1,720,965 research outputs found
Implementation of monitoring and evaluation policies in the government pension administration agency of the South African public service.
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The South African Public Service continues to experience the elements of ineffective implementation of policy monitoring and evaluation policies, which, by implication, are directly responsible for the slow service delivery. This problem has led to the notion that despite monitoring and evaluation policies, underlying tensions exist in the policy and practice. This study examines the implementation of monitoring and evaluation policies in the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) of the South African Public Service, with specific reference to Frontline Monitoring and Support programs (FM & S). The study utilized mixed methods. The qualitative research approach was necessary to get in-depth and rich information regarding the life experiences of the officials and recipients of the FM & S programs. The study collected data through primary and secondary methods. In doing that, the study utilized documentary analysis and interviews as data collection tools. The study used thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data, graphs, and percentages. The study collected and analyzed data about client satisfaction in FM & S programs using closed-ended questions on a Likert scale. This data was examined quantitatively using graphs, tables, and percentages. The study's findings revealed that the GEPF is implementing four programs directly linked with the Department of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation's (DPME) frontline monitoring and evaluation policies. However, several policy-implementation problems were observed in bureaucratic procedures under institutional oversight and organizational culture. These included poor working relationships in inter-intra-governmental structures, poor communication within the organizational structures, underutilization of evaluation results, and poor information dissemination strategies. The study demonstrates that, while there are policy and implementation conflicts in the bureaucratic procedures, they do not substantially impact public service delivery. On average, 83% of clients were satisfied with the services provided, while 3% were unsure and 13% were dissatisfied. The study recommends the urgent need for improvements in implementing the recommendations to improve the performance of FM & S programs. The study also highlights the importance of utilizing feedback reports to take corrective action during the implementation of policies. It also proposes the need for one-on-one interdepartmental engagements to discuss departmental challenges. The study encourages monitoring and evaluation to learn and improve other than for compliance purposes.
Iqoqa.
Lolu cwaningo luhlole ukuqalisa ukusebenza kwezinqubomgomo zokugada nokuhlaziya iGovernment Employee Pension Fund yeSouth African Public Service, kubhekwe kakhulu uhlelo olwaziwa ngeFrontline Monitoring and Support Programme. ISouth African Public Service iyaqhubeka nokuba nesihlava sokuqalisa ukusebenza okungeyikho kokugada inqubomgomo nezinqubomgomo zokuhlaziya, eziqondene nokulethwa kwemisebenzi ngendlela engagculisi. Ucwaningo lwathatha indlelasu yocwaningo lwekhwalithethivu ukuze kube nokuqoqwa okujulile nokunothile mayeana nokwenzeka empilweni yabasebenzi nabemukeli bezinhlelo zeFrontline Monitoring and Support. Izindlelakwenza zolwazi oluqoqwe mahlanze noluqoqwe ezincwadini zibandakanye ukuhlaziya amadokhumenti kanye nezimposambuzo ezijulile zabasebenzi nabanesabelo. Imininingo yafakwa ohlaziyweni lwezindikimba lwase lwethulwa ngamathebula, amagrafu nezikalozilinganiso zamaphesenti. Imininingo yaveza amazinga okweneliseka kwamaklayenti ngezinhlelo zeFrontline Monitoring and Support. Okutholakele ocwaningweni kuveze ukuthi iGovernment Employee Pension Fund yaqalisa izinhlelo ezine ezixhumene ngqo nezinqubomgomo zoMnyango wokuHlela, nokuHlaziya kwezinqubomgomo zeFrontline monitoring and evaluation. Kodwa, ngokuhlaziya ngaphansi kwesikhungo sokwengamela nokuhlaziya indlelakusebenza yenhlangano, kwabonakala izinkinga eziningi zokuqalisa ukusebenza. Lokhu kwakufaka ubudlelwane obungebuhle bokusebenzisana nezinhlaka zensebenziswano yohulumeni; ukungaxhumani ngendlela nezinhlaka zenhlangano; ukungasetshenziswa ngokwanele kwemiphumela yokuhlaziya; namasu okusabalaliswa kolwazi okungenele. Kodwa, ucwaningo lukhombise ukuthi ngesikhathi kunenqubomgomo nokuqalisa ukusebenza ukungaboni ngaso linye ezinqubweni ezinamazinga ehlukene, akubanga nomthelela omkhulu ngokulethwa kwezidingo zomphakathi. Ngokwejwayelekile, amaklayenti angama-83% ayenelisekile ngemisebenzi ehlinzekiwe, ngesikhathi ama-3% ayengenasiqinisekiso kanti ayi-13% ayengenelisekile. Ucwaningo luphakamisa isidingo esiphuthumayo sokuphucula ukuqalisa ukusebenza kweziphakamiso ezithile zokuphucula ukusebenza kwezinhlelo zeFrontline Monitoring and Support. Ucwaningo luphinde lwagqamisa ukubaluleka kokusebenzisa ibuyiselambiko ukuze lilungise isenzo ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukusebenza izinqubomgomo. Kuphinde kwaphakanyiswa isidingo sokubonisana komnyango nomuntu ngamunye ukudingida izinselelo zangaphakathi. Ucwaningo lwagqugquzela ukugada nokuhlaziya ukuze kufundwe kulokho, nezinhlelo zokwenza ngcono, ngale kwezinhloso zokuhambisana nokubekiwe
An investigation into the challenges confronted by long-distance female truck drivers in South Africa.
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.There are many professions which have historically been dominated by males, and
long-distance truck driving is a case in point. This notion is supported by Naysmith and
Rubincam (2012) who stated that the long-distance truck driving profession is very
much dominated by males and that has been the case for many years. However, in recent
times an increasing number of women have been steadily entering this profession and
Reed and Cronin (2003) concurs with this statement by stating that a growing number
of women in Western nations like the United States of America have been entering this
profession in the past few decades. Moreover, this trend has transcended to developing
nations like South Africa as the country has seen an increasing number of women
entering the sphere of long-distance truck driving in the last decade.
However, many issues arise as a result of the under representation of women in the
long-distance truck driving profession. When elaborating further on this, Sicard (2012)
stated that since women are still a minority in this sector, they are then exposed to a lot
of challenges; it is those challenges experienced by those women working in this very
male-dominated sector that this study will be seeking to uncover. Some of the structural
barriers within this profession have not been removed and consequently result in some
of the challenges that long-distance female truck drivers experience, as identified by
(Naysmith and Rubincam, 2012).
Furthermore, this study was conducted as a secondary research whereby useful
literature exploring the role of women in the transport sector was consulted and then
carefully analysed employing Content Analysis. Interestingly, it discovered that women
working in the transport sector all share similar challenges in their line of work as they
are a minority in this sector. This research established that female long distance truck
drivers, female taxi drivers and female bus drivers face the similar challenges within
their respective professions in South Africa. The challenges of work-life balance, sexual
harassment, health and safety being the very common ones. Lastly, in South Africa the
legislation governing the workplace protects the rights of women and labour laws like
the Employment Equity Act of 1998 motivates for their employment into previously
male dominated industries like long distance truck driving. Therefore, this makes the South African long-distance truck driving sphere more favourable for women to
achieve their professional aspirations and for this reason we are more likely to witness
them entering this profession in huge numbers every year
Social justice in South Africa = Justiça social na África do Sul
A África do Sul é o país mais desigual do mundo. A pobreza e a desigualdade, agravadas pelo desemprego, são os desafios mais importante do país. O atual governo tem feito progressos significativos em relação à prestação de serviços básicos e ampliação dos benefícios sociais. No entanto, a triste realidade é que a desigualdade cresceu desde o advento da democracia, mais de vinte anos atrás. Esta evolução é contrária aos compromissos da Constituição Sul-Africana e a provisão de políticas sociais, tornando assim mais graves as questões de direitos e justiça social. A continuidade, profundidade e amplitude da desigualdade, incluindo os custos financeiros e sociais extraordinárias, estão ligados ao legado do apartheid. A desigualdade é estruturalmente condicionada, espacial e economicamente. Fundamentalmente, a desigualdade é resultado do acesso diferencial à oportunidades e produtos do desenvolvimento humano. O artigo apresenta uma discussão teórica sobre a relação entre a desigualdade, a pobreza e o desemprego; identifica também algumas barreiras para mudanças; e apresenta abordagens experimentais de redução da desigualdad
Access to health care and its determinants: the case of older persons in Chivi South district, Zimbabwe = Ukufinyelela ekunakekelweni ngokwezempilo kanye nokuma kwako: abantu abadala basesifundeni saseChivi South, eZimbabwe.
