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This paper aims to assess the level of awareness of safety precautions in the use of extension cords in Ho Municipality in Ghana. The relevance of this study is to provide an understanding of the awareness level of safety measures likely to lead to a significant reduction in incidents of domestic fire outbreaks when using an extension cord. A cross-sectional research was carried out in the Ho Municipality between February and April 2022. Six hundred and one (601) individuals were chosen from houses using a random selection method. A standardised questionnaire was used to gather data, and then entered and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) V.16. Descriptive statistics, Binary logistic regression analysis with a 0.05 p-value and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), Relative Importance Index (RII), and the Sample T-test were used to examine the significance of connections. Among the participants, there is a low level of awareness of extension cord ratings and standard labels from autonomous testing facilities. The participants' knowledge of awareness was significantly related to gender; [0.722 (95% (CI): 1.476 - 2.869), p = 0.001 < (0.05)]. Again, most participants overload the extension cord during usage and practice poor safety measures that could result in a fire outbreak. The study suggests that users should purchase extension cords that have been endorsed by an autonomous testing laboratory and fully be educated on the safety procedures that will aid in safeguarding lives and property by both government and non-governmental agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Establishing effective pharmaceutical governance is a challenge for government agencies, private enterprises, and professionals working on the ground, demanding complex ethical decisions from the actors involved, especially in a lower-middle-income country like Ghana. This letter aims to share the author's perspectives and additional considerations on the analyses of the reports in the paper "It is very difficult in this business if you want to have a good conscience": pharmaceutical governance and on-the-ground ethical labor in Ghana by Hampshire et al. The letter's authors discuss the need to advance universal health coverage in Ghana, the everyday ethics, and the disparities between the collective and individual moral consciousness of the participants, as well as other aspects of governance in the pharmaceutical sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on case studies in Dublin, Ireland, this paper examines the motives for individuals to establish community gardens therein. The paper also outlines the capacities required for community groups to successfully establish and sustain community gardens in Ireland. These capacities include the involvement of individuals with a range of expertise, the presence of supportive community groups/organisations and state agencies, and access to resources, including land. The research findings, detailed in this paper, indicate that community gardens in urban settings encounter a number of challenges, including the absence of a mechanism for community groups to access land. The article provides a framework for community groups and community organisations to develop community gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the function and meaning of Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms (CDR Leading Group) and Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission (CDR Commission), created in the Xi Jinping administration, and discusses on their roles in policy making. This paper positions the CDR Leading Group and the CDR Commission as policy adjustment vehicles, analyzes them in terms of policy integration and administrative coordination, and examines whether they were created for organizational or policy purposes. Another perspective is how government agency coordination existing before the Xi Jinping administration changed. This study reveals the following. First, the CDR Group and the CDR Commission are organizations aimed at tackling new issues. Their activities demonstrate the leadership of Xi Jinping, who is at the top, and significantly contribute to establishing his own authority and strengthening his power base. Second, both the CDR Group and the CDR Commission have a multi-layered organizational structure, with the offices of the main body, special groups, and their offices playing a substantive role. In the economic field, for example, there is no change to the conventional coordination led by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance. Third, these are merely "ad hoc" mechanisms for advancing comprehensively deepening reforms that were the decision of the third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The governance of pharmaceutical medicines entails complex ethical decisions that should, in theory, be the responsibility of democratically accountable government agencies. However, in many Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), regulatory and health systems constraints mean that many people still lack access to safe, appropriate and affordable medication, posing significant ethical challenges for those working on the "front line". Drawing on 18 months of fieldwork in Ghana, we present three detailed case studies of individuals in this position: an urban retail pharmacist, a rural over-the-counter medicine retailer, and a local inspector. Through these case studies, we consider the significant burden of "ethical labour" borne by those operating "on the ground", who navigate complex moral, legal and business imperatives in real time and with very real consequences for those they serve. The paper ends with a reflection on the tensions between abstract, generalised ethical frameworks based on high-level principles, and a pragmatic, contingent ethics-in-practice that foregrounds immediate individual needs – a tension rooted in the gap between the theory and the reality of pharmaceutical governance that shifts the burden of ethical labour downwards and perpetuates long-term public health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiscal forecasts produced by international institutions came under strong criticism after the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis due to excessive optimism. Presently, international organizations are also accused of applying a double standard. Their opponents claim they depict negative picture for populist governments. This paper evaluates forecasts provided by the IMF, European Commission and the OECD based on a panel of EU economies and selected large countries. Five years after the Sovereign debt crisis, we still find excessively optimistic forecasts for Portugal and Spain. Moreover, the EC and OECD are being indulgent to countries under the excessive deficit procedure. There is also a strong autocorrelation of forecast errors and cyclical biases – European Commission overestimates governments' propensity to tighten fiscal policy during expansion and forecasts an overly pessimistic picture during a slowdown. However, we find no evidence suggesting that fiscal forecasts stigmatize the governments accused of populism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has stricken mental health worldwide. Marginalized populations in low- and middle-income countries have been the most affected, as they were already experiencing barriers to accessing mental health care prior to the pandemic and are unequally exposed to the stressors associated with the health emergency, such as economic ravages or increased risk of complicated disease outcomes. The aim of this paper is to describe a comprehensive initiative resulting from a public-civil partnership to address the increased burden of mental health illness associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Chiapas, Mexico. To address the emerging health needs of the general population and health professionals resulting from the pandemic, Compañeros En Salud (CES), a non-profit civil society organization based in Chiapas, implemented a comprehensive strategy to compensate for the shortage of mental health services in the region in collaboration with the Chiapas Ministry of Health. The strategy included three components: capacity building in mental health care delivery, psychosocial support to the general population, and provision of mental health care to CES collaborating staff. In this capacity building article, implementers from CES and the government share descriptive information on the specific interventions carried out and their beneficiaries, as well as a critical discussion of the strategy followed. Through this strategy, we have been successful in filling the gaps in the public health system to ensure that CES-served populations and CES-collaborating health professionals have access to mental health care. However, further studies to quantify the impact of this intervention in alleviating the burden of mental health illnesses associated with the pandemic are needed. The current situation represents an opportunity to reimagine global mental health. Only through the promotion of community-based initiatives and the development of integrated approaches will we ensure the well-being of marginalized populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing global attention to the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for the lives of those who menstruate and gender equality. Yet, the global development community, which focuses on issues ranging from gender to climate change to health, is overdue to draw attention to how addressing MHH may enable progress in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To address this gap, we undertook a collective exercise to hypothesize the linkages between MHH and the 17 SDGs, and to identify how MHH contributes to priority outcome measures within key sectoral areas of relevance to menstruating girls in low- and middle-income countries. These areas included Education, Gender, Health (Sexual and Reproductive Health; Psychosocial Wellbeing), and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). These efforts were undertaken from February – March 2019 by global monitoring experts, together with select representatives from research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and governments (n = 26 measures task force members). Through this paper we highlight the findings of our activities. First, we outline the existing or potential linkages between MHH and all of the SDGs. Second, we report the identified priority outcomes related to MHH for key sectors to monitor. By identifying the potential contribution of MHH towards achieving the SDGs and highlighting the ways in which MHH can be monitored within these goals, we aim to advance recognition of the fundamental role of MHH in the development efforts of countries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Results-based financing has been promoted as an innovative mechanism to improve the performance of health systems in achieving universal health coverage. Several results-based financing models were implemented in Uganda between 2003 and 2015 but with limited national scale-up. Objective: This paper examines the evolution of results-based financing models and the reasons for the slow national adoption and implementation in Uganda. Methods: This was a qualitative study based on document review and key informant interviews. The models were compared to show modifications overtime. The reasons for the slow national scale-up were analyzed using variables from the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Results: This study covered seven schemes implemented in the Ugandan health sector between 2003 and 2015. The models evolved in several aspects: 1) donor reliance with fundholding and purchasing delegated to non-state organizations; 2) establishment of ad-hoc structures for learning; 3) recent involvement of the government agencies in verification processes; 4) Involvement of public providers, and 5) expansion of services purchased from the national minimum health-care package. The main reasons for slow national adoption were the perceived complexity and incompatibility with public sector systems. The early phases comprised barriers to public sector reforms. However, recent adjustments to the schemes have enabled greater involvement of public providers and government stewardship. Stakeholders also reported progressive learning across projects and time. Conclusion: Overall, the study findings show scheme actors' deliberate efforts to adapt their models to the Ugandan health system and public sector context. Results-based financing is a complex intervention that takes time for the capacity to be built among vital actors. Progressive re-designing of models enhances fitness to the health systems context. From this study, we advise that Uganda and similar countries should undertake deliberate efforts to customize such models to the capacity and institutional architecture of their health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing pressure on academics to show the impact of their research. At the same time, policy-makers are expected to draw upon a wide base of evidence, including academic research, to develop innovative solutions to often intractable societal problems. Despite these complementary objectives of impact and use of evidence, the relationship between academics and policy-makers is often difficult. Some have characterized these groups as 'two worlds', each with differing objectives, methods and timeframes. This paper explores the issues associated with this problem and outlines a new approach to research which seeks to engage both government agencies and academics. It makes use of a publishing initiative of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) to produce research that is of value to both government officials and academic researchers. This method aimed to develop a shared understanding with the potential to benefit both groups. While the focus of the research was on place-based regional policy, comparable methods could be applied to many other questions of interest to both governments and researchers working in regional studies and other social science fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey has recently reshaped its own institutional structure by establishing Independent Regulatory Agencies (IRAs). However, the political authority has not desired to delegate the political property rights to IRAs. Although IRAs is de jure established, the political conflicts occurring during the evolution of the traditional-patrimonial state to the regulatory state de facto impede IRAs to institutionalize. This paper observes recent policy changes during the transition and lessons from the energy regulation in Turkey. So, the paper reveals whether the change in the regulatory institutional structure of Turkey is an effective policy in terms of transition to the institutions of capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the changing relationship between research and inspection under both HMI and OFSTED, from the early 1980s to 1996. Drawing on a mix of internal and external sources it describes the changes within HMI to make traditional inspection methods more transparent and consistent and to make more use of quantitative data and performance indicators in the 1980s. However, changes within HMI were overtaken by events as education moved rapidly up the political agenda from the mid-1980s. With the demise of HMI in 1992, research within OFSTED took on a more prominent role and a modest but innovative research programme was established. However, the shift by OFSTED in the mid-1990s to take on a more explicit campaigning role to raise educational standards, rather than simply be a regulatory organisation, put the research under pressure to fit in with this new style. The paper draws on examples of the way these pressures worked out in both externally commissioned and internal research exercises. The result was that some studies were sidelined, while others were given excessive prominence that could not be justified by the scale and nature of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical examination of the Situational Leadership® Model (SLM), which is used extensively in management training programs by major corporations and government agencies. Data from 675 salespersons and 41 branch managers in the insurance industry did not support the hypothesis that leadership styles prescribed by the SLM were associated with superior sales performance. The four styles described by the SLM were also tested, with an exploratory regression, in terms of their relative effects on sales performance. Agents working for managers who preferred the high-task, low-relationship style performed better than did agents working for managers who preferred other styles. Some implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an attempt to examine the efforts of a governmental agency, namely, the United States Postal Service, to compete in the high technology field against the private sector. The study seeks to highlight the impact of technological, political, legal, and economic problems. A hoped-for by-product is producing some lessons for guidance in similar future ventures. The paper surveys the rapidly advancing and highly competitive electronic mail market and the use of telecommunication networks in the leading companies in the private sector. The Postal Service approach to competition in the market and its managerial policy for dealing with this technological evolution in information delivery are also examined. Recommendations are made based on the capabilities, competitive position, and cost-demand structure of the U.S. Postal Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive technologies are critical to supporting the participation and engagement of persons with disabilities and others who experience functional difficulties in daily life. Assistive products have been demonstrated to be related to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); however, no previous research has explored the relationship between assistive technology (AT) and the SDGs from the perspective of stakeholder organisations working in the field of AT provision. In this study, we evaluated the relevance of AT and the SDGs to achieving the organisational missions of key stakeholders in AT ecosystem in Malawi. Key stakeholders (n = 36) in the AT field in Malawi were asked to rate the relevance of AT to achieving their organisational missions, and the relevance of AT to each of the 17 SDGs on a 5-point Likert scale. Stakeholders who participated were engaged in consultative meetings with the government and an action research team as part of a larger policy development project, and represented ministries and government agencies, organisations of persons with disabilities, and local and international non-governmental organisations. AT was rated as being relevant to all of the SDGs, albeit to varying degrees, and not surprisingly to achieving AT stakeholders' organisational missions. The cross-cutting nature of the relevance of AT underscores the importance of cross-ministerial cooperation and shared leadership in provision AT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent changes to policies and funding for tertiary education are exacerbating an already difficult situation for refugees aiming to earn university degrees. No one intended to create the barriers that the refugee-background community faces; government agencies continue attempts to improve educational outcomes for those who arrive as refugees. The root causes of this situation are the complexity of the refugee situation and a lack of holistic knowledge about this diverse group of New Zealand residents among policy makers and educators. In addition, the complexity of interactions among policy changes and refugee situations has prevented any single agency from predicting outcomes of its policies for refugee-background students. In this paper, I discuss how new policies interact with a range of existing barriers faced by refugees pursuing degrees and how, without urgent attention, this will constrict or close pathways into and through university study. I further suggest that the strongest foundation for an effective program to provide equitable access to university education is including refugee-background students among those groups who receive equity consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a review of the PhD thesis undertaken by Joanna Vearey that explores local government responses to the urban health challenges of migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa. Urbanisation in South Africa is a result of natural urban growth and (to a lesser extent) in-migration from within the country and across borders. This has led to the development of informal settlements within and on the periphery of urban areas. The highest HIV prevalence nationally is found within urban informal settlements. South African local government has a 'developmental mandate' that calls for government to work with citizens to develop sustainable interventions to address their social, economic, and material needs. Through a mixed-methods approach, four studies were undertaken within inner-city Johannesburg and a peripheral urban informal settlement. Two cross-sectional surveys -- one at a household level and one with migrant antiretroviral clients -- were supplemented with semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders involved with urban health and HIV in Johannesburg, and participatory photography and film projects undertaken with urban migrant communities. The findings show that local government requires support in developing and implementing appropriate intersectoral responses to address urban health. Existing urban health frameworks do not deal adequately with the complex health and development challenges identified; it is essential that urban public health practitioners and other development professionals in South Africa engage with the complexities of the urban environment. A revised, participatory approach to urban health -- 'concept mapping' -- is suggested which requires a recommitment to intersectoral action, 'healthy urban governance' and public health advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global trend to electronic service delivery (ESD) by governments can include the sponsorship of virtual communities that create value and become places where people, content, and communication come together around a need, enabling government agencies to extend their traditional service-provision role. Implementation is sometimes problematic, however, and understanding the implementation process is crucial to the success of such virtual communities. This paper reports a case study of a virtual community (an on-line export-documentation system) that links government and business. The study employs Bijker's framework to conceptualize the process of defining the technical standard and implementing the documentation system. Diffusion effects shaped the implementation and influenced participant responses, illustrating Bijker's argument that an artifact or product demonstrates interpretive flexibility before it stabilizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at the European Union (EU) policy of technological 'convergence', concentrating on the convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting. The underlying theme is that regulatory agencies are political actors and their actions need to be analysed in the context of who benefits from the policy outcome. In addition, regulatory regimes are themselves variables in bureaucratic/institutional turf wars and in the political process. The specific case discussed here of DG XIII of the European Commission responsible for telecommunications provides an example of attempts by a regulatory agency to broaden the scope of its regulatory reach. It shows how it utilized a theoretical reconstruction of markets to justify alterations both at EU and at national level in regulatory regimes that would have had direct consequences in benefiting its allied telecommunications and Internet operators and in disadvantaging public service broadcasters. The article discusses the ensuing reactions to this intervention. It concludes that DG XIII's attempts to redefine markets and regulatory regimes in its own interests and in the interests of its traditional industrial allies have not only been thwarted, but have strengthened the sectoral-based regulatory regime it wished to displace, and have also undermined its own credibility as a regulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Numerous space missions are planned by government agencies and private companies, with objectives including scientific research, prospecting for and mining resources, and establishing human settlements. These projects have potential to affect the extraterrestrial environment. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important tool for assessing the potential impact of projects on Earth’s environment. However, the legal requirements to undertake EIA for extraterrestrial projects are limited and most EIAs that have been conducted have not considered impacts beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Technical barriers to extraterrestrial EIA also need to be overcome, including a lack of guidelines and methodologies. This paper addresses the latter issue by identifying the extraterrestrial impacts that may arise from space projects and relating them to the environmental topic areas in the European EIA Directive. An example is then provided of how EIA screening and scoping can be undertaken for the extraterrestrial elements of space projects, using six scenarios. Effective EIA screening and scoping is key to deciding whether EIA is required and if so which topic areas should be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments that contract out services are faced with a complex problem of developing an appropriate mix of incentives to elicit performance from a diverse set of service providers, including networks of other local governments, mission-driven nonprofit organizations, and profit-maximizing firms. This paper employs agency and stewardship theory to motivate an analysis of rewards and sanctions used in service delivery relationships. Our findings, consistent with principal-agent theory, indicate that a significant proportion of local governments in our sample employ high-powered incentives with forprofit firms. It is interesting to note, however, that governments with short-term relationships with for-profit firms do not utilize high-powered incentives. These incentives are found in longer duration contracts. In line with the predictions of stewardship theory, governments in our sample do not use high-powered incentives with other governments or nonprofit service providers. Low-powered incentives, primarily informal discussions with those providers, constitute the primary means by which the contracting government ensures that the necessary adjustments to service delivery are made. The efficacy of informal discussion with nonprofits and other governments diminished significantly with longer term contracts, leaving contracting governments with few tools to influence the behavior of their contracting partners. Trust, value congruence, and mission compatibility can explain the initiation of relationships with nonprofits and other governments but do not yet inform government officials about how such relationships can be maintained and enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All countries in the developed world aspire to ever higher standards of education and training. Clearly this depends, at least in part, on having a sufficient supply of high-quality schoolteachers. In the UK on the two occasions in the last 75 years when there were reviews of this need (the McNair report of 1944 and the James Committee of Enquiry 1971), more attention was paid to the recruitment and initial education and training of teachers than to the need for their continuous professional development. Moreover, what priority afforded to the issue was largely ignored by governments of the day whose successors have continued to pay most attention to tinkering with the supply routes and the initial training of teachers rather than their in-service professional development once they have been appointed. This paper, having accepted the crucial importance of the sustaining of teaching quality to the call for ever higher standards of pupil outcomes, sketches and evaluates the history and the present needs and proceeds to set out a menu of measures which should be considered by a third commission/committee of enquiry along the lines of its two predecessors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the need for culturally appropriate and culturally effective public programs and public services. The author discusses cultural competency in public services programming and public services delivery and addresses cultural competency concerns in human resources training, education, and service delivery. Examples of best practices in public policymaking and management are provided, and the author discusses what a public agency must do to develop and promote an ethos of community spirit through the use and application of cultural competency. The paper also provides a cultural competency glossary for public agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public management information systems has been one of the core subjects in most South Korean undergraduate public affairs and administration programs since the late 1980s. Since the late 1990s, many e-government and various information policy subjects have been rapidly added to the PA curriculum. This paper examines the rapid diffusion of undergraduate-level IT education in Korean PA programs and focuses primarily on the implication of lessons developed in and drawn from Korean PA programs. The authors explain how the PA curriculum has been affected by changes in technologies, socioeconomic