WorldWideScience

Sample records for local education capacity

  1. School Mental Health: The Impact of State and Local Capacity-Building Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Sharon; Paternite, Carl; Grimm, Lindsey; Hurwitz, Laura

    2014-01-01

    Despite a growing number of collaborative partnerships between schools and community-based organizations to expand school mental health (SMH) service capacity in the United States, there have been relatively few systematic initiatives focused on key strategies for large-scale SMH capacity building with state and local education systems. Based on a…

  2. Patronage or Partnership: Local Capacity Building in Humanitarian ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Much has been written about the need to build local capacities in emergency and ... In reality, strengthening local capacity is easier said than done, and there are ... Fund—managed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)—are ...

  3. Building Sustainable Local Capacity for Global Health Research in West Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sam-Agudu, Nadia A; Paintsil, Elijah; Aliyu, Muktar H; Kwara, Awewura; Ogunsola, Folasade; Afrane, Yaw A; Onoka, Chima; Awandare, Gordon A; Amponsah, Gladys; Cornelius, Llewellyn J; Mendy, Gabou; Sturke, Rachel; Ghansah, Anita; Siberry, George K; Ezeanolue, Echezona E

    Global health research in resource-limited countries has been largely sponsored and led by foreign institutions. Thus, these countries' training capacity and productivity in global health research is limited. Local participation at all levels of global health knowledge generation promotes equitable access to evidence-based solutions. Additionally, leadership inclusive of competent local professionals promotes best outcomes for local contextualization and implementation of successful global health solutions. Among the sub-Saharan African regions, West Africa in particular lags in research infrastructure, productivity, and impact in global health research. In this paper, experts discuss strategies for scaling up West Africa's participation in global health evidence generation using examples from Ghana and Nigeria. We conducted an online and professional network search to identify grants awarded for global health research and research education in Ghana and Nigeria. Principal investigators, global health educators, and representatives of funding institutions were invited to add their knowledge and expertise with regard to strengthening research capacity in West Africa. While there has been some progress in obtaining foreign funding, foreign institutions still dominate local research. Local research funding opportunities in the 2 countries were found to be insufficient, disjointed, poorly sustained, and inadequately publicized, indicating weak infrastructure. As a result, research training programs produce graduates who ultimately fail to launch independent investigator careers because of lack of mentoring and poor infrastructural support. Research funding and training opportunities in Ghana and Nigeria remain inadequate. We recommend systems-level changes in mentoring, collaboration, and funding to drive the global health research agenda in these countries. Additionally, research training programs should be evaluated not only by numbers of individuals graduated but

  4. When High-Capacity Readers Slow Down and Low-Capacity Readers Speed Up: Working Memory and Locality Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicenboim, Bruno; Logačev, Pavel; Gattei, Carolina; Vasishth, Shravan

    2016-01-01

    We examined the effects of argument-head distance in SVO and SOV languages (Spanish and German), while taking into account readers' working memory capacity and controlling for expectation (Levy, 2008) and other factors. We predicted only locality effects, that is, a slowdown produced by increased dependency distance (Gibson, 2000; Lewis and Vasishth, 2005). Furthermore, we expected stronger locality effects for readers with low working memory capacity. Contrary to our predictions, low-capacity readers showed faster reading with increased distance, while high-capacity readers showed locality effects. We suggest that while the locality effects are compatible with memory-based explanations, the speedup of low-capacity readers can be explained by an increased probability of retrieval failure. We present a computational model based on ACT-R built under the previous assumptions, which is able to give a qualitative account for the present data and can be tested in future research. Our results suggest that in some cases, interpreting longer RTs as indexing increased processing difficulty and shorter RTs as facilitation may be too simplistic: The same increase in processing difficulty may lead to slowdowns in high-capacity readers and speedups in low-capacity ones. Ignoring individual level capacity differences when investigating locality effects may lead to misleading conclusions.

  5. When high-capacity readers slow down and low-capacity readers speed up: Working memory and locality effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno eNicenboim

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available We examined the effects of argument-head distance in SVO and SOV languages (Spanish and German, while taking into account readers’ working memory capacity and controlling for expectation (Levy, 2008 and other factors. We predicted only locality effects, that is, a slow-down produced by increased dependency distance (Gibson, 2000; Lewis & Vasishth, 2005. Furthermore, we expected stronger locality effects for readers with low working memory capacity. Contrary to our predictions, low-capacity readers showed faster reading with increased distance, while high-capacity readers showed locality effects. We suggest that while the locality effects are compatible with memory-based explanations, the speedup of low-capacity readers can be explained by an increased probability of retrieval failure. We present a computational model based on ACT-R built under the previous assumptions, which is able to give a qualitative account for the present data and can be tested in future research. Our results suggest that in some cases, interpreting longer RTs as indexing increased processing difficulty and shorter RTs as facilitation may be too simplistic: The same increase in processing difficulty may lead to slowdowns in high-capacity readers and speedups in low-capacity ones. Ignoring individual level capacity differences when investigating locality effects may lead to misleading conclusions.

  6. Why study higher education and capacity building in Africa?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine; Madsen, Lene Møller; Jensen, Stig

    2015-01-01

    innovative approach to higher education and capacity building, namely by studying this through ‘geographies of knowledge’. This is an interdisciplinary field that pays attention to the ways scientific knowledge is produced and consumed with a special focus on geography. By using a geographical approach...... for exploring the current and future development of teaching and knowledge production in Africa, we want to explore how scientific knowledge is negotiated and contested in parallel to societal changes in general and capacity building in particular, and thus how scientific knowledge becomes local. Then we...... position the book and its authors before the structure of the book is presented together with a short presentation of the case-based chapters, organised in three parts. These are Part I: Capacity building of African universities – asymmetrical power relations? Part II: Researching and teaching climate...

  7. Higher education and capacity building in Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Higher education has recently been recognised as a key driver for societal growth in the Global South and capacity building of African universities is now widely included in donor policies. The question is; how do capacity-building projects affect African universities, researchers and students? U...... is a valuable resource for researchers and postgraduate students in education, development studies, African studies and human geography, as well as anthropology and history.......? Universities and their scientific knowledges are often seen to have universal qualities; therefore, capacity building may appear straightforward. Higher Education and Capacity Building in Africa contests such universalistic notions. Inspired by ideas about the ‘geography of scientific knowledge’ it explores...

  8. Learning in Australian local government: A roadmap for improving education & training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Woods

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Faced with a context of national and state reform agendas as well as resource scarcity, Australian local government has pressing workforce development issues. This level of government is small in scale, geographically dispersed and subject to variations in state jurisdiction. These factors represent structural constraints to identifying and advocating a national approach for addressing workforce needs such as the provision of tailored education and professional development. This paper documents a sector consultation process exploring education and professional development for local government which aimed to identify needs on both supply and demand sides. The research found that aspirations for education and professional development tailored to the needs of local government aim to support the development of better local governance and leadership, and to address critical skills shortage issues. This may provide empirical grounds for promoting, planning, implementing and evaluating capacity-building initiatives in this third tier of government in the Australian federation.

  9. Does local government have capacity for enabling local economic development? Lessons from Jamaica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eris D Schoburgh

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Implementation of the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED1began in 2012 in seven countries for a duration of six years, to support sustainable economic growth in the region. CARILED has introduced the idea of local economic development (LED to the ‘development’ debate in the region but has also brought the organisational capacity of local government, and local government’s role as ‘facilitator’ of LED,to the fore. This paper assesses organizational behaviour and capability in local government in Jamaica to determine the state of readiness for a developmental role. The paper draws on two sets of research data to aid its analysis–a capacity audit (CAPAUD conducted in 2010 and an organisational analysis (OAcommissioned by the Ministry of Local Government in 2010, both of which targeted a sample of local authorities in Jamaica. The study found that when assessed against established criteria for an LED organisation, ie: research and information provision; marketing and coordination; learning and innovation; and leadership - local government’s institutional and organisational capacity for development is unevenly distributed. For instance, local leaders understood organisational purpose but efforts to give effect to this appeared undeveloped, sporadic and uni-directional. It was also evident that participatory strategies are used to gain information from communities but these were often devoid of systematic research methodologies rendering formal community impact on local planning negligent. Finally there is strong potential for the kind of administrative leadership required by a developmental local government to evolve,indicated by the quality of training, quantum of managerial/supervisory staff, and stability of staff establishment. However, this potential is threatened by the deficiencies in the non-traditional functional areas that are strategic to the organisation’s effectiveness as a ‘facilitator’ of LED, ie

  10. Sorsogon State College’s Performance and Management Excellence: Inputs to globally competitive yet locally responsive educational tourism

    OpenAIRE

    Vivien L. Chua

    2017-01-01

    Educational tourism clearly situates the new role of Sorsogon State College (SSC) for world-class education while in support to the locally sustainable tourism development of the province and beyond. This paper was able to assess SSC’s capacities to manage globally competitive and locally responsive educational tourism. A mix method of research was used in examining the SSC’s educational tourism through an inventory of academic performance and quality management excellence for ...

  11. THE LEGAL INDEBTEDNESS CAPACITY OF ROMANIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS - THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bilan Irina

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The factual, not only formal capacity of local governments to appeal to borrowed resources is, considering the current conditions, a prerequisite for ensuring economic and social development of local communities. In this paper we intend to position the main theoretical and empirical evidences on local governments indebtedness capacity, mainly focusing on its sizing according to Romanian regulatory framework. With respect to previous research, the issue approached is one of great interest as it has not been, in the Romanian literature on local public finances, subject to a separate analysis of proportions. The undertaken analysis comprises a quantitative dimension, based on processed data from the consolidated general budget of Romanian local governments for 2007-2009, in permanent conjunction with monitoring and analysis of the involved qualitative aspects. To ensure the relevance of the research results, the analysis undertaken refers to the legal framework in function throughout the considered period of time, without involving the legislative changes operated in mid-2010. The main conclusions drawn from our analysis indicate that, considering the current Romanian socio-economic environment, under the impact of specific factors of different nature, the legal indebtedness capacity is far from being well valued, thus bringing its benefits to local communities development. This conclusion is valid from a global perspective as well as for different types of local communities. This appears to be inconsistent with the permanently claimed need to fund important local public investments, mainly in infrastructure, indicating, despite the high legal indebtedness capacity, the lack of factual access to borrowed resources. We suggest, therefore, to introduce the concept of effective indebtedness capacity, the result of a particularized correlation for different local governments between legal indebtedness capacity and the manifestation of several factors

  12. Technical and institutional capacity in local organisations to manage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Technical and institutional capacity in local organisations to manage decentralised forest resources in Uganda. ... Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science ... to implement decentralised forest governance exists in local organisations through partnerships with other actors in the productive use of the available resources.

  13. Capacity-building activities for local leadership in Egypt from the local to the national and regional levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Sioufi, M

    1996-03-01

    In order to make the Sustainable Ismailia Project institutionally sustainable, the National Project Manager identified the need to build the capacity of local leadership. The Training Section, in UNCHS, proposed a capacity-building program designed to respond to this demand focusing on the skill-training and attitude formation needed for effective local leadership. The proposed program is adapted from the "Training for Elected Leadership" series widely tested and used in many regions. It combines direct training for local officials from villages in Ismailia, and indirect training for trainers from the Ministry of Local Administration (MLA). After the course, the MLA trainers would design a training program which they will implement nationally. The Minister for Local Administration decided to finance the translation and production of the manuals, while the Governor of Ismailia offered to cover the trainees' expenses. The UNCHS Training and Capacity-Building Section would provide technical guidance and coordinate and implement the program. Once the Arabic version of the training materials would be available, UNCHS would use it regionally to reach out to other Arab States. This example illustrates how concerned stakeholders cooperate to address capacity-building needs. The UNCHS Training Section assumes the role of facilitator and acts as a catalyst for the formulation of such activities. The feeling of ownership of the locally produced/adapted training materials enhances the propensity of their effective and extensive use. This approach has succeeded across regions, cultures, and languages with out-reaching multiplier effects. full text

  14. Driving improvements in emerging disease surveillance through locally relevant capacity strengthening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halliday, Jo E B; Hampson, Katie; Hanley, Nick; Lembo, Tiziana; Sharp, Joanne P; Haydon, Daniel T; Cleaveland, Sarah

    2017-07-14

    Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) threaten the health of people, animals, and crops globally, but our ability to predict their occurrence is limited. Current public health capacity and ability to detect and respond to EIDs is typically weakest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many known drivers of EID emergence also converge in LMICs. Strengthening capacity for surveillance of diseases of relevance to local populations can provide a mechanism for building the cross-cutting and flexible capacities needed to tackle both the burden of existing diseases and EID threats. A focus on locally relevant diseases in LMICs and the economic, social, and cultural contexts of surveillance can help address existing inequalities in health systems, improve the capacity to detect and contain EIDs, and contribute to broader global goals for development. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  15. Tax levy financing for local public health: fiscal allocation, effort, and capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, William J; Gearin, Kimberly J; Parrotta, Carmen D; Briggs, Jill; Gyllstrom, M Elizabeth

    2013-12-01

    Local health departments (LHDs) rely on a wide variety of funding sources, and the level of financing is associated with both LHD performance in essential public health services and population health outcomes. Although it has been shown that funding sources vary across LHDs, there is no evidence regarding the relationship between fiscal allocation (local tax levy); fiscal effort (tax capacity); and fiscal capacity (community wealth). The purpose of this study is to analyze local tax levy support for LHD funding. Three research questions are addressed: (1) What are tax levy trends in LHD fiscal allocation? (2) What is the role of tax levy in overall LHD financing? and (3) How do local community fiscal capacity and fiscal effort relate to LHD tax levy fiscal allocation? This study focuses on 74 LHDs eligible for local tax levy funding in Minnesota. Funding and expenditure data for 5 years (2006 to 2010) were compiled from four governmental databases, including the Minnesota Department of Health, the State Auditor, the State Demographer, and the Metropolitan Council. Trends in various funding sources and expenditures are described for the time frame of interest. Data were analyzed in 2012. During the 2006-2010 time period, total average LHD per capita expenditures increased 13%, from $50.98 to $57.63. Although the overall tax levy increase in Minnesota was 25%, the local tax levy for public health increased 5.6% during the same period. There is a direct relationship between fiscal effort and LHD expenditures. Local funding reflects LHD community priorities and the relative importance in comparison to funding other local programs with tax dollars. In Minnesota, local tax levy support for local public health services is not keeping pace with local tax support for other local government services. These results raise important questions about the relationship between tax levy resource effort, resource allocation, and fiscal capacity as they relate to public health

  16. Education and Training Needs in the Field of Local Development in the Lower Danube Macro Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurenţiu Tăchiciu

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The present paper is the result of an effort made by the authors to explore the needs of education and training in the field of local development, according to the situation in Romanian and Bulgarian Danube bordering regions, aiming at designing joint projects to address such needs between the universities to which authors are affiliated. Local development is here understood as a deliberately induced process of improving the welfare of local communities, which should be democratic, inclusive and sustainable, in particular with regard to creating competitive local economies, stimulating economic growth and ensuring better living conditions for the inhabitants. Local development is an important part of a governance process which involves complex interactions at various territorially defined levels: local, regional, national, cross-national, international. In the case of the regions considered in the present paper a historical opportunity is provided for them by the so called European Union Strategy for the Danube Region. In order to fully exploit this opportunity, the capacity to address local development issues should be strengthened in both countries, especially by well designed education and training programmes. This is why local development was considered a priority topic for the cooperation between the two universities. In the same framework, taking into consideration the challenges which are specific to the Lower Danube Region, other topics of interest were considered: logistics, tourism, consumer affairs or rural development. The authors of the present paper had to avoid overlapping with the work of the other teams. In particular, there are many common points between local development and rural development, because in both countries the regions on the border of Danube are predominately rural and significantly dependent on agriculture. Therefore, here, the needs for education and training are defined in strict correlation with the required

  17. Multiple governance and fisheries commons: Investigating the performance of local capacities in rural Bangladesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Al Mamun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This study presents a post-facto evaluation of the local capacity development processes used under co-management of fisheries and other resources of southern Bangladesh. It answers the question of how supportive were the capacity development tools used in implementing co-management. An 18 month study was conducted and six cases were investigated to understand the approaches to co-management programs used to develop local capacity. Founded in pragmatism and viewing co-management through a governance lens, a comparative case study method was used that combined both qualitative and quantitative research approaches for data collection and subsequent analysis. This study provides empirical evidence that co-management programs have applied a number of strategies (e.g. human resource and economic development to enhance local capacities. However, these strategies have achieved mixed results with regard to developing governance that supports livelihoods. Training provided to develop human resources and economic capacity were not useful for fishers or had little lasting effects on fisheries development due to poor monitoring and a disconnection with the needs of local users. This study concludes that comanagement can facilitate local capacity but in order to realize the full potential of this approach we must address the issues of inappropriate technologies for training, the financial barriers to fishers with low cash income, and uneven power relationships among stakeholders, to create an enabling environment for effective modern governance of the fisheries commons. Our findings indicate a needsbased approach to capacity building is needed in order to support the livelihoods of local users through co-management

  18. Beyond Vulnerability Assessment: Impact of Developments toward Local Adaptive Capacity in Kemijen City Village, Semarang City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayanimitta, M. E.; Puspasari, D. A.; Widyahantari, R.; Kristina, D.; Ratnaningtyas, T.; Setionurjaya, A.; Anindita, Y. A.

    2018-02-01

    Vulnerability Assessment is usually used for assessing the ability of an area on facing disaster. In previous studies, the study of Vulnerability Assessment applied only quantitative method to show the vulnerability level. Therefore, this study attempts to add information reviews using qualitative method. Kemijen City Village is one of the administrative areas in the northern part of Semarang City affected by climate change. The residents have to adapt it by renovating and elevating their houses and other infrastructures to avoid floods. There are some development programs held by government, NGOs, and corporations such as Banger Polder Development, PLPBK, etc. It is interesting to know how big the vulnerability level of Kemijen on facing flood disasters, then how the projects can affect local adaptive capacity. To answer it, this research uses mixed-method approach. Vulnerability Assessment uses quantitative method by scoring indicators of Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity, while the development impact uses qualitative method. The data were collected through interviews and FGD conducted in Joint Studio Course between Diponegoro University and University of Hawaii in October 2016. Non-physical programs such as community empowerment have more positive impacts on local adaptive capacity in Kemijen. Community participation is important for environmental sustainability that can not be done in a short time to educate the people.

  19. Higher Education and Capacity Building in Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    ? Universities and their scientific knowledges are often seen to have universal qualities; therefore, capacity building may appear straightforward. Higher Education and Capacity Building in Africa contests such universalistic notions. Inspired by ideas about the ‘geography of scientific knowledge’ it explores...... what role specific places and relationships have in knowledge production, and analyses how cultural experiences are included and excluded in teaching and research. Thus, the different chapters show how what constitutes legitimate scientific knowledge is negotiated and contested. In doing so...... is a valuable resource for researchers and postgraduate students in education, development studies, African studies and human geography, as well as anthropology and history....

  20. Colleges and Communities: Increasing Local Capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Fred D.

    2001-01-01

    Community colleges in Appalachia are helping boost local economies and expand educational opportunities through the national Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI). At the heart of RCCI is a nine-step strategic planning process in which a community group moves from vision to action. Kentucky's Southeast Community College has promoted…

  1. Local economic impacts associated with pure taxable capacity changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjornstad, D.J.

    1982-01-01

    A fiscal-impact model based on the introduction of a nuclear power plant demonstrates the need to integrate local public-sector impacts with local private-sector impacts when estimating the economic changes a community undergoes in response to a significant exogenous shock. A nuclear plant differs from other electrical generating facilities because siting regulations require locating in a low-population density area where the influence on the community will be substantial. These characteristics approximate the pure fiscal capacity change or pure tax revenue importation concept. Four sections of the paper describe local decision making on taxes, identify the parameters that may shape local impact, analyze indifference curves as they integrate with the local macroeconomic model, and compare data for two communities in which both private and public local economic sectors show stimulation. 12 references, 1 figure

  2. "A False Dilemma": Should Decisions about Education Resource Use Be Made at the State or Local Level?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timar, Thomas B.; Roza, Marguerite

    2010-01-01

    Over the past 30 years, states have assumed a greater role in financing education. The presumption of local control has been superseded by systems of state control. This shift in authority raises several critical questions. Chief among them is, "What effect has centralization of education financing had on the capacity of school districts to…

  3. Capacity issues in local communities for integral urban regeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mrđenović Tatjana

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The subject of the research in wider sense is organizational-communication capacity of local communities in Serbia in the frame of sustainable development. Along with this, the paper will explore potentialities of Faludi's model of multiplanning agencies as well as Healey's collaborative theory for better efficiency and effectiveness of planning in the process of urban regeneration. Specifically the paper will research relation between organizational structure of local communities in Serbia and their potentialities to provide adequate communication towards integral information for urban regeneration. Research is framed with a problem of efficiency and effectiveness in creating urban regeneration policies, strategies, designs, and technical solutions. The problem will be focused to Serbian context; characterized with inadequate, transitional, system of governance that is moving from centralistic towards decentralist model. This will be further explored through level and type of participation in the process of urban regeneration. The hypothesis of the research explores the nature of the relation between number and types of communication channels, provided by organizational structure of local communities that should enable effectiveness and efficiency of urban regeneration. In other words the hypothesis is: number and types of communication channels (variable A influences the effectiveness and efficiency of urban planning for sustainable urban regeneration (variable B. The aims of the paper are identification of the regulations between the variables. Expected result is establishing the model for measuring the capacity of local communities for integral urban regeneration.

  4. The Capacity to Integrate and Deal with Environmental Issues in Local Transport Policy and Planning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Carsten Jahn

    2002-01-01

    The article identifies and discuss the capacity to integrate and deal with environmental issues in local transport policy-making and planning processes.......The article identifies and discuss the capacity to integrate and deal with environmental issues in local transport policy-making and planning processes....

  5. Network governance and capacity of local governments to deliver LED in Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rose B Namara

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses network governance and its contribution to the capacity of local governments (LGs to deliver local economic development (LED in Uganda. Although a formal LED policy was only established in Uganda in February 2014, there have been LED-inspired practices in the past decade. Various scholars and practitioners have observed that the autonomy and capacity of LGs to deliver LED is limited, but have been hopeful that new governance strategies like network governance would increase the capacities of LGs. However, neither network governance arrangements among LGs, nor their potential to improve governance capacity, have been documented. In a case study of Kyenjojo District, this paper finds that existing network governance arrangements have been fundamental in improving financial autonomy at this LG, delivering some income to invest in LED activities, although no evidence was found of reduced transaction costs in transforming local economies. The study further reveals that network governance arrangements have not led to the development of specialised skills in regulation or law enforcement, and capacity gaps are evident amongst staff and members in understanding the private sector and how it works. On a positive note, there is clear evidence of attempts by the LG to be innovative. Based on these findings, this study recommends that LGs need to consider a multi-pronged or multi-network governance approach to LED, which in turn will require a refocusing of governance mechanisms to become more dynamic and responsive, and offer incentives to the various actors in the development sector.

  6. Rapid ecosystem change challenges the adaptive capacity of Local Environmental Knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro; Díaz-Reviriego, Isabel; Luz, Ana C; Cabeza, Mar; Pyhälä, Aili; Reyes-García, Victoria

    2015-03-01

    The use of Local Environmental Knowledge has been considered as an important strategy for adaptive management in the face of Global Environmental Change. However, the unprecedented rates at which global change occurs may pose a challenge to the adaptive capacity of local knowledge systems. In this paper, we use the concept of the shifting baseline syndrome to examine the limits in the adaptive capacity of the local knowledge of an indigenous society facing rapid ecosystem change. We conducted semi-structured interviews regarding perceptions of change in wildlife populations and in intergenerational transmission of knowledge amongst the Tsimane', a group of hunter-gatherers of Bolivian Amazonia ( n = 300 adults in 13 villages). We found that the natural baseline against which the Tsimane' measure ecosystem changes might be shifting with every generation as a result of (a) age-related differences in the perception of change and (b) a decrease in the intergenerational sharing of environmental knowledge. Such findings suggest that local knowledge systems might not change at a rate quick enough to adapt to conditions of rapid ecosystem change, hence potentially compromising the adaptive success of the entire social-ecological system. With the current pace of Global Environmental Change, widening the gap between the temporal rates of on-going ecosystem change and the timescale needed for local knowledge systems to adjust to change, efforts to tackle the shifting baseline syndrome are urgent and critical for those who aim to use Local Environmental Knowledge as a tool for adaptive management.

  7. Adult and Non-Formal Education: An Imperative for Human Capacity ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR Nneka

    capacity development could be defined as the development of a workforce .... and the community and between theory and practice in Adult Education, ... ANFE provides education for women in order to empower them, enable them gain.

  8. Sex education for local tourism/hospitality employees: addressing a local health need.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Irmgard L

    2009-11-01

    Health concerns arising from sexual relationships between tourists and locals usually focus on the travelling public. The local sex partners' health, and their impact on their communities' health, seem far less acknowledged. This paper describes a local health education session which implemented recommendations based on a study in Cuzco/Peru on tourists' and locals' views, knowledge, attitudes and experiences relating to sexual relationships between them. On location, fifteen discotheque employees received a health education session at the establishment's owner's request. Concluding from the positive experience, it is argued that researchers should, where possible, respond to requests to deliver ad hoc health education sessions while on location to address an identified local health need.

  9. Strengthening and expanding the capacity of health worker education in Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michelo, Charles; Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Simuyemba, Moses; Andrews, Benjamin; Katubulushi, Max; Chi, Benjamin; Njelesani, Evariste; Vwalika, Bellington; Bowa, Kasonde; Maimbolwa, Margaret; Chipeta, James; Goma, Fastone; Nzala, Selestine; Banda, Sekelani; Mudenda, John; Ahmed, Yusuf; Hachambwa, Lotti; Wilson, Craig; Vermund, Sten; Mulla, Yakub

    2017-01-01

    Zambia is facing a chronic shortage of health care workers. The paper aimed at understanding how the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program facilitated strengthening and expanding of the national capacity and quality of medical education as well as processes for retaining faculty in Zambia. Data generated through documentary review, key informant interviews and observations were analyzed using a thematic approach. The MEPI program triggered the development of new postgraduate programs thereby increasing student enrollment. This was achieved by leveraging of existing and new partnerships with other universities and differentiating the old Master in Public Health into specialized curriculum. Furthermore, the MEPI program improved the capacity and quality of training by facilitating installation and integration of new technology such as the eGranary digital library, E-learning methods and clinical skills laboratory into the Schools. This technology enabled easy access to relevant data or information, quicker turn around of experiments and enhanced data recording, display and analysis features for experiments. The program also facilitated transforming of the academic environment into a more conducive work place through strengthening the Staff Development program and support towards research activities. These activities stimulated work motivation and interest in research by faculty. Meanwhile, these processes were inhibited by the inability to upload all courses on to Moodle as well as inadequate operating procedures and feedback mechanisms for the Moodle. Expansion and improvement in training processes for health care workers requires targeted investment within medical institutions and strengthening local and international partnerships.

  10. Local Authority Education in a Democratic Scotland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairley, John

    1998-01-01

    Establishment of a Scottish Parliament in 1999 will pose questions about its relationship to local authorities and their role in education. Possible scenarios are discussed in which Parliament pursues centralization or decentralization in education policy. Recent reforms to local government structures may allow local councils to become partners of…

  11. Building midwifery educator capacity using international partnerships: Findings from a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Florence; Dawson, Angela; Homer, Caroline S E

    2017-07-01

    Midwifery educators play a critical role in strengthening the midwifery workforce globally, including in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure that midwives are adequately prepared to deliver quality midwifery care. The most effective approach to building midwifery educator capacity is not always clear. The aim of this study was to determine how one capacity building approach in Papua New Guinea (PNG) used international partnerships to improve teaching and learning. A qualitative exploratory case study design was used to explore the perspectives of 26 midwifery educators working in midwifery education institutions in PNG. Seven themes were identified which provide insights into the factors that enable and constrain midwifery educator capacity building. The study provides insights into strategies which may aid institutions and individuals better plan and implement international midwifery partnerships to strengthen context-specific knowledge and skills in teaching. Further research is necessary to assess how these findings can be transferred to other contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Increasing capacity to deliver diabetes self-management education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carey, M. E.; Mandalia, P. K.; Daly, H.

    2014-01-01

    Aim: To develop and test a format of delivery of diabetes self-management education by paired professional and lay educators. Methods: We conducted an equivalence trial with non-randomized participant allocation to a Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed Type 2 di...... educator role can provide equivalent patient benefits. This could provide a method that increases capacity, maintains quality and is cost-effective, while increasing access to self-management education.......Aim: To develop and test a format of delivery of diabetes self-management education by paired professional and lay educators. Methods: We conducted an equivalence trial with non-randomized participant allocation to a Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed Type 2...... diabetes (DESMOND) course, delivered in the standard format by two trained healthcare professional educators (to the control group) or by one trained lay educator and one professional educator (to the intervention group). A total of 260 people with Type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the previous 12 months...

  13. Building Software Development Capacity to Advance the State of Educational Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luterbach, Kenneth J.

    2013-01-01

    Educational technologists may advance the state of the field by increasing capacity to develop software tools and instructional applications. Presently, few academic programs in educational technology require even a single computer programming course. Further, the educational technologists who develop software generally work independently or in…

  14. Enhancing the Federal Government's Capacity to Support the Improvement of Education through Research and Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawley, Willis D.

    1990-01-01

    Discusses the federal government's role in educational research and development, in particular, the capacity of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Considers how the federal government's capacity to support the development, dissemination, and implementation of education-related knowledge can be significantly enhanced by incremental…

  15. Strengthening capacity for local evidence to inform local responders to HIV in a remote Solomon Island health service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David MacLaren

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Documenting specific knowledge and attitudes about HIV in the culturally diverse nation of Solomon Islands is essential to inform locally targeted public health responses. As part of a large capacity-strengthening project at Atoifi Adventist Hospital in East Kwaio, Solomon Islands, researchers, using a ‘learn-by-doing’ process, worked with participants in public health research methods. Methods: Overall, 43 people attended research capacity building workshops in 2011; eight joined the HIV study group. A cross-sectional survey including semi-structured interviews on HIV was conducted by the group. In February 2014, a hospital administrator was interviewed about how the 2011 study informed local HIV responses. Results: Of the 53 survey participants, 64% self-assessed as having little or no HIV knowledge, but 90% knew HIV could be transmitted between men and women during sex. Less than 50% knew HIV could be transmitted between two men having sex, 45% thought HIV could be transmitted by mosquitoes and 55% agreed condoms help protect from HIV. Most participants reported negative attitudes towards people with HIV. Three years later the health administrator reported ad hoc responses to HIV because of low HIV prevalence, increasing noncommunicable diseases, staff turnover and resource shortages. Discussion: This HIV study was used to strengthen research skills in local health professionals and community members in Solomon Islands. It showed that community members require accurate information about HIV transmission and that entrenched stigma is an issue. Although results provided local evidence for local response, ongoing health system challenges and little local HIV transmission meant HIV services remain rudimentary.

  16. Evaluating the engagement of universities in capacity building for sustainable development in local communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiel, Chris; Leal Filho, Walter; do Paço, Arminda; Brandli, Luciana

    2016-02-01

    Universities have the potential to play a leading role in enabling communities to develop more sustainable ways of living and working however, sustainable communities may only emerge with facilitation, community learning and continual efforts to build their capacities. Elements of programme planning and evaluation on the one hand, and capacity building on the other, are needed. The latter entails approaches and processes that may contribute to community empowerment; universities may either lead such approaches, or be key partners in an endeavour to empower communities to address the challenges posed by the need for sustainable development. Although capacity building and the promotion of sustainable development locally, are on the agenda for universities who take seriously regional engagement, very little is published that illustrates or describes the various forms of activities that take place. Further, there is a paucity of studies that have evaluated the work performed by universities in building capacity for sustainable development at the local level. This paper is an attempt to address this need, and entails an empirical study based on a sample of universities in the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal and Brazil. The paper examines the extent to which capacity building for sustainable development is being undertaken, suggests the forms that this might take and evaluates some of the benefits for local communities. The paper concludes by reinforcing that universities have a critical role to play in community development; that role has to prioritise the sustainability agenda. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Harnessing the sun: Developing capacity to sustain local solar energy systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olarewaju, Olufemi

    2011-12-01

    Use of solar photovoltaic (PV) and other renewable sources to meet rising electricity demand by a growing world population has gained traction in many countries in recent years. In rural Sub-Saharan Africa, where 86 percent of the populace has no access to electricity, solar energy systems represent partial solutions to demand, especially in support of rural development initiatives to supply potable water, health care services and education. Unfortunately, development of human and organizational capacity to maintain solar technology has not kept pace with the rate of installation, causing many to fall into disrepair and disuse. This has stimulated interest in capacity development processes required to make solar systems sustainable. To cast light on the practical meanings and challenges of capacity development for solar energy, this study compares the experiences of two rural projects, one in Lagos State (Nigeria) that disregarded the importance of capacity development, and the other in Texas (United States) that, in contrast, made such development the centerpiece of its operations. Based largely on interviews with 60 key actors, findings underscore the crucial importance of sustained investment in capacity development to assurance of durable power supply from renewable sources.

  18. The development and pilot testing of a rapid assessment tool to improve local public health system capacity in Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Vivian

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To operate effectively the public health system requires infrastructure and the capacity to act. Public health's ability to attract funding for infrastructure and capacity development would be enhanced if it was able to demonstrate what level of capacity was required to ensure a high performing system. Australia's public health activities are undertaken within a complex organizational framework that involves three levels of government and a diverse range of other organizations. The question of appropriate levels of infrastructure and capacity is critical at each level. Comparatively little is known about infrastructure and capacity at the local level. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with senior managers in two Australian states with different frameworks for health administration. They were asked to reflect on the critical components of infrastructure and capacity required at the local level. The interviews were analyzed to identify the major themes. Workshops with public health experts explored this data further. The information generated was used to develop a tool, designed to be used by groups of organizations within discrete geographical locations to assess local public health capacity. Results Local actors in these two different systems pointed to similar areas for inclusion for the development of an instrument to map public health capacity at the local level. The tool asks respondents to consider resources, programs and the cultural environment within their organization. It also asks about the policy environment - recognizing that the broader environment within which organizations operate impacts on their capacity to act. Pilot testing of the tool pointed to some of the challenges involved in such an exercise, particularly if the tool were to be adopted as policy. Conclusion This research indicates that it is possible to develop a tool for the systematic assessment of public health capacity at the local level

  19. The development and pilot testing of a rapid assessment tool to improve local public health system capacity in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagley, Prue; Lin, Vivian

    2009-11-15

    To operate effectively the public health system requires infrastructure and the capacity to act. Public health's ability to attract funding for infrastructure and capacity development would be enhanced if it was able to demonstrate what level of capacity was required to ensure a high performing system. Australia's public health activities are undertaken within a complex organizational framework that involves three levels of government and a diverse range of other organizations. The question of appropriate levels of infrastructure and capacity is critical at each level. Comparatively little is known about infrastructure and capacity at the local level. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior managers in two Australian states with different frameworks for health administration. They were asked to reflect on the critical components of infrastructure and capacity required at the local level. The interviews were analyzed to identify the major themes. Workshops with public health experts explored this data further. The information generated was used to develop a tool, designed to be used by groups of organizations within discrete geographical locations to assess local public health capacity. Local actors in these two different systems pointed to similar areas for inclusion for the development of an instrument to map public health capacity at the local level. The tool asks respondents to consider resources, programs and the cultural environment within their organization. It also asks about the policy environment - recognizing that the broader environment within which organizations operate impacts on their capacity to act. Pilot testing of the tool pointed to some of the challenges involved in such an exercise, particularly if the tool were to be adopted as policy. This research indicates that it is possible to develop a tool for the systematic assessment of public health capacity at the local level. Piloting the tool revealed some concerns amongst participants

  20. IFKIS - ten years of experience with the intercantonal early warning and crisis information system as a good-practice example for local capacity building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bründl, M.; Stoffel, L.

    2012-04-01

    As a consequence of the avalanche winter in January/February 1999 in Switzerland the project "intercantonal early warning and crisis information system" (IFKIS) was initialised. The goal of this project was to close the gaps recognised in the event analysis of this one-month avalanche period, which caused 17 fatalities and over 600 million CHF of damage [1,2]. Whereas the system of integral avalanche protection consisting of technical measures, land use planning and protection forests proved to be successful, the most important gaps were found to be in the organisational part. Especially communities who did not have an every-winter-experience had faced problems in managing the extraordinary event. The main deficiencies were less experienced or even missing local avalanche safety services and missing information and communication. The results of the IFKIS project embrace a concept for education courses, a concept for compulsory booklets and a guideline for the daily work in local avalanche safety services, and the information system IFKIS-InfoManager improving the two-way communication between the national avalanche warning service and the local services on the one side and enhancing the communication between local and regional avalanche services (IFKIS-MIS) on the other side [3]. The results of the project IFKIS are implemented in practice since 10 years. Since 2000 every winter two to three courses were conducted at two levels either in German, French and Italian. Since 2000 about thousand participants completed the courses. Feedback from participants and observations made by cantonal authorities and the national avalanche warning centre SLF revealed that these education courses greatly improved the local capacity for dealing with critical avalanche situations. The system of regular avalanches courses at the community level served meanwhile as a good-practice example for comparable courses initialised by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) as a

  1. Globalisation And Local Indigenous Education In Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinke, Leanne

    2004-11-01

    Globalisation is often viewed as a threat to cultural and linguistic diversity and therefore is a central concern of educational practices and policy. The present study challenges this common view by demonstrating that local communities can use global means to support and enhance their specific practices and policies. An historical exploration of education policy in Mexico reveals that there has been a continuing struggle by indigenous peoples to maintain locally relevant modes of teaching. Indigenous peoples have increasingly used technology to maintain their languages and local cultural practices. Such accentuation of the local in a global context is exemplified by the people of Chiapas: They live in subsistence-type communities, yet their recent education movements and appeals to international solidarity (such as in the Zapatista rebellion) have employed computer-aided technologies.

  2. Capacity building for higher education in developing countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Enemark, Stig

    2006-01-01

    "Higher education is the modern world's basic education, but many countries are falling further and further behind". This quote from a recent World Bank publication indicates that the role of the universities as a key driver for societal development is now widely recognized and included...... in the donor policies. However, donor projects are not easy to organize in this area, and the role of the western universities in this area is not easy to identify. The paper presents a case study from Mozambique dealing with a World Bank project in Higher Education. The project was focused on qualitative...... in the donor countries in order to merge the interests of the universities, the Ministry of Science/Education and the national/international donor agencies. It is argued that capacity building for higher education in developing countries should be a generally accepted part of the university strategy portfolio...

  3. Strategic approach to building research capacity in inter-professional education and collaboration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suter, Esther; Lait, Jana; Macdonald, Laura; Wener, Pamela; Law, Rebecca; Khalili, Hossein; McCarthy, Patricia L

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used to initiate research capacity building in a community of practice (CoP) focused on the research and evaluation of inter-professional education and collaboration. This CoP, composed of members from across Canada, is a committee of the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC), a national collaborative that aims to advance inter-professional education and collaboration in healthcare. The committee mapped recommendations that emerged from a number of CIHC reports onto a research capacity building framework. The expertise of the diverse members in conjunction with this unique mapping process allowed the committee to identify its long-term research and evaluation objectives and strategies. This resulted in the formation of three working groups, each tasked with activities that contribute to the committee's overall goal of building research capacity in inter-professional education and collaboration. A framework provides a structured approach to identifying research and evaluation priorities and objectives. Furthermore, the process of applying the framework engages the committee members in determining the course of action. The process can be easily transferred to other areas in need of research capacity building.

  4. The Capacity and Institution Building (CIB Working Group of United Cities and Local Governments: Towards Improving Aid Effectiveness in the Local Government Sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim Kehoe

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG Capacity and Institution Building (CIB Working Group gather together professional practitioners of local government associations (LGAs and individual local governments active in international cooperation, with the overall objective to improve the quality, coordination and alignment of their development cooperation interventions. The Working Group is the successor of the CIB Platform, which existed for many years within the former International Union of Local Authorities (IULA as an informal gathering of staff members of local government associations (LGAs involved in the field of municipal international cooperation (MIC and association capacity building (ACB. In addition to information exchange, the CIB Platform undertook specific initiatives such as a World Bank-funded program supporting ACB in several countries. In May 2004, the CIB was integrated into the structures of the newly-founded UCLG organisation, and its membership was expanded to also include staff members of international departments of cities active in international cooperation.

  5. Beyond the Margins: Reflective Writing and Development of Reflective Capacity in Medical Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Shmuel P.

    2010-01-01

    Reflective capacity has been described as an essential characteristic of professionally competent clinical practice, core to ACGME competencies. Reflection has been recently linked to promoting effective use of feedback in medical education and associated with improved diagnostic accuracy, suggesting promising outcomes. There has been a proliferation of reflective writing pedagogy within medical education to foster development of reflective capacity, extend empathy with deepened understanding of patients’ experience of illness, and promote practitioner well-being. At Alpert Med, “interactive” reflective writing with guided individualized feedback from interdisciplinary faculty to students’ reflective writing has been implemented in a Doctoring course and Family Medicine clerkship as an educational method to achieve these aims. Such initiatives, however, raise fundamental questions of reflection definition, program design, efficacy of methods, and outcomes assessment. Within this article, we consider opportunities and challenges associated with implementation of reflective writing curricula for promotion of reflective capacity within medical education. We reflect upon reflection. PMID:20407840

  6. Local Government Responses to Education Grants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Ronald C.; Papke, Leslie E.

    2000-01-01

    Provides a primer for policymakers about the economics of education grants and draws implications for school finance reform. Includes an overview of the types of education grants that states and the federal government have used to aid local spending and summarizes findings from states' experiences with different forms of education finance.…

  7. Local energy governance in vermont: an analysis of energy system transition strategies and actor capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowse, Tarah

    While global, national, and regional efforts to address climate and energy challenges remain essential, local governments and community groups are playing an increasingly stronger and vital role. As an active state in energy system policy, planning and innovation, Vermont offers a testing ground for research into energy governance at the local level. A baseline understanding of the energy planning and energy organizing activities initiated at the local level can support efforts to foster a transition to a sustainable energy system in Vermont. Following an inductive, applied and participatory approach, and grounded in the fields of sustainability transitions, energy planning, and community energy, this research project identifies conditions for change, including opportunities and challenges, within Vermont energy system decision-making and governance at the local level. The following questions are posed: What are the main opportunities and challenges for sustainable energy development at the town level? How are towns approaching energy planning? What are the triggers that will facilitate a faster transition to alternative energy systems, energy efficiency initiatives, and localized approaches? In an effort to answer these questions two studies were conducted: 1) an analysis of municipal energy plans, and 2) a survey of local energy actors. Study 1 examined Vermont energy planning at the state and local level through a review and comparison of 40 municipal plan energy chapters with the state 2011 Comprehensive Energy Plan. On average, municipal plans mentioned just over half of the 24 high-level strategies identified in the Comprehensive Energy Plan. Areas of strong and weak agreement were examined. Increased state and regional interaction with municipal energy planners would support more holistic and coordinated energy planning. The study concludes that while municipalities are keenly aware of the importance of education and partnerships, stronger policy mechanisms

  8. Assessing Capacity for Sustainability of Effective Programs and Policies in Local Health Departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabak, Rachel G; Duggan, Katie; Smith, Carson; Aisaka, Kristelle; Moreland-Russell, Sarah; Brownson, Ross C

    2016-01-01

    Sustainability has been defined as the existence of structures and processes that allow a program to leverage resources to effectively implement and maintain evidence-based public health and is important in local health departments (LHDs) to retain the benefits of effective programs. Explore the applicability of the Program Sustainability Framework in high- and low-capacity LHDs as defined by national performance standards. Case study interviews from June to July 2013. Standard qualitative methodology was used to code transcripts; codes were developed inductively and deductively. Six geographically diverse LHD's (selected from 3 of high and 3 of low capacity) : 35 LHD practitioners. Thematic reports explored the 8 domains (Organizational Capacity, Program Adaptation, Program Evaluation, Communications, Strategic Planning, Funding Stability, Environmental Support, and Partnerships) of the Program Sustainability Framework. High-capacity LHDs described having environmental support, while low-capacity LHDs reported this was lacking. Both high- and low-capacity LHDs described limited funding; however, high-capacity LHDs reported greater funding flexibility. Partnerships were important to high- and low-capacity LHDs, and both described building partnerships to sustain programming. Regarding organizational capacity, high-capacity LHDs reported better access to and support for adequate staff and staff training when compared with low-capacity LHDs. While high-capacity LHDs described integration of program evaluation into implementation and sustainability, low-capacity LHDs reported limited capacity for measurement specifically and evaluation generally. When high-capacity LHDs described program adoption, they discussed an opportunity to adapt and evaluate. Low-capacity LHDs struggled with programs requiring adaptation. High-capacity LHDs described higher quality communication than low-capacity LHDs. High- and low-capacity LHDs described strategic planning, but high-capacity

  9. Assessing capacity for sustainability of effective programs and policies in local health departments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabak, Rachel G.; Duggan, Katie; Smith, Carson; Aisaka, Kristelle; Moreland-Russell, Sarah; Brownson, Ross C.

    2015-01-01

    Context Sustainability has been defined as the existence of structures and processes that allow a program to leverage resources to effectively implement and maintain evidence-based public health and is important in local health departments (LHDs) to retain the benefits of effective programs. Objective Explore the applicability of the Program Sustainability Framework in high- and low-capacity LHDs as defined by national performance standards. Design Case study interviews from June-July 2013. Standard qualitative methodology was used to code transcripts; codes were developed inductively and deductively. Setting Six geographically diverse LHD’s (selected from three high- and three low-capacity) Participants 35 LHD practitioners Main Outcome Measures Thematic reports explored the eight domains (Organizational Capacity, Program Adaptation, Program Evaluation, Communications, Strategic Planning, Funding Stability, Environmental Support, and Partnerships) of the Program Sustainability Framework. Results High-capacity LHDs described having environmental support, while low-capacity LHDs reported this was lacking. Both high- and low-capacity LHDs described limited funding; however, high-capacity LHDs reported greater funding flexibility. Partnerships were important to high- and low-capacity LHDs, and both described building partnerships to sustain programming. Regarding organizational capacity, high-capacity LHDs reported better access to and support for adequate staff and staff training compared to low-capacity LHDs. While high-capacity LHDs described integration of program evaluation into implementation and sustainability, low-capacity LHDs reported limited capacity for measurement specifically and evaluation generally. When high-capacity LHDs described program adoption, they discussed an opportunity to adapt and evaluate. Low-capacity LHDs struggled with programs requiring adaptation. High-capacity LHDs described higher quality communication than low-capacity LHDs. High

  10. Dilemmas and paradoxes of capacity building in African higher education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Lene Møller; Jensen, Stig; Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine

    2015-01-01

    This chapter discusses and reflects on the dilemmas and paradoxes of capacity building in African higher education by drawing on the findings of the case-based chapters in the book. The collection confirms the importance of using geography of knowledge as an approach for understanding how capacity...... building influences and affects African academics, institutions and degree programmes. The chapters also illustrate how reflexivity and positionality can be important tools for highlighting the power relations inherent in capacity building. In this chapter we discuss the three interwoven dilemmas...... neo-imperial effects of internationalisation. We finally argue that capacity building programmes can be a means to assist African universities to ‘find their own feet’ if they are based on long terms partnerships, a close understanding of historical, political and geographical context, and not least...

  11. Compulsory patent licensing and local drug manufacturing capacity in Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Africa has the highest disease burden in the world and continues to depend on pharmaceutical imports to meet public health needs. As Asian manufacturers of generic medicines begin to operate under a more protectionist intellectual property regime, their ability to manufacture medicines at prices that are affordable to poorer countries is becoming more circumscribed. The Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health gives member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO) the right to adopt legislation permitting the use of patented material without authorization by the patent holder, a provision known as “compulsory licensing”. For African countries to take full advantage of compulsory licensing they must develop substantial local manufacturing capacity. Because building manufacturing capacity in each African country is daunting and almost illusory, an African free trade area should be developed to serve as a platform not only for the free movement of goods made pursuant to compulsory licences, but also for an economic or financial collaboration towards the development of strong pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in the continent. Most countries in Africa are in the United Nations list of least developed countries, and this allows them, under WTO law, to refuse to grant patents for pharmaceuticals until 2021. Thus, there is a compelling need for African countries to collaborate to build strong pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in the continent now, while the current flexibilities in international intellectual property law offer considerable benefits. PMID:24700981

  12. Using Successorship to Build Leadership Capacity in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furtek, Diane

    2012-01-01

    Professionals in higher education face many challenges. Chief among them are increasing leadership and organizational effectiveness. A variety of approaches can be used to build competencies to increase leadership that results in organizational effectiveness. For the purposes of this article, leadership is "the capacity to influence others by…

  13. Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Capacities of Chinese Local Pummelo Cultivars' Peel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zefang Lü

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available China is one of the main production areas of pummelo [Citrus grandis (L. Osbeck.] in the world and has lots of distinctive local cultivars. Systematic research on the detection of phenolics and antioxidant capacity of peels of mature local cultivars pummelo  fruits is rare. In the current study, phenolic composition and content in peels (flavedo and albedo of ten Chinese local pummelo cultivars were determined using Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC, and their antioxidant capacities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP, and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS methods in the current study. The research not only provides data that support making full use of the resources of Chinese local pummelo cultivars, but also lays the theoretical basis for research of pummelo fruit nutrition and health values. The results showed that the total phenolic (TP content in albedo was significantly higher than that in flavedo; on the contrary, the total flavonoid (TF content was lower in the albedo than in the flavedo. C. grandis ‘Hongxinyou’ flavedo contained the highest TP contents, C. grandis ‘Liangpingyou 78-8’ flavedo contained the highest TF contents, and C. grandis ‘Guanxi Miyou’ albedo contained the highest TP and TF contents. Naringenin, hesperetin, diosmin, and gallic acid were the predominant phenolics in the flavedo, whereas hesperetin, diosmin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid were the primary phenolics in the albedo. The flavedo of C. grandis ‘Yubei Shatianyou’ and the albedo of C. grandis ‘Dianjiang Baiyou’ had the highest antioxidant potency composite (APC indexes. Overall, the ‘Yubei Shatianyou’ flavedo and the ‘Dianjiang Baiyou’ albedo are excellent sources of antioxidants and have the greatest potential value for exploitation and utilization.

  14. Building the Capacity of Indonesian Education Universities for ICT in Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Case Study of a Strategic Planning Exercise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Cher Ping; Pannen, Paulina

    2012-01-01

    This paper documents how four Indonesian teacher education institutions (TEIs) engaged in strategic planning to build their capacity in developing pre-service teachers' ICT in education competencies. These TEIs adopted a holistic approach towards strategic planning by drawing upon the six dimensions of the "Capacity Building Toolkit" for…

  15. Identifying factors which enhance capacity to engage in clinical education among podiatry practitioners: an action research project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abey, Sally; Lea, Susan; Callaghan, Lynne; Shaw, Steve; Cotton, Debbie

    2015-01-01

    Health profession students develop practical skills whilst integrating theory with practice in a real world environment as an important component of their training. Research in the area of practice placements has identified challenges and barriers to the delivery of effective placement learning. However, there has been little research in podiatry and the question of which factors impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the role remains an under-researched area. This paper presents the second phase of an action research project designed to determine the factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the mentorship role. An online survey was developed and podiatry clinical educators recruited through National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. The survey included socio-demographic items, and questions relating to the factors identified as possible variables influencing clinical educator capacity; the latter was assessed using the 'Clinical Educator Capacity to Engage' scale (CECE). Descriptive statistics were used to explore demographic data whilst the relationship between the CECE and socio-demographic factors were examined using inferential statistics in relation to academic profile, career profile and organisation of the placement. The survey response rate was 42 % (n = 66). Multiple linear regression identified four independent variables which explain a significant proportion of the variability of the dependent variable, 'capacity to engage with clinical education', with an adjusted R2 of 0.428. The four variables were: protected mentorship time, clinical educator relationship with university, sign-off responsibility, and volunteer status. The identification of factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage in mentoring of students has relevance for strategic planning and policy-making with the emphasis upon capacity-building at an individual level, so that the key attitudes and characteristics that are linked

  16. Sorsogon State College’s Performance and Management Excellence: Inputs to globally competitive yet locally responsive educational tourism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivien L. Chua

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Educational tourism clearly situates the new role of Sorsogon State College (SSC for world-class education while in support to the locally sustainable tourism development of the province and beyond. This paper was able to assess SSC’s capacities to manage globally competitive and locally responsive educational tourism. A mix method of research was used in examining the SSC’s educational tourism through an inventory of academic performance and quality management excellence for global competitiveness. Results revealed that to attract more educational tourists, SSC is expected to perform effectively and efficiently in a modern research world through the complementation of instruction-research and extension mandates that is contributory to the sustainable development goals. The over-all educational management of SSC is central to leadership including the key aspects of its governance system (personnel behaviour, fulfilment of the societal responsibilities and community support. Further enhancements on the organizational performance of SSC are needed on the following : operations, workforce and clientele support. The College has to strengthen its internationalization policies on the faculty and students inter-country mobility and productivity of its graduates that would address the future educational tourism demands. Further, it has to invest on modern learning resources and support services facilities and equipment to be utilized for instruction, research, extension and administrative workspaces. Thus, closes the gap on job-skills mismatch and the compelling resources requirements of SSC graduates to the local and international markets. With these, an academe-led innovation and transformation project anchored on the SSC’s educational tourism model integrating the Psychology of Tourism to management is introduced.

  17. Dynamic Demand-Capacity Balancing for Air Traffic Management Using Constraint-Based Local Search: First Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farshid Hassani Bijarbooneh

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Using constraint-based local search, we effectively model and efficiently solve the problem of balancing the traffic demands on portions of the European airspace while ensuring that their capacity constraints are satisfied. The traffic demand of a portion of airspace is the hourly number of flights planned to enter it, and its capacity is the upper bound on this number under which air-traffic controllers can work. Currently, the only form of demand-capacity balancing we allow is ground holding, that is the changing of the take-off times of not yet airborne flights. Experiments with projected European flight plans of the year 2030 show that already this first form of demand-capacity balancing is feasible without incurring too much total delay and that it can lead to a significantly better demand-capacity balance.

  18. 25 CFR 47.8 - Who develops the local educational financial plans?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Section 47.8 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION UNIFORM DIRECT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR BUREAU-OPERATED SCHOOLS § 47.8 Who develops the local educational financial plans? The local Bureau-operated school supervisor develops the local educational financial plan in active...

  19. Local Government Capacity to Respond to Environmental Change: Insights from Towns in New York State.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Lincoln R; Lauber, T Bruce; Kay, David L; Cutts, Bethany B

    2017-07-01

    Local governments attempting to respond to environmental change face an array of challenges. To better understand policy responses and factors influencing local government capacity to respond to environmental change, we studied three environmental issues affecting rural or peri-urban towns in different regions of New York State: climate change in the Adirondacks (n = 63 towns), loss of open space due to residential/commercial development in the Hudson Valley (n = 50), and natural gas development in the Southern Tier (n = 62). Our analysis focused on towns' progression through three key stages of the environmental policy process (issue awareness and salience, common goals and agenda setting, policy development and implementation) and the factors that affect this progression and overall capacity for environmental governance. We found that-when compared to towns addressing open space development and natural gas development-towns confronted with climate change were at a much earlier stage in the policy process and were generally less likely to display the essential resources, social support, and political legitimacy needed for an effective policy response. Social capital cultivated through collaboration and networking was strongly associated with towns' policy response across all regions and could help municipalities overcome omnipresent resource constraints. By comparing and contrasting municipal responses to each issue, this study highlights the processes and factors influencing local government capacity to address a range of environmental changes across diverse management contexts.

  20. Racial disparities in the use of cardiac revascularization: does local hospital capacity matter?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhui Li

    Full Text Available To assess the extent to which the observed racial disparities in cardiac revascularization use can be explained by the variation across counties where patients live, and how the within-county racial disparities is associated with the local hospital capacity.Administrative data from Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4 between 1995 and 2006.The study sample included 207,570 Medicare patients admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction (AMI. We identified the use of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI procedures within three months after the patient's initial admission for AMI. Multi-level hierarchical models were used to determine the extent to which racial disparities in procedure use were attributable to the variation in local hospital capacity.Blacks were less likely than whites to receive CABG (9.1% vs. 5.8%; p<0.001 and PCI (15.7% vs. 14.2%; p<0.001. The state-level racial disparity in use rate decreases for CABG, and increases for PCI, with the county adjustment. Higher number of revascularization hospitals per 1,000 AMI patients was associated with smaller within-county racial differences in CABG and PCI rates. Meanwhile, very low capacity of catheterization suites and AMI hospitals contributed to significantly wider racial gap in PCI rate.County variation in cardiac revascularization use rates helps explain the observed racial disparities. While smaller hospital capacity is associated with lower procedure rates for both racial groups, the impact is found to be larger on blacks. Therefore, consequences of fewer medical resources may be particularly pronounced for blacks, compared with whites.

  1. The Theory Question in Research Capacity Building in Education: Towards an Agenda for Research and Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biesta, Gert; Allan, Julie; Edwards, Richard

    2011-01-01

    The question of capacity building in education has predominantly been approached with regard to the methods and methodologies of educational research. Far less attention has been given to capacity building in relation to theory. In many ways the latter is as pressing an issue as the former, given that good research depends on a combination of high…

  2. Measuring the Contribution of Higher Education to Innovation Capacity in the EU. Final Report: Revised Version

    Science.gov (United States)

    European Commission, 2017

    2017-01-01

    This current study is part of the actions taken aiming to analyse the links between the operations and effects of higher-education institutions on the capacity to innovate in the economies in Europe. Providing insights into the contribution of higher education to the innovative capacity of the EU economies is crucial for policy making and the…

  3. International Collaboration on Building Local Technical Capacities for Monitoring Volcanic Activity at Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escobar-Wolf, R. P.; Chigna, G.; Morales, H.; Waite, G. P.; Oommen, T.; Lechner, H. N.

    2015-12-01

    Pacaya volcano is a frequently active and potentially dangerous volcano situated in the Guatemalan volcanic arc. It is also a National Park and a major touristic attraction, constituting an important economic resource for local municipality and the nearby communities. Recent eruptions have caused fatalities and extensive damage to nearby communities, highlighting the need for risk management and loss reduction from the volcanic activity. Volcanic monitoring at Pacaya is done by the Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH), instrumentally through one short period seismic station, and visually by the Parque Nacional Volcan de Pacaya y Laguna de Calderas (PNVPLC) personnel. We carry out a project to increase the local technical capacities for monitoring volcanic activity at Pacaya. Funding for the project comes from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists through the Geoscientists Without Borders program. Three seismic and continuous GPS stations will be installed at locations within 5 km from the main vent at Pacaya, and one webcam will aid in the visual monitoring tasks. Local educational and outreach components of the project include technical workshops on data monitoring use, and short thesis projects with the San Carlos University in Guatemala. A small permanent exhibit at the PNVPLC museum or visitor center, focusing on the volcano's history, hazards and resources, will also be established as part of the project. The strategy to involve a diverse group of local collaborators in Guatemala aims to increase the chances for long term sustainability of the project, and relies not only on transferring technology but also the "know-how" to make that technology useful. Although not a primary research project, it builds on a relationship of years of joint research projects at Pacaya between the participants, and could be a model of how to increase the broader impacts of such long term collaboration partnerships.

  4. Building midwifery educator capacity in teaching in low and lower-middle income countries. A review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Florence; Homer, Caroline; Dawson, Angela

    2016-02-01

    midwifery educators play a critical role in strengthening the midwifery workforce in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure that women receive quality midwifery care. However, the most effective approach to building midwifery educator capacity is not always clear. This paper will explore approaches used to build midwifery educator capacity in LMIC and identify evidence to inform improved outcomes for midwifery education. a structured search of bibliographic electronic databases (CINAHL, OVID, MEDLINE, PubMed) and the search engine Google Scholar was performed. It was decided to also review peer reviewed research, grey literature and descriptive papers. Papers were included in the review if they were written in English, published between 2000 and 2014 and addressed building knowledge and/or skills in teaching and/or clinical practice in midwifery educators who work in training institutions in LMIC. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) was used to guide the reporting process. The quality of papers was appraised in discussion with all authors. The findings sections of the research papers were analysed to identify successful elements of capacity building approaches. eighteen (six research and 12 discursive) papers were identified as related to the topic, meeting the inclusion criteria and of sufficient quality. The findings were themed according to the key approaches used to build capacity for midwifery education. These approaches are: skill and knowledge updates associated with curriculum review, involvement in leadership, management and research training and, participation in a community of practice within regions to share resources. the study provides evidence to support the benefits of building capacity for midwifery educators. Multilevel approaches that engaged individuals and institutions in building capacity alongside an enabling environment for midwifery educators are needed but more research specific

  5. An Organizational Development Framework for Assessing Readiness and Capacity for Expanding Online Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piña, Anthony A.

    2017-01-01

    In this article, a popular model for organizational development is utilized as a framework for assessing the organizational readiness and capacity of educational institutions whose leaders wish to establish or expand their online/distance education programs. Examples of institutionalization factors to consider and alternative models for assessing…

  6. A theoretical assessment of antioxidant capacity of flavonoids by means of local hyper–softness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Sandoval-Yañez

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A theoretical reactivity descriptor to estimate local reactivity on molecules was tested to assess the antioxidant capability of some flavonoids. It was validated by comparison with experimental precedents published already by Firuzi et al. (2005. The aforementioned reactivity index is called local hyper-softness (LHS. This parameter was applied on HO- substituent groups on the same set of flavonoids within each subclassification: flavones (apigenin and baicalein, flavonols (fisetin, galangin, 3–OH flavone, kaempferol, myricetin, and quercetin, flavanones (hesperetin, naringenin, taxifolin and isoflavones (daidzein and genistein. Experimental values of both techniques, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP and anodic oxidation potential (Eap were retrieved from Firuzi et al. (2005 with the purpose of validating the calculated LHS values. Excepting myricetin, the LHS values of all these compounds matched in a similar order relationship experimentally obtained by means of Eap and FRAP from Firuzi et al. (2005. Our results revealed that LHS is a suitable theoretical parameter to get an insight concerning to the antioxidant capacity of these compounds, in particular, LHS allows explaining experimentally obtained values of FRAP along with Eap values in terms of reactivity of HO- substituent groups belonging these molecules theoretically computed without including experimental parametes. Keywords: Flavonoids, Antioxidant capacity, Ferric reducing antioxidant power, Anodic oxidation potential, Local hypersoftness

  7. 78 FR 29338 - Applications for New Award; Technical Assistance To Improve State Data Capacity-National...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-20

    ...) and State lead agencies, local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, early intervention service (EIS... limited to State special education or early intervention offices. The Data Center's TA must primarily... measurable outcomes; and (3) ``mapping'' the relationship of the data validity issue or system capacity issue...

  8. Experience from three years of local capacity development for tsunami early warning in Indonesia: challenges, lessons and the way ahead

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spahn, H.; Hoppe, M.; Vidiarina, H. D.; Usdianto, B.

    2010-07-01

    Five years after the 2004 tsunami, a lot has been achieved to make communities in Indonesia better prepared for tsunamis. This achievement is primarily linked to the development of the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS). However, many challenges remain. This paper describes the experience with local capacity development for tsunami early warning (TEW) in Indonesia, based on the activities of a pilot project. TEW in Indonesia is still new to disaster management institutions and the public, as is the paradigm of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). The technology components of InaTEWS will soon be fully operational. The major challenge for the system is the establishment of clear institutional arrangements and capacities at national and local levels that support the development of public and institutional response capability at the local level. Due to a lack of information and national guidance, most local actors have a limited understanding of InaTEWS and DRR, and often show little political will and priority to engage in TEW. The often-limited capacity of local governments is contrasted by strong engagement of civil society organisations that opt for early warning based on natural warning signs rather than technology-based early warning. Bringing together the various actors, developing capacities in a multi-stakeholder cooperation for an effective warning system are key challenges for the end-to-end approach of InaTEWS. The development of local response capability needs to receive the same commitment as the development of the system's technology components. Public understanding of and trust in the system comes with knowledge and awareness on the part of the end users of the system and convincing performance on the part of the public service provider. Both sides need to be strengthened. This requires the integration of TEW into DRR, clear institutional arrangements, national guidance and intensive support for capacity development at local levels as well as

  9. 34 CFR 222.40 - How does a local educational agency select a local contribution rate based on generally...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IMPACT AID PROGRAMS Payments for Federally Connected Children Under Section 8003(b..., size, location, or a combination of these factors, (that is, in the case of the significantly impacted... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How does a local educational agency select a local...

  10. Erasmus+: Capacity Building in Higher Education. EU Support to Higher Education Institutions around the World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jongsma, Ard

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this brochure is to introduce those who are new to working with European Union funding, to the philosophy of Erasmus+ "capacity-building in higher education" projects. European Union experience of working on these types of projects will be shared. Examples of existing projects are scattered throughout the text to inspire you…

  11. Local traditions in the development of rural education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gulløv, John Matthias

    This presentation discuss two issues of rural change: 1) cultural reproduction and transformation in the local contex and 2) the importance and effect of schooling and education in rural society, especially how school can support the rural community in times of change.......This presentation discuss two issues of rural change: 1) cultural reproduction and transformation in the local contex and 2) the importance and effect of schooling and education in rural society, especially how school can support the rural community in times of change....

  12. Radiation risk education program - local

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bushong, S.C.; Archer, B.R.

    1980-01-01

    This article points out the lack of knowledge by the general public and medical profession concerning the true risks of radiation exposure. The author describes an educational program which can be implemented at the local level to overcome this deficiency. The public must understand the enormous extent of benefit derived from radiation applications in our society

  13. Local food protection and safety infrastructure and capacity: a Maryland case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kufel, Joanna Zablotsky; Resnick, Beth A; Fox, Mary; Frattaroli, Shannon; Gielen, Andrea; Burke, Thomas A

    2011-01-01

    In Maryland, county Food Protection Programs (FPP), housed within Environmental Public Health (EPH) Divisions, maintain responsibility for regular inspection of all food service facilities (FSF). With growing concerns about how our food supply is protected, it is important to determine the state and effectiveness of our food safety systems. This research elucidates the roles, responsibilities, strengths, and weaknesses of Food Safety and Protection Programs in Maryland. A 16-question survey tool, which addressed facets of the local food protection infrastructure, including FSF inspections, staffing, budget, and foodborne illness surveillance, was distributed to all 24 county FPP. The number of FSF in Maryland increased 97% from 2001 to 2006 and counties had an average inspection completion rate of 73%, with a 4% increase over the time period. Statewide, there were 4.1 EPH full-time employees (FTE) per 10 000 population and 1.6 FPP FTE per 10 000 population. EPH Division budgets increased 63% statewide, from $19.5 million in 2000 to $31.9 million in 2007. FPP budgets also increased 59% over the period, from $6.2 million in 2000 to $9.8 million in 2007. This study offers new quantitative measures of the demands, capacities, and performance of Food Protection and Safety Programs in Maryland. This assessment of local EPH and FPP capacity also offers insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the local food protection and safety infrastructure. Importantly, it reveals an infrastructure and dedicated food protection workforce that inspects the food supply and responds to foodborne illness outbreaks. Yet, resources vary substantially from county to county, impacting which services can be provided and how well they can be performed. This can, in turn, impact the potential risk of foodborne illness and the public's overall health.

  14. Further Education outside the Jurisdiction of Local Education Authorities in Post-War England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Robin

    2014-01-01

    This article revisits the three decades following the end of World War Two--a time when, following the 1944 Education Act, local education authorities (LEAs) were the key agencies responsible for running the education system across England. For the first time, there was a statutory requirement for LEAs to secure adequate facilities for further…

  15. Patient competence and professional incompetence: disagreements in capacity assessments in one Australian jurisdiction, and their educational implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Malcolm

    2008-08-01

    The determination of capacity to make medical, personal and financial decisions has significant individual and social implications. Medical and other health professionals are traditionally relied on by courts and tribunals to provide clinical and psychometric evidence of the presence or absence of capacity, or competence. Concern has long been expressed over the variability of these assessments. A survey of 285 decisions of the Queensland Guardianship and Assessment Tribunal (GAAT) between 2005 and 2008 was conducted to estimate the incidence of disagreement between health professionals in capacity assessments; to provide examples of conflicting assessments and models of assessment used; and to consider the educational implications of disagreements. While the final capacity determinations by the GAAT appear sound, this case series, and other studies in the capacity literature, strongly suggest the need to improve the education of health professionals, especially doctors, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in the practical assessment of capacity as a fundamental clinical skill.

  16. Restoring the capacity for initiative to local authorities for the development of ENR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gouvello, Ch. de; Nadaud, F.

    2001-01-01

    The decree of June 8. 2001 concerning wind powered electricity purchase prices as a sign of public support in terms of industrial policy. The recent debates have given the local authorities a key role in the development of ENR systems although concrete achievements so far remain quite limited We will demonstrate that this is essentially explained by the fact that the skills of local authorities chiefly lie in the discrete framework of the Rural Electrification scheme. Based on examples of thermal ENR systems in housing and of electrical production via ENR systems connected to the network, we will show that the Rural Electrification scheme has the effect of focusing the technical choices of local authorities on the traditional technology of the distribution networks. A minor modification to the Rural Electrification scheme would make it possible to give the capacity for initiative back to local authorities with regard to ENR systems, while at the same time making it possible to contribute to resolving the question of the reinforcement of transportation and distribution networks in order to incorporate production obtained from ENR systems. (authors)

  17. Measuring the Contribution of Higher Education to Innovation Capacity in the EU. Executive Summary of the Final Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    European Commission, 2017

    2017-01-01

    This current study is part of the actions taken aiming to analyse the links between the operations and effects of higher-education institutions on the capacity to innovate in the economies in Europe. Providing insights into the contribution of higher education to the innovative capacity of the EU economies is crucial for policy making and the…

  18. Intersections between Music Education and Music Therapy: Education Reform, Arts Education, Exceptionality, and Policy at the Local Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvador, Karen; Pasiali, Varvara

    2017-01-01

    In this article, a music teacher educator and a music therapy clinician and educator discuss special education policy and arts instruction at the district level. To illustrate the gulf between federal and local policies with regard to exceptional learners and arts instruction, we examine the intersections of music therapy and music education with…

  19. THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTERS: AN ALTERNATIVE TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vicente Palop-Esteban

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an educational proposal of a technical nature but with bases rooted in popular education (Freire, 1970. It aims to provide lights on how vocational education, could have a link to the local development of the territory. Local development has its maximum exponents in the fields of the recovery of the endogenous sources and in the articulation of the associative network (Herrera, 2009, with the consequent benefit of enhancing participatory instruments that improve the democratic exchanges of territory. The educative centers may have a privileged territory view, converge in the same few elements, actors and actresses key, also if the Centre has the role of formative work development from the articulation of the productive elements, we have a resource of excellent characteristics for local development. The proposal is therefore, the linkage of the Centers for education and work with a perspective of local development, especially in areas with low social structuring communities, i.e., high rates of unemployment, schooling, economic difficulties, etc. These scenarios are very common in urban peripheries both in Europe and in America, but these fields, can also be found in certain rural communities, Latin American, although with different characteristics. The incidence in the local promotion, in these cases, will have a special responsibility, since the work by the unfinished schooling and educational inclusion, without doubt, work for community development (Torrent, 2012.

  20. Conservation of local architecture from primary education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Esther Azcuy Chiroles

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available The knowledge of the local architecture in the primary school is insufficient, according to results of the diagnosis carried out for the investigation of the Project of Local Art of the Artistic Education Department of ISP “Rafael M. Mendive.” The lack of systematic work was demonstrated in the promotion of local architecture starting from the subject of Plastic arts, in its curricular and extracurricular components. This is the reason for presenting an Strategy for the promotion of the local architecture in primary teaching, with a System of Activities for the promotion of the local civil architecture that allows the motivation of the students, professors, family and Institutions toward the acquisition of knowledge on the local artistic culture, and the appreciation of the most illustrative architectural patrimonial values in Pinar del Río city.

  1. Building locally relevant ethics curricula for nursing education in Botswana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barchi, F; Kasimatis Singleton, M; Magama, M; Shaibu, S

    2014-12-01

    The goal of this multi-institutional collaboration was to develop an innovative, locally relevant ethics curriculum for nurses in Botswana. Nurses in Botswana face ethical challenges that are compounded by lack of resources, pressures to handle tasks beyond training or professional levels, workplace stress and professional isolation. Capacity to teach nursing ethics in the classroom and in professional practice settings has been limited. A pilot curriculum, including cases set in local contexts, was tested with nursing faculty in Botswana in 2012. Thirty-three per cent of the faculty members indicated they would be more comfortable teaching ethics. A substantial number of faculty members were more likely to introduce the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics in teaching, practice and mentoring as a result of the training. Based on evaluation data, curricular materials were developed using the Code and the regulatory requirements for nursing practice in Botswana. A web-based repository of sample lectures, discussion cases and evaluation rubrics was created to support the use of the materials. A new master degree course, Nursing Ethics in Practice, has been proposed for fall 2015 at the University of Botswana. The modular nature of the materials and the availability of cases set within the context of clinical nurse practice in Botswana make them readily adaptable to various student academic levels and continuing professional development programmes. The ICN Code of Ethics for Nursing is a valuable teaching tool in developing countries when taught using locally relevant case materials and problem-based teaching methods. The approach used in the development of a locally relevant nursing ethics curriculum in Botswana can serve as a model for nursing education and continuing professional development programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries to enhance use of the ICN Code of Ethics in nursing practice. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

  2. Capacity building in economics : education and research in transition economies

    OpenAIRE

    Pleskovic, Boris*Aslund, Anders*Bader, William*C

    2002-01-01

    The development of the institutional capacity to create and evaluate economic policies remains a critical need-and constraint-in most transition economies if they are to complete the successful passage to fully functioning market economies. To take an active role in the transition process, economic policymakers, business leaders, government officials, and others need a thorough grounding in market-based economics. This requires strengthening economics education and providing support for quali...

  3. SE Capstone Project: Building Systems Engineering Education and Workforce Capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-01

    This project developed a system to improve fuel efficiency by means of regenerative braking . The team designed a simple system that allows "bolt-on...air traffic control, social networking, credit/debit cards, and anti-lock brakes are only a few functions enabled by complex systems of systems . We...Building Systems Engineering Education and Workforce Capacity SE Capstone Project APRIL 2012 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704

  4. Building Local Economic Development Capacity: A Case Study of Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bredfeldt, Erik A.

    2009-01-01

    This dissertation examines the role of the community college in building institutional capacity within the context of a community's local and regional economy and provides recommendations on the manner in which the role of the community college can be enhanced with respect to interaction with other urban and regional partners. It seeks to at least…

  5. Cultivating a Community of Effective Special Education Teachers: Local Special Education Administrators' Roles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bettini, Elizabeth; Benedict, Amber; Thomas, Rachel; Kimerling, Jenna; Choi, Nari; McLeskey, James

    2017-01-01

    Evidence of the powerful impact teachers have on student achievement has led to an intensive focus on cultivating effective teachers, including special education teachers (SETs). Local special education administrators (LSEAs) share responsibility for cultivating effective SETs throughout their districts. However, the roles LSEAs play in this…

  6. Institution-to-Institution Mentoring to Build Capacity in 24 Local US Health Departments: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

    OpenAIRE

    Veatch, Maggie; Goldstein, Gail P.; Sacks, Rachel; Lent, Megan; Van Wye, Gretchen

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Institutional mentoring may be a useful capacity-building model to support local health departments facing public health challenges. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted a qualitative evaluation of an institutional mentoring program designed to increase capacity of health departments seeking to address chronic disease prevention. The mentoring program included 2 program models, a one-to-one model and a collaborative model, developed and implemented ...

  7. 25 CFR 47.6 - Who has access to local education financial records?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Who has access to local education financial records? 47.6 Section 47.6 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION UNIFORM DIRECT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR BUREAU-OPERATED SCHOOLS § 47.6 Who has access to local education financial records...

  8. Winning the Future: An Investigation into the Creativity Capacity across the Levels of Education in Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leahy, Keelin

    2016-01-01

    This research investigated the creativity capacity across the levels of education in Ireland, involving 702 participants. Creative capacity was investigated through a comparative analysis of creativity quotient (CQ). A divergent thinking task comprising the "how many uses" activity was assessed using the criteria for determining CQ;…

  9. Using Local Ecological Knowledge and Environmental Education in Resource Management of Abalone in Carot, Anda, Pangasinan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emmanuel C. Capinpin, Jr.

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of the present study were to (1 determine the local ecological knowledge (LEK of abalone gatherers through interviews and mentoring, and assess the correspondence between scientific information and LEK, so that areas where local knowledge may be most useful in resource management could be identified, and (2 to empower selected gatherers/farmers with knowledge and technical skills through environmental education to help develop or build their capacity to become sustainable resource managers. The LEK of abalone fishers was determined using three complementary approaches – group interview, individual interview, and mentoring sessions. Local fishers possess a wealth of knowledge about the interactions of species gained through many years of observations, and this knowledge may be useful in guiding biologists in ecological restoration or management regimes. Additionally, the fishers’ LEK, validated by modern scientific ecological findings, could be a source of important and effective ideas in resource management. The knowledge of the abalone gatherers about important abalone fishing grounds should help in pinpointing critical areas that need to be managed. Abalone mariculture in cages should be set up in these areas to routinely create dense breeding populations which can help in enhancing recovery and in providing fishers with a source of additional income. The continued enforcement of marine protected areas and the periodic release or reseeding of abalone in sanctuaries could also be considered viable resource management options. Other recommendations for resource management based on gathered local knowledge and lessons learned from the environmental education (EE seminars are also presented.

  10. INTEGRATING CHARACTER EDUCATION AND LOCAL GENIUS THROUGH BALABOLKA IN TEACHING LISTENING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yayuk Widyastuti Herawati

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, moral education is booming since there are many juvenile delinquencies in Indonesia. As the president began to worry and pointed us, as teachers, to hold the very crucial role in educating our students to prepare the future of Indonesia, we feel that some breakthrough on the media also should contain character education as well as local wisdom. This paper is aimed to give an alternative way in preparing media for teaching listening which can accommodate what we want. I propose balabolka software as the good choice for the needs of Indonesian students in general. Here, we can create our own media in the form of MP3 by inserting the important ingredients of character education, and local wisdom inside the content of our English teaching, especially teaching listening. By doing this, we expect that moral education and local wisdom which, obviously, can change our students behavior can be inserted in the English lesson, especially for listening skill.

  11. Age and education corrected older adult normative data for a short form version of the Financial Capacity Instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerstenecker, Adam; Eakin, Amanda; Triebel, Kristen; Martin, Roy; Swenson-Dravis, Dana; Petersen, Ronald C; Marson, Daniel

    2016-06-01

    Financial capacity is an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) that comprises multiple abilities and is critical to independence and autonomy in older adults. Because of its cognitive complexity, financial capacity is often the first IADL to show decline in prodromal and clinical Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Despite its importance, few standardized assessment measures of financial capacity exist and there is little, if any, normative data available to evaluate financial skills in the elderly. The Financial Capacity Instrument-Short Form (FCI-SF) is a brief measure of financial skills designed to evaluate financial skills in older adults with cognitive impairment. In the current study, we present age- and education-adjusted normative data for FCI-SF variables in a sample of 1344 cognitively normal, community-dwelling older adults participating in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA) in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Individual FCI-SF raw scores were first converted to age-corrected scaled scores based on position within a cumulative frequency distribution and then grouped within 4 empirically supported and overlapping age ranges. These age-corrected scaled scores were then converted to age- and education-corrected scaled scores using the same methodology. This study has the potential to substantially enhance financial capacity evaluations of older adults through the introduction of age- and education-corrected normative data for the FCI-SF by allowing clinicians to: (a) compare an individual's performance to that of a sample of similar age and education peers, (b) interpret various aspects of financial capacity relative to a normative sample, and (c) make comparisons between these aspects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Capacity theory with local rationality the strong Fekete-Szegö theorem on curves

    CERN Document Server

    Rumely, Robert

    2013-01-01

    This book is devoted to the proof of a deep theorem in arithmetic geometry, the Fekete-Szegö theorem with local rationality conditions. The prototype for the theorem is Raphael Robinson's theorem on totally real algebraic integers in an interval, which says that if [a,b] is a real interval of length greater than 4, then it contains infinitely many Galois orbits of algebraic integers, while if its length is less than 4, it contains only finitely many. The theorem shows this phenomenon holds on algebraic curves of arbitrary genus over global fields of any characteristic, and is valid for a broad class of sets. The book is a sequel to the author's work Capacity Theory on Algebraic Curves and contains applications to algebraic integers and units, the Mandelbrot set, elliptic curves, Fermat curves, and modular curves. A long chapter is devoted to examples, including methods for computing capacities. Another chapter contains extensions of the theorem, including variants on Berkovich curves. The proof uses both alg...

  13. Implementing LCFF: Building Capacity to Realize the Promises of California's New Funding System. Policy and Practice Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knudson, Joel

    2014-01-01

    California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) has introduced changes that alter the conditions under which educators, administrators, and community leaders approach their roles in the K-12 education system. Consequently, leaders at all levels may need to build the capacity--both the knowledge and skills and the resources--that they need to…

  14. The Guatemala-Penn Partners: An Innovative Inter-Institutional Model for Scientific Capacity-Building, Healthcare Education, and Public Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paniagua-Avila, Maria Alejandra; Messenger, Elizabeth; Nelson, Caroline A.; Calgua, Erwin; Barg, Frances K.; Bream, Kent W.; Compher, Charlene; Dean, Anthony J.; Martinez-Siekavizza, Sergio; Puac-Polanco, Victor; Richmond, Therese S.; Roth, Rudolf R.; Branas, Charles C.

    2017-01-01

    Population health outcomes are directly related to robust public health programs, access to basic health services, and a well-trained health-care workforce. Effective health services need to systematically identify solutions, scientifically test these solutions, and share generated knowledge. The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Global Healthcare Workforce Alliance states that the capacity to perform research is an essential factor for well-functioning public health systems. Low- and middle-income countries have greater health-care worker shortages and lower research capacity than higher-income countries. International global health partnerships between higher-income countries and low-middle-income countries aim to directly address such inequalities through capacity building, a process by which human and institutional resources are strengthened and developed, allowing them to perform high-level functions, solve complex problems, and achieve important objectives. The Guatemala–Penn Partners (GPP) is a collaboration among academic centers in Guatemala and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that echoes the vision of the WHO’s Global Healthcare Workforce Alliance. This article describes the historical development and present organization of the GPP according to its three guiding principles: university-to-university connections, dual autonomies with locally led capacity building, and mutually beneficial exchanges. It describes the GPP activities within the domains of science, health-care education, and public health, emphasizing implementation factors, such as sustainability and scalability, in relation to the guiding principles. Successes and limitations of this innovative model are also analyzed in the hope that the lessons learned may be applied to similar partnerships across the globe. PMID:28443274

  15. How States Can Promote Local Innovation, Options, and Problem-Solving in Public Education. Linking State and Local School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posamentier, Jordan; Lake, Robin; Hill, Paul

    2017-01-01

    State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local…

  16. Climate Change, Adaptation, and Formal Education: the Role of Schooling for Increasing Societies' Adaptive Capacities in El Salvador and Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Wamsler

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available With a worldwide increase in disasters, the effects of climate change are already being felt, and it is the urban poor in developing countries who are most at risk. There is an urgent need to better understand the factors that determine people's capacity to cope with and adapt to adverse climate conditions. This paper examines the influence of formal education in determining the adaptive capacity of the residents of two low-income settlements: Los Manantiales in San Salvador (El Salvador and Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil, where climate-related disasters are recurrent. In both case study areas, it was found that the average levels of education were lower for households living at high risk, as opposed to residents of lower risk areas. In this context, the influence of people's level of education was identified to be twofold due to (a its direct effect on aspects that reduce risk, and (b its mitigating effect on aspects that increase risk. The results further suggest that education plays a more determinant role for women than for men in relation to their capacity to adapt. In light of these results, the limited effectiveness of institutional support identified by this study might also relate to the fact that the role of formal education has so far not been sufficiently explored. Promoting (improved access to and quality of formal education as a way to increase people's adaptive capacity is further supported with respect to the negative effects of disasters on people's level of education, which in turn reduce their adaptive capacity, resulting in a vicious circle of increasing risk.

  17. Microsystems technologist workforce development capacity and challenges in Central New Mexico.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Osborn, Thor D.

    2008-04-01

    Sandia National Laboratories has made major investments in microsystems-related infrastructure and research staff development over the past two decades, culminating most recently in the MESA project. These investment decisions have been made based in part upon the necessity for highly reliable, secure, and for some purposes, radiation-hardened devices and subsystems for safety and sustainability of the United States nuclear arsenal and other national security applications. SNL's microsystems development and fabrication capabilities are located almost entirely within its New Mexico site, rendering their effectiveness somewhat dependent on the depth and breadth of the local microsystems workforce. Consequently, the status and development capacity of this workforce has been seen as a key personnel readiness issue in relation to the maintenance of SNL's microsystems capabilities. For this reason SNL has supported the instantiation and development of the Southwest Center for Microsystems Education, an Advanced Technology Education center funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, in order to foster the development of local training capacity for microsystems technologists. Although the SCME and the associated Manufacturing Technology program at Central New Mexico Community College have developed an effective curriculum and graduated several highly capable microsystems technologists, the future of both the center and the degree program remain uncertain due to insufficient student enrollment. The central region of New Mexico has become home to many microsystems-oriented commercial firms. As the demands of those firms for technologists evolve, SNL may face staffing problems in the future, especially if local training capacity is lost.

  18. Asset-Based Community Development as a Strategy for Developing Local Global Health Curricula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webber, Sarah; Butteris, Sabrina M; Houser, Laura; Coller, Karen; Coller, Ryan J

    2018-02-07

    A significant and growing proportion of US children have immigrant parents, an issue of increasing importance to pediatricians. Training globally minded pediatric residents to address health inequities related to globalization is an important reason to expand educational strategies around local global health (LGH). We developed a curriculum in the pediatric global health residency track at the University of Wisconsin in an effort to address gaps in LGH education and to increase resident knowledge about local health disparities for global community members. This curriculum was founded in asset-based community development (ABCD), a strategy used in advocacy training but not reported in global health education. The initial curriculum outputs have provided the foundation for a longitudinal LGH curriculum and a community-academic partnership. Supported by a community partnership grant, this partnership is focused on establishing a community-based postpartum support group for local Latinos, with an emphasis on building capacity in the Latino community. Aspects of this curriculum can serve other programs looking to develop LGH curricula rooted in building local partnerships and capacity using an ABCD model. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Investigating the Self-Perceived Science Teaching Needs of Local Elementary Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carver, Cynthia G.

    Elementary teachers in one school system have expressed low self-efficacy teaching science and desire more support teaching science. However, little research has been conducted on how best to meet these teachers' needs. The theories of perceived self-efficacy, social cognition, and behaviorism make up the conceptual framework of this study. The focus of this qualitative project study was on the needs of local elementary educators. These teachers were asked what they felt they needed most to be more effective science educators. The methodology of phenomenology was used in this study in which local elementary teachers were questioned in focus groups regarding their own science teaching efficacy and perceived needs. Using inductive analysis, data were coded for links to discussion questions as well as any additional patterns that emerged. Findings indicated that local elementary teachers desire improved communication among administrators and teachers as well as better science content support and training. Focus group participants agreed that teacher self-efficacy affects the time spent, effort toward, and quality of elementary science education. Using the results of the study, a science mentor program was developed to support the needs of elementary teachers and increase teacher self-efficacy, thus improving local elementary science education. Implications for positive social change include the development and support of elementary science programs in other school systems with the goal of improving science education for elementary students.

  20. A survey of local anaesthesia education in European dental schools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brand, H.S.; Kuin, D.; Baart, J.A.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: A survey of European dental schools was conducted in 2006 to determine the curricular structure, techniques and materials used in local anaesthesia teaching to dental students. Materials and methods: A questionnaire was designed to collect information about local anaesthesia education.

  1. New CLGF Four-Year Grant to Help Local Government Service Delivery and Boost CLGF’s Research Capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucy Slack

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The UK Department for International Development (UK AID has agreed £4.5 million funding for a four-year CLGF programme to improve governance and service delivery at local level in several areas of the Commonwealth including Africa and Asia from 2012-16. It will also help to support national policy frameworks for local government service delivery, and increase engagement of local government in regional policy planning and implementation. CLGF will continue to work with its members, UN partners and others to mobilise more resources towards the support of local government in the Commonwealth. The new programme will focus on local government pilot projects in LED, supporting ministries and local government associations in strengthening their national policy making for local government, and establish regional forums to enable local government to engage in and influence regional policy making to reflect the needs and priorities of local government. It will also boost CLGF’s research capacity with targeted research to strengthen CLGF’s policy making and advocacy, including more sustained engagement in international policy debates on key issues affecting local government, such as climate change.

  2. Evolution and Revolutions of Adult Learning: Capacity Building in Adult and Non-Formal Education in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ugwu, Chinwe U.

    2015-01-01

    The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) is the Federal Statutory Agency set up to co-ordinate all aspects of Non-Formal Education in Nigeria whether offered by government agencies or non-governmental organisations. This study looked at the existing Capacity Building Programme, the delivery methods, impact…

  3. Enhancing capacity for risk factor surveillance at the regional/local level: a follow-up review of the findings of the Canadian Think Tank Forum after 4 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Bernard Ck; Decou, Mary Lou; Rasali, Drona; Martens, Patricia J; Mancuso, Michelina; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Neudorf, Cory; Thanos, Joanne; Svenson, Lawrence W; Denny, Keith; Orpana, Heather; Stewart, Paula; King, Michael; Griffith, Jane; Erickson, Tannis; van Dorp, Renate; White, Deanna; Ali, Amira

    2014-01-22

    National health surveys are sometimes used to provide estimates on risk factors for policy and program development at the regional/local level. However, as regional/local needs may differ from national ones, an important question is how to also enhance capacity for risk factor surveillance regionally/locally. A Think Tank Forum was convened in Canada to discuss the needs, characteristics, coordination, tools and next steps to build capacity for regional/local risk factor surveillance. A series of follow up activities to review the relevant issues pertaining to needs, characteristics and capacity of risk factor surveillance were conducted. Results confirmed the need for a regional/local risk factor surveillance system that is flexible, timely, of good quality, having a communication plan, and responsive to local needs. It is important to conduct an environmental scan and a gap analysis, to develop a common vision, to build central and local coordination and leadership, to build on existing tools and resources, and to use innovation. Findings of the Think Tank Forum are important for building surveillance capacity at the local/county level, both in Canada and globally. This paper provides a follow-up review of the findings based on progress over the last 4 years.

  4. Building capacity in implementation science research training at the University of Nairobi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osanjo, George O; Oyugi, Julius O; Kibwage, Isaac O; Mwanda, Walter O; Ngugi, Elizabeth N; Otieno, Fredrick C; Ndege, Wycliffe; Child, Mara; Farquhar, Carey; Penner, Jeremy; Talib, Zohray; Kiarie, James N

    2016-03-08

    Health care systems in sub-Saharan Africa, and globally, grapple with the problem of closing the gap between evidence-based health interventions and actual practice in health service settings. It is essential for health care systems, especially in low-resource settings, to increase capacity to implement evidence-based practices, by training professionals in implementation science. With support from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, the University of Nairobi has developed a training program to build local capacity for implementation science. This paper describes how the University of Nairobi leveraged resources from the Medical Education Partnership to develop an institutional program that provides training and mentoring in implementation science, builds relationships between researchers and implementers, and identifies local research priorities for implementation science. The curriculum content includes core material in implementation science theory, methods, and experiences. The program adopts a team mentoring and supervision approach, in which fellows are matched with mentors at the University of Nairobi and partnering institutions: University of Washington, Seattle, and University of Maryland, Baltimore. A survey of program participants showed a high degree satisfaction with most aspects of the program, including the content, duration, and attachment sites. A key strength of the fellowship program is the partnership approach, which leverages innovative use of information technology to offer diverse perspectives, and a team model for mentorship and supervision. As health care systems and training institutions seek new approaches to increase capacity in implementation science, the University of Nairobi Implementation Science Fellowship program can be a model for health educators and administrators who wish to develop their program and curricula.

  5. A mixed-method evaluation of the New York State Eat Well Play Hard Community Projects: Building local capacity for sustainable childhood obesity prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Kaydian S; Sekhobo, Jackson P; Gantner, Leigh A; Holbrook, MaryEllen K; Allsopp, Marie; Whalen, Linda B; Koren-Roth, Amy

    2018-04-01

    This study used a mixed-method, comparative case study approach to assess the level of capacity built for childhood obesity prevention among seven New York State Eat Well Play Hard-Community Projects (EWPH-CP). Data were collected through a self-reported survey in 2007, semi-structured interviews in 2009, and EWPH-CP program documentation throughout the 2006-2010 funding cycle. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used along with an integrative framework for assessing local capacity building to characterize the capacity built by the study coalitions. Four coalitions rated membership characteristics as a challenge at the beginning of the funding cycle. Towards the end of the funding cycle, all seven coalitions reported activities that were initially focused on building their membership (i.e., member capacity) or positive working relationships (i.e. relational capacity), before eventually pursuing support and resources (i.e., organizational capacity) for implementing their chosen community-oriented programmatic goals (i.e., programmatic capacity). Five coalitions reported environmental changes aimed at increasing physical activity or fruit and vegetable intake. Technical assistance provided to coalitions was credited with contributing to the achievement of programmatic goals. These results suggest that the coalitions succeeded in building local capacity for increasing age-appropriate physical activity or fruit and vegetables intake in the target communities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Recommended Capacities for Educational Leadership: Pre-Reform Era Scholars versus Reform-Era Scholars versus National Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Stephen P.; Taylor-Backor, Karen; Croteau, Susan

    2017-01-01

    We reviewed the scholarship on capacities for educational leadership for the past decade of the pre-reform era (1976-1985), as well as a recent decade of the reform era (2005-2015), and compared scholarship from both decades with the current Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. We found that scholars in the past decade of the pre-reform…

  7. REGIONAL EFFECTS OF THE EU FUNDS ABSORPTION FOR EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ROMANIA 2007-2013 PROGRAMMING PERIOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aida Catana

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The educational infrastructure was one of the priorities financed by European Regional Development Fund in Romania through Regional Operational Programme in 2007-2013 programming period. The regions for development in Romania needed financial support to improve the quality of local educational infrastructure but the administrative capacity to get EU funds wasn’t prepared to take advantage of the available opportunities. This paper shows that the level of local development in terms of institutional capacity and financial resources had influenced the amount of funds obtained by the local authorities. Even if the less developed regions had an important need for resources, the more developed regions succeeded to implement more projects for educational infrastructure.

  8. Female Leadership Capacity and Effectiveness: A Critical Analysis of the Literature on Higher Education in Saudi Arabia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alomair, Miznah O.

    2015-01-01

    In light of the progressive changes occurring in Saudi Arabia, developing female leadership capacity and effectiveness in the country's higher education is vital. This literature review examines the scholarship and research on female leadership in higher education in Saudi Arabia, describes the major barriers for female leaders, and provides a…

  9. Threats to the Human Capacity of Regional Higher Education Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evgeny Valentinovich Romanov

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the sphere of science and education in Russia undergoes significant reforms. However, the existing framework guiding the development of the higher education contradict the Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of Russia. These contradictions concern the conditions for building an integral system of personnel reserve and recruitment, which is necessary for the scientific and technological development of the country. The change of the funding model and the transition to two-tier higher education contribute to the outflow of talented youth to the cities where branded universities are concentrated. It creates threats to the human capacity of regional higher education institutions (both regarding staffing number, and regarding personnel reserve. Decreasing trend in number of students because of the federal budget appropriation and the existing system of per capita funding for regional higher education institutions are the threats for regional higher education. These threats can result in permanent reduction of the number of academic teaching staff and in potential decline in quality of education due to increasing teachers’ workloads. The transition to the two-tier model of university education has changed the approach to evaluating the efficiency of scientific research. The number of publications in the journals, which are indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus, has increased, but the patent activity of the leading higher education institutions has decreased many times. The ratio of number of articles to the number of the granted patents in the leading Russian universities significantly exceeds a similar indicator of the leading foreign universities. It can be regarded as «brain drain». Furthermore, this fact explains why the specific weight of income from the results of intellectual activity in total income in the majority of the Russian universities is close to zero. Regional higher education institutions need

  10. Differentiated Instructional Strategies on Space Education for Sustained Capacity Building of Underprivileged School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Sumit

    2016-07-01

    Although innovations in space education were introduced in many developing countries with good intentions, too many changes and challenges in the existing system have often penalized those who needed them the most. Consequently, the students and teachers in the underprivileged schools face isolation, neglect and coupled with inadequate pedagogic attention, poor infrastructure and insufficient resources, inadvertently suffer. Surprisingly, these deprived school students possess cognitive capabilities of comprehending nature. One of the most compelling situations in Indian school education is that the syllabus is often modified haphazardly without the necessary groundwork and infrastructure to implement it. Apparently, there has neither been teaching nor learning on applied knowledge. Despite the growth in communication and technology applications in space education, inequalities continue to exist in developing countries. In our present society many crucial services are provided by space and it becomes imperative that students have a comprehensive knowledge of space and space based technologies. To realize these objectives, we have adopted a comprehensive and holistic capacity building mechanism which incorporates differentiated instructional strategy on teaching space education in underprivileged schools. Because differentiation and scaffolding techniques yield similar instructional goals, we have blended together both the approaches to the point of being indistinguishable and this proved successful. Initiation was done through the setting up of an Astronomy Club in a backward area in Hyderabad and necessary infrastructure was provided by one of the authors. A state of the art audio-visual room with LCD Projector for ICT mode of presentations of various astronomy and space topics, having a seating capacity of 50 students is in place. A laptop, printer and Wi-Fi connection exists. In addition, visual charts on various celestial phenomena and objects, inspirational

  11. Demand Response Potential for California SubLAPs and Local Capacity Planning Areas: An Addendum to the 2025 California Demand Response Potential Study – Phase 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alstone, Peter [Humboldt State Univ., Arcata, CA (United States). Schatz Energy Research Center; Potter, Jennifer [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Piette, Mary Ann [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Schwartz, Peter [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Berger, Michael A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Dunn, Laurel N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Smith, Sarah J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Sohn, Michael D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Aghajanzadeh, Arian [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Stensson, Sofia [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Szinai, Julia [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-04-01

    The 2025 California Demand Response Potential Study Phase 2 Report1 was released on March 1, 2017, and described a range of pathways for Demand Response (DR) to support a clean, stable, and cost-effective electric grid for California. One of the Report’s key findings was that while there appears to be very low future value for untargeted DR Shed aimed at system-wide peak load conditions, there could be significant value for locally focused Shed resources. Although the dynamics of renewable capacity expansion have reduced the pressure to build new thermal generation in general, there are still transmission-constrained areas of the state where load growth needs to be managed with the addition of new local capacity, which could include DERs and/or DR. This Addendum to the Phase 2 Report presents a breakdown of the expected future “Local Shed” DR potential at a finer geographic resolution than what is available in the original report, with results summarized by SubLAP and Local Capacity Area (LCA).

  12. ICT Capacity Building: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Rwandan Policies from Higher Education Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byungura, Jean Claude; Hansson, Henrik; Masengesho, Kamuzinzi; Karunaratne, Thashmee

    2016-01-01

    With the development of technology in the 21st Century, education systems attempt to integrate technology-based tools to improve experiences in pedagogy and administration. It is becoming increasingly prominent to build human and ICT infrastructure capacities at universities from policy to implementation level. Using a critical discourse analysis,…

  13. Integrating Local Culture to Promote Character Education In Teaching Writing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fenny Thresia

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract : Character education plays an important part because it is not only about moral and value education. It has a higher significance of moral education, because it not only teaches what is right and what is wrong. More than that character education inculcate the habit (habituation about good things and wrong, can feel (affective domain good value and used to do (behavioral domain. So the character education linked closely associated with persistent habits practiced or implemented. It is commonly believed that the practices of English language teaching always accompanied by the insertion of foreign cultural values which are not always in line with Indonesia cultural values. The aim of this study is to improve students’ writing skill through integrating local culture material. Therefore this study focuses on designing and evaluating teaching writing material for English department students of University Muhammadiyah Metro. The result of this study shows that students have big interest and motivation in writing a text based on their local culture. The students also get moral value and character building through the material. It influences the students’ character in their daily life. Students become more polite, honest, diligent and religious.                                                                                                         Keywords: local culture, character education, writing.

  14. Innovative Strategies for Building Community Resilience: Lessons from the Frontlines of Climate Change Capacity-Building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrash Walton, A.

    2017-12-01

    There is broad scientific consensus that climate change is occurring; however, there is limited implementation of measures to create resilient local communities (Abrash Walton, Simpson, Rhoades, & Daniels, 2016; Adger, Arnell, & Tompkins, 2005; Glavovic & Smith, 2014; Moser & Ekstrom, 2010; Picketts, Déry, & Curry, 2014). Communities that are considered climate leaders in the United States may have adopted climate change plans, yet few have actually implemented the policies, projects and recommendations in those plans. A range of innovative, education strategies have proven effective in building the capacity of local decision makers to strengthen community resilience. This presentation draws on the results of two years of original research regarding the information and support local decision makers require for effective action. Findings are based on information from four datasets, with more than 600 respondents from 48 U.S. states and 19 other countries working on local adaptation in a range of capacities. These research results can inform priority setting for public policy, budget setting, and action as well as private sector funding and investment. The presentation will focus, in particular, on methods and results of a pioneering Facilitated Community of Practice model (FCoP) for building climate preparedness and community resilience capacity, among local-level decision makers. The FCoP process includes group formation and shared capacity building experience. The process can also support collective objective setting and creation of structures and processes for ongoing sustainable collaboration. Results from two FCoPs - one fully online and the other hybrid - suggest that participants viewed the interpersonal and technical assistance elements of the FCoP as highly valuable. These findings suggest that there is an important need for facilitated networking and other relational aspects of building capacity among those advancing resilience at the local level.

  15. Translating Globalization and Democratization into Local Policy: Educational Reform in Hong Kong and Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Wing-Wah

    2004-11-01

    The past two decades have witnessed three important international trends: an increase in the number of democratic states; economic globalization; and educational reforms in light of the challenges of the new millennium. A great deal of research has addressed educational change in relation to either globalization or democratization, but little has been said about the complex interactions among all three processes. In view of recent educational reforms in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the present contribution examines the local nature of education policy in a globalized age. It challenges those globalization theories which minimize the role of the state and exaggerate the power of globalization over local factors. In particular, it explores how the governments of these two Chinese societies have employed democratization to generate and legitimate reform proposals and have used economic globalization to justify educational reforms. The study concludes by discussing the complex interrelations of these processes, including tensions between global and local concerns in educational reform.

  16. Building the Capacity of States to Ensure Inclusion of Rural Communities in State and Local Primary Violence Prevention Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook-Craig, Patricia G.; Lane, Karen G.; Siebold, Wendi L.

    2010-01-01

    Rural, frontier, and geographically isolated communities face unique challenges associated with ensuring that they are equal partners in capacity-building and prevention planning processes at the state and local level despite barriers that can inhibit participation. By their nature, rural, frontier, and geographically isolated communities and…

  17. Hybridity in the Higher Education of Ukraine: Global Logic or Local Idiosyncrasy?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Gomilko

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Hybridity as a heuristic concept of the globalization and post-colonialism discourses is used for 1 understanding the logic of the modernization of the higher education of Ukraine (HEU, and 2 for making a meaningful diagnosis of those educational pathologies that restrain it. The educational pathologies are considered as the conditioned by post-coloniality and post-totalitarianism departure or deviation from the undertaking of the original missions of higher education (HE: “to educate, to train and to undertake research” (World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action, 1998. Modernity as a philosophical concept and normative ideal that focus on increasing rational components in a human life is exploited for showing the ways of carrying out the missions of HE by adjusting particular patterns of rationality to the needs and wants of society. However, globalization puts modernity under challenges due to its bent toward de/or non-modern cultural practices. That’s why the logic of modernization in HEU acquires hybrid characteristics by fitting together different, multiple, opposing educational models and standards – post-colonial, post-totalitarian, modern, de/non-modern and global through the local acceptance. Therefore, the locality turns into a focal point of the modernization of HEU in a global context. The modernization of HEU reveals the ambivalent meaning of hybridity in its producing and destructive potential, i.e. as a global logic or a local idiosyncrasy.

  18. Creating Teacher Capacity in Early Childhood Education and Care Institutions Implementing an Authoritative Adult Style

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omdal, Heidi

    2018-01-01

    The being together intervention intends to raise teacher capacity in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions and promote social and emotional development in preschoolers by implementing an authoritative (warm and predictable) adult style in the institution. An authoritative adult balances between building up high quality…

  19. Basic science research and education: a priority for training and capacity building in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deckelbaum, Richard J; Ntambi, James M; Wolgemuth, Debra J

    2011-09-01

    This article provides evidence that basic science research and education should be key priorities for global health training, capacity building, and practice. Currently, there are tremendous gaps between strong science education and research in developed countries (the North) as compared to developing countries (the South). In addition, science research and education appear as low priorities in many developing countries. The need to stress basic science research beyond the typical investment of infectious disease basic service and research laboratories in developing areas is significant in terms of the benefits, not only to education, but also for economic strengthening and development of human resources. There are some indications that appreciation of basic science research education and training is increasing, but this still needs to be applied more rigorously and strengthened systematically in developing countries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Local health department epidemiologic capacity: a stratified cross-sectional assessment describing the quantity, education, training, and perceived competencies of epidemiologic staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Keefe, Kaitlin A; Shafir, Shira C; Shoaf, Kimberley I

    2013-01-01

    Local health departments (LHDs) must have sufficient numbers of staff functioning in an epidemiologic role with proper education, training, and skills to protect the health of communities they serve. This pilot study was designed to describe the composition, training, and competency level of LHD staff and examine the hypothesis that potential disparities exist between LHDs serving different sized populations. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted with directors and epidemiologic staff from a sample of 100 LHDs serving jurisdictions of varied sizes. Questionnaires included inquiries regarding staff composition, education, training, and measures of competency modeled on previously conducted studies by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Number of epidemiologic staff, academic degree distribution, epidemiologic training, and both director and staff confidence in task competencies were calculated for each LHD size strata. Disparities in measurements were observed in LHDs serving different sized populations. LHDs serving small populations reported a smaller average number of epidemiologic staff than those serving larger jurisdictions. As size of population served increased, percentages of staff and directors holding bachelors' and masters' degrees increased, while those holding RN degrees decreased. A higher degree of perceived competency of staff in most task categories was reported in LHDs serving larger populations. LHDs serving smaller populations reported fewer epidemiologic staff, therefore might benefit from additional resources. Differences observed in staff education, training, and competencies suggest that enhanced epidemiologic training might be particularly needed in LHDs serving smaller populations. RESULTS can be used as a baseline for future research aimed at identifying areas where training and personnel resources might be particularly needed to increase the capabilities of LHDs.

  1. 77 FR 55436 - Special Local Regulation; Partnership in Education, Dragon Boat Race; Maumee River, Toledo, OH

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-10

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Partnership in Education, Dragon Boat Race; Maumee River, Toledo, OH.... Add Sec. 100.921 to read as follows: Sec. 100.921 Special Local Regulations, Partnership in Education... establishing a permanent Special Local Regulation on the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio. This regulation is...

  2. The Politics of Implementing Local Cultures in Music Education in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Wai-Chung

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate how the national development of Taiwan has shaped the context of music learning through the development of local cultures in current education reform. Through the examination of relevant literature, official documents, websites and a selection of music education publications that are commonly…

  3. The role of adult education in the development of local identity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Govekar Okoliš

    1998-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the role that adult education has played in the development of local identity. This includes provision of a brief outline of the development and significance of smaller local communities in Slovenian history. As an example, a description is given of the development of local communities in the regions of Gorioka and of Trieste and its environs during the second half of the 19th c. Attention is given to the beginnings of the adult instruction and education activities which were conducted in the various societies, where membership was voluntary. There, the local members learnt from one another, transferred their knowledge and experience, and- with the stimul us of regional encouragement - took care of the development of their region and, consequently, their own personal development. As it was in the past, so it still is today: those who are most concerned for the development of the local community are the individuals who, within their own region, have felt the need to gain new opportunities for a deeper recognition of the local identity. This need is also linked to the history of the area and of the local or regional community. It is only through recognition and understanding of the history of the region, and of life in the local community, that people are better able to shape their own identity and attachment to the region, and hence to form and plan its further development.

  4. Study on Space Audit Assessment Criteria for Public Higher Education Institution in Malaysia: Space Capacity Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan Hamdan Wan Samsul Zamani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to measure the capacity rate of learning space based on the as-built drawing provided by the institutions or if the as-built drawing is missing, the researcher have to prepare measured drawing as per actual on site. The learning space Capacity Index is developed by analyzing the space design in as-built drawing or measured drawing and the list of learning spaces available at the institution. The Capacity Index is classified according to the level of Usable Floor Area (UFA and Occupancy Load (OL according to learning space design capacity. The classification of Capacity Index is demonstrated through linguistic value and the color-coded key. From the said index, the institution can easily identify whether the existing learning space is currently best used or vice versa and standard space planning compliance in Malaysia Public Higher Education Institutions. The data will assist the management to clarify whether to maximize the use of existing space or to request for new learning space.

  5. Effectiveness of an educational intervention and physical exercise on the functional capacity of patients on haemodialysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Robles, Esmeralda; Colomer-Codinachs, Marta; Roquet-Bohils, Marta; Chirveches-Pérez, Emilia; Ortiz-Jurado, Pep; Subirana-Casacuberta, Mireia

    2018-03-02

    To describe the impact of a standard hospital educational intervention including active physical exercises on personal well-being, functional capacity and knowledge of the benefits of prescribed physical activity for patients undergoing haemodialysis. An uncontrolled, quasi-experimental, before-and-after study with repeated measures of response variables at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after participating in an educational and physical exercise hospital intervention. It was performed at the Nephrology Unit at the Hospital Complex in Vic within september and december 2014. The patients' well-being, functional capacity and knowledge were assessed. Assessment tools: NOC nursing indicators, Barthel index scale, FAC Holden, Timed Get Up and Go test and Daniels scale. We included 68 (80.0%) patients and 58 (85.3%) completed, with a mean age of 70.16±13.5 years; 62.1% were males. After 12 weeks, the patients had better scores of personal well-being (2.33±1.2, 3.88±0.8), more autonomy to perform activities of daily living (Barthel: 92.8±12.8; 93.5±13.9), more muscle strength (Daniels Scale: 3.81±0.7, 4.19±0.6) and walked more briskly (Get Up and Go test: 14.98±8.5; 15.65±10.5). All of the score differences were statistically significant (P<05) except the Barthel Index. The standard educational intervention and active exercise performed at hospital level improved the personal well-being, knowledge and functional capacity of patients on haemodialysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  6. Liberating Leadership Capacity: Pathways to Educational Wisdom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, Linda; Zimmerman, Diane P.; Gardner, Mary E.

    2016-01-01

    During the past quarter century, conceptions of leadership have evolved in concert with breakthrough discoveries in science and generative learning. "Liberating Leadership Capacity" captures these new ideas through the integration of the authors' earlier works in constructivist leadership and leadership capacity. What emerges is a…

  7. 40 CFR 763.84 - General local education agency responsibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... exterminators) who may come in contact with asbestos in a school are provided information regarding the... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General local education agency responsibilities. 763.84 Section 763.84 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC...

  8. Immunization Documentation Practices and Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance Capacity among Institutions of Higher Education in Indiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Taryn; Golwalkar, Mugdha

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACTObjective: Complete and accurate documentation of immunization records and surveillance of disease transmission are critical to the public health response to outbreaks of communicable disease in institutions of higher education (IHEs). This study aims to describe immunization documentation practices and disease surveillance capacity among…

  9. ARCHES: Advancing Research & Capacity in Hydrologic Education and Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milewski, A.; Fryar, A. E.; Durham, M. C.; Schroeder, P.; Agouridis, C.; Hanley, C.; Rotz, R. R.

    2013-12-01

    Educating young scientists and building capacity on a global scale is pivotal towards better understanding and managing our water resources. Based on this premise the ARCHES (Advancing Research & Capacity in Hydrologic Education and Science) program has been established. This abstract provides an overview of the program, links to access information, and describes the activities and outcomes of student participants from the Middle East and North Africa. The ARCHES program (http://arches.wrrs.uga.edu) is an integrated hydrologic education approach using online courses, field programs, and various hands-on workshops. The program aims to enable young scientists to effectively perform the high level research that will ultimately improve quality of life, enhance science-based decision making, and facilitate collaboration. Three broad, interlinked sets of activities are incorporated into the ARCHES program: (A1) the development of technical expertise, (A2) the development of professional contacts and skills, and (A3) outreach and long-term sustainability. The development of technical expertise (A1) is implemented through three progressive instructional sections. Section 1: Students were guided through a series of online lectures and exercises (Moodle: http://wrrs.uga.edu/moodle) covering three main topics (Remote Sensing, GIS, and Hydrologic Modeling). Section 2: Students participated in a hands-on workshop hosted at the University of Georgia's Water Resources and Remote Sensing Laboratory (WRRSL). Using ENVI, ArcGIS, and ArcSWAT, students completed a series of lectures and real-world applications (e.g., Development of Hydrologic Models). Section 3: Students participated in field studies (e.g., measurements of infiltration, recharge, streamflow, and water-quality parameters) conducted by U.S. partners and international collaborators in the participating countries. The development of professional contacts and skills (A2) was achieved through the promotion of networking

  10. Assessing Community Leadership: Understanding Community Capacity for Health Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castle, Billie; Wendel, Monica; Kelly Pryor, Brandy N; Ingram, Monique

    The purpose of this study was to pilot a quantitative instrument to measure aspects of community leadership within an assessment framework. The instrument includes 14 Likert-type questions asking residents how they perceive leaders within 5 sectors: Louisville Metro Council/Mayor's Office, the faith community, education, business, and the civic sector. Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky, has a population of about 743 000 residents. Respondents were asked to examine leadership within West Louisville, an economically deprived area of the city made up of 9 contiguous neighborhoods. This area is predominantly African American (78% compared with 22% in Louisville Metro), with an overall poverty rate of 43% (compared with 18% in Louisville Metro), and unemployment rate of 23% (compared with 8% in Louisville Metro). Residents of West Louisville are looking to leadership to address many of the inequities. Twenty-seven participants representing 7 community sectors completed the survey, of whom 90% work in West Louisville. The instrument measured local perceptions of leadership strength, effectiveness, trust, communication, community building, and leadership development. The majority of respondents agree that strong leadership exists across the 5 sectors, with variation regarding perceptions of the quality of that leadership. City leadership within the Mayor's Office and Metro Council is largely viewed positively, while the growing tensions within the education sector were reflected in the survey results. The perception of community leadership is important to understanding local community capacity to improve health and also inclusivity of community voice in the assessment and community improvement processes. Results from such assessments can offer useful information for strengthening community capacity and sustaining relationships needed to enact progressive and equitable solutions to address local issues. Leaders in a variety of settings can utilize this instrument to

  11. Research on the Internationalization and the Localization of China's MBA Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jie; Ma, Haiyong

    2012-01-01

    This article started with a brief review of the history and current situation of Chinese MBA education and its internationalization and localization. Then, the author presented the opportunities faced of China's MBA education. Furthermore, the challenges faced by Chinese MBA education in the globalization process together with their implications…

  12. 7 CFR 245.10 - Action by local educational agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... submit for approval to the State agency a free and reduced price policy statement. Once approved, the... shall amend its permanent free and reduced price policy statement to reflect substantive changes. Any... local educational agency's free and reduced price policy statement has been approved by the State agency...

  13. Effects of Educating Local Government Officers and Healthcare and Welfare Professionals in Suicide Prevention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshio Hirayasu

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Suicide is a major public health issue. In Japan, local governments are responsible for suicide prevention, and local government officers are therefore expected to act as gatekeepers for suicide prevention. In this study, through a questionnaire survey, the authors examined the current knowledge and attitudes concerning suicide prevention among local government officers and healthcare and welfare professionals, and the effects of providing suicide prevention education on their knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and its prevention. One hundred eighty-three local government officers and 432 healthcare/welfare professionals completed the survey before and after a single education session. Before the session, the local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals showed mainly positive attitudes toward suicide prevention efforts, with little difference between the two groups. After the training, knowledge and attitudes were further improved for most questionnaire items. Respondents with one or more experiences of suicide prevention training showed significantly more knowledge and positive attitudes before the training than those with no such experience. Moreover, knowledge of depression and having a sympathetic attitude were found to be especially associated with the overall attitude that “suicide can be prevented”. Training in suicide prevention was shown to be effective in promoting appropriate knowledge and attitudes among local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals who are gatekeepers for preventing suicide. Our findings confirm the importance of suicide prevention education, and will contribute to creating a standard educational program on suicide prevention in Japan.

  14. Education and Training, and Knowledge Networks for Capacity-Building in Nuclear Security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mrabit, Khammar

    2014-01-01

    Conclusions: • Capacity Building (CB) is critical for States to establish and maintain effective and sustainable nuclear security regime. • IAEA is a worldwide platform promoting international cooperation for CB in nuclear security involving more than 160 countries and over 20 Organizations and Initiatives. • IAEA Division of Nuclear Security is ready to continue supporting States in developing their CB through: – Comprehensive Training Programme: more than 80 training events annually – International Nuclear Security Training and Support Centre Network (NSSC) – Comprehensive Education Programme – International Nuclear Security Network (INSEN)

  15. Increasing capacity to deliver diabetes self-management education: results of the DESMOND lay educator non-randomized controlled equivalence trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, M E; Mandalia, P K; Daly, H; Gray, L J; Hale, R; Martin Stacey, L; Taub, N; Skinner, T C; Stone, M; Heller, S; Khunti, K; Davies, M J

    2014-11-01

    To develop and test a format of delivery of diabetes self-management education by paired professional and lay educators. We conducted an equivalence trial with non-randomized participant allocation to a Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed Type 2 diabetes (DESMOND) course, delivered in the standard format by two trained healthcare professional educators (to the control group) or by one trained lay educator and one professional educator (to the intervention group). A total of 260 people with Type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the previous 12 months were referred for self-management education as part of routine care and attended either a control or intervention format DESMOND course. The primary outcome measure was change in illness coherence score (derived from the Diabetes Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised) between baseline and 4 months after attending education sessions. Secondary outcome measures included change in HbA1c level. The trial was conducted in four primary care organizations across England and Scotland. The 95% CI for the between-group difference in positive change in coherence scores was within the pre-set limits of equivalence (difference = 0.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.52). Equivalent changes related to secondary outcome measures were also observed, including equivalent reductions in HbA1c levels. Diabetes education delivered jointly by a trained lay person and a healthcare professional educator with the same educator role can provide equivalent patient benefits. This could provide a method that increases capacity, maintains quality and is cost-effective, while increasing access to self-management education. © 2014 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2014 Diabetes UK.

  16. Student Involvement in Wellness Policies: A Study of Pennsylvania Local Education Agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jomaa, Lamis H.; McDonnell, Elaine; Weirich, Elaine; Hartman, Terryl; Jensen, Leif; Probart, Claudia

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Explore student-involvement goals in local wellness policies (LWPs) of local education agencies (LEAs) in Pennsylvania (PA) and investigate associations with LEA characteristics. Design: An observational study that helped examine student-involvement goals. Setting: Public PA LEAs. Participants: LWPs submitted by 539 PA public LEAs. Main…

  17. 25 CFR 47.10 - How is the local educational financial plan developed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ....10 Section 47.10 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION UNIFORM DIRECT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR BUREAU-OPERATED SCHOOLS § 47.10 How is the local educational financial... plan: (1) Within 15 days after receiving the tentative allotment, the school supervisor must consult...

  18. Education: The Heart of the Matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morriss, Wayne W; Milenovic, Miodrag S; Evans, Faye M

    2018-04-01

    There are inadequate numbers of anesthesia providers in many parts of the world. Good quality educational programs are needed to increase provider numbers, train leaders and teachers, and increase knowledge and skills. In some countries, considerable external support may be required to develop self-sustaining programs. There are some key themes related to educational programs in low- and middle-income countries:(1) Programs must be appropriate for the local environment-there is no "one-size-fits-all" program. In some countries, nonuniversity programs may be appropriate for training providers.(2) It is essential to train local teachers-a number of short courses provide teacher training. Overseas attachments may also play an important role in developing leadership and teaching capacity.(3) Interactive teaching techniques, such as small-group discussions and simulation, have been incorporated into many educational programs. Computer learning and videoconferencing offer additional educational possibilities.(4) Subspecialty education in areas such as obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, and pain management are needed to develop leadership and increase capacity in subspecialty areas of practice. Examples include short subspecialty courses and clinical fellowships.(5) Collaboration and coordination are vital. Anesthesiologists need to work with ministries of health and other organizations to develop plans that are matched to need. External organizations can play an important role.(6) Excellent education is required at all levels. Training guidelines could help to standardize and improve training. Resources should be available for research, as well as monitoring and evaluation of educational programs.

  19. Patronage or partnership: Local capacity building in humanitarian ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2011-02-09

    Feb 9, 2011 ... "People are dying like flies," says an understandably emotional ... chapter looks at health care, and the Guatemala chapter deals with gender issues. ... So it's important to think through what we mean by capacity building when ...

  20. Working memory capacity and Stroop interference: global versus local indices of executive control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Matt E; Kane, Michael J

    2013-05-01

    Two experiments examined the relations among working memory capacity (WMC), congruency-sequence effects, proportion-congruency effects, and the color-word Stroop effect to test whether congruency-sequence effects might inform theoretical claims regarding WMC's prediction of Stroop interference. In Experiment 1, subjects completed either a high-congruency or low-congruency Stroop task that restricted trial-to-trial repetitions of stimulus dimensions to examine WMC's relation to congruency-sequence effects while minimizing bottom-up, stimulus-driven contributions. Congruency-sequence effects and congruency-proportion effects were significant but did not interact. WMC predicted global Stroop interference under low-congruency conditions but neither local congruency-sequence effects nor global Stroop interference under high-congruency conditions, contrary to previous studies (e.g., Kane & Engle, 2003). A high-congruency Stroop task in Experiment 2 removed the Experiment 1 task constraints, and, here, we obtained the typical, global association between WMC and Stroop interference but still no relation between WMC and congruency-sequence effects. We thus examined the methodological differences between Experiments 1 and 2 to determine whether any of these were locally responsible for the global WMC-related differences. They were not, suggesting that the changes between Experiments 1 and 2 created a general task context that engaged (or disengaged) the executive processes associated with WMC.

  1. A New Model of Clinical Education to Increase Student Placement Availability: The Capacity Development Facilitator Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairbrother, Michele; Nicole, Madelyn; Blackford, Julia; Nagarajan, Srivalli Vilapakkam; McAllister, Lindy

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on a trial of a new model of clinical education designed to increase student clinical placement availability and address workforce constraints on supervision. The University of Sydney deployed the Capacity Development Facilitators (CDF) in selected Sydney hospitals to work with staff to expand student clinical placement…

  2. Decentralization in Educational Governance and Its Challenges in Korea: Focused on Policy Conflicts between Central and Local Government in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Sung-Hyun

    2016-01-01

    Decentralization of educational governance is characterized by the recent education reform in Korea. With the election of progressive superintendents and local council members, educational policy conflicts have often occurred and deepened in the process of decision-making and implementation of policies such as School Violence Prevention, National…

  3. Strenghtening local curricular capacity in international development cooperation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vis, C.K.S.

    2017-01-01

    Many curriculum development interventions carried out in international development cooperation lack sustainable outcomes, often as a result of a too narrow focus on curriculum and its development. Implementation of effective and encompassing approaches with an aligned focus on capacity development

  4. Multi-lane Roundabout Capacity Evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ammar Šarić

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Although two-lane roundabouts theoretically exhibit excellent operating performance, in practice, safety problems arise because of inappropriate driving behavior. Turbo roundabouts, which are characterized by a much higher level of safety, are alternatives to classic two-lane roundabouts, but the capacity-related benefits derived from such roundabouts remain an open issue. Accordingly, this study uses an equilibrium traffic flow allocation approach to evaluate multi-lane roundabout capacity based on gap acceptance theory. Capacity levels are calculated and compared for different gap acceptance parameters, including local parameters, and different traffic flow scenarios. It is found that the capacity of minor approaches on turbo roundabouts is always higher than on two-lane roundabouts, but that the main approaches on two-lane roundabouts exhibit better performance in terms of fully equilibrium traffic allocation. This state, however, cannot be achieved for every demand scenario. The results depend strongly on traffic movements and gap acceptance parameters indicating the need for local calibration processes.

  5. Public administration of quality of education at the local level on the foundation of the competence approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. I. Popova

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the essence of the phenomenon of management, reveals the meaning of science categories of public administration, of public administration of education and public administration of quality of education at the local level. Personnel factor identifies priority in improving of public administration of quality of education at the local level, the importance of the implementation of the competence approach to management education sector as a necessary condition to ensure the quality of education.

  6. School-Based Health Education Programmes, Health-Learning Capacity and Child Oral Health--related Quality of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Ruth; Gibson, Barry; Humphris, Gerry; Leonard, Helen; Yuan, Siyang; Whelton, Helen

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To use a model of health learning to examine the role of health-learning capacity and the effect of a school-based oral health education intervention (Winning Smiles) on the health outcome, child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). Setting: Primary schools, high social deprivation, Ireland/Northern Ireland. Design: Cluster…

  7. Global health education in Germany: an analysis of current capacity, needs and barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaffes, Ioannis; Moser, Fabian; Pham, Miriam; Oetjen, Aenne; Fehling, Maya

    2016-11-25

    In times of increasing global challenges to health, it is crucial to create a workforce capable of tackling these complex issues. Even though a lack of GHE in Germany is perceived by multiple stakeholders, no systematic analysis of the current landscape exists. The aim of this study is to provide an analysis of the global health education (GHE) capacity in Germany as well as to identify gaps, barriers and future strategies. An online search in combination with information provided by student representatives, course coordinators and lecturers was used to create an overview of the current GHE landscape in Germany. Additionally, a semi-structured questionnaire was sent to GHE educators and students engaged in global health (GH) to assess the capacity of German GHE, its barriers and suggested strategies for the future. A total of 33 GHE activities were identified at 18 German universities. Even though medical schools are the main provider of GHE (42%), out of 38 medical schools, only 13 (34%) offer any kind of GHE. Modules offered for students of other health-related professions constitute 27% of all activities. Most survey respondents (92%, n = 48) consider current GHE activities in Germany insufficient. Suggested formats were GHE as part of medical curricula (82%, n = 45) and dual degree MD/MPH or PhD programs. Most important barriers mentioned were low priority of GH at faculties and academic management levels (n = 41, 75%) as well as lack of necessary institutional structures (n = 33, 60%). Despite some innovative academic approaches, there is clearly a need for more systematic GHE in Germany. GHE educators and students can take an important role advocating for more awareness at university management level and suggesting ways to institutionalize GHE to overcome barriers. This study provides key evidence, relevant perceptions and suggestions to strengthen GHE in Germany.

  8. Citizenship Education: Cultivating a Critical Capacity to Implement Universal Values Nationally

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Twarog

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Citizenship and citizenship education face challenges due to globalizing factors affecting modern liberal-democratic states. Earlier models of citizenship, which were based on assimilation into the dominant society, have been challenged by scholars seeking to create a fuller understanding of citizenship more inclusive of diversity. This paper addresses the works of Martha Nussbaum and James A. Banks who present two possibilities for citizenship education: purified patriotism (Nussbaum and transformative citizenship education (Banks. By considering values, identity and the national narrative, this paper compares their views in relation to these topics as well as gives supporting and opposing ideas from other scholars. It concludes by stating that these authors share a common commitment to the need for a critical civic culture, which in turn requires a willingness and openness on the part of all citizens to use their imagination and help foster the critical capacity to think anew. In this way, the traditional dichotomous debate over citizenship, values and identity within the nation and the world might be transformed. By utilizing what Freire refers to as deliberative dialogue, we can foster creative solutions to ensure that universal values of justice, tolerance, recognition and equality are not merely democratic ideals, but are practiced by all individuals and institutions. Furthermore, this paper addresses the need for a teacher training program which would teach educators how to promote and endorse a critical culture through dialogue within the classroom and create citizens who are capable of using their imagination and critical thinking to function cooperatively within a multicultural society.

  9. Stone Soup: Using Co-Teaching and Photovoice to Support Inclusive Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroeger, Stephen; Embury, Dusty; Cooper, Adam; Brydon-Miller, Mary; Laine, Chester; Johnson, Holly

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this action research project was to increase the local educational system's capacity to teach to greater student diversity across all grades through the use of Photovoice and co-teaching. Teacher education programs in the United States have reflected a historical legacy of separation according to student achievement and were…

  10. Capacity building in rural Guatemala by implementing a solid waste management program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zarate, M.A.; Slotnick, J.; Ramos, M.

    2008-01-01

    The development and implementation of a solid waste management program served to build local capacity in San Mateo Ixtatan between 2002 and 2003 as part of a public health action plan. The program was developed and implemented in two phases: (1) the identification and education of a working team from the community; and (2) the completion of a solid waste classification and quantification study. Social capital and the water cycle were two public health approaches utilized to build a sustainable program. The activities accomplished gained support from the community and municipal authorities. A description of the tasks completed and findings of the solid waste classification and quantification performed by a local working group are presented in this paper

  11. Technological Innovation in Primary Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisana Sleny López Alvarado

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this essay is to reflect on technological innovation in Primary Education. In this idea, information processing was used to support the analysis of the theoretical approaches related to the relevance of education that is based on a significant pedagogical practice capable of developing the capacities and interests, so that they can appropriate the global and local content in the vision of access to information, considering social opportunities. The restructuring to which education has been subjected has been influenced by advances in science, technology and the demands of a complex, dynamic and uncertain society in the processes of educational innovation, which involves the introduction of something new in education. the educational system, modifying its teaching-learning structures through the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT in the curricular design of primary education in its intention to train for incursion into science and technology from use of a wide range of didactic resources that lead to pedagogical innovation. It was concluded that technological innovation in the educational praxis of primary education, requires in addition to the vocation of service, to study the new didactic paradigms to display their reflective capacity and assume the commitment to acquire digital literacy to assume the requirements of a knowledge society which is increasingly globalized.

  12. Comparative Education and Research Capacity Building: Reflections on International Transfer and the Significance of Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Crossley

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in comparative and international education, along with a fundamental reconceptualisation of this distinctive multidisciplinary field of study. The nature and significance of these developments are explored with particular reference to their implications for broader research capacity building initiatives worldwide. In doing so, a critique of the international transfer of globally dominant research modalities and strategies is presented--along with arguments for increased attention to context sensitivity in both international development cooperation and educational research in general. Illustrative examples that support these arguments are drawn from the author's own research, from an analysis of emergent educational policy debates in the UK, and from related studies being carried out in Malaysia. In concluding, the strategic role of comparative research traditions and perspectives in a rapidly globalizing world is highlighted, while supporting the promotion of new initiative and research centres for comparative and international education.

  13. Criminal Use of Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Semiautomatic Firearms: an Updated Examination of Local and National Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koper, Christopher S; Johnson, William D; Nichols, Jordan L; Ayers, Ambrozine; Mullins, Natalie

    2017-10-02

    Policies restricting semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines are intended to reduce gunshot victimizations by limiting the stock of semiautomatic firearms with large ammunition capacities and other military-style features conducive to criminal use. The federal government banned such weaponry from 1994 to 2004, and a few states currently impose similar restrictions. Recent debates concerning these weapons have highlighted their use in mass shootings, but there has been little examination of their use in gun crime more generally since the expiration of the federal ban. This study investigates current levels of criminal activity with assault weapons and other high-capacity semiautomatics in the USA using several local and national data sources including the following: (1) guns recovered by police in ten large cities, (2) guns reported by police to federal authorities for investigative tracing, (3) guns used in murders of police, and (4) guns used in mass murders. Results suggest assault weapons (primarily assault-type rifles) account for 2-12% of guns used in crime in general (most estimates suggest less than 7%) and 13-16% of guns used in murders of police. Assault weapons and other high-capacity semiautomatics together generally account for 22 to 36% of crime guns, with some estimates upwards of 40% for cases involving serious violence including murders of police. Assault weapons and other high-capacity semiautomatics appear to be used in a higher share of firearm mass murders (up to 57% in total), though data on this issue are very limited. Trend analyses also indicate that high-capacity semiautomatics have grown from 33 to 112% as a share of crime guns since the expiration of the federal ban-a trend that has coincided with recent growth in shootings nationwide. Further research seems warranted on how these weapons affect injuries and deaths from gun violence and how their regulation may impact public health.

  14. Conceptualising Education Quality in Zambia: A Comparative Analysis across the Local, National and Global Discourses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jeongmin; Zuilkowski, Stephanie Simmons

    2017-01-01

    Building on the Education for All movement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development re-emphasises quality education as a discrete goal. Contextualising the discussion surrounding this goal in Zambia, this study examines how education quality is conceptualised by educational stakeholders at local, national, and global levels. Triangulating…

  15. Fault-tolerant capacity-1 protocol for very fast local networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobosiewicz, Wlodek; Gburzynski, Pawel

    1991-08-01

    A substantial amount of attention has been paid recently to DQDB--a proposed bus architecture and MAC-level protocol for fast local and metropolitan area networks. The main advantage of this solution over previous concepts is in the fact that the performance of DQDB does not degrade with the increasing value of a--the ratio of the packet length to the propagation length of the bus expressed in bits. The big value of a characterizes networks that are either long geographically or very fast, or both. Thus, at the threshold of the forthcoming era of very high transmission rates and increasing demands for wide-area networks with the functionality of LANs, DQDB has been enthusiastically received by the networking community. DQDB's disadvantages can be stresses in the following two points: (1) The flexibility of the network is limited: each station must know the relative location on the bus of every other station. (2) The network is susceptible for faults: the failure of one of the extreme stations or disconnection of one bus segment makes it totally inoperable. In this paper, a capacity-1 network inspired by the DQDB concept which attempts to eliminate the above disadvantages of original DQDB is proposed. The solution is based on the UU-BUS topology, i.e., a network consisting of two separate, folded, unidirectional busses.

  16. A Canada-Ukraine Collaborative Initiative for Introducing Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Ukraine: Participant Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loreman, Tim; McGhie-Richmond, Donna; Kolopayvea, Alla; Tarenchenko, Oksana; Mazin, Dymtro; Crocker, Cheryl; Petryshyn, Roman

    2016-01-01

    This article examines the experiences of Canadian and Ukrainian educators who collaborated on a 5-year Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project to develop local capacity to implement inclusive education for children with disabilities in Ukraine. Ukrainian and Canadian educators and project coordinators engage in reflective…

  17. Building Sustainable Partnerships to Strengthen Pediatric Capacity at a Government Hospital in Malawi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckerle, Michelle; Crouse, Heather L; Chiume, Msandeni; Phiri, Ajib; Kazembe, Peter N; Friesen, Hanny; Mvalo, Tisungane; Rus, Marideth C; Fitzgerald, Elizabeth F; McKenney, Allyson; Hoffman, Irving F; Coe, Megan; Mkandawire, Beatrice M; Schubert, Charles

    2017-01-01

    To achieve sustained reductions in child mortality in low- and middle-income countries, increased local capacity is necessary. One approach to capacity building is support offered via partnerships with institutions in high-income countries. However, lack of cooperation between institutions can create barriers to successful implementation of programs and may inadvertently weaken the health system they are striving to improve. A coordinated approach is necessary. Three U.S.-based institutions have separately supported various aspects of pediatric care at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), the main government referral hospital in the central region of Malawi, for several years. Within each institution's experience, common themes were recognized, which required attention in order to sustain improvements in care. Each recognized that support of clinical care is a necessary cornerstone before initiating educational or training efforts. In particular, the support of emergency and acute care is paramount in order to decrease in-hospital mortality. Through the combined efforts of Malawian partners and the US-based institutions, the pediatric mortality rate has decreased from >10 to <4% since 2011, yet critical gaps remain. To achieve further improvements, representatives with expertise in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) from each US-based institution hypothesized that coordinated efforts would be most effective, decrease duplication, improve communication, and ensure that investments in education and training are aligned with local priorities. Together with local stakeholders, the three US-based partners created a multi-institutional partnership, Pediatric Alliance for Child Health Improvement in Malawi at Kamuzu Central Hospital and Environs (PACHIMAKE). Representatives from each institution gathered in Malawi late 2016 and sought input and support from local partners at all levels to prioritize interventions, which could be collectively undertaken by this consortium. Long

  18. Development, implementation and evaluation of a clinical research engagement and leadership capacity building program in a large Australian health care service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misso, Marie L; Ilic, Dragan; Haines, Terry P; Hutchinson, Alison M; East, Christine E; Teede, Helena J

    2016-01-14

    Health professionals need to be integrated more effectively in clinical research to ensure that research addresses clinical needs and provides practical solutions at the coal face of care. In light of limited evidence on how best to achieve this, evaluation of strategies to introduce, adapt and sustain evidence-based practices across different populations and settings is required. This project aims to address this gap through the co-design, development, implementation, evaluation, refinement and ultimately scale-up of a clinical research engagement and leadership capacity building program in a clinical setting with little to no co-ordinated approach to clinical research engagement and education. The protocol is based on principles of research capacity building and on a six-step framework, which have previously led to successful implementation and long-term sustainability. A mixed methods study design will be used. Methods will include: (1) a review of the literature about strategies that engage health professionals in research through capacity building and/or education in research methods; (2) a review of existing local research education and support elements; (3) a needs assessment in the local clinical setting, including an online cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews; (4) co-design and development of an educational and support program; (5) implementation of the program in the clinical environment; and (6) pre- and post-implementation evaluation and ultimately program scale-up. The evaluation focuses on research activity and knowledge, attitudes and preferences about clinical research, evidence-based practice and leadership and post implementation, about their satisfaction with the program. The investigators will evaluate the feasibility and effect of the program according to capacity building measures and will revise where appropriate prior to scale-up. It is anticipated that this clinical research engagement and leadership capacity building

  19. Capacity Building for Engineering Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Graaff, Erik; Deboer, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    faculty leadership training workshops/courses/seminars, helping to broker the offering of these around the world. Since 2011 IIDEA has been offering diverse workshops facilitated by top engineering education leaders as stand alone or as pre- post conference activities. Engineering educators...

  20. Fostering Local Knowledge and Human Development in Globalization of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yin Cheong

    2004-01-01

    Since there are increasing international concerns with both the positive and negative impacts of globalization on indigenous and national development, how to manage the realities and practices of globalization and localization in education for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the disadvantages for the development of individuals and their…

  1. Building local capacity for genomics research in Africa: recommendations from analysis of publications in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adedokun, Babatunde O; Olopade, Christopher O; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I

    2016-01-01

    The poor genomics research capacity of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) could prevent maximal benefits from the applications of genomics in the practice of medicine and research. The objective of this study is to examine the author affiliations of genomic epidemiology publications in order to make recommendations for building local genomics research capacity in SSA. SSA genomic epidemiology articles published between 2004 and 2013 were extracted from the Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) database. Data on authorship details, country of population studied, and phenotype or disease were extracted. Factors associated with the first author, who has an SSA institution affiliation (AIAFA), were determined using a Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. The most commonly studied population was South Africa, accounting for 31.1%, followed by Ghana (10.6%) and Kenya (7.5%). About one-tenth of the papers were related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer (6.1%) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) (4.3%). Fewer than half of the first authors (46.9%) were affiliated with an African institution. Among the 238 articles with an African first author, over three-quarters (79.8%) belonged to a university or medical school, 16.8% were affiliated with a research institute, and 3.4% had affiliations with other institutions. Significant disparities currently exist among SSA countries in genomics research capacity. South Africa has the highest genomics research output, which is reflected in the investments made in its genomics and biotechnology sector. These findings underscore the need to focus on developing local capacity, especially among those affiliated with SSA universities where there are more opportunities for teaching and research.

  2. Restoring local spiritual and cultural values in science education: The case of Ethiopia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faris, Solomon Belay

    It has been repeatedly observed that home and local context matter in the education of children. A smooth transition between home and classroom prepares children for enjoyable and meaningful life-long learning. Knowledge building in children is influenced by previous experience, values, beliefs and sociocultural factors associated with community. Against this theoretical background, the thesis examined the integration of local spiritual and cultural values to improve science education in Ethiopia. This autoethnographic research used in-depth interviews, supplementary observations and focus group discussion and my biography to identify the perception and practice of common and unique spiritual and cultural values. The study examined whether these values were included and/or excluded in the school curriculum and explored the possibilities for incorporating values in science education and the anticipated tensions resulting from their inclusion. Students, science teachers, parents, employers, curriculum experts, policymakers, elders, and religious leaders participated in the research, conducted in a randomly selected secondary school in Addis Ababa. The sampling followed a kind of snowball method, with a total of twenty key informants participating in interviews, fifteen classroom observations, and one focus group discussion. The data collection aimed at generating stories, which underlie the auto-ethnography methodology. Findings indicated that belief in and fear of God animated and sustained the Ethiopian way of life. Although spiritual teachings derived from sacred writings were the initial foundation for Ethiopian cultural norms, the two merged together later, creating a mosaic pervading every aspect of life in Ethiopia. Education was sustained on this merger of spiritual and cultural norms and values. It was also shown that the now century-old system of formal education did not incorporate those local spiritual and cultural values. Current science education also

  3. Enhanced Local Skeletal Muscle Oxidative Capacity and Microvascular Blood Flow Following 7-Day Ischemic Preconditioning in Healthy Humans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Owen Jeffries

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Ischemic preconditioning (IPC, which involves intermittent periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion, is an effective clinical intervention that reduces the risk of myocardial injury and confers ischemic tolerance to skeletal muscle. Repeated bouts of IPC have been shown to stimulate long-term changes vascular function, however, it is unclear what metabolic adaptations may occur locally in the muscle. Therefore, we investigated 7 days of bilateral lower limb IPC (4 × 5 min above limb occlusion pressure (220 mmHg; n = 10, or sham (20 mmHg; n = 10, on local muscle oxidative capacity and microvascular blood flow. Oxidative capacity was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS during repeated short duration arterial occlusions (300 mmHg. Microvascular blood flow was assessed during the recovery from submaximal isometric plantar flexion exercises at 40 and 60% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC. Following the intervention period, beyond the late phase of protection (72 h, muscle oxidative recovery kinetics were speeded by 13% (rate constant pre 2.89 ± 0.47 min-1 vs. post 3.32 ± 0.69 min-1; P < 0.05 and resting muscle oxygen consumption (mO2 was reduced by 16.4% (pre 0.39 ± 0.16%.s-1 vs. post 0.33 ± 0.14%.s-1; P < 0.05. During exercise, changes in deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb from rest to steady state were reduced at 40 and 60% MVC (16 and 12%, respectively, P < 0.05 despite similar measures of total hemoglobin (tHb. At the cessation of exercise, the time constant for recovery in oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb was accelerated at 40 and 60% MVC (by 33 and 43%, respectively suggesting enhanced reoxygenation in the muscle. No changes were reported for systemic measures of resting heart rate or blood pressure. In conclusion, repeated bouts of IPC over 7 consecutive days increased skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and microvascular muscle blood flow. These findings are consistent with enhanced mitochondrial and vascular function following

  4. Impacts of Educational Tourism on Local Community: The Case of Gazimagusa, North Cyprus.

    OpenAIRE

    Aliyeva, Gunay

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the impacts of educational tourism on the local community of Gazimagusa, North Cyprus through the cultural exchange that took place between local and international students. The study used an inductive approach in order to achieve a qualitative understanding of the research area. Semi-structured interviews with Turkish Cypriot students supplied valuable information about the experiences, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and perspectives of the local students.The findings ...

  5. Natural resources management by local associations in Ifedore local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Management of natural resource by local associations not only in its socio ecological but also in its socio economic context will go a long way in reducing environmental degradation in some local communities. This study examined the operational capacity for natural resource management by local associations in Ifedore ...

  6. Global Outreach of a Locally-Developed Mobile Phone App for Undergraduate Psychiatry Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Melvyn Wb; Cheok, Christopher Cs; Ho, Roger Cm

    2015-06-08

    Over the past decade, there have been massive developments in both Web-based and mobile phone technologies. Mobile phones are well accepted by students, trainees, and doctors. A review of the current literature has identified the following specialties that have used mobile phones in education: pediatrics, ophthalmology, nephrology, plastic surgery, orthopedics, pharmacology, and urology. However, to date, there are no published papers examining the application of the latest mobile phone technologies for psychiatry education internationally. The main objectives of this study are (1) to determine the feasibility and receptiveness of a locally-developed psychiatry mobile phone app and user perspectives (both quantitative and qualitative) towards it, and (2) to determine the receptiveness of a locally-developed app for psychiatry education internationally. A Web-based app that contained textbook contents, videos, and quizzes was developed using HTML5 technologies in 2012. Native apps were subsequently developed in 2013. Information about the apps was disseminated locally to Singaporean medical students, but the respective native apps were made available on the app stores. A user perspective survey was conducted locally to determine student's perception of the app. From the inception of the app until the time of preparation of this manuscript, there have been a cumulative total of 28,500 unique visits of the responsive HTML5 Web-based mobile phone app. There have been a cumulative total of 2200 downloads of the Mastering Psychiatry app from the Apple app store and 7000 downloads of the same app from the Android app store. The initial user perspective survey conducted locally highlighted that approximately a total of 95.2% (177/186) of students felt that having a psychiatry mobile phone app was deemed to be useful. Further chi-squared analysis demonstrated that there was a significant difference between males and females in their perception of having textbook contents in

  7. Mentoring approach improves evaluation capacity of ICTD ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2016-06-09

    Jun 9, 2016 ... ... initiative is improving evaluation capacities of researchers studying Information and ... Capacity in ICTD (DECI) provides researchers from five IDRC-funded projects in ... Using technology to deliver quality education in Asia.

  8. Financing Early Childhood Education Programs: State, Federal, and Local Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hustedt, Jason T.; Barnett, W. Steven

    2011-01-01

    The landscape of financing early childhood education in the U.S. is complex. Programs run the gamut from tuition-supported private centers to public programs supported by federal, state, or local funds. Different funding streams are poorly coordinated. The federal government funds several major targeted programs that are available only to specific…

  9. Forward the Foundation: Local Education Foundations Offer an Alternative Source for School Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks-Young, Susan

    2007-01-01

    February's column "Going Corporate" discussed ideas for approaching private foundations for funding. Some districts take this idea several steps further by partnering with the community and local businesses to establish a not-for-profit foundation, or local education foundation (LEF). It probably comes as no surprise that the idea of forming a LEF…

  10. Higher Education, Learning Regions and the Malaysian Transformation Policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azman, Norzaini; Sirat, Morshidi; Ahmad, Abdul Razak

    2014-01-01

    The process of globalisation has undoubtedly impacted countries, bringing about different challenges for each country, region and locality. Many countries have responded positively to the demands and challenges through a societal transformation process with an emphasis on developing tertiary education, research and innovative capacities. Drawing…

  11. Building capacity for education research among clinical educators in the health professions: A BEME (Best Evidence Medical Education) Systematic Review of the outcomes of interventions: BEME Guide No. 34.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Rabia; Farooq, Ameer; Storie, Dale; Hartling, Lisa; Oswald, Anna

    2016-01-01

    There is a growing desire for health professions educators to generate high-quality education research; yet, few of them encounter the training to do so. In response, health professions faculties have increasingly been devoting resources to provide members with the skills necessary for education research. The form and impact of these efforts have not been reviewed, though such a synthesis could be useful for practice. The objectives of this systematic review were to (1) identify interventions aimed at building capacity for education research among health professions clinical educators and (2) review the outcomes of these interventions. We developed a systematic review protocol based on our pilot scoping search. This protocol underwent peer review and was prospectively registered with the Best Evidence Medical Education Collaboration. Based on this protocol, we conducted a comprehensive search of health professions' databases and related grey literature. Systematic methods were applied: two independent reviewers completed title screening and full text review for inclusion, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. Studies were included if they reported outcomes for interventions designed to increase capacity for health professions clinical educators to conduct education research. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of the evidence which included detailed reporting of intervention characteristics and outcomes. Our search returned 14, 149 results, 241 of which were retained after title and abstract screening, and 30 of which met inclusion criteria after full text review. Seven groups of interventions were identified, the most frequent being teaching scholars programs (n = 10), health professions education fellowships (n = 3) or master's programs (n = 4). The most commonly measured outcome was change related to enhanced scholarly outputs (grants, papers, abstracts, and presentations) post-intervention. Unfortunately, most of the included

  12. Putting Chronic Disease on the Map: Building GIS Capacity in State and Local Health Departments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casper, Michele; Tootoo, Joshua; Schieb, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Techniques based on geographic information systems (GIS) have been widely adopted and applied in the fields of infectious disease and environmental epidemiology; their use in chronic disease programs is relatively new. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is collaborating with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the University of Michigan to provide health departments with capacity to integrate GIS into daily operations, which support priorities for surveillance and prevention of chronic diseases. So far, 19 state and 7 local health departments participated in this project. On the basis of these participants’ experiences, we describe our training strategy and identify high-impact GIS skills that can be mastered and applied over a short time in support of chronic disease surveillance. We also describe the web-based resources in the Chronic Disease GIS Exchange that were produced on the basis of this training and are available to anyone interested in GIS and chronic disease (www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/maps/GISX). GIS offers diverse sets of tools that promise increased productivity for chronic disease staff of state and local health departments. PMID:23786907

  13. Putting chronic disease on the map: building GIS capacity in state and local health departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Marie Lynn; Casper, Michele; Tootoo, Joshua; Schieb, Linda

    2013-06-20

    Techniques based on geographic information systems (GIS) have been widely adopted and applied in the fields of infectious disease and environmental epidemiology; their use in chronic disease programs is relatively new. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is collaborating with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the University of Michigan to provide health departments with capacity to integrate GIS into daily operations, which support priorities for surveillance and prevention of chronic diseases. So far, 19 state and 7 local health departments participated in this project. On the basis of these participants' experiences, we describe our training strategy and identify high-impact GIS skills that can be mastered and applied over a short time in support of chronic disease surveillance. We also describe the web-based resources in the Chronic Disease GIS Exchange that were produced on the basis of this training and are available to anyone interested in GIS and chronic disease (www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/maps/GISX). GIS offers diverse sets of tools that promise increased productivity for chronic disease staff of state and local health departments.

  14. Building Leadership Capacity on a Budget

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andes, Laurie

    2009-01-01

    Since September 2002, business leaders and educators have been examining the differences in business and educational leadership in a professional development partnership, titled, The Academy for Leadership in Education (ALE). This organization was created as a program to encourage the study of leadership and develop the capacity for mentoring new…

  15. Building sustainable health and education partnerships: stories from local communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blank, Martin J

    2015-11-01

    Growing health disparities have a negative impact on young people's educational achievement. Community schools that involve deep relationships with partners across multiple domains address these disparities by providing opportunities and services that promote healthy development of young people, and enable them to graduate from high school ready for college, technical school, on-the-job training, career, and citizenship. Results from Milwaukie High School, North Clackamas, OR; Oakland Unified School District, Oakland, CA; and Cincinnati Community Learning Centers, Cincinnati, OH were based on a review of local site documents, web-based information, interviews, and e-mail communication with key local actors. The schools and districts with strong health partnerships reflecting community schools strategy have shown improvements in attendance, academic performance, and increased access to mental, dental, vision, and health supports for their students. To build deep health-education partnerships and grow community schools, a working leadership and management infrastructure must be in place that uses quality data, focuses on results, and facilitates professional development across sectors. The leadership infrastructure of community school initiatives offers a prototype on which others can build. Moreover, as leaders build cross-sector relationships, a clear definition of what scaling up means is essential for subsequent long-term systemic change. © 2015 Institute for Educational Leadership. Journal of School Health published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American School Health Association.

  16. School System (Re)design: Developing Educational Infrastructures to Support School Leadership and Teaching Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Megan; Woulfin, Sarah L.

    2015-01-01

    A central challenge for local education agencies (i.e., school districts in the United States) undergoing reform is to design systems that facilitate instructional improvement. At the core of these systems are educational infrastructures that bolster capacity building efforts and support teaching and leadership practices. Our goal for this special…

  17. HIV communication capacity strengthening: a critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lettenmaier, Cheryl; Kraft, Joan Marie; Raisanen, Keris; Serlemitsos, Elizabeth

    2014-08-15

    HIV communication is most effective and sustainable when it is designed and implemented locally and tailored to the local context. This requires capacity strengthening at national, subnational, and community levels. Through a review of the published and selected "grey" literature, we examine HIV communication capacity strengthening: definitions, measurements, implementation, and effects. We found limited documentation of HIV communication capacity needs or systematic approaches to address them. Most HIV communication capacity strengthening to date has focused on building individual competencies to design and manage social and behavior change communication programs through training courses, often coupled with networking opportunities for participants, post-training mentoring, and technical assistance. A few of these efforts have been evaluated through pre- and post-training tests and qualitative interviews with participants and have shown potential for improvement in individual skills and knowledge. Health communication capacity assessment tools that measure individual and organizational competencies exist, but they have most often been used to identify capacity building needs, not for evaluating capacity strengthening efforts. A new definition of capacity strengthening, grown out of recent efforts to improve effectiveness of international health and development programs, focuses on improving organizational and societal systems that support performance and individual competencies. We propose a holistic model for HIV communication capacity strengthening and call for rigorous documentation and evaluation to determine and scale-up optimal capacity building interventions for strengthening social and behavior change communication for HIV prevention, care, and treatment in developing countries.

  18. Improving African health research capacity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lazarus, Jeff; Wallace, Samantha A; Liljestrand, Jerker

    2010-01-01

    The issue of strengthening local research capacity in Africa is again high on the health and development agenda. The latest initiative comes from the Wellcome Trust. But when it comes to capacity development, one of the chief obstacles that health sectors in the region must confront is the migrat......The issue of strengthening local research capacity in Africa is again high on the health and development agenda. The latest initiative comes from the Wellcome Trust. But when it comes to capacity development, one of the chief obstacles that health sectors in the region must confront...... is the migration of health professionals to countries that offer more lucrative opportunities, like those in western Europe. To combat this ''brain drain'', already back in 1984, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) created a training programme in which healthcare professionals from...... Africa conducted the bulk of their research in their own countries. However, the model was only partly successful. Several years ago, we assessed the preconditions for the renewal of Sida support for research and research training activities in the region. Based on our work to develop a critical mass...

  19. Tender Systems and Processes within the Mauritian Construction Industry: Investigating the Predominance of International Firms and the Lack of Absorptive Capacity in Local Firms

    OpenAIRE

    K. Appasamy; P. Paul

    2016-01-01

    Mauritius, a developing small-island-state, is facing a recession which is having a considerable economic impact particularly on its construction sector. Further, the presence of foreign entities, both as companies and workers, within this sector is creating a very competitive environment for local firms. This study investigates the key drivers that allow foreign firms to participate in this sector, in particular looking at the international and local tender processes, and the capacity of loc...

