16. The effects of local government investment on economic growth and employment: evidence from transitional China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhang Weiguo; Hou Yongjian

    2009-01-01

    Based on the panel data of 28 provinces in the year of 1987-2001,this paper examines the effects of the local government investment on economic growth and employment.The empirical result shows that the local government investment plays a significant positive role in economic growth and emplovment.However,while the proportion of local government investment to GDP had a remarkable rise after 1998.the elasticity of local government investment on economic growth declined,which shows that there is a hig room for raising the efficiency of local government mvestment.Moreover,the empirical examination shows that although local government investment had positive effect on employment,the elasticity had a decrease after 1994 when the tax-sharing system reform was put into practice.This shows that the positive role of local government investment on emplovment is also limited.This paper argues that the role of local governments as investors must be weakened,and local governments of different levels should lessen direct economic intervention and concentrate on public regulation.

  17. The Dilemma of Local Government at Work in Nigeria | Tonwe ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    For the citizenry at large, especially the illiterate and rural communities that form the bulk of the population of the local governments in many cases, there is a great deal of frustration arising from the poor performance of local governments in the country over the years. This situation is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Similar ...

  18. Unpacking developmental local government using Soft Systems ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Developmental local government, soft systems methodology, multiple criteria ..... land and property), 26 (adequate housing), 27 (access to health care, food, water .... It is important to articulate that any decision making or resource allocation.

  19. Book Review: Local Government in a Global World: Australia and Canada in Comparative Perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Scott, Claudia

    2010-01-01

    This book compares reform trends in Australia and Canada’s local government systems over the past two decades, with attention to the impact of globalization on local governments, their bureaucracies, and local democratic accountability. Local governments in Australia and Canada show striking resemblances in relation to history, development, and contemporary issues. This reflects that in both countries, local governments remain an instrument of the states and provinces. The exploration of ...

  20. 70 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL AS A CONSTITUENT OF THE ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Fr. Ikenga

    power to superintend the funds accruing to the Local Governments, they do not have the liberty to misapply .... provided by the Government of a state; allocation of wave-lengths for wireless, broadcasting and television transmission;. Item 67 ...

  1. Local government grants for private schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justyna Orlikowska

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to analyze the educational grants from budget of local government. Author presented procedures about establish private schools and educational institutions and explained selected concepts about units of education. The article presents selected judgment from SN and NSA in disputes about grants for private schools.

  2. Liberal Party Politics, the South African War, and the Rhetoric of Imperial Governance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackley, Simon

    2018-03-01

    This article examines the imperial rhetoric of the Liberal Party during the South African War of 1899-1902, charting its use and development across five key controversies spanning the course of the conflict. Moving beyond traditional interpretations of the Liberal split as the product of competing visions of Empire and approaches to imperialism, this article argues for the need to recognize also the continuities within the imperial rhetoric of fin-de-siècle British Liberalism. Building on recent studies of political languages, it identifies how Liberal speakers from across the party operated within a rhetorical framework that emphasized three ideals of imperial governance: good government, self-government, and pluralism. In doing so, this article seeks to advance our understanding of the South African War as an episode in British party politics, demonstrating the complexity and nuance of the Liberal Party's response to the conflict. Furthermore, by undertaking an in-depth exploration of the rhetoric of imperial governance, this article highlights the Liberal response to the South African War as a case study for the reinvention and reiteration of both party and imperial languages in early twentieth-century Britain, with the potential to offer new insights into the political and imperial cultures of the period.

  3. The public healthcare sector and governance in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melody Brauns

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available This article reviews literature on governance in order to facilitate an analysis of the governance of the South African public healthcare sector. Some of the key theoretical perspectives have been presented on how best to organise the state and its bureaucracy. Theorists have long interrogated in what way public institutions foster or impede economic growth. Evans and Rauch point out for example, that the role of bureaucratic authority structures in facilitating economic growth has been a sociological concern since Max Weber’s classic contributions almost 100 years ago. These debates and others are explored in this article with specific reference to the provision of equitable public healthcare. Weber’s theory on rational bureaucracy as well as New Public Management will be reviewed as these theories offer two distinct approaches to governance

  4. Government procurement, preferences and international trading rules : the South African case

    OpenAIRE

    DUBE, Memory; JOHANNES, Liezemarie; LEWIS, David

    2015-01-01

    This paper reviews the South African government procurement regime and asks whether adherence to international trading instruments and rules, and in particular the World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement, would, and should, permit the maintenance of national policy criteria in the decision making matrix for procurement, whilst simultaneously enabling it to realise the efficiency gains of trade liberalisation. It also examines the likely impact, if any, that adherence to th...

  5. Local Government Responses to Education Grants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Ronald C.; Papke, Leslie E.

    2000-01-01

    Provides a primer for policymakers about the economics of education grants and draws implications for school finance reform. Includes an overview of the types of education grants that states and the federal government have used to aid local spending and summarizes findings from states' experiences with different forms of education finance.…

  6. Transforming local government by project portfolio management: Identifying and overcoming control problems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Lars Kristian

    2013-01-01

    Purpose – As public organizations strive for higher e-government maturity, information technology (IT) Project Portfolio Management (IT PPM) has become a high priority issue. Assuming control is central in IT PPM, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a Danish local government conducts...... to understand how local governments can improve IT PPM. Keywords IT project portfolio management, E-government, Control theory, Control problems, Formal mechanisms, Informal mechanisms, Local government, Denmark...... control in IT PPM. The authors identify control problems and formulate recommendations to address these. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting principles from Engaged Scholarship, the authors have conducted a case study using a wide variety of data collection methods, including 29 interviews, one...

  7. Green Computing in Local Governments and Information Technology Companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badar Agung Nugroho

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Green computing is a study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of information and communication devices efficiently and effectively with minimum impact on the environment. If the green computing concept was implemented, it will help the agencies or companies to reduce energy and capital cost from their IT infrastructure. The goal from this research is to explore the current condition about the efforts from local governments and IT companies at West Java to implement the green computing concept at their working environment. The primary data were collected by using focus group discussion by inviting the local governments and IT companies representatives who responsible to manage their IT infrastructure. And then, the secondary data were collected by doing brief observation in order to see the real effort of green computing implementation at each institution. The result shows that there are many different perspectives and efforts of green computing implementation between local governments and IT companies.

  8. Local Government Systems and Decentralization: Evidence from Pakistan’s Devolution Plan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Shakil Ahmad

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The discourse of governance and development practitioners continues to embrace community participation and community empowerment as an elementary means of building local capacity for poverty reduction, development and change at the local level. This article is a review of the decentralization initiatives of local government systems after the announcement of the devolution plan in Pakistan. It evaluates the initiatives’ participatory methods to ascertain the extent to which they have improved the process of community development at the local level. This article also measures the impact of community empowerment on the sustainability of community-driven projects implemented under the decentralization initiative through community-based organizations known as Citizen Community Boards (CCBs. Document analysis and literature review methodologies were employed to gain further insight into the decentralization phenomenon in Pakistan. The results describe human development, improvements in community empowerment and the sustainability of local projects; however, the sense of community has yet to be translated into shared benefits for rural communities. The fundamental goal of decentralization seems to be elusive because only power was transferred to the local level, whereas there is little support for community capacity building and community access to resources and the elites still control the electoral process. It is argued that community development initiatives in Pakistan require continuous support from local governments to boost local rural economies. Likewise, community-local government participatory development strategies can lead to strong local ownership and empowerment in rural communities.

  9. United States Local Government Reform: The Emergence of the City Manager

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert McEVOY

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available City Managers came into being in the early 1900.s because of the corruption, waste, and lack of responsiveness of local governments in the United States. Business leaders in large cities had begun to recognise that major changes in their local governments were desperately needed for their businesses to grow and prosper. Andrew Carnegie, a founder of United States Steel, had indicated that business needed a stable society to prosper. Local government had to become responsive to the changing needs of the poor, abused and neglected children, the mentally ill and the elderly, to cite a few examples.

  10. When the terrain does not fit the map: Local government taxation in Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge

    2015-01-01

    Fiscal decentralisation – the devolution of revenue mobilisation and spending powers to lower levels of government – has become a main theme of governance over the past two decades. A sound revenue system for local governments is an essential pre-condition for the success of fiscal decentralisation. In addition to raising revenues, local revenue mobilisation has the potential to foster political and administrative accountability by empowering communities. However, local government financing i...

  11. A study on the role adjustment between central and local government

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yook, Dong Il; Ji, Min Gu; Yun, Yo Il; Kim, Yong Cheon; Lee, Sang In; Lee, Chan Won [Chunnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-02-15

    The goal of this study is to develop new model and feasible alternatives by seeking solutions for rational redistribution of the nuclear regulatory roles between central and local governments. Since local autonomy system has been reimplemented in Korea, It is imperative to improve reform measures for the decentralization of power between central and local governments. The core of decentralization is to redistribute administrative authorities and roles which have been centralized, toward both self-governing body and communities. The level of decentralization depends on how to redistribute roles and functions between central and local government. Therefore, it is necessary to examine principle and type of domestic foreign role adjustment for effective nuclear regulation. Based on three prerequisite studies, role adjustment model for more effective nuclear regulation is made taking account of the current domestic environments and conditions. In the long run, the outcomes of this study will be expected to improve the optimal and democratic regulatory system in Korea.

  12. A study on the role adjustment between central and local government

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, S. K.; Yook, D. R.

    2003-01-01

    The goal of this study is to develop new model and feasible alternatives by seeking solutions for national redistribution of the nuclear regulatory roles between central and local governments. Since local autonomy system has been reimplemented in Korea, it is imperative to improve reform measures for the decentralization of powers between central and local governments. The core of decentralization is to redistribute administrative authorities and roles which have been centralized, toward both self-governing body and communities. The level of decentralization depends on how to redistribute roles and functions between central and local government. Therefore, it is necessary to examine principle and type of domestic foreign role adjustment for effective nuclear regulation. Based on three prerequisite studies, role adjustment model for more effective nuclear regulation is made taking account of the current domestic environments and conditions. In the long run, the outcomes of this study will be expected to improve the optimal and democratic regulatory system in Korea

  13. Local government energy action in the UK: from service delivery to community leadership

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wade, Joanne; Pearson, Amanda; Knowland, Rachael [Impetus Consulting (United Kingdom); Flanagan, Brooke [Energy Saving Trust (United Kingdom)

    2007-07-01

    In October 2006 the UK government published a new Local Government White Paper. This policy statement set the framework for the role of local government in the coming years.The White Paper is one stage in the latest wave of local government reform in the UK. This reform has aimed to refocus attention away from delivery of specific services and towards community leadership, particularly with reference to sustainable development. Climate change is given some emphasis within the White Paper, and should become one of the indicators against which local government performance is measured.This paper examines energy action in local authorities in the past few years, in a situation where most, but not all, were still strongly focused on service delivery. By contrasting this with the results achieved in authorities that have taken a community leadership role, the paper examines the potential of the White Paper. It addresses the following questions: does local government have the capacity to deliver increased local action on climate change? Does the UK policy framework support and encourage development and deployment of this capacity? And do the national and regional bodies that provide support for local authorities need to change the services they offer in light of recent policy developments?.

  14. Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments; Second Edition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-01-01

    DOE designed this guide "Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments" to assist local government officials and stakeholders in designing and implementing strategic local solar plans. The 2011 edition contains the most recent lessons and successes from the 25 Solar America Cities and other communities promoting solar energy. Because DOE recognizes that there is no one path to solar market development, this guide introduces a range of policy and program options that can help a community build a local solar infrastructure.

  15. Towards a Viable Local Government Structure in Nigeria:

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    M.P._Ezekiel & D.O_Oriakhogba

    rates.22 Politically also, the role of the local government is to ensure effective .... potential cost savings that might result from large governmental unit.32 Under ... institutional status.33 These are very common in the USA and France. .... the thresholds of consent (in House of Assembly in respect to the area and local.

  16. Applying the system viability framework for cross-scalar governance of nested social-ecological systems in the Guiana Shield, South America

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Berardi

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the development of a conceptual framework for analyzing social-ecological systems that can be easily applied by a range of stakeholders whose interests lie at different scales, but where the results of the analysis can be compared in a straightforward way. We outline the system viability framework, which allows participants to characterize a range of strategies in response to environment challenges for maintaining the long-term survival of their particular system of interest. Working in the Guiana Shield, South America, and with a range of local, regional, and international stakeholders, our aim was to use system viability to (1 investigate synergies and conflicts between distinct scales of governance, (2 identify scale-related challenges, and (3 test the framework as a conceptual tool for supporting cross-scalar analysis for environmental governance. At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis. Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical

  17. Managing Project Team in Local Government B.A. Amujiri Abstract ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Religion Dept

    government and discovered that managing project team is indispensable in local governments .... subordinate; improve employee motivation; improve communication between .... or events required in completing the project. This will help to.

  18. Local government alcohol policy development: case studies in three New Zealand communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maclennan, Brett; Kypri, Kypros; Room, Robin; Langley, John

    2013-01-01

    Aims Local alcohol policies can be effective in reducing alcohol-related harm. The aim of this study was to examine local government responses to alcohol-related problems and identify factors influencing their development and adoption of alcohol policy. Designsettings and participants Case studies were used to examine local government responses to alcohol problems in three New Zealand communities: a rural town, a provincial city and a metropolitan city. Newspaper reports, local government documents and key informant interviews were used to collect data which were analysed using two conceptual frameworks: Kingdon's Streams model and the Stakeholder model of policy development. Measurements Key informant narratives were categorized according to the concepts of the Streams and Stakeholder models. Findings Kingdon's theoretical concepts associated with increased likelihood of policy change seemed to apply in the rural and metropolitan communities. The political environment in the provincial city, however, was not favourable to the adoption of alcohol restrictions. The Stakeholder model highlighted differences between the communities in terms of power over agenda-setting and conflict between politicians and bureaucrats over policy solutions to alcohol-related harm. These differences were reflected in the ratio of policies considered versus adopted in each location. Decisions on local alcohol policies lie ultimately with local politicians, although the policies that can be adopted by local government are restricted by central government legislation. Conclusions The adoption of policies and strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm may be better facilitated by an agenda-setting process where no ‘gate-keepers’ determine what is included into the agenda, and community mobilization efforts to create competitive local government elections around alcohol issues. Policy adoption would also be facilitated by more enabling central government legislation. PMID:23130762

  19. Collaborative Environmental Governance, Inter-Agency Cooperation and Local Water Sustainability in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Huang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Administrative fragmentation among government agencies has posed a significant challenge to environmental governance. However, few studies have theoretically examined and empirically measured how local governments in China address this with collaborative approaches. Informed by the ecology of games framework (EGF, this paper examined the status of inter-agency water governance in Dongguan City: the pilot city of aquatic ecologically friendly city of China. The research question we seek to address is: What are the main characteristics of the water governance network in local China? With empirical data collected via survey questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews following the EGF, we find that local agencies have realized the need for cooperation in water resource management. However, they were not substantially familiar with each other in the local policy network, failing to reach their full potential in collaboration. Social network analysis was used to analyze the collaborative network. We found that the network has a weak to moderate density, allowing for collective action problems and leading to insufficient cooperative governance. The network has presented central actors with strong bridging capital to control information and resource flows. We also find strong bonding capital among some policy actors as shown in high reciprocity, clustering coefficient and transitivity. To strengthen the effectiveness of local water governance, efforts should be made to establish a functional department and extend the boundary of collaborative network.

  20. Governance and Citizens' Engagement in Terms of Local Sustainable Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Sobol

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Local sustainable development emphasizes the role of a community. One of the key prerequisite of this process is therefore participation of inhabitants. Nevertheless traditional way of managing cities does not work very well in terms of public engagement. Local sustainable development requires both i.e. governance mechanisms introduced by the local authorities and positive reaction of inhabitants for the invitation for cooperation. The paper is intended to explore some critical issues and dimensions of governance and citizens' engagement in terms of local sustainable development. It shows the general outlook on the most relevant conditions, factors, problems and barriers of this process in Poland. It presents experiences of the city of Rybnik in its work towards public engagement in local development.

  1. The Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative: Climate Resilient Local Governments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, J. G.

    2008-12-01

    Local governments, the first responders to public health, safety and environmental hazards, must act now to lessen vulnerabilities to climate change. They must plan for and invest in "adapting" to inevitable impacts such as flood, fire, and draught that will occur notwithstanding best efforts to mitigate climate change. CCAP's Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative is developing a framework for informed decision making on climate adaptation. Looking ahead to projected climate impacts and 'back casting' can identify what is needed now to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build local resiliency to climate change. CCAP's partnership with King County (WA), Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade County (FL), Milwaukee, Nassau County (NY), Phoenix, San Francisco, and Toronto is advancing policy discussions to ensure that state and local governments consider climate change when making decisions about infrastructure, transportation, land use, and resource management. Through the Initiative, local leaders will incorporate climate change into daily urban management and planning activities, proactively engage city and county managers and the public in developing solutions, and build community resilience. One goal is to change both institutional and public attitudes and behaviors. Determining appropriate adaptation strategies for each jurisdiction requires Asking the Climate Question: "How does what we are doing increase our resilience to climate change?" Over the next three years, the Initiative will design and implement specific adaptation plans, policies and 'catalytic' projects, collect and disseminate "best practices," and participate in framing national climate policy discussions. In the coming years, policy-makers will have to consider climate change in major infrastructure development decisions. If they are to be successful and have the resources they need, national climate change policy and emerging legislation will have to support these communities. The Urban Leaders

  2. THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ENSURING THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verginia Vedinaș

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The study aims to examine the role that local government plays in ensuring the economic freedom. It briefly examines the status of local authorities, deliberative and executive, and also the powers that they have to create the conditions for the exercise of economic freedom. The study also examines the constitutional regime of this fundamental freedom which is part of the rights and freedoms of the first generation. The purpose of the research aimed both identifying the role of local government in ensuring this basic freedom but also to determine possible means of action to be considered by the government within the territory.

  3. The Politics of States', Local Governments' Creation and Nigeria's ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nekky Umera

    federal structure; the demands for the creation of additional states and localities to the ... The second part dwelt on local government creations, using the 1991 population ..... While big states can threaten the corporate existence and stability of ...

  4. Achievement motivation features of female servants of government and local self-government bodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.U. Kulakovsk

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The article makes the theoretical analysis of the features of professional performance of civil servants and officials of local self-government bodies. The significant level of staff turnover among civil servants and the significant level of registered unemployed among the persons who had previously worked in these structures was revealed. The article carries out the theoretical analysis of psychological researches, which testify to the existence of direct correlation between the level of achievement motivation and success in an entrepreneurial activity. The purpose has been set to study the peculiar properties of achievement motivation of civil servants and officials of local self-government bodies. The researches have shown that the level of motivation for the achievement has a straightforward connection with the success of entrepreneurship. The purpose is to study the peculiarities of the motivation of achievement of civil servants and officials of local self-government bodies. There is the possibility for engagement of fired civil servants to entrepreneurial activities. The empirical study of achievement motivation peculiarities of female employees has been conducted. A statistically significant inverse correlation between the level of achievement motivation and the length of civil service has been established. The paper substantiates the need in further research aimed at uncovering the factors responsible for the inverse correlation between the level of achievement motivation and the term of service in the civil service.

  5. State and Local Government Partnership

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barton, Alexander; Rinebold, Joel; Aresta, Paul

    2012-03-30

    The State and Local Government Partnership project has built relationships between the Department of Energy (DOE), regional states, and municipalities. CCAT implemented this project using a structure that included leadership by the DOE. Outreach was undertaken through collaborative meetings, workshops, and briefings; the development of technical models and local energy plans; support for state stakeholder groups; and implementation of strategies to facilitate the deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The final guidance documents provided to stakeholders consisted of individual strategic state “Roadmaps” to serve as development plans. These “Roadmaps” confirm economic impacts, identify deployment targets, and compare policies and incentives for facility development in each of the regional states. The partnerships developed through this project have improved the exchange of knowledge between state and local government stakeholders and is expected to increase the deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in early market applications, consistent with the DOE’s market transformation efforts. Technically accurate and objective information was, and continues to be, provided to improve public and stakeholder perceptions regarding the use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Based on the “Roadmaps” and studies conducted for this project, there is the potential to generate approximately 10.75 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity annually from hydrogen and fuel cell technologies at potential host sites in the Northeast regional states, through the development of 1,364 to 1,818 megawatts (MW) of fuel cell electric generation capacity. Currently, the region has approximately 1,180 companies that are part of the growing hydrogen and fuel cell industry supply chain in the region. These companies are estimated to have over $1 billion in annual revenue and investment, contribute more than $51 million in annual state and local tax revenue

  6. How Local Landholder Groups Collectively Manage Weeds in South-Eastern Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Sonia; Rogers, Sarah

    2017-09-01

    For two decades researchers and policy makers have been arguing that community-based collective action is needed to effectively control weeds. Yet there has been little social research into the ways that collective weed control emerges at local scales. The aim of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms through which three local landholder groups in south-eastern Australia collectively manage weeds and the measures they use to evaluate success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of three Landcare groups—Jerrawa Creek/Upper Lachlan, MacLaughlin River and Towamba Valley—as well as government staff external to the groups. The results reveal that for all three groups collective weed control is about supporting individual weed control efforts as well as proactively engaging landholders with the worst infestations. The groups were seen to be successful because they focused on the common challenge that weeds pose to all landholders, thereby removing the shame associated with having weeds, and because they organised community events that were as much about building and maintaining social relationships as improving weed control. Groups were positive about what they had achieved as collectives of landholders, but also saw an important role for government in providing funding, engaging with landholders who were unwilling to engage directly with the group, and controlling weeds on public lands.

  7. The Foundation and Development of New Zealand Local Government: An Administrative Work in Progress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew CARDOW

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available From its genesis in Mid 19th Century liberalism to its current rationalist position, local government in New Zealand has followed a similar path to that of New Zealand central government in that it has embraced a neo liberal economic rationalist view of its role in public policy. The article traces the historical foundation of New Zealand local government and the factors that have assisted in forming the current shape of local government in New Zealand. The article ends by suggesting that the system of local government is dynamic and is still in development.

  8. Rethinking Local Governance: Hierarchies and Networks in Mexican Cities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Porras

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the literature of governance has  gained relevance in public administration studies.  One of its main contributions has been to propose  that the use of networks in policy processes, instead of hierarchies, has modified our understanding of contemporary government. Governance  literature has been produced mainly in AngloSaxon countries; nevertheless, this article argues  that it has some value as a tool to explain present  dynamisms in Mexican municipalities. Local  networks have become more important to policymaking in Mexico and, as a result, nongovernmental actors are now more influential in  some policy sectors. The article proposes that this  partial shift from government to governance has  increased bureaucratic fragmentation, the blurredness between the public and private spheres, and  non-governmental self-organization. Defined in  these broad categories, governance theoretical  frameworks are useful to understand Mexican  cities. Resumen:  Reconsiderando la gobernanza local: Jerarquías y redes en ciudades mexicanasEn los últimos años, el enfoque teórico de la gobernanza (governance ha ganado terreno en los estudios de la administración pública. La gobernanza  propone básicamente que al introducir redes (en  lugar de jerarquías en los procesos de políticas  públicas, se modifica el significado tradicional de lo  que es el gobierno. Aunque la literatura de la gobernanza se ha generado sobre todo en países anglosajones, este artículo sostiene que posee un  cierto valor para analizar los gobiernos locales de  México. Las redes ahora son más importantes en  los procesos de políticas públicas locales y, por  consiguiente, los actores no-gubernamentales son  más influyentes en algunos sectores. El artículo  propone que este cambio parcial del gobierno a la  gobernanza ha incrementado la fragmentación  burocrática, la borrosidad entre lo público y lo  privado, y la auto

  9. THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LIMITED SOUTH ASIAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS AFTER FINANCIAL CRISIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dinh Tran Ngoc Huy

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available After the recent global crisis, corporate scandals and bankruptcy in US and Europe, there is some certain evidence on weak corporate governance, risk management and audit system. The 2009 India Code of Corporate Governance also revealed that during the crisis time, there are certain weaknesses although corporate structure is fairly durable. Hence, this paper chooses a different analytical approach and among its aims is to give some systematic opinions. First, it classifies limited South Asian representative corporate governance (CG standards into two (2 groups: India and Malaysia latest CG principles covered in group 1 and, group 2, including corporate governance principle from Thailand and Indonesia, so-called relative good CG group, while it uses ACCA and OECD and ICGN principles as reference. Second, it, through analysis, identifies differences and advantages between above set of standards which are and have been used as reference principles for many relevant organizations. Third, it establishes a selected comparative set of standards for South Asian representative corporate governance system in accordance to international standards. Last but not least, this paper covers some ideas and policy suggestions.

  10. Tax Limitations and Revenue Shifting Strategies in Local Government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blom-Hansen, Jens; Bækgaard, Martin; Serritzlew, Søren

    2014-01-01

    subjected to tax limitations employ revenue-shifting strategies. In Denmark, however, these strategies are contingent on the specifics of the Danish intergovernmental system, which render central government grants an attractive object of revenue-shifting strategies. Our analysis thus helps identify......The literature on tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) shows how limiting the freedom of local governments to levy taxes may have considerable unexpected effects. Entities subjected to such limitations may, as their proponents hope, react by cutting expenditures and revenue, but they may also...... strategically change their revenue structure and increase reliance on income sources not subjected to limitations. However, these findings are overwhelmingly based on studies of state and local governments in the USA. Their relevance outside this empirical setting remains unclear. A study of Denmark, where...

  11. Local governing of climate change in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berthou, Sara Kristine Gløjmar; Ebbesen, Betina Vind

    2016-01-01

    This paper is concerned with the ways in which Danish municipalities seek to mitigate climate change through a range of governance strategies. Through the analysis of ten municipal climate plans using the framework of Mitchell Dean, as well as extensive ethnographic fieldwork in two municipalities......, this paper explores how local climate change mitigation is shaped by particular rationalities and technologies of government, and thus seeks to illustrate how the strategies set out in the plans construe climate change mitigation from a certain perspective, thereby rendering some solutions more likely than...

  12. Developmental Local Government as a Model for Grassroots Socio ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR Nneka

    Indexed African Journals Online (AJOL) www.ajol.info. Vol. 4(2), S/No 14, ... Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu. Enugu State, Nigeria ... As the third tier of government, local governments are entitled to a statutory ..... with other stakeholders (Federal, State and the private sector) in implementing the.

  13. The use of mixed-methods research to diagnose the organisational performance of a local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin H. Olivier

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: The majority of local governments in South Africa are underperforming; a first step to improve their performance is to accurately diagnose their current functioning. The utilisation of a mixed-methods approach for this diagnosis based on a valid model of organisational performance will form a better and holistic understanding of how a local government is performing. Research purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the utility of mixed-methods research as a diagnostic approach for determining the organisational performance of a local government in South Africa. Motivation for the study: The use of either quantitative or qualitative data gathering in isolation as part of an organisational diagnosis can lead to biased information and not identifying the root causes of problems. The use of mixed-methods research in which both quantitative and qualitative data gathering methods are utilised has been shown to produce numerous benefits, such as confirmation of gathered data, providing richer detail and initiating new lines of thinking. Such multiple methodologies are recognised as an essential component of any organisational diagnosis and can be an effective means of eliminating biases in singular data gathering methods. Research design, approach and method: A concurrent transformative mixed-methods strategy based on the Burke–Litwin model of organisational performance with triangulation of results and findings to determine convergence validity was used. A convenience sample of 116 (N = 203 permanent officials in a rural district municipality in South Africa completed a survey questionnaire and were also individually interviewed. Main findings: Results indicate that mixed-methods research is a valid technique for establishing the integrity of survey data and for providing a better and holistic understanding of the functioning of an organisation. The results also indicate that the Burke–Litwin model is a useful and valid

  14. Identifying Motivation of the Local Governments to Improve the Sustainability Transparency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrés NAVARRO GALERA

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the sustainability tran-sparency of governments, i.e., the disclosure of information on the sustainability of their ac-tions. To do so, we identify contributory factors to the online disclosure of environmental, social, economic and general information by local gov-ernments in Nordic countries. Linear regression analysis was used to identify factors inf uencing the online dissemination of government infor-mation on sustainability; a factor analysis, as a precursor to linear regression, led us to reduce 14 explanatory variables to four factors: f nancial risk, demography, professional qualif cations and local government resources. The results obtained show that local f -nancial priorities have a greater impact on the sustainability-related content of governmental websites than does concern for the needs of the population. Furthermore, an organization’s dis-closure of its f nancial risks, together with greater awareness of stakeholders’ demands, could pro-mote transparency in the f eld of environmental, social and economic sustainability, while local demographic characteristics could foster the publication of information on environmental sus-tainability.

