The perceived effect of service design approach in the provision of social assistance at the South African Scial Security Agency.

Moabi, Abednigo Pitsi2024-10-312024-10-312020-09-01https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14519/931Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration in the Business School. Faculty of Management Science at Tshwane University of Technology.The study aimed to explore the effects of the service design approach in providing social assistance (grants) by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). SASSA offers social grants to over 17 million beneficiaries in nine of South Africa’s provinces. Since its birth in 2006, the organisation has undergone many innovative changes meant to meet an increasing customer base's need. Many beneficiaries are receiving the Child Support Grant, which caters for children between 0-18 years. The study adopted a mixed-method approach. The target population consisted of 14 employees of SASSA and ten beneficiaries of social grants selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and quantitative content analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted. The findings point to a broad application of service design principles through products, services, and the design of customer experiences within SASSA. Investment for SASSA should be made on incorporating and merging systems and processes, including continuous research and development within the payment and administration of social grants. The evaluation of the impact of service design at SASSA also points to the need to create new services and a new way of thinking. Therefore, the study recommends that SASSA introduce a proper modernised internal system that ensures accountability of actions among staff and regulates a swift flow of services to the clients. On top of that, to meet the fourth industrial revolution's demands, the time is ripe for SASSA to invest in new technological tools, which offer limitless opportunities to more than 17 million beneficiaries. It will establish SASSA as a pioneering player in the changing economy due to its vast market.1-105 PagesenAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Service designSocial assistanceChild support grantFourth industrial revolution's demandsSouth African Social Security Agency (SASSA)The perceived effect of service design approach in the provision of social assistance at the South African Scial Security Agency.Thesis