Suchergebnisse

Despite efforts by the South African government to manage public sector performance, the Department of Social Development (DSD) is facing lawsuits for failing to provide public value to the foster care placement beneficiaries. This article examines the integration of organisational and individual performance management systems to enhance foster care service delivery in Waterberg District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A parallel convergent mixed‐method research design was adopted, and drew on the principal component analysis (PCA) and thematic analysis to analyse the impact of integrating organisational and individual performance management systems amongst social workers. The PCA findings accentuate the significant role of strategic human resources management, work experience and performance management delivery systems. Furthermore, performance targets as critical elements to enhance effective foster care service delivery in South Africa is highlighted. In complementing the PCA findings, the thematic analysis attributed the failure to manage and address the challenges associated with the backlog in foster care by the DSD as a consequence of misalignment between strategic intent, workforce and internal integration between different programmes at the operational level, in particular between social work and community development programmes. Peer review procedures should be designed to enhance the effectiveness of the performance management deployment system. Consequently, strategic human resource management practices should correspond with the department's resources and needs to enhance performance and service quality.

PURPOSE : The purpose of this study is to estimate the determinants of household food insecurity in the Gauteng City-Region, South Africa. This is motivated by the fact that food insecurity remains a key challenge at the household level in South Africa. Furthermore, the Gauteng Province has been rapidly urbanising due to a migrant influx, both locally and internationally. The findings will assist the country in achieving its mandate on the local economic development policy, Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The study adopted a quantitative cross-section design, utilising the binary logistic regression technique, drawing on the Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life 2020/2021 data, consisting of 13,616 observations, randomly drawn from nine municipalities in Gauteng City-Region. FINDINGS : The main findings of the study highlight unemployment, health status, education, household size, indigency and income as the main determinants of food insecurity in Gauteng City-Region. Policies towards sustainable urban agriculture, improving access to education, increasing employment and income, and health for all can help improve the food insecurity status of households in the Gauteng City-Region. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : Further studies would require an in-depth assessment of household coping mechanisms, as well as the influence of household income (notably government social grants) and access to credit on household food security status, to better understand the dynamics of food security in the Gauteng City-Region. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : Determinants of food insecurity should be considered when developing and implementing policies to reduce food insecurity in urban municipalities. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS : The study is of interest as it interdicts food insecurity issues, which have an effect on socio-economic well-being. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The study adds value by providing evidence on the determinants of food insecurity in an urban setting in a ...

Food security is an critical issue in most African cities. Local government initiatives such as the City of Johannesburg Food Resilience Strategy are established to enhance food security in the city. The article draws insight from literature across multiple disciplines to examine the extent to which the Food Resilience Strategy relates food security to the economic challenges which citizens face. It discusses critical themes for sustainable urban food security namely, skills capacity and knowledge transference, access to land and water, institutional challenges, economic factors, urban agriculture production and environmental factors. Finally, the article recommends an integration of diverse stakeholders in the design and implementation of the Food Resilience Strategy, and thereby foster synergies between local producers and the local food market. ; http://www.urbanauapp.org ; hj2021 ; School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA)

This article unearths the salient factors that trap the aspiring middle class in their progression towards a stable middle class in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. The study utilises a quantitative case study design, drawing on a sample of 449 aspirants and 578 middle‐class heads of households from the 2021 Gauteng City‐Region Observatory Quality of Life Survey. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyse these salient factors (key determinants) and their impact on the social mobility of the aspirant middle class. Findings reveal a significant relationship between social mobility and education, racial inequality, asset ownership, access to economic opportunities and proximity to amenities. We suggest local government policies that positively influence the conditions of these determinants for sustained mobility of the aspirant middle class over time.

BACKGROUND : The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has subjected the African urban population into abject poverty. Local government initiatives, such as the City of Johannesburg's (CoJ) Expanded Social Package (ESP) 'Siyasizana' [we help each other], have been established to enhance food security amongst the city's most vulnerable based on their level of income. AIM : This article analysed the extent to which the ESP was effective in addressing food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19. SETTING : This research was descriptive and explanatory in nature that played an important role in obtaining an in-depth interpretation of the challenges of the implementation of ESP in mitigating food insecurity in the CoJ. METHODS : This article utilised a qualitative case study design with the aid of existing literature, municipal documents and authoritative internet sources in order to analyse the extent to which the ESP is effective in addressing food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19. RESULTS : This article found out that the ESP did not expressly address the COVID-19-induced food insecurity because of numerous challenges, namely awareness, stigmatisation, qualification and hidden costs. CONCLUSION : The CoJ should bring in private players to finance the programme as COVID-19 has increased the number of beneficiaries, relax the requirement for in-person application to allow for online registration, increase the ESP poverty threshold of R6100 to cater for those on the border of poverty and diversify its means testing to include other criteria such as Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which will provide much needed relief to those who might have lost income. ; http://www.apsdpr.org ; hj2021 ; School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA)