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The influence of interpretation of iso 19011: 2018 guidelines on performing third-party quality audits to promote uniformity and consistency in the audit process
Get PDFThird-party quality audits (TPQA) facilitate performance improvement and reliability that give confidence to organisations concerning the process quality of services and products. In South Africa, ISO 9001: 2015 standard certification gained popularity as a requirement in the business tender criteria. While TPQA are crucial for evaluating conformance to industry standards, reportedly numerous organisations share disappointments as their expectations seem no longer realised. Certification faces criticism about its effectiveness in delivering TPQA that add value. Research has shown in some cases that despite the revisions of the ISO 19011: 2011 standard and limited studies conducted TPQA are regarded as added cost activities, and their initial purpose as an impartial tool to ensure quality of deliverables is no longer upheld. Increasingly, because of inconsistencies and unethical practices often observed in the industry, organisations question the significance of TPQA. Hence, the need was identified to determine and explain the influence of the ISO 19011: 2018 standard interpretation on the application of the audit guidelines in performing TPQA, to promote consistency in the audit process. A sequential exploratory mixed-method study was conducted employing a document analysis of the ISO 19011: 2018 standard, semi-structured interviews with the certification managers (CBs) and third-party quality auditors; and a survey questionnaire which was sent to quality practitioners and experts. The findings of the qualitative phases of the study were verified during the quantitative phase. The outcome of each phase of the study informed the development of the data collection instrument in the next phase. Two frameworks were designed: A conceptual framework after the document analysis and an empirical framework based on the interview data. The qualitative findings and quantitative results were integrated before conclusions were drawn and recommendations made. Achieving effective audits requires that an audit programme be established, implemented, monitored, reviewed and improved within the confines of the principles of auditing. The study found that the value of the audit process is limited by the different interpretations of the audit guidelines held by CBs and auditors. Adherence to the principles of auditing particularly, integrity and independence were found as the core of the audit process while their disregard reflected failure of the real intent of auditing. In managing the audit programme the study revealed that the inconsistencies in the audit procedures and documents developed for the auditors were ascribed to some CBs’ personal interpretations. Potential pitfalls are exacerbated by most auditors being contracted across the different bodies, and work according to the different CBs’ processes. The different interpretations of the standard suggest that certain guidelines might be vaguely written, resulting in uncertainties concerning reproducibility of the audit process. Competence featured most so that lack of it was perceived as the main hindrance to the audit process. The study recommends formal consultations among experts and practitioners to reflect on the interpretation of the guidelines to manage the audit programmes, and eliminate root causes and practices affecting the audit process. Also recommended is integration of the study findings into auditor training courses to support standardisation and reduce the variations across and amongst the different CBs and auditors.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Engineering, 202
Optimisation of laser welding for thin-walled Ti6Al4V glider pressure hull
Get PDFLaser welding is a type of fusion welding process characterised by deep penetration, low heat input and high welding speed. This dissertation investigates the suitability of this process for the fabrication of an underwater glider buoyancy engine from thin Ti6Al4V alloy sheet. Areas of interest include the effect of process parameters on weld microstructure, static properties (microhardness, tensile and bend tests) and dynamic properties (fatigue tests). The effect of welding speed and laser defocusing were evaluated considering experimental matrices consisting of four different travel speeds and three defocus distances. These were narrowed down to three travel speeds and a single defocus distance, resulting in a final test matrix delivering three different heat inputs. Thereafter, the effect of heat input on static and dynamic properties was investigated. Vickers microhardness tests were carried out to predict weld response during tensile testing, with the expectation being that harder welds would offload more strain. This was confirmed using digital image correlation, which allowed for virtual measurement and visualisation of strain offloading. Bend tests were carried out on parent and welded samples to confirm whether Ti6Al4V could be formed to the correct geometry. Forming Ti6Al4V into a U-shape was the first consideration, since dynamic testing required samples of this geometry with longitudinal weld orientation. A two-stage forming methodology was developed from these experiments. Formed samples were subjected to fatigue tests in a custom designed fatigue platform for testing weld orientation as it would appear in the final component. Prediction of the welded buoyancy engine life was the goal behind these tests. Fracture surfaces were analysed to gain understanding of where crack initiation and final fracture occurred. Porosity served as the primary cause for crack initiation in failed samples. Pore distribution was heaviest in low-heat weldments and decreased with increasing heat input, while pore size increased with increasing heat input. This resulted in medium-heat weldments exhibiting superior performance to that of low- and high-heat ones. It was concluded that the laser welding process is able to produce weldments of sufficient integrity in thin Ti6Al4V sheet-formed components intended for use in glider buoyancy engines.Thesis (MEng) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Engineering, 202
