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CHAPTER TWO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Public administration is both an art and a science. As an applied social science, it employs a variety of research methods to validate and augment its body of knowledge and advance its research. Bearing in mind the above perspective by Descombe and this view, this chapter describes the location of the study and its methodological framework. It explains the rationale behind the methodology employed, methods of data collection, how the research was conducted and the possible limitations of the study. The purpose of study as described in Chapter One and the theoretical framework in Chapter Three are the guiding force in this investigation.
The location of the study and unit of analysis
The study was carried out in Mafikeng; the capital city of the North West Province of South Africa. The province is made up of ten departments which are as follows: the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the Department of Developmental Local Government and Housing, the Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, the Department of Health, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, the Department of Finance, the Department of Transport, Roads and Community Safety, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Social Development. The senior public servants in the North West Province were the subjects of this study. The specific units of analysis of the study were the Department of Health, Department of Education and the Department of Social Development. These departments of the North West Province have a close relationship with the North West University which has four campuses: Mafikeng, Mankwe, Vaal and Potchefstroom. The researcher is attached to the Mafikeng Campus of the North West University and is domiciled in the North West Province. Therefore, this research work is an effort to promote the partnership relationship between the North West Province and the University by strengthening the North West public service to achieve its goals and objectives.
Case study as a methodological framework
This research is a case study about the support for capacity building of senior public servants in the North West Province of South Africa. A case can be a site, such as an institution or a department within an institution (Bryman, 1989: 171; Bryman, 2001:48). Events and activities can also be viewed as units of analysis in case studies. Creswell (1994: 12) defines case studies as a type of qualitative research in which the researcher explores a single entity or phenomenon (the case), bounded by time and activity (a programme, event, process, institution or social group), and collects detailed information by using a variety of data collection procedures during a sustained period of time. As for Yin (1994: 13-14), a case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used. An evaluation of the support for capacity building of the senior public servants in the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development and the Department of Education provides an opportunity to identify the rationale behind the success or failure of the public service in policy implementation. This view is supported by Stake (1995), who argues that the sole criterion for selecting cases for a case study should be ‘’the opportunity to learn’’. Case studies are conducted to shed light on a phenomenon, be it a process, event, person or object of interest to the researcher (Leedy, 1997: 157). Similarly, researchers generally do case studies for one of three purposes: to produce detailed descriptions of a phenomenon, to develop possible explanations of it, or to evaluate the phenomenon (Johnson and Joslyn, 1991: 121; Gall et al, 1996: 549).
Therefore, the exploration and description of the case takes place through detailed, in-depth data collection methods, involving multiple sources of information that are rich in context. These may include interviews, documents, observations or archival records (De Vos et al, 2005: 272). As such, access to, and confidences of participants are fundamental requirements for effective case. Thus, a case study methodology provides an approach which lends itself to the examination of the effects of policy, as well as the potential to generate theory (Bryman, 1989: 170). In the evaluation of the support for capacity building of senior public servants, a case study approach increasingly plays an important role, since it is able to illuminate the effects of leadership on the governance and management on everyday activities of the public service. Although it is acknowledged that it may not be possible to make generalisations about the three departments sampled, it is expected that the methodologies employed will enable the researcher to reason inductively from the findings about the impact of leadership on the support of senior public servants in building their capacities to fulfil public services in the North West Province.
However, this method of research has several weaknesses: First concentration on only one case makes it virtually impossible to make use of contrasting situations. In other words, when many organisations are compared, the parallels and differences between them often provide useful insights. The second weakness is the problem of typicality or generalisation. In a case study, there is no assurance that the organisation chosen for study is representative of other similar organisations (Baldridge, 1971: 32). Additional weaknesses of the case study approach (Denscombe, 1998:40) are that case studies are often perceived as producing soft data. The approach is often accused of lacking the degree of rigour expected of social science research. Often, case studies are regarded as appropriate in terms of providing descriptive accounts of the situation, but rather ill-suited to analyses or evaluations. None of this is necessarily justified, but it is a preconception which the case study researcher needs to be aware of, and one which needs to be challenged by careful attention to detail and rigour in the use of the approach. Negotiating access to case study site can be a demanding part of the research process. Research can flounder if permission is withheld or withdrawn. In case studies, access to documents, people and settings can generate ethical problems in terms of things like confidentiality. It is hard for case study researchers to achieve their aim of investigating situations as they naturally occur without any effect arising from their presence. Those being researched might behave differently (the observer effect) from the way they do normally owing to the knowledge that they are under the microscope and being observed in some way (Denscombe, 1998:40).
In contrast, several strengths help outweigh the disadvantages. These have been identified by Baldridge (1971:32) and Denscombe (1998: 39- 40). Firstly, it allows the researcher to deal with the subtleties and intricacies of complex social situations. In particular, it enables the researcher to grapple with relationships and social processes in a way that is denied to the survey approach. Secondly, it allows the use of a variety of research methods. More than this, it more or less encourages the use of multiple methods in order to capture the complex reality under scrutiny. Thirdly, it fosters the use of multiple sources of data. This, in turn, facilitates the validation of data through triangulation. Fourthly, the case study approach is particularly suitable where the researcher has little control over events. Because the approach is concerned with investigating phenomena as they naturally occur, there is no pressure on the researcher to impose controls or to change circumstances. Fifthly, it can fit in well with the needs of small-scale research through concentrated effort on one research site. Lastly, theory- building and theory-testing research can both use the case study approach to good effect.
