Theses and Dissertations

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ASSESSING THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AT THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS, IMMIGRATION, SAFETY AND SECURITY IN NAMIBIA
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2023-05-04) KADHIKWA, SAKEUS IITA.
Internal communication has long been the lifeblood of successfully and effectively managed organizations, especially when such communication is strategically managed. Though literature has established the benefits of internal communication, especially when it comes to employee engagement, commitment, and improved corporate reputation, research assessing the strategic role of internal communication in government departments is limited. The aim of the study was to assess the strategic role of internal communication at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security in Namibia. To achieve this objective, four secondary objectives were pursued. The first secondary objective focused on examining the challenges faced by the Department of Home Affairs and Immigration in implementing the internal communication strategy. The second objective focused on analyzing the impact of internal communication on service delivery, while the third focused on internal communication and employee morale. The last objective examined the alignment between internal communication and the department’s strategy. Data for the study were collected using a structured interview guide. Face-to-face online were conducted with a conveniently selected sample of 25 participants. The methodology that was employed was a qualitative research approach that followed a case study research design. Several challenges affecting the effective implementation of the internal communication strategy were identified. Furthermore, it was noted that participants had mixed views about the role of internal communication and service delivery, as well as its strategic role in the organization. Based on these findings, the study makes recommendations and suggestions for future research.
ASSESSING THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICES OF THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION PENSION FUND (GIPF) OF NAMIBIA
(NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2022-01) KAPENDA, JAIRUS JULIUS
Social media have a significant role as a communication tool used by public relations practitioners in disseminating and sharing information as well as obtaining feedback from clients. When used effectively as a communication tool, social media can help address complaints, do market research to identify the needs of the clients and can help any organisation identify new market niches. Despite the essential role of social media, many organisations, including Government Institution Pension Fund (GIPF) Namibia are still not using social media to their maximum and are still opting for traditional methods of communication by the public relations practitioners. This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach. This study assessed the use of social media in public relations practices of the GIPF. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using a case study research design. The study population comprised GIPF staff members and clients. Hence, the sample consisted of 200 participants. A convenient sampling method was used to select a sample. A structured questionnaire with mixed questions collected both qualitative and quantitative data. The major findings of the study were that social media has a great impact on public relations practices and traditional social media platforms, notably Facebook, Instagram and Twitter remained popular. The recommendations were based on the research findings. Hence, the study recommends that various strategies can be used to enhance social media use and visibility. It was also recommended that public relations practitioners should be trained so that their awareness and use of social media is improved.
AN AUDIENCE ANALYSIS OF HOW THE YOUTH FACT-CHECK ‘FAKE NEWS’ CIRCULATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN OMBILI AND HOCHLAND PARK, NAMIBIA
(NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2021-07) HANGULA, RAFAEL. N
The proliferation of "fake news” have massive implications, especially at the times of elections. People who live in marginalised communities are the most exposed to fake news and least armed to decode coordinated information campaigns (information disorders). As a result, it may affect the practice of active citizenship by news consumers as their voting decisions may base on misconceptions. The net effect of this is that, their voting behaviours are done on the basis of highly distorted information whereby those who are most privileged are in a position to make voting decisions on the basis of truthful and credible information. This study explored how the youth in Namibia fact-checked news and information circulated on social media platforms during the 2019 electoral campaign. Firstly, it examined the major forms or types of fake news produced in Namibia before, during and soon after the elections. Secondly, it examined the criteria used by the youth in Ombili and Hochland Park to determine the truthfulness and accuracy of news and information. Thirdly, it assessed the newsworthy factors that the youth in Ombili and Hochland Park consider before sharing news on social media. This research employed virtual ethnography, qualitative content analysis,to understand, and document the types of fake news produced, and circulated in Namibia. Focus Groups Discussions (FGDs), and face-to-face interviews were then employed to get a sense of how young people sift through fake news. Grounded in Hall’s Encoding and Decoding model, fabricated contents, manipulated contents, misleading contents, conspiracy theories and imposter contents were observed in 2019 elections. The study revealed that there was systematic abuse of mainstream brands to spread information disorders to confuse and disorient voters. In addition, these types of fake news were fueled by the poor coordination, and delays in communication from the Electoral Commission. Most of the fake news were aimed at discrediting and casting aspersions on the candidature of Dr Hage Geingob of the Swapo Party, and Dr Panduleni Itula, who was an Independent Candidate at the time. This study found that young citizens’ ability to decode fake news is influenced by the level of education, literacy skills, class differences and media exposure as pointed out by Hall’s theory. Therefore, this study would add that availability of resources to fact check online news and information and political affiliation are also key in fighting fake news. The study recommends that government should ensure that its citizens have access to quality information through tasked institutions, to avoid fabrications, and distribution of information disorders, and provide a room for media and digital literacy campaigns in order to enhance skills of citizens of deconstructing coordinated information disorders, especially on social media platforms. News consumers need to embrace the concept fact checking before agreeing, and distributing information from social media as this would protect them from making decisions that are based on misconceptions, which could affect others.
A Bio-Immunology Inspired Security Model to Defend Industrial Control Systems from Advanced Persistent Threats
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2019-01) Chitauro, Mercy
Industrial Control Systems (ICS) control critical industrial processes. For example, there are ICS networks that control electricity, water distribution, food, and pharmaceutical and beverage production. Historically, ICS networks were safe from network attacks because they were not interconnected to business Information Technology (IT) networks and the Internet. However, with the passage of time, ICS were interconnected to business networks. Because traditional IT networks are built on the TCP/IP suite, ICS became susceptible to network attacks that already existed in TCP/IP networks and to ICS specific attacks. Successful attacks in ICS networks may compromise the ICS infrastructure, system configurations and components. ICS security standards and frameworks were drafted and approved by different organisations for use in the implementation of ICS security. ICS can be secured using these standards or any other means as recommended by ICS security experts. Even though ICS are secured using these recommended methods, they are still being successfully attacked by Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). APTs are targeted attacks which are successful because they do not attack any system that they might be in but become active in only those systems they were designed for. APTs have the ability to circumvent available security control and regular intrusion detection systems, and in addition, antiviruses are not able to detect APTs. There is no known technique available to identify APTs that attack ICS because APTs are discovered after they have been in the system for some time and usually only after they have executed their payload. Subsequently, this means that present ICS security implementations are not capable of defending ICS when they are attacked by APTs. By design, ICS security systems should be capable of defending ICS components from any attacks. They are likened to the biological immune system which is responsible for detecting and protecting the biological body from harmful microorganisms. The biological immune system’s most crucial function is that of preventing infections and eradicating already established
DESIGNING A BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE SECURITY AWARENESS MODEL FOR MOBILE DEVICE USERS IN NAMIBIAN ENTERPRISES
(NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2023-05-30) Shihepo, Ester
The phrase Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) also known as Dual-Use Devices is a mutual practice which has increased employees’ access to new mobile technologies and a rising trend within many organisations. The concept refers to employers allowing their employees to bring their personal mobile devices to workplaces and use them as their workstations. Enterprises are enjoying the benefits of BYOD, which allows them to cut operational costs as they do not need to purchase computers for their employees. Employees are enjoying the comfort and convenience offered by BYOD; however, this exposes organisations to security breaches. There is currently a lack of security awareness among mobile device users within enterprises against BYOD cyber threats. The situation has made it difficult for organisations to monitor the usage of resources among the mobile users towards protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of corporate data. Moreover, cyber attackers see more potential with mobile devices as company and personal data get mixed up on such devices. Although the BYOD concept has not been formally implemented within the enterprise, it does not mean that the enterprise data is not prone to attackers. This study presents a BYOD Security Awareness Model designed following Design Science Research methods based on findings of a single case study conducted in one of the enterprises in Windhoek, Namibia. Qualitative research following the interpretivism philosophy was used. To select participants, purposeful random sampling method was used for this study. Data was collected using interviews, a questionnaire and through literature review. Furthermore, the study implemented the qualitative content analysis as the data analysis technique. The study identified malware and network spoofing as some of the BYOD related threats affecting the case enterprise. The researcher observed lack of end user awareness on BYOD security as a cause of BYOD related security threats. The study identified four main components of the model namely: BYOD threats, security awareness, policy and access control. The BYOD security awareness model will be a guideline to Namibian enterprises in creating BYOD security awareness among their mobile devices with the aim to safeguard the organisational data. Furthermore, the findings will also contribute to the new technology horizon of Namibia’s future BYOD security awareness by motivating enterprises to implement mechanisms that will protect the enterprise confidential information. Since Namibia is reported as one of the least ranked countries in Africa in terms of cyber security, the model is a guideline on how enterprises can create BYOD security awareness among users within their enterprises and improve their security posture as well as that of the nation. Additionally, the model will also contribute to the BYOD security awareness knowledge to researchers and practitioners through conference papers and thesis publication.
DESIGNING A CLOUD BASED ELEARNING IMPLEMENTATION MODEL FOR HIGHER AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NAMIBIA
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2017-02) Chitauro, Shadreck
Main stream academic institutions are aiming to improve from past trends and venturing into new emerging technologies for quality delivery of teaching and learning. One of these trends that enhance teaching and learning is termed eLearning. ELearning is when teaching and learning is facilitated through the use of information communication technologies. ELearning is highly popular because it is flexible, it supports self-paced learning, and learners can access learning material anywhere, anytime and in the absence of the instructor. The problem with eLearning is that of managing data, ensuring security, limited server space, infrastructure sourcing and expensive maintenance. In addition to these problems, most academic institutions in the developing world are unable to fully finance eLearning systems and the skills for the support of these systems. Higher and tertiary institutions in Namibia which also use eLearning in their day to day teaching and learning activities are faced with slow bandwidth challenges. However, cloud computing can ease the financial burdens and reduce support issues brought about by lack of information technology skills and infrastructure. A qualitative case study at one Namibian tertiary institution was used in which interviews and experiments were used to obtain data. ELearning administrators at the case site were interviewed and it was established that at this tertiary institution the eLearning system also experiences infrastructure problems, support issues due to lack of expertise and insufficient human resources. In addition, their eLearning server reduces performance as the number of concurrent users connecting to it increases. Thus, migrating to a public cloud would solve most of these issues but there was no concrete plan as to how to migrate to cloud. Consequently, this research used design science research to design a cloud based implementation model for higher and tertiary institutions in Namibia so that academic institutions can seamlessly migrate to cloud. An experimental cloud was setup using a cloud based implementation model. The results of the experiment proved that the biggest challenge being faced by this tertiary institution’s eLearning server can be overcome. One of the challenges that could be solved is that the server is slow due to the ratio of RAM on the server, which is not proportionally adequate to the number of users. Most eLearning technical challenges and technical support challenges were solved. The use of cloud computing was proposed as a solution to these challenges.
Designing a Health Information System Adoption Roadmap for Quality Healthcare in Namibia
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2019-07) Mutelo, Sinte Christabel
The Ministry of Health and Social Service (MoHSS), as part of the government of The Republic of Namibia and with the help of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), has implemented Health Information Systems (HIS) within its different directorates to maximise the quality of care. Healthcare Information Systems offer benefits such as improving service delivery, providing real-time information, reducing organisation and personnel costs, and improving the quality of patient care. However, these benefits may not be seen in organisations where systems implementation and the adoption of policies and procedures are not adequately custom-made for systems users. Currently, the MoHSS has over 60 systems within its different directorates, with some functional and some not. Furthermore, there is no roadmap to guide the Ministry in the planning and adopting of HIS and the integration of existing systems donated by NGOs. Hence, to ensure maximised potential of the HIS, the MoHSS should have a clearly documented and ready-for-implementation roadmap that can serve as a strategic guide to the implementation of HIS. This research provides a roadmap which will guide HIS adoption to enhance quality healthcare in Namibia. Based on the research objectives, a qualitative method approach was selected. A case study strategy was adopted for the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Interviews, documents, and questionnaires were used to collect data about the case studies. Activity Theory (AT) was applied during data analysis. AT provided a deeper understanding about employees and technologies that could affect the development of a roadmap. The findings showed that governance, stakeholder involvement, HIS strategic plans, HIS experts and IS infrastructures are factors to take into consideration in the adoption of HIS by the Ministry. A roadmap for the implementation of HIS was developed based on the interpretation of the data. The roadmap provides a guide for the planning, selection, implementation, and adoption of HIS to produce quality healthcare services in Namibia.
Designing an algorithm that can influence children’s behaviour online and raise their cyber security awareness.
