An investigation of the impact of the funding strategy of government on the sustainability of NGO work in them health sector: a case of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa
- Authors: Vhutuzah,Miriam.
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Non-governmental organization , Health services administration , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25926 , vital:64564
- Description: Under the apartheid regime the blacks suffered from social exclusion whereby the state sought to provide social services to the white community. Blacks used NGOs to fight the apartheid regime after the banning of political parties by the government. The government tried to quell the social unrest by instituting restrictive legislation to the NGOs. However, the NGOs managed to survive by getting funds from external sources that were anti-apartheid and the funding was camouflaged. While the blacks used the NGOs as frontiers to fight apartheid, they also provided services like health, education and others. The white NGOs managed to thrive unabated. After the fall of apartheid, many leaders left the NGO sector to join the government. It has been of great concern to note that after the apartheid, NGOs failed to assume the position that they used to possess during apartheid. The major objective of the study was to assess the funding strategy of the government in relation to the sustainability of the work of NGOs. This was achieved through analysing the guiding principles and prerequisites of the government in terms of procedures of disbursing funds to NGOs and how this affects NGO operations. The research made use of one major approach in the social sciences which is qualitative. The use of a qualitative technique reflects an attempt to ensure an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon in question. This is what was needed by the question under study, to understand the institutional environment of NGOs by looking into their operational experiences and holding in-depth interviews with NGOs and government officials in order to understand their views about the existing funding strategy. The study found out that the pre-requisites of the funding organisations can be met by NGOs which previously thrived under the apartheid government. Due to their more sophisticated nature, it is these types of NGOs that interface most effectively with the donor community and are major beneficiaries of the bulk of donor funding. It also discovered that the rural-based NGOs are not networked and only rely on government funding which is short-lived. Some of the well established NGOs manipulate the existing opportunities to pursue private interests. Moreover, donors are mainly interested in funding popular activities like AIDS but they target well established organisations. In view of the above findings, the study recommends that the pre-requisites for NGOs must be streamlined to the rural-based NGOs and communication from the government should be improved especially for the rural-based NGOs where forms of communication are limited. There is need to establish an independent body, mandated by the government to carry out NGO issues .The government should also introduce incentives to the donors that fund rural-based NGOs and also encourage donors to fund TB activities by introducing incentives. Moreover, there is need for the government to adopt institutional development principles which emphasises on internal organizational development by training NGO members in order to improve their skills. Externally, the institutional impediments like inherited legal instruments that were pro-apartheid should be addressed. Lastly, there is need for the government to engage NGOs in the policy making process. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2010
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Vhutuzah,Miriam.
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Non-governmental organization , Health services administration , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25926 , vital:64564
- Description: Under the apartheid regime the blacks suffered from social exclusion whereby the state sought to provide social services to the white community. Blacks used NGOs to fight the apartheid regime after the banning of political parties by the government. The government tried to quell the social unrest by instituting restrictive legislation to the NGOs. However, the NGOs managed to survive by getting funds from external sources that were anti-apartheid and the funding was camouflaged. While the blacks used the NGOs as frontiers to fight apartheid, they also provided services like health, education and others. The white NGOs managed to thrive unabated. After the fall of apartheid, many leaders left the NGO sector to join the government. It has been of great concern to note that after the apartheid, NGOs failed to assume the position that they used to possess during apartheid. The major objective of the study was to assess the funding strategy of the government in relation to the sustainability of the work of NGOs. This was achieved through analysing the guiding principles and prerequisites of the government in terms of procedures of disbursing funds to NGOs and how this affects NGO operations. The research made use of one major approach in the social sciences which is qualitative. The use of a qualitative technique reflects an attempt to ensure an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon in question. This is what was needed by the question under study, to understand the institutional environment of NGOs by looking into their operational experiences and holding in-depth interviews with NGOs and government officials in order to understand their views about the existing funding strategy. The study found out that the pre-requisites of the funding organisations can be met by NGOs which previously thrived under the apartheid government. Due to their more sophisticated nature, it is these types of NGOs that interface most effectively with the donor community and are major beneficiaries of the bulk of donor funding. It also discovered that the rural-based NGOs are not networked and only rely on government funding which is short-lived. Some of the well established NGOs manipulate the existing opportunities to pursue private interests. Moreover, donors are mainly interested in funding popular activities like AIDS but they target well established organisations. In view of the above findings, the study recommends that the pre-requisites for NGOs must be streamlined to the rural-based NGOs and communication from the government should be improved especially for the rural-based NGOs where forms of communication are limited. There is need to establish an independent body, mandated by the government to carry out NGO issues .The government should also introduce incentives to the donors that fund rural-based NGOs and also encourage donors to fund TB activities by introducing incentives. Moreover, there is need for the government to adopt institutional development principles which emphasises on internal organizational development by training NGO members in order to improve their skills. Externally, the institutional impediments like inherited legal instruments that were pro-apartheid should be addressed. Lastly, there is need for the government to engage NGOs in the policy making process. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2010
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