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study investigates the accessibility of health care services by older persons living in rural areas of Chivi South district. Access to health care has remained invisible in the scholarship in third-world countries like Zimbabwe. In this respect, the study explores the lived experiences of rural older persons residing in Chivi South, a research site embedded in political uncertainty and economic quagmire bedeviling Zimbabwe. This qualitative study was anchored on the interpretivist approach. A sample of 10 key informants and 20 older persons participated in key informant and in-depth interviews. This study established four key findings that will contribute immensely to the sociology of ageing in poor-resourced settings such as Zimbabwe. The cultural meaning of illness among older persons is essential in creating acceptable healthcare services. The consequences of not making a more enabling and inclusive environment for older persons will have a dire impact on healthcare delivery. Changes in policies that support more preventative health and social care globally instead of a reactive approach, which is wholly unsustainable for today’s ever-growing population. In Zimbabwe, older persons are often treated as a homogenous group with similar needs, leading to blanket interventions that overlook individual differences. This has resulted in poorly conceptualized and targeted assistance programs, failing to address local needs. Socially constructed narratives of successful ageing could inform the design of appropriate geriatric policies and programs to transform the healthcare needs of older persons in Zimbabwe. The key findings of the study show that the older persons living in the rural areas of Chivi South district experience challenges such as limited access to economic resources, traveling long distances to access healthcare services, inequalities in the healthcare service delivery system, reduced health status, limited availability, acceptability, and accessibility of healthcare services and inter alia. These challenges limit older persons from accessing much-needed healthcare services. The preeminent aim of this study is informed by the theoretical accounts of Penchansky and Thomas (1981) and Giddens (1984). The structures that frame rural healthcare provision ultimately function as key determinants of the nature and scope of healthcare service utilization, which propounded the structuration theory. Based on the subjective narratives of the research participants, the uniqueness of this study is anchored on its ability to offer a sociological foundation for developing innovative interventions and workable public policy options that support the aging population in African rural spaces. The study showed evidence of how social determinants of health may help reduce disparities in healthcare access for older persons in rural settings. Older persons, especially those residing in poor communities, have unique needs when addressing social health needs. The ageing population in Zimbabwe faces socio-economic predicaments and various challenges in the healthcare sector. It is particularly challenging to manage social connectedness in rural areas because of the issues around accessibility of health care, i.e., physical, financial, and societal barriers, making these multifaceted but crucially critical social determinants of health. Any efforts to improve the health and well-being of older rural persons address rural-urban disparities in healthcare needs and include a focus on the social determinants of health.
Iqoqa.
Lolu cwaningo lubheka ukufinyeleleka ezinsizenisidingo zezempilo ngabantu abadala ezindaweni ezisemaphandleni esifundeni saseChivi South, eZimbabwe. Ukufinyelela ekunakekelweni ngokwezempilo selokhu kungaveli kwezocwaningo emazweni amaningi asakhulayo. Ngenxa yalokhu, ucwaningo luhlwaya ngempilo yabadala abahlala emaphandleni aseChivi South, okuyindawo ehaqwe ukungazinzi kwezepolitiki kanye nomnotho ontengantengayo. Ngokusebenzisa indlela eyikhwalithethivu ehumushayo, ucwaningo lwaba nenhlayalwazi nabantu abadala nabanye abanolwazi olunqala esifundeni saseChivi South. Ucwaningo lwathola imiphumela emine ebalulekile engalekelela kakhulu enhlalweni yabadala emazweni angenazo izinsizasidingo njengaseZimbabwe. Ukuthi kusho ukuthini ukugula komuntu omdala ngokwamasiko kubalulekile ekuqhamukeni nosizo lwezempilo olwamukelekile. Ukwahluleka ukwakha ezempilo eziphilayo ezithinta abantu abadala kuyakukhubaza ukuhanjiswa kosizo lwezempilo. Ukushintshwa kwenqubomgomo ukuze kube naleyo evimbela izifo nenakekelayo emhlabeni wonke yikona okungcono kunaleyo elinda abantu baze bagule ngoba ayiwulungele umphakathi njengoba ukhula zikhathi zonke. Abantu abadala bathathwa njengawo wonke umuntu sengathi abantu abanezidingo ezifanayo, okwenza ukungenelela kunganaki ukuthi abantu bahlukahlukene. Abantu abadala abahlala emaphandleni babhekene nezinkinga zezomnotho, zezenhlalo kanye nezengqalasizinda eziphazamisa ukufinyelela ekunakekelweni ngokwezempilo. Kusetshenziswa imiqondo kaPenchasky noThomas (1981) yokutholakala, ukufinyeleleka, ukwamukeleka kanye nokuba namandla okwenza, lolu cwaningo lwathola okuningi okungahambi kahle ekunikweni kokunakekelwa ngezempilo kubantu abadala. Isakhiwo somqulucwaningo kaGiddens salekelela ekukhombiseni ukuphuthuma kosizo lwabantu abadala njengoba bebhekene nezingqinamba zezempilo. Ngokubheka izindaba ezaxoxwa ababambiqhaza ngqo, ukuba yingqayizivele kwalolu cwaningo kuncike ekukwazini ukubeka okungaba yisisekelo sokubunjwa kwezinhlelo ezintsha zokungenelela kanye nezinhlelo zenqubomgomo yomphakathi okungakhethwa kuzo ukuze kuxhaswe asebekhulile ezindaweni zase-Afrika ezisemaphandleni. Ucwaningo lwakhombisa ukuthi izimo zenhlalo zezempilo zikuveza kanjani obala ukungalingani mayelana nokufinyeleleka kwezempilo ezindaweni zasemaphandleni. Abantu abadala banezidingo ezikhethekile okumele zibonelelwe uma kulungiswa izimo zezempilo. Yonke imizamo yokuthuthukisa ezempilo nenhlalakahle yabantu abadala kumele ibhekisise ukungalingani ngokwezidingo zezempilo okumele kubandakanye ukugxila kwezimo zenhlalo ezithinta impilo
The rise of the female entrepreneur: liberation through escaping various gender-based limitations faced by working class women in South Africa.
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Female entrepreneurship has been noted as a potential solution for economic instability, unemployment and inequality in developing counties like South Africa, by numerous researchers and theorists. Women have been undermined as a result of patriarchy and women in South Africa even more so due to apartheid. South Africa is currently facing alarmingly high rates of unemployment (29%) and disturbing, frequent occurrences of discrimination, and the economy is crumbling as a result. With women making up around 51% of the total population, and around 43.8% of total employment in South Africa, and considering the current state of South Africa, it is time their value and impact is noted. Currently, only 9 out of every 100 women in South Africa are involved in total early-stage entrepreneurial activity, a shocking statistic. One study found that prospective female entrepreneurs in South Africa have the ability to create over 972,000 jobs, over 803,000 new businesses and inject over R175billion into the South African economy, in just five years. Female entrepreneurship can potentially put an end to unemployment, rid the workforce of discrimination and stabilize the South African economy. This study identifies the motivators and intentions of female entrepreneurs in South Africa as well as the potential female entrepreneurism holds to create social and organizational change. A descriptive quantitative study was conducted on 58 respondents who filled out a five section questionnaire specifically designed to gain a base knowledge of information on female entrepreneurs in South Africa. The data was analysed and processed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 26 to gain insight into the positive effects of female entrepreneurship in South Africa. The empirical research methodology performed included descriptive statistics, cross-section analysis, and analysis of variance to identify the positive effects female entrepreneurism has n South Africa and the untapped potential it possesses to create change.
A strong impact entrepreneurship has on liberating women from working class limitations as well as the ability it possesses to create social and organizational change, has been highlighted throughout the findings of this study. It is recommended that this area be further studied in order to harness these aspects to create social and organizational change for all
Justiça social na África do Sul
South Africa is the world’s most unequal country. Poverty and inequality, exacerbated by unemployment are the country’s foremost challenges. The present government has made significant progress regarding the provision of basic services and broadening the social wage. However, the unfortunate reality is that inequality grew since the advent of democracy over twenty years ago. This development runs contrary to the commitments of the South African Constitution and social policy provisions, thereby raising more serious questions of rights and social justice. The continuity, depth and breadth of inequality, including the extraordinary financial and social costs is linked to the legacy of apartheid. Inequality is structurally embedded spatially and economically. Crucially, inequality is also a function of access to opportunities and human development outcomes. The paper attempts a theoretical discussion of the relationship between inequality, poverty and unemployment, which requires greater input; identifies some barriers to transformation; and presents tentative approaches towards lowering inequality.A África do Sul é o país mais desigual do mundo. A pobreza e a desigualdade, agravadas pelo desemprego, são os desafios mais importante do país. O atual governo tem feito progressos significativos em relação à prestação de serviços básicos e ampliação dos benefícios sociais. No entanto, a triste realidade é que a desigualdade cresceu desde o advento da democracia, mais de vinte anos atrás. Esta evolução é contrária aos compromissos da Constituição Sul-Africana e a provisão de políticas sociais, tornando assim mais graves as questões de direitos e justiça social. A continuidade, profundidade e amplitude da desigualdade, incluindo os custos financeiros e sociais extraordinárias, estão ligados ao legado do apartheid. A desigualdade é estruturalmente condicionada, espacial e economicamente. Fundamentalmente, a desigualdade é resultado do acesso diferencial à oportunidades e produtos do desenvolvimento humano. O artigo apresenta uma discussão teórica sobre a relação entre a desigualdade, a pobreza e o desemprego; identifica também algumas barreiras para mudanças; e apresenta abordagens experimentais de redução da desigualdade
Citizen participation in the budget process in local government: a case study of the eThekwini Municipality
Masters in Public Administration - MPAThis study focused on participatory governance in the form of involvement of communities and community organisation in matters of local government in general, and citizens participation in the local budget process in particular. The study therefore aimed to assess the theoretical and policy framework for citizens participation in South Africa; and evaluated the perceptions of councillors and civics and ratepayer organisations on participation in the local budget process at the eThekwini Municipality.South Afric
A review of local government experience in South Africa : successes and failures
South Africa’s public policy approach since 1994 has been robust and forwardlooking.
The policy process has been stretched over all areas of governance. Many
policies have been translated into law, regulations and institutions which aimed
explicitly as serving the public good. The key is narrowing the gap between the
institutions of governance and people’s needs.
However public dissatisfaction and mass protest in the local government sphere
continue. Mass public protest consumes public capability and is therefore wasteful
and counterproductive. The response of the authorities entering the contested space
is usually reactionary and is hardly successful at addressing the core grievances
of communities. Crucially, political representatives, i.e. ward and proportional
representative councillors, are crowded out of resolution processes.
Communities argue that mass protest and the appropriation of public space is an
essential tactic of gaining the attention of the highest authorities. Most community
protests are accompanied by acts of violence. Sometimes, the presence of policing
services and/or the media exacerbates the crisis.
The concern is that communities are acting outside democratic processes
as well as institutional arrangements meant to bridge local delivery issues and
intended community beneficiaries. It is possible that communities are either
unaware of public policy instruments or that they do not respect them as
bona fide channels of engagement with the local state. Consequently, protest,
usually lacking organisation, strategic direction and leadership pervade the local
government landscape.
Accordingly, the purpose of the article is to examine how and why public policy
provisions fail the public. The focus will be on policy provisions in local government
legislation and the recent (2007) local government policy review process, which
were intended to address, among others, good governance and public participation
approaches, thereby enhancing service delivery. Overall, the article will attempt to
evaluate policy gaps at the local government sphere
New spaces for participation in South African local government.
