In this section, I will present and discuss the theoretical framework that I also take to be a road map for the entire thesis;
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that which this thesis uses to explore performance accountability in the South African provincial government. I have demonstrated that there is a variety of literature on government accountability and performance. I have further been able to realise the potential of integrating the economic model of understanding governance and the relationship between the agent and the principal (principal-agent model) with Ashworth and Skelcher’s (2005) four-dimensional model of government accountability. This has led to formulation of the PATIGAHAR analytical model used to explore accountability in the thesis.
The PATIGAHAR analytical model– provides me with a strategy to address my research objective and questions. In this thesis the performance accountability relationship between provincial government departments and various stakeholders – such as citizens, provincial legislature, national government - accountability institutions is explored using the PATIGAHAR model as an analytical framework. This PATIGAHAR analytical model makes more specific the very generic principal-agent model by grafting on four dimensions of accountability developed by Ashworth and Skelcher (2005), as further developed and adapted in this thesis. This reduces the ambiguity of the generic principal-agent model and gives a clear analytical framework for the thesis.
Figure 2.4 demonstrates how this thesis conceptualizes government performance accountability for both the North West and Gauteng provinces. The diagram illustrates the types of government accountability relationships that the thesis is exploring:
performance accountability; financial accountability; political accountability; and partly-administrative and social accountability. This range of accountability types were selected from the list of accountability relationships described by Bovens (2007) and listed in Table E.1 of APPENDIX E. The aim of the integrated framework is to keep the thesis objectives as clear as possible. This study seeks to explore performance accountability within provincial government. The main questions of this thesis are detailed in Chapter One.
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The integrated framework aimed at giving a rationale to the literature reviewed in addressing the afore-mentioned objectives.
In Figure 2.4 the accountability assessment framework pursued in this thesis is illustrated with specific instruments that are used to analyse provincial government accountability. The principal-agent model, with its lists of principals and principal-agents, is integrated into the Ashworth and Skelcher accountability framework it is these accountability measures that helped me to analyse provincial government accountability.
Figure 2 4Integrated theoretical framework diagram: roadmap
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As discussed in the introduction to this chapter, both conceptual frameworks of accountability and approaches to government performance and accountability are reviewed in this chapter with the choice of the government accountability model explained. This section summarises the association between the research questions and selected research analytical approaches. An analysis of the historical origins of accountability examined the similarities in
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the manner in which it was considered and applied in the periods of history where the monarchy played the role that is now delegated to modern government institutions. I explained the difference between the origin of accountability and its modern form, and gave an account of what is now expected from governments as opposed to what used to be expected from citizens.
This thesis provides an important underpinning of the concept, as performance accountability in modern governments is generally viewed in terms of governments going to the citizens to engage them without any question of the contrary occurring. In summary, the key similarities are that accountability has always been associated with giving account of one’s action to other parties of interest. In the case of government accountability, NPM philosophies advocate that accountability should be clear at an initial stage, either tacitly or in writing in relation to the performance expected to be accounted (Hood, 1995). In many countries, modern public administration governments are expected to be accountable for their performance to citizens, the legislature and other interests group.
This chapter has illustrated the differences in the way government accountability is viewed by various researchers and accountability practitioners. Nevertheless, it has shown common ground in regarding accountability as a process whereby explanations are given for actions or lack of actions between the state and public service users. The explanations given are based on agreed and expected actions by citizens and other stakeholders. Government accountability is also expected by government programme funders, legislatures, and accountability institutions. The analysis of different views of accountability has led to the identification of the approach used in this thesis to explore provincial government performance accountability. I seek first to understand what provincial government performance accountability arrangements have been put in place.
The desire to explore provincial government accountability is inspired by many complaints from citizens across the Republic of South Africa about the lack of accountability and a failure to
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improve public service. South African citizens around the country have, in recent years, turned to protest and riot against provincial governments attributing the demonstrations to poor public services and a lack of accountability (Wyk, 2009). Citizens’ grievances are centred on the lack of adequate public services provided by provincial government departments, reinforced by the problem that public institutions do not have measures to communicate with citizens about government services (Jain, 2010). In trying to understand these research questions an approach has been developed that encompasses how performance of government services was assessed, how these public services were provided and how citizens and their representatives are informed about government performances.
An integrated approach was necessary to include process accountability. The principal-agent model is amongst tools used by various management academics and practitioners to understand the relationship between equity owners and the managers of equity (Bertelli, 2012). The principal-agent model promotes continuous engagement between principal and agent, forming the mainstay for accountability. There are various accountability approaches that explore the principal agent relations in the literature. In the thesis, the principal-agent model is integrated with Ashworth and Skelcher’s (2005) four dimensional accountability approach to create a lens from which to explore performance accountability in the South African provincial government.
The integration of principal agent model and Ashworth and Skelcher’s approach led to the creation of the PATIGAHAR accountability analysis model used in this thesis. In order to construct an effective approach to analysing provincial government accountability, I first looked at how provincial government departments’ decisions are influenced by various interest groups, prior to an account being demanded. This approach enables me to look at government accountability according to the expectations created between provincial government and citizens, legislatures, treasury, national government and accountability institutions. It also enables me to determine whether the accountability expectations are met. My
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analysis has further explored arrangements for giving an account, and arrangements to mitigate either the lack of, or the weakness in government accountability.
The four stage process of accountability by Ashworth and Skelcher (2005) is widely used by different academics and public management practitioners in its separate components but this thesis emphasises the use of all four stages of accountability to analyse the relationship between the principal and agent within the provincial governments in question. Basically I integrated principal-agent model into Ashworth and Skelcher (2005)approach to analyse and explore provincial government accountability. In this thesis, finance accountability is explored as part of performance accountability and further considered in relation to the research questions posed during analysis and within the conclusions of the thesis. The South African public sector entered the public discourse surrounding NPM in the late 1990s and hoped to rapidly catch up with their peers.
The late introduction of NPM is attributable to the transformation of the public sector the early 1990s from pre-apartheid government administration to a democratically-elected administration. The post-apartheid government administration brought in measures to ensure legislation, policies and directives reflecting a drive to improve its accountability to interest groups. Batho Pele is one such measure that was seen as pioneering in enhancing public service and promoting accountability by government to citizens. The implementation of this measure is further explored in Chapter Seven.
The introduction of these measures was clearly inspired by reflection on the pre-apartheid government administration practices which were criticised for lacking greater accountability (Harris, 2000). This further created wider public debates on government accountability in the nine provinces of the Republic of South African.
Following chapter
Chapter three presents the research methods and designs that were used in this thesis. It maps out the research strategies that I have
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used both to collect and analyse the data used in this study. The rationale for conducting a comparative study is also given in this chapter. The motivation for using text data to answer the research questions are also be explained in this chapter.
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