contexts, and government policies in South Korea; review the literature of IT education and classify IT courses taught in Korean PA programs; describe data and methods; summarize major findings on IT courses and instructors; examine driving forces behind the diffusion of IT education; and discuss the academic institutional isomorphism and challenging issues in IT education. The paper concludes with several suggestions for IT education in PA programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the use of appreciative inquiry (AI), a growing practice in organization development, in the Office of Research and Development (ORD) of the Environment Protection Agency. AI is a strength-based approach to change that induces innovation and collaboration through participatory methods. It is distinct from other methods that focus on resolving problems in organizations. An AI summit is a large-scale inquiry designed with four phases: discover, dream, design, and destiny. The history and effects of a summit are described in a case analysis of the ORD. The article concludes by describing how managers might use AI to improve their leadership effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the increasing relative social significance of the normative and institutional complex of state law, particularly in relation to political structures of domination and procedures of ruling in urban India. Resistance to everyday structures of domination is increasingly sought by the use of law that complements or even replaces other modes of resistance such as protest, withdrawal, subversion or other ‘weapons of the weak’. The use of law as a ‘weapon of the weak’ is interlinked with the wider political processes of democratisation in India. Democratisation is transforming a sense of entitlement rooted in the Nehruvian ideology of the developmental state into a rights consciousness. Particularly those who have to face transgressions of state legal norms by the state agencies on an everyday basis increasingly use the law to negotiate their rights. The paper discusses the immediate effects of law as a weapon of the weak, as well as the longer-term effects, such as the reproduction or transformation of structures of domination. It proposes to open up the analysis of practices of citizens and state agents to their productive and transformative potentials. It proposes to look at the way practices entail a gradual transformation of institutions of government and thus shape the state beyond producing a ‘state effect’ or the mimetic reproduction of bureaucratic procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public manager's most formidable challenges are clearly those related to working outside of the home organization in collaborative settings. The prevalence of networking activity means that the administrator must not only manage within the agency structure but also reach out to involve a host of other governments and nongovernmental organizations because the technical and political demands of today `s problems, not to speak of the resources, in large part lie outside the government administrator's agency. To approach solutions to today's problems reasonably, one must extend the boundaries of the agency and thus the governmental jurisdiction, working together with others toward solutions. In this era of public performance, agencies are also expected to achieve results. The problem is that agency performance depends on the engagement and actions of organizations external to the government. How can performance amid government-nongovernment collaboration be promoted and enhanced? This paper explores these issues, using state and local government-nongovernmental organization collaboration in economic development as a focus. It looks at collaborative management practices and how they may be oriented toward the achievement of results in the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impact of financial inclusion on financial stability across 54 African countries. Using country-level data that spans a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020, the findings suggest a positive association between the level of account penetration and financial stability. This conclusion withstands several tests of robustness performed. Furthermore, the analysis identifies income inequality, political stability and financial openness as influential factors that may condition the relationship between financial inclusion and financial stability. The implications of our findings suggest the need for increased collaboration between regulatory and supervisory agencies in African countries to promote greater financial inclusion, as policies aimed at improving financial inclusion should have the potential to enhance financial stability. It should be noted, however, that the extent to which financial inclusion should be pursued in order to achieve these goals remains an open question that requires further investigation. Future research could also explore the key barriers to financial access, as identifying these obstacles would enable policymakers to set priorities for action and allocate resources more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) encompasses a wide range of algorithms with risks when used to support decisions about diagnosis or treatment, so professional and regulatory bodies are recommending how they should be managed. AI systems may qualify as standalone medical device software (MDSW) or be embedded within a medical device. Within the European Union (EU) AI software must undergo a conformity assessment procedure to be approved as a medical device. The draft EU Regulation on AI proposes rules that will apply across industry sectors, while for devices the Medical Device Regulation also applies. In the CORE-MD project (Coordinating Research and Evidence for Medical Devices), we have surveyed definitions and summarize initiatives made by professional consensus groups, regulators, and standardization bodies. The level of clinical evidence required should be determined according to each application and to legal and methodological factors that contribute to risk, including accountability, transparency, and interpretability. EU guidance for MDSW based on international recommendations does not yet describe the clinical evidence needed for medical AI software. Regulators, notified bodies, manufacturers, clinicians and patients would all benefit from common standards for the clinical evaluation of high-risk AI applications and transparency of their evidence and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inequalities in health represent a major problem in many countries, including Indonesia. Addressing health inequality is a central component of the Sustainable Development Goals and a priority of the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO provides technical support for health inequality monitoring among its member states. Following a capacity-building workshop in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2014, Indonesia expressed interest in incorporating health-inequality monitoring into its national health information system. Objectives: This article details the capacity-building process for national health inequality monitoring in Indonesia, discusses successes and challenges, and how this process may be adapted and implemented in other countries/settings. Methods: We outline key capacity-building activities undertaken between April 2016 and December 2017 in Indonesia and present the four key outcomes of this