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2020-12-18) Kavikairiua, Jennyphar
The Internet offers children incredible opportunities by enhancing their communication, social connections and technical skills. But it can't just guarantee them a secure environment. With no experience and knowledge, children's behaviours potentially expose them to cyber criminals as they share information innocently and become friends with strangers. Cyber security threats are highly present in social media and many people don't know about them. In particular, children voluntarily reveal personal and private details about themselves from which cybercrimes can emerge either in their real world or in the virtual world, if this shared information ends up in the wrong hands. This is most likely due to previous knowledge or exposure of the children on the Internet. This study sought to examine the online habits and actions of children who are vulnerable to cybercrimes and evaluated suitable behaviour influencing tools for children’s online activities. Employing a design science research method began with a comprehension of the problem. This was achieved by analysing the literature and the research findings that were self-constructed, as well as the use of open-ended questionnaires and close-ended questions. Once the problem was identified, the next step was to identify ideas which could solve the problem. These ideas were taken from the domains which were considered important to solve the problem. The behaviour influencing algorithm was then designed and evaluated following the literature and persuasion theory, as a solution to overcome the children’s insecure behaviour problem online. The vital contribution of the research is that it can benefit children that will be introduced to this algorithm by influencing and assisting them on how to securely behave online. In addition, the thesis provides contributions to the knowledge base by identifying and analysing the online activities and behaviours of children which can expose children to cybercrimes and it also provided some guidelines on how to influence children’s online behaviour, which can be used elsewhere in the world.
Designing an Automated e-Readiness Assessment Tool to Assess Local Authorities in Namibia
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2019-01) Cloete, Angelo
E-Readiness assessments have been identified as a pre-requisite for successful systems implementations and therefore it is a pre-requisite for e-Government as well. It is however difficult to use existing e-Readiness assessment tools as most have been designed to cater for a specific context. In the absence of previous assessments, the level of e-Readiness of local authorities in Namibia is undetermined. The aim of the study is to design an automated assessment tool to assess the level of e-Readiness of Local Authorities, focusing in particular on the Municipality of City of Windhoek. This assessment will be carried out using the newly designed automated assessment tool. Two online surveys were designed and conducted. One was specifically designed for the Information Communication Technology Department and another one was designed for the staff members of all other departments. The surveys measured the e-Readiness of the Local Authority in terms of online service provision, its computer systems, hardware/network infrastructures and the skills set of employees. The findings indicate that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in research efforts, greatly improves the process, as the automated e-Readiness assessment tool delivered faster assessments and at a lesser cost. The results from the automated assessment tool shows that it can be used to measure e-Readiness at different Local Authorities.
Designing an Interactive Game for Preventing Online Child Abuse in Namibia
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2018-12) Muntuumo, Josephina
In the wake of digitalisation, technology has changed the world, connecting people with information and services at the touch of a finger. Regular Internet access, smartphones and other technological advances have made the world a global village by bringing people from various geographical locations together. Despite the positive changes, the pace and scale of this technological revolution have created space for nefarious actors. Identity theft, data breaches, fake news, phishing and hacking are among the many dangers many people face online. Namibia has been grappling with issues centering on cyber security education, policy and lack of online safety awareness. In recent years, Namibia has experienced cybercrime, money laundering and child abuse initiated on the online platform. As such, this study developed an interactive video game to teach online safety in Namibia to combat online child abuse. An online survey, game design challenge workshops, and focus groups were used to gather information. A total of 84 relevant stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, and game developers) participated in two game design challenge workshops and alpha and beta testing sessions. These workshops followed a solid co-design practice. We designed and developed two Namibian inspired game prototypes that were combined into one game which was implemented and tested during this study. All the game prototypes followed an iterative process of information gathering and sharing stories of online inappropriate behaviours, drawing storyboards, designing wireframes, and testing with cognitive walkthroughs and a think-aloud protocol, alpha and beta testing. The final game is called Onlinicus- Share your Story versioned in 2D and 3D respectively. The uniqueness of this game comes from the scenario design as the game concept is entirely story based. The use of predefined personas and utilising participants’ own stories contributed to the richness of the stories and games developed.