  20. Educational Mismatch and Spatial Flexibility in Italian Local Labour Markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croce, Giuseppe; Ghignoni, Emanuela

    2015-01-01

    According to recent literature, this paper highlights the relevance of spatial mobility as an explanatory factor of the individual risk of job-education mismatch. To investigate this causal link, we use individual information about daily home-to-work commuting time and choices to relocate in a different local area to get a job. Our model takes…

  1. Analysis of Local Economic Development Capacity in Hungarian Rural Settlements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ritter Krisztián

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Besides local economic development (LED theories, especially LED practices have a growing importance nowadays. By a primary research involving more than 400 actors (local governments, local entrepreneurs, local agencies, the necessary competencies, practical experiences, and the field of further skills and extension concerning cooperation in economic development of localities were analysed. Summing up the research results, both local governments and local entrepreneurs have certain lack of competence that has to be improved, while the need of this exercise (and LED as a whole for an appropriate financial background and a national strategy/policy is well-emphasized by the answers of the actors.

  2. Strengthening Equity through Applied Research Capacity Building ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    There exists limited understanding of how e-Health solutions are perceived, designed, implemented and used. ... The Strengthening Equity through Applied Research Capacity Building in e-Health (SEARCH) program will cultivate local research capacity to examine e-health and ... Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

  3. Economic impacts associated with pure taxable capacity changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjornstad, D.J.

    1978-01-01

    An attempt is made to broaden the purview of fiscal impact analysis to include impacts on the local private sector that may stem from local public sector changes. More specifically, attention is focused on the limiting case, in which new private sector development yields positive changes in fiscal capacity, but does not increase public service demands or interact with the local private sector. This phenomenon is termed a ''pure'' change in fiscal capacity, or, stated differently, pure tax revenue importation. Interest in this issue stems from an analysis of the local impacts of constructing and operating nuclear power stations. Nuclear power stations, like other electrical generating facilities, are characterized by large capital-labor ratios, implying that the impact of siting would be to increase local taxable capacity, via the property tax base, to a greater extent than local private sector activity, via new hirings. Moreover, a small labor force implies a modest change in the demand for local public services, and facilities of this nature by themselves demand few, if any, public services. A nuclear power station, however, may be distinguished from other electrical generating facilities through siting regulations that require locating in a low population density area, a fact which ensures the influence on the community will be substantial. The question of how and to what degree feedback effects from local public to local private sector may take place is described

  4. Medical education and law: withholding/withdrawing treatment from adults without capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, M; Willmott, L; White, B; Williams, G; Cartwright, C

    2015-06-01

    Law is increasingly involved in clinical practice, particularly at the end of life, but undergraduate and postgraduate education in this area remains unsystematic. We hypothesised that attitudes to and knowledge of the law governing withholding/withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from adults without capacity (the WWLST law) would vary and demonstrate deficiencies among medical specialists. We investigated perspectives, knowledge and training of medical specialists in the three largest (populations and medical workforces) Australian states, concerning the WWLST law. Following expert legal review, specialist focus groups, pre-testing and piloting in each state, seven specialties involved with end-of-life care were surveyed, with a variety of statistical analyses applied to the responses. Respondents supported the need to know and follow the law. There were mixed views about its helpfulness in medical decision-making. Over half the respondents conceded poor knowledge of the law; this was mirrored by critical gaps in knowledge that varied by specialty. There were relatively low but increasing rates of education from the undergraduate to continuing professional development (CPD) stages. Mean knowledge score did not vary significantly according to undergraduate or immediate postgraduate training, but CPD training, particularly if recent, resulted in greater knowledge. Case-based workshops were the preferred CPD instruction method. Teaching of current and evolving law should be strengthened across all stages of medical education. This should improve understanding of the role of law, ameliorate ambivalence towards the law and contribute to more informed deliberation about end-of-life issues with patients and families. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  5. Community based Adaptation (CBA) as a source of conflict in strengthening local adaptive capacity and resilience in semi-arid regions in sub-Saharan Africa

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zoomers, E.B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073723592; Soeters, S.R.

    2017-01-01

    This article, based on fieldwork in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Kenya, provides an overview of different types of climate change adaptation interventions that are currently being implemented to enhance local community’s adaptive capacity and resilience. We show that CBA interventions, whilst measurably

  6. Mobilizing local safety nets for enhanced adaptive capacity to ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2016-04-22

    Apr 22, 2016 ... This brief resulted from two projects supported by the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program: the research project Resilience and the African Smallholder : Enhancing the Capacity of Communities to Adapt to Climate Change and the mentoring project Promoting Participatory Action Research through ...

  7. Cooperation or Localization in European Capacity Markets? A Coalitional Game over Graph Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giorgos Stamtsis

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Capacity markets, as a means to address the capacity adequacy issue, are constantly becoming an important part of the European internal electricity market. The debate focuses on how the capacity markets will be smoothly integrated in one Pan-European power market, without resulting in multiple national fragmentations and consequently in economic efficiency losses. Cross-border participation and regional cooperation are considered as two sine qua non conditions in this respect. The present paper provides a coalitional game theoretical approach aiming to facilitate the cooperation of neighboring countries, when it comes to the security of electricity supply and the necessity of establishing a capacity market. Such an approach can support respective decisions about capacity markets cooperation as well as stress-test the benefits considering all cooperation possibilities.

  8. Teaching and Learning Resilience: Building Adaptive Capacity for Rural Practice. A Report and Subsequent Analysis of a Workshop Conducted at the Rural Medical Educators Conference, Savannah, Georgia, May 18, 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longenecker, Randall; Zink, Therese; Florence, Joseph

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Resilience, the capacity to endure and overcome hardship, has been suggested as a basic competency for rural medical practice. Unfortunately for physician educators, the medical education literature offers only limited guidance for nurturing this adaptive capacity. We describe the process and subsequent analysis of a daylong curriculum…

  9. Enriching Absorptive Capacity through Social Interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hotho, Jasper J.; Saka-Helmhout, Ayse; Becker-Ritterspach, Florian

    2012-01-01

    their organization's capacity to put new knowledge to use. To address this shortcoming we conduct an in-depth comparative case study of a headquarters-initiated knowledge transfer at two subsidiaries of the same multinational enterprise. The findings demonstrate that social interaction is a prerequisite...... or constraining local interaction patterns. These insights contribute to the absorptive capacity literature by demonstrating the scale and scope of social interaction as a key link between individual- and organizational-level absorptive capacity.......Absorptive capacity is frequently highlighted as a key determinant of knowledge transfer within multinational enterprises. But how individual behaviour translates into absorptive capacity at the subsidiary level, and how this is contingent on subsidiaries' social context, remains under...

  10. Local adaptive capacity as an alternative approach in dealing with hydrometeorological risk at Depok Peri-Urban City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitrinitia, I. S.; Junadi, P.; Sutanto, E.; Nugroho, D. A.; Zubair, A.; Suyanti, E.

    2018-03-01

    Located in a tropical area, cities in Indonesia are vulnerable to hydrometeorological risks such as flood and landslide and thus become prone to the climate change effects. Moreover, peri-urban cities had double burden as the consequences of main city spill over and also lack of urban facilities in overcoming the disaster. In another perspective, the city has many alternative resources to recover, so its create urban resiliency. Depok city becomes a case study of this research regarding with its development following the impact of Jakarta growth. This research purposes to capture how the local city dwellers could anticipate and adaptive with flood and landslide with their own mitigation version. Through mix method and spatial analysis using GIS techniques, it derives the two comparison approach, the normative and alternative that had been done by the city dwellers. It uses a spatial analysis to have a big picture of Depok and its environmental changing. It also divided into 4 local group of communities as a representative of city dwellers regarding the characteristic of a settlement with their level of risk. The result found type or characteristic of settlement which influenced the local adaptive capacity, from the establishment of infrastructure, health fulfillment and social livelihood with different kind of methods.

  11. Character Education Based On Local Wisdom For the Prisoners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muh Sukemi Buchory

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This research aims at revealing the existence of character education based on the local wisdom for the prisoners. The subject of this research is the prisoner inhabitant in Wirogunan Prison and Narcotics pakem in Sleman Yogyakarta. The data were gained by interviewing, documenting and demonstrating. The data were analyzed qualitative and quantitative descriptively. The results of this research are: (1 The training of Tembang Maca Pat and Javanese MC are equivalently adapted, (2 The character values being shaped: believe in God, responsibility, respect, fairness, confidence, faithfulness, discipline, careness, spirituality, manners, intelligence, emotion control, character building, the increase of social participants; (3 The competence on Tembang Maca Pat and MC of Javanese can be used as professional earning in society and also can be used as educational model for the prisoners.

  12. Civil Society Organizations in Post-War Liberia: The Role of Education and Training in Strengthening Organizational Capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duo, Samuel N.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand the role of non-formal education and training in the organizational change process of Civil society organizations (CSOs) in post war Liberia. CSOs are the local foundation for democracy and development in Liberia, and serve a wide range of roles in local communities. For example, in post-war Liberia,…

  13. 76 FR 27284 - Special Local Regulation; Partnership in Education, Dragon Boat Race; Maumee River, Toledo, OH

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-11

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Partnership in Education, Dragon Boat Race; Maumee River, Toledo, OH... establishing a permanent Special Local Regulation on the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio. This regulation is... place during the third or fourth weekend in July each year. This special local regulated area is...

  14. Building Sustainable Capacity with University Partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, J. M.

    2013-05-01

    Universities can play an important role in building scientific and technical capacity by providing educational opportunities for local and regional populations in developing countries. These opportunities may be short term or long term through for example faculty exchanges, student exchanges, and collaborative teaching and research activities. As the demand for talented graduates expands in developing countries, local universities face competition for students, lecturers, and professors from the same industries and communities they serve. This competition is in many ways counterproductive to building the sustainable human resource that is needed to support local development, management, and governance. Such competition is particularly evident for top science and engineering students in energy rich countries. University partnerships, e.g., in particular those between universities in OECD countries and universities in developing countries, have an important role to play in bridging the gap between today's lack of capacity and a sustainable human resource for the future. Such university partnerships, however, face many challenges, some of which can be traced to organizational and cultural differences In this presentation, I will discuss how university partnerships are formed, some of the benefits to partners, and some pitfalls to avoid during implementation of university partnerships. The examples are taken from Stanford partnerships that involve geoscience and engineering, and will include representative goals and content of the example partnerships. These partnerships I'll describe are actually trilateral, with partners from two or more universities and a private company or government agency. I conclude the presentation with a brief discussion on multiculturalism, perhaps the most important consideration when planning a partnership between diverse organizations. Organizers of partnerships must recognize the fact that multiculturalism and diversity are assets that

  15. Education and Training Networks as a Tool for Nuclear Security Human Resource Development and Capacity Building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikonov, D.

    2014-01-01

    Human Resource Development for Capacity Building for Nuclear Security: • Comprehensive Training Programme Objective: To raise awareness, to fill gaps between the actual performance of personnel and the required competencies and skills and, to build-up qualified instructors/trainers. • Promoting Nuclear Security Education Objective: To support the development of teaching material, faculty expertise and preparedness, and the promotion of nuclear security education in collaboration with the academic and scientific community. Ultimate Goal: To develop capabilities for supporting sustainable implementation of the international legal instruments and IAEA guidelines for nuclear security worldwide, and to foster nuclear security culture. Education priorities for the future: • Incorporate feedback from the first pilot program into future academic activities in nuclear security; • Based on feedback from pilot program: • Revise the NSS12 guidance document; • Update educational materials and textbooks. • Support INSEN members, which consider launching MSc programs at their institutions; • Continue promoting nuclear security education as part of existing degree programs (through certificate or concentration options); • Support the use of new forms of teaching and learning in nuclear security education: • Online e-learning degree programmes and modules; • Learning by experience; • Problem-oriented learning tailored to nuclear security functions

  16. Time to reassess capacity-building partnerships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brooke Lauten

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Since 2001 the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict has worked with local civil society organisations, child protection networks and grassroots organisations to build capacity to monitor and respond to abuses of children’s rights. Through our capacity-building partnerships, we work to shift the power structure that defines the roles of national and international NGO's in humanitarian programming.

  17. Using Local Climate Science to Educate "Key Influentials" and their Communities in the San Diego Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boudrias, M. A.; Estrada, M.; Anders, S.; Silva-Send, N. J.; Yin, Z.; Schultz, P.; Young, E.

    2012-12-01

    The San Diego Regional Climate Education Partnership has formed an innovative and collaborative team whose mission is to implement a research-based climate science education and communications program to increase knowledge about climate science among highly-influential leaders and their communities and foster informed decision making based on climate science and impacts. The team includes climate scientists, behavioral psychologists, formal and informal educators and communication specialists. The Partnership's strategic plan has three major goals: (1) raise public understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change; (2) identify the most effective educational methods to educate non-traditional audiences (Key Influentials) about the causes and consequences of climate change; and (3) develop and implement a replicable model for regional climate change education. To implement this strategic plan, we have anchored our project on three major pillars: (1) Local climate science (causes, impacts and long-term consequences); (2) theoretical, research-based evaluation framework (TIMSI); and (3) Key! Influentials (KI) as primary audience for messages (working w! ith and through them). During CCEP-I, the Partnership formed and convened an advisory board of Key Influentials, completed interviews with a sample of Key Influentials, conducted a public opinion survey, developed a website (www.sandiego.edu/climate) , compiled inventories on literature of climate science education resources and climate change community groups and local activities, hosted stakeholder forums, and completed the first phase of on an experiment to test the effects of different messengers delivering the same local climate change message via video. Results of 38 KI Interviews provided evidence of local climate knowledge, strong concern about climate change, and deeply held values related to climate change education and regional leadership. The most intriguing result was that while 90% of Key

  18. A model for emergency medicine education in post-conflict Liberia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Braden Hexom

    2012-12-01

    This article describes a unique paradigm for addressing the deficit in human capacity for emergency health care in the Republic of Liberia. This system was designed and supported by a consortium of academic medical centres in the United States working in conjunction with a local non-governmental organisation, Health Education and Relief Through Teaching (HEARTT. Since 2007, the consortium has delivered virtually uninterrupted emergency medical care and medical education at the largest teaching hospital in Liberia. The Liberian programme objectives included supervising and directing emergency medical care, providing a model for curriculum development, building capacity for medical education, and improving systems-based EM practice. The collaboration of multiple academic institutions in bringing emergency medical services and academic EM teaching to a post-conflict setting remains a unique model for introducing the development of acute care in a developing country.

  19. 47 CFR 73.3527 - Local public inspection file of noncommercial educational stations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... main studio and public file outside its community of license shall: (i) Make available to persons... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Local public inspection file of noncommercial... public inspection file of noncommercial educational stations. (a) Responsibility to maintain a file. The...

  20. Technological capacity as an element of development strategy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiss, C; Kamenetzky, M; Ramesh, J

    1980-03-01

    The idea that science and technology transfers would result in the development of indigenous infrastructures able to cope with social problems overlooked the costs and uncertainties of applying science and technology to modernizing industry. A local capacity to deal with development is not emerging in developing countries and the role of small-scale technology has been largely ignored. A technological capacity needs to be built from within the public and private sectors, with adequate financial and technical support for small production units and adequate sheltering for long-term problems. Public policies are needed which can assess the fitness of technological institutions and policies to develop a capacity for making technological decisions that are compatible with local supply. 12 references. (DCK)

  1. Investment, managerial capacity, and bias in public health preparedness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langabeer, James R; DelliFraine, Jami L; Tyson, Sandra; Emert, Jamie M; Herbold, John

    2009-01-01

    Nearly $7 billion has been invested through national cooperative funding since 2002 to strengthen state and local response capacity. Yet, very little outcome evidence exists to analyze funding effectiveness. The objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between investment (funding) and capacity (readiness) for public health preparedness (PHP). The aim of the authors is to use a management framework to evaluate capacity, and to explore the "immediacy bias" impact on investment stability. This study employs a longitudinal study design, incorporating survey research of the entire population of 68 health departments in the state of Texas. The authors assessed the investment-capacity relationship through several statistical methods. The authors created a structural measure of managerial capacity through principal components analysis, factorizing 10 independent variables and augment this with a perceived readiness level reported from PHP managers. The authors then employ analysis of variance, correlation analyses, and other descriptive statistics. There has been a 539 percent coefficient of variation in funding at the local level between the years 2004 and 2008, and a 63 percent reduction in total resources since the peak of funding, using paired sample data. Results suggest that investment is positively associated with readiness and managerial capacity in local health departments. The authors also find that investment was related to greater community collaboration, higher adoption of Incident Command System (ICS) structure, and more frequent operational drills and exercises. Greater investment is associated with higher levels of capacity and readiness. The authors conclude from this that investment should be stabilized and continued, and not be influenced by historical cognitive biases.

  2. Quality in Cross-Border Higher Education and Challenges for the Internationalization of National Quality Assurance Agencies in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Taiwanese Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Angela Yung-chi

    2014-01-01

    Cross-border higher education has created a need to build capacity -- particularly in the internationalization dimension -- for national quality assurance agencies to evaluate cross-border education provided by foreign educational providers, or jointly by local and foreign institutions. This is quickly becoming a key issue in the Asia-Pacific…

  3. Patient educational technologies and their use by patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baverstock, Richard J; Crump, R Trafford; Carlson, Kevin V

    2015-09-29

    Two urology practices in Calgary, Canada use patient educational technology (PET) as a core component of their clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to determine how patients interact with PET designed to inform them about their treatment options for clinically localized prostate cancer. A PET library was developed with 15 unique prostate-related educational modules relating to diagnosis, treatment options, and potential side effects. The PET collected data regarding its use, and those data were used to conduct a retrospective analysis. Descriptive analyses were conducted and comparisons made between patients' utilization of the PET library during first and subsequent access; Pearson's Chi-Square was used to test for statistical significance, where appropriate. Every patient (n = 394) diagnosed with localized prostate cancer was given access to the PET library using a unique identifier. Of those, 123 logged into the library and viewed at least one module and 94 patients logged into the library more than once. The average patient initially viewed modules pertaining to their diagnosis. Viewing behavior significantly changed in subsequent logins, moving towards modules pertaining to treatment options, decision making, and post-surgical information. As observed through the longitudinal utilization of the PET library, information technology offers clinicians an opportunity to provide an interactive platform to meet patients' dynamic educational needs. Understanding these needs will help inform the development of more useful PETs. The informational needs of patients diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer changed throughout the course of their diagnosis and treatment.

  4. Network for Astronomy School Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deustua, Susana E.; Ros, R. M.; Garcia, B.

    2014-01-01

    The Network for Astronomy School Education Project (NASE) was developed in response to the IAU's most recent 10 Years Strategic Plan to increase the efforts of the IAU in schools. NASE's mission is to stimulate teaching astronomy in schools, through professional development of primary and secondary school science teachers in developing and emerging countries. NASE's organizational principle is to build capacity by providing courses for three years in cooperation with a Local Organizing Committee (Local NASE Group). The Local NASE Group consists of 6-8 local university professors and education professional who will promote astronomy activities and organize future courses in subsequent years in their region of their country. NASE philosophy is to introduce low-tech astronomy, and has thus developed an a suite of activities that can be carried out with inexpensive, quotidian materials. Supporting these activities is a text for teachers, plus a complete set of instructional materials for each topic. These materials are available in English and Spanish, with future editions available in Chinese and Portuguese. We describe and discuss NASE activities in Central and South America from 2009 to the present.

  5. Dilemmas of Expansion: The Growth of Graduate Education in Malaysia and Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, David W.; Chien, Chiao-Ling

    2015-01-01

    Faced with escalating demand for instructional staff to serve the expanding undergraduate enrolments, many middle income countries in Southeast Asia are investing heavily in expanding their provision of graduate education. An attractive secondary benefit is that graduate programmes contribute to a local university-based research capacity that…

  6. Local Knowledge and Adult Learning in Environmental Adult Education: Community-Based Ecotourism in Southern Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Pierre

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines how local knowledge is employed in environmental adult education in a community-based ecotourism project in an island community in southern Thailand. The study is based on field research and analysis of project websites, media reports and documents. Situated at the intersection of global tourism and a local Thai-Malay Muslim…

  7. Doing "Leftist Propaganda" or Working towards Peace? Moving Greek-Cypriot Peace Education Struggles beyond Local Political Complexities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charalambous, Constadina; Charalambous, Panayiota; Zembylas, Michalinos

    2013-01-01

    This paper investigates the interference of local politics with a peace education initiative in Greek-Cypriot education and the consequent impact on teachers' perceptions and responses. Focusing on a recent educational attempt to promote "peaceful coexistence", the authors explain how this attempt was seen by many teachers as being a…

  8. Identifying the Costs and Benefits of Educational Psychology: A Preliminary Exploration in Two Local Authorities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbs, Simon; Papps, Ivy

    2017-01-01

    This article provides an account of a small-scale pilot study of the cost and perceived benefits of the educational psychology services in two comparably small local authorities in England. This study is preparatory to a more detailed examination of the costs and likely benefits of state provision of educational psychology services in England. The…

  9. Generation capacity adequacy in interdependent electricity markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cepeda, Mauricio; Finon, Dominique

    2011-01-01

    This paper deals with the practical problems related to long-term security of supply in regional electricity markets with transmission constraints. Differences between regulatory policies and market designs in terms of generation adequacy policies may distort the normal functioning of the neighboring markets, as well as the reliability of supply. We test the effect of heterogeneous regulatory design between two interdependent markets: energy-only market, price-capped market without capacity mechanisms and price-capped markets with forward capacity contracts obligation. We rely on a long-term market simulation model in system dynamics that characterizes expansion decision in a competitive regime. The results show that differences in market designs affect both price and reliability of supply in the two markets. We examine both the short and long terms effect, and how free-riding may occur where capacity adequacy policies are adopted in one market but not the other. The main finding is that the lack of harmonization between local markets in policies to ensure capacity adequacy may lead to undesirable side effects. - Research highlights: → We model the long-term dynamic of two interdependent markets. → We examine both the short and long terms effect of heterogeneous regulatory design: energy-only market, price-capped market without capacity mechanisms and price-capped markets with forward capacity contracts obligation. → Differences in market designs affect both price and reliability of supply in the two markets. → Lack of harmonization between local markets in policies to ensure capacity adequacy may lead to undesirable side effects. → Free-riding may occur where capacity adequacy policies are adopted in one market but not the other.

  10. Lessons Learned from a Decade of Sudden Oak Death in California: Evaluating Local Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Janice; Lee, Christopher A.

    2010-09-01

    Sudden Oak Death has been impacting California’s coastal forests for more than a decade. In that time, and in the absence of a centrally organized and coordinated set of mandatory management actions for this disease in California’s wildlands and open spaces, many local communities have initiated their own management programs. We present five case studies to explore how local-level management has attempted to control this disease. From these case studies, we glean three lessons: connections count, scale matters, and building capacity is crucial. These lessons may help management, research, and education planning for future pest and disease outbreaks.

  11. Rural science education as social justice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eppley, Karen

    2017-03-01

    What part can science education play in the dismantling of obstacles to social justice in rural places? In this Forum contribution, I use "Learning in and about Rural Places: Connections and Tensions Between Students' Everyday Experiences and Environmental Quality Issues in their Community"(Zimmerman and Weible 2016) to explicitly position rural education as a project of social justice that seeks full participatory parity for rural citizens. Fraser's (2009) conceptualization of social justice in rural education requires attention to the just distribution of resources, the recognition of the inherent capacities of rural people, and the right to equal participation in democratic processes that lead to opportunities to make decisions affecting local, regional, and global lives. This Forum piece considers the potential of place-based science education to contribute to this project.

  12. Administrative Capacity Development for the Modernisation of Rural Communities in Romania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ani Matei

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The local public administration is one of the key social actors in the sustainable development and transformation of the community, assuming its constant adaptation to new conditions at the economic, political and social level. The present paper aims to analysis the connections between the development of administrative capacity and modernization of local communities in Romania. Assumptions main research are the need to develop the administrative capacity to support the modernization of local communities and the mutual influence between this two processes. It also takes into consideration to use the analyses for improving administrative capacity made by international bodies like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission. This paper aims to contribute to the development of literature in the field considering the specificity of the modernization process in rural communities in Central and Eastern Europe, which is based on the transformation of public administration and connecting it to the needs of citizens. The target group of readers is represented by researchers, who have the opportunity to develop new mechanisms for the improvement of the administrative capacity but also by practitioners in the field who can implement new development strategies for the local public administration. Quantitative and qualitative tools will be used for the theoretical and practical examination of the way in which Romania can develop by contributing to the general welfare of the citizens. The originality of the paper is the rationale, description and operationalize a framework of reference for highlighting the impact of modernization on local administrative capacity development. To this we add an empirical analysis conducted for a local community in Romania.

  13. Building capacity without disrupting health services: public health education for Africa through distance learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igumbor Ehi

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The human resources crisis in Africa is especially acute in the public health field. Through distance education, the School of Public Health of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, has provided access to master's level public health education for health professionals from more than 20 African countries while they remain in post. Since 2000, interest has increased overwhelmingly to a point where four times more applications are received than can be accommodated. This home-grown programme remains sensitive to the needs of the target learners while engaging them in high-quality learning applied in their own work contexts. This brief paper describes the innovative aspects of the programme, offering some evaluative indications of its impact, and reviews how the delivery of text-led distance learning has facilitated the realization of the objectives of public health training. Strategies are proposed for scaling up such a programme to meet the growing need in this essential area of health human resource capacity development in Africa.

  14. Two Languages in the Classroom: The Inconsistency between National and Local Objectives of Formal Education in Cyprus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sophocleous, Andry

    2011-01-01

    This study investigates the complex interplay between national and local objectives of formal education in the bidialectal context of Cyprus. Even though the state and the Ministry of Education and Culture urge teachers to employ the standard language variety in education, the dialect is often used as a medium of interaction and even instruction…

  15. A Generalized National Planning Approach for Admission Capacity in Higher Education: A Nonlinear Integer Goal Programming Model with a Novel Differential Evolution Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Qulity, Said Ali; Mohamed, Ali Wagdy

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes a nonlinear integer goal programming model (NIGPM) for solving the general problem of admission capacity planning in a country as a whole. The work aims to satisfy most of the required key objectives of a country related to the enrollment problem for higher education. The system general outlines are developed along with the solution methodology for application to the time horizon in a given plan. The up-to-date data for Saudi Arabia is used as a case study and a novel evolutionary algorithm based on modified differential evolution (DE) algorithm is used to solve the complexity of the NIGPM generated for different goal priorities. The experimental results presented in this paper show their effectiveness in solving the admission capacity for higher education in terms of final solution quality and robustness.

  16. Physics education of Japanese national colleges of technology in local community of Hokkaido

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushino, Akihiro; Matsui, Hidenori

    2014-03-01

    The national colleges of technology in Japan, called KOSEN, were established about 50 years ago aiming to educate 15 to 20 years old students to become engineers who were necessary in period of high economic growth of Japan. In present, environment surrounding us has changed. Examples are low birth rate in Japan and the great earthquake in Tohoku area. There are 4 KOSENs in Hokkaido and we jointly make many efforts to contribute to local community in science. We present our efforts in physics education.

  17. Capacity allocation in wireless communication networks - models and analyses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Litjens, Remco

    2003-01-01

    This monograph has concentrated on capacity allocation in cellular and Wireless Local Area Networks, primarily with a network operator’s perspective. In the introduc- tory chapter, a reference model has been proposed for the extensive suite of capacity allocation mechanisms that can be applied at

  18. Locational Prices in Capacity Subscription Market Considering Transmission Limitations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Babaeinejad Sarookolaee

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This study focuses on one of the most effective type of capacity markets named Capacity Subscription (CS market which is predicted to be widely used in the upcoming smart grids. Despite variant researches done about the mechanism and structure of capacity markets, their performances have been rarely tested in the presence of network constraints. Considering this deficiency, we tried to propose a new method to determine capacity prices in the network considering the transmission line flow limitations named Local capacity Prices (LP. This method is quite new and has not been tried before in any other similar researches. The philosophy of the proposed method is to determine capacity prices considering each consumer share of total peak demand. The first advantage of LP is that the consumers who benefit from the transmission facilities and are the responsible for transmission congestions, pay higher capacity prices than those whom their needed electricity is prepared locally. The second advantage of LP is that consumers connected to the same bus do not have to pay same capacity price due to their different shares of total peak demand. For more clarification, two other different methods named Branches Flow limit as a Global Limit (BFGL and Locational Capacity Prices (LCP are proposed and compared to the LP method in order to show LP method efficiency. The numerical results obtained from case studies show that the LP method follows more justice market procedure which results in more efficient capacity prices in comparison to BFGL and LCP methods.

  19. Knowledge Production beyond Local and National Blindspots: Remedying Professional Ocularcentrism of Diversity in Music Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westerlund, Heidi; Karlsen, Sidsel

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we argue that mainstream discourses of diversity in music education are ocularcentric; that is, they provide a one-sided way of understanding diversity that has prevented music educators from seeing our biases. In remedying these local and national professional blindspots, we propose transnational knowledge production, which we…

  20. Understanding Inclusive Education Practices in Schools under Local Government Jurisdiction: A Study of Khon Kaen Municipality in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantavong, Pennee

    2018-01-01

    This article investigates inclusive education practices in schools under the jurisdiction of Thai local government through a study of schools in Khon Kaen Municipality in Northeastern Thailand. Thailand's 1997 Constitution and 1999 National Education Act both legislated that the educational system must become inclusive, and under these laws…

  1. Anesthesia Capacity in Ghana: A Teaching Hospital's Resources, and the National Workforce and Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brouillette, Mark A; Aidoo, Alfred J; Hondras, Maria A; Boateng, Nana A; Antwi-Kusi, Akwasi; Addison, William; Hermanson, Alec R

    2017-12-01

    Quality anesthetic care is lacking in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Global health leaders call for perioperative capacity reports in limited-resource settings to guide improved health care initiatives. We describe a teaching hospital's resources and the national workforce and education in this LMIC capacity report. A prospective observational study was conducted at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana, during 4 weeks in August 2016. Teaching hospital data were generated from observations of hospital facilities and patient care, review of archival records, and interviews with KATH personnel. National data were obtained from interviews with KATH personnel, correspondence with Ghana's anesthesia society, and review of public records. The practice of anesthesia at KATH incorporated preanesthesia clinics, intraoperative management, and critical care. However, there were not enough physicians to consistently supervise care, especially in postanesthesia care units (PACUs) and the critical care unit (CCU). Clean water and electricity were usually reliable in all 16 operating rooms (ORs) and throughout the hospital. Equipment and drugs were inventoried in detail. While much basic infrastructure, equipment, and medications were present in ORs, patient safety was hindered by hospital-wide oxygen supply failures and shortage of vital signs monitors and working ventilators in PACUs and the CCU. In 2015, there were 10,319 anesthetics administered, with obstetric and gynecologic, general, and orthopedic procedures comprising 62% of surgeries. From 2011 to 2015, all-cause perioperative mortality rate in ORs and PACUs was 0.65% or 1 death per 154 anesthetics, with 99% of deaths occurring in PACUs. Workforce and education data at KATH revealed 10 anesthesia attending physicians, 61 nurse anesthetists (NAs), and 7 anesthesia resident physicians in training. At the national level, 70 anesthesia attending physicians and 565 NAs cared for Ghana's population

  2. Training responsibly to improve global surgical and anaesthesia capacity through institutional health partnerships: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macpherson, Laura; Collins, Maggie

    2017-01-01

    Urgent investment in human resources for surgical and anaesthesia care is needed globally. Responsible training and education is required to ensure healthcare providers are confident and skilled in the delivery of this care in both the rural and the urban setting. The Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), a UK-based specialist global health organisation, is working with health training institutions, health professionals, Ministries of Health and Health Partnerships or 'links' between healthcare institutions in the UK and low- or middle-income country (LMIC) counterparts. These institutions may be hospitals, professional associations or universities whose primary focus is delivery of health services or the training and education of health workers. Since 2011, THET has been delivering the Health Partnership Scheme (HPS), a UK government-funded programme that provides grants and guidance to health partnerships and promotes the voluntary engagement of UK health professionals overseas. To date, the £30 million Scheme has supported peer-to-peer collaborations involving more than 200 UK and overseas hospitals, universities and professional associations across 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In this paper, we focus on four partnerships that are undertaking training initiatives focused on building capacity for surgery and anaesthesia. In order to do so, we discuss their role as a responsible and effective approach to harnessing the expertise available in the UK in order to increase surgical and anaesthesia capacity in LMICs. Specifically, how well they: (1) respond to locally identified needs; (2) are appropriate to the local context and are of high quality; and (3) have an overarching goal of making a sustainable contribution to the development of the health workforce through education and training. The HPS has now supported 24 training initiatives focused on building capacity for surgery and anaesthesia in 16 countries across sub-Saharan Africa

  3. Final priority; technical assistance to improve state data capacity--National Technical Assistance Center to improve state capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data. Final priority.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-20

    The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Technical Assistance to Improve State Data Capacity program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to provide technical assistance (TA) to States to improve their capacity to meet the data collection and reporting requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We intend this priority to establish a TA center to improve State capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data (Data Center).

  4. The use of abstract paintings and narratives to foster reflective capacity in medical educators: a multinational faculty development workshop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karkabi, Khaled; Wald, Hedy S; Cohen Castel, Orit

    2014-01-01

    Reflective capacity is integral to core healthcare professional practice competencies. Reflection plays a central role in teacher education as reflecting on teaching behaviours with critical analysis can potentially improve teaching practice. The humanities including narrative and the visual arts can serve as a valuable tool for fostering reflection. We conducted a multinational faculty development workshop aiming to enhance reflective capacity in medical educators by using a combination of abstract paintings and narratives. Twenty-three family physicians or physicians-in-training from 10 countries participated in the workshop. Qualitative assessment of the workshop showed that the combined use of art and narrative was well received and perceived as contributing to the reflective exercise. Participants generally felt that viewing abstract paintings had facilitated a valuable mood transformation and prepared them emotionally for the reflective writing. Our analysis found that the following themes emerged from participants’ responses: (1) narratives from different countries are similar; (2) the use of art helped access feelings; (3) viewing abstract paintings facilitated next steps; (4) writing reflective narratives promoted examination of educational challenges, compassion for self and other, and building an action plan; and (5) sharing of narrative was helpful for fostering active listening and appreciating multiple perspectives. Future research might include comparing outcomes for a group participating in arts–narrative-based workshops with those of a control group using only reflective narrative or in combination with figurative art, and implementing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment. PMID:24273319

  5. Synchronous distance anesthesia education by Internet videoconference between Uganda and the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiwanuka, J K; Ttendo, S S; Eromo, E; Joseph, S E; Duan, M E; Haastrup, A A; Baker, K; Firth, P G

    2015-09-01

    We evaluated the effectiveness of anesthesia education delivered via Internet videoconferencing between the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda. This is a prospective educational study. The setting is the education in 2 hospitals in Uganda and the United States. The subjects are anesthesia residents. The interventions are anesthesia education lectures delivered in person and via Internet videoconferencing. The average pre-lecture and post-lecture scores of the local, remote, and combined audiences were compared. Post-lecture test scores improved over pre-lecture scores: local audience, 59% ± 22% to 81% ± 16%, P = .0002, g = 1.144; remote audience, 51% ± 19% to 81% ± 8%, P Internet videoconferencing. This technique may be useful to expand educational capacity and international cooperation between academic institutions, a particular priority in the growing field of global health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Forum Guide to Supporting Data Access for Researchers: A Local Education Agency Perspective. NFES 2014-801

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Forum on Education Statistics, 2014

    2014-01-01

    This document recommends a set of core practices, operations, and templates that can be adopted and adapted by local education agencies (LEAs) as they consider how to respond to requests for both new and existing data about the education enterprise. These recommendations reflect core best practices for: (1) managing the flow of requests; (2)…

  7. Commandants' Managerial Capacity and Workers Productivity in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the commandant's managerial capacity as if relates to workers productivity with a view to determining whether their calling to the education terrain has been justified and to correct certain areas in need of improvement in the Nigeria Police Education set up. In doing this, the study took ...

  8. The Concept of Carrying Capacity in Tourism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josef Zelenka

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Carrying capacity is often pragmatically, theoretically as well as purely intuitively considered as a concept in the context of tourism sustainability. The carrying capacity application has the greatest potential in protected areas, in frequently visited cultural and natural attractions, and in relation to sustaining of the lifestyle of the local community and tourism destination potential in general. Despite its importance, partial applications, determination of basic theoretical principles, and specifying connection to the other theoretical concepts in tourism (particularly destination life cycle, LAC concept, visitors management, there still is a rightful opinion of some authors suggesting that there is no consistent theory of tourism carrying capacity. This theory would be the base for sophisticated practical carrying capacity applications. This paper is therefore focused on introduction of the theoretical concept of carrying capacity, which can be discussed and possibly further elaborated.

  9. Cross-Border Higher Education: Global and Local Tensions within Competition and Economic Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Taya L.; Lane, Jason E.

    2014-01-01

    In this chapter, the authors explore various types of cross-border higher education, considering equity and quality issues within these developments. With a particular focus on international branch campuses, the authors discuss the ways in which global competition for knowledge and economic development interact with tensions at the local level.

  10. Domestic Migration, Benefit Spillovers, and Local Education Spending: Evidence from China 1993-2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Gang

    2016-01-01

    The idea that educational externalities affect local governments' incentive to provide such service was proposed over a century ago. Several studies have tested the relationship in the US, with mixed results. However, the theory has rarely been tested systematically outside of the US context. Paradoxically the unique household registration system…

  11. Building Local Capacity to Bring Arts Education to All Children: Lessons Learned from the First Half of the Ford Foundation's National Demonstration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spilka, Gertrude; Long, Meg

    2009-01-01

    Interested in bringing the benefits of the arts as integral to quality education for all children, in 2004 the Ford Foundation launched the National Arts Education Initiative, a seven-year demonstration in nine communities across the United States. Building from arts education programs that serve "pockets" of children, Ford investments…

  12. The Legacy Project: A Case Study of Civic Capacity Building and Transformative Educational Leadership in a Community-Based Academic Enrichment Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Didlick-Davis, Celeste R.

    2016-01-01

    This study examines how a grassroots educational enrichment program in a small urban economically depressed area builds and uses civic capacity. Using qualitative data collected through a case study of the Legacy Academic Enrichment program in Middletown, Ohio, I identify factors that make Legacy sustainable and successful in a community that has…

  13. COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES OF THE PERM PROVINCE DURING THE PERIOD “PREPARATORY WORK FOR THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION INTRODUCTION”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. V. Golikova

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. In the history of education, there is still considerable shortfall of the question on mechanisms realization of the general literacy idea in Russia in the beginning of the last century, which gained its popularity around the world at the turn of the 19–20th centuries. Meanwhile, the stage of preparation for cosmopolitan diffusion of compulsory primary education in the Russian Empire, marked by emergence of the special bill drafted by the Ministry of National Education in 1907, is of great interest to the research of opportunities of interaction of the state institutes and regional local self-government bodies (Zemstvo in the Russian language.The aim of the publication is to show the efficiency of joint activities of local self-government bodies and national administrative bodies with reference to example of the system of primary national education formation during 1908–1913 in the Perm province.Methodology and research methods. The methodological base of the present research is based on: the “center-periphery” conceptual model; methods of the retrospective chronological analysis, synthesis, generalization and interpretation of archival documents.Results and scientific novelty. The methodological perspective of studying the history of primary schools organization in pre-revolutionary Russia is proved. The choice of regional (provincial scale of this process enables to consider features of the public educational policy at the subcountry level; the center-periphery approach to the discussed subject makes it possible to understand more deeply the essence and purposes of the major educational reform. The assessment of the contents on the introduction of compulsory primary education in the Russian Empire is given; the draft bill established standards, new to educational practice, can be listed as follows: “normal duration of training”, “normal school age”, “normal number of children”, “normal school area” (

  14. An inventory of programmes, capacity and interventions available at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    to providing management and introduce antiretroviral treatment programmes is welcomed by all, including civil society, employers and local government. This exploratory study was undertaken to establish an inventory of programmes, capacity and interventions available within the. Emfuleni Local Municipality, which is one ...

  15. Building Post-Crisis Capacity in the Solomon Islands

    OpenAIRE

    Laura Bailey

    2009-01-01

    This capacity development brief summarizes the results of a multi-donor team review of four examples of post-crisis capacity development interventions in the Solomon Islands in 2005-08 whose performance was frequently cited as successful by local stakeholders. Although not based on post-project evaluations, the review found a number of patterns and potential lessons: (1) responding to imme...

  16. local

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abílio Amiguinho

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The process of socio-educational territorialisation in rural contexts is the topic of this text. The theme corresponds to a challenge to address it having as main axis of discussion either the problem of social exclusion or that of local development. The reasons to locate the discussion in this last field of analysis are discussed in the first part of the text. Theoretical and political reasons are there articulated because the question is about projects whose intentions and practices call for the political both in the theoretical debate and in the choices that anticipate intervention. From research conducted for several years, I use contributions that aim at discuss and enlighten how school can be a potential locus of local development. Its identification and recognition as local institution (either because of those that work and live in it or because of those that act in the surrounding context are crucial steps to progressively constitute school as a partner for development. The promotion of the local values and roots, the reconstruction of socio-personal and local identities, the production of sociabilities and the equation and solution of shared problems were the dimensions of a socio-educative intervention, markedly globalising. This scenario, as it is argued, was also, intentionally, one of transformation and of deliberate change of school and of the administration of the educative territoires.

  17. Research Capacity-Building with New Technologies within New Communities of Practice: Reflections on the First Year of the Teacher Education Research Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Zoe; Stanley, Grant; Murray, Jean; Jones, Marion; McNamara, Olwen

    2013-01-01

    This article focuses on a virtual research environment (VRE) and how it facilitated the networking of teacher educators participating in an Economic and Social Research Council-funded research capacity-building project. Using the theoretical lenses of situated learning and socio-cultural approaches to literacy, participants' ways of engaging with…

  18. INTEGRATING LOCAL CULTURE TO PROMOTE CHARACTER EDUCATION IN TEACHING WRITING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fenny Thresia

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract : Character educationplays an important partbecause it isnot onlyabout moralandvalueeducation. It has ahighersignificanceofmoraleducation, because itnot onlyteacheswhat is rightand what iswrong. More than thatcharacter educationinculcate the habit(habituation aboutgood thingsandwrong, canfeel(affective domain good valueandused to do(behaviouraldomain. So the character education linked closely associated with persistent habits practiced or implemented. It is commonly believed that the practices of English language teaching always accompanied by the insertion of foreign cultural values which are not always in line with Indonesia cultural values. The aim of this study is to improve students’ writing skill through integrating local culture material. Therefore this study focuses on designing and evaluating teaching writing material for English department students of University Muhammadiyah Metro. The result of this study shows that students have big interest and motivation in writing a text based on their local culture. The students also get moral value and character building through the material. It influences the students’ character in their daily life. Students become more polite, honest, diligent and religious.                                                                                                                                            Keywords: local culture, character education, writing.

  19. The Development Training Activity on Local Vegetable Songkhram Watershed Conservation for Student Second Primary Education in Srisongkhram District Nakhonphanom Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiattisak Charoensook

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Encouraging youth or locality is a preserver, and training is an approach to give an importance to conserve local vegetables in an area. The development of the training activity to promote the conservation of local vegetables at Songkharam Basin for the Second Grade Students, Srisongkhram District, Nakhon Phanom Province has the purposes to study kinds of local vegetable varieties at Songkhram Basin for the second grade students, Srisongkhram District, Nakhon Phanom Province, to develop the efficiently training activity which requires the performance-based criteria 80/80, to find the effectiveness index of the training activity to promote the conservation of local vegetables at Songkhram Basin, to study and compare knowledge about local vegetables at Songkharam Basin at not only pre-training and post-training, which are categorized by different gender and class levels, and to study and compare knowledge and attitudes to the conservation of local vegetable at Songkharam Basin for the second grade students, Srisongkhram District, Nakhon Phanom Province. Sample of the study were the second thirty grade students, Nong Um Phai School, Srisongkhram District, Nakhon Phanom Province through a purposive sampling approach. Tools for research were a training activity, a knowledge test, and an attitude test, Data were analyzed by the mean and standard deviation so as to measure the effectiveness of a training course in company with the performance - based criteria, 80/80. Similarly, Hypotheses were tested by paired t – test, F – test (Two – way Manova , and Two – way Anova. The result of this study showed that the training activity on local vegetable Songkhram watershed conservation for second primary education in Srisongkhram district Nakhonphanom province showed the efficiency of 83.23/86.55 and had a effectiveness index of 0.6795. Student second primary education in Srisongkhram district Nakhonphanom province showed gains in attitude for training

  20. Radical-Local Teaching and Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegaard, Mariane; Chaiklin, Seth

    Radical-Local Teaching and Learning presents a theoretical perspective for analyzing and planning educational programmes for schoolchildren. To realize both general societal interests and worthwhile personal development, the content of educational programmes for children must be grounded in the l......Radical-Local Teaching and Learning presents a theoretical perspective for analyzing and planning educational programmes for schoolchildren. To realize both general societal interests and worthwhile personal development, the content of educational programmes for children must be grounded...... radical-local teaching and learning approach. The first half of the book introduces the idea of radical-local teaching and learning and develops the theoretical background for this perspective, drawing on the cultural-historical research tradition, particularly from Vygotsky, El'konin, Davydov......, and Aidarova. The second half of the book addresses the central concern of radical-local teaching and learning - how to relate educational practices to children's specific historical and cultural conditions. The experiment was conducted for an academic year in an afterschool programme in the East Harlem...

  1. Education: An expense or investment for the state

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolić Ljubica

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A quality education system improves human resources, without which there is no economic growth. On the other hand, the state faced with the economic crisis or recession has limited possibilities of funding the budget expenditures. All countries pay special attention to the question of funding education. This issue is even more important in our country, considering the long-time economic recession or (rather crisis, as well as the disturbingly low level of economic activity and increasing social differences. Increasing the number of graduates without enhancing the quality of knowledge does not lead to an increase in the parameters of economic growth. Investing in human capital, as a condition for increasing productivity means investing in knowledge, not in a diploma. In this sense, responsible countries are expected to build a quality education system, regardless of the number of public and private institutions. The quality of the education system in a country is conditioned by the mode of its financing, i.e. by the division of responsibilities between the republic and local authorities (or other levels of government. The organization and financing of education has been transferred to the jurisdiction of lower territorial units, which may lead to significant disparities in the quality of education of the population of a country. The issue of education must be addressed at the national level, given the big differences in the development and budgetary possibilities of local governments. Even local communities that have the same financial capacities can differently allocate resources for education, depending on the evaluation of different priorities. The basic characteristics of funding education in our country are: modest budgetary possibilities, an impression that education is a burden rather than a long-term investment for our country, and the fact that the participation of education in the national budget and the total public expenditure is

  2. Hybridisation or Ousterisation? The Case of Local Accountability Policy in Finnish Early Childhood Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paananen, Maiju; Lipponen, Lasse; Kumpulainen, Kristiina

    2015-01-01

    Drawing on the analytic concept of imaginary, this study investigates policy hybridisation in the Finnish early childhood education. Specifically, it illuminates how the interplay between different imaginaries enabled the neoliberal imaginary to oust the social-democratic imaginary through a tripartite process in a case of local productivity…

  3. Inhibition delay increases neural network capacity through Stirling transform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogaret, Alain; King, Alastair

    2018-03-01

    Inhibitory neural networks are found to encode high volumes of information through delayed inhibition. We show that inhibition delay increases storage capacity through a Stirling transform of the minimum capacity which stabilizes locally coherent oscillations. We obtain both the exact and asymptotic formulas for the total number of dynamic attractors. Our results predict a (ln2) -N-fold increase in capacity for an N -neuron network and demonstrate high-density associative memories which host a maximum number of oscillations in analog neural devices.

  4. Explosive Strength Capacity in the Lower Limbs of Primary Education School Children According to Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amador Jesús Lara Sánchez

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to compare the corporal composition and the explosive strength capacity of lower limbs in primary school students from two different schools in the locality of Martos (Jaén. One of these schools was located in a marginalized neighbourhood where families of low socioeconomic status lived and the other was near the town centre with families of medium to high socioeconomic status. The aim was to evaluate these variables at two different moments in time, i.e., at the beginning and at the end of the school year, to see if the obtained results remained the same. A total of 147 primary school students (6–12 years old participated in the study, divided into 4 subgroups, according to sex and school. Body composition and explosive strength capacity of the lower limbs were evaluated using the vertical jump test. For independent samples, T tests were performed to obtain the existing differences through the SPSS v 19.0 programme. It was found that according to the first measurement at the beginning of the year, participants from a medium-high socioeconomic background obtained better results, while the second measurement showed that results equalized and even reversed. This could have been due to the level of performed physical activity.

  5. Promoting Local Ownership: Lessons Learned from Process of Transitioning Clinical Mentoring of HIV Care and Treatment in Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Getnet M. Kassie

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available IntroductionFocus on improving access and quality of HIV care and treatment gained acceptance in Ethiopia through the work of the International Training and Education Center for Health. The initiative deployed mobile field-based teams and capacity building teams to mentor health care providers on clinical services and program delivery in three regions, namely Tigray, Amhara, and Afar. Transitioning of the clinical mentoring program (CMP began in 2012 through capacity building and transfer of skills and knowledge to local health care providers and management.ObjectiveThe initiative explored the process of transitioning a CMP on HIV care and treatment to local ownership and documented key lessons learned.MethodsA mixed qualitative design was used employing focus group discussions, individual in-depth interviews, and review of secondary data. The participants included regional focal persons, mentors, mentees, multidisciplinary team members, and International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH staff. Three facilities were selected in each region. Data were collected by trained research assistants using customized guides for interviews and with data extraction format. The interviews were recorded and fully transcribed. Open Code software was used for coding and categorizing the data.ResultsA total of 16 focus group discussions and 20 individual in-depth interviews were conducted. The critical processes for transitioning a project were: establishment of a mentoring transition task force, development of a roadmap to define steps and directions for implementing the transition, and signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU between the respective regional health bureaus and I-TECH Ethiopia to formalize the transition. The elements of implementation included mentorship and capacity building, joint mentoring, supportive supervision, review meetings, and independent mentoring supported by facility-based mechanisms: multidisciplinary team

  6. Importance of education and training local population in process of development rural tourism in Serbia

    OpenAIRE

    Vuković, Predrag; Subić, Jonel; Cvijanović, Drago

    2014-01-01

    Since the mid-nineties of the twentieth century begins a rapid expansion of rural tourism in Serbia. In the first initial phase, the development has taken place without a clear plan and program. The first achieved positive results, influenced that Serbian Government since 2008 started with appropriate funding with aim to improve rural tourism development. Also, until 2008 there was no system of education and training sessions of the local population. Farmers were not educated and trained t...

  7. Localizing Play-Based Pedagogy: Nigerian Educators’ Appropriation of Sesame Classroom Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naomi A. Moland

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This article examines how international organizations promote play-based pedagogical approaches in early childhood settings around the world, and how local educators respond. As a case study, I investigated Sesame Workshop’s efforts to introduce play-based approaches in Nigerian classrooms. In addition to producing a Nigerian version of Sesame Street (called Sesame Square, Sesame Workshop trains educators in play-based approaches and has distributed alphabet flashcards, puppet kits, and storytelling games to more than 2,700 early childhood classrooms across Nigeria. These materials were intended to support Sesame Square’s messages, and to foster interactive, child-centered learning experiences. However, teachers often used the materials in ways that reflected more rote-based, teacher centered approaches. Data was gathered through observations and interviews in 27 educational sites across Nigeria that use Sesame materials. Findings reveal that teachers’ resistance to play-based approaches was sometimes for structural reasons (e.g., large class sizes, and sometimes related to their knowledge and training (e.g., they were accustomed to drilling the alphabet. I argue that ideals about constructivist, play-based learning are being disseminated by international organizations—alongside contrasting formalistic pedagogical approaches—and that all approaches will shift as they are localized. I question if approaches that are considered universally developmentally appropriate are relevant in all settings, and explore how early childhood educators adapt global pedagogical trends to make sense in their classrooms. I call for international organizations to explore context-appropriate play-based approaches that develop educators’ capacities to help all children thrive, while also incorporating local cultural beliefs about childhood and teaching. 

  8. SLICEIT and TAHMO Partnerships: Students Local and International Collaboration for Climate and Environmental Monitoring, Technology Development, Education, Adaptation and Mitigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aishlin, P. S.; Selker, J. S.

    2015-12-01

    Climate change understanding and impacts vary by community, yet the global nature of climate change requires international collaboration to address education, monitoring, adaptation and mitigation needs. We propose that effective climate change monitoring and education can be accomplished via student-led local and international community partnerships. By empowering students as community leaders in climate-environmental monitoring and education, as well as exploration of adaptation/mitigation needs, well-informed communities and young leadership are developed to support climate change science moving forward. Piloted 2013-2015, the SLICEIT1 program partnered with TAHMO2 to connect student leaders in North America, Europe and Africa. At the international level, schools in the U.S.A and Netherlands were partnered with schools in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda for science and cultural exchange. Each school was equipped with a climate or other environmental sensing system, real-time data publication and curricula for both formal and informal science, technology, engineering and math education and skill development. African counterparts in TAHMO's School-2-School program collect critically important data for enhanced on-the-ground monitoring of weather conditions in data-scarce regions of Africa. In Idaho, student designed, constructed and installed weather stations provide real time data for classroom and community use. Student-designed formal educational activities are disseminated to project partners, increasing hands-on technology education and peer-based learning. At the local level, schools are partnered with a local agency, research institute, nonprofit organization, industry and/or community partner that supplies a climate science expert mentor to SLICEIT program leaders and teachers. Mentor engagement is facilitated and secured by program components that directly benefit the mentor's organization and local community via climate/environment monitoring, student workforce

  9. The Capacity Building programmes of GITEWS – visions, goals, lessons learned, and re-iterated needs and demands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Schlurmann

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available It was envisioned that the framework of the German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS should achieve an integral architecture and overarching technical design of an end-to-end tsunami early warning system (TEWS. In order to achieve this ambitious goal on a national and local level, a tailored set of capacity building measures has been started and implemented. The programme was meant and designed to meet requirements and urgent needs considering awareness raising campaigns, technical trainings and higher level education programs. These components have been integrated as complementary modules in order to ensure facilitating the early warning system to be operated, maintained and improved, and that institutions and people in coastal areas will respond adequately and timely in case of future tsunamis. Remarkable progress has been accomplished as well as programs and campaigns are being implemented in regard to a sustainable capacity development conducted by national institutions in Indonesia. Yet, local administrative and preparedness efforts on the Indonesian coastlines are still underdeveloped. This stems from the fact of missing links towards sustainable coastal zone management schemes on a broad local level. Yet, the demand and urgent need for an adequate and integrated disaster risk reduction and management addressing also other hazards in the region of interest is (still substantial. Given the tragic loss of life and severe damages resulting from the December 2004 tsunami and recent series of severe earthquakes, the need for urgent mitigating action in the imperilled coastal regions of Sumatra and Java remains extremely high. The conceptual Capacity Building framework, its anticipated goals in the beginning of the project and, lately, the finally achieved objectives are promising. A significant contribution for mainstreaming scientific approaches and transfer methodological disaster risk reduction attempts towards other regions

  10. Building knowledge development and exchange capacity in Canada: lessons from Youth Excel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, B; Wong, K; Manske, S

    2014-07-01

    Youth Excel was a 3-year pan-Canadian initiative to advance youth health through improving knowledge development and exchange (KDE) capacity. KDE capacity refers to an improvement cycle linking evidence and action. Capacities include local surveillance of youth behaviours; knowledge exchange; skills, resources and a supportive environment to use knowledge; and evaluation. Interviews were conducted with Youth Excel members, including 7 provincial teams and 2 national organizations. Interviews explored participant experiences with building KDE capacity. Local surveillance systems were considered the backbone to KDE capacity, strengthened by co-ordinating surveys within and across jurisdictions and using common indicators and measures. The most effective knowledge exchange included tailored products and opportunities for dialogue and action planning. Evaluation is the least developed KDE component. Building KDE capacity requires frequent dialogue, mutually beneficial partnerships and trust. It also requires attention to language, vision, strategic leadership and funding. Youth Excel reinforces the need for a KDE system to improve youth health that will require new perspectives and sustained commitment from individual champions and relevant organizations.

  11. THE ISSUEOFSTRENGTHENING BUDGET CAPACITY FOR ENSURING THE FINANCIALINDEPENDENCE OFLOCALAUTHORITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dmytriy V. Nekhaychuk

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the issues on strengthening local governments’ budget capacity in the face of modern challenges. It shows the conceptual in-depth study of local budgets foundations, income and practical recommendations focusing on stability and capacity. The author proves that the revenues of local budgets play a crucial role in ensuring the full and effective performance of the functions and local authorities’ tasks. The paper shows the scientific analysis of modern economists’ views on the local authorities’ financial autonomy and the local budgets’ role in the process. The paper also shows the retrospective comparative analysis of methods, used by local and foreign scientists for the formation of local budgets’ revenues. It considers the economic nature of income in local budgets as a source of finance, ensures the efficient operation of local authorities. It has been found out that the organization of the process of forming local budgets’ revenues is influenced by the organizational and legal forms of management, type of ownership and specifics of enterprises. Taxes are the dominant source of local budgets’ incomes, the financial regulator of production, means of ensuring socio-economic development of the separate administrative and territorial units and the state as a whole. The authors also analyze different types of revenues, including tax, in the revenue part of local budgets. The authors propose to expand the list of local taxes and fees due to the introduction of tax with targeted use of received funds. The conceptual basis of financial independence of local self-government lies in in the optimal interests of the population, local government, state and business structures. The increase of own revenues in the share of local budgets becomes a strategic issue of the financial autonomy and the corresponding administrative and territorial units.

  12. Development of Capacity Building Training Programs for Nuclear R and D Personnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Eui Jin; Nam, Youngmi; Hwang, Hyeseon; Jang, Eunsook; Song, Eun Ju

    2016-01-01

    The Nuclear Training and Education Center of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has been operating technical training courses on nuclear engineering, engineering mathematics, management leadership training, out sourced practical training, legal education, etc. Strengthening nuclear R and D capacity is essential for the long-term mission and goals of the institute. Therefore, it requires a comprehensive training program to strengthen the unique capability of the institute that reflects diversity and differentiation. In this regard, the capacity building training program has developed on a modular basis, and the developed training program should be tailored to operate according to the institute needs. The capacity building training program for nuclear R and D personnel was developed to reflect the technology strengths of the institute. The developed training program will be developed into a leading branded education of the institute in the future

  13. Development of Capacity Building Training Programs for Nuclear R and D Personnel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Eui Jin; Nam, Youngmi; Hwang, Hyeseon; Jang, Eunsook; Song, Eun Ju [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    The Nuclear Training and Education Center of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has been operating technical training courses on nuclear engineering, engineering mathematics, management leadership training, out sourced practical training, legal education, etc. Strengthening nuclear R and D capacity is essential for the long-term mission and goals of the institute. Therefore, it requires a comprehensive training program to strengthen the unique capability of the institute that reflects diversity and differentiation. In this regard, the capacity building training program has developed on a modular basis, and the developed training program should be tailored to operate according to the institute needs. The capacity building training program for nuclear R and D personnel was developed to reflect the technology strengths of the institute. The developed training program will be developed into a leading branded education of the institute in the future.

  14. The Rise and Attenuation of the Basic Education Programme (BEP) in Botswana: A Global-Local Dialectic Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabulawa, Richard

    2011-01-01

    Using a global-local dialectic approach, this paper traces the rise of the basic education programme in the 1980s and 1990s in Botswana and its subsequent attenuation in the 2000s. Amongst the local forces that led to the rise of BEP were Botswana's political project of nation-building; the country's dire human resources situation in the decades…

  15. Determination of the Innovative Capacity of Ecuadorian Universities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Isabel Loaiza

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Today the Higher Education Institutions are immersed in a world of constant change, and it is necessary to adapt to this environment with skill and speed. This has forced universities to adopt practices that create or strengthen their capacity to innovate, based on the determination of factors that influence it positively. This study is centered on the implementation of the Innovation Model of Higher Education (MIES prepared by Villa, Escotet and Goni (2007, adapted to the university context. This model allows Higher Education Institutions to diagnose their innovative capacity. This model is developed in the field of academic innovation, which is defined as the organizational competence of institutions to respond to the environment quickly enough, to cover existing needs and to anticipate future ones. As a case study, MIES was applied to Ecuadorian universities where the perception of different university actors was obtained and the factors driving innovation in this context were determined as a reference for the application of strategies promoting innovation.

  16. Climate Change Adaptation in Dutch Local Communities. Risk Perception, Institutional Capacity and the Role of Local Government.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Berg, Maya Marieke

    2010-01-01

    This report explains the outcomes of the research project Analysing local climate vulnerability and local adaptation strategies which was carried out from 2005 up till 2009 at the Twente Centre for Studies in Technology and Sustainable Development (CSTM), University of Twente. This project is funded

  17. Capacity-building for the radiation protection dividend

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hilton, J.; Moussaid, M.; Birky, B.

    2010-01-01

    In 2001 IAEA launched the Strategic Approach to Education and Training in Radiation and Waste Safety: Strategic Plan 2001-2010. The Vision was: A sustainable education and training system is in place in Member States compatible with the requirements of the BSS and other relevant radiation safety standards to contribute to an adequate radiation and waste safety infrastructure. The 2001 objectives were presented as follows: To put in place an appropriate education and training programme as a mechanism for the implementation of the BSS and other relevant safety standards. To encourage appropriate knowledge and understanding to promote and sustain safe working practices. To promote the continuous exchange of information between member states as an essential mechanism for establishing and maintaining safety. 4 The twelve points for strengthening and sustaining Education and Training in Radiation are: 1. Capacity-building - needs and vision 2. Health, safety and environment (HSE) state of the art 3. Current state 4. A networked community 5. Infrastructure and support 6. The competency-based approach 7. Achieving Competency training content, resources and instruments 8. Capacity - Competency outcomes, certification, accreditation, performance indicators and scorecards 9. Capability - on-demand delivery 10. Professional development. 11.Stake holders and risk communications 12. Mandate The draft Consultation Paper was available

  18. Identifying Socio-Cultural Factors That Impact the Use of Open Educational Resources in Local Public Administrations

    OpenAIRE

    Julia Stoffregen; Jan M. Pawlowski; Eric Ras; Snezana Scepanovic; Dragica Zugic

    2016-01-01

    The goal of this paper is to define relevant barriers to the exchange of Open Educational Resources in local public administrations. Building upon a cultural model, eleven experts were interviewed and asked to evaluate several factors, such as openness in discourse, learning at the workplace, and superior support, among others. The result is a set of socio-cultural factors that shape the use of Open Educational Resources in public administrations. Significant factors are, in...

  19. Health Departments’ Engagement in Emergency Preparedness Activities: The Influence of Health Informatics Capacity

    OpenAIRE

    Gulzar H. Shah; Bobbie Newell; Ruth E. Whitworth

    2016-01-01

    Background: Local health departments (LHDs) operate in a complex and dynamic public health landscape, with changing demands on their emergency response capacities. Informatics capacities might play an instrumental role in aiding LHDs emergency preparedness. This study aimed to explore the extent to which LHDs’ informatics capacities are associated with their activity level in emergency preparedness and to identify which health informatics capacities are associated with improved em...

  20. A Global Approach to School Education and Local Reality: A Case Study of Community Participation in Haryana, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narwana, Kamlesh

    2015-01-01

    In post-Jomtien phase, community participation in school education management has appeared as one of the most prominent features in all educational development programmes at global level. In line with this trend, India has also placed a significant focus on local communities in school management through various programmes such as LokJumbish,…

  1. Building Capacity for the Continuous Improvement of Health-Promoting Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoyle, Tena B.; Samek, Beverly B.; Valois, Robert F.

    2008-01-01

    Background: There has been much educational verbosity over the past decade related to building capacity for effective schools. However, there seems to be a scarcity of clarification about what is meant by school capacity building or how to accomplish and sustain this process. This article describes the preexisting conditions and ongoing processes…

  2. Let’s Take it to the Clouds: The Potential of Educational Innovations, Including Blended Learning, for Capacity Building in Developing Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannah Marrinan

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available In modern decentralised health systems, district and local managers are increasingly responsible for financing, managing, and delivering healthcare. However, their lack of adequate skills and competencies are a critical barrier to improved performance of health systems. Given the financial and human resource, constraints of relying on traditional face-to-face training to upskill a large and dispersed number of health managers, governments, and donors must look to exploit advances in the education sector. In recent years, education providers around the world have been experimenting with blended learning; that is, amalgamating traditional face-to-face education with web-based learning to reduce costs and enrol larger numbers of students. Access to improved information and communication technology (ICT has been the major catalyst for such pedagogical innovations. We argue that with many developing countries already improving their ICT systems, the question is not whether but how to employ technology to facilitate the continuous professional development of district and local health managers in decentralised settings.

  3. Systems approach to waste governance: unpacking the challenges facing local government

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Godfrey, Linda K

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available and Tourism (DEAT, 2007) highlighted the obstacles that are faced by local government in achieving service delivery for waste. The three identified obstacles included Financial Capacity; Institutional Capacity; Technical Capacity. 2 Opportunity cost... the systems diagrams show (Figure 2), is that without intervention by national government departments, e.g. National Treasury, Department of Provincial and Local Government, or Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, municipalities will be unable...

  4. Preparing for Local Labor: Curricular Stratification across Local Economies in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutton, April

    2017-01-01

    I investigate how the educational demands of local labor markets shape high school course offerings and student course taking. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 linked to the U.S. Census 2000, I focus on local economic variation in the share of jobs that do not demand a bachelor’s degree. I find that schools in local labor markets with higher concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs devote a larger share of their course offerings to career and technical education (CTE) courses and a smaller share to advanced college-preparatory courses compared to schools in labor markets with lower concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs, even net of school resources. Students in labor markets with higher concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs take greater numbers of CTE courses, and higher-achieving students in these labor markets are less likely to take advanced math and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate courses. These course-taking disparities are largely due to school course offerings. This study shows how local economic inequalities shape high school curricular stratification, and suggests that school curricula linked to the educational demands of local jobs delimits the college preparation opportunities of high-achieving students. PMID:29531407

  5. Local Control: Fear or Fantasy. A Report of the New Jersey Education Reform Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuhrman, Susan H.

    Today local control over education seems to face the most serious challenge in its history. The movement to reform school finance raises the specter of the State assuming its formal consitutional powers and removing autonomy from the communities. Hence, it is argued, as the State takes over control of taxation and expenditures it will want to…

  6. How important are local inventive milieus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ejermo, Olof; Hansen, Høgni Kalsø

    2015-01-01

    positive effects are also evident from birthplace, whereas no consistent positive effect can be derived from individuals’ high school location. Therefore, the formative influences mainly deriving from family upbringing, birth region and from local milieu effects arising from a conscious choice to attend......Using data on the entire population in combination with data on almost all individuals in Sweden listed as inventors, we study how the probability of being listed on a patent as inventor is influenced by the density of other future inventors residing in the same region. In this process, we control...... for demographic and sector effects along with the educational characteristics of parents. This approach allows us to trace how location history influences individuals’ inventive capacity. We focus on three types of influences: (a) future inventors in the municipality around the time of birth, (b) future inventors...

  7. Towards understanding citizens trust in local government authorities in social service provision: A case of education service in Maswa district Tanzania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Makorere

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper stresses on understanding citizens’ trust to local government authorities in the provision of social services, the case of education service in Maswa district. The paper discloses that majority of respondents of 82.2% of total respondents were not involved in full council meetings, although the meetings are supposed to be open to the public and all information that is presented there is public information which includes proposed plans and budgets as well as quarterly progress reports. This shows that there are problems in primary education. Moreover, due to various problems that still exist in primary education in the area under study, they created a sense of distrust between citizens to local government and local leaders to be specific including Village Executive Officers, Ward Executive Officers and councilors since majority of the respondents revealed that they are lazy harass people. This makes people to be reluctant to participate in development activities include refusing to contribute financially in various development initiatives since they do not see importance of their local leaders so they decide to take their own decisions.

  8. 34 CFR 403.112 - How does a State allocate funds under the Secondary School Vocational Education Program to local...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... secondary students in the same attendance area, the State shall distribute to those local or regional..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAM What Kinds of Activities... the same relationship to the 20 percent as the number of students with disabilities who have...

  9. Investing for the future: capacity building in Morocco

    OpenAIRE

    Mathieu André; France Charlet

    2007-01-01

    In 2006, at the request of UNHCR , the French NGO Forum Réfugiés led two missions to help strengthen local capacity in Morocco to provide legal advice and assistance for asylum seekers and refugees.

  10. Measuring Airflow in Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems. Module 23. Vocational Education Training in Environmental Sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Consumer Dynamics Inc., Rockville, MD.

    This module, one of 25 on vocational education training for careers in environmental health occupations, contains self-instructional materials on measuring airflow in local exhaust ventilation systems. Following guidelines for students and instructors and an introduction that explains what the student will learn are three lessons: (1) naming each…

  11. Education and Research via the Open University Malaysia (OUM – An Opportunity for Local Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siew Nooi Phang

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available In this era, the provision of education and dissemination of research-based knowledge need not be restricted to conventional methods such as classroom settings and face-to-face interactions. Advancements in communications via improved technologies enable people from all over the world to seek knowledge to support their needs, conduct global research via teleconferencing, and study at their own pace wherever they are and according to their level of ability. Naturally governments, too, are aware of this flexibility to increase their effectiveness and improve the capacity of their staff.

  12. Promoting Creative Capacity in Followership Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baublits, Jennifer L.

    2014-01-01

    With increasing acceptance of followership as a counterpart of leadership, the study of followership within graduate-level leadership and business curricula should be equally considered. Further, an understanding of andragogy, or adult education theory, is of benefit with the inclusion of creativity within a followership curriculum. By developing…

  13. Sustainable Development of Research Capacity in West Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebe, J. R.; Rogmann, A.; Falk, U.; Nyarko, B. K.; Amisigo, B.; Barry, B.; Vlek, P. L.

    2010-12-01

    In West Africa, the management and efficient use of natural resources is becoming ever more important. This is largely due to steeply increasing demand through population growth and economic development, and through the effects of greater uncertainty due to climate and environmental change. Developing research capacity in these countries is an essential step in enabling them to assess their natural resources independently, and to develop national strategies and policies to manage their natural resources in the light of growing demand and increasing climatic uncertainty. The project “Sustainable Development of Research Capacity in West Africa based on the GLOWA Volta Project” (SDRC) is an 18 month project, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research, to strengthen the research capacity in West Africa. The SDRC is based on three columns: I. knowledge transfer and strengthening of human capacity; II. strengthening of infrastructural research capacity; and III. strengthening the institutional capacity. The SDRC makes use of the wide range of research results and decision support tools developed in the GLOWA Volta Project (GVP), a nine-year, interdisciplinary research project (2000-2009) with a regional focus on the Volta Basin. The tools and models that have been transferred and trained in the framework of GVP and SDRC cover a range of topics, such as modeling the onset of the rainy season, hydrological, economic, hydro-economic modeling, GIS and Remote Sensing, and the training of database managers, to name a few. Infrastructural capacity is developed by the transfer of a micro-meteorological research network to the Meteorological Service of Burkina Faso, joint operation of a tele-transmitted hydrological gauging network with the Hydrological Service of Ghana, and the provision of hard- and software capacity to use the trained models. At the center of the SDRC effort is the strengthening of the Volta Basin Authority, a newly established river basin

  14. Building capacity for human genetics and genomics research in Trinidad and Tobago

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allana Roach

    Full Text Available Advances in human genetics and genomic sciences and the corresponding explosion of biomedical technologies have deepened current understanding of human health and revolutionized medicine. In developed nations, this has led to marked improvements in disease risk stratification and diagnosis. These advances have also led to targeted intervention strategies aimed at promoting disease prevention, prolonging disease onset, and mitigating symptoms, as in the well-known case of breast cancer and the BRCA1 gene. In contrast, in the developing nation of Trinidad and Tobago, this scientific revolution has not translated into the development and application of effective genomics-based interventions for improving public health. While the reasons for this are multifactorial, the underlying basis may be rooted in the lack of pertinence of internationally driven genomics research to the local public health needs in the country, as well as a lack of relevance of internationally conducted genetics research to the genetic and environmental contexts of the population. Indeed, if Trinidad and Tobago is able to harness substantial public health benefit from genetics/genomics research, then there is a dire need, in the near future, to build local capacity for the conduct and translation of such research. Specifically, it is essential to establish a national human genetics/genomics research agenda in order to build sustainable human capacity through education and knowledge transfer and to generate public policies that will provide the basis for the creation of a mutually beneficial framework (including partnerships with more developed nations that is informed by public health needs and contextual realities of the nation.

  15. Multiple, Relational and Emotional Mobilities: Understanding Student Mobilities in Higher Education as More than "Staying Local" and "Going Away"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finn, Kirsty

    2017-01-01

    This paper advances theorising around student geographies in higher education (HE). It extends recent work, which has problematised the primacy of social class and binary thinking about student mobilities, and presents local/non-local experiences and im/mobility as a defining dualism. Drawing on a qualitative longitudinal study of women's…

  16. Strengthening Research Capacity and Evidence-Based Policy ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    ... wider Central Asian region lack capacity to conduct empirical analysis and create policies based on research evidence. To address government priorities, the region needs quality research driven by local demands and analytical skills that can inform effective development responses through policy. This 39-month project, ...

  17. Sustainable School Capacity Building--One Step Back, Two Steps Forward?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinham, Stephen; Crowther, Frank

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to serve as an introduction to and overview of this special issue of the "Journal of Educational Administration" entitled "Building organisational capacity in school education". The co-editors have solicited contributions from authors in Wales, Australia, Canada, the USA, England, Hong Kong and New…

  18. Modelling of Rotational Capacity in Reinforced Linear Elements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hestbech, Lars; Hagsten, Lars German; Fisker, Jakob

    2011-01-01

    on the rotational capacity of the plastic hinges. The documentation of ductility can be a difficult task as modelling of rotational capacity in plastic hinges of frames is not fully developed. On the basis of the Theory of Plasticity a model is developed to determine rotational capacity in plastic hinges in linear......The Capacity Design Method forms the basis of several seismic design codes. This design philosophy allows plastic deformations in order to decrease seismic demands in structures. However, these plastic deformations must be localized in certain zones where ductility requirements can be documented...... reinforced concrete elements. The model is taking several important parameters into account. Empirical values is avoided which is considered an advantage compared to previous models. Furthermore, the model includes force variations in the reinforcement due to moment distributions and shear as well...

  19. A Three-Threshold Learning Rule Approaches the Maximal Capacity of Recurrent Neural Networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alireza Alemi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the theoretical foundations of how memories are encoded and retrieved in neural populations is a central challenge in neuroscience. A popular theoretical scenario for modeling memory function is the attractor neural network scenario, whose prototype is the Hopfield model. The model simplicity and the locality of the synaptic update rules come at the cost of a poor storage capacity, compared with the capacity achieved with perceptron learning algorithms. Here, by transforming the perceptron learning rule, we present an online learning rule for a recurrent neural network that achieves near-maximal storage capacity without an explicit supervisory error signal, relying only upon locally accessible information. The fully-connected network consists of excitatory binary neurons with plastic recurrent connections and non-plastic inhibitory feedback stabilizing the network dynamics; the memory patterns to be memorized are presented online as strong afferent currents, producing a bimodal distribution for the neuron synaptic inputs. Synapses corresponding to active inputs are modified as a function of the value of the local fields with respect to three thresholds. Above the highest threshold, and below the lowest threshold, no plasticity occurs. In between these two thresholds, potentiation/depression occurs when the local field is above/below an intermediate threshold. We simulated and analyzed a network of binary neurons implementing this rule and measured its storage capacity for different sizes of the basins of attraction. The storage capacity obtained through numerical simulations is shown to be close to the value predicted by analytical calculations. We also measured the dependence of capacity on the strength of external inputs. Finally, we quantified the statistics of the resulting synaptic connectivity matrix, and found that both the fraction of zero weight synapses and the degree of symmetry of the weight matrix increase with the

  20. Making continental-scale environmental programs relevant locally for educators with Project BudBurst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goehring, L.; Henderson, S.; Wasser, L.; Newman, S. J.; Ward, D.

    2012-12-01

    Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage non professionals in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide excellent opportunities for educators and their students to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch, this on-line program has engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent, and in contemplating the meaning of such data in their local environments. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst educational resources and share lessons learned from educators in implementing the program in formal and informal education settings. Lesson plans and tips from educators will be highlighted. Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

  1. Challenges to social capacity building in flood-affected areas of southern Poland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Działek, J.; Biernacki, W.; Bokwa, A.

    2013-10-01

    Various aspects of beliefs, behaviour and expectations of at-risk populations were analysed in four case study localities in southern Poland that were affected by flooding in 1997 and 2001. They represent localities of different sizes and are characterised by different paths of historical development. Two of them are deep-rooted communities with dense, strong family and neighbourhood ties, while the other two experienced an almost total replacement of their population due to decisions taken after World War II and still suffer from less developed social networks. Historical events also resulted in the disruption of local memories of flooding and transmission of knowledge about natural hazards. A questionnaire survey was conducted in late autumn 2006, followed by structured telephone interviews and focus group interviews in spring 2008. The results of the survey and interviews were analysed with reference to the social capacity framework and its five dimensions: knowledge, motivational, network, economic and governance capacities. Network capacities, that is resources of bonding and bridging social capital, were considered a key notion when analysing and interpreting the results. The differences in the local resources and abilities available in each of the localities to prepare a response to natural hazards were revealed. Consequently, challenges faced in the process of building and strengthening social capacity were identified as well as ways to address these challenges. It was concluded that there are general trends and tendencies that need to be considered in risk management strategies, however the different starting points of each case study community calls for different means and approaches, as well as producing somewhat different expected outcomes.

  2. Investing for the future: capacity building in Morocco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathieu André

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available In 2006, at the request of UNHCR , the French NGO Forum Réfugiés led two missions to help strengthen local capacity in Morocco to provide legal advice and assistance for asylum seekers and refugees.

  3. Radical-Local Teaching and Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegaard, Mariane; Chaiklin, Seth

    radical-local teaching and learning approach. The first half of the book introduces the idea of radical-local teaching and learning and develops the theoretical background for this perspective, drawing on the cultural-historical research tradition, particularly from Vygotsky, El'konin, Davydov......, and Aidarova. The second half of the book addresses the central concern of radical-local teaching and learning - how to relate educational practices to children's specific historical and cultural conditions. The experiment was conducted for an academic year in an afterschool programme in the East Harlem......Radical-Local Teaching and Learning presents a theoretical perspective for analyzing and planning educational programmes for schoolchildren. To realize both general societal interests and worthwhile personal development, the content of educational programmes for children must be grounded...

  4. Increasing Communities Capacity to Effectively Address Climate Change Through Education, Civic Engagement and Workforce Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niepold, F., III; Ledley, T. S.; Stanton, C.; Fraser, J.; Scowcroft, G. A.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding the causes, effects, risks, and developing the social will and skills for responses to global change is a major challenge of the 21st century that requires coordinated contributions from the sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, and beyond. There have been many effective efforts to implement climate change education, civic engagement and related workforce development programs focused on a multitude of audiences, topics and in multiple regions. This talk will focus on how comprehensive educational efforts across our communities are needed to support cities and their primary industries as they prepare for, and embrace, a low-carbon economy and develop the related workforce.While challenges still exist in identifying and coordinating all stakeholders, managing and leveraging resources, and resourcing and scaling effective programs to increase impact and reach, climate and energy literacy leaders have developed initiatives with broad input to identify the understandings and structures for climate literacy collective impact and to develop regional/metropolitan strategy that focuses its collective impact efforts on local climate issues, impacts and opportunities. This Climate Literacy initiative envisions education as a central strategy for community's civic actions in the coming decades by key leaders who have the potential to foster the effective and innovative strategies that will enable their communities to seize opportunity and prosperity in a post-carbon and resilient future. This talk discusses the advances and collaborations in the Climate Change Education community over the last decade by U.S. federal and non-profit organization that have been made possible through the partnerships of the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), U.S. National Science Foundation funded Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) Alliance, and the Tri-Agency Climate Change Education Collaborative.

  5. Relationships between female tourists and male locals in Cuzco/Peru: implications for travel health education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Irmgard

    2009-11-01

    Health concerns regarding casual sexual encounters during travel have been recognized for some time. The perception that female travellers' motivations are more romantic rather than sexual when entering a relationship with local men may exclude them from receiving appropriate travel health advice. This may pose even greater health risks, not only to themselves but also to their local partners. This paper presents 11 Western female tourists' perceptions of their relationships with local men in Cuzco/Peru, based on in-depth interviews, observations, and informal discussions. Relationships with local men were often triggered by their physical appearance. Other themes identified were: methods and location of first contact, benefits for the local men, safe sex/condom use, and travel health advice received. The findings support calls for more emphasis on sexual health in travel health education. Three aspects should be included: 1) an awareness that unfamiliar environment can cause 'out of character' behaviour, 2) an emphasis on not only to use but to not stop using condoms, and 3) the need to acquire negotiation skills.

  6. Virginia State Adult Basic Education Administrative Guide for Local Programs and Projects under the Adult Education Act, P.L. 91-230 and Amendments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virginia State Dept. of Education, Richmond. Adult Education Service.

    This administrative guide was developed to provide local school divisions and other agencies operating federally funded Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Virginia with the purpose, requirements, and procedures for conducting these programs. The guide is divided into eleven sections. The introduction covers the purpose and scope of ABE…

  7. A capacity assessment towards more resilient societies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhlicke, C.; Steinführer, A.

    2012-04-01

    Social capacity building for natural hazards is a topic increasingly gaining relevance not only for so-called developing countries but also for European welfare states which are continuously challenged by the social, economic and ecological impacts of natural hazards. Following an outline of recent governance changes with regard to natural hazards, we develop a heuristic model of social capacity building by taking into account a wide range of existing expertise from different fields of research. Particular attention is paid to social vulnerability and its assessment, as well as to risk communication and risk education as specific strategies of social capacity building. We propose to distinguish between interventionist and participatory approaches, thus enabling for a better understanding of existing practices of social capacity building as well as their particular strengths and weaknesses. It is from this typology the presentation will develop two kinds of operational social capacity audits; one for communities and one for organisations. These assessments aim to identify appropriate measures and strategies regarding how to enhance, develop and build different kinds of capacities. By using these assessments participants will be able to identify strong capacities and can refer to the recommendations for tips on how to improve capacities identified as weak. That way deficits and outcomes are defined by those who are most likely to be affected by a future hazard event and most likely to be implementing improvements towards resilience.

  8. Building the capacity of family day care educators to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing: an exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sims Margaret

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Childhood mental health problems are highly prevalent, experienced by one in five children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. Although childcare settings, including family day care are ideal to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing at a population level in a sustainable way, family day care educators receive limited training in promoting children's mental health. This study is an exploratory wait-list control cluster randomised controlled trial to test the appropriateness, acceptability, cost, and effectiveness of "Thrive," an intervention program to build the capacity of family day care educators to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing. Thrive aims to increase educators' knowledge, confidence and skills in promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing. Methods/Design This study involves one family day care organisation based in a low socioeconomic area of Melbourne. All family day care educators (term used for registered carers who provide care for children for financial reimbursement in the carers own home are eligible to participate in the study. The clusters for randomisation will be the fieldworkers (n = 5 who each supervise 10-15 educators. The intervention group (field workers and educators will participate in a variety of intervention activities over 12 months, including workshops; activity exchanges with other educators; and focused discussion about children's social and emotional wellbeing during field worker visits. The control group will continue with their normal work practice. The intervention will be delivered to the intervention group and then to the control group after a time delay of 15 months post intervention commencement. A baseline survey will be conducted with all consenting educators and field workers (n = ~70 assessing outcomes at the cluster and individual level. The survey will also be administered at one month, six months and 12 months post

  9. The Effects of Cognitive Capacity and Gaming Expertise on Attention and Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Y.-H.; Heeter, C.

    2017-01-01

    Educational video games can impose high cognitive demands on its users. Two studies were conducted to examine the cognitive process involved in playing an educational digital game. Study 1 examined the effects of users' working memory capacity and gaming expertise on attention and comprehension of the educational messages. The results showed that…

  10. A Situationist Lesson for Character Education: Re-Conceptualising the Inculcation of Virtues by Converting Local Virtues to More Global Ones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yi-Lin

    2015-01-01

    Inspired by the debate about character between situationism and virtue ethics, I argue that John Doris's idea, "local trait", offers a fresh insight into contemporary character education. Its positive variant, "local virtue", signals an inescapable relay station of the gradual development of virtue, and serves as a promising…

  11. Models to enhance research capacity and capability in clinical nurses: a narrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Byrne, Louise; Smith, Sheree

    2011-05-01

    To identify models used as local initiatives to build capability and capacity in clinical nurses. The National Health Service, Nursing and Midwifery Council and the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration all support the development of the building of research capability and capacity in clinical nurses in the UK. Narrative review. A literature search of databases (including Medline and Pubmed) using the search terms nursing research, research capacity and research capability combined with building, development, model and collaboration. Publications which included a description or methodological study of a structured initiative to tackle research capacity and capability development in clinical nurses were selected. Three models were found to be dominant in the literature. These comprised evidence-based practice, facilitative and experiential learning models. Strong leadership, organisational need and support management were elements found in all three models. Methodological issues were evident and pertain to small sample sizes, inconsistent and poorly defined outcomes along with a lack of data. Whilst the vision of a research ready and active National Health Service is to be applauded to date, there appears to be limited research on the best approach to support local initiatives for nurses that build research capability and capacity. Future studies will need to focus on well-defined objectives and outcomes to enable robust evidence to support local initiatives. To build research capability and capacity in clinical nurses, there is a need to evaluate models and determine the best approach that will provide clinical nurses with research opportunities. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Climate change science education across schools, campuses, and centers: strategies and successes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrill, J.; Harcourt, P.; Rogers, M.; Buttram, J.; Petrone, C.; Veron, D. E.; Sezen-Barrie, A.; Stylinski, C.; Ozbay, G.

    2016-02-01

    With established partnerships in higher education, K-12, and informal science education communities across Delaware and Maryland, the NSF-funded MADE CLEAR project (Maryland Delaware Climate Change Education, Assessment, and Research) has instituted a suite of professional development strategies to bring climate change science into science education methods courses, K-12 classrooms, university lecture halls, and public park facilities. MADE CLEAR partners have provided consistent climate literacy topics (mechanisms, human contributions, local and global impacts, mitigation and adaptation) while meeting the unique needs of each professional community. In-person topical lectures, hands-on work with classroom materials, seed funding for development of new education kits, and on-line live and recorded sessions are some of the tools employed by the team to meet those needs and build enduring capacity for climate change science education. The scope of expertise of the MADE CLEAR team, with climate scientists, educators, learning scientists, and managers has provided not only PD tailored for each education audience, but has also created, fostered, and strengthened relationships across those audiences for long-term sustainability of the newly-built capacity. Specific examples include new climate change programs planned for implementation across Delaware State Parks that will be consistent with middle school curriculum; integration of climate change topics into science methods classes for pre-service teachers at four universities; and active K-12 and informal science education teams working to cooperatively develop lessons that apply informal science education techniques and formal education pedagogy. Evaluations by participants highlight the utility of personal connections, access to experts, mentoring and models for developing implementation plans.

  13. High Capacity of Hard Carbon Anode in Na-Ion Batteries Unlocked by PO x Doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Zhifei; Ma, Lu; Surta, Todd Wesley; Bommier, Clement; Jian, Zelang; Xing, Zhenyu; Stickle, William F.; Dolgos, Michelle; Amine, Khalil; Lu, Jun; Wu, Tianpin; Ji, Xiulei

    2016-08-12

    The capacity of hard carbon anodes in Na-ion batteries 2.5 rarely reaches values beyond 300 mAh/g. We report that doping POx into local structures of hard carbon increases its reversible capacity from 283 to 359 mAh/g. We confirm that the doped POx is redox inactive by X-ray adsorption near edge structure measurements, thus not contributing to the higher capacity. We observe two significant changes of hard carbon's local structures caused by doping. First, the (002) d-spacing inside the turbostratic nanodomains is increased, revealed by both laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Second, doping turns turbostratic nanodomains more defective along ab planes, indicated by neutron total scattering and the associated pair distribution function studies. The local structural changes of hard carbon are correlated to the higher capacity, where both the plateau and slope regions in the potential profiles are enhanced. Our study demonstrates that Na-ion storage in hard carbon heavily depends on carbon local structures, where such structures, despite being disordered, can be tuned toward unusually high capacities.

  14. New Technologies and Innovation Capacity - Boosting Economic Transition Processes in the Less Favoured Regions

    OpenAIRE

    Kati-Jasmin Kosonen

    2003-01-01

    In the era of knowledge society many regions and local communities/ towns are trying to compete with larger, growing cities over the knowledge and intellectual capital resources. Regional or local knowledge environment has become more important. Building innovation capacity and the institutional capacity as one part of it could be a development tool to some lagging behind-regions, (which are called as less-favoured regions) and quite often do not have universities of their own or successful i...

  15. Lacking Capacity? How to Work Smart in Teacher Evaluation. Ask the Team

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cushing, Ellen

    2013-01-01

    Capacity is a real and pressing challenge for educators tasked with implementing robust evaluation systems that include multiple measures of performance. In response to questions from the field, the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders has gathered emerging strategies from policymakers and practitioners who are grappling with capacity challenges…

  16. Student Teachers' Capacity and Willingness to Teach Financial Literacy in Flanders

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Moor, Lieven; Verschetze, Lindsey

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to assess the student teachers' capacity and willingness to teach financial literacy in Flanders via on-site paper surveys of 368 final-year teacher education students. We argue that the Flemish teacher education program needs to be revised to introduce financial education in secondary schools. We find that revisions…

  17. Strengthening the capacity of SMEs and local authorities in developing countries to tackle environmental requirements in the supply chain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sonnemann, G. [Div. of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris (France)

    2004-07-01

    UNEP DTIE, through its Life Cycle Initiative, proposes to join with industry to strengthen the capacity of the weakest economic actors in the global supply chains to tackle environmental requirements. Two particularly important target groups for this project are SMEs and local authorities. Although the SMEs are the immediate actors, they need appropriate political institutions to provide an enabling framework. Multinational companies are continuously increasing the environmental requirements that their suppliers have to meet in order to provide a green image for the final product reaching western markets. Some multinational companies have accompanied these requirements with information and training of suppliers. By joining with UNEP they will be able to expand the effectiveness of their outreach and also gain greater visibility for their environmental policies. For SMEs this project is an opportunity to develop environmental management expertise and thus position themselves as reliable suppliers to leading companies. (orig.)

  18. Changing classroom practices: the role of school-wide capacity for sustainable improvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sleegers, P.J.C.; Thoonen, E.E.J.; Oort, F.J.; Peetsma, T.T.D.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Elementary schools have been confronted with large-scale educational reforms as strategies to improve the educational quality. While building school-wide capacity for improvement is considered critical for changing teachers’ classroom practices, there is still little empirical evidence for

  19. Changing classroom practices: the role of school-wide capacity for sustainable improvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sleegers, P.J.C.; Thoonen, Eric E.J.; Oort, Frans J.; Peetsma, Thea T.D.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose – Elementary schools have been confronted with large-scale educational reforms as strategies to improve the educational quality. While building school-wide capacity for improvement is considered critical for changing teachers’ classroom practices, there is still little empirical evidence for

  20. Australian nursing and midwifery educators delivering evidence-based education in Tanzania: A qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gower, Shelley; van den Akker, Jose; Jones, Mark; Dantas, Jaya A R; Duggan, Ravani

    2016-05-01

    Since 2011, Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators have been providing evidence-based continuing education to Tanzanian health professionals. Despite thorough preparation before departure, differences in local resource levels and available facilities have necessitated impromptu adaptation of curriculum content and delivery methods to ensure an effective program was delivered. This study explored the personal, cultural and teaching strategies utilised by Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators in Tanzania and examined if the transferability of education packages was influenced by the educators' cultural competence. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, data was collected from 15 Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators using a demographic survey and in-depth individual semi-structured interviews. The core themes identified from the analysis were Determination to learn, Assessing needs, Communication skills and Greater understanding. These findings are described using the conceptual framework of Campinha-Bacote's The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services. With appropriate levels of cultural competence, international health professionals can be effective at providing ongoing professional development to colleagues in developing country contexts, which may help address difficulties with retention and motivation of staff. It is essential that prior to departure cultural competence training is provided to educators to enhance their teaching capacity and effectiveness in international settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Building policy-making capacity in the Ministry of Health: the Kazakhstan experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanturidze, Tata; Adams, Orvill; Tokezhanov, Bolat; Naylor, Mike; Richardson, Erica

    2015-01-20

    Recent economic growth in Kazakhstan has been accompanied by slower improvements in population health and this has renewed impetus for health system reform. Strengthening strategic planning and policy-making capacity in the Ministry of Health has been identified as an important priority, particularly as the Ministry of Health is leading the health system reform process. The intervention was informed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) framework for capacity building which views capacity building as an ongoing process embedded in local institutions and practices. In response to local needs extra elements were included in the framework to tailor the capacity building programme according to the existing policy and budget cycles and respective competence requirements, and link it with transparent career development structures of the Ministry of Health. This aspect of the programme was informed by the institutional capability assessment model used by the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) which was adapted to examine the specific organizational and individual competences of the Ministry of Health in Kazakhstan. There were clear successes in building capacity for policy making and strategic planning within the Ministry of Health in Kazakhstan, including better planned, more timely and in-depth responses to policy assignments. Embedding career development as a part of this process was more challenging. This case study highlights the importance of strong political will and high level support for capacity building in ensuring the sustainability of programmes. It also shows that capacity-building programmes need to ensure full engagement with all local stakeholders, or where this is not possible, programmes need to be targeted narrowly to those stakeholders who will benefit most, for the greatest impact to be achieved. In sum, high quality tailor-made capacity development programmes should be based on thorough needs assessment of individual and

  2. Relations between educational research, policy, planning and implementation: The Thai experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ketudat, Sippanondha; Fry, Gerald

    1981-06-01

    The relations between educational research, policy, planning and implementation in Thailand are the topic of this paper. The major focus is on the research/policy linkage. A complex educational administrative structure and a pluralistic informal power structure characterize the Thai research context. A tetrahedral model of linkages provides the conceptual framework for the analysis. Details are then provided with respect to the actual operationalization of the model in terms of the Thai approach in practice. Major elements in the Thai approach include the use of expert policy committees, joint committees involving both administrators and researchers, problem-oriented seminars, and commissioned research. Actual examples of research efforts described are an educational reform study, local level school mapping, a school cluster experiment, a budget exercise to improve the equity of primary school resource allocations, and a policy evaluation of sub-district secondary schools. Finally, lessons to be learned from the Thai experience are summarized. Thailand has experienced some success in building analytical educational research capacity and ensuring its utilization. Key elements in this success have been an emphasis on strengthening human capacities; judging political will in a timely, flexible manner; creatively utilizing bureaucratic forms such as committees; and remaining both politically detached and sensitive.

  3. Aerobic Capacity and Anaerobic Power Levels of the University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taskin, Cengiz

    2016-01-01

    The aim of study was to analyze aerobic capacity and anaerobic power levels of the university students. Total forty university students who is department physical education and department business (age means; 21.15±1.46 years for male and age means; 20.55±1.79 years for female in department physical education), volunteered to participate in this…

  4. Local jurisdictions and active shooters : building networks, building capacities

    OpenAIRE

    Frazzano, Tracy L.

    2010-01-01

    CHDS State/Local Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited States incidents (Columbine High School shooting (April 20, 1999) and North Hollywood Bank shoot out (February 28, 1997) were studied. Individuals from the U.S. cases were interviewed to explore information not necessarily documented. Data from the case studies and interviews were collated and reviewed for common themes. These themes were analyzed to draw conclusions on how smaller jurisdictions should proceed in bu...

  5. Social media, FOAMed in medical education and knowledge sharing: Local experiences with international perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arif Alper Cevik

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Social media, through the Internet and other web-based technologies, have become a means of communication and knowledge-sharing. In this article, we provide details about the social media traffic of various scientific activities, the organizations of which we have played an active role in. We also provide information in our native language through our FOAMed website, which has been published for about 30 months, with us acting as editors. We are comparing these local and limited ventures with examples from the world and aim to remind that social media sources play a very important role in sharing knowledge in medical training and encouraging local initiatives, like ours, with limited resources. Keywords: Medical education, Social media, FOAMed, Knowledge sharing

  6. Biosafety and Biosecurity: A Relative Risk-Based Framework for Safer, More Secure, and Sustainable Laboratory Capacity Building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickmann, Petra; Sheeley, Heather; Lightfoot, Nigel

    2015-01-01

    Laboratory capacity building is characterized by a paradox between endemicity and resources: countries with high endemicity of pathogenic agents often have low and intermittent resources (water, electricity) and capacities (laboratories, trained staff, adequate regulations). Meanwhile, countries with low endemicity of pathogenic agents often have high-containment facilities with costly infrastructure and maintenance governed by regulations. The common practice of exporting high biocontainment facilities and standards is not sustainable and concerns about biosafety and biosecurity require careful consideration. A group at Chatham House developed a draft conceptual framework for safer, more secure, and sustainable laboratory capacity building. The draft generic framework is guided by the phrase "LOCAL - PEOPLE - MAKE SENSE" that represents three major principles: capacity building according to local needs (local) with an emphasis on relationship and trust building (people) and continuous outcome and impact measurement (make sense). This draft generic framework can serve as a blueprint for international policy decision-making on improving biosafety and biosecurity in laboratory capacity building, but requires more testing and detailing development.

  7. Biosafety and Biosecurity: A relative risk-based framework for safer, more secure and sustainable laboratory capacity building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petra eDickmann

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Laboratory capacity building is characterized by a paradox between endemicity and resources: Countries with high endemicity of pathogenic agents often have low and intermittent resources (water, electricity and capacities (laboratories, trained staff, adequate regulations. Meanwhile, countries with low endemicity of pathogenic agents often have high containment facilities with costly infrastructure and maintenance governed by regulations. The common practice of exporting high biocontainment facilities and standards is not sustainable and concerns about biosafety and biosecurity require careful consideration. Methods: A group at Chatham House developed a draft conceptual framework for safer, more secure and sustainable laboratory capacity building. Results: The draft generic framework is guided by the phrase ‘LOCAL – PEOPLE – MAKE SENSE’ that represents three major principles: capacity building according to local needs (local with an emphasis on relationship and trust-building (people and continuous outcome and impact measurement (make sense. Conclusions: This draft generic framework can serve as a blueprint for international policy decision-making on improving biosafety and biosecurity in laboratory capacity building, but requires more testing and detailing development.

  8. Collaboration with a local organization on the subjects of energy/radiation field in high school science education

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Takahiro; Mori, Chizuo

    2005-01-01

    We, high school teachers, collaborated with a local organization, Chubu Atomic Power Conference (partly in co-operation with The Radiation Education Forum), in the education on the subjects of energy and radiation fields. In addition to the subjects concerned with radiations, cloud chamber and personal radiation-monitor, we developed a few new subjects, which are not directly connected themselves with radiations, for the purpose to widen the fields and to bring the high acceptability of the subjects in high school side. (author)

  9. Integrating local research watersheds into hydrologic education: Lessons from the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, J. P.; Aishlin, P. S.; Flores, A. N.; Benner, S. G.; Marshall, H. P.; Pierce, J. L.

    2014-12-01

    While a proliferation of instrumented research watersheds and new data sharing technologies has transformed hydrologic research in recent decades, similar advances have not been realized in hydrologic education. Long-standing problems in hydrologic education include discontinuity of hydrologic topics from introductory to advanced courses, inconsistency of content across academic departments, and difficulties in development of laboratory and homework assignments utilizing large time series and spatial data sets. Hydrologic problems are typically not amenable to "back-of-the-chapter" examples. Local, long-term research watersheds offer solutions to these problems. Here, we describe our integration of research and monitoring programs in the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed into undergraduate and graduate hydrology programs at Boise State University. We developed a suite of watershed-based exercises into courses and curriculums using real, tangible datasets from the watershed to teach concepts not amenable to traditional textbook and lecture methods. The aggregation of exercises throughout a course or degree allows for scaffolding of concepts with progressive exposure of advanced concepts throughout a course or degree. The need for exercises of this type is growing as traditional lecture-based classes (passive learning from a local authoritative source) are being replaced with active learning courses that integrate many sources of information through situational factors.

  10. The Global Health Service Partnership: An Academic–Clinical Partnership to Build Nursing and Medical Capacity in Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eileen M. Stuart-Shor

    2017-07-01

    translation of evidence to practice through implementation science are included. Findings from the first 3 years of GHSP suggest that an innovative, locally tailored and culturally appropriate multi-country academic–clinical partnership program that addresses national health priorities is feasible and generated new knowledge and best practices relevant to capacity building for nursing and medical education. This in turn has implications for improving the health of populations who suffer a disproportionate burden of global disease.

  11. Promoting evaluation capacity building in a complex adaptive system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrenz, Frances; Kollmann, Elizabeth Kunz; King, Jean A; Bequette, Marjorie; Pattison, Scott; Nelson, Amy Grack; Cohn, Sarah; Cardiel, Christopher L B; Iacovelli, Stephanie; Eliou, Gayra Ostgaard; Goss, Juli; Causey, Lauren; Sinkey, Anne; Beyer, Marta; Francisco, Melanie

    2018-04-10

    This study provides results from an NSF funded, four year, case study about evaluation capacity building in a complex adaptive system, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). The results of the Complex Adaptive Systems as a Model for Network Evaluations (CASNET) project indicate that complex adaptive system concepts help to explain evaluation capacity building in a network. The NISE Network was found to be a complex learning system that was supportive of evaluation capacity building through feedback loops that provided for information sharing and interaction. Participants in the system had different levels of and sources of evaluation knowledge. To be successful at building capacity, the system needed to have a balance between both centralized and decentralized control, coherence, redundancy, and diversity. Embeddedness of individuals within the system also provided support and moved the capacity of the system forward. Finally, success depended on attention being paid to the control of resources. Implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The capacity of local governments to improve business environment: Evidence from Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vesna Janković Milić

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to draw attention on the need to strengthen institutional cooperation between local self-governments and the business community. The paper analyses the ability of socio-economic councils in Serbia, as a part of local governments, to improve the business environment and indicators of social status at the local level. In addition to socio-economic councils, this analysis includes the departments, divisions and offices for local economic development and their responsibilities. The results in the paper has been generated using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test, t-test and regression analysis, based on the analysis of primary data collected in empirical research on 55 municipalities in Serbia. The fundamental results obtained using the stated analysis is that socio-economic councils have positive impact on the social and economic development in the survived municipalities. Finally, the basic conclusion from the executed research is that size of the municipality is not a limiting factor for the establishment of the socio-economic councils and their functionality

  13. Approaches to dog health education programs in Australian rural and remote Indigenous communities: four case studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constable, S E; Dixon, R M; Dixon, R J; Toribio, J-A

    2013-09-01

    Dog health in rural and remote Australian Indigenous communities is below urban averages in numerous respects. Many Indigenous communities have called for knowledge sharing in this area. However, dog health education programs are in their infancy, and lack data on effective practices. Without this core knowledge, health promotion efforts cannot progress effectively. This paper discusses a strategy that draws from successful approaches in human health and indigenous education, such as dadirri, and culturally respectful community engagement and development. Negotiating an appropriate education program is explored in its practical application through four case studies. Though each case was unique, the comparison of the four illustrated the importance of listening (community consultation), developing and maintaining relationships, community involvement and employment. The most successful case studies were those that could fully implement all four areas. Outcomes included improved local dog health capacity, local employment and engagement with the program and significantly improved dog health.

  14. Capacity to deliver pharmaceutical care by community pharmacies ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pharmacy practice has transcended from largely a dispensary practice to pharmaceutical care practice. The capacity of community pharmacies to deliver pharmaceutical care was studied using pretested self survey methods. Ninety five percent (95%) of the respondents always educated customers on drug related needs, ...

  15. Austerity and Modernisation, One Nation Labour--Localism, the Economy and Vocational Education and Training in England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avis, James

    2014-01-01

    The paper addresses national and global questions concerned with neoliberalism, social democracy and social justice. It explores a number of themes that arise from the British Labour Party's policy review and its rebranding as One Nation Labour (ONL). In particular it addresses ONL's approach to the economy, localism and vocational education and…

  16. Educational Psychology in Scotland: Making a Difference. An Aspect Report on the Findings of Inspections of Local Authority Educational Psychology Services 2006-10

    Science.gov (United States)

    Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2011

    2011-01-01

    This report provides, for the first time, an overview based on inspections of all 32 local authority educational psychology services. The picture it presents is broadly a very positive one although it also points to areas in which there is certainly scope for further improvement. The report shows that services are making a positive difference to…

  17. Building a foundation for 'One Health': an education strategy for enhancing and sustaining national and regional capacity in endemic and emerging zoonotic disease management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vink, W D; McKenzie, Joanna S; Cogger, Naomi; Borman, Barry; Muellner, Petra

    2013-01-01

    The rapid global spread of diseases such as SARS, H5N1, and H1N1 influenza has emphasized the pressing need for trans-disciplinary collaboration and cross-border action, and has also exposed a serious deficit of capacity and coordination in dealing effectively with emerging disease threats. The need for capacity development is particularly acute in the developing world, which is the least well-equipped to respond adequately. Such capacity development can be achieved through education and the implementation of applied 'One Health' activities. This chapter describes the establishment of a 'One Health' capacity development program in South Asia, consisting of two phases. The first phase provides Masters level training for public health doctors and veterinarians, with a focus on epidemiology, and disease control. The second phase reinforces the postgraduate training by establishing a sustainable framework for the implementation of collaborative 'One Health' activities such as the development of multidisciplinary professional networks, implementation of applied zoonotic disease investigation projects, and support for continuing professional development. The objectives are to provide individual skills required to strengthen capacity; to develop an appreciation of the cross-cutting issues which affect human and animal health, set within an institutional context; and to facilitate the development of regional professional networks which will be instrumental in implementing 'One Health' activities.

  18. Marx and Education: Working with the Revolutionary Educator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banfield, Grant

    2015-01-01

    This paper positions education as productive work, i.e. radical labour. It argues that education is a deliberate and conscious process directed to the building of human capacities to labour for socialist transformation. In drawing on the intellectual resources left by Marx the objective of education is the production of the "revolutionary…

  19. Working Memory Capacity and Stroop Interference: Global versus Local Indices of Executive Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Matt E.; Kane, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Two experiments examined the relations among working memory capacity (WMC), congruency-sequence effects, proportion-congruency effects, and the color-word Stroop effect to test whether congruency-sequence effects might inform theoretical claims regarding WMC's prediction of Stroop interference. In Experiment 1, subjects completed either a…

  20. Moroccan Coastal Management : Building Capacity to Adapt to ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Impacts from rising sea levels, coastal flooding and storm surges are becoming a challenging policy issue for planners, local authorities and stakeholders in areas such as Morocco's northeastern coast. This project will support capacity building and the development of tools and methods to underpin preparation for and ...

  1. Selection of local extremophile lactic acid bacteria with high capacity ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study is related to the isolation and identification of strains of local thermophilic lactic acid bacteria belonging to the species, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. These bacteria can exist under extreme conditions of the digestive tract (acidity and high concentration of bile salts) and have a high ...

  2. Determinants of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determinants of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change among Smallholder Rural Households in the Bongo District, Ghana. ... The results of a binary logistic regression model indicates that five predictor variables (education of the household, farming experience, farm size, belief system and training) out of 11 tested ...

  3. Educating Farmers' Market Consumers on Best Practices for Retaining Maximum Nutrient and Phytonutrient Levels in Local Produce

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralston, Robin A.; Orr, Morgan; Goard, Linnette M.; Taylor, Christopher A.; Remley, Dan

    2016-01-01

    Few farmers' market consumers are aware of how to retain optimal nutritional quality of produce following purchase. Our objective was to develop and evaluate educational materials intended to inform market consumers about best practices for storing, preserving, and consuming local produce to maximize nutrients and phytonutrients. Printed…

  4. Kant on Dignity and Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giesinger, Johannes

    2012-01-01

    In this essay, Johannes Giesinger discusses the educational significance of Immanuel Kant's conception of human dignity. According to Kant, Giesinger claims, children can and should be educated for dignity: on the one hand, children realize their dignity by developing the capacity for moral autonomy; on the other hand, this capacity can only…

  5. Informal Education: A Veritable Alternative for Building the Capacity ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Basic educational attainment has proven to be the catalyst to the development of artisans through mentorship and coaching, especially in developing economies. This study sets out to establish the extent to which informal education increases the technical competence of mentees and coaches and makes them self-reliant.

  6. Attention capacity in European adolescents: role of different health-related factors. The HELENA study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina; Vanhelst, Jérémy; Michels, Nathalie; Lambrinou, Christina-Paulina; González-Gross, Marcela; Widhalm, Kurt; Kersting, Mathilde; de la O Puerta, Alejandro; Kafatos, Anthony; Moreno, Luis A; Ortega, Francisco B

    2017-10-01

    We compared the level of attention capacity between adolescents from the center and south of Europe. The study included 627 European adolescents (54% girls), aged 12.5-17.5 years, who participated in the HELENA Study. The d2 Test of Attention was administered to assess attention capacity. The main results showed that adolescents from the south of Europe had significantly higher score in attention capacity compared with adolescents from central Europe (score + 8.1; 95%CI, 2.44-13.61) after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic indicators, body mass index, cardiorespiratory fitness and diet quality index (p = 0.012). Adolescents from the south of Europe had higher levels of attention capacity than their counterparts from central Europe independently of sociodemographic and health-related factors. These differences should be taken into account by educational institutions when promoting new approaches for putting into the practice student's capacities. What is Known? • Attention is a crucial capacity during adolescence. • Several health-related factors (i.e., physical activity, fitness or fatness) may influence attention capacity in adolescents. What is New? • Adolescents from the south of Europe had higher levels of attention capacity than their counterparts from the center, after accounting for socioeconomic factors, fitness, fatness and quality of diet. • These differences should be taken into account by educational institutions when promoting new approaches for putting into the practice student's capacities.

  7. What Drives Failed Policy at the World Bank? An inside Account of New Aid Modalities to Higher Education: Context, Blame, and Infallibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rappleye, Jeremy; Un, Leang

    2018-01-01

    This article analyses recent World Bank interventions aimed at improving higher education and local research capacity in low-income countries. Our empirical entry point is a critical analysis of the Development and Innovation Grant (DIG) scheme the Bank rolled out in Cambodia (2010-2015), a virtual carbon copy export of its Academic Initiative…

  8. Decentralisation for Schools, but Not for Knowledge: The RSA Area Based Curriculum and the Limits of Localism in Coalition Education Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Louise

    2011-01-01

    Use of local environments and stakeholders to illuminate the school curriculum, and increase ownership of it, has been demonstrated by international research as an effective means by which to make the curriculum more relevant and engaging to students. Localism is a key tenet of the Government's policy platform, and in education policy the…

  9. Forecast Mekong 2012: Building scientific capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanov, James E.

    2012-01-01

    In 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton joined the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in launching the Lower Mekong Initiative to enhance U.S. engagement with the countries of the Lower Mekong River Basin in the areas of environment, health, education, and infrastructure. The U.S. Geological Survey Forecast Mekong supports the Lower Mekong Initiative through a variety of activities. The principal objectives of Forecast Mekong include the following: * Build scientific capacity in the Lower Mekong Basin and promote cooperation and collaboration among scientists working in the region. * Provide data, information, and scientific models to help resource managers there make informed decisions. * Produce forecasting and visualization tools to support basin planning, including climate change adaptation. The focus of this product is Forecast Mekong accomplishments and current activities related to the development of scientific capacity at organizations and institutions in the region. Building on accomplishments in 2010 and 2011, Forecast Mekong continues to enhance scientific capacity in the Lower Mekong Basin with a suite of activities in 2012.

  10. Measuring the Right to Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friboulet, Jean-Jacques, Ed.; Niamego, Anatole, Ed.; Liechti, Valerie, Ed.; Dalbera, Claude, Ed.; Meyer-Bisch, Patrice, Ed.

    2006-01-01

    Amartya Sen defined development as the creation of capabilities or capacities. One of the crucial capacities is basic education. With no access to writing, reading and numeracy, people are unable to fight against poverty and to build their lives in the current global environment. In this perspective, the right to education cannot be conceived only…

  11. Encountering Science Education's Capacity to Affect and Be Affected

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsop, Steve

    2016-01-01

    What might science education learn from the recent affective turn in the humanities and social sciences? Framed as a response to Michalinos Zembylas's article, this essay draws from selected theorizing in affect theory, science education and science and technology studies, in pursuit of diverse and productive ways to talk of affect within science…

  12. Development Education and Disarmament Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Robin

    1981-01-01

    Discusses development education as an educational process aimed at preparing people for participation in change and examines the implications for disarmament education. Development education is interpreted to include adult literacy education as well as a system of spreading basic concepts and encouraging and developing local initiatives. (DB)

  13. The Imperative of Public Health Education: A Global Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Franklin

    2013-01-01

    This review positions public health as an endeavour that requires a high order of professionalism in addressing the health of populations; this requires investment in an educational capacity that is designed to meet this need. In the global context, the field has evolved enormously over the past half century, supported by institutions such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine. Operational structures are formulated by strategic principles, with educational and career pathways guided by competency frameworks, all requiring modulation according to local, national and global realities. Talented and well-motivated individuals are attracted by its multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary environment, and the opportunity to achieve interventions that make real differences to people's lives. The field is globally competitive and open to many professional backgrounds based on merit. Its competencies correspond with assessments of population needs, and the ways in which strategies and services are formulated. Thus, its educational planning is needs-based and evidence-driven. This review explores four public health education levels: graduate, undergraduate, continuing professional education and promotion of health literacy for general populations. The emergence of accreditation schemes is examined, focusing on their relative merits and legitimate international variations. The role of relevant research policies is recognized, along with the need to foster professional and institutional networks in all regions of the world. It is critically important for the health of populations that nations assess their public health human resource needs and develop their ability to deliver this capacity, and not depend on other countries to supply it. PMID:23969636

  14. Community capacity building and sustainability: outcomes of community-based participatory research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacker, Karen; Tendulkar, Shalini A; Rideout, Catlin; Bhuiya, Nazmim; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Savage, Clara P; Grullon, Milagro; Strelnick, Hal; Leung, Carolyn; DiGirolamo, Ann

    2012-01-01

    For communities, the value of community-based participatory research (CBPR) is often manifested in the outcomes of increased capacity and sustainable adoption of evidence-based practices for social change. Educational opportunities that promote discourse between community and academic partners can help to advance CBPR and better define these outcomes. This paper describes a community-academic conference to develop shared definitions of community capacity building and sustainability related to CBPR and to identify obstacles and facilitators to both. "Taking It to the Curbside: Engaging Communities to Create Sustainable Change for Health" was planned by five Clinical Translational Science Institutes and four community organizations. After a keynote presentation, breakout groups of community and academic members met to define community capacity building and sustainability, and to identify facilitators and barriers to achieving both. Groups were facilitated by researcher-community partner teams and conversations were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analysis for thematic content was conducted by a subset of the planning committee. Important findings included learning that (1) the concepts of capacity and sustainability were considered interconnected; (2) partnership was perceived as both a facilitator and an outcome of CBPR; (3) sustainability was linked to "transfer of knowledge" from one generation to another within a community; and (4) capacity and sustainability were enhanced when goals were shared and health outcomes were achieved. Community capacity building and sustainability are key outcomes of CBPR for communities. Co-learning opportunities that engage and mutually educate both community members and academics can be useful strategies for identifying meaningful strategies to achieve these outcomes.

  15. The New Saudi Educational Renaissance: In between the "Capacity to Aspire" and the "Capacity to Remember"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavan, Annalisa

    2014-01-01

    In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia investments in higher education have increased exponentially in recent years, and the New Saudi Educational Renaissance is attracting the attention of international academia. The purpose of this study is to draw on Saudi sources, with the aim of allowing Saudi voices to introduce their strategies for the design of a…

  16. Limits to Decentralization in Mozambique: Leadership, Politics and Local Government Capacities for Service Delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.P.J. Machohe (Antonio)

    2011-01-01

    textabstractMozambique has been a centralized State since its independence in 1975. During this time, local government has depended on the Central Government and has lacked autonomy in both local policy decisions and resource management in addition to the complete failure of effective local services

  17. Coaching Leadership: Building Educational Leadership Capacity through Partnership. Second Edition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Jan

    2016-01-01

    "Coaching Leadership" is about building leadership capacity in individuals, and in institutions, through enhancing professional relationships. It is based on the importance of maximising potential, and harnessing the ongoing commitment and energy needed to meet personal and professional goals. This book is for anyone interested in…

  18. Case studies of capacity building for biodiversity monitoring: Chapter 13

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmeller, Dirk S.; Arvanitidis, Christos; Böhm, Monika; Brummitt, Neil; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Costello, Mark J.; Ding, Hui; Gill, Michael J.; Haase, Peter; Juillard, Romain; García-Moreno, Jaime; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Peng, Cui; Riginos, Corinna; Schmiedel, Ute; Simaika, John P.; Waterman, Carly; Wu, Jun; Xu, Haigen; Belnap, Jayne; Walters, Michele; Scholes, Robert J.

    2017-01-01

    Monitoring the status and trends of species is critical to their conservation and management. However, the current state of biodiversity monitoring is insufficient to detect such for most species and habitats, other than in a few localised areas. One of the biggest obstacles to adequate monitoring is the lack of local capacity to carry out such programs. Thus, building the capacity to do such monitoring is imperative. We here highlight different biodiversity monitoring efforts to illustrate how capacity building efforts are being conducted at different geographic scales and under a range of resource, literacy, and training constraints. Accordingly, we include examples of monitoring efforts from within countries (Kenya, France, and China), within regions (Central America and the Arctic) and larger capacity building programs including EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) of Existence and the National Red List Alliance.

  19. Local Self-Government as an Architect of Coalitions for Local Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Gąsior-Niemiec

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper addresses the new role played by local self-government units in Poland. Main factors that determine the public authorities’ capacity to become architects of coalitions for local development are identified. Coalitions are defined as partnerships linking and mobilizing stakeholders anchored in three sectors: public, economic and non-governmental. The coalition-making role of the public organs is investigated on the basis of Local Action Groups (LAGs, which are pro-developmental cross-sector organizations established in rural areas of the Podkarpackie (Sub-Carpathian Voivodesh ip, Poland. Findings are presented that draw on quantitative and qualitative results of the research project that investigated mechanisms involved in the operation of the cross-s ector coalitions. The dominant role of the public authorities in those coalitions is demonstrated. The Community-led Local Development model is referred to as the future framework for LAGs.

  20. Implementing European climate adaptation policy. How local policymakers react to European policy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Hartmann

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available EU policy and projects have an increasing influence on policymaking for climate adaptation. This is especially evident in the development of new climate adaptation policies in transnational city networks. Until now, climate adaptation literature has paid little attention to the influence that these EU networks have on the adaptive capacity in cities. This paper uses two Dutch cities as an empirical base to evaluate the influence of two EU climate adaptation projects on both the experience of local public officials and the adaptive capacity in the respective cities. The main conclusion is that EU climate adaptation projects do not automatically lead to an increased adaptive capacity in the cities involved. This is due to the political opportunistic use of EU funding, which hampers the implementation of climate adaptation policies. Furthermore, these EU projects draw attention away from local network building focused on the development and implementation of climate adaptation policies. These factors have a negative cumulative impact on the performance of these transnational policy networks at the adaptive capacity level in the cities involved. Therefore, in order to strengthen the adaptive capacity in today’s European cities, a context-specific, integrative approach in urban planning is needed at all spatial levels. Hence, policy entrepreneurs should aim to create linkage between the issues in the transnational city network and the concerns in local politics and local networks.

  1. Distributed coordination of energy-storage capacities in virtual microgrids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brehm, Robert; Ramezani, Hossein; Jouffroy, Jerome

    cooperation is incorported, storage capacities can be operated as a virtual microgrid. The cooperation between nodes is based on the formulation of a simple objective function for coordination. The cooperation objective is then combined with each node’s local objective, which is the increase of self...

  2. Globally Happy: Individual Globalization, Expanded Capacities, and Subjective Wellbeing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Ming-Chang; Chang, Heng-Hao; Chen, Wan-chi

    2012-01-01

    Deep integration of Asia into the global society necessarily affects wellbeing of local populations. This study proposes a notion of "extend capacities" to explain the relationships between individual globalization and subjective wellbeing among Asian populations in a context of increasing global integration. Using Amartya Sen's theory…

  3. CAPACITY BUILDING OF TEACHERS THROUGH DISTANCE MODE USING TELECONFERENCEING AS AN INNOVATIVE TOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manas RANJAN PANIGRAHI

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA is a national programme to the goals of Universalization of Elementary Education in India. Distance Education Programme (DEP plays a major role in providing technical support to the states in building capacity among institutions and people at national, state, district and sub-district levels to design, develop, produce and deliver distance learning inputs and materials in a recurrent manner. Rajasthan Council of Primary Education, Jaipur and DEP-SSA, IGNOU, New Delhi has organized 07 content based teleconferences during the period January, 2005 to October, 2005 for the capacity building of elementary school teachers. The main Objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of the capacity building of teachers through distance mode using teleconferencing as an innovative tool. Method: the researcher was used survey method under descriptive research for investigating the impact of teleconference programmes organized on different topics and areas. Sample: The sample consists of 4775 elementary school teachers as participants from the different learning ends of the Rajasthan were selected for the study. Tools: The DEP-SSA, IGNOU developed structured opinionnaire/feedback format to know the effectiveness of teleconference programme. Data analysis: The collected data were tabulated and analyzed with the percentage techniques and it is presented in table. Finding: Most of the teacher respondents agreed on the positive contribution of teleconferencing towards capacity building of teachers.

  4. The evaluation of the tourist capacity in the Roztoczański National Park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janeczko Emilia

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the methodological assumptions and the results of the assessment of the capacities of Roztoczański Park Narodowy (RPN. Evaluation was a result of the capacity of hiking trails and educational paths and capacity of the surface of recreational facilities located in the RPN. Measure of capacity assessment of recreational trails was their length, average speed of movement the user, the nature of tourism (individual tourists and groups and living life paths. Results of the research can serve as a basis for identifying principles of tourism and recreational use of RPN.

  5. Exploring the impacts of protected area tourism on local communities using a resilience approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Strickland-Munro

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available As the protected area mandate expands to include social equity, the impacts of parks and their tourism on neighbouring indigenous and local communities is receiving growing practical and theoretical interest. This article reported on one such study, which explored the impacts of protected area tourism on communities bordering the iconic Kruger National Park in South Africa and Purnululu National Park in Australia. The study drew on interviews with park staff, tourism operators and community members. Guided by a conceptual framework grounded in resilience thinking, interactions amongst the parks, tourism and local communities were revealed as complex, contested and multi-scalar. Underlying drivers included cultural norms and values based on nature, entrenched poverty, poor Western education and economic opportunities associated with tourism. Park tourism offered intrinsic opportunities and benefits from nature conservation and associated intangible cultural values. More tangible benefits arose through employment. Damage-causing animals and visitation difficulties were negative impacts. Interaction with tourists was limited, with a sense of disconnect evident. Findings indicated the need for multifaceted, carefully considered policy responses if social equity and benefits for local communities are to be achieved. Framing the impacts of protected area tourism through the resilience framework provided a useful way to access local community perceptions whilst retaining awareness of the broader multi-scalar context in which interactions occur. Conservation implications: Perceptions of separation and lack of education to engage in economic opportunities are major issues. Intrinsic appreciation of parks is an important platform for building future opportunities. Accrual of future benefits for local communities from park tourism depends on developing diverse economic opportunities, building community capacity and managing expectations and addressing

  6. Building capacity for health promotion--a case study from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Kwok-Cho; Nutbeam, Don; Kong, Lingzhi; Wang, Ruotao; Yan, Jun

    2005-09-01

    During the period 1997-2000 a technical assistance project to build capacity for community-based health promotion was implemented in seven cities and one province in China. The technical assistance project formed part of a much larger World Bank supported program to improve disease prevention capabilities in China, commonly known as Health VII. The technical assistance project was funded by the Australian Agency for International Development. It was designed to develop capacity within the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the cities and province in the management of community-based health promotion projects, as well as supporting institutional development and public health policy reform. There are some relatively unique features of this technical assistance which helped shape its implementation and impact. It sought to provide the Chinese MOH and the cities and province with an introduction to comprehensive health promotion strategies, in contrast to the more limited information, education and communication strategies. The project was provided on a continuing basis over 3 years through a single institution, rather than as a series of ad hoc consultancies by individuals. Teaching and learning processes were developmental, leading progressively to a greater degree of local Chinese input and management to ensure sustainability and maintenance of technical support for the project. Based on this experience, this paper presents a model for capacity building projects of this type. It describes the education, training and planning activities that were the key inputs to the project, as well as the limited available evidence on the impact of the project. It describes how the project evolved over time to meet the changing needs of the participants, specifically how the content of the project shifted from a risk-factor orientation to a settings-based focus, and the delivery of the project moved from an expert-led approach to a more participatory, problem based learning approach. In

  7. PENGARUH CAPACITY BUILDING PADA PEMAHAMAN PRINSIP GOOD GOVERNANCE DALAM MENINGKATKAN KINERJA APARATUR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darwanis Darwanis

    2015-01-01

    staffs’performance and the application of good governance local state financial effectivity at Kabupaten Bireuen. The result were also indicated that partially capacity building unaffected the financial effectivity.

  8. International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN): Promoting nuclear security education

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muhamad Samudi Yasir

    2013-01-01

    Full-text: The need for human resource development programmes in nuclear security was underlined at several International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conferences and Board of Governors Meetings. Successive IAEA Nuclear Security Plans, the most recent of which was agreed by the Board of Governors in September 2009, give high priority to assisting States in establishing educational programmes in nuclear security in order to ensure the sustainability of nuclear security improvements. The current Nuclear Security Plan 1 covering 2010-2013 emphasizes on the importance of considering existing capacities at international, regional and national levels while designing nuclear security academic programmes. In the course of implementing the Plan, the IAEA developed a guide entitled Educational Programme in Nuclear Security (IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 12) that consists of a model of a MAster of Science (M.Sc.) and a Certificate Programme in Nuclear Security. This guide was aims at assisting universities or other educational institutes to developed academic programmes in nuclear security. Independently, some universities already offered academic programmes covering some areas of nuclear security, while other universities have asked the IAEA to support the implementation of these programmes. In order to better address current and future request for assistance in this area, the IAEA establish a collaboration network-International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN), among universities who are providing nuclear security education or who are interested in starting an academic programme/ course(s) in nuclear security. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is a first local university became a member of INSEN since the beginning of the establishment. (author)

  9. Teaching Local Lore in EFL Class: New Approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarmakeev, Iskander E.; Pimenova, Tatiana S.; Zamaletdinova, Gulyusa R.

    2016-01-01

    This paper is dedicated to the up-to-date educational problem, that is, the role of local lore in teaching EFL to University students. Although many educators admit that local lore knowledge plays a great role in the development of a well-bred and well-educated personality and meets students' needs, the problem has not been thoroughly studied.…

  10. Predictive capacity of a non-radioisotopic local lymph node assay using flow cytometry, LLNA:BrdU-FCM: Comparison of a cutoff approach and inferential statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Da-Eun; Yang, Hyeri; Jang, Won-Hee; Jung, Kyoung-Mi; Park, Miyoung; Choi, Jin Kyu; Jung, Mi-Sook; Jeon, Eun-Young; Heo, Yong; Yeo, Kyung-Wook; Jo, Ji-Hoon; Park, Jung Eun; Sohn, Soo Jung; Kim, Tae Sung; Ahn, Il Young; Jeong, Tae-Cheon; Lim, Kyung-Min; Bae, SeungJin

    2016-01-01

    In order for a novel test method to be applied for regulatory purposes, its reliability and relevance, i.e., reproducibility and predictive capacity, must be demonstrated. Here, we examine the predictive capacity of a novel non-radioisotopic local lymph node assay, LLNA:BrdU-FCM (5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-flow cytometry), with a cutoff approach and inferential statistics as a prediction model. 22 reference substances in OECD TG429 were tested with a concurrent positive control, hexylcinnamaldehyde 25%(PC), and the stimulation index (SI) representing the fold increase in lymph node cells over the vehicle control was obtained. The optimal cutoff SI (2.7≤cutoff <3.5), with respect to predictive capacity, was obtained by a receiver operating characteristic curve, which produced 90.9% accuracy for the 22 substances. To address the inter-test variability in responsiveness, SI values standardized with PC were employed to obtain the optimal percentage cutoff (42.6≤cutoff <57.3% of PC), which produced 86.4% accuracy. A test substance may be diagnosed as a sensitizer if a statistically significant increase in SI is elicited. The parametric one-sided t-test and non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test produced 77.3% accuracy. Similarly, a test substance could be defined as a sensitizer if the SI means of the vehicle control, and of the low, middle, and high concentrations were statistically significantly different, which was tested using ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis, with post hoc analysis, Dunnett, or DSCF (Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner), respectively, depending on the equal variance test, producing 81.8% accuracy. The absolute SI-based cutoff approach produced the best predictive capacity, however the discordant decisions between prediction models need to be examined further. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Analyzing Forces to the Financial Contribution of Local Governments to Sustainable Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In many countries, the economic crisis brought high volumes of deficit and debt in public entities, which jeopardized the ability of governments to continue providing public services and caused considerable imbalances of economic growth in different regions. In this context, from the recognition of the linkage between economic development and efficiency in public management, previous research indicates that local governments are called to play a key role in promoting sustainable development through environment, economic and social policies based on financial sustainability of the public services. This paper aims to identify influencing factors on the financial sustainability of local governments, as an indicator of their capacity to maintain the delivery of public services over time. Based on a sample of 139 Spanish municipalities with large population for the period 2006–2014, our findings reveal the influence of variables such as the unemployment rate by sector, the dependent population, the immigrant population and the level of education of the population, on the financial sustainability in local governments, providing new useful knowledge to managers, policymakers, researchers and others stakeholders interested in the sustainability of public services.

  12. Building school-wide capacity for improvement: the role of leadership, school organizational conditions, and teacher factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thoonen, E.E.J.; Sleegers, P.J.C.; Oort, F.J.; Peetsma, T.T.D.

    2012-01-01

    Education policies for greater accountability of schools assume that schools are capable of building their capacity for continuous improvement. While policy-makers, scholars, and practitioners acknowledge the importance of building school-wide capacity for continuous improvement, empirical evidence

  13. Building school-wide capacity for improvement: the role of leadership, school organizational conditions and teacher factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thoonen, E.E.J.; Thoonen, E.E.J.; Sleegers, P.J.C.; Oort, F.J.; Peetsma, T.T.D.

    2012-01-01

    Education policies for greater accountability of schools assume that schools are capable of building their capacity for continuous improvement. While policy-makers, scholars, and practitioners acknowledge the importance of building school-wide capacity for continuous improvement, empirical evidence

  14. Building groundwater modeling capacity in Mongolia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valder, Joshua F.; Carter, Janet M.; Anderson, Mark T.; Davis, Kyle W.; Haynes, Michelle A.; Dorjsuren Dechinlhundev,

    2016-06-16

    Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia (fig. 1), is dependent on groundwater for its municipal and industrial water supply. The population of Mongolia is about 3 million people, with about one-half the population residing in or near Ulaanbaatar (World Population Review, 2016). Groundwater is drawn from a network of shallow wells in an alluvial aquifer along the Tuul River. Evidence indicates that current water use may not be sustainable from existing water sources, especially when factoring the projected water demand from a rapidly growing urban population (Ministry of Environment and Green Development, 2013). In response, the Government of Mongolia Ministry of Environment, Green Development, and Tourism (MEGDT) and the Freshwater Institute, Mongolia, requested technical assistance on groundwater modeling through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Scientists from the USGS and USACE provided two workshops in 2015 to Mongolian hydrology experts on basic principles of groundwater modeling using the USGS groundwater modeling program MODFLOW-2005 (Harbaugh, 2005). The purpose of the workshops was to bring together representatives from the Government of Mongolia, local universities, technical experts, and other key stakeholders to build in-country capacity in hydrogeology and groundwater modeling.A preliminary steady-state groundwater-flow model was developed as part of the workshops to demonstrate groundwater modeling techniques to simulate groundwater conditions in alluvial deposits along the Tuul River in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar. ModelMuse (Winston, 2009) was used as the graphical user interface for MODFLOW for training purposes during the workshops. Basic and advanced groundwater modeling concepts included in the workshops were groundwater principles; estimating hydraulic properties; developing model grids, data sets, and MODFLOW input files; and viewing and evaluating MODFLOW output files. A key to success was

  15. Earth Sciences' Capacity Building In Developing Countries through International Programmes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eder, W.

    2007-12-01

    Within the framework of "traditional" programmes, like the joint UNESCO-IUGS "International Geoscience Programme" (IGCP), the "International Continental Scientific Drilling Program" (ICDP), the "Integrated Ocean Drilling Program" (IODP) or the "International Lithosphere Programme" (ILP) numerous opportunities are provided to strengthen postgraduate geo-scientific education of representatives from developing countries. Recently established new initiatives, such as the "International Year of Planet Earth" (IYPE) or UNESCO's Global Network of Geoparks complement these in addition as important components to UNESCO's 'Education for All' programme, notably the youth, as well as to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 - 2014). The "International Year of Planet Earth" is a joint initiative of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and UNESCO. The central aims and ambitions of the Year, proclaimed for 2008 by the UN General Assembly, are to demonstrate the great potential of the Earth sciences in building a safer, healthier and wealthier society, and to encourage more widespread and effective application of this potential by targeting politicians and other decision-makers, educational systems, and the general public. Promotion of international collaboration, as well as capacity building and training of students of developing countries in all fields of Earth Sciences seem to be the most appropriate way to meet also the challenges of the IYPE. Another opportunity to improve the international recognition of Earth Scinces, also in developing countries, is the use of Geoparks as a promotional tool for education and popularization of Earth Sciences. Geoparks, notably those included in the European and/or Global Geoparks Networks, provide an international platform of cooperation and exchange between experts and practitioners in geological heritage matters, and are as such excellent instruments in highlighting Earth sciences. The

  16. Research and Its Relationship to Nurse Education: Focus and Capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newell, Robert

    2002-01-01

    Examination of two British mental health journals and a government document on the future of nursing found a lack of focus on clinical research and little reference to the role of research and development in practice. The increasing importance of evidence-based practice demands a strategy for developing nurses' capacity to understand, undertake,…

  17. Building capacity in Australian interprofessional health education: perspectives from key health and higher education stakeholders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, Lynda R; Pockett, Rosalie B; Nisbet, Gillian; Thistlethwaite, Jill E; Dunston, Roger; Lee, Alison; White, Jill F

    2011-05-01

    A substantial literature engaging with the directions and experiences of stakeholders involved in interprofessional health education exists at the international level, yet almost nothing has been published that documents and analyses the Australian experience. Accordingly, this study aimed to scope the experiences of key stakeholders in health and higher education in relation to the development of interprofessional practice capabilities in health graduates in Australia. Twenty-seven semi-structured interviews and two focus groups of key stakeholders involved in the development and delivery of interprofessional health education in Australian higher education were undertaken. Interview data were coded to identify categories that were organised into key themes, according to principles of thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: the need for common ground between health and higher education, constraints and enablers in current practice, and the need for research to establish an evidence base. Five directions for national development were also identified. The study identified a range of interconnected changes that will be required to successfully mainstream interprofessional education within Australia, in particular, the importance of addressing issues of culture change and the need for a nationally coordinated and research informed approach. These findings reiterate those found in the international literature.

  18. Higher education and local communities | Humphreys | South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... and advocate for human resource development and the third, as a service provider, building intellectual capital. The article examines the proposition that the most significant contribution that a university or technikon can make to the development of a locality derives from its recruitment of students from the local community.

  19. Systems Education at Bergen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pål I. Davidsen

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available At the University of Bergen in Norway, educating students to use computer models and to think systemically about social and economic problems began in the 1970s. The International Masters Program in System Dynamics was established in 1995, and a Ph.D. program began a few years later. Student enrolment doubled in 2010 with the establishment of the European Master Program in System Dynamics. International diversity has been a hallmark of the Bergen program; each year, students come from about 30 different countries and more than 95% of the degrees have been awarded to students from outside of Norway. However, a Bergen systems education is not confined to a classroom in Norway. Projects in developing countries, emerging economies, and developed countries have taken the systems perspective and modeling tools on the road and, increasingly, online. Whatever the delivery mode, the goal is the same: capacity building among international students, planners and managers, and local stakeholders. This paper describes the Bergen program and its impact on systems thinking and modeling throughout the world.

  20. Disaster management and the critical thinking skills of local emergency managers: correlations with age, gender, education, and years in occupation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peerbolte, Stacy L; Collins, Matthew Lloyd

    2013-01-01

    Emergency managers must be able to think critically in order to identify and anticipate situations, solve problems, make judgements and decisions effectively and efficiently, and assume and manage risk. Heretofore, a critical thinking skills assessment of local emergency managers had yet to be conducted that tested for correlations among age, gender, education, and years in occupation. An exploratory descriptive research design, using the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal-Short Form (WGCTA-S), was employed to determine the extent to which a sample of 54 local emergency managers demonstrated the critical thinking skills associated with the ability to assume and manage risk as compared to the critical thinking scores of a group of 4,790 peer-level managers drawn from an archival WGCTA-S database. This exploratory design suggests that the local emergency managers, surveyed in this study, had lower WGCTA-S critical thinking scores than their equivalents in the archival database with the exception of those in the high education and high experience group. © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2013.

  1. Capacity Building in Economics : Education and Research in Transition Economies

    OpenAIRE

    Pleskovic, Boris; Aslund, Anders; Bader, William; Campbell, Robert

    2002-01-01

    The development of the institutional capacity to create and evaluate economic policies remains a critical need-and constraint-in most transition economies if they are to complete the successful passage to fully functioning market economies. To take an active role in the transition process, economic policymakers, business leaders, government officials, and others need a thorough grounding i...

  2. Capacity Analysis of Ro-Ro Terminals by Using Simulation Modeling Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emin Deniz Özkan

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In Ro-Ro terminals, terminal capacity is more needed than other types of marine terminals since Ro-Ro cargoes cannot be stacked. In this sense, the variables affecting capacity of a Ro-Ro terminal can be listed as follows; number of vehicles arrived to a terminal, distance between terminals, ship capacity, terminal gates, customs control units, terminal traffic and local traffic, security check, bunkering services etc. In this study, a model generated intended for making capacity analysis in Ro-Ro terminals by using simulation modeling method. Effect of three variables to terminal capacity was investigated while generating the scenarios; ‘number of trucks arriving to terminals’, ‘distance between terminals’ and ‘Ro-Ro ship capacity’. The results show that the variable which affect terminal capacity mostly is ‘number of trucks arriving to terminals’. As a consequence of this situation, it is thought that a Ro-Ro terminal operator must prioritize the demand factor and make an effective demand forecasting in determination of the terminal area.

  3. Fundamental Dimensions and Essential Elements of Exemplary Local Extension Units

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terry, Bryan D.; Osborne, Edward

    2015-01-01

    Collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local government agencies enable local Extension units to deliver a high level of educational opportunities to local citizens. These units represent land-grant institutions by delivering non-formal education that aim to address local, regional, and state concerns. The purpose of this study was to…

  4. Science Teachers' Perception of ICT Capacity Building Workshop in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nneka Umera-Okeke

    of ICT technologies in instructional delivery to adequately enhance ICT ... analysis, creation of data bank, storage of management of educational data, .... teachers face the challenges of learning new skills which will help them to maintain ... a big opportunity needs to be created using capacity building workshop as the.

  5. 78 FR 29239 - Final Priority; Technical Assistance To Improve State Data Capacity-National Technical Assistance...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-20

    ... Assistance To Improve State Data Capacity--National Technical Assistance Center To Improve State Capacity To... Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Technical Assistance to Improve State... (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to...

  6. Enterprise investment, local government intervention and coal overcapacity: The case of China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yanfang; Zhang, Ming; Liu, Yue; Nie, Rui

    2017-01-01

    Long-term management of China's coal overcapacity depends on the targeted policy guidance on industry production capacity expansion in the overcapacity formation process. In this study, coal enterprise and local government are treated as game participants, and a three-stage dynamic game model has been developed to depict the boosting effect of the game behavior of coal enterprise's and local government's capacity investments in different markets of supply and demand. The results are shown in the following: (1) local government has been the 'behind-the-scenes' operator of over-investment and redundant construction, and its excessive interventions in coal industry investment have been the primary cause of overcapacity formation; (2) when the market is in short supply, coal enterprise's optimal behavior is to continuously increase the rate of investment growth until it reaches the threshold to obtain the maximum excess profits, ultimately leading to overinvestment in the industry; and (3) the key factors affecting the game abilities of coal enterprise and local government are the market's self-regulation and the central government's supervision intensity. Although the Chinese government, a highly vertically oriented bureaucratic structure, is implementing a mandatory de-capacity policy to alleviate the intensity of excessive coal capacity, it is not a long-term regularization on the supply-side reform. - Highlights: • The formation of China's coal overcapacity is studied from capacity investors. • A three-stage game is developed to depict the boosting effect of coal overcapacity. • Local government has been the 'behind-the-scenes' operators of coal overcapacity. • Coal enterprise's optimal strategy is reaching an investment-max with undersupply. • Chinese government should rely more on market mechanisms instead of intervention.

  7. Internal Whole-School Evaluation in South Africa: The Influence of Holistic Staff Capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Govender, Neelan; Grobler, Bennie; Mestry, Raj

    2016-01-01

    The Holistic Equilibrium Theory of Organizational Development was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the influence of holistic staff capacity on conducting effective internal whole-school evaluation (IWSE) within the Gauteng Department of Education's public secondary schools. In the context of South African education, the staff of each…

  8. Capacity enhancement of indigenous expansion engine based helium liquefier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doohan, R. S.; Kush, P. K.; Maheshwari, G.

    2017-02-01

    Development of technology and understanding for large capacity helium refrigeration and liquefaction at helium temperature is indispensable for coming-up projects. A new version of helium liquefier designed and built to provide approximately 35 liters of liquid helium per hour. The refrigeration capacity of this reciprocating type expansion engine machine has been increased from its predecessor version with continuous improvement and deficiency debugging. The helium liquefier has been built using components by local industries including cryogenic Aluminum plate fin heat exchangers. Two compressors with nearly identical capacity have been deployed for the operation of system. Together they consume about 110 kW of electric power. The system employs liquid Nitrogen precooling to enhance liquid Helium yield. This paper describes details of the cryogenic expander design improvements, reconfiguration of heat exchangers, performance simulation and their experimental validation.

  9. Paideia and Cosmopolitan Education: On Subjectification, Politics and Justice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Adami

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Can human rights in education enhance students and teachers capacity to reimagine their local community and to rethink the rules and laws that support such a social community? This paper is a political philosophical inquiry into human rights in education, drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, Cornelius Castoriadis and Adriana Cavarero. By placing learning at the center of political philosophy through the notion of paideia, we need to ask how such an education can look like. According to Castoriadis, society exists only insofar as it is embodied in its social individuals. Society and its individuals are in a constant process of becoming toward relational autonomy that implies a moral self-limitation. At the core of my philosophical inquiry into moral subjectification is the need to re-think human rights and the pedagogical subject in relational terms that imply self-limitation and political engagement in a wider cosmopolitan community

  10. A participatory action research approach to strengthening health managers' capacity at district level in Eastern Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetui, Moses; Coe, Anna-Britt; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; Bennett, Sara; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N; George, Asha; Kiracho, Elizabeth Ekirapa

    2017-12-28

    Many approaches to improving health managers' capacity in poor countries, particularly those pursued by external agencies, employ non-participatory approaches and often seek to circumvent (rather than strengthen) weak public management structures. This limits opportunities for strengthening local health managers' capacity, improving resource utilisation and enhancing service delivery. This study explored the contribution of a participatory action research approach to strengthening health managers' capacity in Eastern Uganda. This was a qualitative study that used open-ended key informant interviews, combined with review of meeting minutes and observations to collect data. Both inductive and deductive thematic analysis was undertaken. The Competing Values Framework of organisational management functions guided the deductive process of analysis and the interpretation of the findings. The framework builds on four earlier models of management and regards them as complementary rather than conflicting, and identifies four managers' capacities (collaborate, create, compete and control) by categorising them along two axes, one contrasting flexibility versus control and the other internal versus external organisational focus. The findings indicate that the participatory action research approach enhanced health managers' capacity to collaborate with others, be creative, attain goals and review progress. The enablers included expanded interaction spaces, encouragement of flexibility, empowerment of local managers, and the promotion of reflection and accountability. Tension and conflict across different management functions was apparent; for example, while there was a need to collaborate, maintaining control over processes was also needed. These tensions meant that managers needed to learn to simultaneously draw upon and use different capacities as reflected by the Competing Values Framework in order to maximise their effectiveness. Improved health manager capacity is

  11. An Assessment of Institutional Capacity for Integrated Landscape Management in Eastern Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, H Carolyn Peach

    2018-07-01

    Landscape approaches have become prominent in efforts to address issues of conservation and development through bringing together different actors and sectors, to reconcile diverse land uses, and promote synergies. Some have suggested that integrated landscape management approaches are consistent with the goals of REDD+ and offer a strategy to address multiple goals of climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, maintenance of ecosystem services, and socio-economic development. Institutional or governance arrangements have been shown to be a critical component in influencing outcomes in landscapes. Using diverse methodologies, this study investigated the capacity of institutions to support the planning, implementation, and resource mobilization needed to integrate climate change mitigation, conservation, and livelihood goals in a forest mosaic landscape in East Cameroon. Results showed that diverse institutions are present in the landscape, including institutions of relevant government agencies, local government, local non-government, the private sector, and hybrid institutions of conservation, development and research institutions. However, the overall institutional capacity for integrated landscape planning and management in the study area is limited, although some institutions exhibit increased capacity in some areas over others. Multiple strategies can be employed to build the necessary human, financial, and leadership capacity, and facilitate the institutional planning and coordination that is foundational to multi-stakeholder landscape governance. Given the complexity of integrating climate change mitigation, conservation and livelihood goals in a landscape, building such institutional capacity is a long term endeavour that requires sustained effort and ongoing financial, technical and human resource support.

  12. Expectations and Perceptions of the Educational Service at the Universidad Nacional Abierta (Local Center Merida, Venezuela

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teresa de Jesús Molina Gutiérrez

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to interpret the relationship between the expectations and the perceptions that the staff has about the quality of the educational service offered at the Mérida Local Center (Universidad Nacional Abierta, then the conceptual model of quality of service SERVQUAL, complemented with the qualitative approach. The informants were 15 advisors, 20 students and 5 administrative staff, the data were collected through the semi-structured interview and interpreted with the content analysis. The results indicate that there is no satisfaction with the educational service or that satisfaction is very low, because the expectations that are generated before receiving it are not surpassed by the perceived value, which is an indicator of the absence of quality of service. On the other hand, achieving quality in the service provided is the responsibility of all involved since the complexity of the roles fulfilled in the educational dialectic means that the staff act simultaneously as clients and as service providers.

  13. Restructuring a State Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Program: Implications of a Local Health Department Model for SNAP-Ed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Helen W; Backman, Desiree; Kizer, Kenneth W

    The US Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) funds state programs to improve nutrition and physical activity in low-income populations through its Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention grants. States vary in how they manage and structure these programs. California substantially restructured its program in 2012 to universally position local health departments (LHDs) as the programmatic lead in all jurisdictions. This study sought to determine whether California's reorganization aligned with desirable attributes of decentralized public management. This study conducted 40 in person, semistructured interviews with 57 local, state, and federal SNAP-Ed stakeholders between October 2014 and March 2015. Local respondents represented 15 counties in all 7 of California's SNAP-Ed regions. We identified 3 common themes that outlined advantages or disadvantages of local public management, and we further defined subthemes within: (1) coordination and communication (within local jurisdictions, across regions, between local and state), (2) efficiency (administrative, fiscal, program), and (3) quality (innovation, skills). We conducted qualitative content analysis to evaluate how respondents characterized the California experience for each theme, identifying positive and negative experiences. California's LHD model offers some distinct advantages, but the model does not exhibit all the advantages of decentralized public management. Strategic planning, partnerships, subcontracting, and fiscal oversight are closer to communities than previously. However, administrative burden remains high and LHDs are limited in their ability to customize programs on the basis of community needs because of state and federal constraints. California's use of a universal LHD model for SNAP-Ed is novel. Recent federal SNAP-Ed changes present an opportunity for other states to consider this structure. Employing small-scale approaches initially (eg

  14. [Decentralization and how to conduct it as a revolution or an evolution? County public health and management capacity building as a prerequisite for successful decentralization in the Republic of Croatia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sogorić, Selma; Dzakula, Aleksandar; Polasek, Ozren; Grozić-Zivolić, Sonja; Lang, Slobodan

    2010-12-01

    Based on the results of the first phase of the County Public Health Capacity Building Program named Health-Plan for It, implemented in the Republic of Croatia during the 2002-2008 period, this article analyzes the relationship between training of the county teams and their ability to develop health policy. Our hypothesis was that decentralized model of health planning and management would not occur just by changing legislation alone. Counties in Croatia needed educational support (learning-by-doing training) in order to improve public health practices at the county level. During the 2002-2005 period, the first 15 county teams (so-called first cycle counties) completed their training. The teams consisted of 12 to 15 members, representatives of political and executive component, technical component (public health professionals, representatives of health and social welfare institutions) and community members (non-government sector and media). Teams were trained in cohorts. Three counties passed together through the six-month process of modular training (four education modules, with four days of intensive training and "homework" between modules) at the time. The remaining 5 counties (second-cycle counties) completed the same kind of training in 2007-2008. The Public Health Performance Matrix (the Local Public Health Practice Performance Measures instrument developed by the US CDC Public Health Practice Program Office) was used as an evaluation instrument. Each county team had to fill it out at the beginning of education. Comparison of the Public Health Performance Matrices of first cycle counties (training in 2002-2005) with those of the second cycle counties (trained several years later) yielded no differences. Although training materials were publicly available (accessible through the Croatian Healthy Cities web pages) for years, the second cycle counties did not spontaneously (without training) increase their county-level capacities for participative health needs

  15. The clinical educator and complexity: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoo, Adrian; Kumar, Koshila

    2018-02-08

    Complexity science perspectives have helped in examining fundamental assumptions about learning and teaching in the health professions. The implications of complexity thinking for how we understand the role and development of the clinical educator is less well articulated. This review article outlines: the key principles of complexity science; a conceptual model that situates the clinical educator in a complex system; and the implications for the individual, organisation and the system. Our conceptual model situates the clinical educator at the centre of a complex and dynamic system spanning four domains and multiple levels. The four domains are: personal (encompassing personal/professional needs and expectations); health services (health agencies and their consumers); educational (educational institutions and their health students); and societal (local community/region and government). The system also comprises: micro or individual, meso or organisational, and macro or socio-political levels. Our model highlights that clinical educators are situated within a complex system comprising different agents and connections. It emphasises that individuals, teams and organisations need to recognise and be responsive to the unpredictability, interconnectedness and evolving nature of this system. Importantly, our article also calls for an epistemological shift from faculty development to capacity building in health professions education, aimed at developing individual, team, organisational and system capabilities to work with(in) complexity. Clinical educators are situated within a complex system comprising different agents and connections. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  16. Enhancing Adaptive Capacity in Food Systems: Learning at Farmers' Markets in Sweden

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecka Milestad

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available This article examines how local food systems in the form of farmers' markets can enhance adaptive capacity and build social-ecological resilience. It does this by exploring the learning potential among farmers and customers. Learning can enable actors to adapt successfully and thus build adaptive capacity. Three forms of learning are investigated: instrumental, communicative, and emancipatory. These forms of learning constitute the foundation for lasting changes of behaviors. Local food systems are characterized by close links and opportunities for face-to-face interactions between consumers and producers of food, and are also institutions where farmers and customers can express and act upon their ethical values concerning food. However, local food systems are still a marginal phenomenon and cannot be accessed by all consumers. Interviews were held with customers and farmers, and the interactions between farmers and customers were observed at two farmers' markets in Sweden. Customers and farmers were found to learn and adapt to each other due to the opportunities offered by the farmers' markets. We found that farmers and customers learned in the instrumental and communicative domains, but could not confirm emancipatory learning. We concluded that the feedback between customers and farmers offers the potential for learning, which in turn contributes to adaptive capacity. This can be a driving force for building resilience in the food system.

  17. Piloting Blended Strategies to Resolve Laboratory Capacity Issues in a First-Semester General Chemistry Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burchett, Shayna; Hayes, Jack; Pfaff, Annalise; Satterfield, Emmalou T.; Skyles, Amy; Woelk, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    Laboratory capacity is an issue that has plagued education for more than a century. New buildings, late night classes, and virtual laboratories have offered transitory relief at great expense. Missouri University of Science and Technology is employing blended strategies to increase capacity and student success. Blended strategies expand learning…

  18. Capacity Building of Teachers through Distance Mode Using Teleconferencing as an Innovative Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranjan Panigrahi, Manas

    2012-01-01

    Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a national programme to the goals of Universalization of Elementary Education in India. Distance Education Programme (DEP) plays a major role in providing technical support to the states in building capacity among institutions and people at national, state, district and sub-district levels to design, develop, produce…

  19. POLICY DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND EDUCATION RESOURCES TO REFORM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISTRICT OF MAKASSAR SIDENRENG RAPPANG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syamsuddin Maldun

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to know and study the strategy of resource development policy reform of local government district of Makassar Sidenreng Rappang. The research method used is descriptive qualitative study type, while the phenomenological approach is used. This is intended to give description in a systematic, factual and actual response object is examined. Results of the research implementation of education and training is not conducted in a planned and timely to get quality apparatus of the abilities, knowledge, skills, expertise, and job skills, as well as a good mental attitude, and optimal performance. Whereas in the era of regional autonomy, it takes the resources of local government apparatus that is intelligent and responsive to the needs of an increasingly complex society services. 

  20. Connecting Hydrologic Research and Management in American Samoa through Collaboration and Capacity Building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuler, C. K.; El-Kadi, A. I.; Dulai, H.; Glenn, C. R.; Mariner, M. K. E.; DeWees, R.; Schmaedick, M.; Gurr, I.; Comeros, M.; Bodell, T.

    2017-12-01

    In small-island developing communities, effective communication and collaboration with local stakeholders is imperative for successful implementation of hydrologic or other socially pertinent research. American Samoa's isolated location highlights the need for water resource sustainability, and effective scientific research is a key component to addressing critical challenges in water storage and management. Currently, aquifer degradation from salt-water-intrusion or surface-water contaminated groundwater adversely affects much of the islands' municipal water supply, necessitating an almost decade long Boil-Water-Advisory. This presentation will share the approach our research group, based at the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center, has taken for successfully implementing a collaboration-focused water research program in American Samoa. Instead of viewing research as a one-sided activity, our program seeks opportunities to build local capacity, develop relationships with key on-island stakeholders, and involve local community through forward-looking projects. This presentation will highlight three applications of collaborative research with water policy and management, water supply and sustainability, and science education stakeholders. Projects include: 1) working with the island's water utility to establish a long-term hydrological monitoring network, motivated by a need for data to parameterize numerical groundwater models, 2) collaboration with the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency to better understand groundwater discharge and watershed scale land-use impacts for management of nearshore coral reef ecosystems, and 3) participation of local community college and high school students as research interns to increase involvement in, and exposure to socially pertinent water focused research. Through these innovative collaborative approaches we have utilized resources more effectively, and focused research efforts on more pertinent

  1. Capacity building for HIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Gulis PhD

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available

    Background: To integrate health impact assessment (HIA into existing decision-making processes requires not only methods and procedures but also well-trained experts, aware policy makers and appropriate institutions. Capacity building is the assistance which is provided to entities, which have a need to develop a certain skill or competence, or for general upgrading of performance ability. If a new technique is planned to be introduced there is a need for capacity building with no respect to levels (local, regional, national, international or sectors (health, environment, finance, social care, education, etc.. As such, HIA is a new technique for most of the new Member States and accession countries of the European Union.

    Methods: To equip individuals with the understanding and skills needed to launch a HIA or be aware of the availability of this methodology and to access information, knowledge and training, we focused on the organization of workshops in participating countries. The workshops served also as pilot events to test a “curriculum” for HIA; a set of basic topics and presentations had been developed to be tested during workshops. In spite of classical in-class workshops we aimed to organize e-learning events as a way to over come the “busyness” problem of decision makers.

    Results: Throughout March – October 2006 we organized and ran 7 workshops in Denmark, Turkey, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovak Republic and Hungary. Participants came from the public health sector (141, non-public health decision makers (113 and public health students (100. A concise curriculum was developed and tested during these workshops. Participants developed a basic understanding of HIA, skills to develop and use their own screening tools as well as scoping.Within the workshop in Denmark we tested an online, real-time Internet based training method; participants highly welcomed this

  2. Development and nationwide scale-up of Climate Matters, a localized climate change education program delivered by TV weathercasters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, H. M.; Maibach, E.

    2016-12-01

    Most Americans view climate change as a threat that is distant in space (i.e., not here), time (i.e., not now), and species (i.e., not us). TV weathercasters are ideally positioned to educate Americans about the current and projected impacts of climate change in their community: they have tremendous reach, are trusted sources of climate information, and are highly skilled science communicators. In 2009, we learned that many weathercasters were potentially interested in reporting on climate change, but few actually were, citing significant barriers including a lack of time to prepare and air stories, and lack of access to high quality content. To test the premise that TV weathercasters can be effective climate educators - if supported with high quality localized climate communication content - in 2010 George Mason University, Climate Central and WLTX-TV (Columbia, SC) developed and pilot-tested Climate Matters, a series of short on-air (and online) segments about the local impacts of climate change, delivered by the station's chief meteorologist. During the first year, more than a dozen stories aired. To formally evaluate Climate Matters, we conducted pre- and post-test surveys of local TV news viewers in Columbia. After one year, WLTX viewers had developed a more science-based understanding of climate change than viewers of other local news stations, confirming our premise that when TV weathercasters report on the local implications of climate change, their viewers learn. Through a series of expansions, including the addition of important new partners - AMS, NASA, NOAA & Yale University - Climate Matters has become a comprehensive nationwide climate communication resource program for American TV weathercasters. As of March 2016, a network of 313 local weathercasters nationwide (at 202 stations in 111 media markets) are participating in the program, receiving new content on a weekly basis. This presentation will review the theoretical basis of the program, detail

  3. Reserves in load capacity assessment of existing bridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Žitný, Jan; Ryjáček, Pavel

    2017-09-01

    High percentage of all railway bridges in the Czech Republic is made of structural steel. Majority of these bridges is designed according to historical codes and according to the deterioration, they have to be assessed if they satisfy the needs of modern railway traffic. The load capacity assessment of existing bridges according to Eurocodes is however often too conservative and especially, braking and acceleration forces cause huge problems to structural elements of the bridge superstructure. The aim of this paper is to review the different approaches for the determination of braking and acceleration forces. Both, current and historical theoretical models and in-situ measurements are considered. The research of several local European state norms superior to Eurocode for assessment of existing railway bridges shows the big diversity of used local approaches and the conservativeness of Eurocode. This paper should also work as an overview for designers dealing with load capacity assessment, revealing the reserves for existing bridges. Based on these different approaches, theoretical models and data obtained from the measurements, the method for determination of braking and acceleration forces on the basis of real traffic data should be proposed.

  4. Collaboration with HEIs: A Key Capacity Building Block for the Uganda Water and Sanitation Public Sector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayaga, Sam

    2007-01-01

    The capacity of public service staff in developing countries is crucial for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Literature from developed countries shows that, working with higher education institutions (HEIs), industries have improved their human resource capacity through continuing professional development. This paper reports on research…

  5. Sustainable School Improvement: Suburban Elementary Principals' Capacity Building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Alison J.

    2017-01-01

    The increase of intense pressures to ensure long-term education reforms have created a challenge for school leaders as they direct and nurture the abilities of others. The purpose of this research was to understand and describe suburban elementary principals' practices and perceptions as change leaders related to capacity building through the…

  6. Advancing leadership capacity in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Elaine S; Miles, Jane

    2013-01-01

    To address the potential shortage of nurse leaders, the profession must evaluate current strategies in both education and practice. While many new graduates dream of becoming a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist, few transition into practice with the goal of becoming a nurse leader. To increase the number of nurses capable of leadership, the profession must address 2 critical issues. First, effort must be made to augment faculty and students' conceptualization of nursing such that leadership is seen as a dimension of practice for all nurses, not just those in formal leadership roles. In so doing, leadership identity development would be seen as a part of becoming an expert nurse. Second, a comprehensive conceptual framework for lifelong leadership development of nurses needs to be designed. This framework should allow for baseline leadership capacity building in all nurses and advanced leadership development for those in formal administrative and advanced practice roles. The knowledge and skill requirements for quality improvement and patient safety have been explored and recommendations made for Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, but parallel work needs to be done to outline educational content, objectives, and effective pedagogy for advancing leadership development in nursing students at all levels.

  7. Music Education for Life: Core Music Education--Students' Civil Right

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuler, Scott C.

    2012-01-01

    Educators are obliged to stand up for children--to point out when the self-declared local "education emperor" (or mayor or governor) has no clothes. The so-called reform government has turned some local districts into a Wild West where schools share no common or sequential curriculum and all that matters is test scores. Music educators must join…

  8. In the Wake of Japan’s Triple Disaster: Rebuilding Capacity through International Collaboration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Anthony Des Marais

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Natural disasters occur when the destructive forces of natural events, such as earthquakes, flood, and volcanoes, overwhelm the capacities of communities. In the winter of 2011, Japan, a model for disaster-preparedness, was shaken by one of the largest earthquakes on record, a ten-story tsunami, and a nuclear emergency on par with Chernobyl. In the acute stages of the disaster, the Japanese government officially asked for help from a number of countries. During this time period, international collaboration played a key role in providing help to survivors in the form of medical assistance, food aid, and psychosocial support. As provision of aid evolved into capacity building, national and local Japanese government agencies, in partnership with local grassroots non-profits, assumed most responsibilities, and international organizations transitioned into new roles. This paper will present a study of the collaboration facilitated by a global non-profit humanitarian organization between international faculty and local partners in Japan.

  9. Evolution of Botswana planning education in light of local and international requirements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cavrić Branko

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Planning problems have been with us ever since human beings realized that their wellbeing is very closely linked to the quality of their settlements and the environment. Over the last century this has led to the worldwide emergence of built environment education in general, and planning in particular. In many African universities planning education is a rapidly growing phenomenon reaching its maturity in terms of structure and number of programs. This development has been most significant in those countries that underwent rapid urbanization and environmental changes similar to those occurring in Botswana. The first Urban and Regional Planning Programme at the University of Botswana was established in 1993 as part of the Department of Environmental Science at the Faculty of Science. The continued growth and expansion of the planning profession world-wide as well as in Botswana, and its interdisciplinary ties with allied built-environment disciplines, have reached the point at which the University of Botswana is ready to continue with a new internationally recognized planning school. There is a belief that a combined (spatial and specialist accredited planning programme should support local and regional interests, focusing on the Southern African Region, while acknowledging global standards and innovation in teaching, research, and technology.

  10. UN OPEN GIS CAPACITY BUILDING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Albertella

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The UN Open GIS Initiative is to identify and develop, under UN guidance, an Open Source GIS bundle that meets the requirements of UN operations, taking full advantage of the expertise of mission partners (partner nations, technology contributing countries, international organizations, academia, NGO’s, private sector. The project, started in 2016, is composed by 4 working groups. One of the working group is specifically related to Capacity Building, given its importance for the success of the project. UN Open GIS will be based on some existing open source geospatial software (packages and libraries with many extensions specifically developed. The users of the platform will be the UN staff supporting with mapping and GIS the peacekeeping missions. Therefore, they are generally expert of this specific domain, even if they are currently using proprietary software. UN Open GIS Capacity Building is specifically thought for covering this gap, providing them the suitable background about open source geospatial software in general and the education tailored to the solution that has been being developed within the project itself.

  11. ParticipACTION: Baseline assessment of the 'new ParticipACTION': A quantitative survey of Canadian organizational awareness and capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bauman Adrian

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background ParticipACTION is a Canadian physical activity (PA communications and social marketing organization that was relaunched in 2007 after a six-year hiatus. This study assesses the baseline awareness and capacity of Canadian organizations that promote physical activity, to adopt, implement and promote ParticipACTION's physical activity campaign. The three objectives were: (1 to determine organizational awareness of both the 'original' and 'new' ParticipACTION; (2 to report baseline levels of three organizational capacity domains (i.e., to adopt, implement and externally promote physical activity initiatives; and, (3 to explore potential differences in those domains based on organizational size, sector and primary mandate. Methods Organizations at local, provincial/territorial, and national levels were sent an invitation via email prior to the official launch of ParticipACTION to complete an on-line survey. The survey assessed their organization's capacity to adopt, implement and externally promote a new physical activity campaign within their organizational mandates. Descriptive statistics were employed to address the first two study objectives. A series of one-way analysis of variance were conducted to examine the third objective. Results The response rate was 29.7% (268/902. The majority of responding organizations had over 40 employees and had operated for over 10 years. Education was the most common primary mandate, followed by sport and recreation. Organizations were evenly distributed between government and not-for-profits. Approximately 96% of respondents had heard of the 'original' ParticipACTION while 54.6% had heard of the 'new' ParticipACTION (Objective 1. Findings indicate good organizational capacity in Canada to promote physical activity (Objective 2 based on reported means of approximately 4.0 (on 5-point scales for capacity to adopt, implement, and externally promote new physical activity campaigns. Capacity to

  12. Using ESRI Story Maps for Engaging Tribal Youth in Localized Climate Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masters, E. L.; Marsik, F. J.; Sonderegger, C.

    2017-12-01

    A critical step in any climate adaptation initiative is the engagement of the community through educational outreach about the impacts of climate change on vulnerable economic, infrastructure and natural resources within the community. For Tribal communities, such outreach must also highlight connections between these vulnerable assets, such as natural resources, and Tribal cultural practices. For adult members of these communities, the combination of traditional ecological knowledge and western science approaches can prove effective in this regard. For Tribal youth, the often complex and data-heavy nature of western science approaches may prove to be more of an obstacle than an aid in communicating the impacts of our changing climate on their local Tribal community. A collaborative educational effort between the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Peshawbestown, MI) and the University of Michigan seeks to lean upon the rich tradition of storytelling as a method of conveying information to younger generations. The ESRI Story Maps platform provides such a tool through its combined use of narratives, images, maps, and data. The ability to make a Story Map deep and complex, or simple and fun, makes this application ideal for communicating with a range of people, from school-age children to adults. For our project, we created two Story Maps with different complexity levels, with one for elementary to middle school students, and the other targeted at high school students. The project for younger children was aimed at engaging viewers through a series of images and maps, introducing them to the basics of what wetlands are, which types of wetlands can be found locally, Indigenous cultural connections to wetlands, and how to protect wetlands. The more complex project provided a more expansive discussion of these same topics, including threats to these wetlands from human activities, including climate change, as well as an extensive list of references and a

  13. Study on the Introduction of High-Quality Educational Resources for Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jinhui, Lin

    2016-01-01

    In Sino-foreign cooperative education, high-quality introduced educational resources must benefit the growth and development of students, facilitate the school's capacity building and the improvement of overall educational standards, and promote national socioeconomic development. It is necessary to establish and perfect the various working…

  14. Building Staff Capacity to Evaluate in Museum Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubarek, Joy

    2015-01-01

    For years, museums of all varieties, including art museums, science centers, history museums, zoos, and aquariums, have conducted education evaluation. However, museums are all too often faced with the challenge of allocating staff time, expertise, and other resources toward conducting evaluation, particularly evaluation that moves beyond program…

  15. Engineering, global health, and inclusive innovation: focus on partnership, system strengthening, and local impact for SDGs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clifford, Katie L; Zaman, Muhammad H

    2016-01-01

    The recent drafting of the Sustainable Development Goals challenges the research community to rethink the traditional approach to global health and provides the opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) disciplines, particularly engineering, to demonstrate their benefit to the field. Higher education offers a platform for engineering to intersect with global health research through interdisciplinary partnerships among international universities that provide excellence in education, attract nontraditional STEM students, and foster a sense of innovation. However, a traditional lack of engineering-global health collaborations, as well as limited faculty and inadequate STEM research funding in low-income countries, has stifled progress. Still, the impact of higher education on development efforts holds great potential. This value will be realized in low-income countries through strengthening local capacity, supporting innovation through educational initiatives, and encouraging the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM programs. Current international university-level partnerships are working towards integrating engineering into global health research and strengthening STEM innovation among universities in low-income countries, but more can be done. Global health research informs sustainable development, and through integrating engineering into research efforts through university partnerships, we can accelerate progress and work towards a healthier future for all.

  16. Experimental study of capacity of the blood blow of spinal cord using radiolabelling microspbere technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Xuan; Li Rui

    2007-01-01

    Objective In order to study the relation ship between local blood flow and neurofunction at the later stage of spinal injury. Method: Measured the capacity of the local blood flow in the spinal cord injury by the radiolabelling microsphere technique and scored the nervus function grade. Result: There are no correlation between the local blood flow and the nervus function. Conclusion: It is obvious that the increase of the local blood supply can't reflect the nervus function. (authors)

  17. Capacity Building for Institutional Development in Surveying and Land Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Enemark, Stig

    2006-01-01

    for developing the basic capacity in terms of educational programs and professional organizations; and 3) Global development through cooperation with other international NGO´s such as the UN agencies, the World Bank and sister organizations in surveying. FIG, this way, plays a strong role, in improving...... for institutional development within surveying and land management. Finally the paper discusses the role of FIG in this regard. Three areas are identified: 1) Professional development through providing a global forum for exchange of experiences and new developments; 2) Institutional development through support...... the capacity in surveying and land management at a global scale....

  18. Good collaborative practice: reforming capacity building governance of international health research partnerships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Claire Leonie; Shaw, David; Sprumont, Dominique; Sankoh, Osman; Tanner, Marcel; Elger, Bernice

    2018-01-08

    In line with the policy objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this commentary seeks to examine the extent to which provisions of international health research guidance promote capacity building and equitable partnerships in global health research. Our evaluation finds that governance of collaborative research partnerships, and in particular capacity building, in resource-constrained settings is limited but has improved with the implementation guidance of the International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving Humans by The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) (2016). However, more clarity is needed in national legislation, industry and ethics guidelines, and regulatory provisions to address the structural inequities and power imbalances inherent in international health research partnerships. Most notably, ethical partnership governance is not supported by the principal industry ethics guidelines - the International Conference on Harmonization Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceutical for Human Use (ICH) Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP). Given the strategic value of ICH-GCP guidelines in defining the role and responsibility of global health research partners, we conclude that such governance should stipulate the minimal requirements for creating an equitable environment of inclusion, mutual learning, transparency and accountability. Procedurally, this can be supported by i) shared research agenda setting with local leadership, ii) capacity assessments, and iii) construction of a memorandum of understanding (MoU). Moreover, the requirement of capacity building needs to be coordinated amongst partners to support good collaborative practice and deliver on the public health goals of the research enterprise; improving local conditions of health and reducing global health inequality. In this respect, and in order to develop consistency between sources of research governance, ICH

  19. Post-market drug evaluation research training capacity in Canada: an environmental scan of Canadian educational institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiens, Matthew O; Soon, Judith A; MacLeod, Stuart M; Sharma, Sunaina; Patel, Anik

    2014-01-01

    Ongoing efforts by Health Canada intended to modernize the legislation and regulation of pharmaceuticals will help improve the safety and effectiveness of drug products. It will be imperative to ensure that comprehensive and specialized training sites are available to train researchers to support the regulation of therapeutic products. The objective of this educational institution inventory was to conduct an environmental scan of educational institutions in Canada able to train students in areas of post-market drug evaluation research. A systematic web-based environmental scan of Canadian institutions was conducted. The website of each university was examined for potential academic programs. Six core programmatic areas were determined a priori as necessary to train competent post-market drug evaluation researchers. These included biostatistics, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, health economics or pharmacoeconomics, pharmacogenetics or pharmacogenomics and patient safety/pharmacovigilance. Twenty-three academic institutions were identified that had the potential to train students in post-market drug evaluation research. Overall, 23 institutions taught courses in epidemiology, 22 in biostatistics, 17 in health economics/pharmacoeconomics, 5 in pharmacoepidemiology, 5 in pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics, and 3 in patient safety/pharmacovigilance. Of the 23 institutions, only the University of Ottawa offered six core courses. Two institutions offered five, seven offered four and the remaining 14 offered three or fewer. It is clear that some institutions may offer programs not entirely reflected in the nomenclature used for this review. As Heath Canada moves towards a more progressive licensing framework, augmented training to increase research capacity and expertise in drug safety and effectiveness is timely and necessary.

  20. An Evolutionary Approach to Adaptive Capacity Assessment: A Case Study of Soufriere, Saint Lucia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Ryan Hogarth

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper assesses the capacity of Soufriere, Saint Lucia to adapt to climate change. A community-based vulnerability assessment was conducted that employed semi-structured interviews with community members. The results were analysed using the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC framework, which characterises adaptive capacity based on five elements: asset base; institutions and entitlements; knowledge and information; innovation; and flexible forward-looking decision-making and governance. Beyond providing an in-depth analysis of Soufriere’s capacity to adapt to climate change, the paper argues that the elements of the LAC framework largely correspond with an evolutionary perspective on adaptive capacity. However, other evolutionary themes—such as structure, history, path-dependency, scale, agency, conservation of diversity, and the perils of specialisation—should also be taken into account.

  1. Nursing education challenges and solutions in Sub Saharan Africa: an integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bvumbwe, Thokozani; Mtshali, Ntombifikile

    2018-01-01

    The Lancet Commission and the Global Health Workforce Alliance reported that professional education has generally not kept up the pace of health care challenges. Sub Saharan Africa needs an effective and efficient nursing education system to build an adequate, competent and relevant nursing workforce necessary for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The Plan of Action for Scaling up Quality Nursing and Midwifery Education and Practice for the African Region 2012 - 2022 provided a framework for scale up of nurses and midwives. This integrative review examined literature on nursing education challenges and solutions in Sub Saharan Africa to inform development of a model for improving the quality, quantity and relevance of nursing education at local level. A search of PubMed, Medline on EBCSOhost and Google Scholar was conducted using key words: nursing education, challenges, solutions and/ or Africa. Published works from 2012 to 2016 were reviewed to explore reports about challenges and solution in nursing education in Sub Saharan Africa. Full texts of relevant studies were retrieved after reading the tittles and abstracts. Critical appraisal was undertaken and the findings of the relevant studies were analysed using thematic analysis. Twenty articles and five grey sources were included. Findings of the review generally supports World Health Organisation framework for transformative and scale up of health professions education. Six themes emerged; curriculum reforms, profession regulation, transformative teaching strategies, collaboration and partnership, capacity building and infrastructure and resources. Challenges and solutions in nursing education are common within countries. The review shows that massive investment by development partners is resulting in positive development of nursing education in Sub Saharan Africa. However, strategic leadership, networking and partnership to share expertise and best practices are critical. Sub Saharan Africa

  2. An educational international partnership responding to local needs: process evaluation of the Brazil FAIMER Regional Institute.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaral, E; Campos, H H; Friedman, S; Morahan, P S; Araujo, M N T; Carvalho, P M; Bollela, V; Ribeiro, M G F; Mennin, S; Haddad, A E; Campos, F

    2012-11-01

    The Brazilian public health system requires competent professionals sensitive to the needs of the population. The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) provides a two-year faculty development programme for health professions educators, aiming to build leadership in education to improve health. A partnership with governmental initiatives and FAIMER was established for meeting these needs. This paper describes the initial process evaluation results of the Brazilian FAIMER Institute Fellowship (FAIMER BR). Data were analysed for the classes 2007-2010 regarding: application processes; innovation project themes; retrospective post-pre self-ratings of knowledge acquisition; and professional development portfolios. Seventeen of 26 Brazilian states were represented among 98 Fellows, predominantly from public medical schools (75.5%) and schools awarded Ministry of Health grants to align education with public health services (89.8%). One-third (n = 32) of Fellows' innovation projects were related to these grants. Significant increases occurred in all topic subscales on self-report of knowledge acquisition (effect sizes, 1.21-2.77). In the follow up questionnaire, 63% of Fellows reported that their projects were incorporated into the curriculum or institutional policies. The majority reported that the programme deepened their knowledge (98%), provided new ideas about medical education (90%) and provided skills for conflict management (63%). One-half of the Fellows reported sustained benefits from the programme listserv and other communications, including breadth of expertise, establishment of research collaboration and receiving emotional support. Contributors to initial programme success included alignment of curriculum with governmental initiatives, curriculum design merging educational technology, leadership and management skills and central role of an innovation educational project responding to local needs.

  3. Development of a quality assurance handbook to improve educational courses in Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabwera, Helen M; Purnell, Sue; Bates, Imelda

    2008-12-18

    The attainment of the Millennium Development Goals has been hampered by the lack of skilled and well-informed health care workers in many developing countries. The departure of health care workers from developing countries is one of the most important causes. One of the motivations for leaving is that developed countries have well-established health care systems that incorporate continuing medical education, which enables health care workers to develop their skills and knowledge base. This provision is lacking in many developing countries. The provision of higher-education programmes of good quality within developing countries therefore, contributes to building capacity of the health care workforce in these countries. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is involved in delivering off-site higher educational programmes to health care workers in Africa. Our colleagues at one of these sites requested a guide to help them ensure that their professional development courses met international educational standards. We reviewed published literature that outlines the principles of quality assurance in higher education from various institutions worldwide. Using this information, we designed a handbook that outlines the quality assurance principles in a simple and practical way. This was intended to enable institutions, even in developing countries, to adapt these principles in accordance with their local resource capacity. We subsequently piloted this handbook at one of the sites in Ghana. The feedback from this aided the development of the handbook. The development of this handbook was participatory in nature. The handbook addresses six main themes that are the minimum requirements that a higher education course should incorporate to ensure that it meets internationally recognized standards. These include: recruitment and admissions, course design and delivery, student assessments, approval and review processes, support for students and staff training and welfare. It

  4. Community Governance and Vocational Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martasari, R.; Haryanti, R. H.; Susiloadi, P.

    2018-02-01

    Vocational education is required to create a design of education and training that is friendly and feasible for disabled people. The state has a responsibility for it, but with all the limitations, the state can not always be present. This article aims to analyze the capacity of community governance in passing vocational education for people with disabilities in Ponorogo, Indonesia. Articles are the results of research for approximately two years by using data collection techniques through interviews, documentation and observation. Source Triangulation with analysis technique using interactive model is used for data validation. The results show that there are two large capacities owned by Organisasi Sosial Rumah Kasih Sayang as community governance in conducting vocational education for the disabled person namely community credibility and community vigilance.

  5. Sorption-capacity limited retardation of radionuclides transport in water-saturated packing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pescatore, C.; Sullivan, T.

    1984-01-01

    Radionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid become locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicated that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentration-dependent retardation factor. 8 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  6. Sorption-capacity limited retardation of radionuclides transport in water-saturated packing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pescatore, C.; Sullivan, T.

    1984-01-01

    Radionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid becomes locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicates that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentration-dependent retardation factor. 8 references, 3 figures, 3 tables

  7. Using EarthScope Construction of the Plate Boundary Observatory to Provide Locally Based Experiential Education and Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, M.; Eriksson, S.; Barbour, K.; Venator, S.; Mencin, D.; Prescott, W.

    2006-12-01

    EarthScope is an NSF-funded, national science initiative to explore the structure and evolution of the North American continent and to understand the physical processes controlling earthquakes and volcanoes. This large-scale experiment provides locally based opportunities for education and outreach which engage students at various levels and the public. UNAVCO is responsible for the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) component of EarthScope. PBO includes the installation and operations and maintenance of large networks of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), strainmeter, seismometer, and tiltmeter instruments and the acquisition of satellite radar imagery, all of which will be used to measure and map the smallest movements across faults, the magma movement inside active volcanoes and the very wide areas of deformation associated with plate tectonic motion. UNAVCO, through its own education and outreach activities and in collaboration with the EarthScope E&O Program, uses the PBO construction activities to increase the understanding and public appreciation of geodynamics, earth deformation processes, and their relevance to society. These include programs for public outreach via various media, events associated with local installations, a program to employ students in the construction of PBO, and development of curricular materials by use in local schools associated with the EarthScope geographic areas of focus. PBO provides information to the media to serve the needs of various groups and localities, including interpretive centers at national parks and forests, such as Mt. St. Helens. UNAVCO staff contributed to a television special with the Spanish language network Univision Aquí y Ahora program focused on the San Andreas Fault and volcanoes in Alaska. PBO participated in an Education Day at the Pathfinder Ranch Science and Outdoor Education School in Mountain Center, California. Pathfinder Ranch hosts two of the eight EarthScope borehole strainmeters in the Anza

  8. [Measuring water ecological carrying capacity with the ecosystem-service-based ecological footprint (ESEF) method: Theory, models and application].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Wen-jun; Min, Qing-wen; Li, Wen-hua; Fuller, Anthony M

    2015-04-01

    Integrated watershed management based on aquatic ecosystems has been increasingly acknowledged. Such a change in the philosophy of water environment management requires recognizing the carrying capacity of aquatic ecosystems for human society from a more general perspective. The concept of the water ecological carrying capacity is therefore put forward, which considers both water resources and water environment, connects socio-economic development to aquatic ecosystems and provides strong support for integrated watershed management. In this paper, the authors proposed an ESEF-based measure of water ecological carrying capacity and constructed ESEF-based models of water ecological footprint and capacity, aiming to evaluate water ecological carrying capacity with footprint methods. A regional model of Taihu Lake Basin was constructed and applied to evaluate the water ecological carrying capacity in Changzhou City which located in the upper reaches of the basin. Results showed that human demand for water ecosystem services in this city had exceeded the supply capacity of local aquatic ecosystems and the significant gap between demand and supply had jeopardized the sustainability of local aquatic ecosystems. Considering aqua-product provision, water supply and pollutant absorption in an integrated way, the scale of population and economy aquatic ecosystems in Changzhou could bear only 54% of the current status.

  9. Absorptive Capacities of Local Enterprises from the Electric-Electronics Sector In the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco García Fernández

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyzes the absorptive capacities of a group of enterprises from the electric-electronics sector in the state of Tamaulipas Mexico. First, the literature on absorptive capabilities is reviewed, adopting an evolutionist approach. Then, an analysis of the sector is carried out in order to verify the recent changes made in various indicators – value of the total products by the selected states, job generation and productivity rates – based on data from the last three economic censuses. Finally, an analysis of the three selected enterprises’ absorptive capacities is addressed from a case study perspective, making our own interpretation of the construct based on the integration of the different analyzed proposals.

  10. Local government grants for private schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justyna Orlikowska

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to analyze the educational grants from budget of local government. Author presented procedures about establish private schools and educational institutions and explained selected concepts about units of education. The article presents selected judgment from SN and NSA in disputes about grants for private schools.

  11. Attitude development in designers' education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Doorn, E.; Moes, N.; Fain, N.

    Modern academic design and engineering education adopted the issues and goals of holistic development of design competence. Holistic design competence is a combination of generic capacities: capability, knowledge, skill, experience and attitude. All capacities should be addressed in academic

  12. Novel Methods to Determine Feeder Locational PV Hosting Capacity and PV Impact Signatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reno, Matthew J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Coogan, Kyle [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Seuss, John [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Broderick, Robert Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-05-01

    Often PV hosting capacity analysis is performed for a limited number of distribution feeders. For medium - voltage distribution feeders, previous results generally analyze less than 20 feeders, and then the results are extrapolated out to similar types of feeders. Previous hosting capacity research has often focused on determining a single value for the hosting capacity for the entire feeder, whereas this research expands previous hosting capacity work to investigate all the regions of the feeder that may allow many different hosting capacity values wit h an idea called locational hosting capacity (LHC)to determine the largest PV size that can be interconnected at different locations (buses) on the study feeders. This report discusses novel methods for analyzing PV interconnections with advanced simulati on methods. The focus is feeder and location - specific impacts of PV that determine the locational PV hosting capacity. Feeder PV impact signature are used to more precisely determine the local maximum hosting capacity of individual areas of the feeder. T he feeder signature provides improved interconnection screening with certain zones that show the risk of impact to the distribution feeder from PV interconnections.

  13. Federal School Improvement Grants (SIGs): How Capacity and Local Conditions Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yatsko, Sarah; Lake, Robin; Bowen, Melissa; Cooley Nelson, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    In 2009, the federal government committed over $3 billion nationwide to help states and districts turn around their worst-performing schools. The U.S. Department of Education intended for the School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to spur dramatic change.This report looks at the results of a field study of the first-year implementation of those grants…

  14. ParticipACTION: Baseline assessment of the capacity available to the 'New ParticipACTION': A qualitative study of Canadian organizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gauvin Lise

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Evaluation of the original ParticipACTION campaign effects focused on individual awareness, recall, and understanding. Less studied has been the impact such campaigns have had on the broader organizational capacity to mobilize and advocate for physical activity. With the relaunch of ParticipACTION, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore baseline organizational capacity to promote physical activity messages, programs, and services within the Canadian context. Methods Using a purposeful sampling strategy, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 49 key informants representing a range of national, provincial, and local organizations with a mandate to promote physical activity. Interview data were analysed using a thematic analytic approach. Results Key informants painted a generally positive picture of current organizational capacity to promote physical activity messages, programs, and services in Canada. Will and leadership were clear strengths while infrastructure limitations remained the greatest concern. Some specific challenges included: 1 funding issues: the absence of core funding in a climate of shifting funding priorities; 2 the difficulty of working without a national physical activity policy (lack of leadership; 3 inconsistent provincial and educational sector level policies; and 4 a persistent focus on obesity rather than physical inactivity. Conclusion The data generated here can be utilized to monitor the future impact of ParticipACTION on enhancing and utilizing this organizational capacity. A range of indicators are suggested that could be used to illustrate ParticipACTION's impact on the broad field of physical activity promotion in the future.

  15. Wind distribution and capacity factor estimation for wind turbines in the coastal region of South Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayodele, T.R.; Jimoh, A.A.; Munda, J.L.; Agee, J.T.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We evaluate capacity factor of some commercially available wind turbines. ► Wind speed in the sites studied can best be modelled using Weibull distribution. ► Site WM05 has the highest wind power potential while site WM02 has the lowest. ► More wind power can be harnessed during the day period compared to the night. ► Turbine K seems to be the best turbine for the coastal region of South Africa. - Abstract: The operating curve parameters of a wind turbine should match the local wind regime optimally to ensure maximum exploitation of available energy in a mass of moving air. This paper provides estimates of the capacity factor of 20 commercially available wind turbines, based on the local wind characteristics of ten different sites located in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Ten-min average time series wind-speed data for a period of 1 year are used for the study. First, the wind distribution that best models the local wind regime of the sites is determined. This is based on root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R 2 ) which are used to test goodness of fit. First, annual, seasonal, diurnal and peak period-capacity factor are estimated analytically. Then, the influence of turbine power curve parameters on the capacity factor is investigated. Some of the key results show that the wind distribution of the entire site can best be modelled statistically using the Weibull distribution. Site WM05 (Napier) presents the highest capacity factor for all the turbines. This indicates that this site has the highest wind power potential of all the available sites. Site WM02 (Calvinia) has the lowest capacity factor i.e. lowest wind power potential. This paper can assist in the planning and development of large-scale wind power-generating sites in South Africa.

  16. Capacity Building for School Development: Current Problems and Future Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Dora; Lee, Moosung

    2016-01-01

    This article offers a theoretical discussion on the current problems and future challenges of school capacity building in early childhood education (ECE), aiming to highlight some key areas for future research. In recent years, there has been a notable policy shift from monitoring quality through inspection to improving quality through school…

  17. Pricing local distribution services in a competitive market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duann, D.J.

    1995-12-01

    Unbundling and restructuring of local distribution services is the focus of the natural gas industry. As a result of regulatory reforms, a competitive local distribution market has emerged, and the validity of traditional cost-based regulation is being questioned. One alternative is to completely unbundle local distribution services and transform the local distribution company into a common carrier for intrastate transportation services. Three kinds of alternative pricing mechanisms are examined. For firm intrastate transportation services, cost-based pricing is the preferred method unless it can be shown that a competitive secondary market can be established and maintained. Pricing interruptible transportation capacity is discussed

  18. Investigation of the variation of the specific heat capacity of local soil samples from the Niger delta, Nigeria with moisture content

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ofoegbu, C.O.; Adjepong, S.K.

    1987-11-01

    Results of an investigation of the variation, with moisture content, of the specific heat capacity of samples of three texturally different types of soil (clayey, sandy and sandy loam) obtained from the Niger delta area of Nigeria, are presented. The results show that the specific heat capacities of the soils studied, increase with moisture content. This increase is found to be linear for the entire range of moisture contents considered (0-25%), in the case of the sandy loam soil while for the clayey and sandy soils the specific heat capacity is found to increase linearly with moisture content up to about 15% after which the increase becomes parabolic. The rate of increase of specific heat capacity with moisture content appears to be highest in the clayey soil and lowest in the sandy soil. It is thought that the differences in the rates of increase of specific heat capacity with moisture content, observed for the soils, reflect the soils' water-retention capacities. (author) 3 refs, 5 figs

  19. Economic Learning Media Development Based on Local Locality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadi, Rizali; Supriyanto; Hasanah, Mahmudah

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to describe the learning medium of economic education at senior High School in Banjarmasin with media based on local wisdom. This research uses qualitative method as developed by Miles & Huberman, starting from data collection, data reduction data display, and then made conclusion. Data were collected in the order of Basic…

  20. Developing clinical teaching capacities of midwifery students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rance, Sharon; Sweet, Linda

    2016-06-01

    Competency Standards in Australia articulate that the midwife must be able to contribute to the professional development of themselves and others. Few undergraduate health professional curricula currently incorporate content for the development of specific knowledge and skills required for clinical teaching. This project aimed to understand and enhance midwifery students' preparedness to assume their future clinical teaching responsibilities. Design-based research was used to implement an educational intervention aimed at developing clinical teaching skills through a peer education session between 1st and 3rd year students. The perspectives of 30 undergraduate midwifery students about their preparedness for their teaching role and the intervention were obtained through 3 focus groups. A thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Three themes were identified encompassing the research aims and objectives; 'Co-creating a culture for learning', 'reciprocal teaching and learning' and 'developing clinical teaching capacities'. The findings indicate that the midwifery students had a holistic understanding of their responsibilities in clinical teaching in the workplace. They were able to identify ways in which their teaching capacities were being developed through their clinical experiences and the curriculum, both intended and hidden. Despite limited educational activities for clinical teaching, the midwifery students made explicit connections of the relational interdependence of workplace-based experiences and their learning. Students were clearly able to identify ways in which their own learning experiences and the culture in which this learning is embedded, assists them to develop clinical teaching skills, ready to support the next generation of midwifery students. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Solving the African Climate Observation Puzzle, and Concurrently Building Capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selker, J. S.; Van De Giesen, N.; Annor, F. O.; Hochreutener, R.; Jachens, E. R.

    2017-12-01

    The Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO.org) is directly addressing basic issues of climate observation, climate science, and education through a novel public-private partnership. With 500 stations now reporting from over 20 African countries, TAHMO is the largest single source of continental-scale weather and climate data for Africa. Working directly with national meteorological agencies, TAHMO first builds local human capacity and real-time data to the host country. TAHMO also provides all of these data free of charge to all researchers and teams seeking to develop peer-reviewed scientific contributions. This will be the basis of a whole new level of observation-informed science for the African continent. Most TAHMO stations are housed at African schools, with a local host-teacher who attends to basic day-to-day cleaning. These schools also receive free curricular support providing geographic, mathematical, statistical, hydrologic, and meteorological lessons that connect student to their environment and creates climate-aware citizens, which we believe is the most fundamental element of developing a climate-resilient society. Installation of these stations have been made possible through the support of private companies like IBM and development programmes through the Global Resilience Partnership, World Bank, USAID among others. The availability of these new data sets will help generate more accurate weather forecasts which will be made freely available across the African continent. TAHMO leverages low-cost cell phone data transmission with solid-state sensor technology (provided by the METER corporation) to provide a cost-effective, sustainable, and transformative solution to the climate observation gap in Africa.

  2. International education is a broken field: Can ubuntu education bring solutions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piper, Benjamin

    2016-02-01

    Ubuntu is an African philosophy of human kindness; applying it in the Global South would fundamentally alter the design of the education sector. This essay argues, however, that the field of international educational development is not, in fact, structured to support an education influenced by ubuntu ideals. Specifically, the educational development milieu includes donors, implementers and academicians who do not sufficiently question the power dynamics which underpin education development. This creates a field where the power imbalances between donors and host governments are not interrogated, where development workers place too much faith in their own knowledge rather than that of local education experts, and where development practitioners rarely appreciate the privilege of working in countries which are not their own. An ubuntu education would alter the educational development field in myriad critical ways, a few of which are suggested in this essay. Educational development programmes in universities and intake programmes for implementers and donors should teach officers humility, appreciating existing local talent and expertise. Donor programmes should incentivise reflective practice which formally embeds appreciation for local culture and expertise, thereby supporting structures which help educational development experts to review their metacognitive processes. The field should also dramatically increase the numbers of local, minority and female educational development practitioners and provide more avenues for advancement for those groups. These are activities which are critical to supporting the education development field, but require a fundamental change of attitude by practitioners to ensure the right kind of relationships between the West and the Global South.

  3. Developing a Personnel Capacity Indicator for a high turnover Cartographic Production Sector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandarino, Flávia; Pessôa, Leonardo A. M.

    2018-05-01

    This paper describes a framework for development of an indicator for human re-sources capacity management in a military organization responsible for nautical chart production. Graphic chart for the results of the model COPPE-COSENZA (Cosenza et al. 2015) is used to properly present the personnel capacity within a high people turnover environment. The specific skills for the nautical charts production allied to the turnover rate require continuous and adequate personnel in-corporation and a capacity building through education and on-the-job training. The adopted approach for the study establishes quantitative values to fulfill quality requirements, and also presents graphically a profile for the human resources on a specific job to facilitate diagnosis and corrective actions.

  4. The adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers to climate change in the Northern Region of Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majeed Abdul-Razak

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Climate change is expected to adversely affect agricultural production, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the agricultural sector forms the backbone of most countries’ economies. This thus holds true for the agriculture sector of the Northern Region of Ghana which is largely rain-fed and dominated by smallholder farmers with minimal livelihood alternatives. The main research question of this paper is how the adaptive capacity to climate change of smallholder farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana can be characterised? The paper proposes an indicator-based framework for assessing the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana along six main determinants of adaptive capacity: economic resources, social capital, awareness and training, technology, infrastructure and institutions. Based on a thorough literature review and qualitative interviews with experts for rural livelihoods and agriculture in the study region, the determinants were ranked and three to five indicators per determinant were selected. The results of the expert interviews show that economic resources, awareness and training as well as technological capacities seem most relevant for smallholder farmers’ adaptive capacity while infrastructure, social capital, and institutions were ranked least important. The study operationalized the indicators in a standardized survey questionnaire and tested it in two agrarian communities in the Northern Region of Ghana. The survey results show the aggregate adaptive capacity of respondents is low. However, disparities in adaptive capacity were recorded among respondents in terms of gender and education. Differentiating between the determinants women farmer show significantly lower capacities in fields of economic resources, technology and knowledge and awareness. This paper recommends resilience building interventions in the study area that target individuals with low adaptive capacities, especially women

  5. Can two dots form a Gestalt? Measuring emergent features with the capacity coefficient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkins, Robert X D; Houpt, Joseph W; Eidels, Ami; Townsend, James T

    2016-09-01

    While there is widespread agreement among vision researchers on the importance of some local aspects of visual stimuli, such as hue and intensity, there is no general consensus on a full set of basic sources of information used in perceptual tasks or how they are processed. Gestalt theories place particular value on emergent features, which are based on the higher-order relationships among elements of a stimulus rather than local properties. Thus, arbitrating between different accounts of features is an important step in arbitrating between local and Gestalt theories of perception in general. In this paper, we present the capacity coefficient from Systems Factorial Technology (SFT) as a quantitative approach for formalizing and rigorously testing predictions made by local and Gestalt theories of features. As a simple, easily controlled domain for testing this approach, we focus on the local feature of location and the emergent features of Orientation and Proximity in a pair of dots. We introduce a redundant-target change detection task to compare our capacity measure on (1) trials where the configuration of the dots changed along with their location against (2) trials where the amount of local location change was exactly the same, but there was no change in the configuration. Our results, in conjunction with our modeling tools, favor the Gestalt account of emergent features. We conclude by suggesting several candidate information-processing models that incorporate emergent features, which follow from our approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. State Aid, Voter Power and Local Control in Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zak, Itai; Glasman, Naftaly S.

    1979-01-01

    Not only did voter power contribute meaningfully to local control behavior regardless of the exact shape of the relations between state aid and local control, but the hypothesized inverse relationship between state aid and local control did not receive support. Journal availability: see EA 511 898. (Author/IRT)

  7. Private Sector Involvement in Urban Solid Waste Collection: Performance, Capacity, and Regulation in Five Cities in Ghana

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oduro-Kwarteng, S.

    2011-01-01

    This book exposes the inefficiencies in private sector provision and lack of capacity of Local Governments to deal with solid waste collection. The book will be essential for students, researchers and practitioners involved in areas such as policy, markets, local governments, environmental

  8. Professor Barry Fraser's contributions to science education research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldridge, Jill M.

    2011-09-01

    In this article, I endeavour to convey the depth of Barry Fraser's contributions to science education research, including his tireless endeavours to promote and advance research, especially the field of learning environments, the realisation of his vision to create one of the largest doctoral programs in science and mathematics education in the world, his leadership capacity in terms of guiding and leading an internationally renowned centre and large-scale cross-national and cross-cultural studies, his dedication towards human capacity building in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, his capacity as a mentor and editor that have seen the publication of numerous journal articles and books and the ongoing success of science education research journals.

  9. Locally manufactured wind power technology for sustainable rural electrification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leary, J.; While, A.; Howell, R.

    2012-01-01

    To date, the use of wind power for rural electrification has been limited. However the fact that micro-wind turbines can be manufactured using only basic workshop tools, techniques and materials, and therefore can be produced locally is often overlooked. Local manufacture has the potential to boost the local economy, build local capacity, reduce costs and produce resilient and flexible energy systems. However, locally manufactured technology must be seen as socially embedded due to the variety of local knowledge, skills, equipment and materials needed to construct and maintain such systems, as well as the organisational structures needed to ensure their long term sustainability. Evidence from successful initiatives suggests that stable institutional support from intermediaries such as the local/national government or NGOs is necessary to foster the development of a wind power industry based on local manufacture. The roles of these intermediaries include identifying and targeting windy areas with favourable environmental conditions, conducting research and development, collecting feedback from end users, creating supply chains for new parts and materials and developing relevant knowledge and skills. In this paper, three case studies of specific initiatives are analysed to draw out the social, economic and technical factors that could facilitate wider adoption of the technology. - Highlights: ► Local manufacture of wind turbines often overlooked for rural electrification. ► Flexible to adapt to local context and benefits local economy, capacity and supply chain. ► Development of technology discussed and 3 case studies of dissemination analysed. ► Critical factors: institutional support, system level planning, continuity of supply. ► Dissemination successful in Inner Mongolia; work continues elsewhere.

  10. Elective Home Education and Special Educational Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Tiny

    2006-01-01

    This paper reviews the literature on home education with reference to special educational needs (SEN). A rapid expansion in home educating families is noted. Parents present a variety of reasons for this, including those with concerns about the provision for their child's SEN. In one Local Education Authority (LEA), data were obtained through…

  11. Becoming and being an African scholar: a 15 year perspective on capacity building projects in Ghana

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller-Jensen, Lasse; Madsen, Lene Møller

    2015-01-01

    the process? – are they still part of the university system or have they found other opportunities? – and what do their narratives tell us about long-term capacity building? These are relevant questions to address for understanding the role of African Universities as drivers and actors in development......Universities in Africa are increasingly seen as key drivers for development and, hence, as a focus point for development agencies in the North. Through the ENhancement of REsearch Capacity (ENRECA) programme 1989–2009, the Danish Development Agency has facilitated Ph.D. education and research...... in partnerships with African higher education institutions. As other capacity-building projects, ENRECA has been evaluated by donor-initiated missions looking at research output, degrees awarded and interviewing heads and administrators. But how did the individuals who opted for an academic career experience...

  12. Capacity building in indigenous men's groups and sheds across Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Southcombe, Amie; Cavanagh, Jillian; Bartram, Timothy

    2015-09-01

    This article presents an investigation into capacity building, at the community level, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men's Groups and Sheds. As safe men's spaces, Men's Groups and Sheds represent an ever-growing social, and health and well-being community service across Australia. The study is qualitative and employs 'yarning circles' (focus groups), semi-structured interviews and observations to gather data from 15 Groups/Sheds involving 45 men from urban, regional and remote communities. We found that capacity building is primarily about securing relationships between Group Leaders/Shed Co-ordinators and Government services. Capacity building establishes links to services such as Centrelink, Medicare, Department of Housing, Probation and Control, and positive outcomes such as Indigenous men securing housing and Centrelink payments. Capacity building results in better health outcomes and, educates and empowers men to improve their social, cultural, emotional and economic well-being. It helps men to better connect with family and community. The current research paves the way for countries worldwide to explore the conceptual and empirical approach of capacity building applicable to other Indigenous [and non-Indigenous] Men's Groups/Sheds. We recommend feasibilities studies, on approaches to capacity building in Indigenous Groups/Sheds, be carried out within urban, regional and remote regions across the country. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Carrying Capacity Model Applied to Coastal Ecotourism of Baluran National Park, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armono, H. D.; Rosyid, D. M.; Nuzula, N. I.

    2017-07-01

    The resources of Baluran National Park have been used for marine and coastal ecotourism. The increasing number of visitors has led to the increasing of tourists and its related activities. This condition will cause the degradation of resources and the welfare of local communities. This research aims to determine the sustainability of coastal ecotourism management by calculating the effective number of tourists who can be accepted. The study uses the concept of tourism carrying capacity, consists the ecological environment, economic, social and physical carrying capacity. The results of the combined carrying capacity analysis in Baluran National Park ecotourism shows that the number of 3.288 people per day (151.248 tourists per year) is the maximum number of accepted tourists. The current number of tourist arrivals is only 241 people per day (87.990 tourists per year) which is far below the carrying capacity.

  14. Examining the Impact of Critical Multicultural Education Training on the Multicultural Attitudes, Awareness, and Practices of Nurse Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beard, Kenya V

    Some nurse educators lack training in the educational methods that facilitate learning among underrepresented groups. Limited awareness of equitable pedagogical practices could threaten the academic achievement of underrepresented groups and hinder efforts to make the nursing profession more heterogeneous. Training in multicultural education could strengthen the capacity of educators to create culturally responsive learning environments. This quasi-experimental study examined the impact that training in critical multicultural education had on the multicultural attitudes, awareness, and practices of 37 nurse educators. A pre-posttest design without a control group found that the training was an effective way to strengthen the multicultural awareness and attitudes of nurse educators, although there was little impact on the multicultural practices. The nation's capacity to improve the quality of health care hinges upon educators who can create inclusive learning environments and graduate diverse nurses. The findings could inform policies seeking to promote diversity and inclusion in nursing education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Documentation to the NCES Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Universe Survey: School Year 2011-12. Provisional Version 1a. NCES 2014-035

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keaton, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    This documentation is for the provisional version 1a file of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Local Education Agency (LEA) Universe Survey for SY 2011-12. It contains a brief description of the data collection, along with information required to understand and access the data file. The CCD is a…

  16. Whose Knowledge, Whose Values? The Contribution of Local Knowledge to Education Policy Processes: A Case Study of Research Development Initiatives in the Small State of Saint Lucia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Keith; Crossley, Michael

    2004-01-01

    This paper draws upon a case study of education in the small Caribbean state of Saint Lucia (population 154,000) to examine how local knowledge and values can influence the education policy process. It is argued that recent research development initiatives have strengthened the ability of Saint Lucia to mediate international education agendas to…

  17. EFFICIENCY FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataliia Kovernuk

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of writing is to research and analyze the effectiveness of financial resources in vocational education in Ukraine and develop practical recommendations for their improvement. To research and analyze the practices of formation and use of financial resources in vocational education. Research conducted by the methods of empirical knowledge, analysis, clustering, comparison, observation, synthesis, graphical analysis. The measures effective use of financial resources in vocational education in Ukraine. Methodology is actual work of scientists and researchers. Results are exploring of the practice of planning expenditures of state and local budgets for vocational education concluded that in planning expenditure dominates the normative method of budget planning. This discrepancy established approaches to the development of standards of employee’s vocational institutions and expenditures of staff, on the one hand, and the required planning spending on vocational education. When planning educational grants for training labor to local budgets is determined by the amount of expenditures that are relevant to the intergovernmental transfers, which include, in particular, spending on vocational education. Although the legislation stipulates the independence of local budgets and calculation of expenditures that are relevant to the intergovernmental transfers should be done only to determine the amount of educational grants for training labor, in practice there is a significant limitation of the autonomy of local governments in the planning of local budgets. Thus, the deterioration of the efficiency of spending on vocational education due to increasing labor costs and labor charges. The reason for this was the dynamics as increased wages and a change in the number of employees engaged in technical and vocational education. Value. The analysis of public expenditure planning practices and local budgets for vocational education concluded that in

  18. A Role for the Mitochondrial Protein Mrpl44 in Maintaining OXPHOS Capacity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet H C Yeo

    Full Text Available We identified Mrpl44 in a search for mammalian proteins that contain RNase III domains. This protein was previously found in association with the mitochondrial ribosome of bovine liver extracts. However, the precise Mrpl44 localization had been unclear. Here, we show by immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation that Mrpl44 is localized to the matrix of the mitochondria. We found that it can form multimers, and confirm that it is part of the large subunit of the mitochondrial ribosome. By manipulating its expression, we show that Mrpl44 may be important for regulating the expression of mtDNA-encoded genes. This was at the level of RNA expression and protein translation. This ultimately impacted ATP synthesis capability and respiratory capacity of cells. These findings indicate that Mrpl44 plays an important role in the regulation of the mitochondrial OXPHOS capacity.

  19. The oil industry experience. Technology cooperation and capacity building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    Technology cooperation is defined as a process of constructive interaction with local, national and international partners to select and apply appropriate technology systems to achieve environmentally sound forms of economic development. Capacity building is the process of constructive interaction between countries and the private sector designed to develop the capability and skills to achieve environmentally sound forms of economic development through the use of modern technologies and management systems, a competent workforce and appropriate laws and regulations. Twelve case histories are presented which demonstrate the efforts of the oil industry to work in partnership with governments, contractors, suppliers and communities in technology cooperation and capacity building to achieve the goals of Agenda 21 which emerged as an action plan from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. (UK)

  20. Utilization of an interorganizational network analysis to evaluate the development of community capacity among a community-academic partnership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Heather R; Ramirez, Albert; Drake, Kelly N; Beaudoin, Christopher E; Garney, Whitney R; Wendel, Monica L; Outley, Corliss; Burdine, James N; Player, Harold D

    2014-01-01

    Following a community health assessment the Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP) organized to address fragmentation of services and local health needs. This regional partnership employs the fundamental principles of community-based participatory research, fostering an equitable partnership with the aim of building community capacity to address local health issues. This article describes changes in relationships as a result of capacity building efforts in a community-academic partnership. Growth in network structure among organizations is hypothesized to be indicative of less fragmentation of services for residents and increased capacity of the BVHP to collectively address local health issues. Each of the participant organizations responded to a series of questions regarding its relationships with other organizations. Each organization was asked about information sharing, joint planning, resource sharing, and formal agreements with other organizations. The network survey has been administered 3 times between 2004 and 2009. Network density increased for sharing information and jointly planning events. Growth in the complexity of relationships was reported for sharing tangible resources and formal agreements. The average number of ties between organizations as well as the strength of relationships increased. This study provides evidence that the community capacity building efforts within these communities have contributed to beneficial changes in interorganizational relationships. Results from this analysis are useful for understanding how a community partnership's efforts to address access to care can strengthen a community's capacity for future action. Increased collaboration also leads to new assets, resources, and the transfer of knowledge and skills.