process. Results: The capacity-building process entailed a series of workshops, meetings, activities, and processes undertaken between April 2016 and December 2017. At each stage, a range of stakeholders with access to the relevant data and capacity for data analysis, interpretation and reporting was engaged with, under the stewardship of state agencies. Key steps to strengthening health inequality monitoring included capacity building in (1) identification of the health topics/areas of interest, (2) mapping data sources and identifying gaps, (3) conducting equity analyses using raw datasets, and (4) interpreting and reporting inequality results. As a result, Indonesia developed its first national report on the state of health inequality. A number of peer-reviewed manuscripts on various aspects of health inequality in Indonesia have also been developed. Conclusions: The capacity-building process undertaken in Indonesia is designed to be adaptable to other contexts. Capacity building for health inequality monitoring among countries is a critical step for strengthening equity-oriented national health information systems and eventually tackling health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the need for establishing voluntary responsible bodies for adult education in Great Britain. Several recent articles and research papers have advised that consideration should be given to the question whether voluntary organizations should continue to be allowed to exercise the powers of Responsible Bodies under the Further Education Grant Regulations of the Ministry of Education. The term "Responsible Body" came into general use in relation to adult education after the publication of the "Adult Education Regulations of the Board of Education" in 1924. Those Regulations governed the payment of grants to bodies, not being Local Education Authorities, in aid of the liberal education of adults. They prescribed that each course must be under the control and direction of a Responsible Body, which will be held responsible by the British Board of Education for the efficiency of the instruction given in the course and for the observance of the regulations applicable to it. Responsible Bodies might, suggestively, be of two types: first, universities and university colleges for courses under Chapter 2 of the Regulations, which related to Preparatory, Three-Year, and Advanced Tutorial Classes, Tutorial Class Vacation Courses and University Extension Courses; and second, "Approved Associations" for courses under Chapter 3, which dealt with Terminal and One Year Courses, and Vacation Courses for selected students organized in connection with such classes.

Worldwide medical device regulatory authorities increasingly rely on the benefit-risk ratio for decision-making. However, current benefit-risk assessment (BRA) methods are mostly descriptive, not quantitative. We aimed to summarize the regulatory requirements of BRA, discuss the feasibility of adopting multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), and explore factors for optimizing the MCDA for quantitative BRA of devices. Regulatory organizations emphasize BRA in their guidance, and some recommend user-friendly worksheets to conduct qualitative/descriptive BRA. The MCDA is considered one of the most useful and relevant quantitative BRA methods by pharmaceutical regulatory agencies and the industry; the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research summarized the principles and good practice guidance of MCDA. We recommend optimizing the MCDA by considering the following unique characteristics of the device BRA: using data from state of the art as a control and clinical data from post-market surveillance and literature; considering the device's diverse characteristics when selecting controls; assigning weight according to type, magnitude/severity, and duration of benefits and risks; and including physician and patient opinions in the MCDA. This article is the first to explore using MCDA for device BRA and might lead to a novel quantitative BRA method for devices. Worldwide regulatory organizations for medical devices emphasize benefit–risk assessment (BRA) in their guidance and recommend qualitative or descriptive BRA approaches. However, no guidance has described any quantitative BRA method for medical devices. The multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method is considered the most useful and relevant quantitative BRA method for drugs by pharmaceutical regulatory agencies and industries. The principles of MCDA are described by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research and lead to emerging good practice guidance on the implementation of MCDA to support healthcare decision-making. To optimize the MCDA method for the quantitative BRA of medical devices, we recommend considering the unique characteristics thereof; including using data from SOTA as a control; using additional clinical data from post-market surveillance and literature; considering the device's diverse characteristics when selecting a control; assigning weight according to the type, magnitude/severity, and duration of benefits and risks; and including both physician and patient opinions in the MCDA method. The medical device industry and device regulatory organizations could benefit from this article. A quantitative BRA tool can be developed based on our findings and can be used by agencies and companies to monitor the safety and effectiveness of medical devices throughout their life cycle. Future research should focus on developing these theoretical considerations into a user-friendly tool for the quantitative BRA of devices and the validation of such tools using different types of devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government agencies typically need to take potential risks of disclosure into account whenever they publish statistics based on their data or give external researchers access to collected data. In this context, the promise of formal privacy guarantees offered by concepts such as differential privacy seems to be the panacea enabling the agencies to quantify and control the privacy loss incurred by any data release exactly. Nevertheless, despite the excitement in academia and industry, most agencies—with the prominent exception of the U.S. Census Bureau—have been reluctant to even consider the concept for their data release strategy. This article discusses potential reasons for this. We argue that the requirements for implementing differential privacy approaches at government agencies are often fundamentally different from the requirements in industry. This raises many challenges and questions that still need to be addressed before the concept can be used as an overarching principle when sharing data with the public. The article does not offer any solutions to these challenges. Instead, we hope to stimulate some collaborative research efforts, as we believe that many of the problems can only be addressed by interdisciplinary collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the electricity services in Nigeria, the government has embarked on a total reform of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. The reform started with rehabilitating the government-owned electricity infrastructures in 1999 and implementing the 2010 Power Sector Reform. While some stakeholders have seen these reforms benefit the industry, others have yet to see the positive impact of the reforms. Based on this premise, this work presents a synopsis of the Nigerian power sector's past, present, and future. A review of its state of the art is explored and presented using documents and recent literature on the Nigerian electricity sector. Findings from the study show that infrastructural deficits and administrative lapses dominated the pre-liberation era. The privatization of electricity led to organizational structure and infrastructure improvements. The sector was unbundled into the GenCos, TransCo, Discos, and the regulatory bodies assigned well-defined tasks. The generation capacity has increased to 16,384 MW against the pre-liberation figure of approximately 6000 MW. As against the approximate figure of 10,000 km covered by the transmission infrastructure, an additional 10,000 km has been added to the existing transmission facilities. Although there have been improvements in service deliveries, there are still more grounds to cover to stabilize the Nigerian electricity sector. It is proposed that stakeholders harmonize the various policies and structural changes to make the necessary improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requires countries to develop and implement multi-sectoral tobacco control strategies, including policies and legislation. Zambia, potentially faced by a rising problem of tobacco smoking, signed the FCTC in 2008 but has been unable to enact a tobacco policy for over a decade. This study explores the role of 'principled engagement', a key element of the theoretical framework for collaborative governance, in Zambia's delayed success to develop a comprehensive tobacco control policy. This was a qualitative case study of key stakeholders in the collaborative process of trying to develop a tobacco policy in Zambia. Participan-ts were sampled from across various sectors, including government departments and civil society, comprising anti-tobacco activists and researchers. A total of 27 key informant interviews were undertaken. We supplemented the interview data with a document review of relevant policies and legislation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Several factors hindered efforts to attain principled engagement, including the adverse legal and socioeconomic environment in which the collaborative regime evolves; poor planning of meetings and frequent changes in tobacco focal point persons; lack of active and meaningful participation; and communication challenges among the key stakeholders. These collaborative dynamics, coupled with the opposition to tobacco control efforts from within some government departments, revealed the inadequacy of the current collaborative governance regime to facilitate enactment of a comprehensive tobacco control policy in Zambia. Efforts to develop a comprehensive tobacco control policy in Zambia will require addressing challenges such as disagreements, communication, and leadership at engagement level across interested sectors. We further argue that principled engagement has a greater role to play in unlocking these efforts and should therefore be embraced by those entrusted to lead the process to develop tobacco policy in Zambia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess the professional autonomy of the 13 principal U.S. federal statistical agencies. We define six components or measures of such autonomy and evaluate each of the 13 principal statistical agencies according to each measure. Our assessment yields three main findings: (a) Challenges to the objectivity, credibility, and utility of federal statistics arise largely as a consequence of insufficient autonomy. (b) There is remarkable variation in autonomy protections and a surprising lack of statutory protections for many agencies for many of the proposed measures. (c) Many existing autonomy rules and guidelines are weakened by unclear or unactionable language. We conclude that a lack of professional autonomy unduly exposes the principal federal statistical agencies to efforts to undermine the objectivity of their products and that agencies cannot completely rebuff these efforts. Our main recommendations are to strengthen the role of the OMB Chief Statistician and to legislate new statutory autonomy protections, including explicit authorization for the principal federal statistical agencies that currently have no recognition in statute. We also recommend periodic assessments of the health of the federal statistical system, including not only autonomy protections and resources, but also how well agencies are satisfying data needs for the public good and using best methods to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on research support. Of the 238 ten-minute-papers which were presented at the American Physical Society congress in Washington, D. C. on April 26 to 28, 1951, 165 of them were supported in part or in full by various government agencies. It is noted that 111 were supported by the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). This move by different government agencies and the AEC is seen to forward the ongoing research on the use of nuclear energy and other developments related to this field.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly utilized in the medical device industry as it can address unmet demands in clinical sites and provide more patient treatment options. This study aims to analyze the FDA's Breakthrough Device Program and MFDS' Innovative Medical Device Program, which support regulatory science for innovative medical devices today. Through this study, it is intended to enable prediction of current development trends of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and Digital Therapeutics (DTx), which combine AI and technologies to be used in the clinical field soon. A systematic search was conducted on the broad topics of 'FDA and MFDS Program's SaMD, DTx.' A parallel review and update of PubMed, and the official websites were conducted to investigate the regulator's databases, review official press releases of regulatory agencies, and provide detailed descriptions of researchers. The efforts of related stakeholders are needed to expand AI technology to diagnosis, prevention, and treatment technologies for diseases that are difficult to diagnose early or are classified as clinical challenges. It is important to prepare regulatory policies suitable for the rapid pace of technological development and to create an environment where regulatory science can be realized by developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive technologies promote participation and quality of life for people with disabilities and other functional limitations. There is a global call to develop and implement policies to improve access to assistive technologies. In response, a stakeholder led initiative in Malawi is working towards the development of such a policy. The objective of this study was to assess the existing network of stakeholders, and the strength of relationship between organizations who deliver assistive products and related services. We conducted a survey-based network analysis of assistive technology stakeholder organizations in Malawi. Stakeholders (n = 19) reported a range of connections, from no awareness to collaboration with organizations within the assistive technology network. No single organization or government ministry was most central to the network. International NGOs were less central to the network than local organizations for disabled people, service providers, and ministries. The assistive technology stakeholder network in Malawi is distributed, with a range of responsibility across a variety of stakeholders, including