The role of co-operatives in the socio-economic developmet of Dutywa villages
- Authors: Mqingwana, Cwaka Batandwa
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Rural development , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9069 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1306 , Rural development , Sustainable development
- Description: The purpose of the study was to investigate how the co-operatives can be used to uplift the standard of living in the rural, with specific reference to Dutywa villages of Ngcingwane, Mangati and Mbewuleni. In other words is ‘how do we make co-operatives work’. The overall purpose of the study was to investigate whether co-operatives have contributed to positive change in the socio-economic conditions in the three villages of Dutywa. The research further analyzes the performance of the co-operatives in terms of their leadership and management structures. The research was also to find out what the challenges are and what are the gaps associated with the performance of the co-operatives. The research was also to look at how the support from different government departments and other government agencies are used to enhance the co-operatives governance. Lastly, the research was to find the best model for co-operative development and what needs to be done to enhance the capacity of the co-operatives. In the study that was carried out, four different approaches were used. The research was based on action research which involved a range of instruments like questionnaires, focus group interviews, conversation and observation. Both comparative and qualitative research frameworks were used for different purposes and at different times. Comparative approach is used when the three co-operatives are compared to each other. Differences on governance and administrative issues on governance such as capital, market and the impact thereafter is reported on. The research assumption was that co-operative development is a viable tool for economic development of the rural areas. This can help many South Africans and many communities come out of poverty. However, there are 6 limitations that are caused by the inability of government to co-ordinate co-operative development. Despite the role that co-operatives play in South Africa, co-operatives still experience a number of challenges. These challenges are, amongst others, lack of access to finance, lack of access to market, lack of business skills, lack of infrastructural facilities and lack of knowledge about the co-operative. In view of the challenges facing the co-operatives, the government instituted a number of state departments and parastatals for funding and other necessary support. These are DTI, DEDEA (in the Eastern Cape), ECDC, SEDA, Department of Labour and municipalities. The objectives of these support institutions are to provide necessary support needed by co-operatives and to ensure that co-operative development is sustainable. The findings of this study suggest that co-operatives play a vital role in the socio-economic development of the rural villages. Co-operatives create self-employment and sometimes employment through temporary employment offered; provide space and time for socialization and lastly co-operative members are sometimes through their produce able to provide basic foodstuffs to the family. In view of the socio-economic benefits of the co-operatives in rural villages of Dutywa, it is highly recommended that various support programmes that are already there within the departments should be enhanced. Assistance to co-operatives should not only be limited to government funding for co-operatives but more concentration should be on finding market for their products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Mqingwana, Cwaka Batandwa
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Rural development , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9069 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1306 , Rural development , Sustainable development
- Description: The purpose of the study was to investigate how the co-operatives can be used to uplift the standard of living in the rural, with specific reference to Dutywa villages of Ngcingwane, Mangati and Mbewuleni. In other words is ‘how do we make co-operatives work’. The overall purpose of the study was to investigate whether co-operatives have contributed to positive change in the socio-economic conditions in the three villages of Dutywa. The research further analyzes the performance of the co-operatives in terms of their leadership and management structures. The research was also to find out what the challenges are and what are the gaps associated with the performance of the co-operatives. The research was also to look at how the support from different government departments and other government agencies are used to enhance the co-operatives governance. Lastly, the research was to find the best model for co-operative development and what needs to be done to enhance the capacity of the co-operatives. In the study that was carried out, four different approaches were used. The research was based on action research which involved a range of instruments like questionnaires, focus group interviews, conversation and observation. Both comparative and qualitative research frameworks were used for different purposes and at different times. Comparative approach is used when the three co-operatives are compared to each other. Differences on governance and administrative issues on governance such as capital, market and the impact thereafter is reported on. The research assumption was that co-operative development is a viable tool for economic development of the rural areas. This can help many South Africans and many communities come out of poverty. However, there are 6 limitations that are caused by the inability of government to co-ordinate co-operative development. Despite the role that co-operatives play in South Africa, co-operatives still experience a number of challenges. These challenges are, amongst others, lack of access to finance, lack of access to market, lack of business skills, lack of infrastructural facilities and lack of knowledge about the co-operative. In view of the challenges facing the co-operatives, the government instituted a number of state departments and parastatals for funding and other necessary support. These are DTI, DEDEA (in the Eastern Cape), ECDC, SEDA, Department of Labour and municipalities. The objectives of these support institutions are to provide necessary support needed by co-operatives and to ensure that co-operative development is sustainable. The findings of this study suggest that co-operatives play a vital role in the socio-economic development of the rural villages. Co-operatives create self-employment and sometimes employment through temporary employment offered; provide space and time for socialization and lastly co-operative members are sometimes through their produce able to provide basic foodstuffs to the family. In view of the socio-economic benefits of the co-operatives in rural villages of Dutywa, it is highly recommended that various support programmes that are already there within the departments should be enhanced. Assistance to co-operatives should not only be limited to government funding for co-operatives but more concentration should be on finding market for their products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
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