Thesis (DPA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2008.The study is a monograph on participation in local government in South Africa. Participation is framed within the theoretical perspectives of representative democracy and its off-shoot, deliberative democracy. The research draws from three conceptual aspects: the main theories of democracy and participation contemplating the local sphere of government; the policy framework staging the interactions between the key participants, namely, local government and civil society formations; and the institutional spaces, values and attitudes involved therein. The problematique of the research in terms of the three conceptual aspects are: to show that representative democracy has declined in favour of participation praxis; to assess policy coherence for effective participation at the local sphere; and to examine the accommodation of new participative spaces. To this end, the research undertook an extensive literature review and an empirical study of the eThekwini Municipal Area, in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The literature review indicated three learnings. Firstly, there was a decline in representative democracy, with decreasing emphasis on the electoral mode of politics. Rather, the tendency shifted towards supplementation with forms of public participation. Public participation and engagement developed into an off-shoot of representative democracy, now known pervasively as deliberative democracy and discursive democracy. The basis of these new democratic approaches means that citizens ought to have a hand in, and influence public decisions. Secondly, participation has taken new democratic forms that could be viewed alternatively as space; dialogue and deliberation; rights; development; decentralization; and accountability. Thirdly, new spaces for participation could be viewed in the form of political society and social capital vis-a-vis international agreements; poverty eradication; public administration; and the combined import of administrative law and judicial review. In terms of the aims of the study, the work revealed that the participatory framework is based upon extensive theoretical and policy understandings. Participation is adequately captured in constitutional and legislative instruments in South Africa. The Draft National Policy Framework for Public Participation, 2005 is a concrete outcome of South African local government preparedness to engage in meaningful participative discourse and praxis. In terms of the research problems of the study, the work concluded the following: • there is agreement on the part of stakeholders for engagement in parallel representative and participative forms of governance; • local government participative policy appears sound but there is a need for convergent understanding on the part of the different participants, namely, municipal councillors; community stakeholders; and actors within the municipality; and • there is evidence of contrasting debates on aspects of participatory praxis, but on the whole, participants have taken a knowledgeable and practical approach to new spaces for participation. The study makes six recommendations: •Brief and consult councillors, community stakeholders, and municipal actors on the findings of the study. (This exercise will serve two purposes, namely, to verify the findings of the study; and to develop a concrete programme for participation in the eThekwini Municipal Area, including a code of best practice). •Develop a capacity building programme on judicial review for the three categories of stakeholders, namely, municipal councillors, municipal officials, and community stakeholders. •Undertake further research on democratic participative forms at the local government level with particular focus on effective praxis through administrative justice. •Initiate developmental programmes and case studies based upon participation praxis to address the most acute problems experienced by select local communities in the eThekwini Municipal Area. •Make input into the review of provincial and local government policy processes initiated by the South African government and co-ordinated by the Department of Provincial and Local Government. • Triangulate and establish the theoretical relationships of participation, democracy and governance. The conclusions of the study reflect positively on the ideational foundations of participation and willingness of stakeholders to adopt new forms of discursive politics. The six recommendations of the work can serve to advance research and policy planning in the local government sphere in South Africa
Failing the public through public policy : a review of the local government experience in South Africa
South Africa’s public policy approach since 1994 has been robust and forwardlooking.
The policy process has been stretched over all areas of governance. Many
policies have been translated into law, regulations and institutions aimed explicitly
as serving the public good. The key is narrowing the gap between the institutions
of governance and people’s needs. However, despite the good intentions, public
dissatisfaction and mass protest in the local government sphere is endemic.
Mass public protest consumes public capability and is therefore wasteful and
counterproductive. The response of the authorities entering the contested space
is usually reactionary and is hardly successful in addressing the core grievances
of communities. Crucially, political representatives, that is, ward and proportional
representative councillors, are crowded out of resolution processes.
Communities argue that mass protest and the appropriation of public space is an
essential tactic of gaining the attention of the highest authorities. Most community
protests are accompanied by acts of violence. Sometimes, the presence of policing
services and/or the media exacerbates the crisis. The concern is that communities
are acting outside democratic processes as well as institutional arrangements meant
to bridge local delivery issues and intended community beneficiaries. It is possible
that communities are either unaware of public policy instruments or that they do
not respect them as bona fide channels of engagement with the state. Consequently
protest, usually lacking organisation, strategic direction and leadership pervades the local government landscape. Accordingly, the purpose of the article is to
examine how and why public policy provisions fail the public. The focus is on policy
provisions in local government legislation and the relatively recent (2007) local
government policy review process, which was intended to address, among other
aspects, good governance and public participation approaches, thereby enhancing
service delivery. Overall, the article attempts to evaluate policy gaps at the local
government sphere in South Africa
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