three government ministries. An effective assistive technology policy must engage all stakeholders and may benefit from a collective leadership approach that spans the inter-sectoral need for a cohesive assistive technology system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and private corporations often assume leading roles in the delivery of supplies, equipment, and manpower to support initial response operations after a disaster strikes. These organizations are faced with challenging logistics decisions to ensure that the right supplies (including equipment and personnel) are in the right places, at the right times, and in the right quantities. Such logistics planning decisions are further complicated by the uncertainties associated with predicting whether or not a potential threat will materialize into an emergency situation. This paper introduces newsvendor variants that account for demand uncertainty as well as the uncertainty surrounding the occurrence of an extreme event. The optimal inventory level is determined and compared to the classic newsvendor solution and the difference is interpreted as the insurance premium associated with proactive disaster-relief planning. The insurance policy framework represents a practical approach for decision makers to quantify the risks and benefits associated with stocking decisions related to preparing for disaster relief efforts or supply chain disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government failure paradigm is nowadays an integral part of modern policy analysis. Several taxonomic models of government failure have been advanced, perhaps most notably the theory of 'nonmarket' failure developed by Charles Wolf. This model identifies four main sources of socially suboptimal policy outcomes consequent upon the failure of public agencies, including 'internalities'. Using examples drawn from the Australian foreign aid environment in Papua New Guinea, this paper develops a conceptual framework for incorporating positive and negative internalities into the analysis of the impact of aid on development projects, programs and policies. It is argued inter alia that previous work has neglected the significance of these internalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews trends in integrated appraisal with specific emphasis on work within UK Government. It shows how these newer approaches link with current appraisal methods. A two-stage approach is increasingly advocated: first, the potential impacts of the proposal under consideration are 'screened' against a range of economic, social and environmental criteria; second, there is more detailed appraisal where this is considered necessary using appropriate appraisal tools. A brief review is given of existing appraisal tools and their relationships to one another: appraisal should facilitate the use of different tools for different purposes. Finally, we consider the challenges and opportunities of integrated appraisal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a framework to determine when a public organization will be susceptible to change and some ways to lead a susceptible organization toward a more proactive posture. It identifies situations in which change seems likely and unlikely, using organizational capacity and responsiveness as determinants. Types of change that are considered range from strategic repositioning to transformation. Some ways by which leaders can guide a public organization along a path of change are discussed. Research questions are formulated, and a research program is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the months following Trump's 2016 election as U.S. president, scores of cities across the United States instituted or reaffirmed "sanctuary" measures that impede federal immigration enforcement actions in their midst. Yet in the heart of these "sanctuary" cities, many immigrants remain vulnerable to deportation. This article describes one community campaign to identify, track, and stop a mechanism through which urban immigrants are detained and deported: data sharing between local police agencies and federal immigration officials. We draw on Kyle Walker's (2015) framework of place, scale, and networks of local immigration politics to show how overlapping scales of immigrant policing ultimately jeopardized Chicago's promise to be a place of immigrant sanctuary. We then describe how community organizers exploited this tension as they exposed the effects of Chicago police data sharing practices on black and Latinx Chicagoans and campaigned for a stronger city sanctuary policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of whether higher governmental support for families has a positive effect on fertility by encouraging parents to have more children. The analysis is based on data for 22 industrialized countries and covers the period 1970 to 1990. Data are analysed using a fixed-effect econometric model with the sum of age-specific fertility rates as the dependent variable. The results show that family allowances have a positive and significant effect on fertility, while maternity leave benefits have no significant effect. Increasing the value of family allowances by 25 per cent would result in an 0.6 per cent increase in fertility level in the short run. In the long run this effect would be of the order of 4 per cent, or about 0.07 children per woman on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-communicable diseases are on the rise across sub-Saharan Africa. The region has become a targeted growth market for sugar-sweetened beverages, which are associated with weight gain, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Objective: To identify politico-economic factors relevant to nutrition-related fiscal policies, and to draw lessons regarding strategies to strengthen sugar-sweetened beverages taxation in the region and globally. Methods: We collected documentary data on policy content, stakeholders and corporate political activity from seven countries in east and southern Africa augmented by qualitative interviews in Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and Zambia, and stakeholder consultations in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Data were analysed using a political economy framework, focusing on ideas, institutions, interests and power, and a 'bricolage' approach was employed to identify strategies for future action. Results: Non-communicable diseases were recognised as a priority in all countries. Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda had taxes on non-alcoholic beverages, which varied in rate and tax base, but appeared to be motivated by revenue rather than health concerns. Botswana and Namibia indicated intention to adopt sugar-sweetened beverage taxes. Health-oriented sugar-sweetened beverage taxation faced challenges from entrenched economic policy paradigms for industry-led economic growth and was actively opposed by sugar-sweetened beverage-related industries. Strategies identified to support stronger sugar-sweetened beverage taxation included shifting the economic discourse to strengthen health considerations, developing positive public opinion, forging links with the agriculture sector for shared benefit, and leadership by a central government agency. Conclusions: There are opportunities for more strategic public health engagement with the economic sector to foster strong nutrition-related fiscal policy for non-communicable disease prevention in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]