A strategic approach for handling information security incidents in higher education
Get PDFInformation Security Management System (ISMS) is a set of processes to protect institution information assets and information and to preserve confidentiality, integrity, and availability of institutional information. In the world of computers, it is known that there is no silver bullet when it comes to protecting an IT infrastructure. At some point, an organisation will face a security breach, and how it deals with the information security incident depending on the robustness of its processes and the strategy for handling incidents. In today’s world, information communication and technology (ICT) is integral in automating manual tasks that can take hours and even days to execute. The more institutions depend on technology, the more they become vulnerable to cyber threats. This could result in an institution losing its competitive edge, facing legal issues, loss of reputation, customer confidence and productivity, and lastly, financial loss. Various information security standards, frameworks, and methodologies can be applied to protect information assets. Many of these best practices define the ‘what’ and not the ‘how’ making it even more complex for institutions such as Higher Education to implement ISMS. The study aims is to develop a strategy for handling information security incidents that Higher Education Institutions can follow to improve how incidents, cyber threats and breaches are handled. The primary research objective is addressed through several secondary research objectives, namely, to investigate current strategies that Higher Education Institutions can utilise for the handling of information security incidents, to understand various challenges that Higher Education Institutions encounter when handling information security incidents, to assess the current capacity of relevant personnel in handling information security incidents through semi-structured interviews. A detailed literature review was undertaken to delve into existing various information security standards, frameworks, and methodologies. In addition, an investigation was conducted on ISMS adoption and implementation by institutions and Higher Education Institutions in general and how modern best practices such as ISO2700x, COBIT, ITIL, NIST, etc, relate to ISMS. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine information security incidents at South African Higher Education Institutions. Expert interviews are utilised to evaluate the proposed strategy and provide input. The literature review findings, together with results obtained from semi-structured and expert interviews, are used to develop a strategy evaluated for its robustness, effectiveness, and suitability for the purpose. The developed strategy can be considered a beneficial tool for Higher Education Institutions in South Africa for handling information security incidents. This study’s findings significantly contribute to ISMS research in Higher Education Institutions in South Africa. In conclusion, findings of the study can be summarized as follows. The first chapter, which is also an introduction, sets out the scene for the entire research study undertaken by first highlighting information technology as an integral part of any business nowadays. Higher education institutions collect, process and store sensitive information of current and prospective students and employees, which might be of value to hackers. An information security management system (ISMS) can minimise damage by ensuring information assets are protected from a wide range of threats and business resilience in case of a breach or an incident. Chapter 2 reviews the existing literature for these frameworks, standards, and methods. In addition, various ISMS challenges and limitations within Higher Education Institutions were explored. The third chapter outlines the research design process and an emphasises that it must be based on real-world or tangible challenges. The fourth chapter presented and discussed results that were obtained from semi-structured interviews. The study’s analysis and findings vividly show that there is a need to implement a strategy to handle information security incidents for South African higher education institutions. The strategic management approach used to formulate a strategy to address the identified real problem is discussed in detail in chapter 5. The strategy is developed based on the information gathered from the literature review and semi-structured interviews. The results of the assessment of the proposed strategy carried out by the experts are presented in Chapter 6.The chapter also includes recommendations made by the experts to improve the proposedstrategy.Thesis (MPhil) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Information Technology, 202
A model to measure the digital competence of South African citizens