Data collection instruments
The methods of data collection are to some extent guided by the purpose of the study (Dixon, 1989:13). As stated in Chapter One, the purpose of the study is to evaluate the support for capacity building of senior public servants in the North West Provincial government. Therefore, the instruments employed in the collection of data are document analysis, the questionnaire and individual interviews.
Document analysis
To a greater extent, the study involved the use and analysis of documents. According to Bell (1993: 68), a document is a general term for an impression left by a human being on a physical object. Documents can be divided into primary sources which are those which came into existence in the period under research, and secondary sources which are interpretations of events of that period based on the primary sources. Essentially, the purpose of most of such documentation is to enhance accountability (Denscombe, 1998:161). This means that the records must have two qualities, both of which happen to be of particular value for research. They need to contain a systematic picture of things that have happened and they should be publicly available. The records only serve the function of accountability to the extent that they are made available to relevant people to scrutinise. In this regard, a good documentary research can use four criteria to evaluate documents (Scott, 1990:120). These are: authenticity, credibility, representativeness and meaning. At this point, before beginning the search for documentary evidence, one must clarify exactly what kind of documents were to be used (Bell, 1993:68). The documents and the reasons for using them are delineated below.
(1) Official annual reports published from 2000 to 2005 were These reports were able to disclose the staff complements, the patterns of challenges that the departments experienced, how the departments addressed these changes and other any other external observations, such as the Auditor-General’s observations. The purpose of this analysis was to gather some evidence of managerial capacity or managerial capacity building requisition and assess their implementation success.
(2) Strategic plans developed from 2002 to 2005 were also
Through the strategic plans, it was possible to assess the strategic role, capability and leadership exercised in the department and in relation to the senior public servants. The purpose of this analysis was to track down the challenges identified by the departments each year, whether they are being addressed and if there are capacity building opportunities identified, recommended and implemented in order to achieve superior public performance. It was also vital to obtain an impression of the commitment of the departments to capacity building and also the extent to which strategic plans appeal to the SMS competency framework.
(3) Human resource development information obtained through the Human Resource Departments relating to the policies, programmes, processes, procedures and resources for supporting capacity building of senior public servants were requested and, where available, analysed. It was vital to assess what informed capacity building and whether the processes were internally owned, with evidence of coherence, and support within and between the departments. It was also critical to assess the tools for measuring the achievement of the SMS competency framework. This perspective indicated the extent to which the SMS competency framework is being valued or embraced in the North West public service.
CHAPTER ONE ORIENTATION OF THE STUDY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
DECLARATION
ABSTRACT
LIST OF ACRONYMS
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Background to the study
1.3 Statement of the problem
1.4 Objectives of the study
1.5 Significance of the study
1.6 Definition of concepts
1.6.1 Governance.
1.6.2 Good Governance
1.6.3 Leadership
1.6.4 Capacity and capacity building
1.6.5 Senior public servants
1.7 Organisation of the study
1.8 Summary
CHAPTER TWO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Introduction.
2.2 The location of the study and unit of analysis
2.3 Case study as a methodological framework
2.4 Data collection instruments
2.4.1 Document analysis.
2.4.2 Structured interviews
2.4.3 The questionnaire as a research tool .
2.4.3.1 Questionnaire construction
2.4.3.2 Format and content of the questionnaire
2.4.3.3 Pre-testing the questionnaire
2.4.3.4 Final questionnaire
2.4.3.4.1 Covering letter
2.4.3.4.2 Administration procedures
2.4.3.4.3 Follow-ups.
2.5 Population sampling and response rate
2.6 Methods of data analysis .
2.7 Ethical considerations
2.8 Limitations
2.9 Summary
CHAPTER THREE LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The context of capacity building of the senior public servants within public administration
3.3 The functions and objectives of government
3.4 Managerial and leadership competencies
3.5 The performance management and development system (PMDS).
3.6 The importance of induction
3.7 The fundamentals of the induction programme
3.8 Capacity and capacity building
3.9 Review of the approaches to capacity building and support
3.10 Diagnostic mechanisms to support capacity building
3.11 Summary
CHAPTER FOUR THE CASE STUDY ON THE SUPPORT FOR CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE SENIOR PUBLIC SERVANTS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Summary of the organisational environment and challenges
4.3 Linkages between strategic planning and human resource planning
4.4 Induction of senior public servants
4.5 Training and development of senior public servants
4.6 Approaches to management training and development
4.7 Delivery and assessment of training and development
4.8 Implementation and assessment of the competency framework
4.9 Diagnostic mechanisms to support capacity building.
4.10 Summary.
CHAPTER FIVE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
5.1 Introduction.
5.2 Linkages between strategic planning and human resource planning.
5.3 Induction of senior public servants .
5.4 Training and development of senior public servants
5.4.1 Approaches to management training and development
5.5 The diagnostic tools to evaluate the support for capacity building
5.6 Summary
CHAPTER SIX SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 Introduction.
6.2 Summary of the study
6.3 Findings of the study
6.4 Discussion of the findings
6.5 Conclusions
6.6 Recommendations
6.7 Suggestions for further research
6.8 Bibliography
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