The development and assessment of the mayoral dashboard performance monitoring system in the City of Cape Town

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.ENGLISH SUMMARY : South Africa’s negotiated transition to a democracy in 1994 was hailed by many as an exceptional example of a peaceful democratisation process. The Constitution adopted in 1996 was widely endorsed as a model for building an equitable and developmental state that strived to unite the diverse aspirations of citizens. The institutionalisation and participation processes that form an inherent part of democratisation are challenging and complex. Whilst both these afore-mentioned processes were developed at a rapid rate and given the strong South African statutory governance framework within which the new democratic state was supposed to function, particularly the institutionalisation process was and is seriously challenged. Such threats are evident through political power greed, managerial incompetence and systemic corruption through the abuse of power and tender irregularities. Furthermore evidence of the realisation of human rights enshrined in the RSA Constitution and progress towards demographic equity in the post 1994 democracy through effective public service delivery remains a major and ongoing challenge. Municipalities, as prominent providers of public goods and services to communities, were also subjected to major transformation since 1994, which required a new approach to municipal administration and management. Not only was the local government legislation environment completely overhauled and made more complex but the concept of an executive mayor was also introduced. Besides the challenge in becoming acquainted with the interpretation and implementation of the new Constitution and statutes, municipal administrations had to become accustomed to a new form of executive political leadership that has the statutory authority to direct the administration. This dramatically changed governance environment required a major adjustment to management approaches. A very significant change in administrative approach was the introduction of performance management and monitoring in the local government sector. New terminology was introduced such as Integrated Development Plans, Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plans, Key Performance Areas, Strategic Focus Areas, Key Performance Indicators, Measurable Objectives, Targets, Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes and Impact became the basis for determining effective, efficient and economic application of resources and the achievement of predetermined objectives. In all of the afore-mentioned new management and leadership dispensation in local government, the executive mayor features prominently. The particular focus of the thesis is therefore on the performance monitoring role of executive mayors in South African municipalities and the success or not of the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Dashboard System. Within the current statutory regime executive mayors must among other manage the development of the municipality’s performance management system. Very significant in this regard is section 56(3) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998, which obligates and specifically directs executive mayors in relation to performance monitoring. It is common cause that municipalities are in certain instances struggling with the new way of working and performance management in particular remains problematic in the sector. The main reasons for this is probably because of resistance to accountability, the punitive approach followed by certain municipalities, the fear of possible financial loss where targets are not met by managers and poorly defined key performance indicators. This study, albeit inconclusive in respect of the total context of performance measurement in South African municipalities, is part of a unending search for solutions towards making the statutory role of executive mayors in relation to performance management more clear by: • Offering a literature review of performance monitoring in the public sector; • Offering the learning experience within the City of Cape Town to avoid duplication of mistakes and to embrace sound practices; • Developing an assessment model for performance measurement in local government against which municipalities can assess their respective performance measurement systems; Proposing a measurement tool that can assist executive mayors elsewhere in South African municipalities with performance monitoring in their respective municipalities; and • Reporting on the contribution, if any, of the mayoral dashboard performance measurement system towards the overall enhancement of performance management in the City of Cape Town.