A Change Management Framework to Sustain Administrative Effectiveness after Municipal Elections

Abstract

The recent 2016 local government elections once again proved that the only safe prediction that can be made about modern times is that change is certain to occur. South African municipalities are continuously vulnerable to potential regime changes, leaving them susceptible to instituting new political leadership with its ideologies and strategies. The municipality that was used as a case study in this paper experienced radical administrative changes after the 2011 municipal elections. The implementation of mechanisms to respond to structural and system-based changes has been slow in the public sector, and municipalities in particular have found it difficult to effectively manage such changes. This article proposes an effective implementation plan based on change management principles to ensure that the process is managed effectively and efficiently. In developing the plan, use was made of theoretical models and of empirical data that were acquired through interviews with and surveys involving key role players in the relevant local government organisation. The recommended Change Management Procedure Framework could serve as an intervention for use by municipal management during periods of change and by swung municipalities so as to minimise possible disruptions caused by change and to ensure more effective and efficient service delivery.