Get PDFThe rapid proliferation of disruptive technologies is a paradigm shift fundamentally changing how humanity lives, works, communicates, and relates to each other. Many governments are implementing digital transformation strategies to improve service delivery, citizen participation, and information-sharing mechanisms. South Africa has identified digital skills as a key challenge to becoming a professional and globally competitive knowledge society. However, the 2016 Global IT Report of the World Economic Forum highlights the skills problem in South Africa, ranking it 95th out of 139 countries on the skills pillar. This is due to poor quality of education, particularly in math and science. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly underscored the importance of digital competence in South Africa, highlighting both challenges and opportunities. As the pandemic forced a shift to remote work, education, and digital service delivery, the disparities in digital access and skills became more apparent, especially in under-resourced communities. This situation revealed the urgent need to enhance digital competence across the population to bridge the digital divide. On the other hand, the pandemic also acted as a catalyst for digital transformation in the country. There was an accelerated adoption of digital technologies in various sectors, from education using online platforms to businesses embracing e-commerce. This rapid shift showcased the potential of digital technology to foster resilience against such disruptions. It highlighted citizens’ critical need for comprehensive digital competence to navigate this new digital landscape effectively. A gap exists between current online digital skills training programmes and the ability of citizens to participate in the same. While mega-vendors like Microsoft, Google, and Oracle offer virtual training on specific technologies, it is argued that users need digital competence training before participating in these opportunities. In other words, be able to access online training platforms, create a user account, use secure passwords, and navigate online training systems. This critical component is not holistically addressed across the education system in South Africa. Furthermore, digital competence is a new concept in the South African context and has not been holistically assessed until now. This study sets out to develop a digital competence assessment model to measure the digital competence of South African citizens. Research was conducted to understand digital competence, its characteristics and assessment models and frameworks. A suitable framework was then selected and adapted for the South African context. The adapted framework was used to develop a South African Digital Competence Assessment Model. The model consists of a Digital Competence Assessment Grid, which forms the core of the Digital Competence Assessment Model, as well as an example of how the model can be used to develop an assessment questionnaire. The South African Digital Competence Assessment Grid and the Digital Competence Assessment Example were reviewed by experts as part of an expert review process. The recommendations from the experts were used to refine the Digital Competence Assessment Grid. As the concept of digital competence is new to South Africa, implementation strategies and considerations were discussed for the model. As a starting point, implementation resources were developed on how to use the model in the form of a Digital Competence Assessment Model Guide. The study thus makes an important contribution to advancing digital competence assessment in South Africa, which will inform the nature of the development programs needed and from which the competence profiles for various jobs and job families can be generated.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Information Technology, 202
Synthesis and applications of novel coumarin-based chemosensors for the detection of metal ions using UV-visible spectroscopy
Get PDFCurrent methods for ion detection are expensive and require trained personnel to operate the instruments. This led to the desire for alternative techniques that are quicker, easier to operate, cheaper, and highly efficient. With this in mind, coumarinbased derivatives were designed and synthesised using Knoevenagel condensation. These compounds were designed to incorporate different functional groups at the 3- position. Compounds S1, S2, and S3 contained keto, ester, and carboxylic acid groups, respectively. The structures of these compounds were confirmed using NMR, FT-IR, and X-ray crystal structures. During UV-Vis analysis, these compounds displayed a maximum absorption band between λmax= 289 and 295 nm, attributed to the coumarin moiety. Furthermore, the absorption behaviour of S2 was analysed in different solvent systems. It was noted that when S2 was dissolved in toluene, a significant absorbance increase and a hypsochromic shift were observed. The chemosensing capabilities of S1, S2 and S3 were investigated using UV-Vis for metal cations in acetonitrile. S1 and S3 showed selectivities towards Fe²⁺ ions, with S2 being selective for Fe³⁺ ions in a 1:1 binding ratio. Reversibility studies were performed using EDTA and revealed that S1 and S3 were partially reversible, with S2 showing nonreversibility properties. Lastly, the binding modes of these compounds with metal ions were determined using molecular modelling studies. These calculations concluded that the complexation occurs via the two carbonyl moieties from the coumarin ring and the ester group and is stabilised by nitrate counterions and water molecules. To change the selectivity of S2 towards Hg2+ ions, thiocarbonyl analogues of this compound were synthesised using Lawessons reagent. The reagent replaced the carbonyl oxygen of the coumarin backbone and the ester moiety with sulphur to form their respective analogues, S5 and S6. A switch in the selectivity of S5 and S6 was noted when tested as potential chemosensors for metal ions. S5 showed a high affinity for Hg²⁺, whereas S6 strongly interacted with both Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions in a 1:1 binding ratio. The mode of interaction was confirmed to occur between the thiocarbonyl and ester carbonyl group for S5 and between the two thiocarbonyl functional groups in S6. The viability of these novel chemosensors for detecting metal ions was then further tested in water samples obtained from local dams with positive results.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 202
A community school model to reconceptualise basic school functionality for quality education in low-income South African communities
Get PDFDespite efforts to improve educational outcomes, systemic issues such as poverty, social inequality, and limited resources continue to hinder providing an equitable and inclusive learning environment (Taylor, 2018). It is, therefore, unsurprising that, in recent years, the discourse surrounding education in low-income South African communities has increasingly focused on the need for innovative models that not only redefine the functionality of schools but also prioritise the delivery of quality education (Janks and McKinney, 2021). Therefore, the aims of this study were twofold: The primary aim was to explore and understand, with multi-stakeholders in education, the reconceptualisation of basic school functionality for quality education in low-income South African communities. The study's second aim was to develop a conceptual framework that can serve as a guide for promoting basic functionality and quality education in community schools and other schools operating in similar contexts that wish to implement a community school model to enhance their basic functionality for improved quality education. Through a collaborative process, the participants in this study attempted to address a significant gap in the literature, namely how these aims could be achieved in a way that would benefit communities and schools. My interest in this topic was piqued while serving as a social work intern and Manyano Network schools’ project coordinator under the Centre for the Community School (CCS) at Nelson Mandela University; hence, the focus of this thesis on whether schools would benefit in terms functionality if they partnered with their communities and other external stakeholders in the vicinity. However, communities are seldom actively involved in schools and school activities on an ongoing daily basis. To address the country's current educational challenges, stakeholders within and outside schools must work together to redefine and reassess their roles and responsibilities within community schools. This involves exploring how they can best serve these communities and schools to create opportunities for an improved future for everyone. Using the critical participatory action research (CPAR) design and methodology in this study ensured that all participants' voices were heard. Two theoretical lenses, complementary learning systems framework (CLSF) and social constructionism theory in education, were employed in the study, providing insights into the multi-faceted nature of South African community schools. Furthermore, a critical transformative philosophical paradigm and its assumptions, epistemology, ontology, and axiology, were implemented as a lens to interpret and understand the data. The iterative design of the research process ensured that the participants also engaged in a critical discourse analysis of the data that emerged, of which the trustworthiness was enhanced using dialogic and process, catalytic, rhetoric, democratic and outcome validity. The emergence of the data through this collaborative engagement was underpinned by the ethical values of mutual respect, equality, inclusion, democratic participation, active learning, making a difference, collective action, and personal integrity. Data generation occurred with the action learning set through three data generation cycles, according to the CPAR, and comprised principals, teachers, school governing body, school volunteers, parents, afterschool programme member, and a member from the CCS, using dialogues, collage-making, drawings, personal reflective journals, personal communication, and document analysis. Thematic data analysis resulted in the following co-generated themes: the key requirements for basic school functioning, multi-stakeholders' conceptualisation of what constitutes a community school, the key role players and the contextual factors in community schools that affect the achievement of basic school functioning and quality education, the successes that can be achieved in a community school, and the benefits and key strategies required for this process. The participants’ voices allowed for rich, in-depth collaboration and engagement that led to critical reflection within the study. Furthermore, through iterative processes, collaborative engagement and participation, a proposition for a community school model to reconceptualise basic school functionality was co-constructed in response to the fourth sub-question of the study. The findings of this study further reveal the building blocks of the