The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape

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dc.contributor.authorCameron, Robert
dc.contributor.authorLevy, Brian
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-02T08:54:49Z
dc.date.available2016-09-02T08:54:49Z
dc.date.issued2016-07
dc.description.abstractThe focus of this paper is on the management and governance of education at provincial level – specifically on efforts to introduce performance management into education by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), and their impact. Post-1994 the WCED inherited a bureaucracy that was well placed to manage the province’s large public education system. Subsequently, irrespective of which political party has been in power, the WCED consistently has sought to implement performance management. This paper explores to what extent determined, top-down efforts, led by the public sector, can improve dismal educational performance. The paper concludes that the WCED is (and long has been) a relatively well-run public bureaucracy. However, the sustained, determined efforts to strengthen the operation of the WCED’s bureaucracy have not translated into systematic improvements in schools in poorer areas. One possible implication is that efforts to strengthen hierarchy might usefully be complemented with additional effort to support more horizontal, peer-to-peer governance at the school level.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationCameron, R., & Levy, B. (2016). <i>The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape</i> University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21655en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationCameron, Robert, and Brian Levy <i>The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape.</i> University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21655en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationCameron, R. & Levy, B. (2016). The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape. ESID Working Paper No. 62. University of Manchester.en_ZA
dc.identifier.isbn978-1-908749-63-5en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Working Paper AU - Cameron, Robert AU - Levy, Brian AB - The focus of this paper is on the management and governance of education at provincial level – specifically on efforts to introduce performance management into education by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), and their impact. Post-1994 the WCED inherited a bureaucracy that was well placed to manage the province’s large public education system. Subsequently, irrespective of which political party has been in power, the WCED consistently has sought to implement performance management. This paper explores to what extent determined, top-down efforts, led by the public sector, can improve dismal educational performance. The paper concludes that the WCED is (and long has been) a relatively well-run public bureaucracy. However, the sustained, determined efforts to strengthen the operation of the WCED’s bureaucracy have not translated into systematic improvements in schools in poorer areas. One possible implication is that efforts to strengthen hierarchy might usefully be complemented with additional effort to support more horizontal, peer-to-peer governance at the school level. DA - 2016-07 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Education KW - public administration KW - performance management KW - New Public Management KW - political settlements KW - bureaucracy KW - hierarchy, principal-agent KW - Western Cape education department KW - principal-agent LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2016 SM - 978-1-908749-63-5 T1 - The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape TI - The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21655 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21655
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationCameron R, Levy B. The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape. 2016 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21655en_ZA
dc.languageengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Political Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectEducation
dc.subjectpublic administration
dc.subjectperformance management
dc.subjectNew Public Management
dc.subjectpolitical settlements
dc.subjectbureaucracy
dc.subjecthierarchy, principal-agent
dc.subjectWestern Cape education department
dc.subjectprincipal-agent
dc.titleThe potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Capeen_ZA
dc.typeWorking Paperen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceWorking paperen_ZA
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