Introduction

Abstract

The objective of the book is to examine specific public sector reforms in three core Public Administration areas, namely political–administrative relationships, the delegation of authority to senior managers and performance management.

It also locates the relevant public sector reforms within the context of the broader international debate on public sector reform. Each of three chapters on public service reform begins with a comparative perspective on the respective theme.

The period of the study is from the onset of democratic rule in 1994 until 2021. This period covers the Presidencies of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa.

This book uses a mixed methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative analyses. Quantitative data in the form of descriptive statistics were obtained from The Personnel and Information System (PERSAL), the central human resources database for the South African public service. This database is not ‘off the shelf’ information – rather, the data are tailor-made to the specific needs of those who request information. Qualitative sources used include data obtained from virtual recordings of webinars on public sector reform and an examination of written documents. This includes an analysis of government legislation, White Papers and Commission reports.

Citation

Cameron, R. (2022), "Introduction", Public Sector Reform in South Africa 1994–2021 (Public Policy and Governance, Vol. 36), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2053-769720220000036001