  15. Teacher Governance Reforms and Social Cohesion in South Africa: From Intention to Reality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmon, Thomas; Sayed, Yusuf

    2016-01-01

    The governance of teachers during apartheid in South Africa was characterised by high levels of disparity in teacher distribution and in conditions of labour. In the post-apartheid context policies and interventions that govern teachers are critical, and teachers can be seen to be placed in a central role as actors whose distribution, employment,…

  16. Diffusing the Ubuntu philosophy into e-government: a South African perspective

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Twinomurinzi, H

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This chapter reviews the context of the South African government and its conspicuous inclination to the way of life, Ubuntu. Ubuntu is growing in popularity and is increasingly being applied as an African solution to African problems such as poverty...

  17. the search for local government autonomy in nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    RAYAN_

    autonomous. Keywords: Search, local government, autonomy, pathways and realization .... time. 6 There were, for instance, the Native Authority Ordinance, the Native Revenue .... Construction and maintenance of primary schools; and e.

  18. One Health research and training and government support for One Health in South Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna S. McKenzie

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Considerable advocacy, funding, training, and technical support have been provided to South Asian countries to strengthen One Health (OH collaborative approaches for controlling diseases with global human pandemic potential since the early 2000s. It is essential that the OH approach continues to be strengthened given South Asia is a hot spot for emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases. The objectives of this article are to describe OH research and training and capacity building activities and the important developments in government support for OH in these countries to identify current achievements and gaps. Materials and methods: A landscape analysis of OH research, training, and government support in South Asia was generated by searching peer-reviewed and grey literature for OH research publications and reports, a questionnaire survey of people potentially engaged in OH research in South Asia and the authors’ professional networks. Results: Only a small proportion of zoonotic disease research conducted in South Asia can be described as truly OH, with a significant lack of OH policy-relevant research. A small number of multisectoral OH research and OH capacity building programmes were conducted in the region. The governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan have established operational OH strategies, with variable progress institutionalising OH in other countries. Identified gaps were a lack of useful scientific information and of a collaborative culture for formulating and implementing integrated zoonotic disease control policies and the need for ongoing support for transdisciplinary OH research and policy-relevant capacity building programmes. Discussion: Overall we found a very small number of truly OH research and capacity building programmes in South Asia. Even though significant progress has been made in institutionalising OH in some South Asian countries, further behavioural, attitudinal, and institutional changes are required to

  19. One Health research and training and government support for One Health in South Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenzie, Joanna S; Dahal, Rojan; Kakkar, Manish; Debnath, Nitish; Rahman, Mahmudur; Dorjee, Sithar; Naeem, Khalid; Wijayathilaka, Tikiri; Sharma, Barun Kumar; Maidanwal, Nasir; Halimi, Asmatullah; Kim, Eunmi; Chatterjee, Pranab; Devleesschauwer, Brecht

    2016-01-01

    Considerable advocacy, funding, training, and technical support have been provided to South Asian countries to strengthen One Health (OH) collaborative approaches for controlling diseases with global human pandemic potential since the early 2000s. It is essential that the OH approach continues to be strengthened given South Asia is a hot spot for emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases. The objectives of this article are to describe OH research and training and capacity building activities and the important developments in government support for OH in these countries to identify current achievements and gaps. A landscape analysis of OH research, training, and government support in South Asia was generated by searching peer-reviewed and grey literature for OH research publications and reports, a questionnaire survey of people potentially engaged in OH research in South Asia and the authors' professional networks. Only a small proportion of zoonotic disease research conducted in South Asia can be described as truly OH, with a significant lack of OH policy-relevant research. A small number of multisectoral OH research and OH capacity building programmes were conducted in the region. The governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan have established operational OH strategies, with variable progress institutionalising OH in other countries. Identified gaps were a lack of useful scientific information and of a collaborative culture for formulating and implementing integrated zoonotic disease control policies and the need for ongoing support for transdisciplinary OH research and policy-relevant capacity building programmes. Overall we found a very small number of truly OH research and capacity building programmes in South Asia. Even though significant progress has been made in institutionalising OH in some South Asian countries, further behavioural, attitudinal, and institutional changes are required to strengthen OH research and training and implementation of sustainably effective

  20. THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE PROCESS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Skica

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the role of local governments in supporting entrepreneurship development. The content of the article presents the factors which foster activities undertaken by local authorities to promote entrepreneurship and also shows different considerations of when the supporting instruments are in use. The article is also an assessment of current activities of local governments in the sphere of supporting business initiatives. It indicates potential of possible changes in local policy on supporting entrepreneurship. The article sets out areas of possible improvements in policy when stimulating economic activity by local authorities. It addresses the improvements of the objective restrictions which are laid out by the existing legal framework.

  1. Rethinking Local Governance: Hierarchies and Networks in Mexican Cities

    OpenAIRE

    Francisco Porras

    2007-01-01

    In recent years, the literature of governance has  gained relevance in public administration studies.  One of its main contributions has been to propose  that the use of networks in policy processes, instead of hierarchies, has modified our understanding of contemporary government. Governance  literature has been produced mainly in AngloSaxon countries; nevertheless, this article argues  that it has some value as a tool to explain present  dynamisms in Mexican municipalities. Local  networks ...

  2. Operationalising performance management in local government: The use of the balanced scorecard

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zwelinzima J. Ndevu

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: Local government forms that part of the public sector closest to citizens and therefore indispensable in its role of providing essential goods and services and developing the local area. Local government has the authority and functions necessary to provide services for the maintenance and promotion of the well-being of all people within their area and should provide access to basic services such as water, electricity and health care. Research purpose: This study examines performance management as a tool in local government effective provision service delivery. The critical question addressed in this paper was how the balanced scorecard (BSC can be used to improve performance in the context of local government and assist in eradicating the current challenges of lack of quality services, poverty and infrastructure development. Motivation for the study: The need for continuous improvement in service delivery at local government compounded by high levels of service delivery protest requires regular review of performance management system. Research approach: To understand the current context and challenges facing local government, the applicable legislative framework including the Constitution, white paper and the National Development Plans were perused to better understand the legal environment in which local government operates. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate theory on organisational effectiveness. Semi-structured interviews were used to solicit expert opinions. Main findings/managerial implications: The BSC approach emerged as the preferred tool because the method offered the authors the opportunity to review non-financial and financial factors to arrive at a balanced conclusion. A BSC tool was developed and applied to the Joe Gqabi District Municipality as a case study. Practical implications: The BSC as a performance management tool enables organisations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them

  3. Nevada local government revenues analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-06-01

    This report analyzes the major sources of revenue for Nevada local government for purposes of estimating the impacts associated with the siting of a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Each major revenue source is analyzed separately to identify relationships between the economic or demographic base, the revenue base and the revenues generated. Trends and changes in the rates and/or base are highlighted. A model is developed for each component to allow impact estimation. This report is a companion to the report Nevada State Revenues Analysis

  4. THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION AND GOVERNANCE ON LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

    OpenAIRE

    Armenia ANDRONICEANU

    2013-01-01

    Globalization and the crises context have influenced the local economic development in Romania and determined the government to adapt its policies according to them. This paper presents part of the results of a specific research on the impact of globalization and the government policies to the local economic development. The sample was composed by small and medium size enterprises from Bucharest. They are specialized in export of products from three main areas. The research methodology includ...

  5. Process of the of Local Self-Government Formation in Australia

    OpenAIRE

    Anastasya S. Zukovec

    2016-01-01

    Local self-government in Australia went through difficult stage of formation in the territories of a continent that is severe and remote from the European center. Under the influence of the metropolis, a certain type of organization of local self-government was implanted for a long time. But the peculiarity of the environment and ways in which the infrastructure was organized influenced the type of organization of the municipal authority in Australia and was of decisive importance. Therefore,...

  6. Local government`s pollution prevention program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swanson, D. [Boulder Country Pollution Prevention Program, Boulder, CO (United States)

    1996-12-31

    The pollution prevention program operated by the Health Department of Boulder County is called Business Partners for a Clean Environment (Business Partners). It is a cooperative effort among local businesses, the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. This nonregulatory, incentive-based program provides industry with pollution prevention information and technical assistance necessary to reduce and/or eliminate environmental waste. This paper provides an overview of the program development, creation of partnerships and trust, and some of the results from implementation of the program. Following the first 18 months of the program, 35 businesses were recognized as Business Partners. The Business Partners program has also received an achievement award from the National Association of Counties for promoting {open_quotes}responsible, responsive, and effective government{close_quotes} and two governor`s awards from the State of Colorado. Participating businesses have demonstrated that a pollution prevention program can reduce environmental waste, increase employee safety, and decrease costs. 4 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.

  7. Enterprise investment, local government intervention and coal overcapacity: The case of China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yanfang; Zhang, Ming; Liu, Yue; Nie, Rui

    2017-01-01

    Long-term management of China's coal overcapacity depends on the targeted policy guidance on industry production capacity expansion in the overcapacity formation process. In this study, coal enterprise and local government are treated as game participants, and a three-stage dynamic game model has been developed to depict the boosting effect of the game behavior of coal enterprise's and local government's capacity investments in different markets of supply and demand. The results are shown in the following: (1) local government has been the 'behind-the-scenes' operator of over-investment and redundant construction, and its excessive interventions in coal industry investment have been the primary cause of overcapacity formation; (2) when the market is in short supply, coal enterprise's optimal behavior is to continuously increase the rate of investment growth until it reaches the threshold to obtain the maximum excess profits, ultimately leading to overinvestment in the industry; and (3) the key factors affecting the game abilities of coal enterprise and local government are the market's self-regulation and the central government's supervision intensity. Although the Chinese government, a highly vertically oriented bureaucratic structure, is implementing a mandatory de-capacity policy to alleviate the intensity of excessive coal capacity, it is not a long-term regularization on the supply-side reform. - Highlights: • The formation of China's coal overcapacity is studied from capacity investors. • A three-stage game is developed to depict the boosting effect of coal overcapacity. • Local government has been the 'behind-the-scenes' operators of coal overcapacity. • Coal enterprise's optimal strategy is reaching an investment-max with undersupply. • Chinese government should rely more on market mechanisms instead of intervention.

  8. Internal audit in small local governments in Latvia

    OpenAIRE

    Faitusa, Ivita

    2017-01-01

    Research background The role of internal audit is to provide independent assurance that an organisation’s risk management, governance, and internal control processes are operating effectively. Purpose of the article The purpose of the article was to substantiate the significance of the internal audit function and the relationship between indicators in financial statement (revenue and balance sheet value) and the existence of the internal audit function in local governments in Latvia and to...

  9. Implementation of Computer Assisted Test Selection System in Local Governments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Azis Basri

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available As an evaluative way of selection of civil servant system in all government areas, Computer Assisted Test selection system was started to apply in 2013. In phase of implementation for first time in all areas in 2014, this system selection had trouble in several areas, such as registration procedure and passing grade. The main objective of this essay was to describe implementation of new selection system for civil servants in the local governments and to seek level of effectiveness of this selection system. This essay used combination of study literature and field survey which data collection was made by interviews, observations, and documentations from various sources, and to analyze the collected data, this essay used reduction, display data and verification for made the conclusion. The result of this essay showed, despite there a few parts that be problem of this system such as in the registration phase but almost all phases of implementation of CAT selection system in local government areas can be said was working clearly likes in preparation, implementation and result processing phase. And also this system was fulfilled two of three criterias of effectiveness for selection system, they were accuracy and trusty. Therefore, this selection system can be said as an effective way to select new civil servant. As suggestion, local governments have to make prime preparation in all phases of test and make a good feedback as evaluation mechanism and together with central government to seek, fix and improve infrastructures as supporting tool and competency of local residents.

  10. Development of Management, Child Development Centers Organization rule Local Government in Udon thani

    OpenAIRE

    Suriya Sukram; Chaiyot Ruangsuwan

    2017-01-01

    This research aims to study the composition and indications 1. The Child Development Centre under the local governments in UdonThani province 2. Study the current state and the desired operating child care centers under the jurisdiction of local governments in UdonThani province. 3. Develop the child development centers under the local governments in UdonThani province. The operation is divided. Phase one of the elements and indicators, the Child Development Center. By synthesi...

  11. Pathological Corporate Governance Deficiencies in South Africa's State-Owned Companies: A Critical Reflection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tebello

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Globally, states use state-owned companies (SOCs or public corporations to provide public goods, limit private and foreign control of the domestic economy, generate public funds for the fiscus, increase service delivery and encourage economic development and industrialisation. Particularly given its unique socio-political and economic dynamics, a country such as South Africa clearly needs this type of strategic enterprise. Yet, that does not mean that everything at our SOCs is as it should be. The beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC has recently seen the resignation of board members, shareholder interference in its operational affairs, and a high turnover of chief accounting officers and other executive management members. Due to non-performance, it has also received several cash injections from its shareholder to enable it to continue to deliver its services. In addition, the shareholder minister took it upon herself to amend the SABC's memorandum of incorporation, conferring upon herself the authority to appoint, suspend or even dismiss key executive members. South African Airways (SAA, in turn, has had seven CEOs in less than four years, has had to be bailed out at a cost of R550 million, and has in addition been granted a R5 billion guarantee by the shareholder for a restructuring exercise. Other SOCs such as Eskom, the Post Office and Telkom have also experienced high board and executive management turnover, perennial underperformance necessitating regular bailouts, and challenges regarding the division of power between their boards and the various shareholder ministers. Another issue that seems to plague South Africa's SOCs is the appointment of board members and executive officials with questionable qualifications. By critically examining the corporate governance challenges besetting the SABC, SAA and Eskom in particular, this article seeks to explore the root causes of the corporate governance deficiencies of SOCs

  12. A study on the role adjustment between central and local government II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuk, D. I.; Ahn, S. K.

    2004-01-01

    The goal of this research is to construct new system and feasible action plans by seeking solutions for more effective redistribution of the nuclear regulatory roles between central and local governments. From 1995 on, since local autonomy system has been reimplemented in Korea, it is imperative to develop reformative alternatives for the decentralization of powers between central and local governments. The core devolution is to redistribute administrative roles and functions which have been centralized, toward both self-governing bodies and communities including NGO. The level of devolution in nuclear regulatory system depends on how to redistribute nuclear related roles and functions among central/local government with KINS. Therefore, it is very important to examine general principles criteria and type of domestic/foreign role adjustment for effective/rational/democratic nuclear regulation. Based on previous model and system proposed, role adjustment action plans are reviewed taking account of the nuclear environmental changes in the localization era. In the long run, the result of this research will be expected to utilize the optimal and democratic regulatory system in Korea

  13. A study on the role adjustment between central and local government II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuk, D. I. [Chungnam National University, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, S. K. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2004-07-01

    The goal of this research is to construct new system and feasible action plans by seeking solutions for more effective redistribution of the nuclear regulatory roles between central and local governments. From 1995 on, since local autonomy system has been reimplemented in Korea, it is imperative to develop reformative alternatives for the decentralization of powers between central and local governments. The core devolution is to redistribute administrative roles and functions which have been centralized, toward both self-governing bodies and communities including NGO. The level of devolution in nuclear regulatory system depends on how to redistribute nuclear related roles and functions among central/local government with KINS. Therefore, it is very important to examine general principles criteria and type of domestic/foreign role adjustment for effective/rational/democratic nuclear regulation. Based on previous model and system proposed, role adjustment action plans are reviewed taking account of the nuclear environmental changes in the localization era. In the long run, the result of this research will be expected to utilize the optimal and democratic regulatory system in Korea.

  14. Enhancing Local Community’s Involvement and Empowerment through Practicing Cittaslow: Experiences from Goolwa, South Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Park Eerang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study attempted to investigate how and the extent to which Cittaslow philosophy and practice enhanced local community’s involvement and empowerment in relation to tourism development from the sustainability’s perspective. As an empirical study, a series of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders including local government, local business, and local community’s members were conducted in Goolwa, the first Australian accredited Cittaslow town since 2007, located in South Australia. The results indicated that to a greater extent the accreditation and practice of Cittaslow philosophy in Goolwa increased a stronger and more effective collaboration amongst local community, business and residents as an essential element for achieving sustainability in tourism development. Not only did it encourage the local community’s participation in decision making process from the beginning of tourism development, but also revitalised the locality and sense of place of Goolwa through promoting local specialities and produces, in particular food and wine products. The results also suggested that psychological and social aspects of local community’s empowerment have been significantly enhanced after the establishment of Cittaslow. Yet, the economic empowerment of the local community was less experienced.

  15. Good Governance in Public Procurement: A South African Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Roos

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available In this article good governance in public procurement, with particular reference to accountability is discussed. The principle of providing adequate remedies in public procurement is put under the spotlight. This is done with reference to the decision in Steenkamp NO v Provincial Tender Board, Eastern Cape. In this case the Constitutional Court had to consider whether an initially successful tenderer could lodge a delictual claim for damages to compensate for expenses incurred after conclusion of a contract, which was subsequently rendered void on an application for review of the tender award. The applicable principles of good governance and the applicable provisions of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement and the WTO plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement are analysed. This is done to enable an evaluation of the decision by the Constitutional Court in the above case. It is concluded that the South African public procurement system does in this instance comply with the basic principles of good governance with regard to accountability.

  16. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROLE IN THE SOLVING OF CATCHING FISH ILLEGALLY IN ACEH REGION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adwani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to describe the shape of local government actions in tackling illegal fishing in Aceh, the handling of illegal fishing destructive fishery resources. The fundamental point is Law No. 45 Year 2009 concerning fisheries. This spesification of this research descriptive analysis, used both normative juridical approach and empirical. The results showed that the local government has made an effort preventive and repressive in the case of illegal fishing. To coordinate with relevant agencies and empower the role of traditional institutions of the sea to assist the role of government and law enforcement.Local governments should improve the coordination and supervision of the marine area, to monitor and evaluate the performance of local authorities in applying the law against this illegal fishing case.

  17. Performative Actions in E-Adoption Processes: Strategic Efforts in a Local Government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjelholt, Morten

    2015-01-01

    In this paper the concept of performative action is introduced to address how individuals can engage in IT adoption processes. The study investigates how local government employees adopt and localize ideas from a Danish National IT initiative called eDay3. Particularly the actions of a project...... and variance of the specific local government. Second, a feedback loop re-attaching the localized project to the national reform program in order to maintain and protect the newly formed local practices. The study concludes that individuals actively struggle for social positions in IT adoption processes...

  18. Effects of Housing Costs and Home Sales on Local Government Revenues and Services

    OpenAIRE

    Allee, David J.

    1991-01-01

    The subtitle of this paper should be " How recession and federal devolution have caused local governments to cut services and raise property taxes --now, what should be done in response to the resulting clamor for local government consolidation?" Housing drives local government services. Home sales represent opportunities for more income and more costs. Intergovernmental competition for tax base and the role of state and federal aid to provide equity between jurisdictions are central to the q...

  19. Governance and Youth Participation in local policy making

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eklund Karlsson, Leena; Haaber Pettersen, Charlotte Louise; Aro, Arja R.

    2016-01-01

    research strategy was applied to examine these two case studies. Data was collected under the REPOPA Project (Research into Policy to enhance Physical Activity) though semi-structures interviews (N=11), analysed through content analysis and supported by analysis of 123 background documents. Results: Youth...... was involved in policy making only through adult representation. These adult stakeholders became part of participatory governance in developing the healthy public policies in both Odense and Esbjerg municipalities. Conclusion: Youth participation in local HEPA policy making in Esbjerg and Odense did not meet...... the Danish principle of participatory policy process and good health system governance. Main messages: Mechanisms to facilitate youth participation in policy making in the study communities were lacking. The Danish goal of improved participatory policy making at the local level was not met....

  20. Continuing Vocational Training in Local Government in Portugal, 2000-05--What Has Changed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrito, Belmiro Gil; Simao, Ana Margarida Veiga; Alves, Mariana Gaio; Almeida, Antonio

    2009-01-01

    Local government in Portugal had a good opportunity to modernise through the Programa de Formacao para as Autarquias Locais (Foral) [Training programme for local authorities], implemented between 2000 and 2005. Substantial financial resources were made available through the programme to retrain local government human resources in order to improve…

  1. INTEGRATED DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nistor Razvan

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we present system analysis and design elements for the integrated document management solution at local governing authorities in the rural areas. While specifically dealing with the actual management of the Agricultural Register, an important primary unitary evidence document, we also keep a general character of the discussion, in order to argue for the generality of the proposed solution. Hence, for the identified and described problem space we propose an administrative and software infrastructure solution. This work is an empirical research in which our aim is primarily to identify key problems within the local governing authorities from several perspectives concerning the management of the Agricultural Register then to address those problems with an integrated document management system. For the proposed solution we give and argue the general system architecture and describe the key-mechanisms that support quality requirements. The relevance of this research concern is given by the impact of the actual Agricultural Register management on important stakeholders. This can be measured as the satisfaction felt by taxpayers and the performance of the local governing authorities, the Financial Administration, the Agency of Payments and Intervention in Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This work is also intended as a start-point for a new, modern thinking of the governing authorities in their pursue to improve public services. For this, in our work we highlight the importance of complete system analysis at all administrative levels as a main priority concern for all public managers. Our aim is the improvement of the public service by rising the awareness of the decision makers on the necessity of using integrated document management solutions for the provided services. Also, our work aims at increasing the efficiency with which nowadays, governing authorities invest public funds in various IT projects

  2. Grid-connected photovoltaic system design for local government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Grid-connected photovoltaic system design for local government offices in Nigeria. ... Nigerian Journal of Technology. Journal Home ... It is neat, silent and elegant process of generating electric power in environmentally friendly manner. In this ...

  3. Design and Analysis of Financial Condition Local Government Java and Bali (2013-2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natrini Nur Dewi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to identify financial condition of local government in Java and Bali year 2013-2014. It is due to government financial condition, according to several researchers, provides an image on the ability of a government in fulfilling their obligations whether in the form of debt or service fulfillment in timely manner. According to assessment upon financial condition, local government is able to identify how to fulfill public needs, how to utilize resources and how to proceed resources so that it can be more productive. As for the measurement method of financial condition itself, the standard method cannot be determined. Therefore, indicator used for measuring local government financial condition is Brown's (1993[2] indicator development adjusted to Indonesian government. In order to develop the indicator, this research employs qualitative method by comparing GASB No.34, SAP Government Regulation (“Peraturan Pemerintah” - PP 71 Year 2010, SAP PP 24 year 2005 and literature studies and expert validation. In order to obtain a balanced comparison, this research also employs clusters developed by Baidori (2015[1] for government in Java and Bali. Results of this research showed that among 7 analyzed clusters, there are variations of results, even though each cluster has similar socioeconomic condition to each other. This variation upon Indonesian local government financial condition is caused by regional autonomy.

  4. Transforming local government by project portfolio management: Identifying and overcoming control problems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Lars Kristian

    2013-01-01

    Purpose – As public organizations strive for higher e-government maturity, information technology (IT) Project Portfolio Management (IT PPM) has become a high priority issue. Assuming control is central in IT PPM, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a Danish local government conducts...... workshop, and analyses of documents. Findings – It is found that the local government relies vastly on informal control mechanisms and five control problems are identified: weak accountability processes between the political and administrative level; weak accountability between the director level...... the identified control problems. Research limitations/implications – As a single qualitative case study, the results are limited to one organization and subject. Practical implications – The paper has implications for IT PPM in Danish local governments and similar organizations in other countries. The paper...

  5. Network approach for local and community governance of energy: The case of Oxfordshire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parag, Yael; Hamilton, Jo; White, Vicki; Hogan, Bernie

    2013-01-01

    One of the many barriers to the incorporation of local and community actors in emerging energy governance structures and policy delivery mechanisms is the lack of thorough understanding of how they work in practice, and how best to support and develop effective local energy governance. Taking a meso-level perspective and a network approach to governance, this paper sheds some new light on this issue, by focusing on the relation, channels of communication and interactions between low carbon community groups (LCCGs) and other actors. Based on data gathered from LCCGs in Oxfordshire, UK, via network survey and interviews the research maps the relations in terms of the exchanges of information and financial support, and presents a relation-based structure of local energy governance. Analysis reveals the intensity of energy related information exchanges that is taking place at the county level and highlights the centrality of intermediary organization in facilitating information flow. The analysis also identifies actors that are not very dominant in their amount of exchanges, but fill ‘weak-tie’ functions between otherwise disconnected LCCGs or other actors in the network. As an analytical tool the analysis could be useful for various state and non-state actors that want to better understand and support – financially and otherwise – actors that enable energy related local action. - Highlights: • We used social network analysis to examine local and community governance of energy. • We examined information and financial support flow within the network. • Analysis highlights central and peripheral actors in the local governance structure. • The findings highlight the central role intermediary organizations have in local governance structures

  6. Discretionary powers: threats and opportunities for the development of local government in Ukraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. M. Tarasenko

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The essence of discretionary powers of authorities and officials of local government has been developed, and possible dangers associated with their implementation in the context of the local government development in Ukraine have been outlined. The study attempts to specify the nature of these powers with due regard to the specific features of local government and outline approaches for improving the regulation of relations in the exercise of discretionary powers. The need for further researches in this area in the field of public administration, in particular, regarding the practice­oriented research support to activities of authorities and officials of local government in this area, has been substantiated. The article focuses on the importance of not only reducing the number of discretionary powers, but also ensuring the proper monitoring of the exercise of such powers on the basis of law, justice, and expediency. The article emphasizes the need to strengthen accountability of authorities and officials of local government, including the social and political accountability and development of practices of public control over the decision­making in the field of local government. The research results confirm the relevance of an issue of the formation of competence of officials on the matters of the exercise of discretionary powers. It is recommended to develop the techniques of making decisions or actions during the implementation of discretionary powers as methodological support. This methodology is based on the requirements of the Administrative Court Procedure Code of Ukraine and existing methodologies with anti­corruption expertise. It has been noted that discretionary powers of authorities and officials of local government make it possible to increase the level of their freedom in the activities concerning the functions of local government. It gains in particular importance in the absence of decision­making opportunities otherwise

  7. A Paradigm Shift in Water Quality Governance in a Transitional Context: A Critical Study about the Empowerment of Local Governance in Georgia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sisira S. Withanachchi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The management of water quality is an important part of natural resource governance. Assurance of water quality therefore requires formulation of the regulatory framework and institutional process. Water quality-related problems and their management are mainly recognized as local responsibilities in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM. The politics of environmental policy-making should consider the political economic dynamics and socio-ecological patterns. Decentralization by providing more power to the local level and moving to a new spatial management system that is based on water basins are the two strong entreaties in the new water governance paradigm. Transitional countries facing rapid institutional adjustment, restructuring of regulations, and political-economic changes are encountering these demands internally and externally in their policy formulations. In this context, this study critically examines the case of Georgia, a transitional country. In particular, the focus is on how local governance entities can be empowered and what obstacles water quality governance encounters in Georgia. Qualitative research design is the main research method implemented in this study. The key findings from the research analysis are as follows: the existing regulations and governance system do not facilitate the active engagement of local entities in water quality governance. The application of new water polices may fail again if a top-down governance model is put in place that only creates a narrow space for local governance entities to effectively govern water quality.

  8. Women’s local government representation in Auckland – does size matter?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Webster

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The article examines women’s local government representation following amalgamation to form a super-sized city authority, Auckland, which covers a third of New Zealand’s population. Using a gender perspective, it analyses the promise implicit in amalgamation rhetoric that democratic gaps in representation, including the gender gap, would diminish. It examines the question of whether size has made a difference. Prior to local government amalgamation, women’s representation had not significantly increased over a period of seven election cycles. Women’s descriptive and substantive representation are examined at national and city levels and the gendered implications of local government reform are considered from the perspectives of female elected representatives at councillor and local board levels. Evidence shows that local government reform has yet to be the catalyst for improving women’s descriptive and substantive representation, although there are tentative signs of entry-level improvement at community board level which raise the prospect of a pipeline effect. Interviews with elected female representatives after amalgamation show that while they do not identify themselves as speaking for women, they see themselves as women speaking for their communities and doing it better than men. The results suggest the influence of gender backlash politics and also confirm the need to think about the performance of elected women as more than ‘articulated’ representation.