Developing a cybersecurity framework for the banking sector of Namibia
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2021-08-20) Nawa, Eva-Lisa Tuwilika
The banking sector represents a vast assortment of firms, agencies and institutions with operations ranging from small community banks to massive international corporations. Managing the banking sector in Namibia presents a herculean task to regulators charged with its regulation oversight on cyber risks. The management of cybersecurity takes on greater complexity in considering multinationals with global partners and operations in countries with varying levels of cybersecurity sophistication. With the increase of cyber-attacks worldwide and banking institutions being key targets, the degree of risks from cybersecurity threats that banks are facing has grown rapidly in recent years. The increasing threats place sensitive data and organisational security at risk. This is exacerbated by the absence of a recognised cybersecurity framework that can safeguard the online transactions of financial data between banks and customers in the banking sector. To overcome these problems, a Namibia Banking Cybersecurity Framework (NBCF) to guide banking institutions in safeguarding the online transactions of financial data between banks and customers was developed. A qualitative research approach using the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) was adopted to address the research objectives. This research was conducted in the commercial banks of Namibia and involved their staff. In addition to data collected from literature reviews, data were also collected from a sample of 6 out of 10 licenced banks in Namibia using semi-structured interviews. The selection of the banks was done using the purposive sampling method and universally accepted ethical standards were considered. Data were analysed through a technique known as coding. The study identified various elements which are essential for a cybersecurity framework: data protection and privacy, human factors such as soft skills, Principle of Least Privilege (POLP), public knowledge on information security practices, aspect of disaster recovery documentation, and cyber breach simulations. The NBCF framework is proposed as a guideline on how the Namibian banking institutions can securely build cyber resiliency, manage their cyber risks and strategies and also help in implementing an appropriate level of rigor for their cybersecurity programmes. The NBCF framework should therefore guide the adoption of cybersecurity best practices in the Namibian banking sector. In addition, the framework is envisaged to complement the current Namibian government initiatives and the long-term goals of Vision 2030 such as the strategy of attaining infrastructure development as stated in the Harambee Prosperity Plan which highlights the urgent necessity to invest in cybersecurity. Expert reviews of the proposed framework were conducted and they yielded that the framework is relevant, applicable, usable and understandable in combating cybersecurity issues in the Namibian banking sector.
Development and usability evaluation of a mobile-based cross-platform interactive museum guide- iMuseum.
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2019-08) Kandjimi, Herman
Public participation and visitor satisfaction in museums are directly related to the experience of learning, discovery and involvement in motivating learning behaviours. In most cases, visitors’ experiences are significantly improved if they gain substantial knowledge on each artefact of interest from the museum guides and this is critical to user satisfaction, however, the ratio of human guides to visitors is grossly inadequate. A visitor touring in a group is hardly taken care of individually by the human guide. In addition, existing information systems for museums guides are often limited to museum-based gadgets or platform-specific smart devices provided by the museums, but not always familiar to the visitor. This study explored alternative ways that avail museum content to a broader user base while offering an increasing and personalised interactive content through multiple visitors' own smart devices. A constructive research methodology that uses quantitative and qualitative data plus incremental software prototyping development and testing were used in this study, with the main objective of producing a location-aware interactive virtual guide that is easy to use, stable and able to run on a broad range of mobile device operating systems. The outcome systems were developed with AngularJS Framework (Web application) and Ionic Framework (cross-platform mobile application), these two combined constitutes an overall museum’s mobile guide system-iMuseum. The system aims to offer the museum a platform that will enable more visitors to have individual experience and interact with historical artefacts, plus additionally offer relevant information when and wherever a visitor needs it without having an employee going around with everyone. This study was contextualized to Namibian museums using the Independence Memorial Museum (IMM) as a testing site. The contributions of this study can then be used to implement related systems in other learning and cultural heritage institutions like galleries, libraries, achieves and museums(GLAM).
Development of a citizen-centric e-government model for effective service delivery in Namibia
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2019-04) Fröhlich, Karin
E-Government is regarded as an important tool to help governments meet their goals. The theory of New Public Management arguably motivated the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in government with the idea of improving service delivery. However, e-Government use by citizens remains low. On the other hand, government’s vision of an inclusive e-Government has to still yield results, as many citizens are still not using the available e-government services. This challenge is common across Africa given the limited resources and other socio-economic challenges that are often given a higher priority over e-Government initiatives. This study used a public value theory to understand expectations of citizens from e-Government as suggested in the literature. The public value theory was adapted to the Namibian context using the available literature. Critical factors for attaining a citizen-centric e-Government were grouped into three main groups namely achievement of socially desirable outcomes, efficiency of public organizations and the delivery of public service. This study went on to identify key supportive factors for a government to achieve citizen-centric e-Government. This included access to ICT infrastructure, ICT skills, citizen’s attitude, creating local partnerships and understanding the citizen’s information needs. This study is a mixed method approach where qualitative and quantitative data (through questionnaires and interviews) were used as a data collection method. This study was conducted in seven (7) out of the fourteen (14) regions in Namibia. The participants are from seven (7) regional offices and one hundred and eighty-eight (188) respondents, and eight participants who took part in the interviews. The selection was done using the appropriate sampling procedures. Statistical analysis was used to carry out on the data gathered by use of a questionnaire while a content analysis was used on data gathered by use of interviews. The findings show that citizens are ready to embrace e-Government, though a lot still needs to be done in the area of provision of infrastructural facilities. At the end, a citizen-centric e-Government model for effective service delivery in Namibia was developed.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADOPTION MODEL OF DIGITAL SERVICES FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH IN AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT IN NAMIBIA
(2018-04) Kambunga, Asnath Paula
ABSTRACT Youth unemployment has become an increasing socio-economic issue in Namibia. Thus, numeral initiatives have been started to fight this trend in order to empower the current marginalised and unemployed youth to sustain a livelihood. This includes skills training opportunities, services and technology development. However, the adoption and integration of such services and technologies has not always been successful. Consequently, this study aims to investigate and implement an appropriate adoption model for youth services in Namibia. Different existing technology adoption models were evaluated in relation to the context of marginalised youth in urban areas, especially informal settlements of Windhoek. For the purpose of this study, youth from the Havana informal settlement were involved in designing and assessing technologies and services suitable to them, at the same time as the development of the proposed technology adoption strategy. The technology adoption strategy was adapted alongside the successful deployment of NamStarter a crowdfunding system for social entrepreneurship initiatives in Havana. An action research methodology was used as the approach to carry out the research and interventions. Based on our empirical results we argue that an appropriate technology adoption model in the context of informal settlements does not rely on the assumption that users pre-formulate intent before an action, as framed in the theory of reasoned action, which has been the basis for many mainstream technology adoption models. Contrary we propose a technology adoption model relying on behaviour or technology use prior to attitude change. The model emphasises factors of social influence and enablers creating capabilities as the main drivers for technology adoption in informal settlements.
The effect of group a streptococcus on maternal and neonatal morbidity in Windhoek
(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2019-10) Vries, Azaria Amadea
Purpose of the research: Globally, puerperal infections cause morbidity in 5-10% of all pregnant women each year. To date, there is very little data in Namibia on the colonization and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of S. pyogenes in pregnant women and neonates. This study aimed at determining the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and genetic based resistance of the isolates from pregnant women at 35 weeks to 37 weeks gestation and neonates at 6 week postdelivery follow up at the Windhoek Central Hospital (WCH) maternity ward.
Efficient hybrid deep reinforcement learning mechanism for distributed denial of service attack detection in software defined networks
(NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2022-05) Musa, Gabriel, Precious
The Internet architecture remains fixed since its invention but the Software Defined Network (SDN) comes with more flexibility, innovation, and programmability aspects being a very promising network architecture. However, the centralized control architecture in SDN represents a single point of failure. This vulnerability is prone to Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS) which remains a common and sophisticated attack on computer networks. With the controller faced with DDoS attacks while already overloaded with decision making, it raises a major security concern for SDN and therefore necessitates an efficient DDoS attack detection mechanism. This study aimed at designing a mechanism that accurately detects DDoS attacks while using minimum computational resources. We introduced a Hybrid Deep Reinforcement Learning Mechanism (HDRLM) for the SDN at the controller. An evaluation of literature was conducted to identify DRL algorithms that are accurate at the same time efficient. Double Deep Q-Network and Deep Q Network (DQN) were identified, and Deep Q-Network (DQN) was adopted in the study. To confirm the performance, simulated experimentation was used. Using the Design Science approach, a hybrid mechanism using the Deep Q Network algorithm that combines two different Deep Learning Neural networks for value approximation was designed. The HDRLM was demonstrated through experimentation in which the CICIDS2017 dataset was used to train and evaluate its performance. Detection accuracy of 98.16% was obtained and an 8% on CPU usage during detection, an improvement of the resource usage of the state-of-the-art detection mechanism. A positive upward trajectory of the accumulated rewards demonstrated that the mechanism was able to learn the environment by itself. Despite not achieving the highest accuracy, the HDRLM achieved a reasonably higher detection rate without consuming more computational resources compared to available mechanisms. This study provides a mechanism and an approach to designing mechanisms that reduce the cost of detection
An empirical study of the planning and implementation of competency based education and training in vocational education training centres in Namibia: The case of Namibia Training Authority.
