An examination of administrative capacity to implement development programmes in South Africa

Naidoo, Vinothan

An examination of administrative capacity to implement development programmes in South Africa

Doctoral Thesis

2008

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Political Studies

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

This thesis examined the concept of administrative "capacity", which has been employed to critique the ability of public administrations to implement development programmes in South Africa. References to administrative capacity in South African academic discourse have generally treated the term as a concrete item, often translated as public sector organisations lacking the ability/capacity to respond to the increasing scale of development needs which accompanied the country's recent political transition. This emphasis has in turn raised questions about whether these bodies possess the requisite or sufficient capacity to carry out development activities, and where this is judged not to be the case, that efforts should be directed at acquiring this capacity, i.e. capacity building or strengthening. This thesis argued that this prevailing twofold interpretation of capacity was too narrow, because it did not adequately capture how the organisational and operational circumstances under which public sector bodies functioned, might influence their ability (in other words, capacity) to implement development programmes.

Description

Thesis (Ph.D. (Political Studies))--University of Cape Town, 2008.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-241).

Library also has copy on CD-ROM.

Reference:

Collections

PhD / Doctoral

Full item page