  9. New CLGF Four-Year Grant to Help Local Government Service Delivery and Boost CLGF’s Research Capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucy Slack

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The UK Department for International Development (UK AID has agreed £4.5 million funding for a four-year CLGF programme to improve governance and service delivery at local level in several areas of the Commonwealth including Africa and Asia from 2012-16. It will also help to support national policy frameworks for local government service delivery, and increase engagement of local government in regional policy planning and implementation. CLGF will continue to work with its members, UN partners and others to mobilise more resources towards the support of local government in the Commonwealth. The new programme will focus on local government pilot projects in LED, supporting ministries and local government associations in strengthening their national policy making for local government, and establish regional forums to enable local government to engage in and influence regional policy making to reflect the needs and priorities of local government. It will also boost CLGF’s research capacity with targeted research to strengthen CLGF’s policy making and advocacy, including more sustained engagement in international policy debates on key issues affecting local government, such as climate change.

  10. Local Social and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels: Global Comparative Assessment and Implications for Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura German

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The 2000s witnessed the rapid expansion of biofuel plantations in the global South in the context of a growing trend of crop plantation expansion. This trend has been spurred by policies in the European Union, United States, Brazil, and other countries favoring the use of biofuels in the transport sector to enhance energy security and reduce carbon emissions, as well as by the desire of governments in developing countries to harness the stimulus that new commercial investments provide to the agricultural sector and to national economies. Despite these potential benefits, a number of concerns have been raised about the local social and environmental impacts of biofuel feedstock expansion. We shed light on this debate through a synthesis of findings from case studies in six biofuel producer countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and a seventh paper exploring the implications of the land-use changes observed in these case studies for the climate mitigation potential of biofuels. We also explore the implications for governing the environmental impacts of biofuel feedstock production, protecting the rights of customary land users, and enabling smallholder-inclusive business models. Our analysis suggests that better governance of the sector's impacts is not the exclusive preserve of unitary sets of actors, but instead requires concerted and coordinated efforts by governments of producer and consumer countries, investors, civil society, and the financial sector to better capture the sector's potential while minimizing its social and environmental costs.

  11. Towards a New Digital Era: Observing Local E-Government Services Adoption in a Chinese Municipality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yao Yang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available As electronic government services (e-government evolve, traditional applications such as online portals are encountering challenges in a new digital era in which people thirst for more convenient, diverse channels of communication with their government. Despite the efforts devoted to the promotion of Social Networking Service (SNS use in e-government for the past few years, empirical studies regarding this ongoing trend are still insufficient. In the local administration of China, a special collaboration between local governments and private Internet enterprises is happening: government services are imported into commercial SNS platforms known as WeChat and Weibo. This research conducts a case study of a Chinese municipality premised upon survey data (N = 605 collected in Chongqing. It examines the determinants of e-services adoption in four major local applications: two traditional government-led services “Government website portal” and “Government official app” (traditional government-led services, and two built-in government services on social networking applications “Weibo Government official account” “WeChat Public Services”. The paper aims to provide a closer understanding of current trends in local government e-services, or in this case, an innovative trial of Chinese e-government practices.

  12. Theoretical Bases of the Model of Interaction of the Government and Local Government Creation

    OpenAIRE

    Nikolay I. Churinov

    2015-01-01

    Article is devoted to questions of understanding of a theoretical component: systems of interaction of bodies of different levels of the government. Author researches historical basis of the studied subject by research of foreign and domestic scientific experience in area of the theory of the state and the law. Much attention is paid to the scientific aspect of the question. By empirical approach interpretation of the theory of interaction of public authorities and local government, and also ...

  13. IT Mangement for Transforming Local Government - a Danish Collaborative Practice Research Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kræmmergaard, Pernille; Agger Nielsen, Jeppe

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to present the methodology and preliminary findings from an on-going Danish collaborative practice research project concerning IT-Management in Transformational e-Government - DISIMIT. The ambition of the DISIMIT project is to improve IT management in local governments...... (municipalities) and to contribute with knowledge about IT-Management to the IS literature in general and to the e-government literature in particular. The paper reports on the process of conducting collaborative practice research and the selected findings from the empirical research activities. Up till now...... of eGovernment maturity and diagnosed the six main challenges faced by local governments in their efforts of realizing transformational e-Government. From these challenges, the project chose three challenges to investigate further according to the principles from Collaborative Practice Research...

  14. Towards Improving Local Government Administration on the Rural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Towards Improving Local Government Administration on the Rural Poor in Nigeria: The Role of ... African Journal of Sustainable Development ... Using a threshold population of less than 20,000 rural areas in the region were identified and ten ...

  15. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This is a report oi' an involtigatlon into an outbreak of meningitis in three communities oi' Baruten Local. Government Area (Min) of Kwara Btate, Nigeria. is total of 41 cases of eerebroapinal meningitis (6838) were reported. There wee a preponderance of males (78%). Thirty-'eight (92.7%) did not receive CS!' vaccine while ...

  16. Decentralised Local Governance and Poverty Reduction in Post-1991 Ethiopia: A Political Economy Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeshtila Wondemeneh Bekele

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available After 1991, Ethiopia has introduced an ethnic federal governance system constituting nine regional states and two autonomous city administrations, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The restructuring of the state seemingly led to the decentralisation of power to the regions and Woreda (district authority levels local governance structure in 1995 and 2002 respectively. The purpose of this article is to examine the practices of decentralised local governance in Ethiopia in general and the local governance performance at the level of peasant association (Kebele in particular. The article also analyses the link between the local governance and poverty based on three indicators: decentralisation and self-rule (DSR, local capacity for planning (LCP, and effectiveness of local governance system (ELGS. Data was collected from eight selected Kebeles of three different regional states through household survey, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions. The study shows that while the power and control of the central government is well established, the Kebeles lack the capacity and resources to deliver development. The LCP at Kebele level is weak because of organisational incapacity and institutional constraints related to DSR. The ELGS is also poor since Kebeles do not have any fiscal rights and administrative power for the reasons associated with DSR and LCP. The government has been implementing poverty reduction strategies using productive safety net programmes and farmer training centres. These, however, have not had the desired outcome due to organisational and institutional incapacitation of Kebele administrations.

  17. Local Self-Government in Central and Eastern Europe: a Strong and Independent Local-Level Management Tool or Just a Paper Tiger?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vjekoslav Bratić

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available The onset of the independence process in Central and Eastern European (CEE countries during the 1990s was marked by tremendous optimism and a declared wish for stronger fiscal decentralisation and the transfer of powers, responsibilities and resources to the units of local and regional self-government that were supposed to be closest to citizens in resolving their daily problems. However, this has not happened in these countries, at least not according to the basic financial decentralisation indicators, and this is the main thesis of this work. Despite numerous adjustments made in the local self-government organisation in the observed countries, an optimum level of local and regional self-government organisation has still not been achieved. The units of local and regional self-government are still heavily dependent on, or rather restricted by, the strong central governments, which reduces their autonomy and their influence on the local social and economic development.

  18. Examining the possible influence of societal violence on governance effectiveness in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Collins C Ngwakwe

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the possible influence of violent protests on the effectiveness of governance in South Africa. South Africa continues to experience huge number of labour as well as popular municipal service delivery protests. The popular social view with ensuing protests has often pointed at governance inefficiency as the cause of violent protests. This paper adopts a slightly different view in its analysis of violent protests and instead looks at possible influence of violence as possible instigator of ineffective governance. The paper is conceptually rooted in reviews – combined with simple regression test of possible relationship between violent protest and governance effectiveness. The authors also present an examination of probable relationship between violent protests and governance effectiveness using observation of macro-economic data trends from the World Bank. The findings reveal a probable weakening in governance effectiveness or its perception thereof as a result of violent protests. Amongst others, violent protests produces a psyche of perpetual victimhood that leads to further violence resulting in less value attached to lives, destruction of economic property, increases pollution, production stoppages for goods and services and in turn depletes government revenue generation and frustrates international investors. We postulate that under condition explained above, government effectiveness in managing public resources becomes weakened and may lead to wastage and inefficiency as the resources and revenues employed in controlling violent protests are unplanned and do not often lead to constructive and sustainable public policy. We suggest that this condition therefore may result in reduction in economic growth which in turn perpetuates the same weaknesses that led to society protests and violence.

  19. LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAX COMPETITION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1918-1938

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Haas

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The study evaluates tax competition among local governments in Czechoslovakia during the interwar period. Using correlation and regression analysis it proves that (1 local politicians took into account the tax policies of neighbouring jurisdictions when imposing additional tax rates on top of the direct central taxes, (2 there were some regional differences, (3 migration played its role in tax rate setting and (4 the "race-to-the-bottom" did not take place.

  20. The Role of Government Public Relations As Facilitators Communication in Bureau of Public Relation at South Kalimantan Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belinda Devi Larasati Siswanto

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available As the windows of information, communication facilitator role in Government Public Relation (GPR serve as all-in-and-out of information from or to publics. For that, this research be held to find about the communication facilitator role on GPR of South Kalimantan Provincial Government. This research intends to knowing communication facilitator role to provide information to people and otherwise. This research uses qualitative approach with descriptive case study method, the data collection through observation and depth interview with informants purposively selection. The research result showing the communication facilitator role in GPR Bureau is not optimal, caused by unavailable information who can be accessed by the public or the otherwise. Government Information which should can be accessed at government official website or at the social media not be optimized by the GPR Bureau well as the Main Information Management and Documentation Officer (IMDO whose role is held by the GPR Bureau of the information that should be accessible through the website, is not available. This contrasts with some Local Work Unit function only a Subsidiary IMDO, but they were ready to provide information to the public through a website managed

  1. Local Self-Government as an Architect of Coalitions for Local Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Gąsior-Niemiec

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper addresses the new role played by local self-government units in Poland. Main factors that determine the public authorities’ capacity to become architects of coalitions for local development are identified. Coalitions are defined as partnerships linking and mobilizing stakeholders anchored in three sectors: public, economic and non-governmental. The coalition-making role of the public organs is investigated on the basis of Local Action Groups (LAGs, which are pro-developmental cross-sector organizations established in rural areas of the Podkarpackie (Sub-Carpathian Voivodesh ip, Poland. Findings are presented that draw on quantitative and qualitative results of the research project that investigated mechanisms involved in the operation of the cross-s ector coalitions. The dominant role of the public authorities in those coalitions is demonstrated. The Community-led Local Development model is referred to as the future framework for LAGs.

  2. Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McIlvaine, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sutherland, K. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2013-12-01

    In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multi-year field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual energy savings of 15-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the 'current best practices.' A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. Our new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.

  3. Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McIlvaine, J. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States); Sutherland, K. [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States)

    2013-12-01

    In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual energy savings of 15%-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the "current best practices". A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. The new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.

  4. Traditional leadership factor in modern local government system in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Traditional leadership factor in modern local government system in Ghana: policy Implementation, role conflict and marginalization. ... at promoting education, health and environmental management, are highly commendable in Ghana.

  5. Analysis of relationship between the local governments and the power companies through the changes of safety agreements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugawara, Shin-etsu; Inamura, Tomoaki; Kimura, Hiroshi; Madarame, Haruki

    2009-01-01

    In Japan, safety of nuclear facilities is regulated by the central government and local governments are responsible for protecting the local public. To operate nuclear facilities in local communities, local governments would conclude safety agreements with power companies. In recent years, local governments have used the safety agreements as excuse for delaying the operations of nuclear facilities. The legal basis of the safety agreements was questioned by some who considered that this was the cause of the stranded relationship between local governments and power companies, and in some cases, the interrupted nature of electricity supply. To understand the sources of this difficult relationship, safety agreements must be analyzed, although these documents may have undergone revisions, and various regulations may have changed. By analyzing the safety agreements and revisions, we found that the relationship between local governments and power companies gradually changed over time, which can be divided into the following 3 stages: (1) in the early 70s, the dawn stage when local governments groped with the situation of nuclear facilities built in their communities; (2) from late 70s to 90s, the stage when local governments demanded information, and (3) from late 90s to present, the stage when local governments demand information and trustworthiness. This paper shows the results of analyzing the relationship changes between local governments and power companies. We conclude that viewpoints of local governments on nuclear power evolve, as social responsibilities of power companies stipulated in safety agreements also evolve over time. (author)

  6. Promoting Sustainability Transparency in European Local Governments: An Empirical Analysis Based on Administrative Cultures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrés Navarro-Galera

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the transparency of governments with respect to the sustainability of public services is a very interesting issue for stakeholders and academics. It has led to previous research and international organisations (EU, IMF, OECD, United Nations, IFAC, G-20, World Bank to recommend promotion of the online dissemination of economic, social and environmental information. Based on previous studies about e-government and the influence of administrative cultures on governmental accountability, this paper seeks to identify political actions useful to improve the practices of transparency on economic, social and environmental sustainability in European local governments. We perform a comparative analysis of sustainability information published on the websites of 72 local governments in 10 European countries grouped into main three cultural contexts (Anglo-Saxon, Southern European and Nordic. Using international sustainability reporting guidelines, our results reveal significant differences in local government transparency in each context. The most transparent local governments are the Anglo-Saxon ones, followed by Southern European and Nordic governments. Based on individualized empirical results for each administrative style, our conclusions propose useful policy interventions to enhance sustainability transparency within each cultural tradition, such as development of legal rules on transparency and sustainability, tools to motivate local managers for online diffusion of sustainability information and analysis of information needs of stakeholders.

  7. The effects of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on local governments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Makoto; Dake, Kinji

    2012-01-01

    All Japan council of local governments with atomic power stations consisted of 24 reactor site and 6 neighboring local governments to solve reactor site related problems. Nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station affected member local governments to be forced in severe conditions such as 'removal of administrative function' or 'refuge over a wide district beyond local government area', not imagined before. The council set up working group for thirteen local governments themselves to investigate this disaster and find safety and prevention of disaster measures to be deployed in nuclear administration, which published report in March 2012. This article described outline of investigation and derived problems and direction of their solution. Main items were related with communication, resident evacuation, prevention of disaster system, and management of refuge site. (T. Tanaka)

  8. Limits to Decentralization in Mozambique: Leadership, Politics and Local Government Capacities for Service Delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.P.J. Machohe (Antonio)

    2011-01-01

    textabstractMozambique has been a centralized State since its independence in 1975. During this time, local government has depended on the Central Government and has lacked autonomy in both local policy decisions and resource management in addition to the complete failure of effective local services

  9. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Using good and Cooperative Governance to improve Environmental Governance of South African World Heritage sites: A Case Study of the Vredefort Dome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L Kotzé

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available South Africa became a signatory to and ratified the World Heritage Convention, 1972 (WHC in 1997. It thereby voluntarily agreed to identify and conserve world heritage areas of universal value for the benefit of mankind. This article presents a case study of the Vredefort Dome, one of South Africa's World Heritage Sites (WHS and specifically its governance strategies to ensure proper and sustainable governance. Firstly, the issue of fragmentation of the environmental governance regime applicable to WHS is discussed, and in doing so, refers to the various legislative and common law responsibilities and institutional structures related to environmental governance of WHS. Secondly, it briefly discusses the concept of good governance and the concept of cooperative governance as a sub-component of good governance. Finally it comprehensively proposes various strategies to ameliorate the current fragmented and unsustainable environmental governance effort relating to WHS.

  10. Realising local government visions for developing district heating: Experiences from a learning country

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bush, Ruth E.; Bale, Catherine S.E.; Taylor, Peter G.

    2016-01-01

    District heating (DH) has an important role to play in enabling cities to transition to low-carbon heating. Although schemes are commonplace in some countries, in ‘learning countries’ where building-level technologies make up the majority of heating systems there are numerous barriers to introducing DH. Local governments are seen as key actors in helping to create a ‘shared vision’ for DH amongst stakeholders. This study uses interviews with stakeholders from a range of sectors in the UK (an example of a learning country) to examine the visions of local actors for developing DH and the types of national policy that would support local implementation of these visions. The analysis shows that in engaging with DH development local governments seek multiple types of value. Realising this value will most likely happen by taking a long-term, planned approach to development. In contrast, national government policy is geared towards techno-economic criteria and may lead to only a minority of potential sites being developed, without realisation of wider social or environmental benefits aligned to local visions. The work highlights the importance of local strategic planning, enabled by aligned national policy, in realising the full economic, environmental and social benefits of DH. - Highlights: • Local governments are key to the development of district heating (DH). • Local government-led visions of DH seek to deliver complex value. • In the UK development is led by funding and commercial factors and is not strategic. • To enable DH, national policy must align with the vision of local actors. • Social and environmental criteria must be incorporated in decision-making.

  11. Local government energy action in the UK: from service delivery to community leadership. Volume 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wade, Joanne; Pearson, Amanda; Knowland, Rachael [Impetus Consulting (United Kingdom); Flanagan, Brooke [Energy Saving Trust (United Kingdom)

    2007-07-01

    In October 2006 the UK government published a new Local Government White Paper. This policy statement set the framework for the role of local government in the coming years.The White Paper is one stage in the latest wave of local government reform in the UK. This reform has aimed to refocus attention away from delivery of specific services and towards community leadership, particularly with reference to sustainable development. Climate change is given some emphasis within the White Paper, and should become one of the indicators against which local government performance is measured.This paper examines energy action in local authorities in the past few years, in a situation where most, but not all, were still strongly focused on service delivery. By contrasting this with the results achieved in authorities that have taken a community leadership role, the paper examines the potential of the White Paper. It addresses the following questions: does local government have the capacity to deliver increased local action on climate change? Does the UK policy framework support and encourage development and deployment of this capacity? And do the national and regional bodies that provide support for local authorities need to change the services they offer in light of recent policy developments?.

  12. Local government energy action in the UK: from service delivery to community leadership. Volume 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wade, Joanne; Pearson, Amanda; Knowland, Rachael; Flanagan, Brooke

    2007-01-01

    In October 2006 the UK government published a new Local Government White Paper. This policy statement set the framework for the role of local government in the coming years.The White Paper is one stage in the latest wave of local government reform in the UK. This reform has aimed to refocus attention away from delivery of specific services and towards community leadership, particularly with reference to sustainable development. Climate change is given some emphasis within the White Paper, and should become one of the indicators against which local government performance is measured.This paper examines energy action in local authorities in the past few years, in a situation where most, but not all, were still strongly focused on service delivery. By contrasting this with the results achieved in authorities that have taken a community leadership role, the paper examines the potential of the White Paper. It addresses the following questions: does local government have the capacity to deliver increased local action on climate change? Does the UK policy framework support and encourage development and deployment of this capacity? And do the national and regional bodies that provide support for local authorities need to change the services they offer in light of recent policy developments?

  13. COMPARING THE TREND BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND THE INCREASE IN TAX REVENUE FOR THE COUNTRY’S TAXPAYERS

    OpenAIRE

    Jacobs, Lerike; Moolman, Anneke Maré

    2017-01-01

    Adam Smith provides guidance through the four Canons of Taxation to assist government to design a good tax system based on a set of principles. These principles are being applied throughout the world, as well as in South Africa. However, the South African government has been challenged to reduce income inequality and promote growth. This has led to an increase in government spending. Although literature provides information about governmental spending, spending patterns have not been in...

  14. A review of governance of maternity services at South Tipperary general hospital

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Flory, David

    2015-09-01

    This review of the governance of maternity services at South Tipperary General Hospital has focussed on the systems and processes for assurance of service quality, risk management and patient safety primarily inside the hospital but also in the Hospital Group structure within which it operates. The effectiveness of the governance arrangements is largely determined by the quality of the leadership and management – both clinical and general – which designs, implements, and oversees those systems and processes and is ultimately responsible and accountable.\\r\

  15. Legitimacy Crisis and Elite Conspiracy in Local Government Administration in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eddy Akpomera

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Nigeria, the world’s most populous black nation, faces a major crisis in its federal structure and democratic experience. Despite the allusion to democratic governance of the country, the political class, especially elected state governors, and the bureaucratic elite have turned autocratic, refusing to obey the Constitution which demands compulsory elections into the local government administration, siphoning the statutory allocation to the councils from the Federation Account, generating instability in the polity, and arresting the socioeconomic development at the grassroots. This paper puts in perspective the legitimacy crisis and elite conspiracy in the local government council administration, which has spread rural poverty and discontentment among the citizenry, and recommends concrete steps to arrest the calamitous drift.

  16. The Dynamics of Corporate Governance in South Africa: Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment and the Enhancement of Good Corporate Governance Principles

    OpenAIRE

    Esser, Irene-marié; Dekker, Adriette

    2008-01-01

    This paper illustrates the effect of BBBEE on good corporate governance.\\ud Corporate governance and specifically directors’ duties relating to stakeholder protection are\\ud focused on. Traditionally, directors are expected to manage a company in the best interests of the\\ud shareholders collectively. The question arises as to whether directors should also consider the\\ud interests of other stakeholders, inter alia employees, creditors, the environment and the\\ud community. The South African ...

  17. The information published by local governments. The websites of Catalonia’s municipal governments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Corcoy Rius

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The information issued by government institutions must be complete and intelligible so that citizens are able to exercise their right to participation based on informed decisions and the media professionals can use consider these institutions as reliable sources of information. This article presents the results of the development and application of a method to evaluate the information offered by the websites of the municipal governments of Catalonia in order to encourage policymakers to introduce improvements to these platforms. Methods. The sample of study includes the institutional websites run by the government of 947 municipalities of Catalonia. The evaluation is based on 41 purpose-created indicators. Results. The results have been represented on an online geographical mapping tool, titled Map of Good Practices in Local Public Communication, which offers individual and general results and statistics. Conclusions. The publication of results has quickly led to improvements in the sample of websites under analysis, which has led the research team to apply the same evaluation method to the websites of the municipal governments of other five Spanish autonomous communities.

  18. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERVISION OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE BALTIC STATES: A COMPARATIVE VIEW

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VIOLETA KIURIENÉ

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article analyses models of administrative supervision of local self-government in the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of these models. The research done in this article defines the theoretical concept of administrative supervision of local self-government; gives an overview of the legislative framework underpining the key administrative supervision bodies of local self-government in the Baltic States; discusses the issue of legal regulation and the present state of administrative supervision over local self-government units in the Baltic States; gives some theoretical and practical suggestions to develop this field in the Baltic States.The research methods employed in preparation of this article are theoretical methods of analysis of scientific literature and sources, legal acts and documents as well as comparative and logical analysis, induction and generalisation. Three Baltic States similar in their area, number of inhabitants, and governmental peculiarities have been chosen for the analysis.

  19. THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LIMITED SOUTH ASIAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS AFTER FINANCIAL CRISIS

    OpenAIRE

    Dinh Tran Ngoc Huy

    2015-01-01

    After the recent global crisis, corporate scandals and bankruptcy in US and Europe, there is some certain evidence on weak corporate governance, risk management and audit system. The 2009 India Code of Corporate Governance also revealed that during the crisis time, there are certain weaknesses although corporate structure is fairly durable. Hence, this paper chooses a different analytical approach and among its aims is to give some systematic opinions. First, it classifies limited South Asian...

  20. Theoretical Bases of the Model of Interaction of the Government and Local Government Creation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolay I. Churinov

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Article is devoted to questions of understanding of a theoretical component: systems of interaction of bodies of different levels of the government. Author researches historical basis of the studied subject by research of foreign and domestic scientific experience in area of the theory of the state and the law. Much attention is paid to the scientific aspect of the question. By empirical approach interpretation of the theory of interaction of public authorities and local government, and also subjective estimated opinion of the author is given.

  1. Where does the money go? A peregrination of government spending in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raphael T Mpofu

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The study looked at the relationship between GDP per capita and health expenditure per capita as well as that of GDP per capita and education expenditure per capita in South Africa between 1994 and 2012. Adolph Wagner’s “Law” proposes that a state will increase its government expenditure relatively to the national income (Henrekson, 1993. Any change in the amount of health expenditure will influence the per capita health expenditure in a country. In this study, using the Human Development Index (HDI as the yardstick for Quality of Life (QoL, the concepts of Standard of Living (SoL and per capita income were examined closely in relation to the role of government in its public expenditure programmes and how these programmes in turn influenced QoL. In particular, the role of government expenditure on health and education seems to signify the commitment of a government in improving the HDI or QoL. Using data on government expenditure in South, the relationships amongst these variables were examined. Since Quality of Life is related to health expenditure per capita, then QoL too should change as government health expenditure increases. The same is expected of an increase in education expenditure. From the study results, it is clear that total tax revenue has increased sharply since 2000 and at a much faster rate than its contribution to GDP but the government deficit has also burgeoned in tandem with government revenue collection as if in tango. The reality is that government expenditure has increased sharply since 1993 but has this been directed at QoL? Public service protests tell a different story. The departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Police seem to be receiving the largest revenue votes, raising the question of whether there is real value added and whether this expenditure is warrantied in terms of SoL.

  2. 75 FR 66054 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services, Public...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-27

    ... Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services, Public Accommodations and in... of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities and Public Accommodations; Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government...

  3. Local government note: new perspectives of unsealed roads in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Paige-Green, P

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available in most countries. In South Africa they make up more than 75 per cent of the total road network and probably 95 per cent of the low volume road network. Unsealed roads come with various disadvantages over sealed roads, primarily the ongoing... and continual maintenance as well as the accompanying environmental problems. The maintenance, whether grader blading to restore riding quality or replacing the gravel lost under traffic and environmental actions is both costly and disruptive to the normal...

  4. Economic Analysis Of Yam Marketing In Obubra Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Economic Analysis Of Yam Marketing In Obubra Local Government Area Of Cross River State, Nigeria. ... Characteristics of the sellers, marketing channels, marketing margin and efficiency were also ... EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT

  5. Combined Loadings and Cross-Dimensional Loadings Timeliness of Presentation of Financial Statements of Local Government

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muda, I.; Dharsuky, A.; Siregar, H. S.; Sadalia, I.

    2017-03-01

    This study examines the pattern of readiness dimensional accuracy of financial statements of local government in North Sumatra with a routine pattern of two (2) months after the fiscal year ends and patterns of at least 3 (three) months after the fiscal year ends. This type of research is explanatory survey with quantitative methods. The population and the sample used is of local government officials serving local government financial reports. Combined Analysis And Cross-Loadings Loadings are used with statistical tools WarpPLS. The results showed that there was a pattern that varies above dimensional accuracy of the financial statements of local government in North Sumatra.

  6. THE LEGAL INDEBTEDNESS CAPACITY OF ROMANIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS - THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bilan Irina

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The factual, not only formal capacity of local governments to appeal to borrowed resources is, considering the current conditions, a prerequisite for ensuring economic and social development of local communities. In this paper we intend to position the main theoretical and empirical evidences on local governments indebtedness capacity, mainly focusing on its sizing according to Romanian regulatory framework. With respect to previous research, the issue approached is one of great interest as it has not been, in the Romanian literature on local public finances, subject to a separate analysis of proportions. The undertaken analysis comprises a quantitative dimension, based on processed data from the consolidated general budget of Romanian local governments for 2007-2009, in permanent conjunction with monitoring and analysis of the involved qualitative aspects. To ensure the relevance of the research results, the analysis undertaken refers to the legal framework in function throughout the considered period of time, without involving the legislative changes operated in mid-2010. The main conclusions drawn from our analysis indicate that, considering the current Romanian socio-economic environment, under the impact of specific factors of different nature, the legal indebtedness capacity is far from being well valued, thus bringing its benefits to local communities development. This conclusion is valid from a global perspective as well as for different types of local communities. This appears to be inconsistent with the permanently claimed need to fund important local public investments, mainly in infrastructure, indicating, despite the high legal indebtedness capacity, the lack of factual access to borrowed resources. We suggest, therefore, to introduce the concept of effective indebtedness capacity, the result of a particularized correlation for different local governments between legal indebtedness capacity and the manifestation of several factors

  7. Processing and utilization of soyabean in Toro local government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Processing and utilization of soyabean in Toro local government area of Bauchi state, Nigeria. ... Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ... from the farmers on their socio-economic characteristics, information sources and adoption of soybean ...

  8. A condition of a research of local government in the Ukrainian scientific literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Z. Hirnyak

    2014-07-01

    The Constitution of 1918 brings some clarity and perspectives of local government in the Ukrainian People’s Republic. The system of local government had to include the lands, provinces and communities, and their relationship with the state anticipated in the form: «Without prejudice to its single power, UPR provides land, townships and communities with the right of wide government, keeping to the principle of decentralization.» And in the civil war, those intentions were realized.

