scholarly journals The Delusion of Knowledge Transfer: The Impact of Foreign Aid Experts on Policy-making in South Africa and Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Koch ◽  
Peter Weingart
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Hierarchical Relations ◽  
External Actors ◽  
Development Paradigm ◽  
The Impact

With the rise of the knowledge for development paradigm, expert advice has become a prime instrument of foreign aid. At the same time, it has been object of repeated criticism: the chronic failure of technical assistance a notion under which advice is commonly subsumed has been documented in a host of studies. Nonetheless, international organisations continue to send advisors, promising to increase the effectiveness of expert support if their technocratic recommendations are taken up. This book reveals fundamental problems of expert advice in the context of aid that concern issues of power and legitimacy rather than merely flaws of implementation. Based on empirical evidence from South Africa and Tanzania, the authors show that aid-related advisory processes are inevitably obstructed by colliding interests, political pressures and hierarchical relations that impede knowledge transfer and mutual learning. As a result, recipient governments find themselves caught in a perpetual cycle of dependency, continuously advised by experts who convey the shifting paradigms and agendas of their respective donor governments. For young democracies, the persistent presence of external actors is hazardous: ultimately, it poses a threat to the legitimacy of their governments if their policy-making becomes more responsive to foreign demands than to the preferences and needs of their citizens.

scholarly journals Efficacy of recent transport policy making and implementation in South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Mitchell ◽  
Jackie Walters
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Transport Policy ◽  
The Road ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Research Procedure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bus Transport

Despite the importance of transport to the social and economic development of a country, very little, if any, work appears to have been done in South Africa to assess the impact of transport policy in achieving its aims and objectives. Two policy areas that have wide social and economic impacts are the public transport industry and the development of the national roads network. Public transport, or more specifically commuter bus transport policy, is aimed at improving the mobility and affordability of the travelling public while at the same time increasing the transparency of the subsidy system through a tender and negotiated contract regimen. The policy on national roads directly impacts the general economy as an estimated 88% of all freight tonnage (excluding the dedicated iron ore and coal lines of Transnet Freight Rail) is moved over the road network of South Africa with the national roads linking the main economic centres of the country. This research assesses the impact of these two areas of policy making by comparing policies for commuter bus transport and primary (national) roads for two policy periods, namely, 1986 to 1994 and 1994 to 2004. The research methodology used is that of the mixed-methods research procedure explained more fully in the article and the annexure to the paper. The research arrives at conclusions in respect of the impact of the policy on the problems and issues in the two separate sectors of transport during the policy periods analysed. It also draws conclusions on the policy-making process used as well as identifying deficiencies in the process. Finally it makes recommendations to address these inadequacies.

Some Reflections on Reparation in Post-Apartheid South Africa, using a Couple Therapy Intervention as a Microcosm of South African Society

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Hill ◽  
Sylvia Poss
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Couple Therapy ◽  
South African Society ◽  
Depressive Position ◽  
Central Hypothesis ◽  
Transference And Countertransference ◽  
Constructive Engagement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Therapy Intervention

The paper addresses the question of reparation in post-apartheid South Africa. The central hypothesis of the paper is that in South Africa current traumas or losses, such as the 2008 xenophobic attacks, may activate a ‘shared unconscious phantasy’ of irreparable damage inflicted by apartheid on the collective psyche of the South African nation which could block constructive engagement and healing. A brief couple therapy intervention by a white therapist with a black couple is used as a ‘microcosm’ to explore this question. The impact of an extreme current loss, when earlier losses have been sustained, is explored. Additionally, the impact of racial difference on the transference and countertransference between the therapist and the couple is explored to illustrate factors complicating the productive grieving and working through of the depressive position towards reparation.

Harnessing Digital Technology to Strengthen the Culture of Reading at Public Libraries in South Africa

Mousaion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Ramothupi Matolong
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Pilot Phase ◽  
Impact Measurement ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Line Survey ◽  
Gates Foundation ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
The Impact

Statistics and numerous authors have highlighted the reading crisis in South Africa. At the same instance, more people in South Africa are embracing the potential of digital technology to provide lifelong learning opportunities and also to strengthen the culture of reading. This study is framed against the backdrop and implementation of the Mzansi Libraries On-Line Project in South Africa – a project implemented in line with the Global Libraries Programme of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The study explored the potential of access to information of digital technology and the contribution of the project to inculcating a culture of reading at public libraries. A benchmark survey was conducted by an independent research company during the pilot phase of the project in 2015. This survey covered library users of the 27 libraries that formed part of the pilot phase, and a further 25 libraries from a representative sample across South Africa. An end-line survey was conducted through a private company towards the conclusion of the countrywide implementation in 2017, based on the Common Impact Measurement System which was customised for South Africa. The benchmark survey found that although ICT in libraries had been used by relatively few people in 2015, the impact of this technology tended to be positive and would be beneficial to the wider society by helping to redress societal imbalances, including education and the culture of reading. The end-line survey found increased benefits of library usage and library technical infrastructure to improve the lives of the communities involved.

Economic Structure of Pakistan.—By Khawaja Amjad Saeed. Accountancy and Taxation Service Institute, Lahore, 1977. pp. 396.

1978 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-265
Author(s):  
Moin-ud-din Moin-ud-din
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Balance Of Payments ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
World Economic ◽  
World Economic Order ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Vast Range

A number of books on Pakistan's economy have recently been published, but most of them do hot provide the latest statistical data or keep pace with events and development during the 1970's. The book under review, however, has admirably fulfilled the requirements. It covers a vast range of subjects concerning economic development in the country during the recent past The book is divided into nine parts and covers such diverse areas as development, industry, the price situation and the impact of inflation, Pakistan's planning and development effort, trade priorities and balance of payments situation, .taxation* foreign aid, and socio-economic reforms. The analysis is general, broadbased, and historical in perspective and a large amount of data have been put together. To bring out a clearer picture international comparisons are made whereever possible, especially in the last part of the book where the author reiterates on the need for a "New World Economic Order".

An Econometric Analysis on the Relationship between Globalisation and Inequality in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-89
Author(s):  
Jacques de Jongh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Causality Analysis ◽  
Global Integration ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The World ◽  
Distribution Of Resources ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact

Globalisation has had an unprecedented impact on the development and well-being of societies across the globe. Whilst the process has been lauded for bringing about greater trade specialisation and factor mobility many have also come to raise concerns on its impact in the distribution of resources. For South Africa in particular this has been somewhat of a contentious issue given the country's controversial past and idiosyncratic socio-economic structure. Since 1994 though, considerable progress towards its global integration has been made, however this has largely coincided with the establishment of, arguably, the highest levels of income inequality the world has ever seen. This all has raised several questions as to whether a more financially open and technologically integrated economy has induced greater within-country inequality (WCI). This study therefore has the objective to analyse the impact of the various dimensions of globalisation (economic, social and political) on inequality in South Africa. Secondary annual time series from 1990 to 2018 were used sourced from the World Bank Development indicators database, KOF Swiss Economic Institute and the World Inequality database. By using different measures of inequality (Palma ratios and distribution figures), the study employed two ARDL models to test the long-run relationships with the purpose to ensure the robustness of the results. Likewise, two error correction models (ECM) were used to analyse the short-run dynamics between the variables. As a means of identifying the casual effects between the variables, a Toda-Yamamoto granger causality analysis was utilised. Keywords: ARDL, Inequality, Economic Globalisation; Social Globalisation; South Africa

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