Social innovation and service delivery by local government: a comparative perspective

[摘要] English: Orientation: An increase in the world population, estimated at 7.3 billion mid 2015 (United Nations, Department ofEconomic and Social Affairs 2015:1), inevitably puts pressure on the availability of resources (food, water, energy,and shelter, to name a few). Successfully meeting this demand for resources, and ultimately delivering sustainableservices to societal needs, will depend to a large extent on the processes that are implemented by localgovernment(s) (LG/LGs) and on how these needs are met through citizen participation and innovation. It is noted,therefore, that social innovation (SI) is often utilised by LGs to address the demand for resources and ultimatelydeliver sustainable services to societal needs of the twenty-first century (Sørensen & Torfing 2011:847;Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2014; Cipolla & Moura 2012:44; Novy & Leubolt2005:2023�?034; Hart, Jacobs, & Mhula 2013:29). The real measure of SI is in its application resulting insustainable services for its users (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions2013:7), which is often seen as the creation of public value (Meričkova, Nemec, & Svidronova 2015:532). Providingsustainable services and creating public value through service delivery seem to confront LGs globally with thechallenge of how to effectively use SI in the improvement of service delivery. In light of this, this thesis investigatesthe use of SI in the service delivery of LG through a comparative look at the City of Ghent (CoG) (East Flandersprovince, Belgium) and the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) (Free State province, SA).Research purpose: The purpose of this study is embedded in contextual research, explanatory research, andgenerative research. Through contextual research, the use of SI during LG service delivery (referred to as the ora phenomenon), as well as how it exists within the different LG contexts, was explored. Explanatory researchhighlighted the driving forces behind the use of SI during LG service delivery and its occurrences, examiningreasons for associations between what exists regarding the nature of the phenomenon and how the phenomenonis organised in different local contexts. Generative research was used in respect of the public administration andSI discourses, the policy and LG spheres in Belgium (East Flanders province) and SA (Free State province), theLG service delivery environments in the CoG and the MMM, and the framework for the enhanced use of SI in LGservice delivery.Motivation for the study: This study was carried out in view of SI remaining a latent area in the South African LGsphere despite its growing use in public sector service delivery globally, with specific reference to LG. Theincreased utilisation of SI in LG service delivery globally thus warrants exploration. A comprehensive understandingof the use of SI in LG service delivery was therefore deemed important in order to inform a framework for theenhanced use of SI during LG service delivery. Lastly, service delivery challenges in the MMM makes it prudentto investigate alternative strategies, such as SI, in order to improve LG service delivery.Research design, approach and method: Through a qualitative research design, combined with a case studyapproach, the use of SI during service delivery was explored as a phenomenon about which little is known andwhich requires a holistic understanding. Qualitative research methods were used to both collect and analyse the data, and data collection instruments included documents (naturally occurring data), semi-structured interviews(generated data), and focus group discussions (generated data).Main findings: From the shortcomings of traditional Public Administration (PA), New Public Management (NPM),and New Public Governance (NPG) regarding citizen participation in LG service delivery, it is clear that a PubicAdministration and governance theory should be developed that will be able to position citizen participation ascentral to LG service delivery. The findings illustrate that open governance systems would not automatically resultin sustainable, quality, and quantity service delivery, as this depends extensively on who participates in devisingsolutions as well as on the delivery and governance of services. During the governance of services in the LGservice delivery system, social systems and technical systems should be used in equilibrium in order to addressthe complex societal challenges of the twenty-first century. In respect of collaboration, this study highlighted thatthe use of SI during the co-production of LG service delivery is premised on a symbiotic, interdependent, andreciprocal relationship between citizens, LG officials, and politicians.Practical implications: The practical implications highlighted by this study include, first, the meticulous planning ofcitizen participation when SI is used during the respective stages of the co-production service delivery cycle.Further, a conducive internal organisational context is required that advances citizen participation in thegovernance and decision-making of service delivery but which is likewise optimal for enhancing the use of SI duringthe respective co-production service delivery stages. Adding to this, LG officials and politicians have an importantrole to play in understanding the value proposition of participation in service delivery to citizens. This valueproposition is integral to building and establishing a relationship of trust between citizens, LG officials andpoliticians. Lastly, consensus concerning the concept of SI, its use, and its implementation is important in light ofits consistent use and application within a municipality.Contribution: Over decades, public sector organisations globally have been undergoing various transformations inattempts to improve how they exercise their primary responsibility of service delivery. These transformationsinfluenced the functioning of these organisations, their service delivery processes and systems, their policyimplementation, and their governance of decision-making. In the main, these transformations were guided by theintroduction of public administration and governance theories, amongst which PA, NPM, and NPG, that influencedthe practice of public administration and management during certain timeframes. Amidst these transformations,meaningful citizen participation has not been receiving the attention it deserves, although the implementation ofcitizen participation by public sector organisations has evolved immensely since the introduction of PA. Theseorganisations are challenged with finding a balance between meeting citizens' growing service delivery demandsand expectations, whilst simultaneously facilitating meaningful citizen participation in governing service deliveryand deriving solutions to complex societal and service delivery challenges confronting citizens. To strike thisbalance, the present thesis presents the use of SI during LG service delivery in order to stimulate the discourseregarding the use of SI within the academic discipline of PA as well as in its practice. It is hoped that this will encourage scholars to investigate the relevance of the conventional PA and governance theories for addressingthe complex service delivery problems of the twenty-first century. Further, the study aims to establish the use of SIin LG service delivery as a priority on the PA research agenda. Adding to this, the study presents novel insightsregarding similarities as well as differences in the use of SI through a comparative perspective between two LGs,namely the MMM and CoG.Based on the findings from the focus groups and semi-structured interviews, a framework is introduced for theadoption of an SI strategy. This strategy offers a practical approach to the use of SI by outlining the respectiveroles of citizens, LG officials, and politicians as the triad that underlies the use of SI during service delivery. Theframework provided through the adoption of this SI strategy gives citizens political and administrativeaccountability, builds trust, gives citizens ownership in joint problem solving, empowers citizens throughparticipatory decision-making processes, and advances democratic principles and values. This strategy proposesthat convergence between the technical and social systems is central to the use of SI and its use in improvingservice delivery.

[发布机构] University of the Free State