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Inquiry into the establishment of participative management towards change at Primary Schools in the North Metro Education District in the Western Cape in disadvantage communities
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Brown, Greagory Dean; Bladergroen, Moira
This research study aims to facilitate a collaborative inquiry process among key stakeholders in primary schools, including post-level one teachers, Head of Departments, Deputy Principals, and Principals. Stakeholder participative management within the three primary schools is notably limited, particularly among teachers. This lack of meaningful engagement has resulted in feelings of exclusion, dissatisfaction, frustration and potentially undermining collaborative governance, staff morale and effectiveness of the overall school management. The primary goal of this research is to engage teachers in decision-making processes that drive positive change in school management. The study was guided by Likert’s System IV Participative Management Theory framework which provides for understanding stakeholder participation in school management and decision-making processes. Employing a Participatory Action Research Design, this study addresses the issue of limited stakeholder participation and its impact on effective school management. The research was conducted in three primary schools in a disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. The study involved thirty-three (n=33) participants, eleven (n=11) from each school. Data was collected using qualitative methods, including focus groups and in-depth interviews. This approach provided valuable insights into teachers' perspectives and informed inclusive decision-making practices. The research findings, analysed through thematic analysis techniques, are expected to illuminate teachers' views and experiences, and offer guidance to the three primary schools on enhancing teachers' participative management for change. The ultimate goal is to foster an inclusive and participatory approach to school management, particularly within disadvantaged communities, thereby improving the overall educational landscape.
A system dynamics approach to climate adaptive hydrological modelling in the Rietspruit basin, Gauteng Province, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Banda, Vincent Santos Dzulani Banda; Kanyerere, Thokozani; Dzwairo, Rimuka Bloodless; Singh, Sudhir Kumar
Climate change continues to pose a significant threat to future water resources globally, leading to various challenges such as water shortages, flooding, environmental degradation, and social conflicts. Increasing temperatures and unpredictability in precipitation from climate change often results in the disruption of the natural hydrological balance, driven by increased evaporation amounts and changes in streamflow regimes. As the global hydrologic cycle gets impacted by climate change, a clear repercussion is the shift in the distribution and availability of freshwater resources across the globe. In the midst of climate change, concern over water availability is heightened by the combination of population increase and fast urbanization. The present research addresses the problem and limitations of conventional water resources management approaches that treat the components of the water resource system as static,assume linear relationships, often focus on short-term goals, and fail to indicate the anticipated implications of policies, socioeconomic and technological advancements. This study argues that a lack of understanding of the interconnections and dynamic nature of complex water resource systems will result in the inability to develop sustainable water management solutions. It is further argued that applying a comprehensive approach to understanding the hydrological behaviour of river basins and shifting from a linear to systems thinking approach is vital to reducing climate change vulnerability and deducing effective measures to responding to changing climate and socioeconomic change circumstances. Therefore, the present study aimed at developing a system dynamic conceptual framework that can be used as a tool for making decision for sustainable water resource management in the Rietspruit basin, Gauteng Province in South Africa. The framework was employed to characterize the dynamics of the Rietspruit water resource system in order to support the water resource stakeholders to incorporate current state and potential future information in their evaluation, planning, and development of policies related to water resource management. By applying a system dynamics approach, the study had to first understand the behaviour of individual components affecting the water resource system, and then holistically analysing how these components interrelate and change the performance of the system in the future for devising better adaptation strategies. To contextualize the thesis, a synopsis of the modelling chain applied to investigate the response of the hydrologic system under changing climate was provided. It has been shown that climate change adaptation is intrinsically difficult to attain due to the dynamic earth system and lack of a comprehensive understanding of future climate and its associated uncertainties.
Neo-Maxist approach in assessing application principles of integrated water resource management in Mzimvumbu-Tsitsikama water management area, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Khoza, Fumani Kevin; Kanyerere, Thokazani
This project critically examines the persistent institutional, financial, and social challenges undermining the transformation of water management institutions in the MzivumbuTsitsikamma Catchment Management Area (MTCMA), Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Despite progressive water legislation, particularly the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998), the transition of Irrigation Boards (IBs) into Water User Associations (WUAs) has been slow, uneven, and contested as the findings of this will demonstrate. Concurrently, the MzivumbuTsitsikamma CMA continues to face chronic revenue generation constraints, threatening its operational sustainability and ability to fulfil its statutory mandate. Compounding these challenges is the systematic under-representation of women in WUA management committees, undermining equity, legitimacy, and inclusive water governance. Using a political-economy and institutional analysis framework, the study demonstrates how historical power relations, path dependency, elite capture, weak fiscal instruments, and patriarchal social norms intersect to limit institutional transformation.
Building initial programme theory with global stakeholders: methodological lessons from a realist evaluation on community participation in quality maternal and newborn care
(SAGE Publications Inc., 2026) Cocoman, Olive; Maliqi, Blerta; Dsane-Aidoo, Paul Henry; Dohlsten, Martin; Ruysen, Harriet; Jackson, Debra; Gilmore, Brynne
Realist evaluations are increasingly used to examine complex health interventions, and their methods and tools continue to evolve. Developing initial programme theories, which explain how and why an intervention is expected to work, constitutes a critical preliminary stage of a realist evaluation. Methodological guidance on developing initial programme theories has expanded, but guidance on stakeholder involvement during this theory-building stage remains limited. To promote transparency and contribute to advancing realist methodology, this paper presents a structured approach to developing initial programme theories that explore how, why, and under what conditions community participation can be institutionalised in support of health service quality. Aligned with RAMESES guidelines, initial programme theories were developed using a multi-method, iterative, four-phase approach, which foregrounded the perspectives of practitioner and policy-level stakeholders as active theory-builders. Phase 1 established an explanatory framework for theory-building. Phase 2 involved a scoping review of the literature, complemented by a targeted call for additional literature. In Phase 3, seventy-two stakeholders from ten Ministries of Health and supporting partners formed an expert group to surface practice-based knowledge and generate candidate programme theories. Phase 4 refined these theories for field-testing through a participatory workshop involving forty-nine experts at an international health conference. This approach to developing initial programme theories within realist evaluation placed policymakers’ and implementers’ knowledge at the centre of theory development, ensuring the resulting six initial programme theories were conceptually informed and contextually grounded. These six initial programme theories are ready to be tested through country-level case studies involving community-, facility-, and district-level actors, with potential implications for policy and practice on institutionalising community participation. The process demonstrates that leveraging existing networks and convenings, particularly where published evidence is limited, can provide access to grey literature, practice-based knowledge and diverse stakeholder perspectives for understand complex interventions.
Safeguarding children and strengthening families through the application and utilization of family group decision making: a systematic review protocol
(Public Library of Science, 2026) Ngadhi, Collen Mafira; Wareley, Shenaaz; Joseph, Patrick; Johannes, Chanté; Spolander, Gary; Roman, Nicolette Vanessa
Children and families often face adversities that require whole-family interventions to promote well-being. Traditional child welfare models often demonstrate insufficient family involvement in decision-making, leading to gaps in safeguarding efforts. The Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) model emerged as an intervention that empowers families to identify and develop solutions to their challenges. The aim of this systematic review protocol is to assess the application and utilisation of FGDM with a specific focus on synthesizing evidence that can inform its implementation within developing country contexts, where child welfare systems may face unique challenges. The Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) framework will be used to define the research question. The inclusion and exclusion criteria will be based on studies that focus on FGDM (including its variants), publications from 2014 to December 2024, and studies published in English. Qualitative and quantitative design studies will be included. EBSCOhost (CINAHL, Masterfile Premier, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate), PubMed, Sabinet, Wiley Online Library, Scopus, and Web of Science will be accessed through the University of the Western Cape’s library catalogue. Search terms will be combined with relevant keywords to create search strings using Boolean operators. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists will be used for appraisal. Three independent reviewers will screen articles, a fourth reviewer consulted in case of disagreements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) flowchart will illustrate the search, screening, and selection process. Data will be qualitatively synthesized using thematic analysis.