Following the proliferation of the research in the study of social network, the debate on the design and use of General Social Survey has dominated research articles addressing social network question. For example the three prominent authors have propelled a discussion on various anomalies of the findings from different articles on social change which as result raise a question on reliability and validity. Although in all the articles the design on sampling and measurement instrument are featured, the authors deviate from the corollary of sampling. Consequently, the findings have been unfolded and subjected to critical review and comments by others. In order to best understand the basis of this claim, these coalitions and competing argument of the authors have been brought to order. Using the lens of the findings presented by the authors, the review discloses the dangers of ineffective sampling and measurement instrument which consequently bear on lack of reliability and validity of study findings.

Building on Lipsky, public administration scholars have conducted ample research on the coping strategies of street-level bureaucrats. To explain their behaviour, many studies focus on the individual characteristics of street-level workers or on features of the organization that they form part of. So far, less attention has been paid to the influence of the wider institutional context. This article presents findings of research on how different elements of the institutional context – the formal public administration, the norms of the professional community and the expectations of the public – can explain the coping strategies of agricultural extension officers in Tanzania. In the absence of specific guidance from the administrative context and of pressure by the public, the strategies that these street-level workers choose are primarily inspired by the norms of their professional community. Points for practitioners Public managers should be especially aware of the fact that, to a large extent, the professional norms of street-level workers determine how they use their discretion. Therefore, the training of street-level bureaucrats should not only focus on their professional abilities, but also include the transfer of key values of the public service.

No abstract

Planning is a life blood of development. It creates a path through which initiatives can be translated into practice. This is possible if planning is made to be as integrative as possible to guarantee systematic coverage of all crucial aspects for attainment of articulated goals. It delineates key issues over which the tenets of different courses of action should be anchored. All the way through, Tanzania has been striving to adopt and execute an integrative planning process to attain its desired development. From 1960s through 1970s to early 1980s, Tanzania was found to be busy experimenting conventional planning process in all development circles. Nevertheless, conventional planning has been accused of being supply driven rather than demand driven. In reaction to this, from the early 21 st century, Tanzania, like other developing countries, officially adopted a bottom up planning approach. Despite that deliberate intervention, the current practice still embraces top down model. This is so because the center still retains decision making powers and its priorities prevail over grassroots priorities. The objective of this article is to explain this failure of planning process which results to service delivery gap. In doing this, we compared the delivery of primary education in Moshi Municipal Council and that of agricultural extension services in Hai District Council.

No abstract