Analysing the application of project management for service delivery improvements in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality : the case of the Maquassi Hills Local Municipality

Abstract

The local sphere of government in the Republic of South Africa is demarcated into three distinct municipal categories. These three categories represent metropolitan, district and local municipalities as, delineated in the Constitution, 1996 (RSA, 1996). A prominent intent of local government in South Africa is to achieve developmental goals and to deliver effective, effiecient and economic services to citizens. This means delivering services through programmes in a manner that encourages the sustained development of local communities. The Maquassi Hills Local Municipality (MHLM), located in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality of the North-West Province, has a responsibility to implement and achieve local government’s developmental agenda through good governance, public participation, as well as transformation of internal, organisational systems and processes. The ultimate aim is to provide basic services to local communities and to stimulate economic development within their area of responsibility. Contrary to this scenario of efficient, effective and economic service delivery in a democratic developmental local government, South Africa, thus far, typified low levels of service delivery to such an extent that many communities were driven to service delivery protests. The locus of this study, indicated as the MHLM, subsequently also experienced protests within the community, as a result of a low standard, or a lack of service delivery. As possible corrective measures to help achieve the developmental goals of the MHLM, through enhanced service delivery the study introduced a basis theory as “management by projects”. This theory or design is viewed as a vehicle for service delivery improvements. The study investigates these features at strategic, tactical and operational levels within the MHLM as organisation, and compares the implementation of these features to information gained from scholarly efforts. The application of the mentioned features at these three levels within the MHLM is, furthermore, analysed to discern possible disparities, in order to recommend corrective measures that may provide service delivery improvements by the MHLM in its area of operation.