  9. Developing stereotypes to facilitate dialogue between social entrepreneurs and local government

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hogenstijn, Maarten; Meerman, Martha; Zinsmeister, Joop

    2018-01-01

    Social enterprises and government share the ultimate goal of solving societal problems, which provides a lot of potential for collaboration between the two parties. While the local government level is the most relevant for social enterprises, little research has been done on the relationship between

  10. Barriers facing local governance in the implementation of sanitation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study aimed at exploring the barriers facing local governance in the ... Methods: A qualitative research method was employed whereby in-depth interviews were ... All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and content ...

  11. To the problem of improving normative legal basis of organization of local self-government in Russia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Bazhenova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The subject. The crisis of local self-government actualizes the problem of effectiveness oflegal regulation of the issues of its organization.The purpose of the paper is evaluation of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework forthe organization of local government.The methodology of research includes systematic analysis, formal legal method, interpretationof legislation.The results and scope of application. The crisis of local self-government actualizes the problemof effectiveness of legal regulation of the issues of its organization. Evaluation of theeffectiveness of the regulatory framework for the organization of local government is reducedto two questions: what are the limits of state legal regulation and what are the beginningof the division of powers on the organization of local government between the RussianFederation and the subjects of the Russian Federation.Recognizing the optimal legislative approach to the definition of the limits of state regulation,which assumes the creation at the federal level of a full-fledged legal mechanism for the implementationof local self-government, subject to its combination with the beginning of municipalself-regulation, the author criticizes the legislative approach to delineating the powersto organize local self-government between the Federation and the subjects of the Federation.Conclusions. Due to the legislative formula, according to which the scope of regional powersdepends on the discretion of the federal legislator, the local self-government turned out tobe "hostage" to the emerging federal relations.

  12. Effects of Educating Local Government Officers and Healthcare and Welfare Professionals in Suicide Prevention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshio Hirayasu

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Suicide is a major public health issue. In Japan, local governments are responsible for suicide prevention, and local government officers are therefore expected to act as gatekeepers for suicide prevention. In this study, through a questionnaire survey, the authors examined the current knowledge and attitudes concerning suicide prevention among local government officers and healthcare and welfare professionals, and the effects of providing suicide prevention education on their knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and its prevention. One hundred eighty-three local government officers and 432 healthcare/welfare professionals completed the survey before and after a single education session. Before the session, the local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals showed mainly positive attitudes toward suicide prevention efforts, with little difference between the two groups. After the training, knowledge and attitudes were further improved for most questionnaire items. Respondents with one or more experiences of suicide prevention training showed significantly more knowledge and positive attitudes before the training than those with no such experience. Moreover, knowledge of depression and having a sympathetic attitude were found to be especially associated with the overall attitude that “suicide can be prevented”. Training in suicide prevention was shown to be effective in promoting appropriate knowledge and attitudes among local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals who are gatekeepers for preventing suicide. Our findings confirm the importance of suicide prevention education, and will contribute to creating a standard educational program on suicide prevention in Japan.

  13. Mapping the Context: Insights and Issues from Local Government Development of Music Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenny, Ailbhe

    2011-01-01

    Recent years have revealed local government to be a fundamental stakeholder in the development of arts and music communities. This article provides a context for an exploration and study of the issues, themes and dilemmas that surround local government and music communities. In particular the article provides this examination from an Irish…

  14. Modes of Governing and Policy of Local and Regional Governments Supporting Local Low-Carbon Energy Initiatives; Exploring the Cases of the Dutch Regions of Overijssel and Fryslân

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beau Warbroek

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent scholarly attention shows increasing involvement of local low-carbon energy initiatives (LLCEIs in governance and policy, in particular in relation to innovations regarding low-carbon energy and energy efficiency. The future perspective of active citizenship in the production of locally generated low-carbon energy is largely dependent on the existing institutional and policy frameworks and settings. Subnational governments, in particular, can have a prominent role in this process by engaging in institutional adaptation and policy innovation. The central research question of this paper is: In what ways do local and regional governments innovate in governing to respond to the emergence of LLCEIs? The research question is answered by comparing two case studies: the Dutch regions of Overijssel and Fryslân. We have conceptualized a meta-governing approach of experimentation, characterizing the innovations in governing that emerge when governments respond to the emergence of LLCEIs. We specifically focus on two capacities that subnational governments can use to enhance their governing capacity vis-à-vis LLCEIs and which substantiate the experimental meta-governance mode: institutional adaptation and policy innovation. We then formulated hypotheses that specify the expected policy innovations and institutional adaptations employed vis-à-vis LLCEIs. Data collection involved in-depth interviews and use of secondary data. The results show that a balancing process of authoritative and enabling modes of governing particularly characterized the type of policy innovations that were developed and the institutional adaptations that took place. Both provinces govern LLCEIs at arm’s length and issue significant capacity-building strategies that vary in terms of their conditions. Municipalities, however, incline towards impromptu and opportunistic responses, some of them having lasting effects by patching up existing institutional settings, others

  15. Women's Participation and Gender Issues in Local Governance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DrNneka

    Key Words: Gender issues, local governance, women empowerment, women ... A higher percentage of the people in the Nigeria live at the grassroots .... Data collected as presented in Table 1 (see appendix) shows that in both zones.

  16. Factors of Local E-Government Development in Poland: The Case of the Poznań Agglomeration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Perdał Robert

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper seeks to analyse factors of e-government development at the local government level in Poland. The analysis proceeded in three stages. In the first, a survey of the literature on the subject was made and a model of factors of e-government development was constructed. In the second, the factors distinguished were operationalised: indicators representing them were constructed. The third stage involved an empirical verification of the model using partial correlation and multiple regression methods; significant factors of e-government development were distinguished at the local government level. The analysis was conducted for a group of 18 communes making up the Poznań agglomeration. It was demonstrated that significant factors of local e-government development in Poland included the level of socio-economic development, inhabitants’ access to ICT, their attitudes and skills, the size of administrative units, attitudes of local authorities and leaders, a vision and a strategy of e-government development, human resources in offices, and the financial situation of a commune.

  17. Prevalence of Adolescent Pregnancy in Ganye Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adolescent pregnancy is formally defined as a pregnancy in a young woman who has not reached her 20th birthday when the pregnancy ends, regardless of whether the woman is married or is legally an adult. The prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in Ganye local government area, Adamawa state were assessed.

  18. Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments (Book)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2011-01-01

    DOE designed this guide—Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments—to assist local government officials and stakeholders in designing and implementing strategic local solar plans. The 2011 edition contains the most recent lessons and successes from the 25 Solar America Cities and other communities promoting solar energy. Because DOE recognizes that there is no one path to solar market development, this guide introduces a range of policy and program options that can help a community build a local solar infrastructure.

  19. AIDS activists take South African government to court.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baleta, A

    2000-08-26

    In South Africa, AIDS activists are taking legal action against their government because of its refusal to provide HIV-positive women with drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Treatment Action Campaign gave the health department an ultimatum to make moves to change policy on treating infected mothers; however, since the department had not responded, the legal process was set to begin. Mark Heywood, the Campaign's spokesman, said that the campaign is pushing for the implementation of programs on a phased basis to provide zidovudine or nevirapine at facilities where it is possible. It is noted that the government has remained steadfast in its opposition to an expansion of the program to all HIV-positive women attending state health services. Although Health Minister Mantho Tshabalala Msimang said that the drug regulatory authority is reviewing results of studies on nevirapine use, with a view to possible registration of the drug, Heywood argues that such an action continues to question the efficacy of antiretrovirals since these tests have already been done.

  20. Project governance: selected South African government experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. van der Walt

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Some form of accountability and power structure binds all organisations. Such structures are typically referred to as the “governance” structure of the organisation. In organisations that have relatively mature project applications and methodologies in place, governance mechanisms are established on more permanent bases. With its focus on performance, results and outcomes, project governance establishes decision-making structures, as well as accountability and responsibility mechanisms in public institutions to oversee projects. As government institutions increasingly place emphasis on project applications for policy implementation and service delivery initiatives, mechanisms or structures should be established to facilitate clear interfaces between the permanent organisation and the temporary project organisation. Such mechanisms or structures should enhance the governance of projects, that is, the strategic alignment of projects, the decentralisation of decision- making powers, rapid resource allocation, and the participation of external stakeholders. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept “project governance”, and to highlight examples of project governance as applied in selected government departments in provincial and national spheres. This would enable the establishment of best practice examples and assist to develop benchmarks for effective project applications for service delivery improvement.

  1. Solar Photovoltaic Financing: Deployment on Public Property by State and Local Governments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cory, K.; Coughlin, J.; Coggeshall, C.

    2008-05-01

    State and local governments have grown increasingly aware of the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of taking a lead role in U.S. implementation of renewable energy, particularly distributed photovoltaic (PV) installations. Recently, solar energy's cost premium has declined as a result of technology improvements and an increase in the cost of traditional energy generation. At the same time, a nationwide public policy focus on carbon-free, renewable energy has created a wide range of financial incentives to lower the costs of deploying PV even further. These changes have led to exponential increases in the availability of capital for solar projects, and tremendous creativity in the development of third-party ownership structures. As significant users of electricity, state and local governments can be an excellent example for solar PV system deployment on a national scale. Many public entities are not only considering deployment on public building rooftops, but also large-scale applications on available public lands. The changing marketplace requires that state and local governments be financially sophisticated to capture as much of the economic potential of a PV system as possible. This report examines ways that state and local governments can optimize the financial structure of deploying solar PV for public uses.

  2. Local governance of energy. Clarification of stakes and illustration by spatial planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saujot, Mathieu; Ruedinger, Andreas; Guerry, Anais

    2014-01-01

    As energy transition implies important societal transformations, the authors developed an analysis framework about the main questions raised by local governance: role of the different levels of local communities in the definition and implementation of strategies, key stakes of the sharing of skills between the State and communities, and stakes regarding spatial planning in this context. The authors first address the issue of relevance of the different territorial scales in a context of evolution of energy policies. They propose an overview of this issue with reference to the debate on local governance of transition. They discuss the return on experience of decentralisation in other fields of action of local policies, notably urban planning and spatial planning

  3. Tributes imposed on tourists as a new-old source of local governments income

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcin BURZEC

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The growth in a number of tourists and, consequently, a larger income obtained from tourism by the state led to the situation when the previously marginalized tributes imposed on tourists by local governments have assumed greater significance. Additional revenues to local units’ budgets, gained from the above-mentioned tributes, are often allotted for better infrastructure and tourist promotion, thereby contributing to the increased tourist competitiveness. The present paper discusses the construction of levies imposed on tourists by local governments in various European states. Besides, the issues of how local governments can influence the construction of the tax within the frames of the granted tax autonomy are examined. Due to the fact that in many European countries burdens imposed on tourists by local units can be called taxes, fees or other levies, the term „tribute”, as a broader one including all statutory charges, is intentionally used in the present paper.

  4. Fiscal Policy and Local Government Administration in Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Toshiba

    system of financial regulations put in place to curtail the degree of corruption at ..... state governors feel the impact of fiscal centralism. ... Treasurer to the Local Government and the Head of Internal Audit. ... and issuing of false certificate of job completion by an accounting .... Lagos: Federal Ministry of Information. p.19; 118.

  5. a case study of Ede north local government workers.

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ABEOLUGBENGAS

    Risky behaviours and attitudes of healthy Nigerians towards kidney failure: a case ... attitudes of healthy populace of workers of Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. .... exercise 247 (74.6%), use of alcohol 239 (72.2%).

  6. Corruption and misconduct: A behavioural reflection from investigative reports into local government

    OpenAIRE

    Aquinas J. Purcell

    2014-01-01

    This paper offers a local government perspective on the behavioural factors which can be the precursors for corruption and misconduct and those factors which can prevent corruption and misconduct. The investigation centred on corruption and misconduct evidenced from local government investigation reports in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A corruption and misconduct taxonomy was developed and the role of the audit committee in the oversight of corruption and misconduct allegati...

  7. The Development of Local Self-Government in Russia in the Late XVII – First Quarter of XVIII Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bykov Aleksandr V.

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available On the basis of analysis of normative-legal acts, with the involvement of Russian scientists of XIX – beginning of XX centuries and results of modern studies of the development of local self-government in the Russian Empire of the XVII – first quarter of XVIII century the article is focused on issues of regulatory-legal regulation, the ratio of state and local interests in the activities of local administration bodies, relations of the crown (appointed by the Central government, the Czar and elected bodies of local governance. The Author reveals the motivation of the central government (the Czar to the formation of a new local government system, its features, functions. The legal bases and the principles of election of officers of local authorities are also discussed. It is concluded that the attempt to introduce in Russia the local municipal city self-government on foreign models was unsuccessful. The Author expresses an opinion on the limited nature of elected bodies of local governance, the primacy of the interests of the central government in their activities.

  8. Facebook as a Dialogic Strategic Tool for European Local Governments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arturo HARO-DE-ROSARIO

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The main aim of this study is to analyze theextent to which local governments in the EU applydialogic strategies in their Facebook profi lesin order to establish and enhance relations withsociety, and then to examine the impact of certainfactors on the implementation of these dialogicstrategies. A descriptive analysis is madeof the implementation of the dialogic communicationtheory in relation to the use of Facebook,and this is followed by an explanatory analysisof factors leading local governments to apply dialogicprinciples. These analyses show that thesituation is open to improvement, because localgovernments are mostly unaware of the benefi tsoffered by the use of dialogic principles when establishingonline relationships with stakeholders,and greater awareness would enable them to enhancesuch relationships.

  9. A Closer look on Ineffectiveness in Riau Mainland Expenditure: Local Government Budget Case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yandra, Alexsander; Roserdevi Nasution, Sri; Harsini; Wardi, Jeni

    2018-05-01

    this study discussed about the issues on ineffectiveness of expenditure by one Indonesia local Government in Riau. This Provence were amounted Rp. 10.7 trillion through Local Government Budget (APBD) in 2015. According to data from Financial Management Board and Regions Assets (BPKAD) APBD Riau in 2015 stood at approximately 37.58% until October 2015,another data taken from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Riau regional budget, from January to December 2015, it shows the lowest in Indonesia which amounted to 59.6%. The percentage described the lacking implementation of the budget, this can be interpreted that Riau government is less optimal and irrelevant in spending the budget in 2015. Through a theoretical approach to government spending, the implementation of public policies showed the ineffectiveness of the budget that have implicated towards regional development. As regional budget is only the draft in achieving the targets. Budget management in 2015 by the provincial administration through the Local Government Unit (SKPD) shows unsynchronized between the Medium Term Development Plan with the work program from SKPD.

  10. A reappraisal of accounting changes in Dutch local government

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bogt, Henk ter

    2007-01-01

    Abstract Municipalities and provinces in the Netherlands, denoted here as local government, have introduced many major accounting changes and changes in other management control aspects since 1985. However, various change initiatives and new instruments were dropped after a short while, were

  11. Local governments' roles of the compensation for damage by the Tokai JCO criticality accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanabe, Tomoyuki

    2003-01-01

    The Tokai JCO criticality accident on September 30, 1999 was the first case to which The Law on Compensation for Nuclear Damage was applied. Although the Law on Compensation for Nuclear Damage formulates the outline of the institutional framework for nuclear third party liability together with operator's insurance scheme, details of actual compensation procedure are not specified. By this reason, the compensation procedure in the Tokai accident had been executed without a concrete legal specification and a precedent. In spite of this situation, the compensation procedure with the accident led to an unexpectedly successful result. We observe the several reasons why the compensation procedure was implemented successfully despite the lack of concrete legal specification and a precedent. One of the reasons is that the local governments, Tokai Village and Ibaraki Prefecture, immediately took the leadership in implementing a temporary regime of compensation procedure without wasting time for waiting national government's directives. Upon practicing this compensation procedure, the local governments implemented the following steps. (1) Initial estimation of the amount and scope of damage. (2) Providing the criteria and heads of damage subject to compensation. (3) Unitary compensation procedure at the local levels. (4) Distribution of emergency payments for the victims. (5) Facilitating compensatory negotiation between the victims and JCO as arbitrator. However, some concerns are also pointed out about the fact that the local government directed the whole procedure without sufficient adjustment with the national government for compensation policy. Among all, in the compensation led by the local governments, it was difficult to guarantee fairness of compensation because victims who are influential on the local government such as industrial associations would have unfairly strong negotiation power in the compensatory negotiation, while the operator being responsible for the

  12. Medicinal plants used by the people of Nsukka Local Government Area, south-eastern Nigeria for the treatment of malaria: An ethnobotanical survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odoh, Uchenna E; Uzor, Philip F; Eze, Chidimma L; Akunne, Theophine C; Onyegbulam, Chukwuma M; Osadebe, Patience O

    2018-05-23

    Malaria is a serious public health problem especially in sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria. The causative parasite is increasingly developing resistance to the existing drugs. There is urgent need for alternative and affordable therapy from medicinal plants which have been used by the indigenous people for many years. This study was conducted to document the medicinal plant species traditionally used by the people of Nsukka Local Government Area in south-eastern Nigeria for the treatment of malaria. A total of 213 respondents, represented by women (59.2%) and men (40.8%), were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results were analysed and discussed in the context of previously published information on anti-malarial and phytochemical studies of the identified plants. The survey revealed that 50 plant species belonging to 30 botanical families were used in this region for the treatment of malaria. The most cited families were Apocynaceae (13.3%), Annonaceae (10.0%), Asteraceae (10.0%), Lamiaceae (10.0%), Poaceae (10.0%), Rubiaceae (10.0%) and Rutaceae (10.0%). The most cited plant species were Azadirachta indica (11.3%), Mangifera indica (9.1%), Carica papaya (8.5%), Cymbopogon citratus (8.5%) and Psidium guajava (8.5%). The present findings showed that the people of Nsukka use a large variety of plants for the treatment of malaria. The identified plants are currently undergoing screening for anti-malarial, toxicity and chemical studies in our laboratory. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN LOCAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT: A PANACEA TO ALL LOCAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT ILLS?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela van der Berg

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available It is anticipated that the occurrence and intensity of disasters will increase globally and in South Africa where typical disasters include droughts, floods, extreme hailstorms, gales, fires and earthquakes, as well as sinkholes arising from mining activity in dolomitic areas. Disasters such as these result in human suffering and damage to the resources and infrastructure on which South Africans rely for their survival and the maintenance of their quality of life. Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 affords to everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her health and well-being. It may be argued that a person's sense of environmental security in relation to the potential risks and dangers of disaster falls within the scope of the protection provided by section 24. The responsibility to intervene for the protection of the interests inherent in the constitutional environmental right lies with the government of South Africa. Disaster management specifically is a functional area of competence of national and provincial government, but practice has shown that the actual implementation of and planning for disaster management happens in the local government sphere. Against the backdrop of these introductory discussions and, given the fact that several municipalities in South Africa are under-resourced, this article very specifically aims to critically discuss and describe from a legal perspective the potential and function of public-private partnerships (PPPs between local government (municipalities and the private sector (such as industries in fulfilling the legally entrenched disaster management mandate of municipalities. Through a critical evaluation of some existing PPPs, this article illustrates that the private sector has a key role to play in assisting municipalities to fulfil their legally entrenched disaster management mandate.

  14. The Australian optometric workforce 2005, analysed by local government areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiely, Patricia M; Horton, Peregrine; Chakman, Joseph

    2007-03-01

    Previous studies of the Australian optometric workforce have taken a coarse view of the distribution of optometrists, at best comparing concentrations of optometrists in city and country areas and between states and territories. A more discriminating approach recognising the size and variation in population density of the country is necessary for a more realistic insight into the optometric workforce. This study addresses the distribution of optometrists across smaller geographic units, known as local government areas (LGAs). The number of equivalent full-time optometrists in each Australian LGA was determined using data from the Optometrists Association Australia database. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian national health program (Medicare) were applied to determine the demand for services based on age distributions in LGAs and to calculate the adequacy of the number of optometrists. Optometrists are concentrated in areas of high population with capital city regions and their surrounds well-serviced but with rural and remote LGAs with low populations generally not having optometrists. The highest excesses of optometrists occur in the capital city LGAs of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide (64, 60 and 28.4 equivalent full-time optometrists respectively). The highest deficits occur in Casey (Victoria), Lake Macquarie (New South Wales) and Onkaparinga (South Australia), (-16.4, -15.6 and -13.4 equivalent full-time optometrists, respectively). There are substantial variations in the distribution of optometrists across LGAs in Australia but the variation is often a poor indicator of the ease with which people can access optometric services. In metropolitan areas, people may live close to an optometric practice in a neighbouring LGA. In rural areas, an LGA may appear to have an adequate number of optometrists but some residents may be several hours from the nearest optometrist or the optometric service is provided on a part-time basis.

  15. The Effect of IFRS Adoption on the Financial Reports of Local Government Entities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamran Ahmed

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to analyse the changes in accounting surplus (loss, equity and assets, and liabilities as a result of accounting policy changes from the Australian Accounting Standards (AAS to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS in Australian local government entities. Using the reconciliation notes disclosed by 117 local government entities, evidence is provided on the effects of IFRS adoption by identifying the key items that of difference between IFRS and AASB. The results show some differences between two sets of accounts prepared under these different accounting standards. While the average surplus (loss of local councils has decreased, their equities, assets and liabilities have increased, with no major significant changes in their overall financial position, except for liabilities. These results indicate the possible consequences of the adoption of IFRS by local government entities in other countries on performance indicators who have or are yet to implement these standards.

  16. Forest management and water in the Republic of South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Scott, DF

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available South Africa is a semi-arid country with a very limited area of natural forest. The early colonial governments encouraged the establishment of plantations to supply wood for local uses, and South Africa consequently has a long history of plantation...

  17. A Qualitative Analysis of Facilities Maintenance--A School Governance Function in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xaba, M. I.

    2012-01-01

    I analysed school facilities maintenance, a school governance function in South Africa. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 principals and three deputy principals as coordinators of this function at their schools. The interviews were purposively and conveniently selected to gather data regarding school facilities maintenance and gain…

  18. Analyzing Forces to the Financial Contribution of Local Governments to Sustainable Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In many countries, the economic crisis brought high volumes of deficit and debt in public entities, which jeopardized the ability of governments to continue providing public services and caused considerable imbalances of economic growth in different regions. In this context, from the recognition of the linkage between economic development and efficiency in public management, previous research indicates that local governments are called to play a key role in promoting sustainable development through environment, economic and social policies based on financial sustainability of the public services. This paper aims to identify influencing factors on the financial sustainability of local governments, as an indicator of their capacity to maintain the delivery of public services over time. Based on a sample of 139 Spanish municipalities with large population for the period 2006–2014, our findings reveal the influence of variables such as the unemployment rate by sector, the dependent population, the immigrant population and the level of education of the population, on the financial sustainability in local governments, providing new useful knowledge to managers, policymakers, researchers and others stakeholders interested in the sustainability of public services.

  19. Industrial heritage tourism at the 'Big Hole', Kimberley, South Africa ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    , as well as lack of leadership and strategic direction for tourism development at the local government level. These issues must be addressed if heritage tourism in South Africa is to contribute successfully to local economic development.

  20. Nesting, Subsidiarity, and Community-based environmental Governance beyond the Local Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graham Marshall

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Community-based approaches to environmental management have become widely adopted over the last two decades. From their origins in grassroots frustrations with governmental inabilities to solve local environmental problems, these approaches are now sponsored frequently by governments as a way of dealing with such problems at much higher spatial levels. However, this 'up-scaling' of community-based approaches has run well ahead of knowledge about how they might work. This article explores how Elinor Ostrom's 'nesting principle' for robust common property governance of large-scale common-pool resources might inform future up-scaling efforts. In particular, I consider how the design of nested governance systems for large-scale environmental problems might be guided by the principle of subsidiarity. The challenges of applying this principle are illustrated by Australia's experience in up-scaling community-based natural resource management from local groups comprising 20-30 members to regional bodies representing hundreds of thousands of people. Seven lessons are distilled for fostering community-based environmental governance as a multi-level system of nested enterprises.

  1. Delivering on a gendered definition of health needs in local government budgeting: experiences and concepts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buyana, K

    2009-10-01

    Local governments are granted budgetary power in the Local Governments Act of the Republic of Uganda, which allows for local-level participation and flexibility in the allocation of financial grants channelled annually from central to local governments. The act prescribes a legal mandate to allocate public resources based on local priorities including the health needs of women compared with men. This study investigated the responsiveness of local government budgeting to the health needs of women as compared to men. A qualitative study was conducted in Mpigi district using a set of data collection methods including: a) three (3) focus group discussions with 8 female and 8 male respondents in each group; b) face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 120 households, 75% of which were male-headed and 25% female-headed ; c) key informant interviews with a sample of 10 administrative officers in Mpigi district ; and d) desk-review of the Mpigi district Budget Framework Paper. Health needs consist of the daily requirements, which, arise out of common disease infections and the socioeconomic constraints that affect the well-being of women and men. However, the primary concern of the district health sector is disease control measures, without emphasis on the differing socio-economic interests of women as compared to men. Local government budgeting, therefore, does not reflect the broad community-wide understanding of health needs. Local government budgeting should be informed by a two-fold framework for the gendered definition of health needs. The two-fold framework combines both disease-based health needs and socio-economic needs of women as compared to men.

  2. 10 CFR 455.141 - Grant awards for units of local government, public care institutions, and coordinating agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grant awards for units of local government, public care... CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND BUILDINGS OWNED BY UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC CARE INSTITUTIONS Grant Awards § 455.141 Grant awards for units of local government, public care...

  3. Assessing youth policies. A system of indicators for local government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Planas, Anna; Soler, Pere; Vilà, Montserrat

    2014-08-01

    In the current European climate of economic, financial and political crisis and the questioning of the welfare state, assessing public policies assume a primary and strategic relevance in clarifying the results and contributions of policy actions. In this article, we aim to present the current situation in relation to youth policy assessment so as to formulate a system of assessment indicators in the sphere of Spanish local government youth policy. A review is conducted of some of the principal contributions in the field of constructing indicators for evaluating youth policies. We have found that most of these evaluation tools exist on a national or state level and that there is a dearth of local or municipal tools. The article concludes with a concrete proposal for an assessment tool: the SIAPJove (Sistema d'Indicadors d'Avaluació per a les Polítiques Municipals de Joventut or System of Assessment Indicators for Local Government Youth Policies) (web page: http://siapjove.udg.edu/). It provides both quantitative and qualitative indicators for local youth policy managers to obtain assessment reports with relative ease in 12 possible areas for assessment within youth policy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Public Integrity and Performance of Governance. A Comparative Study for South-Eastern Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucica Matei

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The studies concerning the impact of corruption on the effectiveness of governance are numerous, valorising profound approaches, based on criteria and standards related to good governance, organizational behaviour.The concepts and mechanisms specific for econometrics and statistics provide the quantitative support for qualitative analyses, substantiating public policies, in view to assure effectiveness in performance measurement.For all South-Eastern European countries, the level of development and social organization determines specific ethical behaviours. In this context, the current paper aims a comparative economic and social evaluation of the correlations between corruption, performance and economic freedom in South-Eastern European countries, including Romania.The working hypotheses turn into consideration the following issues:- corruption holds national specific character and the statistic, econometric or sociologic analyses reveal that it is stable during the time;- an effective governance leads to increasing the citizens’ welfare;- if a country is poor and the economic freedom is reduced than the bureaucratic and political system tends to be more corrupted;- the perspective of accession into the EU has led to the perception concerning the reduction of the corruption level.The above hypotheses will be completed and we shall achieve comparative analyses, relevant for the group of South-Eastern European countries. The above quantitative analyses will use both own results of the researches carried out by the authors and public results of World Bank, Transparency International and Heritage Foundation, as well as results of authorities responsible for national statistics. The comparative research is achieved on a 10 years period, comprising also the moment of accession into the European Union for some states.

  5. The significance of emotional intelligence and leadership styles of senior leaders in the South African government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. M. G. Mfikwe

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A significant body of research over the past two decades found the emotional intelligence abilities to be associated with a range of important work-related behaviours. The aim of this study was to establish the gender differences and significance of emotional intelligence and leadership styles of senior leaders in the South African government. For this purpose, a sample of 85 senior managers were selected from various government departments in South Africa. The results of the study show that emotional intelligence and leadership styles do relate to one another. However, there were no significant differences in leadership styles and emotional intelligence between male and female respondents. This is due to the fact that the core management criteria and standards used to evaluate the performance of senior managers in government, help build a common sense of good management practice in the public service. Recommendations are made for future applications.

  6. The Influence of Local Governance: Effects on the Sustainability of Bioenergy Innovation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianca Cavicchi

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with processes and outcomes of sustainable bioenergy development in Emilia Romagna. It draws on an on-going research project concerning inclusive innovation in forest-based bioenergy and biogas in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Italy. The goal is to explore how local governance impacts on inclusive innovation processes and triple bottom sustainability of bioenergy development in Emilia Romagna and, ultimately, to contribute to the debate on the bioeconomy. It thus compares the case of biogas and forest-based bioenergy production. The study adopts an analytical framework called Grounded Innovation (GRIP and the local governance approach. The study uses qualitative methods and particularly semi-structured interviews and governance analysis. The key results show different outcomes on both inclusive innovation and triple bottom-line dimensions. Biogas has not fostered inclusiveness and triple bottom line sustainability benefits, contrary to forest-based bioenergy. The findings indicate that the minor role of local actors, particularly municipalities, in favour of industrial and national interests may jeopardise the sustainability of biobased industries. Besides, policies limited to financial incentives may lead to a land-acquisition rush, unforeseen local environmental effects and exacerbate conflicts.

  7. Credit Risk Analysis of Local Government Financing Platform – An empirical study based on KMV model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Tingting

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The local government financing platform is set up by local government through state-owned assets, real estate and equity capital. The functions of these companies are financing, construction, operation, the repaying debts. The local government financing platform can broaden the financing channels of local government in a great extent; alleviate the pressure of capital requirement. But at the same time, with the gradual expansion of the scale of debt, a series of problems has arisen: the amount of financing platform companies is huge, debt repayment depends too much on real estate price, the integration of government administration with enterprise, capital injection, and accounts of these companies are not well exposed. Once these problems outbreak, it may cause a series of financial crises, thereby threaten the entire banking industry even the healthy development of the national economy.

  8. Study on agroforestry practices in Abak Local Government Area ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study was carried out to assess the various agroforestry practices in Abak Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires, physical observations and oral interview were used to collect data from agroforestry farmers (respondents) in the four clans (Abak, Otoro, Midim and ...

  9. Policy regime and policy change: Comparing the phenomenon of local government before and after regional autonomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamaludin Kamaludin

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to evaluate the financial performance of four municipalities (Bengkulu City, Rejang Lebong Regency, South Bengkulu Regency, and North Bengkulu Regency in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. The study also identifies the contribution of several financial variables before and after the implementation of regional autonomy. Theoretically, regional autonomy enables these four municipalities to manage their Local Own-Source Revenue (LOSR or PAD - Pendapatan Asli Daerah better because these municipalities now have to learn to manage their financial resources independently. However, the findings indicate that these four municipalities still exhibit a high financial dependency on the central government or the fiscal balance fund. Consequently, the contribution of LOSR to the total income is still low. Besides, the study finds that these four municipalities exhibit a sufficiently good efficiency ratio but a fluctuating LOSR growth ratio, especially in some municipalities before the proliferation of new municipalities. Further, the main variables of the degree of financial decentralization, local financial autonomy, efficiency, and LOSR growth do not exhibit significant differences between the pre- and post- regional autonomy implementation.

  10. SME perception of government assistance within South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie Gopaul

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Small and medium enterprises (SMEs play a vital role in the economies of countries throughout the world. They contribute to the creation of jobs, economic upliftment as well as the gross domestic product (GDP. It is of great concern however to note that the majority of SMEs fail within their first few years of operation which could be due to many factors such as management skills, finance, access to markets and appropriate technology. With the National Development Plan’s objective to create 11 million jobs by 2030, it is crucial that the government provides assistance needed by SMEs to achieve this goal. Although government assistance may be evident, SMEs and their perceptions regarding this assistance is unclear. The purpose of this paper was therefore to investigate the perception of SME owners of the various government assistance and initiatives that are offered to them. The authors feel that the findings will be universally applicable to SMEs in most countries. The study followed a quantitative research approach, whereby a self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The results indicate that SMEs feel that local government and municipalities are not doing enough to support and assist them

  11. Shariah Bond as Financial Instrument For Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anim Rahmayati

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to analyse the potential of sharia bonds in the region as an alternative to local financing. This research is a kind of literary descriptive qualitative research using SWOT analysis. The results of this study indicate that in the area of sharia bonds is an alternative worth considering regional funding compared to other funding. Support policy, very large financing needs for region infrastructure development, the market potential in the area of sharia bonds is an opportunity for local governments in Indonesia to immediately issue sharia bonds in the area.DOI:  10.15408/sjie.v5i1.3126

  12. Responsibility without legal authority? Tackling alcohol-related health harms through licensing and planning policy in local government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martineau, F P; Graff, H; Mitchell, C; Lock, K

    2014-09-01

    The power to influence many social determinants of health lies within local government sectors that are outside public health's traditional remit. We analyse the challenges of achieving health gains through local government alcohol control policies, where legal and professional practice frameworks appear to conflict with public health action. Current legislation governing local alcohol control in England and Wales is reviewed and analysed for barriers and opportunities to implement effective population-level health interventions. Case studies of local government alcohol control practices are described. Addressing alcohol-related health harms is constrained by the absence of a specific legal health licensing objective and differences between public health and legal assessments of the relevance of health evidence to a specific place. Local governments can, however, implement health-relevant policies by developing local evidence for alcohol-related health harms; addressing cumulative impact in licensing policy statements and through other non-legislative approaches such as health and non-health sector partnerships. Innovative local initiatives-for example, minimum unit pricing licensing conditions-can serve as test cases for wider national implementation. By combining the powers available to the many local government sectors involved in alcohol control, alcohol-related health and social harms can be tackled through existing local mechanisms. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

  13. The Size of Local Government Administration at a Municipal Level as a Determinant of Entrepreneurship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rusłan Harasym

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This artcle’s aim is to examine a dependency between local government administraton at a municipal level and the level of local entrepreneurship. This paper atempts to answer the queston of whether the size of the local government administraton has features of stmulant or de-stmulant in the process of setng up a business. In other words, does the size of public administraton at a local level (municipal level have a positve or negatve impact on creatng new business enttes? This is important due to at least a couple of reasons. First of all, the current research achievements are not extensive, when it comes to the publicatons that link entrepreneurship and the size of local government administraton. Secondly, the problem of entrepreneurship determinants consttutes stll topical and not fully investgated (or explained aspects of local economy development. Thirdly and fnally, the authors of this artcle have proposed and copyrighted an approach to the quantfcaton of the size of local government administraton, modifying commonly used measures of local public administraton. Thus, this artcle fts not only into the explanaton of the entrepreneurship phenomenon and its determinants, but also contributes to the development of knowledge about dependencies between the size of local selfgovernment and the entrepreneurship level. It expands the knowledge resource on analyzed dependencies and re-orients current approaches to similar research.

  14. Economics of Irvingia marketing in Njaba Local Government Area of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Economics of Irvingia marketing in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo state, Nigeria. ... Marketing margins, and efficiency of the respondents were estimated. Results indicate that trade in ... Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT

  15. Profitability analysis of catfish farming in Suleja local government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The problem of profitability and scale of production of catfish has not been properly addressed. This study was conducted in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State to assess the profitability of catfish production. Forty (40) catfish farmers were selected from the study area using simple random sampling techniques.

  16. Local content requirements and the impact on the South African renewable energy sector: A survey-based analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher Ettmayr

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Economies aim to grow over time, which usually implies the need for increased energy availability. Governments can use their procurement of energy to increase benefits in their economies via certain policy tools. One such tool is local content requirements (LCRs, where the purchase of goods prescribes that a certain value has to be sourced locally. The argument for this tool is that spending is localised and manufacturing, as well as job creation, can be stimulated because industry will need to establish in the host economy. However, this practice is distortionary in effect and does not create a fair playing ground for global trade. Furthermore, if the local content definition is weak, or open to manipulation, the goals of such a policy may not be achieved at all. Aim: The objective of this study was to determine how LCRs would ultimately impact on the overall procurement programme. Setting: This study took place as South Africa commenced with large scale development of the renewable energy sector. This was largely achieved via the State run Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP. Method: This study utilised opinion-based surveys to look into the LCRs of South Africa’s REIPPPP and measure the impact of this policy on the renewable energy sector in general. The mixed method approach was utilised to analyse qualitative and quantitative data and this was then triangulated with an international peer group to arrive at certain conclusions. The Delphi Technique was then employed to achieve population consensus on the findings. Results and conclusion: It was found that, in order to implement a policy such as local content without any negative welfare effects, the host economy had to show certain pre-existing conditions. Because South Africa does not hold all supportive pre-conditions, the impact and effect of LCRs have not been optimal, and it has not been found to be a sustainable mechanism to

  17. Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments, (Revised) August 2009

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-08-01

    DOE has developed this guide to help local governments design and implement local solar plans. This guide includes examples and models tested in cities. Many of the examples are results of DOE's Solar America Cities Program.

  18. Democracy and Majority Rule in South Africa: Implications for Good Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Augustine Umezurike

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available South Africa is a leading example of democracy in Africa though many argue that it has lost its way in meaningful aspects ranging from practice of its majority rule, social cohesion, and neoliberalisation of its political economy and international diplomacy. South Africa could fairly be viewed as an emerging middle power but many of its actions have belied this by allowing certain analysts to consider it as inconsistent, confusing, and even sinister. Some of the core problematic areas of South African democracy include poverty, unemployment, inequality, high level of HIV/AIDS, corruption, fast decaying educational system, electricity (load shedding, fast loss of rand value in the international market and rampant strike actions, especially in the mining industry. However, this paper depends on the documentary method of research to examine the drama surrounding the security upgrade of the President’s home at Nkandla. The findings show that in a democratic society like South Africa, majority rule may sometimes be a limitation of democratic practices. In order to avert the dangers majority rule may pose to the other principles of democracy, the principles of values, such as separation of power among the three levels of government and rule of law, must be respected.

  19. Democracy and Majority Rule in South Africa: Implications for Good Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Umezurike

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available South Africa is a leading example of democracy in Africa albeit many argue that it has lost meaningful direction in aspects which range from its practice of majority rule, social cohesion, and neoliberalization of its political economy and international diplomacy. South Africa could fairly well be viewed as an emerging middle power but many of its actions have belied this thus allowing certain analysts to consider it as inconsistent, confusing, and even sinister. Some of the core problematic areas of South African democracy include poverty, unemployment, inequality, high level of HIV/AIDS, corruption, fast decaying educational system, electricity (load shedding, fast loss of rand value in the international market and rampant strike actions, especially in the mining industry. However, this paper depends on the documentary method of research to examine the drama surrounding the security upgrade of the President’s home at Nkandla. The findings show that in a democratic society like South Africa, majority rule may sometimes be a limitation of democratic practices. In order to avert the challenges which majority rule may pose to the other principles of democracy, the principles of values, such as separation of power among the three levels of government and rule of law, must be respected.

  20. Corruption, regionalization and local governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vuković Slobodan V.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Corruption is old almost as human societies and it was developed simultaneously with enlargement of social and political power, bureaucracy and involvement of the state into market transactions. Specific conditions that are characteristic of Serbian society and that have favorably influenced the growth of corruption are: dissolution/break up of Yugoslavia war in surroundings, economic sanctions and NATO bombing. Besides these basic causes of corruption in Serbia are state control over the economy, lack of the rule of law, and breakdown of social values, that is, anomy and poverty. The lack of the rule of law and the state control of economy, which often occur together, are older conditions, while distorted social values, that is, moral crisis and poverty are newer. Subordination of judicial system to the executive authorities enabled different sorts of bribe and corruption to be tolerated. Therefore, the corruption has spread and became contemporary method of conducting business and almost a common thing, regardless of the party composition of the authorities. This thesis is confirmed by the empirical data: 17.9% of citizens claim that all local officials and corrupted and 48.4% claim that majority of them are. On the other side, only 27.5% of citizens claim that local party officials (all of them or majority accept bribe, and 31.1% claim that only some do. Therefore, we are faced with higher interest in political engagement, because it is becoming a highly profitable occupation and posts in local government are highly appreciated because corruption profit is calculated in advance.

  1. Civic engagement and local government strategies for sustainable local community development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Jacob Norvig

    Across Europe more and more citizens involve in voluntary grassroots and NGO activity. Concurrently, more local and national governments express an interest in increasing collaboration with voluntary organisations. The curiosity and interest as regards voluntary labour from public bodies seems...... to have grown as the financial crisis puts more and more pressure on municipal and national budgets. As such, the contribution of voluntary associations is seem as a supplement to more and more reduced public services, particularly within the social services field, care for the elderly, etc. but even...... in local communities and in relation to social capital, the diversity within the world of voluntary organisations, and the difference in views between public planners and volunteers of the role of volunteers. Three cases illustrate this as well as the need for capacity building of VCOs and the urban...

  2. Political instability and the ability of local government to respond to reputational threats in unison

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøn, Caroline Louise Howard; Salomonsen, Heidi Houlberg

    2017-01-01

    This article investigates whether local governments are able to act in a unified manner when responding to reputational threats posed by negative media coverage. Based on an argument that local governments facing political instability are less able to perform in unison, the article investigates a...

  3. Swamp Rice Production in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined the economics of swamp rice production among peasant farmers in the Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State for 2001 cropping year. A total of 50 swamp rice farmers were randomly selected from 5 villages using multistage sampling technique. The data collected, with the aid of ...

  4. Tungiasis in rural communities of Badagry Local Government Area ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An epidemiological study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors to tungiasis amongst 1,030 randomly selected individuals in rural communities of Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Hands, feet, elbows and other parts of the body were examined for the presence of clinical signs of ...

  5. Impedes to effective collection of local government revenue and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    However, the inability of these institutions to effectively collect revenue in Cameroon has hampered service delivery. Following the case of the Wum Central Council, the study holds that tax evasion and defaulting, migration and the diversion of revenue to other Local Government areas as well as underpayments of court ...

  6. Protection and utilization of records in selected local government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... utilization in selected local government areas in Nigeria. Questionnaire and interview were the instruments used in collecting data for the study. Findings revealed that records of the LGAs were manually protected by the records management as most they do not use electronic devices in the management of their records; ...

  7. Local governments' roles of the compensation for damage by the Tokai JCO criticality accident

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanabe, Tomoyuki [Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan). Socio-Economic Research Center

    2003-03-01

    The Tokai JCO criticality accident on September 30, 1999 was the first case to which The Law on Compensation for Nuclear Damage was applied. Although the Law on Compensation for Nuclear Damage formulates the outline of the institutional framework for nuclear third party liability together with operator's insurance scheme, details of actual compensation procedure are not specified. By this reason, the compensation procedure in the Tokai accident had been executed without a concrete legal specification and a precedent. In spite of this situation, the compensation procedure with the accident led to an unexpectedly successful result. We observe the several reasons why the compensation procedure was implemented successfully despite the lack of concrete legal specification and a precedent. One of the reasons is that the local governments, Tokai Village and Ibaraki Prefecture, immediately took the leadership in implementing a temporary regime of compensation procedure without wasting time for waiting national government's directives. Upon practicing this compensation procedure, the local governments implemented the following steps. (1) Initial estimation of the amount and scope of damage. (2) Providing the criteria and heads of damage subject to compensation. (3) Unitary compensation procedure at the local levels. (4) Distribution of emergency payments for the victims. (5) Facilitating compensatory negotiation between the victims and JCO as arbitrator. However, some concerns are also pointed out about the fact that the local government directed the whole procedure without sufficient adjustment with the national government for compensation policy. Among all, in the compensation led by the local governments, it was difficult to guarantee fairness of compensation because victims who are influential on the local government such as industrial associations would have unfairly strong negotiation power in the compensatory negotiation, while the operator being

  8. The Regulation of Acid Mine Drainage in South Africa: Law and Governance Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loretta Feris

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD is arguably one of the most serious environmental concerns in South Africa. AMD is a legacy left behind by abandoned, derelict and defunct mines, and is a continuing by-product of existing mining activities. In addition to its environmental impacts, AMD will also impact on all the parameters of sustainability, including ecological, social and economic concerns. In particular, AMD is set to affect infrastructure, displace people and affect their livelihoods, influence economic activity, impact on the resource extraction industry, and affect South Africa's policies and actions in relation to climate change and its efforts to move towards a low carbon economy; and it will test the efficiency of regulatory interventions emanating from both the private and the public sector to the extreme. Given these pervasive challenges, in this article we provide a survey of the AMD problem in South Africa through the law and governance lens. We commence by highlighting the various issues and challenges that result from AMD in the environmental context on the one hand, and the law and governance context on the other hand. We then describe the many provisions of the regulatory framework that we believe would be instrumental in responding to the threat. We conclude the article with brief remarks on what we believe are important considerations in the future regulation of AMD.

  9. Procesno Funkcionisanje Lokalne Samouprave / Process Operation of Local Self-Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jekić Cviko

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Local self-government in the region, characterised by its bureaucratic and hierarchical structure, insufficient expertise, lack of knowledge and excessive procedures used in its operation, is simply unable to cope with the creation of a new society and an adequate economic environment. The lack of customer and target orientation, low level of understanding and poor utilisation of the principles and mechanisms of good governance (customer orientation, efficiency, participation, impartiality, transparency, professionalism, etc. results in poor quality of service.

  10. A Low Carbon Development Guide for Local Government Actions in China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, Nina; Zhou, Nan; Price, Lynn; Ohshita, Stephanie

    2011-05-01

    Local level actions are crucial for achieving energy-saving and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Yet it is challenging to implement new policies and actions due to a lack of information, funding, and capacity. This is particularly the case in developing countries such as China. Even though national energy intensity and carbon intensity targets have been set, most local governments do not have the knowledge regarding actions to achieve the targets, the cost-effectiveness of policies, the possible impact of policies, or how to design and implement a climate action plan. This paper describes a guidebook that was developed to motivate and provide local governments in China with information to create an action plan to tackle climate change and increase energy efficiency. It provides a simple step-by-step description of how action plans can be established and essential elements to be included - from preparing a GHG emission inventory to implementation of the plan. The guidebook also provides a comprehensive list of successful policies and best practices found internationally and in China to encourage low carbon development in industry, buildings, transportation, electric power generation, agriculture and forestry. This paper also presents indicators that can be used to define low-carbon development, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken at an aggregated (city) level, and at a sectoral or end use level. The guidebook can also be used for low carbon development by local governments in other developing countries.

  11. Empirical knowledge engine of local governance Senegalese artisanal fisheries Empirical knowledge engine of local governance Senegalese artisanal fisheries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mbaye, A.

    2016-02-01

    Fishery resources has always been an administrative management faced with the supposed irrationality of artisanal fishermen and the state has always had a monopoly over such management. The state rules well established, synonyms of denial local populations knowledge on management, and expropriation of their fisheries territories, came into conflict with the existing rules thus weakening the traditional management system.However, aware of the threats to their survival because of the limitations of state rules and technicist perception of management, some populations of fishermen tried to organize and implement management measures.These measures are implemented on the basis of their own knowledge of the environmentsThis is the case in Kayar, Nianing, Bétenty, where local management initiatives began to bear fruit despite some difficulties.These examples of successful local management have prompted the Senegalese administration to have more consideration for the knowledge and know-how of fishermen and to be open to co-management of the fisheries resource. his communication shows how this is implemented new co-management approach in the governance of the Senegalese artisanal fisheries through the consideration of empirical knowledge of fishermen.

  12. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Ireland and the role of local government

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O' Mullane, Monica, E-mail: Monica.omullane@truni.sk [Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work/Fakulta Zdravotnictva a Socialnej Prace, Trnavska univerzita, Univerzitne namestie 1, 917 01 Trnava (Slovakia); Quinlivan, Aodh, E-mail: A.quinlivan@ucc.ie [Department of Government, College of Business and Law, 2nd Floor O' Rahilly Building, University College Cork (Ireland)

    2012-01-15

    Background: Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Ireland has developed significantly since its endorsement in the health strategies of the Republic of Ireland (2001) and Northern Ireland (2002). Throughout 2007 and 2008, research was conducted to examine HIA as a policy-informing tool throughout both jurisdictions. One aspect of this research investigated the role of local government and its relationship in advancing HIA practise and use in Ireland. Methods: A case study research design was used which employed qualitative research methods, including semistructured interviewing and participant observation. In total 48 interviews were conducted with members of the HIA steering committees and individuals closely involved in the HIAs. Results: The relationship between local government and HIA in Northern Ireland is a positive one given the strong tradition of local government in the jurisdiction. The Review of Public Administration (RPA) negatively influenced the integration of HIA into local authority procedures. In the Republic of Ireland, the influence of social values and political will was found to be negatively present with the HIA on Traveller accommodation. Evidence from the HIA conducted on traffic and transport in Dublin was used to plan further health promotion and community planning activities in the area. Conclusion: Local government plays a vital role in HIA practise and development in both jurisdictions. The willingness to work with external partners (such as the health care services) was an important enabler or barrier to HIA operation. This will remain the case in the foreseeable future. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigated influences on the use of HIA knowledge of four cases from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The engagement of the public authorities assists implementation of the findings of the HIA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tension continues between positivist and incrementalist

  13. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Ireland and the role of local government

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Mullane, Monica; Quinlivan, Aodh

    2012-01-01

    Background: Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Ireland has developed significantly since its endorsement in the health strategies of the Republic of Ireland (2001) and Northern Ireland (2002). Throughout 2007 and 2008, research was conducted to examine HIA as a policy-informing tool throughout both jurisdictions. One aspect of this research investigated the role of local government and its relationship in advancing HIA practise and use in Ireland. Methods: A case study research design was used which employed qualitative research methods, including semistructured interviewing and participant observation. In total 48 interviews were conducted with members of the HIA steering committees and individuals closely involved in the HIAs. Results: The relationship between local government and HIA in Northern Ireland is a positive one given the strong tradition of local government in the jurisdiction. The Review of Public Administration (RPA) negatively influenced the integration of HIA into local authority procedures. In the Republic of Ireland, the influence of social values and political will was found to be negatively present with the HIA on Traveller accommodation. Evidence from the HIA conducted on traffic and transport in Dublin was used to plan further health promotion and community planning activities in the area. Conclusion: Local government plays a vital role in HIA practise and development in both jurisdictions. The willingness to work with external partners (such as the health care services) was an important enabler or barrier to HIA operation. This will remain the case in the foreseeable future. - Highlights: ► We investigated influences on the use of HIA knowledge of four cases from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. ► The engagement of the public authorities assists implementation of the findings of the HIA. ► Tension continues between positivist and incrementalist approaches towards HIA.

  14. Multiculturalism in South Korea: Examining Government Aspirations through the Second Basic Plan for Immigration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghazarian, Peter G.

    2018-01-01

    South Korea (henceforth, Korea) has grown into a significant regional destination in global migration networks via central government policies aimed at reaping the benefits of transnational human resources. However, the meaning and vision for multiculturalism remain fluid and unclear. This study applies Banks' multicultural paradigms as a…

  15. An exploratory study identifying where local government public health decision makers source their evidence for policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoneham, Melissa; Dodds, James

    2014-08-01

    The Western Australian (WA) Public Health Bill will replace the antiquated Health Act 1911. One of the proposed clauses of the Bill requires all WA local governments to develop a Public Health Plan. The Bill states that Public Health Plans should be based on evidence from all levels, including national and statewide priorities, community needs, local statistical evidence, and stakeholder data. This exploratory study, which targeted 533 WA local government officers, aimed to identify the sources of evidence used to generate the list of public health risks to be included in local government Public Health Plans. The top four sources identified for informing local policy were: observation of the consequences of the risks in the local community (24.5%), statewide evidence (17.6%), local evidence (17.6%) and coverage in local media (16.2%). This study confirms that both hard and soft data are used to inform policy decisions at the local level. Therefore, the challenge that this study has highlighted is in the definition or constitution of evidence. SO WHAT? Evidence is critical to the process of sound policy development. This study highlights issues associated with what actually constitutes evidence in the policy development process at the local government level. With the exception of those who work in an extremely narrow field, it is difficult for local government officers, whose role includes policymaking, to read the vast amount of information that has been published in their area of expertise. For those who are committed to the notion of evidence-based policymaking, as advocated within the WA Public Health Bill, this presents a considerable challenge.

  16. Human resources of local governments as motivators of participation of businesses and citizens in protecting of environment

    OpenAIRE

    NIKOLIĆ N.; GAJOVIĆ A.; PAUNOVIĆ V.

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the importance of human resources of local governments in the motivation of businesses and citizens in protecting the environment. The inability to absorb current problems caused by inadequate and incomplete arrangement of utilization of human resources of the local government of Lučani caused the redefining of strategic priorities of environmental protection. The motivational power of human resources of local governments expressed through interaction with the population ...

  17. Review: Local Government in England: Centralisation, Autonomy and Control by Colin Corpus, Mark Roberts, Rachel Wall

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Carr-West

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Local Government in England: Centralisation, Autonomy and Control is a serious book and an important contribution to the scholarship around local government. It opens however, with a pleasingly comic tableau as academics from England, Portugal and Poland bicker amiably at a conference and on Twitter about whose country is really the most centralised. The rest of the book is devoted to showing why the English academics were right, why it matters and what should be done about it. The main thrust of the text is an analysis of the impact of the dominant policy narratives around centralism and localism. The argument that Copus, Wall and Roberts put forward could be boiled down to the assertion that the problem with local government in England is that it is neither local nor government. But to make this case they first helpfully unpack several sets of concepts that are all too often elided together.

  18. Local Governments Supporting Local Energy Initiatives: Lessons from the Best Practices of Saerbeck (Germany and Lochem (The Netherlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Hoppe

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The social dimension of the transition to a low carbon economy is a key challenge to cities. The establishment of local energy initiatives (LEIs has recently been attracting attention. It is of great importance to draw lessons from best practices when LEIs have been facilitated by local governments and made a substantial contribution to greening local energy systems. The main research questions in this paper are: What lessons can be drawn from successful local low carbon energy transition cases, and which strategies proved successful to support LEIs? We have used analytical notions from the Strategic Niche Management (SNM and grassroots innovation literature to analyze two best-practice cases: Saerbeck (Germany and Lochem (The Netherlands. Data collection involved a set of fourteen in-depth interviews and secondary data. The results show that three key factors from SNM (building networks, managing expectations, and facilitation of learning are of great importance. However, to a great degree it is also strategic, community serving, responsive, reflexive leadership and proper process management by public officials that spurred success, which would not have been possible without close interaction and mutual trust between local government and representatives of the local communities.

  19. Governance Dynamics and the Application of the Multilevel Governance Approach in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the European Neighbourhood Countries: The Case of the ENPI South Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvin Arribas, J. Manuel

    2016-01-01

    This article analyses moves towards good multilevel governance approaches in Vocational Education and Training (VET) as an effective way to improve VET policy making in transition and developing countries, focusing on the Southern Neighbourhood of the EU (ENPI South). The centralised approaches in public administration and to VET governance still…

  20. Motivations for Local Climate Adaptation in Dutch Municipalities: Climate Change Impacts and the Role of Local-Level Government

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Berg, Maya Marieke

    2009-01-01

    The local government level is considered to be crucial in preparing society for climate change impact. Yet little is known about why local authorities do or do not take action to adapt their community for climate change impacts. In order to implement effective adaptation policy, the motivations for

  1. Local Governments Supporting Local Energy Initiatives: Lessons from the Best Practices of Saerbeck (Germany) and Lochem (The Netherlands)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoppe, Thomas; Graf, Antonia; Warbroek, Wynzen Douwe Beau; Lammers, Imke; Lepping, Isabella

    2015-01-01

    The social dimension of the transition to a low carbon economy is a key challenge to cities. The establishment of local energy initiatives (LEIs) has recently been attracting attention. It is of great importance to draw lessons from best practices when LEIs have been facilitated by local governments

  2. Trachoma Prevalence and Risk Factors in Eight Local Government ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    is worst in Anka LGA (7%); whereas knowledge of how to prevent trachoma is generally poor in all the LGAs. Trachoma prevalence and risk factors in eight local government areas of Zamfara state. The burden of active trachoma (TF) in children is low in the surveyed LGAs with the exception of Bungudu and Maradun that ...

  3. Irrigation potential of Inuakpa in Odukpani local government of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sixteen infiltration runs were carried out in a composite grid (30m x 30m) in Inuakpa, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State to test the efficiency of Kostiakov's model, measure infiltration rate and relate same to some soil physical properties. Mean infiltration rate of 9.01 cmhr-1 was obtained at the end of the ...

  4. Local Self-Government Financing and Costs of Municipality in Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zan Jan OPLOTNIK

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available This research paper focuses on the compliance of the actual system of financing local selfgovernment in Slovenia with the basic principles of the theory of decentralization and guidelines of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It addresses the level of costs coverage within the municipal competence by using the allocated appropriate expenditure resources calculated according to the Law of Financing Municipality Act. The purpose of the paper is, therefore, to look for an answer to the question whether and to what extent the obtained funds correspond to the actual workload that municipalities have for performing statutory tasks and for exercising their competences. Analysis shows that, on an aggregate level, these actual systems ensure enough resources for local governments to cover their actual costs and current expenditures; some groups of municipalities, e.g. larger urban municipalities, municipalities with large proportions of elderly people etc. are faced with lack of funding, according to the actual costs data available, while other groups of municipalities receive more funds than they need.

  5. Deregulation strategies for local governments and the role/opportunities for energy efficiency services in the utility industry deregulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tseng, P.C.

    1998-01-01

    As the future shape of the electric utility industry continues to unfold and as retail competition becomes a reality, local governments are faced with balancing the need for: (1) economic development; (2) and to avoid the potential impact of cost-shifting among residents and businesses, while ensuring reliable and universal energy services. Furthermore, local governments need to find ways to recoup potential loss of franchise and tax revenues, to ensure fair and adequate energy-efficiency programs, and to continue other social programs for low income families. This paper will address two important issues every local government in the US are facing: (1) the development of viable deregulation strategies before, during and after the promulgation of utility deregulation; (2) opportunities for energy efficiency services in the competitive markets to serve local governments, which typically constitutes the largest market segment in utility's service territory. This paper presents issues and challenges common to all local governments. It documents strategies that several local governments are utilizing to embrace the coming electric utility restructuring and competition challenge to the benefits of their respective communities. This paper presents the results on deregulation work by the City of Portland, Oregon, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and Montgomery County, Maryland. The research by these local governments was sponsored by the Urban Consortium Energy Task Force and Public Technology, Inc

  6. Deregulation strategies for local governments and the role/opportunities for energy efficiency services in the utility industry deregulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tseng, P.C.

    1998-07-01

    As the future shape of the electric utility industry continues to unfold and as retail competition becomes a reality, local governments are faced with balancing the need for: (1) economic development; (2) and to avoid the potential impact of cost-shifting among residents and businesses, while ensuring reliable and universal energy services. Furthermore, local governments need to find ways to recoup potential loss of franchise and tax revenues, to ensure fair and adequate energy-efficiency programs, and to continue other social programs for low income families. This paper will address two important issues every local government in the US are facing: (1) the development of viable deregulation strategies before, during and after the promulgation of utility deregulation; (2) opportunities for energy efficiency services in the competitive markets to serve local governments, which typically constitutes the largest market segment in utility's service territory. This paper presents issues and challenges common to all local governments. It documents strategies that several local governments are utilizing to embrace the coming electric utility restructuring and competition challenge to the benefits of their respective communities. This paper presents the results on deregulation work by the City of Portland, Oregon, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and Montgomery County, Maryland. The research by these local governments was sponsored by the Urban Consortium Energy Task Force and Public Technology, Inc.

  7. Adoption of sun safe workplace practices by local governments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallis, Allan; Andersen, Peter A; Buller, David B; Walkosz, Barbara; Lui, Lucia; Buller, Mary; Scott, Michael D; Jenkins, Rob

    2014-01-01

    Outdoor workers are especially susceptible to skin cancer--the most common, but also one of the most preventable, forms of cancer. Colorado, the location of the study, has the second highest rate of skin cancer deaths in the nation. Local government managers in Colorado-in municipalities, counties, and special districts-were surveyed to ascertain the extent to which they engage in formal (written) and informal practices to protect their outdoor workers against excessive exposure to sun. The survey consisted of 51 questions assessing awareness of formal or informal practices for sun protection of outdoor workers. An index of practices--the study's dependent variable--was created that was composed or practices such as providing employees free or reduced-cost sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved work shirts, long work pants, and temporary or permanent outdoor shade shelters. Proscriptive policies, such as restricting the use of broad brimmed hats, were subtracted from the index. Surveys were completed by 825 administrators representing 98 jurisdictions. Responses from administrators in the same jurisdiction were averaged. More than 40% of responding jurisdictions indicated that they engaged in informal sun safety practices. Tests conducted to determine what variables might account for the adoption of these sun protection practices found that the degree to which a community could be regarded as cosmopolite and as having an individualistic political culture were significant predictors. Type of government was also significant. Although, higher community income was a significant predictor, neither local government budget nor size was significant. The adoption of sun safe practices bears low costs with potentially high returns. Findings from this study suggest that awareness campaigns might most effectively target cosmopolite communities, but that the greatest impact might be achieved by targeting localite communities. Government size and budget do not

  8. Risk management communication system between a local government and residents using several network systems and terminal devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohyama, Takashi; Enomoto, Hiroyuki; Takei, Yuichiro; Maeda, Yuji

    2009-05-01

    Most of Japan's local governments utilize municipal disaster-management radio communications systems to communicate information on disasters or terrorism to residents. The national government is progressing in efforts toward digitalization by local governments of these systems, but only a small number (approx. 10%) have introduced such equipment due to its requiring large amounts of investment. On the other hand, many local governments are moving forward in installation of optical fiber networks for the purpose of eliminating the "digital divide." We herein propose a communication system as an alternative or supplement to municipal disaster-management radio communications systems, which utilizes municipal optical fiber networks, the internet and similar networks and terminals. The system utilizes the multiple existing networks and is capable of instantly distributing to all residents, and controlling, risk management information. We describe the system overview and the field trials conducted with a local government using this system.

  9. A procurement-based pathway for promoting public health: innovative purchasing approaches for state and local government agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noonan, Kathleen; Miller, Dorothy; Sell, Katherine; Rubin, David

    2013-11-01

    Through their purchasing powers, government agencies can play a critical role in leveraging markets to create healthier foods. In the United States, state and local governments are implementing creative approaches to procuring healthier foods, moving beyond the traditional regulatory relationship between government and vendors. They are forging new partnerships between government, non-profits, and researchers to increase healthier purchasing. On the basis of case examples, this article proposes a pathway in which state and local government agencies can use the procurement cycle to improve healthy eating.

  10. Frequency and Costs of Communication with Citizens in Local Government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Kim Normann; Medaglia, Rony; Zinner Henriksen, Helle

    2011-01-01

    This paper addresses the frequency and costs of local governmentcitizen communication in five channels (physical meetings, postal mails, phone calls, e-mail and online self service. Considered to be among the advanced countries with regards to supply of e-services, our analysis shows a surprisingly...... low use of transactions in the Danish local government. Also, our estimate is that email costs are higher than phone call costs and that there is substantial room for advancing our knowledge of the costs of e-services....

  11. Women in Politics in Ghana: A Study on Local Government in the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Women's participation in politics in Ghana is low, both at local and the national level. This reflects the global trend of women's participation in politics. This paper examines ways of deepening women's participation as assembly members in local government. It examines women's participation in politics with the aim of ...

  12. E-participation and Climate Change in Europe: An analysis of local government practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Yetano

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Citizens are demanding greater transparency and accountability from their governments, and seek to participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives. The diffusion of the Internet has raised expectations that electronic tools may increase citizen participation in government decision-making and stop the decline of trust in political institutions. This paper brings together two relevant topics, e-participation and climate change, analyzing the websites of the environment departments of European local governments that have signed the Aalborg+10 commitments, in order to establish to what extent European local governments are making use of the Internet to promote e-participation and environmentally-friendly behaviors among their citizens. Our results show that the developments on e-participation are higher in transparency than interactivity. The Internet as a tool to revitalize the public sphere is still limited to those countries with higher levels of transparency, and penetration of ICTs and a culture of citizen engagement.

  13. New perspectives in fire management in South American savannas: The importance of intercultural governance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistry, Jayalaxshmi; Schmidt, Isabel Belloni; Eloy, Ludivine; Bilbao, Bibiana

    2018-05-11

    Wildfires continue to cause damage to property, livelihoods and environments around the world. Acknowledging that dealing with wildfires has to go beyond fire-fighting, governments in countries with fire-prone ecosystems have begun to recognize the multiple perspectives of landscape burning and the need to engage with local communities and their practices. In this perspective, we outline the experiences of Brazil and Venezuela, two countries where fire management has been highly contested, but where there have been recent advances in fire management approaches. Success of these new initiatives have been measured by the reduction in wildfire extent through prescribed burning, and the opening of a dialogue on fire management between government agencies and local communities. Yet, it is clear that further developments in community participation need to take place in order to avoid the appropriation of local knowledge systems by institutions, and to better reflect more equitable fire governance.

  14. Collaboration between local health and local government agencies for health improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Sara L; Mann, Mala K; Morgan, Fiona M; Kelly, Mark J; Weightman, Alison L

    2012-10-17

    In many countries, national, regional and local inter- and intra-agency collaborations have been introduced to improve health outcomes. Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of locally developed partnerships which target changes in health outcomes and behaviours. To evaluate the effects of interagency collaboration between local health and local government agencies on health outcomes in any population or age group. We searched the Cochrane Public Health Group Specialised Register, AMED, ASSIA, CENTRAL, CINAHL, DoPHER, EMBASE, ERIC, HMIC, IBSS, MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, OpenGrey, PsycINFO, Rehabdata, Social Care Online, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, TRoPHI and Web of Science from 1966 through to January 2012. 'Snowballing' methods were used, including expert contact, citation tracking, website searching and reference list follow-up. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), controlled before-and-after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series (ITS) where the study reported individual health outcomes arising from interagency collaboration between health and local government agencies compared to standard care. Studies were selected independently in duplicate, with no restriction on population subgroup or disease. Two authors independently conducted data extraction and assessed risk of bias for each study. Sixteen studies were identified (28,212 participants). Only two were considered to be at low risk of bias. Eleven studies contributed data to the meta-analyses but a narrative synthesis was undertaken for all 16 studies. Six studies examined mental health initiatives, of which one showed health benefit, four showed modest improvement in one or more of the outcomes measured but no clear overall health gain, and one showed no evidence of health gain. Four studies considered lifestyle improvements, of which one showed some limited short-term improvements, two failed to show health gains for the intervention

  15. Does local government staff perceive digital communication with citizens as improved service?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berger, Jesper Bull; Hertzum, Morten; Schreiber, Trine

    2016-01-01

    Digital communication between government and citizens is pivotal to e-government. The Danish e-government initiative Digital Post aims to digitize all communications between government and citizens. We surveyed local government staff about how Digital Post affects the service delivered to citizens....... As much as 82% of the 448 respondents considered digital communication with citizens using Digital Post a good idea, yet 47% reported concrete incidents in which they perceived a decrease in service with Digital Post. This result shows the importance of distinguishing between the overall service...... relationship and the concrete incidents of which the service consists. We discuss interactions between the relationship level and the incident level of Digital Post on the basis of a content analysis of the respondents' incident descriptions....

  16. Participatory health impact assessment for the development of local government regulation on hazard control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inmuong, Uraiwan; Rithmak, Panee; Srisookwatana, Soomol; Traithin, Nathathai; Maisuporn, Pornpun

    2011-01-01

    The Thai Public Health Act 1992 required the Thai local governments to issue respective regulations to take control of any possible health-hazard related activities, both from commercial and noncommercial sources. Since 1999, there has been centrally decentralized of power to a new form of local government establishment, namely Sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO). The SAO is asmall-scale local governing structure while its legitimate function is for community services, including control of health impact related activities. Most elected SAO administrators and officers are new and less experience with any of public health code of practice, particularly on health-hazard control. This action research attempted to introduce and apply a participatory health impact assessment (HIA) tool for the development of SAO health-hazard control regulation. The study sites were at Ban Meang and Kok See SAOs, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand, while all intervention activities conducted during May 2005-April 2006. A set of cooperative activities between researchers and community representatives were planned and organized by; surveying and identifying place and service base locally causing local environmental health problems, organizing community participatory workshops for drafting and proposing the health-hazard control regulation, and appropriate practices for health-hazard controlling measures. This action research eventually could successfully enable the SAO administrators and officers understanding of local environmental-related health problem, as well as development of imposed health-hazard control regulation for local community.

  17. The BRICS’ impacts on local economic development in the Global South

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kragelund, Peter; Carmody, Pádraig

    2016-01-01

    Research on how emerging economies affect other areas of the Global South has flourished in the past decade, and it is now well established that this impact occurs through a variety of channels, but knowledge of local developmental effects is scant. This article seeks to open up this black box...... by scrutinizing the effects of investments by the BRICS in a tourism town and two mining areas in Zambia. Recently, investments by the BRICS have been heralded as a key driver of structural transformation in the rest of the Global South; however, the lack of linkages and spillovers from BRICS actors to the local...

  18. The ‘trickle down’ of IWRM: A case study of local-level realities in the Inkomati Water Management Area, South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristi Denby

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The historical legacy in South Africa of apartheid and the resulting discriminatory policies and power imbalances are critical to understanding how water is managed and allocated, and how people participate in designated water governance structures. The progressive post-apartheid National Water Act (NWA is the principal legal instrument related to water governance which has broadly embraced the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM. This translation of IWRM into the South African context and, in particular, the integration of institutions related to land and water have faced many challenges due to the political nature of water and land reforms, and the tendency of governmental departments to work in silos. The paper explores the dynamics surrounding the implementation of IWRM in the Inkomati Water Management Area, and the degree of integration between the parallel land and water reform processes. It also looks at what these reforms mean to black farmers’ access to water for their sugar cane crops at the regional (basin and local levels. The empirical material highlights the discrepancies between a progressive IWRM-influenced policy on paper and the actual realities on the ground. The paper argues that the decentralisation and integration aspects of IWRM in South Africa have somewhat failed to take off in the country and what 'integrated' actually entails is unclear. Furthermore, efforts to implement the NWA and IWRM in South Africa have been fraught with challenges in practice, because the progressive policy did not fully recognise the complex historical context, and the underlying inequalities in knowledge, power and resource access.

  19. Challenges of locally manufactured vehicle supply chains in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Intaher M. Ambe

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Locally manufactured vehicles are destined (partly for the export market and thus, global competitiveness  is  important.  This  article  explores  the  challenges  facing  supply  chains  of locally manufactured vehicles in South Africa. The automotive industry is perceived to be the most advanced in supply chain management practices in South Africa. It has embraced technology and management practices that have transformed the manufacturing environment by using cutting-edge design and visualisation tools. However, the industry has fragilities and faces new and emerging supply chain challenges. A survey research design was employed and  the  data  was  collected  through  face-to-face  semi-structured  interview  questionnaires based on the purposive sampling technique. Data analysis and interpretation was based on descriptive  statistics  using  SPSS  software.  The  findings  revealed  that  there  are  challenges hindering  best  supply  chain  practices  of  local  vehicle  manufacturers.  The  research  also revealed that there is a perceived difference in supply chain challenges between the different manufacturers of different origins in South Africa. Asian manufacturers felt much stronger about the adequacy of their information systems compared to the European manufacturers. Asian  manufacturers  tended  to  agree  more  than  their  European  counterparts  that  labour problems were a challenge. European manufacturers, on the other hand, tended to agree more that rail transport is unreliable. This article contributes to the body of knowledge on supply chain practices in South Africa.

  20. Does social insurance enrollment improve citizen assessment of local government performance? Evidence from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xian; Gao, Qin

    2018-02-01

    Although many studies claim that social policies are "carrots" that authoritarian leaders use to garner public support, the assumption that social benefits can boost public support of government has been rarely tested empirically, especially at the local levels. This article investigates the effects of social insurance enrollment on citizens' assessment of local government performance using data from the 2010 China Family Panel Study. We use propensity score matching to reduce selection bias and ordered probit regressions with fixed effects to examine these possible effects. We find that social insurance enrollment had a significant positive effect on rural citizens' assessment of government performance, but this effect did not exist for their urban and migrant peers. This discrepancy could be largely due to the groups' different expectations for government redistribution and their distinct experiences of China's social welfare reform. We conclude that the Chinese authoritarian government has achieved partial success in its attempt to use social policies to maintain popular support. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. South-South exchanges enhance resource management and biodiversity conservation at various scales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William D Heyman

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available International conservation organisations have invested considerable resources in fostering biodiversity conservation programs in the humid tropics, the most biologically diverse areas on earth. Recent approaches to conservation have centered on integrated conservation and development projects and participatory resource management programs, co-managed between governments and local communities. But these programs have had only mixed success and often suffer from insufficient quantity or quality of participation by local communities. We pose that participatory resource management is more likely to succeed when community members, 1 gain a global perspective on how their social, economic and environmental conditions compare with peer communities in other similar areas of the world, and thus better understand issues of relative scarcity and the benefits of sustainable resource management, and 2 engage as decision-makers at every stage of the conservation process up to reflective program evaluation. This paper examines the role of South-South exchanges as a tool to achieve these intermediate goals that ultimately foster more effective and participatory conservation and support sustainable local livelihoods. The data are extracted from the initiatives of the authors in two different environments- marine and coastal communities in Central America and the Caribbean, and lowland rainforest communities in the western Amazon of South America. We conclude that the exchanges are effective ways to build stakeholder comprehension about, and meaningful engagement in, resource management. South-South exchanges may also help build multi-local coalitions from various remote areas that together support biodiversity conservation at regional and global scales.

  2. Income of Local Budgets as a Tool of Ensuring Powers of Self-Governance Bodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lamskyy Maksym D.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The goal of the article lies in the study, analysis and assessment of the state of income of local budgets. The article identifies main sources of income of local budgets in Ukraine and their importance in formation of main money funds of the local self-governance bodies. It studies problems of scantiness of the income part of budgets in the process of performance of powers by the local bodies of authority. It identifies and analyses changes and reforms after introduction of the Tax Code, which did not provide solution of the issue of sufficiency of the income part of the financial resource of local self-governance. In the result of the study the article gives recommendations with respect to a possibility of expansion of the income base of local budgets for financing both the social and economic directions by local authorities. It develops specific proposals on strengthening the financial base of regions.

  3. Perspectives of Complexity in Water Governance: Local Experiences of Global Trends

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele-Lee Moore

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Those responsible for water governance face great complexity. However, the conceptualisations of what comprises that complexity have been broad and inconsistent. When efforts are made to address the complexity in water governance, it is unclear whether the problems and the related solutions will be understood across the actors and institutions involved. This paper provides a review of the literature focused on global water governance to discern core themes that commonly characterise discussions of complexity. It then considers how the consequences of these issues are manifested at the local scale through an examination of empirical research of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Prachinburi River Basin Committee. The results demonstrate that a history of a technical, depoliticised discourse is often perceived to contribute to complexity. The consequence is that when a severe ecological disturbance occurs within a river basin with poorly understood causes, few tools are available to support river basin organisations to address the political nature of these challenges. Additionally, a lack of clear authority structures has been recognised globally, but locally this can contribute to conflict amongst the 'governors' of water. Finally, a range of contested definitions and governance frameworks exists that contributes to complexity, but confronting the diversity of perspectives can lead to ethical dilemmas given that the decisions will affect the health and livelihoods of basin communities.

  4. Traditional methods of social control in Afikpo north local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Traditional methods of social control in Afikpo north local government area, Ebonyi state south eastern Nigeria. ... Journal of Religion and Human Relations ... simple percentage was used in presenting and interpreting the quantitative data.

  5. Questioning the Pace and Pathway of E-Government Development in Africa: A Case Study of South Africa's Cape Gateway Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maumbe, Blessing Mukabeta; Owei, Vesper; Alexander, Helen

    2008-01-01

    The paper examines e-government development in Africa. This study is based on the Cape Gateway project in South Africa, a leading e-government initiative on the continent. We observe that African countries have jumped on the e-government band wagon by looking mostly at the benefits without a clear risk assessment. We argue that African countries…

  6. Stakeholder management in the local government decision-making area: evidences from a triangulation study with the English local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Corrêa Gomes

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The stakeholder theory has been in the management agenda for about thirty years and reservations about its acceptance as a comprehensive theory still remains. It was introduced as a managerial issue by the Labour Party in 1997 aiming to make public management more inclusive. This article aims to contribute to the stakeholder theory adding descriptive issues to its theoretical basis. The findings are derived from an inductive investigationcarried out with English Local Authorities, which will most likely be reproduced in other contexts. Data collection and analysis is based on a data triangulation method that involves case-studies, interviews of validation and analysis of documents. The investigation proposes a model for representing the nature of therelationships between stakeholders and the decision-making process of such organizations. The decision-making of local government organizations is in fact a stakeholder-based process in which stakeholders are empowered to exert influences due to power over and interest in the organization’s operations and outcomes.

  7. The capacity of local governments to improve business environment: Evidence from Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vesna Janković Milić

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to draw attention on the need to strengthen institutional cooperation between local self-governments and the business community. The paper analyses the ability of socio-economic councils in Serbia, as a part of local governments, to improve the business environment and indicators of social status at the local level. In addition to socio-economic councils, this analysis includes the departments, divisions and offices for local economic development and their responsibilities. The results in the paper has been generated using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test, t-test and regression analysis, based on the analysis of primary data collected in empirical research on 55 municipalities in Serbia. The fundamental results obtained using the stated analysis is that socio-economic councils have positive impact on the social and economic development in the survived municipalities. Finally, the basic conclusion from the executed research is that size of the municipality is not a limiting factor for the establishment of the socio-economic councils and their functionality

  8. Data mining for assessing the credit risk of local government units in Croatia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvija Vlah Jerić

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Over the past few decades, data mining techniques, especially artificial neural networks, have been used for modelling many real-world problems. This paper aims to test the performance of three methods: (1 an artificial neural network (ANN, (2 a hybrid artificial neural network and genetic algorithm approach (ANN-GA, and (2 the Tobit regression approach in determining the credit risk of local government units in Croatia. The evaluation of credit risk and prediction of debtor bankruptcy have long been regarded as an important topic in accounting and finance literature. In this research, credit risk is modelled under a regression approach unlike typical credit risk analysis, which is generally viewed as a classification problem. Namely, a standard evaluation of credit risk is not possible due to a lack of bankruptcy data. Thus, the credit risk of a local unit is approximated using the ratio of outstanding liabilities maturing in a given year to total expenditure of the local unit in the same period. The results indicate that the ANN-GA hybrid approach performs significantly better than the Tobit model by providing a significantly smaller average mean squared error. This work is beneficial to researchers and the government in evaluating a local government unit’s credit score.

  9. Global Norms and local requirements for Black South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Global Norms and local requirements for Black South African English ('BSAE')? -- A pilot study of teachers' assessment and perceptions of learner texts ... reports on the pilot study of a still-ongoing research project which investigates teachers' language perceptions and language use in mainly BSAE-using classrooms.

  10. Normative Regulation of Anti-Corruption in the System of Local Self-Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darya F. Kupcha

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In the present work authors attempt to analyze normative acts aimed at regulating relations in the sphere of counteracting corruption at the level of local self-government. In the conclusion authors summarize that despite criticism, in the Russian Federation, a system of regulatory regulation to counteract corruption (including at the local level is formed. Further improvements of this system should be made in the legal regulation at the local level.

  11. Hurricane & Tropical Storm Impacts over the South Florida Metropolitan Area: Mortality & Government

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colon Pagan, I. C.

    2007-12-01

    Since 1985, the South Florida Metropolitan area (SFMA), which covers the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, has been directly affected by 9 tropical cyclones: four tropical storms and 5 hurricanes. This continuous hurricane and tropical storm activity has awakened the conscience of the communities, government, and private sector, about the social vulnerability, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and others. Several factors have also been significant enough to affect the vulnerability of the South Florida Metropolitan area, like its geographic location which is at the western part of the Atlantic hurricane track, with a surface area of 6,137 square miles, and elevation of 15 feet. And second, from the 2006 Census estimate, this metropolitan area is the 7th most populous area in the United States supporting almost 1,571 individuals per square mile. Mortality levels due to hurricanes and tropical storms have fluctuated over the last 21 years without any signal of a complete reduction, a phenomenon that can be related to both physical characteristics of the storms and government actions. The average annual death count remains almost the same from 4.10 between 1985 and 1995 to 4 from 1996 to 2006. However, the probability of occurrence of a direct impact of an atmospheric disturbance has increase from 0.3 to 0.6, with an average of three hurricane or tropical storm direct impacts for every five. This analysis suggests an increasing problem with regard to atmospheric disturbances-related deaths in the South Florida Metropolitan area. In other words, despite substantial increases in population during the last 21 years, the number of tropical cyclone-related deaths is not declining; it's just being segregated among more storms. Gaps between each impact can be related to mortality levels. When that time increases in five years or more, such as Bob and Andrew or Irene and Katrina, or decreases in weeks or months, such as Harvey and Irene or Katrina and Wilma

  12. 'Joined Up' Local Governments?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørnå, Hilde; Casale, Donatella; Hajnal, Gyorgy

    eforms inspired by NPM have raised many challenges to governments, such as time lags between implementation and (any) results, fragmentation due to unbundling monolithic organizations and mediocre support from public sector stakeholders (Christensen/Lægreid 2007, Dunleavy et al. 2006, Hood...... measures (6 2004). JUG involves an emphasis on coordinating governmental activities, for example through partnerships and horizontal governing approaches, to eliminate contradictions between different policies, and to deliver integrated and seamless services from a citizen’s perspective (Lægreid et al......, for example one-stop-shops, often combined with e-government solutions (Norway, Italy, Hungary and Germany), public sector recentralisation and de-agencification (Ireland) or refined strategies for steering the ‘landscape of corporatized organizations‘ (Hungary and Austria)....

  13. Local self governance in health - a study of it's functioning in Odisha, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panda, Bhuputra; Zodpey, Sanjay P; Thakur, Harshad P

    2016-10-31

    Local decision making is linked to several service quality improvement parameters. Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKS) at peripheral decision making health units (DMHU) are composite bodies that are mandated to ensure accountability and transparency in governance, improve quality of services, and facilitate local responsiveness. There is scant literature on the nature of functioning of these institutions in Odisha. This study aimed to assess the perception of RKS members about their roles, involvement and practices with respect to local decision making and management of DMHUs; it further examined perceptual and functional differences between priority and non-priority district set-ups; and identified predictors of involvement of RKS members in local governance of health units. As members of RKS, health service providers, officials in administrative/managerial role, elected representatives, and officials from other departments (including independent members) constituted our study sample. A total of 112 respondents were interviewed across 6 districts, through a multi-stage stratified random sampling; we used a semi-structured interview schedule that comprised mainly of close-ended and some open-ended questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare 3 priority (PD) and 3 non-priority districts (NPD), categorized on the basis of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) estimates of 2011 as proxy of population health. Governance, human resource management, financial management and quality improvement functions were studied in detail. Opinion about various individual and organizational factors in local self-governance and predictors of involvement were identified. The socio-demographic profile and composition of respondents were comparable between PD and NPD. Majority of respondents were 'satisfied' with their current roles in the governance of local health institutions. About one-fourth opined that the amount of funds allocated to RKS under National Health Mission (NHM

  14. Solar Requests for Proposals | State, Local, and Tribal Governments | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    who have a lot of experience in this area may handle the process on their own while others may decide to hire a consultant to assist with or manage the process. Direct Buy Versus Power Purchase Agreement . It is also very common for local government agencies to enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs

  15. Demographic indicators of trust in federal, state and local government: implications for Australian health policy makers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Samantha B; Mamerow, Loreen; Taylor, Anne W; Henderson, Julie; Ward, Paul R; Coveney, John

    2013-02-01

    To provide baseline findings regarding Australians' trust in federal, state and local government. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) survey was administrated during October to December 2009 to a random sample (n=1109) across Australia (response rate 41.2%). Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out by means of SPSS. Age, household size, household income, IRSD and ARIA were found to be significant indicators for trust in federal, state and local government. Trust in state government is lower for older respondents and respondents living in inner and outer regional areas. Trust in local council is lower in respondents living in inner regional areas, respondents living in disadvantaged areas, and respondents in the income bracket of $60001 to $100000. Trust in federal government is lower for older respondents and respondents living in disadvantaged areas. Of note is diminished trust in government among older, regional and lower income ($30001-$60000) respondents. Trust in all levels of government was found to be the lowest in population groups that are identified by empirical research and media to have the poorest access to government services. As a consequence, improved access to services for these populations may increase trust in health policy. Increased trust in health governance may in turn, ensure effective dissemination and implementation of health policies and that existing inequities are not perpetuated through distrust of health information and policy initiatives.

