Orientation: Local government forms that part of the public sector closest to citizens and therefore indispensable in its role of providing essential goods and services and developing the local area. Local government has the authority and functions necessary to provide services for the maintenance and promotion of the well-being of all people within their area and should provide access to basic services such as water, electricity and health care.Research purpose: This study examines performance management as a tool in local government effective provision service delivery. The critical question addressed in this paper was how the balanced scorecard (BSC) can be used to improve performance in the context of local government and assist in eradicating the current challenges of lack of quality services, poverty and infrastructure development.Motivation for the study: The need for continuous improvement in service delivery at local government compounded by high levels of service delivery protest requires regular review of performance management system.Research approach: To understand the current context and challenges facing local government, the applicable legislative framework including the Constitution, white paper and the National Development Plans were perused to better understand the legal environment in which local government operates. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate theory on organisational effectiveness. Semi-structured interviews were used to solicit expert opinions.Main findings/managerial implications: The BSC approach emerged as the preferred tool because the method offered the authors the opportunity to review non-financial and financial factors to arrive at a balanced conclusion. A BSC tool was developed and applied to the Joe Gqabi District Municipality as a case study.Practical implications: The BSC as a performance management tool enables organisations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into goal or actions.Contribution/value-add: The research findings conclude that there was acknowledgement of the importance of performance measurement instruments in the municipality, yet the municipality still experienced challenges caused by the performance review process not being transparent and not communicated to all stakeholders.

While research and policy documents seem to equate public private partnerships (PPPs) to a “marriage made in heaven”, globally they have had flimsy impact on public service delivery. Such seem to be caused by myopic governance emanating from scattered PPP governance literature, lack of a clear PPP good governance overview, as well as overemphasis of PPP financing over the wider PPP governance aspects. Using scholarly documents through content analysis, this study therefore intended to identify and examine the elements of a PPP governance system, and thereafter provide strategies of enforcing good governance practices for PPPs to serve their intended purpose. Findings indicate that PPP principles, critical success factors, stakeholder and risk management, and management of PPP maturity trends, make up a PPP good governance system. Finally, for each of the findings established, the study proposes appropriate good governance practices for sustainable PPP interventions.

Orientation: A key role of local government in providing transparent, honest, accountable, efficient and effective service delivery to the communities they serve is determined by a number of plans, designs, actions and implementation. Trust among communities in the organisational set up is key in the success or failure of the efforts of the municipal entity and affects their individual and group performance.Research purpose: This study examines the relationship between trust and performance within a municipal environment and its effect on service delivery.Motivation for the study: The lack of sufficient and usable knowledge and information on the issue created the need for this research project that is an on-going effort dissecting and analysing key human resources challenges in the public sector.Research approach/design and method: Following a brief outline of the legislation, rules and regulations that determine the responsibilities of local government in South Africa and the context of the study, the qualitative method and design of focus groups as the key instrument of data collection was identified and analysed.Main findings: The results of the study pointed to the lack of trust among leadership and employees at all organisational levels.Practical/managerial implications: The existence of mistrust and problems identified in the process of performance management and evaluation has negative consequences on employee performance in the municipality.Contribution/value-add: The study findings have opened new doors to understanding key elements of organisational performance as the topic has received very scant attention in South African research literature.

Researchers ceaselessly theorize public private partnerships (PPP) as a major innovative means to unlock public sector investment gaps, yet their contribution towards improved public service delivery has sustainably remained low mainly due to poor PPP understanding and application. This study utilises extant conceptual and theoretical studies through content analysis to provide a more concrete understanding of the PPP concept and philosophy for their effective application. The study developed a list of common PPP defining features (e.g. partnership, long-term projects and contracts, incomplete contracts, function specific tasks) and eight PPP perspectives (i.e. procurement management, urban regeneration, infrastructure, policy, moral regeneration, financing arrangements, language game, development) for better understanding of the PPP concept. Importantly, the study introduces a new and overarching PPP perspective of procurement management. Additionally, it was established that Traditional Public Management theory is not compatible with PPP practices, and the study recommends new public governance, public value, new public service, and remotely, the new public management as the most appropriate theories underpinning PPPs with in a public sector setting. This research contributes towards improved understandability of the PPP phenomenon and its practical applicability for greater impact towards sustainable public service delivery.

Forthcoming priorities and initiatives in organisations are often based on existing gaps that have been identified through measuring performance. Measuring performance in South African municipalities is therefore fundamental in creating a foundation for the future. Through the grounded theory as a qualitative methodology, the chapter constructs a theory based on the assessment of events throughout the municipal terrain in South Africa. The theory is developed based on the performance management systems of two South African municipalities situated in the KwaZulu and Eastern Cape municipalities. Using purposive sampling, 8 interviewees were selected (four administrators and four municipal councillors). The findings indicate that in relation to the performance management systems, the relationship between the political and municipal leaders has over the years been strained. There is a lack of mutual understanding amongst staff and leadership due to the belief that community-based service delivery was strictly a political process. Though there has been dialogue regarding issues related to the performance management system, the political leadership has dominated the negotiations and dialogues in municipalities. It was further noted that there was a lack of transparency and efficiency in the performance management system in district municipalities.