A few recommendations have a direct bearing on the communication services component from a strategic perspective (2012:21-23):
The actual performance indicators achieved must be supported by a portfolio of evidence;
A file must be maintained per component incorporating the portfolio of evidence per project; and
A district administrator must collate the relevant information and forward this to the monitoring and evaluation component.
These recommendations above illustrate the value base of communication and information-management as a monitoring and evaluation tool to manifest the principles of Batho Pele, underscoring the use and value of communication as a strategic tool.
SUMMARY
Strategic leadership is missing in the DSR as the organization has been led by three different MECs over the last eight years. The organization has not had a permanently appointed HoD for the last three years, with a new HoD having been appointed in March 2013. The HoD is the administrative head of the department, and the previous two Acting HoDs over this three-year period have not asserted themselves by virtue of being temporary. The first Acting HoD retired and the second Acting HoD had been awaiting the appointment of the new permanently appointed HoD. The resultant lack of effective leadership has taken its toll on the DSR because of the lack of strategic direction for the long-term.
The negative effects resulting from the lack of basic business practice such as regular meetings and adoption of policies have been compounded by the uncertainty surrounding the second new structure being drafted in three years. The lack of transparency because of poor change management practice has resulted in a sense of apathy by officials, which in turn impacts negatively on service delivery and good governance. The application of two separate sets of temporary appointment practices by the previous Acting HoD has led to much resistance by officials as some vacancies are occupied by people in acting capacities and being paid for performing this service, whilst in another instance this Acting HoD had unilaterally redeployed people as part of an ‘Interim Management Arrangement’, with officials having been moved from their areas of expertise to other areas, and with no added remuneration. The lack of timeous processing of documents and approval of projects has led to the department being viewed as not delivering as many projects are postponed or cancelled by late or non-approval. The previously mentioned return of R50m unspent funds for the 2011-2012 financial year is proof of non-delivery as a direct result of poor leadership. Stevenson (cited in Newsom 2007:29) believes that governments are loosening their control of information because of the global news network, and especially the Internet.
Therefore, the use of strategic communication by senior management would go a long way towards building staff unity during this very stressful period. Regular dissemination
of information using ICT-related mechanisms such as the email and the intranet would fill the information void instead of the staff speculation on information disseminated via the
‘grapevine’. This lack of information-sharing has contributed greatly towards causing discord as both internal and external stakeholders are largely in the dark about what services are being provided to whom by the department. Knowledge of such information would have a policing effect on officials who may be tempted to violate the regulations and procedure in any way.
One of the strategic goals of the department is to ‘Promote and contribute to good governance in Sport and Recreation.’ As part of good practice, communication throughout the enterprise should encourage and maintain the desired behaviour and underlying corporate values. Behaviour is also a key enabler of good governance and management. It is therefore imperative that the DSR embrace strategic communication in its efforts to promote good governance.
CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY INTRODUCTION
This chapter discusses the research process, design and methodology by referring to accepted trends and models used as a basis to structure a research study and plan. This is essential to also provide an overview of the various approaches used in the research environment to identify and develop the most suitable research process, design and methodology for this particular research study. Thani & Wessels (2011:83) maintain that a researcher’s choice of topic is dependent on his choice of research method and vice versa. Perry & Kraemer (1986:221) bring to our attention the following claim by Fritz Mosher who, 30 years ago, wrote in a review of research methodology in public administration: “The field has not channelled its research efforts, its scope of interest seems unlimited; it has not developed a rigorous methodology; it has been pretty blasé about definitions; it has not agreed on any paradigms or theorems or theoretical systems;
it has not settled on any stylized jargon or symbols; with a very few experimental exceptions, the field has not been modelled or mathematized into an ‘adminimetrics’”.
However, there have been great strides made in this area over the past 55 years.
Research is a systematic, controlled and critical process of investigating a situation in order to contribute to the solution. The process of research design and methodology is predicated on the nature of the problem identified for investigation. Keyton (2011:2) purports that research, in its most basic form, is the process of asking questions and finding answers. Sekaran (1992:4) describes research as a process organised systematically, explicitly describing the steps involved in the process to discover solutions to the identified problem. Hoad (2003:400) similarly describes research as a process of intensive search undertaken with the purpose and focus of investigation to lead to a discovery of solutions to an identified problem. In this context, the main purpose of this research study is the indepth investigation into policy considerations and strategies for reform of communication services within the KZNDSR in the pursuit and practice of good governance. Boeije (2010:2) believes that it is imperative that the research topic being investigated is viable as it can be translated into a moderate project that can be
scientifically investigated. The researcher locates the focus of this topic to policy reform and good governance within the government sector.
Research methodology focuses on the research method and the type of tools and procedures to be used. It is the process that determines how research questions will be answered. According to Neale (2009:19), methodology is focused on the question “How should the inquirer go about finding out knowledge?” Yang & Miller (2007:76) on the other hand, purport the purpose of research design is to define the structure of the enquiry into a research problem that would produce a valid and useful argument for the researcher’s audience within the material, intellectual resources and available time.
Cloete (2006:285) believes that the findings of investigations within the public sector, determining its level of economy, effectiveness and efficiency must be considered by politicians involved in policy-making, as well as public officials involved in the process of policy-implementation. In the research study, the focus area would be the contribution of strategic communication to enhanced service delivery within a provincial government department mandated by the taxpayer with that very task. This study is an empirical analysis using a combination of primary and secondary data.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition defines primary data as the data observed or collected directly from first-hand experience.
The chapter also details the empirical research methods used in the study, incorporating discussions on the research paradigm, theoretical framework, research methodologies and research design. The discussion on research methodology includes research techniques, sampling methodology, measuring instruments, questionnaire structure, data analysis and interpretation of the empirical surveys.
The methodological section of this study is divided into the following three components:
Literature review;
Empirical survey; and
Data interpretation.
An essential step in the research process is the reviewing of accumulated knowledge about the field of study. Neuman (2003:96) purports that a review of the relevant literature identifies and highlights previous research of a similar nature, and the researcher can thus benefit from the efforts of such others. This study will, therefore, include the use of appropriate research design and techniques that can yield relevant new knowledge to the field of policy formulation and strategic communication.
RESEARCH PARADIGMS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Honey (1957:239) believes that public administration is a practical art rather than a science or discipline, a view complemented by Gill (2000:158) who maintains that the practical side of public administration places more demands on methods that makes borrowing of techniques from other disciplines more challenging. Rugge (2007:115) is of the view that there is a general perception that it is difficult to set boundaries to issues and activities that fall within the ambit of Public Administration. Some authors have identified the following three generic areas or scope: the purpose, the means and the level of power required by the bureaucracy to achieve the desired outcomes.
Following on, Pfiffner and Presthus (1967:10) present the following three categories of scholarly paradigms which assist in contextualising the study of the field of Public Administration: