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Application of project management software and its influence on project success : a case of NPOs in the Western Cape
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Though strides have been taken to ensure the availability and application of technology, there still exists some disparity between the envisaged use compared to the actual one (Ross, Romich & Pena, 2016:48). The application of technology, such as project management software (PMS), could be the answer to unlocking success in projects especially where a large scope and high degree of complexity can sometimes prove to be very challenging. The research explored how the application of PMS influences project success. A case of NPOs in the Western Cape Province, South Africa was used. The research objectives were to (1) establish if PMS is applied in the NPO’s work, (2) determine employees’ interactions with PMS relative to project success, and (3) identify the limitations of current PMS being used. A non-experimental and quantitative approach was taken to conduct the research. Out of a potential 200 units of analysis, a sample group consisting of 132 project-implementing NPOs in the Western Cape was used. Ninety-four responses were received setting the response rate at 71%. The research instruments used were questionnaires, which were administered physically and online. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. There is high project success rate among NPO projects in the Western Cape at 77%. The research revealed that PMS is utilised in a significant number of organisations with the most popular ones used being Microsoft Project, Project Manager and Jira. Most project offices utilise PMS on a weekly or monthly basis especially during the project planning and execution stages. The limitations of the software include that it can over-complicate issues, be time-consuming, and costly. In light of the above, respondents revealed that they believe PMS does have a positive influence on project success. Furthermore, based on the findings and conclusions derived from this study, the researcher made a few recommendations. For example, persons in academia need to widen the scope of the study to different geographical locations and use a different research approach. Another is that software engineers/developers must consider localised support for PMS as well as improve on scalability issues. To NPOs, recommendations were made on potential training sessions to capacitate the sector to be more adept to information and communication technology (ICT) and eventually make more use of PMS
The impact of specific leadership styles at a selected information and technology training institution in Cape Town
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018This dissertation focuses on the impact that various leadership styles have on the execution of Information Technology (IT) projects. The present levels of technology would have made the success of project execution a lot easier, contrary to this there is a high rate of project failure in the IT industry. Together with this is the reality that almost all project managers are qualified and experienced people, and yet the failure rate continues unabated. The people element in any organisation can work as an asset or a liability. The objective for the study was to identify leadership style(s) that would be ideal for effectively executing IT projects, which are known to have a high failure rate. To obtain the necessary information needed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were used with the assistance of a questionnaire with three sections. The first section covered the biography, to give an understanding of the characteristics of the population. The second section focused on the likert scale dealing with the perceptions, attitudes and emotions. The third section was open ended, allowing for interaction between interviewee and interviewer. The findings clearly identify that responsiveness, empathy, emotional intelligence and ability to communicate are critical components for effectively managing the IT projects. This is not discounting the need for information technology skills (hard skills) on the part of the project leader it can be concluded that soft skills were cited as critical for effective IT project execution
Factors influencing the performance of learners completing apprenticeships in the printing and packaging industry of South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018The aim of this study was to identify the factors that influence the performance of learners from the perspectives of learners and facilitators and determine if there are similarities or significant differences between them. This study was conducted utilising methodological triangulation for data collection. It used the Priority-Sequence Model design as a preliminary qualitative method in a quantitative study. The study used two approaches of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Both phases used questionnaires or surveys that were administered to two different categories of cases, facilitators and learners. The qualitative questionnaire identified variety of factors that were prioritised in the quantitative survey. The facilitators remained the same sample throughout the study, but the learner sample differs throughout. The respondent’s factors were then compared to determine similarities or differences. Results showed that between the categories of cases, success factors indicated synergy and failure factors resulted in significant differences. The facilitators believed that the success of learners was dependent on the learners, facilitators and the environment in which the learning took place. The learners believed that they were responsible for their own success and focused less on the environment and the facilitators. The facilitators also believed that the learners were solely responsible for their failure and that they had no contribution to it. In this instance the learners felt the same, indicating that the environment, facilitators and other factors beyond their control had little impact on their failure. It is evident that a more holistic approach to studies must be established and a deeper approach to learning and teaching must be adopted
Potential health risk factors amongst students at a higher education institution in the Western Cape with regard to sexuality and HIV/AIDS
No full textThesis (MTech (Nursing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018Health risks are continuing to be a challenge worldwide. Globally, young people aged 15-24 are amongst the most vulnerable groups. It was revealed that between 2007 and 2010, the rate of HIV infection increased in this age group. In sub-Saharan Africa, three out of four new HIV infections are amongst girls aged 15 to 19 years of age. Young women aged 15 to 24 are twice more likely to live with HIV than men in 2019. South Africa is the country with the largest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected population in the world, with an estimated 7 million people living with HIV and 380 000 new HIV infections in 2015. University students are a very important group of young people because they are being prepared for the world of work and to assume leadership roles. However, they are the group most exposed to a range of health risks, particularly regarding sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to explore potential health risk factors amongst students at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Western Cape with regard to sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The objectives of the study were to explore the factors that may increase health risk behaviours amongst students at an HEI and to discover and describe the knowledge university students have regarding potential health risks related to sexuality and HIV/AIDS. A qualitative research design was employed. Focus group interviews were done to collect data and a thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Results revealed that the university students engaged in high-risk sexual behaviours, such as transactional sex, casual sex, multiple partner sexual relationships and unprotected sex. Such behaviours lead to a high-risk of contracting STIs and HIV/AIDS. Among the factors that were found to be contributing to these risky behaviours, was the new-found freedom of being away from the supervision of parents. Peer pressure at HEIs, as well as abuse of alcohol and drugs, also contribute to risky behaviours. Recommendations were that there should be organised and measured approaches to expose both lecturers and the students to HIV/AIDS education through an integrated curriculum design. There should be teamwork amongst lecturers, support staff and students to create powerful discussions and an exchange of ideas to clarify issues regarding HIV/AIDS, sexuality and other related topics to reduce high-risk behaviours and promote solid constructive attitudes amongst the university community
Effect of water stress and arbuscular mycorrhiza on the plant growth and antioxidant potential of Pelargonium reniforme Curtis and Pelargonium sidoides DC
No full textThesis (MTech (Horticulture))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Pelargoniums have been studied extensively for their medicinal properties. P. reniforme and P. sidoides in particular are proven to possess antimicrobial, antifungal and antibiotic abilities due to their high antioxidant potential from compounds isolated from their tuberous roots. These plants have now been added to the medicine trade market and this is now causing concern for conservationists and they are generally harvested from the wild populations. This study evaluated the effect of water stress alone and in conjunction with arbuscular mycorrhiza on two species of Pelargoniums grown in a soilless medium. The experiment consisted of five different watering regimes which were applied to one hundred plants of each species without inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza and to one hundred plants of each species in conjunction with inoculation with AM. All the plants in the experiment were fed with a half-strength, standard Hoagland nutrient solution at varying rates viz. once daily to pot capacity, every three days to pot capacity, every six days to pot capacity, every twelve days to pot capacity and every twenty-four days to pot capacity. The objectives of the study were to measure the nutrient uptake, SPAD-502 levels (chlorophyll production) and metabolite (phenolics) formation of both species, grown under various rates of irrigation and water stress, as well with or without the addition of arbuscular mycorrhiza at planting out. Each treatment consisted of 10 replicates. SPAD-502 levels were measured weekly using a hand held SPAD-502 meter. Determination of nutrient uptake of macronutrients N, K, P, Ca, Mg and Na and micronutrients Cu, Zn, Mn, Al and B were measured from dry plant material at the end of the experiment by Bemlab, 16 Van Der Berg Crescent, Gants Centre, Strand. Plant growth in terms of wet and dry shoot and root weight were measured after harvest. Determination of concentrations of secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds) were assayed and measured spectrophotometrically at the end of the experiment.
The highest significant reading of wet shoot weight for P. reniforme was taken in treatments 1 and 2 with and without mycorrhiza i.e. WF1, WF1M, WF2 and WF2M, with the highest mean found in WF1 with no mycorrhiza. This indicates that under high irrigation AM plays no part in plant growth, possibly due to leaching. More research is necessary in this regard. With regard to wet root weight, this was found to be not significant in any of the treatments, other than the longest roots being found in WF4. Measurements for dry root weight showed that WF1,2,3 and 5 were the most significant at P≤ 0.001 significance, with the highest weight found at treatment being WF3 and WF3M. The highest mean of shoot length of the plants was measured in treatment WF2 at moderate watering, but no statistical difference was found with water application and mycorrhiza addition. Nutrient uptake was increased in P. sidoides in all the different watering levels in the experiment except in the uptake of Mg. AM inoculation showed an increase in the uptake of Ca, while absorption of N occurred at higher water availability. K uptake was enhanced by the addition of AM in high water availability and K utilisation decreased as water stress increased. Medium to low watering resulted in higher leaf content in P. sidoides while the interaction between water availability and AM inoculation increased chlorophyll production towards the end of the experiment
Enhancement of membrane surface characteristics to improve membrane performance and durability in the treatment of municipal MBR effluent
No full textThesis (Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Fresh, clean water has always been critical for the world's social development. Supply of water can be reinforced through recycling and reuse; and secondary treatment of municipal wastewater effluent with a membrane bioreactor (MBR) followed by a reverse osmosis (RO) process, has emerged as a crucial treatment process for water reuse. However, fouling of RO membranes in such process is unavoidable. This leads to poor performance, increase in operational cost and degradation of the membrane material, which reduces the membrane life span. Various researches have been conducted to provide an understanding of the mechanism of fouling, and methods have been developed to minimize it. In this research, the effect of surface modification to minimise fouling on a thin film composite polyamide RO membrane was investigated. This study was divided into three parts, namely: membrane modification, biofouling and filtration using RO. Two modifying agents, PVA and DMAEMA, were used as grafting solutions. Escherichia coli (E. coli) were used as the biofoulant to study the ant-biofouling properties of the membranes. A make-up synthetic MBR secondary effluent feed was used in a bench scale RO process. During the membrane modification process, the membrane was treated using two different approaches. Firstly, the covalent attachment of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) through Glutaraldehyde (GA) onto the surface and secondly the redox initiated grafting of dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA PVA and DMAEMA grafting solutions were applied at four different concentrations).
The PVA and DMAEMA modifying agents were successfully grafted onto the membrane top layers and were confirmed by the functional groups, present, using the Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectra. The morphology of the membrane surfaces was investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), before and after treatment. SEM analysis showed better membrane structures with PVA grafting compared to DMAEMA
Feeder reconfiguration scheme with integration of renewable energy sources using a Particle Swarm Optimisation method
No full textThesis (Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.A smart grid is an intelligent power delivery system integrating traditional and advanced control, monitoring, and protection systems for enhanced reliability, improved efficiency, and quality of supply. To achieve a smart grid, technical challenges such as voltage instability; power loss; and unscheduled power interruptions should be mitigated. Therefore, future smart grids will require intelligent solutions at transmission and distribution levels, and optimal placement & sizing of grid components for optimal steady state and dynamic operation of the power systems. At distribution levels, feeder reconfiguration and Distributed Generation (DG) can be used to improve the distribution network performance. Feeder reconfiguration consists of readjusting the topology of the primary distribution network by remote control of the tie and sectionalizing switches under normal and abnormal conditions. Its main applications include
service restoration after a power outage, load balancing by relieving overloads from some feeders to adjacent feeders, and power loss minimisation for better efficiency. On the other hand, the DG placement problem entails finding the optimal location and size of the DG for integration in a distribution network to boost the network performance. This research aims to develop Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms to solve the distribution network feeder reconfiguration and DG placement & sizing problems. Initially, the feeder reconfiguration problem is treated as a single-objective optimisation problem (real power loss minimisation) and then converted into a multi-objective optimisation problem (real power loss minimisation and load balancing). Similarly, the DG placement problem is treated as a single-objective
problem (real power loss minimisation) and then converted into a multi-objective optimisation problem (real power loss minimisation, voltage deviation minimisation, Voltage stability Index maximisation). The developed PSO algorithms are implemented and tested for the 16-bus, the 33-bus, and the 69-bus IEEE distribution systems. Additionally, a parallel computing method is developed to study the operation of a distribution network with a feeder reconfiguration scheme under dynamic loading conditions
Germination and growth responses of Hordeum Vulgare SV13 cultivated as a green fodder crop for African conditions
No full textThesis (MTech (Horticulture))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.This study evaluated the effects of 5 different soaking treatments in conjunction with 5 varying irrigation intervals on the germination, growth and nutritional values of seed of Hordeum vulgare Sv13. The 5 different soaking times consisted of 1, 3, 8, 16 and 24 hours. The barley seed was first cleaned and then placed in a vessel containing 500 ml of distilled water with a 20 % solution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) at room temperature. Thereafter the pre-soaked seeds were transferred to a perforated container, containing no medium and placed into a growing chamber equipped with drip irrigation. The seed was then irrigated with 1245 ml of water at 5 different intervals namely every 2, 4, 8 10 and 12 hours. The temperature of the hydroponic growing room was kept at a constant 23 °C using a hotoperiod of 16-hour day/ 8-hour darkness. The seed was allowed to germinate and grow for a period of 8 days before being harvested. The objectives of this study were to determine the most beneficial combination of soaking treatment in conjunction with the most beneficial irrigation interval on the germination rate of the seed allowing for radicle emergence and coleoptile production. It was also used to determine which combination of treatments was most beneficial to the growth and nutritional values of the seed post-harvest. Another objective was to ascertain the shortest soaking time for application in a small-scale, hydroponic growing unit as well as the frequency of irrigation required to grow seedlings, thereby determining the amount of water required to produce a seedling mat for a small-scale, subsistence farmer, with the emphasis being on water reduction. Each treatment was replicated 10 times and consisted of 500 grams of seed, which when placed into its container measured 2 centimetres in depth, totalling 25 treatments in all. Germination was measured by observing radicle emergence in the first 2 days of the growing period first after a 24-hour cycle and again after 48 hours. The numbers of leaves present at harvest after an 8-day growing period were also counted to determine germination rate of the seeds. Growth was determined by average leaf height as well as the tallest leaf on day 8 of the growing cycle. Root mat expansion was also measured, post-harvest, which was compared to the initial 2 cm planting depth of seed. Wet and dry weights of the plant material were measured post-harvest. Samples of the harvested material were also sent for nitrogen and protein analysis. It was discovered that most of the results favoured a shorter soaking time and an increase in irrigation frequency, bar a few exceptions. Most favoured a pre-soaking time of only 1 hour together with an irrigation frequency of between 2 and 4 hours. This shows that small-scale farmers would be able to reduce the time spent on soaking of their seed. Although the frequency of the irrigation interval remained high further testing would be required to determine if the amount of water applied at each irrigation interval could be reduced and still produce favourable results. It would also remain to be seen if no irrigation during the 8-hour dark photoperiod would have any negative impact on germination, growth and nutritional values of the seedlings
The implementation of continuing professional teacher development policy in the Western Cape : constraints and opportunities
Get PDFThesis (MEd)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) policy is an initiative intended to up-skill teachers, and in so doing improve schooling and learner achievement. CPTD involves the participation of teachers in various developmental activities for which they earn CPTD points. The professional development of teachers in South Africa has been erratic and, as a consequence, there has been a decline in the quality of teachers. Despite there being formal structures in place, policy implementation continues to be a problem. The purpose of this study was to identify constraints and opportunities regarding CPTD policy implementation in the Western Cape. The research tradition of interpretivism was chosen, allowing for a qualitative case study design to be employed. The non-probability sampling method was used to select a purposive sample of three WCED officials and four school principals. Convenience sampling was applied in identifying 24 teachers. Other data were drawn from policy documents. The study was conducted in an urban and rural district within the Western Cape. This study is significant in that it informs policy makers and implementers, and other stakeholders about the constraints and opportunities with regard to CPTD implementation and in so doing, paves the way for more effective implementation. Findings revealed that constraints outweighed opportunities. In spite of time constraints, principals and teachers reported that they are in support of professional development, but are not in support of the CPTD management system implemented by SACE. They do not agree with the one-size-fits-all approach to implementation, nor the focus of development being the collection of CPTD points. It is thus deemed that a review of the CPTD policy is necessary in order to clear the misconception that accumulation of PD points is the primary focus of CPTD. Granted, teachers would still need to collect points to monitor their growth. A recommendation is made in this study to improve the system and ensure that it is functional and accessible to all teachers at all times, including those in rural districts
South Africa’s response in fulfilling her obligations to meet the legal measures of wetland conservation and wise use
No full textThesis (MTech (Environmental Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.South Africa is a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat of 1971 (referred to as the Ramsar Convention), which is an international convention making provision for protection and wise use of wetlands. Article 3 of the Ramsar Convention requires signatories to formulate and implement their planning to promote wise use of wetlands within their jurisdiction. “Wise use of wetlands” is defined as “the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development” (Birnie & Boyle, 2009: 674). The concept of wise use has been interpreted to mean sustainable development (de Klemm & Shine, 1999: 47; Birnie & Boyle, 2009: 49; Kiss & Shelton, 2007: 93; Birnie & Boyle, 2009: 674; Sands, 2003: 604), as it pertains to wetlands. Having said this, the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) sets out principles of sustainable development that every organ of state must apply in the execution of their duties. Due to the wise use-sustainable development link, two NEMA principles have been considered to form the basis of this study, i.e. sections 2(4)(l) and 2(4)(r). The first principle places an obligation upon the state to ensure that there is intergovernmental coordination and harmonisation of policies, legislation and action relating to the environment (read to include a wetland); and the second principle is to ensure that specific attention in the management and planning are had to wetlands. Ironically, factors that are identified as hindering wise use include, but are not limited to: conflicting and incomplete sectoral law, absence of monitoring procedures, the absence of legal measures for environmental management of water quantity and quality. Therefore, an analysis will be undertaken to determine the extent to which South Africa’s legislative framework regulating wetland conservation is fulfilling the requirements for the promotion of wise use, through these two principles. Focus was had to environmental and related legislation, policies and regulations that promote and/or constrain wetland conservation and wise use. This study identifies the flaws within the law; and proposes streamlining and, where apposite, amendments to the existing legislative framework regulating wetlands in order for South Africa to fulfil her obligations