conceptual framework, including revisiting who constitutes the stakeholder community school, foregrounding relationship building, and assessing the complexity and values of a contextually relevant community school. Moreover, the findings reveal that this process model must have structure, principles, and an inclusive methodology. This study has made valuable theoretical and methodological contributions through the participants’ voices, with the research study embedded within CPAR principles.This study is unique; I am unaware of any similar study having been conducted in a community school in South Africa. Furthermore, the collaborative approach used in the study helped ensure that its methodology could be of value to principals and other school stakeholders in addressing various complex challenges confronting community schools in these contexts. Most notably, the findings add to the theoretical body of knowledge around basic community school functionality, especially those in low-income communities.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Education, School of Postgraduate Education, 202
The curious case of Albert Ellis: a psychobiographical case study
Get PDFAlthough much has been written on the life and work of American psychologist Albert Ellis, none of the literature adopts a specific psychobiographical framework and no instrumental case studies on the life of Ellis exist. The primary aim of this psychobiographical case study is to provide a psychobiographical exploration and description of aspects of Albert Ellis’ life within his sociohistorical context. More specifically, Ellis’ upbringing with an immigrant past and the role this has played relating to Ellis’ curiosity towards issues of sex and women. The findings of this psychobiographical case study will also be conveyed to inform on the role that culture and cultural diversity has on how an individual experiences and deals with conflict in their life. A specific area of interest in this study is the culture of the twentieth century, with a special focus on the relationship individuals had with sex, as well as examining the lived experience of immigrants during this time. Aspects of Albert Ellis' life within the sociohistorical context of the twentieth century is illustrated by using certain psychological techniques to the available biographical data. This is accomplished by looking at Ellis' experiences and how they influenced the creation of his own paradigm of rational emotive behaviour therapy. Furthermore, Ellis is conceptualised using Karen Horney’s theory of the dynamic relationship, which exists between cultural processes and conflicting human character traits and their impact on behavioural motivation. This study adopts an inductive research approach. Therefore, it implements an instrumental, single-case research design and is exploratory-descriptive in nature. The subject was chosen through purposive sampling and data will be analysed utilising three linked subprocesses theorised by Miles and Huberman.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 202
Early screening for the post intensive care syndrome in a tertiary ICU follow-up clinic in the Eastern Cape
Get PDFThe Post ICU Syndrome (PICS) is defined as a constellation of new or worsened impairments in physical, cognitive, and/or psychological health which persist after critical care discharge. These deficits are more related to the patients’ intensive care unit (ICU) stay rather than to their original ICU admission diagnosis. Between 25-50% of critical care survivors suffer from PICS. There is a paucity of research on PICS in South Africa (SA). The primary objective of this study is to describe the incidence and co-occurrence of PICS symptoms, as well as the changes in instrumental activities of daily living and life roles in ICU survivors.The study was conducted in a multidisciplinary tertiary ICU in the Eastern Cape. Inclusion criteria were respiratory support for ≥ 48 hours, or a shocked state, and/or organ failure requiring ICU stay for 48 hours. Patients were assessed at six weeks and six months after hospital discharge. Physical impairment was measured by the six-minute walk test and ICU-acquired weakness by the Medical Research Council scale. Instrumental activities of daily living score and employment/educational status were determined. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Impact of Event Scale-Revised questionnaires were used as screening tools for significant psychological symptoms. Screening for neurocognitive impairment was performed with the NeuroScreen application and compared to a matched control group. The Short Form-36 Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (HRQOL) was used to determine quality of life at baseline and study visits. 107 patients, half of whom had COVID-19, completed the six-month follow-up. Six months after hospital discharge, six out of ten patients were affected by PICS, five out of every ten suffered from physical impairment, four out of every ten reported significant psychological symptoms, with three out of every ten affected by both. Three out of ten experienced significant chronic pain. Overall, six out of every ten patients experienced significant psychological symptoms at either one or both study visits. Only one in ten had psychological symptoms in isolation at six months. Six out of every ten patients reported a significantly lower health-related quality of life at six months as compared to their baseline. Three out of every ten patients had not returned to their previous remunerative work, studying or home making. Neurocognitive impairment in this cohort was not verified, and this may have been due to the selection of the control group. However, there was a significant improvement in neurocognitive functioning from the six-week to the six-month study visits. Only 15% of patients received rehabilitation therapy after hospital discharge. Female sex, a higher co-morbidity score and an admission diagnosis of trauma were predictors of PICS symptoms. COVID-19 was not found to be associated with a higher incidence of PICS.Thesis (D.Phil) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 202
Role of community pharmacies in the management of diabetic foot ulcers in South Africa
Get PDFAppropriate wound care and management are essential to prevent complications in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). It is important to evaluate if patients are getting the necessary therapeutic treatment and counselling at community pharmacies. The primary aim was to determine the role of community pharmacies in South Africa in the management of DFUs. This study used a mixed-method research design combining both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. In 2023 a questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 823 community pharmacists in South Africa with questions regarding DFUs. Data from the questionnaire were analysed and used in the next phase of the study, which was focus group discussions (FGDs). The FGDs were conducted with a group of pharmacy stakeholders. The response rate for the questionnaire was 18.95% (n=156). Only 105 respondents completed the questionnaire. Majority of the respondents (n=45) were located in Gauteng province, practising in corporate pharmacies (n=88) in urban areas (n=104). Majority of respondents (n=73) indicated that they did not have a clinic inside their pharmacies and 46 respondents indicated that they had a nurse employed in the pharmacy. Most frequently seen chronic wounds in community pharmacies were diabetic wounds and surgical wounds. Majority (n=71) of respondents indicated that they have not attended additional training on DFUs. Respondents indicated that they most often used the internet and other healthcare providers as information resources regarding DFUs. The results also indicated that community pharmacists would like to have more training regarding advanced wound care and that pharmacists do have a role to play when managing DFUs. During two FGDs, two main themes emerged namely “Community pharmacists encounter various challenges when treating patients with DFUs” and “There is a gap in training for community pharmacists in treating DFUs”. The focus group discussion (FGD) results complemented the questionnaire survey results. Since there is limited research published in South Africa on the role of community pharmacies managing DFUs, this study indicated that there is a need for additional training on DFUs for pharmacists working in community pharmacies in South Africa.Thesis (M.Pharm) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 202
Lion and leopard diet and dispersal in human-dominated landscapes
Get PDFTerrestrial carnivore population declines are driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, prey-depletion, persecution, and retaliatory killings. Population strongholds now centre on protected areas, that face increasing human pressure, resulting in population isolation, declining prey populations, and livestock intrusion. I therefore aimed to investigate dispersal and connectivity, and diets of lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (P. pardus) in response to human-use and wildlife density gradients in the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTCA). Firstly, I investigated dispersal and connectivity for these carnivores across the GLTCA, using single nucleotide polymorphisms. I present evidence that in the prey-depleted Mozambique portion of the GLTCA, lion and leopard dispersal distances are higher compared with the prey-abundant Kruger National Park (KNP). I also provide the first evidence for long-range dispersal in female lions. Despite evidence for connectivity occurring across the GLTCA, I recorded population structuring across the region for both carnivores, likely due to habitat fragmentation by human activities in the Mozambique portion of the GLTCA. I then assessed carnivore diet responses to prey depletion and livestock availability by comparing lion and leopard diets in the prey-abundant/livestock-absent KNP (South Africa), with the prey-depleted/livestock-abundant Limpopo National Park (LNP, Mozambique), using scat analyses. Lions and leopards downshifted their prey size selection in LNP relative to KNP. Despite both carnivores expanding their dietary niche breadths in LNP relative to KNP, diet overlap did not differ between sites. This suggests that even when prey is depleted, lions and leopards can partition food resources, which likely limits competition. Despite cattle (Bos taurus) being the most abundant ungulate in LNP, lions and leopards strongly avoided cattle, supporting the notion that carnivores can perceive the risk of hunting livestock and modulate their foraging behaviour to reduce human-carnivore conflict. Should my findings reflect general patterns in carnivore dispersal and diet responses to human-use and wildlife gradients, then carnivore conservation initiates across their range should focus on prey population rehabilitation, improved livestock husbandry practices, the establishment of effective dispersal corridors and improved human-tolerance towards large carnivores.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202