(2014) Bock, Lukas
Namibia is currently undergoing a dramatic reform of its overall development strategy through its national statement, Vision 2030. As part of the response to make Vision 2030 a reality, the government came up with an Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which represents the education and training sector’s response to the call of Vision 2030. Its key purpose is to substantially enhance the sector’s contribution to the attainment of strategic national developmental goals and to facilitate the transition to a knowledge-based economy. The emphasis, according ETSIP, is on enhancing the quality of life for all and that calls for the intended rapid economic growth to be accompanied by equitable social development, according to Vision 2030. These twin goals of growth with equity are to be pursued within a broader strategic framework of transforming the economy into a knowledge-based economy (ETSIP, 2006). However, a critical impediment to the acceleration of growth, according to ETSIP, is the sluggish and sometimes even declining productivity in some of the sectors. This could be ascribed to the shortage of skilled workers on various levels and of various areas within industry. Without acceleration of economic growth, it is difficult for Namibia to create jobs to curb the current 51% unemployment rate, especially jobs that signal productivity growth, reduce poverty and attain equitable social development. Employers note the shortage of qualified artisans and technical staff as a constraint on increasing their productivity (ETSIP, 2006). One way of addressing this burning issue of skills shortages and unemployment, by the Namibian government, was the establishment of The Namibian Training Authority (NTA) under the Vocational, Education and Training Act (2008), with the aim of taking over management and direction of Vocational Education Training (VET) in Namibia. One of the strategic objectives for the restructuring is to improve the quality of VET, by establishing a Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) Programme (NAMCOL, 2011). The purpose of this case study was thus, to uncover the perceived (understood) effectiveness, of the transformation process of developing and implementing the CBET Program as a method of training in vocational training centres in Namibia by the NTA. An interpretive philosophical overview with a qualitative approach was found suitable for this study. The research design was a case study; and the specific research method for data collection was semi- structured interviews that were conducted at the research site; the NTA. A non-probability sampling technique was chosen and participants were selected purposively. The unit of analysis were those managers directly involved in the transformation process. Data were organised, categorised and interpreted in such a way that it would reflect the issues covered by the data obtained from the six subjects, which can then be adequately summarised in order to draw conclusions, for the purpose of making relevant recommendations. Looking at the change management strategies utilised (or not) by NTA in the transformation process, will hopefully, promote an understanding or inform practice in similar situations. It could, furthermore, be useful for investigating how an individual or programme changes over time, perhaps as the result of certain circumstances or interventions. The results could be used as a guiding tool to inform others of some of the realities that could be expected and how these realities can be dealt with when going through a process of change. It could also put other change agents at ease knowing that, there are companies out there experiencing similar obstacles as those faced by them and yet they were able to pull through successfully. The effectiveness could only be determined in terms of the research questions formulated by the main research question. From the findings, it can be deduced that the implementation of the new system was not totally ineffective, but also not a hundred percent effective. Research question four was not achieved at all, meaning that in the absence of a proper change management model or strategic plan the implementation was not really successful. Recommendations were given by the participants themselves on how to improve the effectiveness there off.
Enterprise Architecture Framework for the Namibian Government_Wide
(NUST, 2015-02-09) Shaanika, Irja, N.
Framework 1 ABSTRACT Every organisation tries to operate in a dynamic environment; as a result, no organisation intends to stay the same. Thus the organisation’s survival depends on how fast and well they react and respond to change. The changes are expected to come from both business and technological perspectives. Change is implored and implemented through different approaches, such as Enterprise Architecture (EA). Organisations adopt EA as a way to map and describe organisational structure, business activities, and how information and technologies can be used to support, enable and automate business processes. Enterprise architecture plays an important role in guiding organisations’ operations and implementation of new technologies in dynamic environments. However, with all the benefits that EA brings to organisations, they are still challenged by their operations. The study employed the qualitative method as the research strategy. Qualitative method was selected primarily because of its explanatory nature. Also, it enables researchers to study phenomenon in their natural settings, which was critical in this research. The researcher avoids assumptions and expectations but rather study the environments as they are presented in order to understand them. The study used a case study approach and semi-structured interviews for data collection. Activity Theory (AT) was applied during data analysis and it provided a third eye needed to understand the technical and non-technical factors that could impact the development and implementation of EA. Based on the interpretation of the findings from the analysis of data, the Namibian government wide enterprise architecture framework was developed. The framework act as guidance in the selection, development, implementation and maintenance of information system and technologies in the Namibian Ministries computing environment,
AN EXAMINATION OF ETHICAL ISSUES CONFRONTING OPERATIONS OF SELECTED HYBRID MEDIA ORGANISATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE IN NAMIBIA
(NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2021-12) ZVIYITA, ITAI
This qualitative study examined ethical issues confronting operations of selected hybrid media organisations in the digital age in Namibia. It specifically used the cases of Namibia Media Holdings and The Namibia, which are the biggest hybrid media organisations in Namibia in terms of readership and circulation thus far. The overall research question was: what contextual factors have shaped ethical dilemmas experienced by full-time journalists and news editors working for the Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) and The Namibian? It located itself with the interpretivism philosophical underpinning, in which a case study research design was used to as it provides room for observing multiple actors within specific contextual parameters. A total of sixteen (16) full-time employed journalists and five (5) news editors were selected using purposive sampling technique. Qualitative data were collected through the administration of focus group discussions and interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data, in which emerging themes were categorised, labelled and interpreted in response to each research question. Key findings indicate that a number of contextual factors responsible for shaping ethical dilemmas encountered by professional journalists working for selected hybrid media organisations in the digital age in Namibia. These include: the ever-changing technological landscape; the immediacy of internet; media sustainability; the integration of social media platforms in the news work; the absence of specific ethical framework for hybrid media organisations; conflicts of interest; and the notion of public interest. It came out clear that traditional media ethics such as accuracy, truthfulness and impartiality are still relevant to inform operations of hybrid newsrooms and are also cornerstones without, which there is no professional journalism. In order to inform the operations of hybrid media organisations in the digital age in Namibia, the following media accountability ethical frameworks and policies were cited: revision of the Code of Ethics for the Namibian Print, Broadcast and Online Media; strengthening of digital fact-checking mechanisms; and additional journalistic training.
EXAMINING STAKEHOLDERS’ VIEWS ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE DELAYED ENACTMENT OF THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL ON MEDIA REPORTING IN NAMIBIA
(NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2021-07) Matty, Fidel
The purpose of the study was to examine stakeholders’ views particularly the views of print media members on the implications of the delayed enactment of the Access to Information Bill on media reporting in Namibia. The main objective of the study was, to examine stakeholders’ views on the implications of the delayed enactment of the Access to Information Bill on media reporting in Namibia. The Social Responsibility theory was underpinned for this study to provide clarity on media mode of operandi from various scholars’ perspective. The methodology used to collect data was qualitative, with a targeted population of at least 100 three print media houses journalists and editors. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to select 7 journalists and one editor from 3 different print media (The Nambian, Namibian Sun and New Era). Data was collected by interviewing the sampled participants. The main findings of the study indicated that the Access to Information Bill has an impact on access and availability of information to journalists. It was found that several provisions within the Act on restrictions to information classified by the state contradict the ratifications to which Namibia is a signatory and also the right of every Namibian in the Constitution whereby Article 21 (1990) of the Namibian Constitution, states that “All persons shall have the right to; freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media.” Although the state within the same constitution is provided reasonable grounds for national security not to disclose classified information, participants are of the view that the state deliberately freezes information that perhaps they think will damage the reputations of the institutions if they are to be released to the media. Journalists sometimes work in environments where they are treated unfairly in particular the private media versus the state media given preferential treatment while the private media is denied access to the same venue where a press conference is taking place. One of the findings of the study was that there is no media freedom in Namibia, due to the absence of laws that promote freedom and access at the same time. Another finding point to the state which has a moral obligation to make sure that information dissemination and access to information which are basic Constitutional rights are maintained but media freedom is restrained by censorship, as such the state should speedily pass the ii Access to Information Bill into a law whereby the journalists' Modus Operandi will be facilitated through the same laws. Several recommendations were made including abolishing of outdated laws. In line with the findings, the legislators must set timelines and commit to meet each deadline, industry stakeholders must be consulted to commonly decide which laws or aspects of it must be repealed, consult their industry and consider their views and inputs. Similarly, it was found that unfair treatment of journalists and harassment with litigation on publishing information rightfully gained make the legislative environment toxic, therefore it is recommended that the legislative environment should be proactive and not reactive, laws affecting bread and butter issues and quality of life for now and the future should be prioritized, new laws should be promulgated. Last but not least in line with the objective of the legislative environment, the justice ministry should ensure they provide a portal that will provide court rolls and case appeals; however, it needs to be more frequently updated as well as promoted.

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