Browsing by Author "Archer, Sean"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    A cost-effectiveness analysis of the tuberculosis control procedures applied in the Cape Divisional Council area
    (1987) McIntyre, Diane; Archer, Sean; Simkins, Charles
    This study evaluates the costs and effectiveness of preventive and curative procedures currently available for Tuberculosis (TB) control purposes. The procedures examined are as follows : i) BCG vaccinations; ii) Secondary chemoprophylaxis; iii) Health education; iv) Mass screening campaigns; v) Investigation of contacts of infectious TB cases and symptomatic persons, i.e. suspects; and vi) Treatment regimens for notified TB patients. The analysis is largely based on data from the records of 300 randomly selected TB patients, treated at clinics in the Cape Divisional Council area in 1983. The major finding of this study is that resources available for TB control should be reallocated in the direction of secondary chemoprophylaxis, BCG vaccination administration in the Black and Coloured populations, investigation of contacts and suspects, and ambulatory treatment of notified TB patients. Conversely, vaccinating the White population, mass screening campaigns and hospitalisation of TB patients should be given relatively less emphasis in the overall TB control programme. In addition, the proportion of patients confirmed as TB cases by means of bacteriological examinations should be increased to reduce misdiagnosis.
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    Demand responsive transport : an economic study of the jitney in the South-Western Cape, 1926-1990
    (1991) Munitz, Stephen Michael; Archer, Sean; Leiman, Anthony
    This thesis treats the role of the jitney in urban transportation from an economic perspective. The method of enquiry begins with a theory review including a description of the jitney, the distinction between passenger and operator costs, economies of scale and scope, market structure, and an allocatively efficient pricing rule for the jitney industry. It is asserted that in an unregulated urban transportation market a socially efficient pricing structure arises, which reconciles both user and producer costs. A discussion of the rise and decline of the jitney industry in Cape Town from 1924 to 1931 and industry developments in the 1970's and 1980's places this exposition within an historic context. Policy implications of the aforegoing analysis are suggested with respect to the potential role to be played by the jitney in urban public transport. Based on this approach, an alternative consideration of the competition between the jitney and conventional transport methods is proposed.
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    Hanover: A profile of poverty on the Eiselen Line
    (Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, 2015-05-28) Archer, Sean; Meyer, Eileen
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    The International Literature on Skills Training and the Scope for South African Application
    (2007-07) Archer, Sean
    This paper aims to place, in the South African policy context, selected issues from the international literature on skills training. The main lessons are that skills training resembles education in being partly a public good.
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    Key Issues in the Assessment of Seta Performance in South Africa's National Skills Development Strategy.
    (Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, 2015-05-28) Archer, Sean
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    Policy Issues and Policy Lessons from the International Literature on Skills Training
    (2008-08) Archer, Sean
    The Policy Brief reflects the policy issues and policy lessons from the international literature on skills training from the paper.
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    Student financial aid at South African universities and technikons
    (1997) Wakeford, Jeremy; Archer, Sean; Fitschen, Amanda
    Given the striking inequality of access to tertiary education in South Africa, a National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is of great importance. Since the present NSFAS has insufficient funds and lacks a long-term plan, the objective of this study is to contribute to the development of proposals for a comprehensive, sustainable NSFAS. More specifically, the aims are to: ( 1) throw light on the current status of student financial aid at universities and technikons; (2) highlight implications for the NSFAS; and (3) consider the future role of institution-based schemes. The paper begins by drawing lessons from a selection of international literature. The main body of the text is based on responses to a survey questionnaire which included both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. All twenty-one universities and twelve out of fifteen technikons submitted written replies. The paper presents and analyses quantitative and qualitative data describing financial and administrative aspects of institutions' schemes for assisting undergraduate/pre-diplomate, full-time students. The survey revealed that half of the total resources available for financial aid came from the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa and a quarter from institutions' general operating budgets. The remaining contributions came from various donors including Provincial Governments, non-governmental organisations, international agencies and South African private sector firms. Bursaries, and to a lessor extent loans, are the main types of financial aid received by needy students. Scholarships and sports awards are allocated according to merit rather than financial need. Differences (such as sources and types of aid) are identified between the financial aid schemes of universities and technikons, and of historically black and historically white institutions. Comparisons of aggregate data with figures presented by the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) showed similarities in some instances, but the NCHE's projection of gross student needs in 1996 was far greater than the resources reportedly available to institutions from all sources. Institution-based schemes do not always comply with the lessons from international experience: the aggregate bursary/loan mix is favourable; the degree of cost recovery is inconclusive; targeting of needy students is sound in theory but difficult in practice; and mortgage-type loans, rather than internationally recommended income-contingent loans, are the norm, and they have substantial hidden subsidies. Implications for the NSFAS include the following: standardisation of the means test and the definition of "legitimate" study costs is desirable on equity grounds; administrative difficulties experienced by financial aid bureaux impact on the NSF AS and therefore more resources are required in this area. With regard to the future role of institution-based schemes: a levelling of the playing fields with respect to the contributions by institutions themselves to financial aid is suggested; institution-based loan schemes may be viewed as complementary to the NSFAS (in that they target students with different characteristics), which provides a theoretical reason for the creation of a centralised mortgage-type loan scheme to harness private sector capital. Such decisions need to be based on detailed assessments of efficiency which are beyond the scope of this paper.
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    The basic homework on basic income grants in South Africa
    (CSSR and SALDRU, 2015-05-28) Archer, Sean