Implementation challenges facing performance management systems in South African municipalities: selected cases

Abstract

South African municipalities must adhere to the principles of good, developmental local governance and comply with an inclusive statutory and regulatory framework that governs service delivery. In order to achieve this, municipalities need to design and implement comprehensive performance management systems (PMS). Such systems should facilitate the continuous assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of municipal structures, systems and processes. This should be done in alignment with a municipality's integrated development plans and service delivery outcomes, as well as operational plans for implementing the budget. This article aims to use a case-study design to identify and analyse challenges that hamper the successful implementation of performance management systems in selected municipalities. Such an analysis includes an overview of the selected cases and the identification of particular implementation challenges. The article concludes by recommending remedial actions to address the identified challenges.