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Suid-Afrika se onderhandelde oorgang na ‘n demokrasie in 1994 is deur menige as ‘n uitsonderlike voorbeeld van ‘n vreedsame demokratiserings-proses gehuldig. Die Grondwet wat in 1996 aanvaar is, is wyd ondersteun as ‘n model vir die bou van ‘n regverdige en ontwikkelingstaat wat gestrewe het na die vereniging van die veelvoudige aspirasies van burgers. Die institusionaliserings- en deelname prosesse, wat ‘n inherente deel van demokratisering speel, is uitdagend en kompleks. Terwyl beide voormelde prosesse teen ‘n geweldige tempo ontwikkel is en gegewe die sterk statutêre Suid-Afrikaanse regeer-raamwerk waarin die nuwe demokratiese staat moes funksioneer, het veral die institusionaliserings-proses ernstig uitgedaag en bedreig dit nog steeds. Sulke bedreigings is waarneembaar deur politieke magsbeheptheid, gebrekkige bestuur en sistemiese korrupsie deur magsmisbruik en tender onreëlmatighede. Bewyse dui daarop dat die verwesenliking van menseregte, wat vervat is in die RSA Grondwet, en die vordering na demografiese billikheid in die post 1994 demokrasie deur effektiewe openbare dienslewering, ‘n groot en volgehoue uitdaging bly. Munisipaliteite, as prominente verskaffers van openbare goedere en dienste aan gemeenskappe, is ook onderwerp aan belangrike verandering sedert 1994 wat ‘n nuwe benadering tot munisipale administrasie en bestuur vereis het. Nie alleen is die plaaslike regering statutêre omgewing totaal hersien en meer ingewikkeld gemaak nie, maar is die konsep van ‘n uitvoerende burgemeester ook ingestel. Buiten die uitdaging om vertroud te raak met die vertolking en implementering van die nuwe Grondwet en wette, moes munisipale administrasies gewoond raak aan die nuwe vorm van uitvoerende politieke leierskap wat statutêre bevoegdheid gehad het om leiding aan die administrasie te gee. Hierdie dramaties-veranderde regeer-omgewing het ‘n groot aanpassing tot bestuurs-benaderings vereis. ‘n Baie ooglopende verandering in administratiewe benadering was die bekendstelling van prestasiebestuur en monitering in die plaaslike owerheid-sektor. Nuwe terminologie soos Geintegreerde Ontwikkelingsplanne, Dienslewering Begrotings-Implementeringsplanne, Sleutel Prestasieareas, Strategiese Fokusareas, Prestasie-indikatore, Meetbare Doelwitte, Teikens, Insette, Uitsette, Uitkomste en Impak is bekend gestel wat die basis geword het vir die bepaling van effektiewe, doelmatige en ekonomiese aanwending van hulpbronne en die behaling van vooropgestelde doelwitte. In die geheel van die voormelde nuwe bestuur- en leierskap bedeling in plaaslike regering vertoon die uitvoerende burgemeester prominent. Die spesifieke fokus van die tesis is derhalwe op die prestasiebestuursrol van uitvoerende burgemeesters in Suid-Afrika asook die sukses al dan nie van die Stad Kaapstad se BurgemeestersPaneel-prestasiemetingstelsel. Binne die huidige statutêre stelsel moet burgemeesters onder andere die ontwikkeling van die munisipaliteit se prestasiebestuurstel bestuur. Artikel 56(3) van die Plaaslike Regering: Munisipale Strukturewet, 1998, is in hierdie opsig baie insiggewend omdat dit uitvoerende burgemeesters verplig en rig in verband met prestasie-monitering. Dit is gemeensaak dat munisipaliteite in sekere gevalle sukkel met die nuwe werkswyse en prestasiebestuur in die besonder bly problematies in die sektor. Die hoofredes hiervoor is waarskynlik weerstand teen rekenpligtigheid, die bestraffende benadering gevolg deur sekere munisipaliteite, die vrees vir moontlike finansiële verlies waar teikens nie deur bestuurders bereik word nie en swak gedefinieerde prestasie-indikatore. Hierdie studie, al is dit onvolledig met betrekking tot die totale omvang van prestasiebestuur in Suid-Afrikaanse munisipaliteite, is deel van ‘n nimmereindigende soeke na oplossings om die statutêre rol van uitvoerende burgemeesters ten opsigte van prestasiebestuur meer duidelik te maak deur die: • Aanbied van ‘n literatuursoorsig van prestasiebestuur in die openbare sektor; • Aanbied van die leer-ervaring in die Stad Kaapstad om ‘n herhaling van foute te verhoed en om goeie praktyke te omarm; • Ontwikkel van ‘n asseseringsmodel vir prestasiebestuur in plaaslike regering waarteen munisipaliteite hul onderskeie prestasiebestuur-stelsels kan toets ; • Voorstel van ‘n metingsinstrument wat uitvoerende burgemeesters elders in SuidAfrika behulpsaam kan wees met prestasie monitering; en Verslag te doen oor die bydrae, indien enige, van die burgemeesterspaneelprestasiemetings-model tot die oorhoofse verbetering van prestasiebestuur in die Stad Kaapstad