  16. Health and equity in all policies in local government: processes and outcomes in two Norwegian municipalities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Heimburg, Dina; Hakkebo, Berit

    2017-08-01

    To identify key factors in implementing Health and Equity in All Policies (HEiAP) at the local level in two Norwegian municipalities in order to accelerate the progress of promoting health, well-being and equity in other local governments. This case study is presented as a narrative from policy-making processes in two Norwegian municipalities. The story is told from an insider perspective, with a focus on HEiAP policy makers in these two municipalities. The narrative identified key learning from implementing HEiAP at the local level, i.e. the importance of strengthening system and human capacities. System capacity is strengthened by governing HEiAP according to national legislation and a holistic governance system at the local level. Municipal plans are based on theory, evidence and local data. A 'main story' is developed to support the vision, defining joint societal goals and co-creation strategies. Policies are anchored by measuring and monitoring outcomes, sharing accountability and continuous dialogue to ensure political commitment. Human capacity is strengthened through participatory leadership, soft skills and health promotion competences across sectors. Health promotion competence at a strategic level in the organization, participation in professional networks, crowd sourcing toward common goals, and commitment through winning hearts and minds of politicians and other stakeholders are vital aspects. Our experience pinpoints the importance of strengthening system and human capacity in local governments. Further, we found it important to focus on the two strategic objectives in the European strategy 'Health 2020': (1) Improving health for all and reducing health inequalities; (2) improving leadership and participatory governance for health.

  17. OPTIMIZING PUBLIC SERVICE THROUGH E-GOV SERVICES (THE CASE OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN SOUTH JAKARTA MUNICIPALITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florentina Ratih Wulandari

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The development of information technology and public administration paradigms that emphasize services for the benefit of society has affected the strategic efforts of e-Gov in Indonesia. For that, there is a need to create qualified, competitive, effective and efficient of the public services. Indonesia’s E-Gov Policy has been applying principles of good governance and information technology to serve and interact with the community. Some local governments, including South Jakarta Municipality has been implementing e-Gov to optimize public service. e-Gov in South Jakarta Municipality is reflected on the implementation of a management information technology to improve services to the community by creating a web site, namely http://selatan.jakarta.go.id/. The information presented in South Jakarta Municipality website includes tourism, local regulations, and other information of Municipality of South Jakarta.

  18. Interaction and activity coordination of territorial customs bodies of the State fiscal service of Ukraine with local state administrations and local self-government bodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олексій Павлович Федотов

    2016-06-01

    Based on the results of the study the author notes that the interaction of the Ukrainian SFS customs offices and local state administrations with local self-government bodies is an inherent quality, link and component of the Ukrainian SFS Customs offices functioning organization, which aims to improve the state customs service implementation standards by the Ukrainian SFS customs houses and to ensure the said implementation efficiency. However, in the course of interaction of the Ukrainian SFS customs with local state administrations and local self-government bodies each of the mentioned organizations specializes in solving their specific tasks in accordance with their subject expertise, and forms a clear organizational system. The complementarity of such kind helps to improve the state customs affairs conductance quality and is realized through the coordination of performance of the Ukrainian SFS customs offices, local state administrations and local self-government bodies as the interaction subjects through normative, informational and analytical provision for the interaction and concretization of the activities of each subject within the planned activities.

  19. AWARENESS AS A FACTOR OF INFLUENCE ON THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC SATISFACTION WITH LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiseleva N. V.

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In the modern period of the development of statehood in Russia the significant increase of attention is attributed to the issue of effectiveness of state power and government not only on the federal and regional levels, but on the local level as well. In 2009 there was developed and implemented the system of indicators of the effectiveness’ estimates of the activity of local self-government. The system of effectiveness’ estimates included sociological indices of satisfaction of population. Implementation of sociological indices in the system of effectiveness’ estimates of the activity of local self-government brought positive responses from academic community, politicians, managers, and the public. In the article the analysis of influence of cognitive factor (being kept informed on the level of social contentment of the activity of local self-government’ bodies is done. We do this, based on the results of sociological studies of the major Russian research organizations and data from the aggregate reports, which deal with the monitoring of effectiveness of local self-government of some subjects in the Central federal district of Russia.

  20. Science-practice nexus for landslide surveying: technical training for local government units in Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, A. L.; Hespiantoro, S.; Dyar, D.; Balzer, D.; Kuhn, D.; Torizin, J.; Fuchs, M.; Kastl, S.; Anhorn, J.

    2017-02-01

    The Indonesian archipelago is prone to various geological hazards on an almost day to day basis. In order to mitigate disaster risk and reduce losses, the government uses its unique setup of ministerial training institutions. The Centre for Development of Human Resources in Geology, Mineral and Coal offers different level of technical training to local governments in order to provide them with the necessary means to understand geological hazards, mitigate risks, and hence close the gap between local and national governments. One key factor has been the continuous incorporation of new scientific knowledge into their training curricula. The paper presents benefits and challenges of this science-practice nexus using the standardised landslide survey as one example where mobile technology has been introduced to the training just recently.

  1. The reasons for changes in the control of Dutch local government

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ter Bogt, H.J.; Haldma, T.

    2005-01-01

    The last fifteen years have seen a succession of changes in the management control of organizations in the Dutch local government sector, i.e. municipalities and provinces. These changes relate to, for example, organizational structures, financial management and human resources management, and also

  2. A review of the growth of monitoring and evaluation in South Africa: Monitoring and evaluation as a profession, an industry and a governance tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark A. Abrahams

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available South Africa is one several African countries with an official ministry responsible for monitoring and evaluation (M&E. Some of the other countries include Ghana, Kenya, Benin and Uganda. The development of M&E in South Africa has been stymied in part by its interdisciplinary nature, trying to find roots within historically a very discipline-based higher education system. Over the last ten years, however, there has been a huge increase in the number, scope and quality of evaluations conducted in this country. Government agencies and Non-government organisations (NGOs often using international donor funds for their own projects, have been engaged in outsourcing evaluation studies, and currently all government departments have established their own M&E units. There are statutory bodies such as the Public Service Commission (PSC and the Department for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME with the responsibility to monitor and evaluate the government’s service delivery and performance. The South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA, established in 2005, draws together M&E practitioners, trainers in M&E, development agencies as well as government officials at its biennial conferences and sustains a vibrant community via its listserv – SAMEATalk. This article reviews the growth of monitoring and evaluation in South Africa and reflects on the current or prominent nature of M&E in this country. It deliberates about M&E developing into a profession, its growth as an industry or businessand its increasing adoption as a governance tool for development in South Africa. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the growth of M&E in South Africa.

  3. 48 CFR 29.302 - Application of State and local taxes to the Government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Government are immune from State and local taxation. Whether any specific purchase or lease is immune, however, is a legal question requiring advice and assistance of the agency-designated counsel. (b) When it... from State and local taxation that may be available. If appropriate, the contracting officer shall...

  4. Territorial Governance. A Comparative Research of Local Agro-Food Systems in Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    Torres-Salcido, Gerardo; Sanz-Cañada, Javier

    2018-01-01

    The article attempts to provide a theoretical discussion on territorial governance by presenting both the neo-institutionalist position and the De Sousa Santos’ alternative models, with a view of highlighting the dimensions that can be relevant to understanding the territorial dynamics of Local Agro-food Systems (LAFS). The paper aims to build up a system of indicators, structured in four dimensions, concerning the territorial governance of LAFS: (i) multi-level coordination; (ii) democratic ...

  5. Ways of Civil Society Institutes Interaction with Local Governments in the Sphere of Anti-Corruption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristina V. Кondrashova

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In this article author analyzes ways of civil society institutes interaction with local government bodies in the sphere of anti-corruption, legal regulation in the sphere of anti-corruption is analyzed (including the Federal law of December 25, 2008 No. 273-FZ "About anti-corruption", opinions of scientists-jurists are researched. In the conclusion the author reviews 4 examples mutually beneficial cooperation of institutes of civil society and local government bodies.

  6. Soil governance in the agricultural landscapes of New South Wales, Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashley A Webb

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Soil is a valuable natural resource. In the state of New South Wales, Australia, the governance of soil has evolved since Federation in 1901. Following rapid agricultural development, and in the face of widespread soil degradation, the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service marked a turning point in the management of soil. Throughout the 20th century, advances in knowledge were translated into evolving governance frameworks that were largely reactionary but saw progressive reforms such as water pollution legislation and case studies of catchment-scale land and vegetation management. In the 21st century, significant reforms have embedded sustainable use of agricultural soils within catchment- and landscape-scale legislative and institutional frameworks. What is clear, however, is that a multitude of governance strategies and models are utilised in NSW. No single governance model is applicable to all situations because it is necessary to combine elements of several different mechanisms or instruments to achieve the most desired outcomes. Where an industry, such as the sugar industry, has taken ownership of an issue such as acid sulfate soil management, self-regulation has proven to be extremely effective. In the case of co-managing agricultural soils with other landuses, such as mining, petroleum exploration and urban development, regulation, compliance and enforcement mechanisms have been preferred. Institutional arrangements in the form of independent commissioners have also played a role. At the landscape or total catchment level, it is clear that a mix of mechanisms is required. Fundamental, however, to the successful evolution of soil governance is strategic investment in soil research and development that informs the ongoing productive use of agricultural landscapes while preventing land degradation or adverse environmental effects.

  7. An assessment of the effects of local government organisation on air quality management practices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beattie, C.I.; Ling, K.; Longhurst, J.W.S. [Univ. of the West of England, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Bristol (GB)] [and others

    1999-07-01

    During the last 15 years, local government in the UK has been undergoing a series of reorganisations, leaving a legacy of different organisational structures. In England, local government is essentially structured in two contrasting ways. In some areas a single all-purpose council is responsible for all local authority functions (unitary, metropolitan or London boroughs) with the remainder in a two tier system in which two separate councils divide responsibilities between district and county councils. The Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) process, the method of air pollution control currently underway in the UK, is led by central Government guidance. It is only required of local authorities 'to have regard to this guidance'. It is therefore expected that there will be considerable variation in the interpretation and approach taken, within the framework set out by the guidance. It is hypothesised that the different local government organisational structures will approach their LAQM activities in a variety of styles. Within all-purpose councils, communication should be easier than within two tier councils. By the same argument, the length of time these 'unitary' councils have been in place should also affect LAQM practices through communication routes. London boroughs and metropolitan boroughs have had responsibility for all functions within their area for well over 10 years. In contrast, unitary authorities have more recently taken over these extra roles (such as transport planning) and so effective and efficient internal communication routes may not yet be in place. 14 unitary authorities were created in 1992 and a further 32 have come into being in either 1997 or 1998. This paper investigates whether the organisational structure of a local authority does have a significant impact on LAQM practices. It concluded that single-tier authorities do appear to be further ahead in the LAQM process. However, it is unknown from the evidence presented

  8. Public health and English local government: historical perspectives on the impact of 'returning home'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorsky, Martin; Lock, Karen; Hogarth, Sue

    2014-12-01

    This article uses history to stimulate reflection on the present opportunities and challenges for public health practice in English local government. Its motivation is the paradox that despite Department of Health policy-makers' allusions to 'a long and proud history' and 'returning public health home' there has been no serious discussion of that past local government experience and what we might learn from it. The article begins with a short resumé of the achievements of Victorian public health in its municipal location, and then considers the extensive responsibilities that it developed for environmental, preventive and health services by the mid-twentieth century. The main section discusses the early NHS, explaining why historians see the era as one of decline for the speciality of public health, leading to the reform of 1974, which saw the removal from local government and the abolition of the Medical Officer of Health role. Our discussion focuses on challenges faced before 1974 which raise organizational and political issues relevant to local councils today as they embed new public health teams. These include the themes of leadership, funding, integrated service delivery, communication and above all the need for a coherent vision and rationale for public health action in local authorities. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

  9. Specific Grants from the State Budget to Local Government Tasks in the Light of the Constitutional Rule of Adequacy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Ostrowska

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The rule of adequacy of financial resources to the local government’s responsibilities is one of the basic rule of local government finance, which was expressed in Polish Constitution and in the European Charter on Local Self Government. Because of the fact, that the system of own resources of Polish local governments was not reformed since 2004 – any amendment causes decrease of their transferable resources (grants, subsidies should be regarded as the inconsistent with the rule of adequacy and therefore – unconstitutional. Such nature has the new 80% limit for the amount of the specific grant from the State Budget to local government own tasks, which was introduced by Article 128 of Public Finance Act. The paper presents argumentation proving the above thesis and also raises an increasing problem of inadequacy of subsidies for the central government’s task delegated to local authorities.

  10. Tax management in strengthening financial independence of local government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badida M.P.

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The article analyses the directions of tax management in the context of budgetary decentralization. The paper aims to research tax management in the system of forming local budgets in the conditions of financial resources decentralization and analyze the current tools of tax management on the local level. In spite of a great number of researches, the issue of tax management in strengthening financial independence of local budgets is not enough studied; therefore, to reach financial independence of local communities it is necessary to adopt new normative and legal acts concerning decentralization of financial resources taking into account tax potential of each territorial community. The lack of financial resources causes the problem of optimal redistribution of power among central and local authorities. The author proposes the new mechanisms of solving the current problems on the example of local budget of the city of Uzgorod to contribute budgetary decentralization. The principal idea while conducting the reform of the budgetary process must be the adoption of certain changes in budgetary legislation which have to shift the mechanisms of budgetary financing and equating local budgets. The author concludes that the progressive vector of well-being increasing completely depends on the developed concept of regional economic policy. The article pays attention to the importance of taking into account the tax potential of a territory and characterizes the directions of strengthening financial independence of local government.

  11. Relations between authorities in the Slovenian local self-government system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anja Grabner

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper aims to analyse the relationship between the legislative (municipal council and executive (mayor, deputy mayor branches of power in the Slovenian system of local self-government. In the centre lies the role of the mayor, the role of the director of the municipal administration and the role of the municipal council together with the relationship (which has changed significantly in the past two decades between the mayor and these two bodies. The theoretical anchor of the contribution is the work of Mouritzen and Svara (2002 where the authors categorise ideal models of executive government at the sub-national levels of government and the relations inside the executive. Based on previous empirical research studies, we analyse the functioning of the executive and legislative branches of power and their mutual relations, starting from the assumption that those relations do not correspond to the quite rigidly defined normative frameworks, but in practice often move beyond them.

  12. Community energy and emissions planning : a guide for BC local governments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-09-01

    British Columbia (BC) local governments are becoming more interested in completing an energy and greenhouse gas emissions plan for their community as awareness of climate change grows and energy prices escalate. The purpose of this guide was to support local government elected officials and staff in undertaking an energy and emissions planning process. This guide described the purpose and content of a community energy and emissions plan, its benefits, and how to go about creating one. Specifically, the guide provided practical tips, examples from BC communities, and links to more detailed information. Topics that were presented in the guide included engagement; inventories; target-setting; action plan; implementation and monitoring; and funding and resources. It was concluded that the key to long-term success is to maintain good communication with council/board, staff and the public. The document emphasized that it is important to make sure that people know the work being undertaken, and the results achieved, so that momentum is not lost. refs., tabs., figs

  13. Use of Local Health Department Websites: A Study of E-Government Adoption and Diffusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaltonen, Pamela Massie

    2013-01-01

    Two distinct but converging activities have the potential to alter the way local public health departments conduct business. These activities are the emergence of e-government and the addition of preparedness as a basic function of the public health system. Preparedness implies timely collaboration with government entities, community partners and…

  14. Governance, ‘sovereignty-state-territory triad’, human population migration and xenophobia in (South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes Tsheola

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article seeks to examine the association of the concept of governance of international relations and, by implication, human population migration, through the rigid practices of “sovereignty-state-territory triad” with the fomentation and exacerbation of societal stereotypes, attitudes and perceptions of xenophobia in Africa, in general, and South Africa, in particular. Ascriptions of the majority of population migration as “international” affirms the centrality of the operationalisation of the “sovereignty-state-territory triad” in understanding the fragmentary constructions of societal attitudes and perceptions of people resident in distinct geopolitical entities ascribed as national territories. State and non-state governance entrapments with this triad perpetuate societal stereotypes that are in concurrence with bordered-territories where populations described as citizens are stimulated to protect endowments and resources of the land against the perceived destruction associated with the conduct of the out-groups. Unsurprisingly, the theorisation of human population migration has equally been intricately involved with environmental conservation and securitisation of biodiversity that enables land dispossession of the vulnerable sections of the population through the Western economic narratives of “Peace Parks”. Simultaneously in Southern Africa, the concept of African Renaissance, inescapably embedded with “cooperation and conflict” at all scales, has offered a buzzword to be realised through “Peace Parks” that have evidently failed to deliver reaffirmation of African cultures, continental emancipation and democratisation. The preeminence of societal stereotypes, attitudes and perceptions of xenophobia and violent abuses of African immigrants in South Africa provides vivid illustrations of the inconsistencies and non-linearity of concepts such as African Renaissance and “Peace Parks”. This article asserts that

  15. Territorial Governance. A Comparative Research of Local Agro-Food Systems in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerardo Torres-Salcido

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The article attempts to provide a theoretical discussion on territorial governance by presenting both the neo-institutionalist position and the De Sousa Santos’ alternative models, with a view of highlighting the dimensions that can be relevant to understanding the territorial dynamics of Local Agro-food Systems (LAFS. The paper aims to build up a system of indicators, structured in four dimensions, concerning the territorial governance of LAFS: (i multi-level coordination; (ii democratic participation and accountability; (iii cooperation among producers and other stakeholders and (iv relationships with the environment. We verify, as a hypothesis, that the typology of markets to which the identity-based products are directed plays a decisive role in the way that processes of territorial governance of LAFS are constructed. The results of an empirical research, developed in four LAFS in Mexico, are presented: prickly pear cactus in Morelos, blackberry in Michoacán, cuitlacoche (corn smut in Tlaxcala and coffee in Veracruz. Two types of territorial governance of LAFS may be distinguished: those that can be strengthened by the geographical and organisational proximity of the markets and the action of local stakeholders and governments—prickly pear cactus and cuitlacoche—versus those which are devoted to export and are conducted by large companies in which marketing networks involve certification mechanisms and a large number of institutions—coffee and blackberry.

  16. Operationalising an effective monitoring and evaluation system for local government: Considerations for best practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Kariuki

    2017-11-01

    Conclusion: The article concluded that effective monitoring and evaluation in local government that is responsive to citizens’ needs is a non-negotiable imperative for government. It recommended that municipalities be adequately resourced with competent monitoring and evaluation human personnel. This is important for strengthening their capacity to deliver efficient monitoring and evaluation services.

  17. Uncovering Local Impacts – The Influence of Transnational Municipal Climate Networks on Urban Climate Governance

    OpenAIRE

    Busch, Henner; Bendlin, Lena; Fenton, Paul; Forschungszentrum für Umweltpolitik

    2018-01-01

    In recent years, many cities have joined transnational municipal climate networks (TMCNs), which were set up in response to climate change. Despite the fact that some of these TMCNs have been active for more than two decades, there has been no systematic investigation of the networks’ impact on local climate governance. In this article we attempt to answer if and how local climate governance has been influenced by municipalities’ memberships in TMCNs. Our assessment is based on an online surv...

  18. Guarding against land-expropriation-related mass incidents (LERMIs): Practical evidence from China's local governments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Shukui; Wang, Siliang

    2017-04-01

    China is faced with serious challenges brought by large-scale social protests in the period of rapid urbanization and profound social transition. In rural areas, the vast majority of mass incidents were related with land expropriation. In this paper, we intend to show how China's local governments guard against land-expropriation-related mass incidents (LERMIs) at the practical level. We first construct a comprehensive three-dimensional theoretic framework to define the boundary, to uncover the incentives, and to recognize the features of involved practices, then, on the basis of description evidenced by detailed data and/or cases, break various local practices down into two categories, the common local practices which refer to the nationwide top-down responses to the unified deployment by the central authority that aims to mitigate discontentment of land-deprived peasants and reduce the probabilities of conflicts through regulating land expropriation behavior and safeguarding economic interests and participation rights of affected peasants, and the specific local practices which point to the innovative local government behaviors with heterogeneity, in general, the tactical approaches to reduce the probabilities of disputes or conflicts evolving into group actions. We further argue that both of them follow a central tenet of instrumental orientation. As to the former, it is corroborated by local governments' paying more attention to promote the stylization and quantification in the aspects of regulating procedure, formulating and renewing compensation standards, resolving disputes, and evaluating risks, while the latter is mainly reflected from the outcome-orientation organization strategies to maintain overall stability in a relatively short term.

  19. Multiple governance and fisheries commons: Investigating the performance of local capacities in rural Bangladesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Al Mamun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This study presents a post-facto evaluation of the local capacity development processes used under co-management of fisheries and other resources of southern Bangladesh. It answers the question of how supportive were the capacity development tools used in implementing co-management. An 18 month study was conducted and six cases were investigated to understand the approaches to co-management programs used to develop local capacity. Founded in pragmatism and viewing co-management through a governance lens, a comparative case study method was used that combined both qualitative and quantitative research approaches for data collection and subsequent analysis. This study provides empirical evidence that co-management programs have applied a number of strategies (e.g. human resource and economic development to enhance local capacities. However, these strategies have achieved mixed results with regard to developing governance that supports livelihoods. Training provided to develop human resources and economic capacity were not useful for fishers or had little lasting effects on fisheries development due to poor monitoring and a disconnection with the needs of local users. This study concludes that comanagement can facilitate local capacity but in order to realize the full potential of this approach we must address the issues of inappropriate technologies for training, the financial barriers to fishers with low cash income, and uneven power relationships among stakeholders, to create an enabling environment for effective modern governance of the fisheries commons. Our findings indicate a needsbased approach to capacity building is needed in order to support the livelihoods of local users through co-management

  20. Accountability and governance in local public services: The particular case of mixed companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuno Ferreira da Cruz

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The growing budget restrictions and decentralization processes that local governments face nowadays are threatening the sustainability of local public services. To overcome this problem, local decision-makers around the world have been developing ambiguous reforms, leading to various governance models. Since these services are essential for citizens’ welfare, it is crucial to determine whether or not these models have been effective and useful to cope with this state of affairs. To offer extra leverage to key projects, the European governments have been resorting to public-private partnerships (PPPs. One of the visible trends, which lacks further research, has been the use of mixed public-private companies (institutionalized PPPs. Although it is recognized that this solution can be interesting for both public and private sides, it has some particular features that can avert the aimed goals. This paper provides a literature review on mixed companies encompassing theoretical, legal and operational aspects. It also focuses on regulation by contract, referring to a particular Portuguese case study in the water sector and explaining how the municipality handled risk allocation and regulated the access to the market of private investors. Finally, it discusses the need for external regulation and makes suggestions on how these processes should be managed right from the bidding stage

  1. Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies - Vol 36 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Violent protest at local government level in South Africa: Revolutionary potential? EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. M Hough, 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.5787/36-1-41 ...

  2. Local self governance in health - a study of it’s functioning in Odisha, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhuputra Panda

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Local decision making is linked to several service quality improvement parameters. Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKS at peripheral decision making health units (DMHU are composite bodies that are mandated to ensure accountability and transparency in governance, improve quality of services, and facilitate local responsiveness. There is scant literature on the nature of functioning of these institutions in Odisha. This study aimed to assess the perception of RKS members about their roles, involvement and practices with respect to local decision making and management of DMHUs; it further examined perceptual and functional differences between priority and non-priority district set-ups; and identified predictors of involvement of RKS members in local governance of health units. Methods As members of RKS, health service providers, officials in administrative/managerial role, elected representatives, and officials from other departments (including independent members constituted our study sample. A total of 112 respondents were interviewed across 6 districts, through a multi-stage stratified random sampling; we used a semi-structured interview schedule that comprised mainly of close-ended and some open-ended questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare 3 priority (PD and 3 non-priority districts (NPD, categorized on the basis of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR estimates of 2011 as proxy of population health. Governance, human resource management, financial management and quality improvement functions were studied in detail. Opinion about various individual and organizational factors in local self-governance and predictors of involvement were identified. Results The socio-demographic profile and composition of respondents were comparable between PD and NPD. Majority of respondents were ‘satisfied’ with their current roles in the governance of local health institutions. About one-fourth opined that the amount of funds

  3. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTPROCESSES: A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The United Nations Millennium Development Goal [MDG](Goal 1; Povertyreduction in South Africa hadnot achieved allofits set targets. There are stilleconomic disparities complemented by a wide ranging pollution-to-unemploymentratiocreating gender-differentiation in poverty outcomes. MDG Goal 3 (Genderequality and women empowerment also existedin isolation andwas not explicitlyaligned with other goals. The post-MDG review led to the establishment ofSustainable Development Goals (SDGs (Goal 1: poverty elimination and Goal 6:gender equality. Inorder to eradicate poverty and advance economicempowerment of households, the Local Economic Development (LED programmehas since been implemented in South African municipalities.The aim of thearticleisto explore the missing element of gender in development policies and goals.Thepurposethereforeis to align gender to local economic development inmunicipalities.A qualitative research design was planned to gather relevantinformation.A review of LED documents explores the gender exclusion in the LEDprocesses. Gender differences, inequality, unequal access to resources, and unequalemployment opportunities may lead to economic collapse.The article offersrecommendationsfor improvement.

  4. Reorganization of water and waste water management in Romania : from local to regional water governance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vinke-de Kruijf, Joanne; Dinica, Valentina; Augustijn, Denie C.M.

    2009-01-01

    Romania's drinking water and wastewater sector is currently going through a process of regionalization. This process involves a replacement of a local-focused governance structure by a regional-focused governance structure. The objective of this paper is to explore and explain this regionalization

  5. Bridge over troubled waters? The state-NGO interface in governing urban environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tropp, H

    1998-12-31

    Environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources are aggravating problems in many developing countries. A particular case about Non-Governmental Organisations` (NGOs) commitment to river water pollution in Madras (south India) is developed here, mainly with regards to the interface between the state and NGO sector. A significant reason behind environmental problems are insufficient structures of governance. An often proposed solution, by both international and local organisations and governments, is to develop a partnership between the state and local organisations and communities. The arguments here show that such increased cooperation or decentralization may not come easy and is complicated by various meanings of governance, such as discretionary state power, limited transparency of bureaucratic and political processes, red-tapism and different perceptions of causes and solutions to environmental problems 25 refs, 1 fig

  6. Bridge over troubled waters? The state-NGO interface in governing urban environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tropp, H.

    1997-12-31

    Environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources are aggravating problems in many developing countries. A particular case about Non-Governmental Organisations` (NGOs) commitment to river water pollution in Madras (south India) is developed here, mainly with regards to the interface between the state and NGO sector. A significant reason behind environmental problems are insufficient structures of governance. An often proposed solution, by both international and local organisations and governments, is to develop a partnership between the state and local organisations and communities. The arguments here show that such increased cooperation or decentralization may not come easy and is complicated by various meanings of governance, such as discretionary state power, limited transparency of bureaucratic and political processes, red-tapism and different perceptions of causes and solutions to environmental problems 25 refs, 1 fig

  7. Toolkit for local decision makers aims to strengthen environmental sustainability

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Murambadoro, M

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Members of the South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas were involved in a meeting aimed at the development of a toolkit towards improved integration of climate change into local government's integrated development planning (IDP) process....

  8. Governance Structure of Strategic Alliances - Evidences From the South Moravian Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Estélyiová Kristína

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the paper is to explore the governance structure of strategic alliances created by small and medium enterprises in the South Moravian Region. It deeper examines contractual alliances between strategic partners with focus on the contract and also deals with the protection of intellectual property rights in the investigated firms. To gain data for investigation, both primary and secondary research have been applied. Within the former the main data collection methods were the questionnaire survey and semi-structured personal interviews. The overall goal of the paper is to enhance the knowledge about the creation and functioning of strategic alliances in the Czech Republic.This paper is organized in the following way: first of all, the notion of strategic alliance is introduced. Next, the main forms of governance structure are presented in more details. This is followed by the objective and the methods of research. The results present the main findings of the research and discuss them in broader context. The conclusions recall the main findings and reveal the space for further investigation.

  9. Accounting for Government in the Global South: do Global Solutions Match Local Problems?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stewart Lawrence

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the impact of globalised accounting and economic reforms on the public sectors of lessdeveloped countries. Our interest is in the international institutions that have been instrumental inintroducing common, global remedies which appear to be based on theoretical understandings as opposed toexperience of the effects of their interventions. A growing concern is being expressed about suchinterventions, but there is a sparcity of reports from the field. We argue that a re-think is required of type ofthe public sector financial management reforms which the international financial institutions and the nationalaid agencies have been promoting across the Global South for the last decade or so.

  10. Climate Adaptive Water Management Plans for Cities in South Asia ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    This project will address the threat of extreme water insecurity, or reduced access to ... the risks, and local governments have been unable to find solutions. ... of its 2017 call for proposals to establish Cyber Policy Centres in the Global South.

  11. A compilation of necessary elements for a local government continuity of operations plan

    OpenAIRE

    Cashen, Kevin M.

    2006-01-01

    CHDS State/Local National and state homeland security strategies call for continuity of operations plan development. The 2006 Nationwide Plan Review Phase II Report identifies continuity of operations plan development as a state and local goal with a federal goal of providing continuity of operations plan development support. Most local governments do not have a continuity of operation plan or it needs to be updated. Continuity of operations plan guidance is provided by a variety of intern...

  12. Spatial Collaboration Model among Local Governments in Ratubangnegoro Region in the Boundary Area of Central Java and East Java Provinces, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahyono, H.; Wahdah, L.

    2018-02-01

    In Indonesia, according to Law No. 23/2014 on Local Government, a local government can conduct cooperation with other local governments that are based on considerations of efficiency and effectiveness of public services and mutual benefit, in order to improve people's welfare. Such cooperation can be categorized into mandatory and voluntary cooperation. Cooperation shall be developed jointly between the adjacent areas for the implementation of government affairs which have cross-local government externalities; and the provision of public services more efficient if managed together. One of the parts of the area that is directly related to the implementation of the policy liabilities of inter-local government cooperation which is mandated is the he province boundary areas. The public management of the provincial boundary areas is different from the central province area. While the central province area considers only their own interests, the management of boundary development must consider the neighboring regions. On one hand, the area is influenced only by its own province policy, while on the other influenced by neighboring regions. Meanwhile, a local government tends to resist the influence and intervention of neighboring regions. Likewise, neighboring local governments also tend to resist the influence and intervention of other local governments. Therefore, when interacting on the boundary, inter-local government interaction is not only the potential for cooperation, but also conflict-prone regions. One of the boundary area provinces attempt to implement the collaborative planning approach is the boundary area of Central Java Province and East Java Province, which is known as Ratubangnegoro Region. Ratubangnegoro region is one of the strategic areas of both provinces. In order to the interaction between the region could take place, there are regencies in the region have formed and joined the Inter-Local Government Cooperation Agency (BKAD-Badan Kerjasama Antar

  13. Analyzing Local Government Financial Performance: Evidence from Brazilian Municipalities 2005-2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Corrêa Gomes

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Municipality size has become an issue since the New Public Management doctrine of disaggregating structures into manageable units. In some countries, this doctrine led to the creation of small-scale agencies relying heavily upon transfers from upper-level governments. This paper aims to contribute to performance management literature by providing empirical evidence about some determinant factors that are likely to endow local governments with superior financial performance. Data came from a sample of Brazilian municipalities and refers to the period 2005-2008. The main conclusion of this investigation is that larger cities are more likely to manage revenue and expenditure better than are smaller cities, which aligns with the discussion of amalgamation versus fragmentation. This conclusion stems from the findings that in small municipalities mayors have fewer conditions to improve financial performance due to the difficulty of raising and collecting taxes and of reducing expenditures, which makes their administrations far more dependent upon external sources of money. Therefore, this dependent relationship can be seen as the cause of poor financial performance to the extent that it lowers mayoral discretion when making decisions. Another contribution this paper proposes to theory and practice relates to the fact that in the strong-mayor form of local government, mayoral qualification is likely to have little effect upon performance.

  14. Carbon Cowboys in Peru and the Prospects of Local REDD Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wil de Jong

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper demonstrates the vulnerability of natural resource governance in locations where future forest carbon emission reduction will be pursued using payment mechanisms like REDD (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The specific case is of an Australian national, David Nilsson who arrived in 2010 in the city of Iquitos, capital of the Peruvian Amazon. Nilsson tried to sign joint venture agreements with multiple indigenous organizations to trade carbon credits on their behalf. The paper analyses in much detail Nilsson's strategy to convince various local actors to sign up for his scheme. It demonstrates how people with responsibilities to represent indigenous interests, including leaders of their organizations, members of local NGos and staff of the regional government, eagerly supported these initiatives, but for ambiguous reasons. Even after Nilsson's treacherous dealings were widely exposed in the national and international news-media, this support did not stop. The case of this Peruvian carbon cowboy was specifically mentioned in "COICA's and AIDESEP's Iquitos Declaration", which is one of the early manifestations of an indigenous discourse that questions UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and REDD (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The paper demonstrates the political, institutional and governance fragility of locations where future REDD projects or similar initiatives to reduce forest carbon emissions are planned.

  15. A Comprehensive Framework for Information Technology Governance and Localizing it for Automotive Industry of Iran (Case Study: ATLAS Automotive Holding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mosakhani

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Due to the absence of a comprehensive framework for IT governance, the main objective of the study is to identify all components of IT governance and present them in the form of a comprehensive IT governance framework .The localization of provided framework for the automotive industry is the secondary objective of the study. In this regard, the research questions are: what is the comprehensive framework of IT governance? What are the components and dimensions of a comprehensive framework of IT governance? What is the localized comprehensive framework of IT governance for the Iranian automotive industry? All researches on IT governance were investigated using meta-synthesis qualitative method and were limited to 96 selected articles by performing a meta-synthesis process. Then, the five categories, 19 concepts and 79 codes of IT governance were identified through detailed study of these articles. Then, a comprehensive framework of IT governance was presented. For localizing, a questionnaire designed based on the identified IT governance components, and distributed among the automotive industry experts. Statistical hypothesis testing of collected data led to the rejection of cross/functional job rotation component in the automotive industry. To demonstrate the applicability of the framework, the IT governance status of ATLAS holding company was evaluated based on the comprehensive framework that localized for automotive industry.

  16. Under what conditions can local government nurture indigenous people’s democratic practice?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sareen, Siddharth; Nathan, Iben

    2017-01-01

    This paper asks whether and under what conditions participatory local government can best nurture indigenous peoples’ democratic practice. Based on fieldwork in two similar Ho communities in the Indian state Jharkhand, we show that their village assemblies function differently with regard...

  17. CHP and Local Governments: Case Studies and EPA’s New Guide (Webinar) – September 30, 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    This webinar presents two case studies of CHP development projects undertaken through cooperation between private companies and government entities, and introduces an EPA guide to assist local governments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

  18. The Importance of Institutional Design for Distributed Local-Level Governance of Groundwater: The Case of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Kiparsky

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In many areas of the world, groundwater resources are increasingly stressed, and unsustainable use has become common. Where existing mechanisms for governing groundwater are ineffective or nonexistent, new ones need to be developed. Local level groundwater governance provides an intriguing alternative to top-down models, with the promise of enabling management to better match the diversity of physical and social conditions in groundwater basins. One such example is emerging in California, USA, where new state law requires new local agencies to self-organize and act to achieve sustainable groundwater management. In this article, we draw on insights from research on common pool resource management and natural resources governance to develop guidelines for institutional design for local groundwater governance, grounded in California’s developing experience. We offer nine criteria that can be used as principles or standards in the evaluation of institutional design for local level groundwater governance: scale, human capacity, funding, authority, independence, representation, participation, accountability, and transparency. We assert that local governance holds promise as an alternative to centralized governance in some settings but that its success will depend heavily on the details of its implementation. Further, for local implementation to achieve its promise, there remain important complementary roles for centralized governance. California’s developing experience with local level groundwater management in dozens of basins across the state provides a unique opportunity to test and assess the importance and influence of these criteria.

  19. Implementation of energy-saving policies in China: How local governments assisted industrial enterprises in achieving energy-saving targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Xiaofan; Li, Huimin; Wu, Liang; Qi, Ye

    2014-01-01

    Local governments have replaced the national ministries that are in charge of various industries to become the primary implementer of energy-saving policies in China since 2000. This paper employs a case study-based approach to demonstrate the significance of local governments’ policy measures in assisting industrial enterprises with energy-saving activities in China. Based on the longitudinal case of the Jasmine Thermal Electric Power Company, this paper hypothesizes that sub-national governments have played a major role in implementing energy-saving policies in China since the 11th Five-year-plan period. A wide range of provincial and municipal agencies collaborated in implementing five types of policy measures – informational policy, skill building, improved enforcement of central directives, price adjustment, and funding – that reduced barriers to energy saving and motivated active pursuit of energy-saving activities at industrial enterprises. The case study demonstrates how an enterprise and local governments work together to achieve the enterprise's energy-saving target. The authors will investigate the hypothesis of this paper in the context of multiple case studies that they plan to undertake in the future. - Highlights: • We employ a case study-based approach to study policy implementation in China. • Local governments have played a major role in implementing energy-saving policies. • Local public agencies collaborated in implementing five types of policy measures. • Local policy measures reduced barriers to energy saving at industrial enterprises. • Enterprises and local governments work together to achieve energy-saving targets

  20. New nuclear plant development - balancing localization with competitiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caplan, M.; Thompson, T.S.

    2014-01-01

    Nuclear power plants are large infrastructure projects that require government support and approval. This paper will highlight and contrast the larger, mostly government-desired, nuclear program localization objectives with the more utility-specific requirements for successful project implementation. Governments are concerned about sustainable industrial development, particularly manufacturing, and job creation while utilities are focused on delivering reliable electricity to consumers at the lowest cost. Numerous countries emphasize local content as a key requirement when procuring a station. For countries like China and Korea that have large programs, their strategy has been to localize to the point of having their own indigenous design. However, developing a workable localization strategy that truly benefits the local economy for others including existing nuclear markets like Canada, the UK, South Africa and Brazil as well as in newly developing markets such as Vietnam and Malaysia is more challenging. These countries may not look to indigenize a new design, rather they would localize elements of the nuclear program that best fit their strengths. The paper will discuss the issues related to developing successful localization and industrialization strategies in a changing nuclear world. (author)

  1. New nuclear plant development - balancing localization with competitiveness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caplan, M.; Thompson, T.S. [MZ Consulting Inc., ON (Canada)

    2014-07-01

    Nuclear power plants are large infrastructure projects that require government support and approval. This paper will highlight and contrast the larger, mostly government-desired, nuclear program localization objectives with the more utility-specific requirements for successful project implementation. Governments are concerned about sustainable industrial development, particularly manufacturing, and job creation while utilities are focused on delivering reliable electricity to consumers at the lowest cost. Numerous countries emphasize local content as a key requirement when procuring a station. For countries like China and Korea that have large programs, their strategy has been to localize to the point of having their own indigenous design. However, developing a workable localization strategy that truly benefits the local economy for others including existing nuclear markets like Canada, the UK, South Africa and Brazil as well as in newly developing markets such as Vietnam and Malaysia is more challenging. These countries may not look to indigenize a new design, rather they would localize elements of the nuclear program that best fit their strengths. The paper will discuss the issues related to developing successful localization and industrialization strategies in a changing nuclear world. (author)

  2. Women’s leadership in local government in the Caribbean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kizzann Lee Sam

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Women and men are traditionally cast in different roles, with males being leaders in the workplace, home and government. In contrast, communities promote women as caregivers who support male leaders and shape future generations as mothers, mentors and teachers. In recognition of this societal view of women that often led to inequality and inequity, the UNDP listed Gender Equality and empowering women as one of eight Millennium Development Goals. The post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations in autumn 2015, also included gender equality and empowering women as Goal 5. In its work in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED examined gender as it relates to micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME development in six Caribbean countries.  The findings of this study showed gender gaps for both male and female entrepreneurs in different areas of development.  Traditionally gendered roles for MSME sectors, access to financing and lack of adequate guidance or community support were some areas that affected men and women differently in the region.  The study outlines ways in which male and female leaders can address traditional gender roles by identifying priority areas for development, creating an enabling environment for start-ups and expansion, and fostering a policy and legislative base that facilitates ease of doing business.  The recommendations further describe the public–private partnerships needed to successfully meet gender gaps, and the importance of both elected officials and technocrats in inter alia community engagement and advocacy towards local economic development. The importance of gender equality among elected officials and technocrats, and the influence gender has on determining priority areas of focus within local government strategic plans for communities are also set out within this paper.

  3. Use of social audits to examine unofficial payments in government health services: experience in South Asia, Africa, and Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paredes-Solís, Sergio; Andersson, Neil; Ledogar, Robert J; Cockcroft, Anne

    2011-12-21

    Unofficial payments in health services around the world are widespread and as varied as the health systems in which they occur. We reviewed the main lessons from social audits of petty corruption in health services in South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan), Africa (Uganda and South Africa) and Europe (Baltic States). The social audits varied in purpose and scope. All covered representative sample communities and involved household interviews, focus group discussions, institutional reviews of health facilities, interviews with service providers and discussions with health authorities. Most audits questioned households about views on health services, perceived corruption in the services, and use of government and other health services. Questions to service users asked about making official and unofficial payments, amounts paid, service delivery indicators, and satisfaction with the service. Contextual differences between the countries affected the forms of petty corruption and factors related to it. Most households in all countries held negative views about government health services and many perceived these services as corrupt. There was little evidence that better off service users were more likely to make an unofficial payment, or that making such a payment was associated with better or quicker service; those who paid unofficially to health care workers were not more satisfied with the service. In South Asia, where we conducted repeated social audits, only a minority of households chose to use government health services and their use declined over time in favour of other providers. Focus groups indicated that reasons for avoiding government health services included the need to pay for supposedly free services and the non-availability of medicines in facilities, often perceived as due to diversion of the supplied medicines. Unofficial expenses for medical care represent a disproportionate cost for vulnerable families; the very people who need to make use of supposedly

  4. Use of social audits to examine unofficial payments in government health services: experience in South Asia, Africa, and Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paredes-Solís Sergio

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Unofficial payments in health services around the world are widespread and as varied as the health systems in which they occur. We reviewed the main lessons from social audits of petty corruption in health services in South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Africa (Uganda and South Africa and Europe (Baltic States. Methods The social audits varied in purpose and scope. All covered representative sample communities and involved household interviews, focus group discussions, institutional reviews of health facilities, interviews with service providers and discussions with health authorities. Most audits questioned households about views on health services, perceived corruption in the services, and use of government and other health services. Questions to service users asked about making official and unofficial payments, amounts paid, service delivery indicators, and satisfaction with the service. Results Contextual differences between the countries affected the forms of petty corruption and factors related to it. Most households in all countries held negative views about government health services and many perceived these services as corrupt. There was little evidence that better off service users were more likely to make an unofficial payment, or that making such a payment was associated with better or quicker service; those who paid unofficially to health care workers were not more satisfied with the service. In South Asia, where we conducted repeated social audits, only a minority of households chose to use government health services and their use declined over time in favour of other providers. Focus groups indicated that reasons for avoiding government health services included the need to pay for supposedly free services and the non-availability of medicines in facilities, often perceived as due to diversion of the supplied medicines. Conclusions Unofficial expenses for medical care represent a disproportionate cost for

  5. Higher Education Reform in South Korea: Perspectives on the New University for Regional Innovation Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Sheena; Yeom, Minho

    2010-01-01

    The New University for Regional Innovation (NURI) is one of the South Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development's key projects supporting regional universities. NURI aims to develop areas of specialization in regional universities and link universities to local industries. In 2004, the South Korean government pledged to invest…

  6. Comparing transnational organizational innovation in state administration and local government

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Morten Balle

    2014-01-01

    and similarities between different forms of organizational innovation and in part, on differences and similarities between state and municipal organizations. Eleven forms of organizational innovation often related to New Public Management (NPM), are included in the empirical analyses: Privatization/Outsourcing...... of 2009. We find that NPM tools have had a much stronger impact in local government than in state administration. The reasons for and the implications of this finding are discussed....

  7. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    GRACE

    issues of tax jurisdiction, revenue allocation, intergovernmental relations ... The 1999 Nigeria constitution stipulates the functions and powers of the ... systems of government, is characterized with diverse ethnic groups, ... states perceived to be an attempt by the federal government to relate directly to ..... excise taxes on oil.

  8. The ANCLI White Paper on Local Governance of Nuclear Sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delalonde, Jean-Claude; Demet, Michel; Gadbois, Serge; Heriard Dubreuil, Gilles

    2006-01-01

    local community and the site, without being constrained by a narrow legal or administrative framework. The production of different types of waste and their management over the short, medium and long term is a problem that will affect all communities local to nuclear sites from now on. Whatever solution is arrived at (transmutation, storage or disposal) waste management sites will be a fact of life for the medium to long term. Local Commissions must operate at these sites, monitoring them and providing information. As a national body representing local stakeholders on nuclear issues, ANCLI is particularly alert to the problems of waste management and the importance of developing new solutions. It supports a coherent strategy of waste management, implemented so as to avoid storage in unsafe conditions or locations prejudicial to the interests of the local population. It aims to foster democratic debate on this subject by providing information to illuminate the issues and by encouraging the Government to set up long term structures which will engage future generations in governance decisions

  9. Local Government Implementation of Long-Term Stewardship at Two DOE Facilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    John Pendergrass; Roman Czebiniak; Kelly Mott; Seth Kirshenberg; Audrey Eidelman; Zachary Lamb; Erica Pencak; Wendy Sandoz

    2003-08-13

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for cleaning up the radioactive and chemical contamination that resulted from the production of nuclear weapons. At more than one hundred sites throughout the country DOE will leave some contamination in place after the cleanup is complete. In order to protect human health and the environment from the remaining contamination DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state environmental regulatory agencies, local governments, citizens and other entities will need to undertake long-term stewardship of such sites. Long-term stewardship includes a wide range of actions needed to protect human health in the environment for as long as the risk from the contamination remains above acceptable levels, such as barriers, caps, and other engineering controls and land use controls, signs, notices, records, and other institutional controls. In this report the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) examine how local governments, state environmental agencies, and real property professionals implement long-term stewardship at two DOE facilities, Losa Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge Reservation.

  10. Adoption of Sun Safe Work Place Practices by Local Governments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallis, Allan; Andersen, Peter A.; Buller, David B.; Walkosz, Barbara; Lui, Lucia; Buller, Mary; Scott, Michael D.; Jenkins, Rob

    2014-01-01

    Context Outdoor workers are especially susceptible to skin cancer, the most common, but also one of the most preventable, forms of cancer. Colorado, the location of the study, has the second highest rate of skin cancer deaths in the nation. Objective Local government managers in Colorado—in municipalities, counties and special districts—were surveyed in order to ascertain the extent to which they engage in formal (written) and informal practices to protect their outdoor workers against excessive exposure to sun. Design The survey consisted of 51 question assessing awareness of formal or informal practices for sun protection of outdoor workers. An index of practices--the study's dependent variable--was created that was comprised or practices such as providing employees free or reduced-cost sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved work shirts, long work pants, and temporary or permanent outdoor shade shelters. Proscriptive policies, such as restricting the use of broad brimmed hats, were subtracted from the index. Surveys were completed by 825 administrators representing 98 jurisdictions. Responses from administrators in the same jurisdiction were averaged. Results Over 40 percent of responding jurisdictions indicated that they engaged in informal sun safety practices. Tests conducted to determine what variables might account for the adoption of these sun protection practices found that the degree to which a community could be regarded as cosmopolite and as having an individualistic political culture were significant predictors. Type of government was also significant. Although, higher community income was a significant predictor, neither local government budget nor size was significant. Conclusions The adoption of sun safe practices bears low costs with potentially high returns. Findings from this study suggest that awareness campaigns might most effectively target cosmopolite communities, but that the greatest impact might be achieved by targeting

  11. The South African coal industry - a millennium review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lind, G.H.; Phillips, H.R. [University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)

    2001-06-01

    South Africa is a significant contributor to southern Africa and Europe's coal needs and is expected to remain in this important position for the foreseeable future. This review paper of the South African coal mining industry highlights that, although abundant, the easily mineable reserves will become depleted within the next quarter century. Socio-economic issues of unique, local importance such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as policies propagated by South Africa's post-apartheid government are detailed, as are programmes in research and development that will ensure that South Africa's long term coal industry is, at the every least, maintained. 11 refs., 9 figs., 7 tabs.

  12. Governance responses to hacking in the banking sector of South Africa : an exploratory study

    OpenAIRE

    2013-01-01

    D.Comm. (Auditing) Organisations today are critically dependent on IT to enable business operations and ensure competitiveness in a growing international marketplace. At the same time, IT also introduces significant risks, such as hacking. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for mitigating IT risk as a component of business risk. This task is included in its corporate governance responsibilities, which, in the South African context, is underpinned by the King Code of Corporate...

  13. Local government influence on energy conservation ambitions in existing housing sites-Plucking the low-hanging fruit?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoppe, T.; Bressers, J.Th.A.; Lulofs, K.R.D.

    2011-01-01

    Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in existing dwellings thanks to longer lifecycles, slow replacement rates, and technical innovations. Many such dwellings are located in dense urban neighbourhoods, where urban renewal projects are undertaken. Local government can encourage the setting of ambitious goals as a stepping stone to realizing energy efficiency goals that achieve high levels of energy efficiency. The research question which this paper addresses is: to what degree do local governments influence ambitions to conserve energy in existing housing sites? To examine this issue, thirty-three sites in the Netherlands were studied using a quantitative analysis. The results show that collaboration between local authorities and local actors increases the level of ambition to conserve energy. However, local authorities intentionally selected sites with poor energy efficiency, so it would be easy to meet ambitious energy conservation targets. Collaboration between local authorities and local actors turns out to be the key factor in selecting those sites. Moreover, there is little sign of genuine ambition. This article contributes to the debate on energy conservation policies in local housing sites. The study provides starting points for systematic, empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in existing housing, especially in large-scale refurbishment projects. - Research Highlights: → Local governments encourage the setting of goals to realize energy efficiency goals. → Local authorities intentionally select sites with poor initial energy efficiency performance. → Collaboration with local actors turns out to be a key factor in selecting those sites. →There is little sign of genuine ambition. → Starting points for empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in housing.

  14. South Africa's Nuclear Skills Development Initiatives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matube, Ntebatse [NECSA, P.O. BOX 582, 00001 Pretoria (South Africa)

    2008-07-01

    current skills and develop them in our youth, whilst making sure the industry complies with national priorities of diversifying our local human capital. The South African government has put aside millions of rands per annum for nuclear skills development under their Science and Technology Innovation Program. The initiative is called the South African Nuclear Human Asset and Research Program (SANHARP). SANHARP's approach is to identify talent from schools right through to research chairs within the nuclear industry. In dealing with the energy crisis, the South African government, through Eskom, has also initiated a program to increase the nuclear capacity and have identified the skills and competencies required for the program. There are currently skills development collaborations programs with other international nuclear players such as Areva in place. These initiatives are there to ensure that the government's intention to expand the country's nuclear capacity is re-sourced with appropriate local human capital. This paper will present these initiatives and others and how they would increase the nuclear human capital required by the planned nuclear expansion program. These initiatives are meant to ensure that the required skills and competencies are not eroded, but are sustained through the life time of the expansion program and beyond. (author)

  15. North-South Colonization Associated with Local Adaptation of the Wild Tomato Species Solanum chilense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böndel, Katharina B; Lainer, Hilde; Nosenko, Tetyana; Mboup, Mamadou; Tellier, Aurélien; Stephan, Wolfgang

    2015-11-01

    After colonization population sizes may vary across the species range depending on environmental conditions and following colonizations. An interesting question is whether local adaptation occurs more frequently in large ancestral populations or in small derived populations. A higher number of new mutations and a lower effect of genetic drift should favor selection in large populations, whereas small derived populations may require an initial local adaptation event to facilitate the colonization of new habitats. Wild tomatoes are native to a broad range of different habitats characterized by variable abiotic conditions in South America, and represent an ideal system to study this interplay between demography and natural selection. Population genetic analyses and statistical inference of past demography were conducted on pooled-sequencing data from 30 genes (8,080 single nucleotide polymorphisms) from an extensive sampling of 23 Solanum chilense populations over Chile and Peru. We reveal first a north-south colonization associated with relaxed purifying selection in the south as shown by a decrease of genetic variation and an increasing proportion of nonsynonymous polymorphism from north to south, and population substructure with at least four genetic groups. Second, we uncover a dual picture of adaptation consisting of 1) a decreasing proportion of adaptive amino acid substitutions from north to south suggesting that adaptation is favored in large populations, whereas 2) signatures of local adaptation predominantly occur in the smaller populations from the marginal ranges in the south. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Local Government Finance in Ghana: Disbursement and Utilisation of the MPs share of the District Assemblies Common Fund

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nana Nimo Appiah-Agyekum

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The establishment of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF in 1993 and concomitant percentage set aside for Members of Parliament (MPs in 2004 aims to support local governments and legislators in pro-poor development activities in their communities and constituencies. In spite of the importance of the MPs’ share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (MPsCF in financing local level development in Ghana, very little is known about monitoring systems and procedures on the disbursement and utilization of the funds. The study therefore assessed qualitative data derived from interviews with officials from selected Local Government Authorities (LGAs as well as other key stakeholders in the disbursement and utilization of the fund. The study findings point to the absence of legislative instrument on the management of the MPsCF. Further, monitoring of the fund was a responsibility shared by the LGAs and other external stakeholders. Finally, the effectiveness of monitoring the disbursement and utilization of the MPsCF was strongly influenced by the relationship between the Chief Executive of the Local Government Authority (LGCE and MPs in the local government area.

  17. Motivating local home-owners to energy retrofitting as examples on Urban Climate Governance in Danish Municipalities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jesper Ole

    I the recent years, Danish municipalities have increasingly taken up initiatives to improve energy efficiency in private buildings. The paper will present a study on how Danish municipalities in practice have carried out such efforts on convincing private home-owners to improve the energy efficie......, 2009; Bulkeley, 2009) that includes different governmental approaches for the local authorities. The challenge of local sustainability is that it is complex and defined on different levels (local, municipal, regional, national, and international), that requires a ’multilevel governance...... in practice, including the types of governance and collaborations, as well as the challenges and shortcomings of the selected approaches. Also, it will discuss the motivations for the local actors to pursue this type of initiatives, in relation to the results achieved....

  18. Strengthening the integrity of local leadership and its relevance to run democratic governance

    OpenAIRE

    Maulana Mukhlis; Idil Akbar

    2018-01-01

    Abstract   Even though many aspects that shows how to run a democratic government, but the most important aspect is related to the leadership of integrity. The leadership of integrity put the perspective of power in the orientation of partisanship on the people. In addition, democratic governance at the local level can be run effectively and constructively if in his leadership held with integrity. In other words the leadership of integrity is a requirement to run a democratic governme...

  19. Good governance and the implementation of national health insurance in the public health sector: A case of South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melody Brauns

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available For years it has been argued that implementation failure is one of the main reasons why policies do not yield the results expected. In South Africa, a version of this argument, which often features, is that good policies are drawn up but then not implemented. Government failure is a reality. Just as corporations survive according to whether they make good decisions, so to governments fall or are re-elected on whether they make good decisions. General argument in governance literature is that a wide variety of developments have undermined the capacity of governments to control events within the nation state. As a consequence the state can no longer assume a monopoly of expertise or of the resources to govern.

  20. Water Security at Local Government Level: What do People Think?

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Meissner, Richard

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available stream_source_info Meissner_2016.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 2853 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Meissner_2016.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Water Security at Local... Government Level: What do People Think? By Dr. Richard Meissner Integrated Water Assessment Group Natural Resources and the Environment Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Presented at the Sustainable Water Seminar 2016, CSIR ICC, 2...