Question $1(100$ Marks$)$

OPPOSING POLICY POSITIONS $$ ASSESSING THE GROUP THEORY

A debate is currently underway in relation to how ESKOM should be unbundled. Some analysts opine that full$-$on privatisation or commercialisation of ESKOM is not plausible since it may depart from the essential ethos of retaining South African public entities as public enterprises. Others are of the opinion that a total unbundling should occur to the extent that the different entities that constitute the current ESKOM architecture become fully fledged privatised or at least commercialised entities. Clearly, these two options represent divergent policy constructs on the matter. The result is that opposing pressure is exercised between interest groups in terms of which policy is most appropriate. In the below illustration the opposing pressures are visually presented $$ this is referred to as the $$Group Theory$.$

Assuming you are a senior researcher at the Kwame Nkrumah Institute for Policy Studies, responsible for all matters that relate to Planning and Policy Analysis in quasi$-$autonomous government agencies. You have been tasked to analyse the energy and electricity policy of the South African government. You must develop a discussion paper that captures the opposing approaches wherein interest groups A and B are described $($use the above illustration as a guide for your document$).$

The paper should deliver extensive commentary on the following:

$1.$ A detailed description of interest group A and B$$

$2.$ Who the respective policy makers are in the policy making process $[$remember this is a multi$-$dimensional and complex environment with many policy$-$making influence$($r$)$s$$

$3.$ What political power and skill do the different groups yield$$

$4.$ Discuss the public policy outcomes favourable to the respective groups separately$$ and

$5.$ Postulate what type of negotiated settlement you regard as being the ideal solution to the matter, which may be satisfactory to both groups.

Read the above$-$attached article for the purposes of highlighting key factors that influence Group Theory.