  1. Transmitting Memory between and beyond Generations: The Rotterdam Bombardment in Local Memory Culture and Education from 1980 to 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogervorst, Susan

    2015-01-01

    This article analyses three local educational projects about the Nazi bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940, all of which took place from 1980 to the present day in the context of the dynamic memory culture of the bombardment. These three contexts testify to a process by which memory, increasingly derived from authentic locations and objects instead of…

  2. Analysis of Environmental Carrying Capacity with Emergy Perspective of Jeju Island

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chanhoon Jung

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Jeju Island experienced an approximately 42% increase in energy consumption from 2006 to 2015 and the demand for energy consumption is expected to continue to increase. Thus, Jeju Island is planning a project entitled “Carbon Free Island by 2030” to promote sustainable development and is required to estimate the environmental carrying capacity for future energy demand changes. The purpose of this study was to calculate the emergy inherent in Jeju Island’s energy, materials, and information in 2015 using the emergy analysis method and local characteristics. In addition, this study aimed to estimate the emergy indices to evaluate the environmental carrying capacity for sustainable development in 2005, 2015, and 2030 considering the future energy demand. This study’s outputs provide the environmental carrying capacity with emergy indices, such as the percent renewable (%Renew, emergy yield ratio (EYR, environmental loading ratio (ELR, sustainability index (SI, and carrying capacity of the population (CCP for social and economic activities on Jeju Island, which are expected to be saturated. These findings show regions with heavy tourism require development strategies, including the concept of environmental carrying capacity.

  3. From Whining to Wondering: Reflective Journaling with Preservice Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Applebaum, Lauren

    2014-01-01

    Reflective journaling is frequently employed to help preservice educators make sense of fieldwork experiences. Analyzing the weekly journals of eight preservice educators, I offer conceptual language to describe how journal writing provides a window into students' capacity for reflection. This capacity is described in terms of three continua:…

  4. Increasing Capacity for Stewardship of Oceans and Coasts: Findings of the National Research Council Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, S. J.; Feeley, M. H.

    2008-05-01

    With the increasing stress on ocean and coastal resources, ocean resource management will require greater capacity in terms of people, institutions, technology and tools. Successful capacity-building efforts address the needs of a specific locale or region and include plans to maintain and expand capacity after the project ends. In 2008, the US National Research Council published a report that assesses past and current capacity-building efforts to identify barriers to effective management of coastal and marine resources. The report recommends ways that governments and organizations can strengthen marine conservation and management capacity. Capacity building programs instill the tools, knowledge, skills, and attitudes that address: ecosystem function and change; processes of governance that influence societal and ecosystem change; and assembling and managing interdisciplinary teams. Programs require efforts beyond traditional sector-by-sector planning because marine ecosystems range from the open ocean to coastal waters and land use practices. Collaboration among sectors, scaling from local community-based management to international ocean policies, and ranging from inland to offshore areas, will be required to establish coordinated and efficient governance of ocean and coastal ecosystems. Barriers Most capacity building activities have been initiated to address particular issues such as overfishing or coral reef degradation, or they target a particular region or country facing threats to their marine resources. This fragmentation inhibits the sharing of information and experience and makes it more difficult to design and implement management approaches at appropriate scales. Additional barriers that have limited the effectiveness of capacity building programs include: lack of an adequate needs assessment prior to program design and implementation; exclusion of targeted populations in decision- making efforts; mismanagement, corruption, or both; incomplete or

  5. Mechanisms of improving institutional capacities of the state to prevent hate speech and hate crimes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dokmanović Mirjana

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The Republic of Serbia has introduced special circumstances for the determination of sentence for hate crime in the Criminal Code amended in December 2012. If a criminal offence is committed through hate based on race or religion, national or ethnic affiliation, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity of another, the court shall consider any aggravating factors except when it is not stipulated as a feature of the criminal offence. However, the State still neglects to consider mitigating factors. Moreover, it does not pay sufficient attention to eliminating verbal expressions of hatred and discrimination that often precede crimes motivated by hate. The paper discusses the possibility of improving education and coordinated activities of the State, particularly of courts, prosecutors, police and local self-governments, to combat hate speech and hate crimes. The aim of the paper is to present mechanisms of improving institutional capacities to prevent these phenomena that have been implemented within the project “Implementation of Anti-Discrimination Policies in Serbia” financed by the European Union. The paper concludes that central to the success of this process are the education of state actors, and the development of a value system based on equality and acceptance of diversity.

  6. Education and Outreach | State, Local, and Tribal Governments | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Education & Outreach Education and Outreach With support from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, NREL's Solar Technical Assistance Team (STAT) develops a range of education and addressing solar market barriers. Past presentations are available for the following topics: Solar 101-This

  7. Educational and labor wastage of doctors in Mexico: towards the construction of a common methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruiz José

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper addresses the problem of wastage of the qualified labor force, which takes place both during the education process and when trained personnel try to find jobs in the local market. Methods Secondary sources were used, mainly the Statistical yearbooks of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES in Spanish. Also, the 2000 Population Census was used to estimate the different sources of labor market wastage. The formulas were modified to estimate educational and labor wastage rates. Results Out of every 1000 students who started a medical training in 1996, over 20% were not able to finish the training by 2000. Furthermore, out of every 1000 graduates, 31% were not able to find a remunerated position in the labor market that would enable them to put into practice the abilities and capacities obtained at school. Important differences can be observed between generalists and specialists, as well as between men and women. In the case of specialists and men, lower wastage rates can be observed as compared to the wastage rates of generalists and women. A large percentage of women dedicate themselves exclusively to household duties, which in labor terms represents a wastage of their capacity to participate in the production of formal health services. Conclusion Women are becoming a majority in most medical schools, yet their participation in the labor market does not reflect the same trend. Among men, policies should be formulated to incorporate doctors in the specific health field for which they were trained. Regarding women, specific policies should target those who are dedicated full-time to household activities in order to create the possibility of having them occupy a remunerated job if they are willing to do so. Reducing wastage at both the educational and labor levels should improve the capacity of social investment, thereby increasing the capacity of the health system as a whole

  8. Educational and labor wastage of doctors in Mexico: towards the construction of a common methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nigenda, Gustavo; Ruiz, José Arturo; Bejarano, Rosa

    2005-04-15

    BACKGROUND: This paper addresses the problem of wastage of the qualified labor force, which takes place both during the education process and when trained personnel try to find jobs in the local market. METHODS: Secondary sources were used, mainly the Statistical yearbooks of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES in Spanish). Also, the 2000 Population Census was used to estimate the different sources of labor market wastage. The formulas were modified to estimate educational and labor wastage rates. RESULTS: Out of every 1000 students who started a medical training in 1996, over 20% were not able to finish the training by 2000. Furthermore, out of every 1000 graduates, 31% were not able to find a remunerated position in the labor market that would enable them to put into practice the abilities and capacities obtained at school. Important differences can be observed between generalists and specialists, as well as between men and women. In the case of specialists and men, lower wastage rates can be observed as compared to the wastage rates of generalists and women. A large percentage of women dedicate themselves exclusively to household duties, which in labor terms represents a wastage of their capacity to participate in the production of formal health services. CONCLUSION: Women are becoming a majority in most medical schools, yet their participation in the labor market does not reflect the same trend. Among men, policies should be formulated to incorporate doctors in the specific health field for which they were trained. Regarding women, specific policies should target those who are dedicated full-time to household activities in order to create the possibility of having them occupy a remunerated job if they are willing to do so. Reducing wastage at both the educational and labor levels should improve the capacity of social investment, thereby increasing the capacity of the health system as a whole to provide services

  9. Electric vehicle charging to support renewable energy integration in a capacity constrained electricity grid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pearre, Nathaniel S.; Swan, Lukas G.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Examination of EV charging in a wind rich area with transmission constraints. • Multiple survey instruments to determine transportation needs, when charging occurs. • Simple charging, time-of-day scheduled, and ideal smart charging investigated. • Export power peaks reduced by 2% with TOD, 10% with smart charging 10% of fleet. • Smart charging EVs enables enough added wind capacity to power the fleet. - Abstract: Digby, Nova Scotia, is a largely rural area with a wealth of renewable energy resources, principally wind and tidal. Digby’s electrical load is serviced by an aging 69 kV transmission line that often operates at the export capacity limit because of a local wind energy converter (WEC) field. This study examines the potential of smart charging of electric vehicles (EVs) to achieve two objectives: (1) add load so as to increase export capacity; (2) charge EVs using renewable energy. Multiple survey instruments were used to determine transportation energy needs and travel timing. These were used to create EV charging load timeseries based on “convenience”, “time-of-day”, and idealized “smart” charging. These charging scenarios were evaluated in combination with high resolution data of generation at the wind field, electrical flow through the transmission system, and electricity load. With a 10% adoption rate of EVs, time-of-day charging increased local renewable energy usage by 20% and enables marginal WEC upgrading. Smart charging increases charging by local renewable energy by 73%. More significantly, it adds 3 MW of load when power exports face constraints, allowing enough additional renewable electricity generation capacity to fully power those vehicles.

  10. Methodological Capacity within the Field of "Educational Technology" Research: An Initial Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulfin, Scott; Henderson, Michael; Johnson, Nicola F.; Selwyn, Neil

    2014-01-01

    The academic study of educational technology is often characterised by critics as methodologically limited. In order to test this assumption, the present paper reports on data collected from a survey of 462 "research active" academic researchers working in the broad areas of educational technology and educational media. The paper…

  11. The capacity building of disaster management in Bojonegoro regency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isbandono, P.; Prastyawan, A.; Gamaputra, G.

    2018-01-01

    East Java is a disaster-prone area. Head of the National Disaster Management Agency, Syamsul Maarif (2012) states that “East Java is a disaster supermarket area. Referring to Act Number 24 Year 2007 Concerning Disaster Management, disaster prevention activities are a series of activities undertaken as an effort to eliminate and/or reduce the threat of disaster (Article 1, paragraph 6).The disaster mitigation is a series of efforts to reduce disaster risk, through physical development and awareness and capacity building in the face of disaster (Article 1, paragraph 9). In 2009, the Provincial Government of East Java has been established Regional Disaster Management Agency and complete it through Local Regulation of East Java Province Number 3 Year 2010. This research was conducted in Bojonegoro. This study described the capacity building disaster handling and used descriptive research with qualitative approach. It focused on the capacity building for community preparedness in the face of. This study showed the vulnerability of regions and populations to threats flood and drought in could be physical, social and/or economical. The aims of the capacity building for the individuals and organizations are to be used effectively and efficiently in order to achieve the goals of the individuals and organizations.

  12. Station Capacity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landex, Alex

    2011-01-01

    the probability of conflicts and the minimum headway times into account. The last method analyzes how optimal platform tracks are used by examining the arrival and departure pattern of the trains. The developed methods can either be used separately to analyze specific characteristics of the capacity of a station......Stations are often limiting the capacity of railway networks. This is due to extra need of tracks when trains stand still, trains turning around, and conflicting train routes. Although stations are often the capacity bottlenecks, most capacity analysis methods focus on open line capacity. Therefore...... for platform tracks and the probability that arriving trains will not get a platform track immediately at arrival. The third method is a scalable method that analyzes the conflicts in the switch zone(s). In its simplest stage, the method just analyzes the track layout while the more advanced stages also take...

  13. The Role of Small Towns in Local Place Making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Csurgó Bernadett

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Self-promotion and reinterpretation of local identity is becoming increasingly important in rural communities. Local identity building is succeeded very differently by rural municipalities and regions. The paper analyses the role of small towns in local identity creation. There are varying interpretations of places in Hungary as ways of achieving meaningful territorialisation. Small towns based on their leading and central position within the micro regions can dominate the place-making processes. Using the example of six Hungarian rural micro-regions we analyse how rural small towns position themselves by local image building. The aim of this paper is to investigate interactions between territorial position and innovative capacity of rural towns through the analysis of symbolisation process and image building. We purpose to introduce a concept of a place oriented approach and demonstrate its usefulness for analysis of rural innovation and place-based development. The case-studies are based on qualitative methods: document-analysis, semi-structured interviews, transect walking and participatory observation. The paper analyses the process of local community and identity building in six rural micro-regions. We seek to understand how small towns position themselves in place-making, the aim of ‘placing’ themselves in the territorial hierarchy of the settlements of micro region. Our results suggest that small towns play very different roles in local image building. Characteristics and territorial scope of local cultural heritage significantly determine the innovative capacity of small towns in local image building where there is a wide range of meanings procedures and processes of place-making.

  14. Professional Development: A Capacity-Building Model for Juvenile Correctional Education Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, Sarup R.; Clark, Heather Griller; Schoenfeld, Naomi A.

    2009-01-01

    Youth in correctional facilities experience a broad range of educational, psychological, medical, and social needs. Professional development, a systemic process that improves the likelihood of student success by enhancing educator abilities, is a powerful way to positively affect student outcomes in correctional settings. This article offers a…

  15. Hands-on creativity in Vocational Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanggaard, Lene

    and therefore not well suited for VET comprising production, handcraft and industry. In Europe, vocational education schemes are considered the solid base on which almost all kinds of industry and craft depend. If Europe is to retain its innovative capacity, then vocational education, especially the capacity......This presentation poses the question: what conception of the phenomenon of creativity is best suited to the field of vocational education? VET (Vocational Education and Training) aims to prepare people for employment in craft and industry. In this field, there is an ever-growing requirement...... for creativity and innovation. In response, it is my concern that an understanding of creativity be developed with vocational education and training in mind. It is not enough to import models from other areas, where the distinction between ideas and production or creativity and execution is often relatively hazy...

  16. Sustainable Development and African Local Government: Can Electronic Training Help Build Capacities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Hazel; Thomas, Alan

    2007-01-01

    A recent study carried out by European and African organizations into the potential for electronic distance training (EDT) on sustainability in African local governments concluded that EDT was both "useful and feasible". This article reflects on some of the theoretical and practical implications of that study. It focuses on the…

  17. Project LOCAL - Bridging The Gap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haven, Robert N.

    1975-01-01

    Project LOCAL, a not-for-profit regional consortium, offers a broad spectrum of in-service training courses tailored to meet the needs of educators in various disciplines and levels of experience. The purpose of these offerings is to bridge the communication gap between innovative centers in computer-oriented education and staff members in Boston…

  18. Universities in capacity building in sustainable development: focus on solid waste management and technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agamuthu, P; Hansen, Jens Aage

    2007-06-01

    This paper analyses some of the higher education and research capacity building experiences gained from 1998-2006 by Danish and Malaysian universities. The focus is on waste management, directly relating to both the environmental and socio-economic dimensions of sustainable development. Primary benefits, available as an educational legacy to universities, were obtained in terms of new and enhanced study curricula established on Problem-oriented Project-based Learning (POPBL) pedagogy, which strengthened academic environmental programmes at Malaysian and Danish universities. It involved more direct and mutually beneficial cooperation between academia and businesses in both countries. This kind of university reach-out is considered vital to development in all countries actively striving for global and sustainable development. Supplementary benefits were accrued for those involved directly in activities such as the 4 months of field studies, workshops, field courses and joint research projects. For students and academics, the gains have been new international dimensions in university curricula, enhanced career development and research collaboration based on realworld cases. It is suggested that the area of solid waste management offers opportunities for much needed capacity building in higher education and research, contributing to sustainable waste management on a global scale. Universities should be more actively involved in such educational, research and innovation programmes to make the necessary progress. ISWA can support capacity building activities by utilizing its resources--providing a lively platform for debate, securing dissemination of new knowledge, and furthering international networking beyond that which universities already do by themselves. A special challenge to ISWA may be to improve national and international professional networks between academia and business, thereby making education, research and innovation the key driving mechanisms in

  19. The Social and Local Construction of Human Rights. Reflections from the Perspective of the Right to Education in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Víctor Alfonzo Zertuche Cobos

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The present article constitutes a critical reflection on human rights from the social-legal field in Mexico. Its purpose is to provide a discussion on a current legal and institutional reality, that is, the right to education in human rights based on one of the most important constitutional reforms in recent years in the field of human rights: the reform of June 2011. This reform, by the article 1° and 3° of the Constitution, introduced a public policy (proposed to the National Development Plan 2013-2018, along with the National Human Rights Program 2014-2018 within the federal public administration whose object is to implement the teaching of human rights at the national level. In this proposal, we observe two effects, one positive and one negative, inscribed only in the institutional or official dimension of the Mexican State, from which is derived a third positive effect for the social or local sphere, that is to say, for the space where the popular sectors or cultural minorities live. Therefore, it is in this social or local sphere where the third positive effect of the national public policy would take place to rethink the counter-hegemonic and alternative use of the right to education in human rights, from where would be possible the social-local construction or reconstruction of human rights that the present and future society requires with some urgency.

  20. Thailand's National Nutritional Program : Lessons in Management and Capacity Development

    OpenAIRE

    Heaver, Richard; Kachondam, Yongyout

    2002-01-01

    Thailand's community nutrition program has been the most successful in Asia. This paper looks at what made it work from a management and capacity development point of view. Key lessons are identified in the following areas: Building a strong consensus at national and local levels about the importance of nutrition as an investment in the country's future, rather than as a welfare expenditur...

  1. Engineering, global health, and inclusive innovation: focus on partnership, system strengthening, and local impact for SDGs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie L. Clifford

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The recent drafting of the Sustainable Development Goals challenges the research community to rethink the traditional approach to global health and provides the opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM disciplines, particularly engineering, to demonstrate their benefit to the field. Higher education offers a platform for engineering to intersect with global health research through interdisciplinary partnerships among international universities that provide excellence in education, attract nontraditional STEM students, and foster a sense of innovation. However, a traditional lack of engineering–global health collaborations, as well as limited faculty and inadequate STEM research funding in low-income countries, has stifled progress. Still, the impact of higher education on development efforts holds great potential. This value will be realized in low-income countries through strengthening local capacity, supporting innovation through educational initiatives, and encouraging the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM programs. Current international university-level partnerships are working towards integrating engineering into global health research and strengthening STEM innovation among universities in low-income countries, but more can be done. Global health research informs sustainable development, and through integrating engineering into research efforts through university partnerships, we can accelerate progress and work towards a healthier future for all.

  2. A research capacity strengthening project for infectious diseases in Honduras: experience and lessons learned

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lourdes Sanchez

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: In Honduras, research capacity strengthening (RCS has not received sufficient attention, but an increase in research competencies would enable local scientists to advance knowledge and contribute to national priorities, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs. Objective: This project aimed at strengthening research capacity in infectious diseases in Honduras, focusing on the School of Microbiology of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH. The primary objective was the creation of a research-based graduate program for the continued training of researchers. Parallel objectives included institutional strengthening and the facilitation of partnerships and networks. Methods: Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, an RCS workplan was designed and undertaken from 2007 to 2012. Due to unexpected adverse circumstances, the first 2 years were heavily dedicated to implementing the project's flagship, an MSc program in infectious and zoonotic diseases (MEIZ. In addition, infrastructure improvements and demand-driven continuing education opportunities were facilitated; biosafety and research ethics knowledge and practices were enhanced, and networks fostering collaborative work were created or expanded. Results: The project coincided with the peak of UNAH's radical administrative reform and an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Challenges notwithstanding, in September 2009, MEIZ admitted the first cohort of students, all of whom undertook MDG-related projects graduating successfully by 2012. Importantly, MEIZ has been helpful in expanding the School of Microbiology's traditional etiology-based, disciplinary model to infectious disease teaching and research. By fulfilling its objectives, the project contributed to a stronger research culture upholding safety and ethical values at the university. Conclusions: The resources and strategic vision afforded by the project enhanced UNAH's overall research capacity and its

  3. A research capacity strengthening project for infectious diseases in Honduras: experience and lessons learned

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Ana Lourdes; Canales, Maritza; Enriquez, Lourdes; Bottazzi, Maria Elena; Zelaya, Ada Argentina; Espinoza, Vilma Esther; Fontecha, Gustavo Adolfo

    2013-01-01

    Background In Honduras, research capacity strengthening (RCS) has not received sufficient attention, but an increase in research competencies would enable local scientists to advance knowledge and contribute to national priorities, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Objective This project aimed at strengthening research capacity in infectious diseases in Honduras, focusing on the School of Microbiology of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). The primary objective was the creation of a research-based graduate program for the continued training of researchers. Parallel objectives included institutional strengthening and the facilitation of partnerships and networks. Methods Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, an RCS workplan was designed and undertaken from 2007 to 2012. Due to unexpected adverse circumstances, the first 2 years were heavily dedicated to implementing the project's flagship, an MSc program in infectious and zoonotic diseases (MEIZ). In addition, infrastructure improvements and demand-driven continuing education opportunities were facilitated; biosafety and research ethics knowledge and practices were enhanced, and networks fostering collaborative work were created or expanded. Results The project coincided with the peak of UNAH's radical administrative reform and an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Challenges notwithstanding, in September 2009, MEIZ admitted the first cohort of students, all of whom undertook MDG-related projects graduating successfully by 2012. Importantly, MEIZ has been helpful in expanding the School of Microbiology's traditional etiology-based, disciplinary model to infectious disease teaching and research. By fulfilling its objectives, the project contributed to a stronger research culture upholding safety and ethical values at the university. Conclusions The resources and strategic vision afforded by the project enhanced UNAH's overall research capacity and its potential contribution

  4. A research capacity strengthening project for infectious diseases in Honduras: experience and lessons learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Ana Lourdes; Canales, Maritza; Enriquez, Lourdes; Bottazzi, Maria Elena; Zelaya, Ada Argentina; Espinoza, Vilma Esther; Fontecha, Gustavo Adolfo

    2013-08-07

    In Honduras, research capacity strengthening (RCS) has not received sufficient attention, but an increase in research competencies would enable local scientists to advance knowledge and contribute to national priorities, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This project aimed at strengthening research capacity in infectious diseases in Honduras, focusing on the School of Microbiology of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). The primary objective was the creation of a research-based graduate program for the continued training of researchers. Parallel objectives included institutional strengthening and the facilitation of partnerships and networks. Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, an RCS workplan was designed and undertaken from 2007 to 2012. Due to unexpected adverse circumstances, the first 2 years were heavily dedicated to implementing the project's flagship, an MSc program in infectious and zoonotic diseases (MEIZ). In addition, infrastructure improvements and demand-driven continuing education opportunities were facilitated; biosafety and research ethics knowledge and practices were enhanced, and networks fostering collaborative work were created or expanded. The project coincided with the peak of UNAH's radical administrative reform and an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Challenges notwithstanding, in September 2009, MEIZ admitted the first cohort of students, all of whom undertook MDG-related projects graduating successfully by 2012. Importantly, MEIZ has been helpful in expanding the School of Microbiology's traditional etiology-based, disciplinary model to infectious disease teaching and research. By fulfilling its objectives, the project contributed to a stronger research culture upholding safety and ethical values at the university. The resources and strategic vision afforded by the project enhanced UNAH's overall research capacity and its potential contribution to the MDGs. Furthermore, increased research

  5. The Education in Local Islamic Culture of Maulid Nabi Tradition: a Case Study in Nurul Yaqin Ringan-Ringan Pakandangan Padang Pariaman Boarding School

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Rivauzi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available A wave of globalization encourages intercultural contact more rapidly. This led to  an integration between the new values with the old ones that occur outside as well as inside the organization. This encourages the fusion of process and haziness value, even the erosion of the original values of the previously sacred and the identity of a nation. This paper focus on the tradition of Maulid Nabi as one of the local Islamic traditions in Nurul Yaqin Ringan-Ringan Pakandangan Padang Pariaman Boarding School. The tradition of the Maulid Nabi (Prophet's birthday is a particular religious practice as a result of the grounding the normative teachings of Islam into reality. Education through local Islamic culture is needed by a community in order to have resilience and ability to acquire the significance life such as found in the Nurul Yaqin Ringan-Ringan Pakandangan Pariaman Boarding School’s community. Keyword : Education, Local Islamic culture, and Warnings Birth of the ProphetCopyright © 2015 by Al-Ta'lim All right reserved

  6. U.S. Spanish and Education: Global and Local Intersections

    Science.gov (United States)

    García, Ofelia

    2014-01-01

    The author of this chapter argues that the failure of Spanish language education policies in the United States to educate both Latinos and non-Latinos has to do with the clash between three positions--(a) the English language, characterized by U.S. educational authorities as the unique and powerful lingua franca; (b) the Spanish language, as…

  7. Local Government Systems and Decentralization: Evidence from Pakistan’s Devolution Plan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Shakil Ahmad

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The discourse of governance and development practitioners continues to embrace community participation and community empowerment as an elementary means of building local capacity for poverty reduction, development and change at the local level. This article is a review of the decentralization initiatives of local government systems after the announcement of the devolution plan in Pakistan. It evaluates the initiatives’ participatory methods to ascertain the extent to which they have improved the process of community development at the local level. This article also measures the impact of community empowerment on the sustainability of community-driven projects implemented under the decentralization initiative through community-based organizations known as Citizen Community Boards (CCBs. Document analysis and literature review methodologies were employed to gain further insight into the decentralization phenomenon in Pakistan. The results describe human development, improvements in community empowerment and the sustainability of local projects; however, the sense of community has yet to be translated into shared benefits for rural communities. The fundamental goal of decentralization seems to be elusive because only power was transferred to the local level, whereas there is little support for community capacity building and community access to resources and the elites still control the electoral process. It is argued that community development initiatives in Pakistan require continuous support from local governments to boost local rural economies. Likewise, community-local government participatory development strategies can lead to strong local ownership and empowerment in rural communities.

  8. Capacity Development in an Undergraduate Nursing Program in Vietnam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunjoo Kang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Nurses are an essential human resource to ensure a healthy population and support the socio-economic development. However, little research has focused on the capacity development of nurses.Objective: The performance of a capacity development project for an undergraduate nursing program in Vietnam was reviewed to share lessons.Design: A descriptive case report.Setting: A baccalaureate nursing program in Vietnam from June 2014 to June 2016.Methods: A case report was analyzed in terms of the project's process, and the outcomes of 2 years' activities were evaluated.Results: Practice-based curriculum redesign and two basic nursing subjects were developed after five rounds of curriculum workshops. To improve application efficiency, two nursing experts were dispatched to provide instructions regarding the application of the new subjects. Three candidates were invited to complete their master's and doctoral studies in Korea. An advanced nursing education environment was supported with simulation labs equipped within a ubiquitous network. The result of experts' evaluation was excellent by every criterion of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development—Development Assistance Committee.Conclusions: The capacity development of a nursing program was possible through ownership, accountability, and results-based management. Gradual improvement in nursing academic and clinical capacity building based on research evidence can empower partner countries' nursing leadership. Introduction.

  9. Hybrid Discrete Differential Evolution Algorithm for Lot Splitting with Capacity Constraints in Flexible Job Scheduling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinli Xu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A two-level batch chromosome coding scheme is proposed to solve the lot splitting problem with equipment capacity constraints in flexible job shop scheduling, which includes a lot splitting chromosome and a lot scheduling chromosome. To balance global search and local exploration of the differential evolution algorithm, a hybrid discrete differential evolution algorithm (HDDE is presented, in which the local strategy with dynamic random searching based on the critical path and a random mutation operator is developed. The performance of HDDE was experimented with 14 benchmark problems and the practical dye vat scheduling problem. The simulation results showed that the proposed algorithm has the strong global search capability and can effectively solve the practical lot splitting problems with equipment capacity constraints.

  10. Local DER Driven Grid Support by Coordinated Operation of Devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warmer, C.J.; Kamphuis, I.G.

    2009-01-01

    In the traditional operation of electricity networks the system operator has a number of ancillary services available for preservation of system balance. These services are called upon near real-time, after the planning phase. Ancillary services consist of regulating power, reserve capacity and emergency capacity, each with their own characteristics. Regulating power is deployed via load frequency control. Reserve capacity is used to release regulating power and can be called upon to maintain a balance or to counterbalance or resolve transmission restrictions. Both are traded at the Dutch energy market under an auction model with a single buyer (TenneT). Emergency capacity is rewarded on the basis of accessibility/availability within 15 minutes. In local electricity networks neither planning nor ancillary services exist. Planning is done by aggregation into large customer groups. For ancillary services one relies on the system operation as sketched above. In local electricity networks with a large share of distributed generation the costs of keeping the electricity system reliable and stable will increase further and technical problems may arise. The European SmartGrids initiative responds to these challenges in their strategic research agenda. One of the issues addressed in this agenda is the changing role of the distribution grid in which users get a more active role. One opportunity is the introduction of ancillary-type services at the distribution level, utilizing different types of producing and consuming devices in the local network, in order to make the total system more dependable. Distributed generation has a number of characteristics that are similar to characteristics of consumption. Part of it is intermittent / variable, although to a large extent predictable (PV, wind versus lighting, electronic devices). Another part is task-driven (micro-CHP versus electrical heating). Yet another part is controllable or shiftable in time. And storage can behave both

  11. Community Participation in the Impact Aid Program. Special Impact Aid Provisions for Local Education Agencies That Claim Entitlements Based on the Number of Children Residing on Indian Lands, Public Law 81-874.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (ED), Washington, DC.

    Created in 1950, the Impact Aid program provides financial assistance to local education agencies (LEAs) in areas affected by federal activity. The program gives a direct general aid payment to LEAs that: (1) have lost local revenue as a result of land purchases by the federal government; (2) provide education to children who reside on federal…

  12. Expanding leadership capacity: educational levels for nurse leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoder-Wise, Patricia S; Scott, Elaine S; Sullivan, Dori Taylor

    2013-06-01

    A master's degree in nursing administration prepares the nurse to lead nursing and interprofessional teams, to create new and innovative approaches to improve care processes and outcomes, as well as traditional management responsibilities related to budgets, human resources, quality and safety, and a healthy work environment. Are we not at a critical juncture in our profession when we should challenge the profession to require a master's degree education for all levels of nursing administration?

  13. The scaling of population persistence with carrying capacity does not asymptote in populations of a fish experiencing extreme climate variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Richard S A; Wintle, Brendan A; McHugh, Peter A; Booker, Douglas J; McIntosh, Angus R

    2017-06-14

    Despite growing concerns regarding increasing frequency of extreme climate events and declining population sizes, the influence of environmental stochasticity on the relationship between population carrying capacity and time-to-extinction has received little empirical attention. While time-to-extinction increases exponentially with carrying capacity in constant environments, theoretical models suggest increasing environmental stochasticity causes asymptotic scaling, thus making minimum viable carrying capacity vastly uncertain in variable environments. Using empirical estimates of environmental stochasticity in fish metapopulations, we showed that increasing environmental stochasticity resulting from extreme droughts was insufficient to create asymptotic scaling of time-to-extinction with carrying capacity in local populations as predicted by theory. Local time-to-extinction increased with carrying capacity due to declining sensitivity to demographic stochasticity, and the slope of this relationship declined significantly as environmental stochasticity increased. However, recent 1 in 25 yr extreme droughts were insufficient to extirpate populations with large carrying capacity. Consequently, large populations may be more resilient to environmental stochasticity than previously thought. The lack of carrying capacity-related asymptotes in persistence under extreme climate variability reveals how small populations affected by habitat loss or overharvesting, may be disproportionately threatened by increases in extreme climate events with global warming. © 2017 The Author(s).

  14. Characteristics of health education among secondary schools--School Health Education Profiles, 1996.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grunbaum, J A; Kann, L; Williams, B I; Kinchen, S A; Collins, J L; Kolbe, L J

    1998-09-11

    School health education (e.g., classroom training) is an essential component of school health programs; such education promotes the health of youth and improves overall public health. February-May 1996. The School Health Education Profiles monitor characteristics of health education in middle or junior high schools and senior high schools. The Profiles are school-based surveys conducted by state and local education agencies. This report summarizes results from 35 state surveys and 13 local surveys conducted among representative samples of school principals and lead health education teachers. The lead health education teacher is the person who coordinates health education policies and programs within a middle or junior high school and senior high school. During the study period, almost all schools in states and cities required health education in grades 6-12; of these, a median of 87.6% of states and 75.8% of cities taught a separate health education course. The median percentage of schools that tried to increase student knowledge on certain topics (i.e., prevention of tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, violence, or suicide; dietary behaviors and nutrition; and physical activity and fitness) was > 72% for each of these topics. The median percentage of schools that tried to improve certain student skills (i.e., communication, decision making, goal setting, resisting social pressures, nonviolent conflict resolution, stress management, and analysis of media messages) was > 69% for each of these skills. The median percentage of schools that had a health education teacher coordinate health education was 33.0% across states and 26.8% across cities. Almost all schools taught HIV education as part of a required health education course (state median: 94.3%; local median: 98.1%), and more than half (state median: 69.5%; local median: 82.5%) had a written policy on HIV infection

  15. Building capacity in the rural physiotherapy workforce: a paediatric training partnership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, E N; McMeeken, J M

    2014-01-01

    Building capacity in the rural physiotherapy workforce: a paediatric training partnership' provided 6 months postgraduate paediatric clinical and academic training for two physiotherapists in rural Australia. It is described as a model for improving services and workforce retention. The need for 'an appropriate, skilled and well-supported health workforce' is the third goal in Australia's National Strategic Framework for Rural and Remote Health 2011. The World Health Organization recently published its first global policy for improving the retention of rural and remote health workers. Education is its first recommendation and aims to 'design continuing education and professional development programmes that meet the needs of rural health workers and that are accessible from where they live and work, so as to support their retention …'. Additionally, '… to be successful, continuing education needs to be linked to career paths, as well as with other education interventions'. The problem is a lack of paediatric physiotherapy expertise in rural areas due to an absence of postgraduate clinical training opportunities in the rural workforce. The result is fragmented local services for families who are forced to travel to metropolitan services, costly in terms of both time and money. The aims were to improve local paediatric physiotherapy clinical services, provide physiotherapists additional access to professional development and subsequently provide a career path to retain these health professionals. Evaluation of the project used purpose-built questionnaires as there are no specific indicators to monitor the performance of systems and services that are available to children and families in Australia. The paediatric physiotherapy training program was enabled through initial funding for a 12-month pilot project. Further government funding built on that success for this reported 6-month project. Funding to employ the postgraduate physiotherapists was essential to the

  16. Social Justice and Capacity for Self-Development in Educational Systems in European Union

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Bo-Ruey

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores social justice and equity in educational policies and systems in the European Union, and analyzes the significance within. Equity indicators of the European educational systems, "Equity of the European Educational Systems: A set of indicators" declared in 2006, introduces the debates on educational justice issues on…

  17. Challenges in developing health promoting schools' project: application of global traits in local realm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fathi, Behrouz; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Shaghaghi, Abdolreza; Kousha, Ahmad; Jannati, Ali

    2014-01-01

    Despite the importance of student health and school hygiene as an aspect of the infrastructure of community health, few feasibility studies have been conducted on school health programs in developing countries. This study examined possible barriers to and challenges of such programs from the executive perspective in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran. This qualitative study used the content analysis approach to recognize barriers to and challenges of health promoting school program from the executive perspective. Fourteen experts were selected in the areas of children and adolescents and school health, physical education and school headmasters. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Five themes were extracted as major barriers and challenges: 1. Intraand inter-sectorial collaboration; 2. Policy and rule formulation; 3. Infrastructure and capacity; 4. Human resources; 5. Community involvement. The localized version of the current health promoting school program had major faults. If this program is considered to be a healthcare system priority, it should be revised to set effective policies for implementation and to sustain school health programs based on the capacities and objectives of each country.

  18. Challenges in Developing Health Promoting Schools’ Project: Application of Global Traits in Local Realm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Behrouz Fathi

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Despite the importance of student health and school hygiene as an aspect of the infrastructure of community health, few feasibility studies have been conducted on school health programs in developing countries. This study examined possible barriers to and challenges of such programs from the executive perspective in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran. Methods: This qualitative study used the content analysis approach to recognize barriers to and challenges of health promoting school program from the executive perspective. Fourteen experts were selected in the areas of children and adolescents and school health, physical education and school headmasters. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: Five themes were extracted as major barriers and challenges: 1. Intraand inter-sectorial collaboration; 2. Policy and rule formulation; 3. Infrastructure and capacity; 4. Human resources; 5. Community involvement. Conclusion: The localized version of the current health promoting school program had major faults. If this program is considered to be a healthcare system priority, it should be revised to set effective policies for implementation and to sustain school health programs based on the capacities and objectives of each country.

  19. Globalizing Education, Educating the Local: How Method Made Us Mad

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stronach, Ian

    2011-01-01

    This book offers a critical and deconstructive account of global discourses on education, arguing that these overblown "hypernarratives" are neither economically, technically nor philosophically defensible. Nor even sane. Their "mythic economic instrumentalism" mimic rather than meet the economic needs of global capitalism in…

  20. Curriculum Reform and the Displacement of Knowledge in Peruvian Rural Secondary Schools: Exploring the Unintended Local Consequences of Global Education Policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balarin, Maria; Benavides, Martin

    2010-01-01

    This paper draws attention to processes of policy implementation in developing contexts, and to the unintended consequences of education policies that follow international policy scripts without enough consideration of local histories and cultures. Drawing on a study of teaching practices in Peruvian rural secondary schools after a period of…

  1. An Integrated Approach to Supplying the Local Table: Perceptions of Consumers, Producers, and Restaurateurs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wise, Dena; Sneed, Christopher; Velandia, Margarita; Berry, Ann; Rhea, Alice; Fairhurst, Ann

    2013-01-01

    The Local Table project compared results from parallel surveys of consumers and restaurateurs regarding local food purchasing and use. Results were also compared with producers' perception of, capacity for and participation in direct marketing through local venues, on-farm outlets, and restaurants. The surveys found consumers' and restaurateurs'…

  2. Addressing NCDs through research and capacity building in LMICs: lessons learned from tobacco control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturke, Rachel; Vorkoper, Susan; Duncan, Kalina; Levintova, Marya; Parascondola, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Confronting the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis requires a critical mass of scientists who are well versed in regional health problems and understand the cultural, social, economic, and political contexts that influence the effectiveness of interventions. Investments in global NCD research must be accompanied by contributions to local research capacity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fogarty International Center have a long-standing commitment to supporting research capacity building and addressing the growing burden of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. One program in particular, the NIH International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program (TOBAC program), offers an important model for conducting research and building research capacity simultaneously. This article describes the lessons learned from this unique funding model and demonstrates how a relatively modest investment can make important contributions to scientific evidence and capacity building that could inform ongoing and future efforts to tackle the global burden of NCDs.

  3. Addressing NCDs through research and capacity building in LMICs: lessons learned from tobacco control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Sturke

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Confronting the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs crisis requires a critical mass of scientists who are well versed in regional health problems and understand the cultural, social, economic, and political contexts that influence the effectiveness of interventions. Investments in global NCD research must be accompanied by contributions to local research capacity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH and the Fogarty International Center have a long-standing commitment to supporting research capacity building and addressing the growing burden of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. One program in particular, the NIH International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program (TOBAC program, offers an important model for conducting research and building research capacity simultaneously. This article describes the lessons learned from this unique funding model and demonstrates how a relatively modest investment can make important contributions to scientific evidence and capacity building that could inform ongoing and future efforts to tackle the global burden of NCDs.

  4. Civic engagement and local government strategies for sustainable local community development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Jacob Norvig

    Across Europe more and more citizens involve in voluntary grassroots and NGO activity. Concurrently, more local and national governments express an interest in increasing collaboration with voluntary organisations. The curiosity and interest as regards voluntary labour from public bodies seems...... to have grown as the financial crisis puts more and more pressure on municipal and national budgets. As such, the contribution of voluntary associations is seem as a supplement to more and more reduced public services, particularly within the social services field, care for the elderly, etc. but even...... in local communities and in relation to social capital, the diversity within the world of voluntary organisations, and the difference in views between public planners and volunteers of the role of volunteers. Three cases illustrate this as well as the need for capacity building of VCOs and the urban...

  5. climate change adaptation strategies by local farmers in kilombero

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Osondu

    climatic stresses? What are institutions and political structures influencing local farmer's adaptive capacity? ... ability of the systems to adjust to climate change and has three ..... seedlings, and use of improved seed varieties. Political structures ...

  6. Urgency of Capacity Building in Local Finance Management on Decentralization Era (The Dynamic of Parking Taxes Management at Banguntapan District, Bantul Region DI Yogyakarta Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bambang Sunaryo

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Capacity building of local finance management becomes important on decentralizations era. Empirically this research is aim to show that the parking tax management at glance seen as an administrative- procedural policy domain cannot release from phenomena on the existence of problematic pathology for regional financial management. District of Bantul Banguntapan characteristic as its suburbs form the main attraction in the selection of research because of the general locus in sub-urban area, began to metamorphose into a parking tax revenues from regions that contribute to the area though not as big financial contribution income tax parking tax in urban areas. The Banguntapan sub district was chosen as analysis unit in this research to represent the issue of parking tax management in sub urban area of Bantul. This was due to the characteristic of Bantul area as sub urban area that can be seen from the characteristics of sub urban in Banguntapan sub district. Moreover, the Banguntapan sub district is the only area in Bantul which has a parking tax subject that the cost is self-assessment and flat thus the dynamic of local finance managing problems can be observed and in-depth analysed in Banguntapan sub district to seek the comparison of those 2 parking tax collection systems.

  7. The Investment Capacities of the Ukrainian Economy the EU countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. S.

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with selected aspects of investment in the context of the enhanced competition at investment markets and the need to increase the investment performance. A review of literary sources shows that investment capacities essentially refer to the economy’s capability to fund processes or phases related with generation of innovation, formation and modernization of fixed assets or intangible assets; development of education, research and information sectors; reproduction, support and creation of national wealth. It is emphasized that formation and realization of investment capacities in the economy can be attributed to processes that have significant effects for economic performance in the long run, especially when the capacities are innovative. The author’s definition of investment capacities of the economy is given, as the capacity to support financially the upward investment trend through accumulating fixed capital and increasing the profit rate from its generation in current and medium-term periods. The existing methodology for assessment of investment capacities at country level is analyzed; recommendations to improve the system of aggregated investment statistics, taking into account the Eurostat methodology, are given. Statistical indicators measuring the investment capacities in EU countries and Ukraine are analyzed. The analysis shows that the investment rate in Ukrainian industrial enterprises was 21.8% in 2014 and 19.6% in 2015, giving an indication of downward investment trend and the shrinking investment capacities of the national economy. Growth in the share of profit in the value added in 2015 by 6.7 percentage points (to 47.3% compared with 2014 is evidence that instead of investing internal resources, enterprises use them to cover financial loses or tend to take them off the national boundaries. Upward investment trend can be recovered by the increased supply of investment projects with low level of investment risk

  8. Capacity building in the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caruso, Gustavo

    2014-01-01

    Conclusion and Future Challenges: • Momentum on Nuclear Safety; • To continue strengthening, developing, maintaining and implementing capacity building programmes, including education, training and exercises at the national, regional and international levels; • To ensure sufficient and competent human resources necessary to assume responsibility for safety; • To incorporate lessons learned from the accident based on the IEMs and IAEA Fukushima Report

  9. Development of a quality assurance handbook to improve educational courses in Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Purnell Sue

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The attainment of the Millennium Development Goals has been hampered by the lack of skilled and well-informed health care workers in many developing countries. The departure of health care workers from developing countries is one of the most important causes. One of the motivations for leaving is that developed countries have well-established health care systems that incorporate continuing medical education, which enables health care workers to develop their skills and knowledge base. This provision is lacking in many developing countries. The provision of higher-education programmes of good quality within developing countries therefore, contributes to building capacity of the health care workforce in these countries. Methods The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is involved in delivering off-site higher educational programmes to health care workers in Africa. Our colleagues at one of these sites requested a guide to help them ensure that their professional development courses met international educational standards. We reviewed published literature that outlines the principles of quality assurance in higher education from various institutions worldwide. Using this information, we designed a handbook that outlines the quality assurance principles in a simple and practical way. This was intended to enable institutions, even in developing countries, to adapt these principles in accordance with their local resource capacity. We subsequently piloted this handbook at one of the sites in Ghana. The feedback from this aided the development of the handbook. The development of this handbook was participatory in nature. Results The handbook addresses six main themes that are the minimum requirements that a higher education course should incorporate to ensure that it meets internationally recognized standards. These include: recruitment and admissions, course design and delivery, student assessments, approval and review processes

  10. Regional approach to building operational level capacity for disaster planning: the case of the Eastern Africa region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazeyo, W; Mayega, R W; Orach, G C; Kiguli, J; Mamuya, S; Tabu, J S; Sena, L; Rugigana, E; Mapatano, M; Lewy, D; Mock, N; Burnham, G; Keim, M; Killewo, J

    2013-06-01

    The Eastern Africa region is regularly affected by a variety of disasters ranging from drought, to human conflict and population displacement. The magnitude of emergencies and response capacities is similar across the region. In order to strengthen public health disaster management capacities at the operational level in six countries of the Eastern Africa region, the USAID-funded leadership project worked through the HEALTH Alliance, a network of seven schools of public health from six countries in the region to train district-level teams. To develop a sustainable regional approach to building operational level capacity for disaster planning. This project was implemented through a higher education leadership initiative. Project activities were spear-headed by a network of Deans and Directors of public health schools within local universities in the Eastern Africa region. The leadership team envisioned a district-oriented systems change strategy. Pre-service and in-service curricula were developed regionally and district teams were formed to attend short training courses. Project activities began with a situational analysis of the disaster management capacity at national and operational levels. The next steps were chronologically the formation of country training teams and training of trainers, the development of a regional disaster management training curriculum and training materials, the cascading of training activities in the region, and the incorporation of emerging issues into the training curriculum. An evaluation model included the analysis of preparedness impact of the training program. The output from the district teams was the creation of individual district-level disaster plans and their implementation. This 4-year project focused on building operational level public health emergency response capacity, which had not previously been part of any national program. Use of the all-hazard approach rather than a scenario-based contingency planning led to the

  11. Integrating local environmental research into K-12 science classrooms and the value of graduate student-educator partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, N. D.; Petrik-Finley, R.

    2015-12-01

    Collaboration between researchers and K-12 educators enables an invaluable exchange of teaching philosophies and educational tools. Programs that partner graduate students with K-12 educators serve the dual purpose of training future educators and providing K-12 students with unique opportunities and perspectives. The benefits of this type of partnership include providing students with enhanced educational experiences and positive student-mentor relationships, training STEM graduate students in effective teaching strategies, and providing teachers with a firsthand resource for scientific information and novel educational materials. Many high school students have had little exposure to science beyond the classroom. Frequent interactions with "real-life" scientists can help make science more approachable and is an effective strategy for promoting science as a career. Here I describe my experiences and several lessons designed as a NSK GK-12 fellow. For example, a month-long unit on biogeochemical principles was framed as a crime scene investigation of a fish kill event in Hood Canal, Washington, in which students were given additional pieces of evidence to solve the mystery as they satisfied checkpoints in their understanding of key concepts. The evidence pieces included scientific plots, maps, datasets, and laboratory exercises. A clear benefit of this investigation-style unit is that students were able to learn the material at their individual pace. This structure allowed for a streamlined integration of differentiated materials such as simplified background readings or visual learning aids for struggling students or more detailed news articles and primary literature for more advanced students. Although the NSF GK-12 program has been archived, educators and researchers should pursue new partnerships, leveraging local and state-level STEM outreach programs with the goal of increasing national exposure of the societal benefits of such synergistic activities.

  12. Health and equity in all policies in local government: processes and outcomes in two Norwegian municipalities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Heimburg, Dina; Hakkebo, Berit

    2017-08-01

    To identify key factors in implementing Health and Equity in All Policies (HEiAP) at the local level in two Norwegian municipalities in order to accelerate the progress of promoting health, well-being and equity in other local governments. This case study is presented as a narrative from policy-making processes in two Norwegian municipalities. The story is told from an insider perspective, with a focus on HEiAP policy makers in these two municipalities. The narrative identified key learning from implementing HEiAP at the local level, i.e. the importance of strengthening system and human capacities. System capacity is strengthened by governing HEiAP according to national legislation and a holistic governance system at the local level. Municipal plans are based on theory, evidence and local data. A 'main story' is developed to support the vision, defining joint societal goals and co-creation strategies. Policies are anchored by measuring and monitoring outcomes, sharing accountability and continuous dialogue to ensure political commitment. Human capacity is strengthened through participatory leadership, soft skills and health promotion competences across sectors. Health promotion competence at a strategic level in the organization, participation in professional networks, crowd sourcing toward common goals, and commitment through winning hearts and minds of politicians and other stakeholders are vital aspects. Our experience pinpoints the importance of strengthening system and human capacity in local governments. Further, we found it important to focus on the two strategic objectives in the European strategy 'Health 2020': (1) Improving health for all and reducing health inequalities; (2) improving leadership and participatory governance for health.

  13. Capacity Measurement with the UIC 406 Capacity Method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landex, Alex; Schittenhelm, Bernd; Kaas, Anders H.

    2008-01-01

    This article describes the fast and effective UIC 406 method for calculating capacity consumption on railway lines. It is possible to expound the UIC 406 method in different ways which can lead to different capacity consumptions. Therefore, this article describes how the methodology is expounded...

  14. Design, development and implementation of inclusive education.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mooij, Ton; Smeets, Ed

    2016-01-01

    In inclusive education different pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and high ability pupils, can be stimulated to learn according to their capacities and potentials. The research question concentrates on the design features of inclusive education that will optimally promote the

  15. Openness in Education: Claims, Concepts, and Perspectives for Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Theo Hug

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Characteristics of openness can be found in many respects throughout the history of education. From Comenius’ call for pedagogical reform to postmodern educational theory, requirements of access, social justice, creativity, knowledge sharing, innovation, and capacity building have been emphasized in various ways. The chapter provides an outline of different understandings and notions of openness in educational contexts as well a discussion of their relevance for openness towards academic knowledge cultures and different forms of knowledge. Finally, the contribution highlights organizational, methodological, and critical perspectives as three aspects which appear to be undervalued in current debates about openness in higher education.

  16. Addressing education of speech-language pathologists in the World Report on Disability: development of a speech-language pathology program in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Kartini; Ibrahim, Hasherah; Othman, Basyariatul Fathi; Vong, Etain

    2013-02-01

    The current paper is a response to the Wiley, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall lead article regarding the application of the World Report on Disability (WRD) to people with communication disorders. The current paper directly addresses recommendation 5 (improvement of human resource capacity) and indirectly addresses recommendations 7, 8, and 9 (related to improving local knowledge and data on communicative disabilities) indirectly. The paper describes Malaysia's initiatives in the early 1990s, in developing its local professional capacity to provide services for people with communication disorders (PWCD). It charts the history of development of a local undergraduate entry-level degree program for speech-language pathology (SLP) from the point of conceptualization to full execution. The article provides glimpses to the processes and challenges faced by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as the pioneer university in the South East Asia region to undertake the training and education of the SLP profession and highlights relevant issues faced by newly introduced professions in a country where resources and practice traditions were previously unavailable. It underscores the important role played by government institutions and an international professional network in driving forward-looking policies to implement and sustain the program.

  17. Coproductive capacities: rethinking science-governance relations in a diverse world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorrae E. van Kerkhoff

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Tackling major environmental change issues requires effective partnerships between science and governance, but relatively little work in this area has examined the diversity of settings from which such partnerships may, or may not, emerge. In this special feature we draw on experiences from around the world to demonstrate and investigate the consequences of diverse capacities and capabilities in bringing science and governance together. We propose the concept of coproductive capacities as a useful new lens through which to examine these relations. Coproductive capacity is "the combination of scientific resources and governance capability that shapes the extent to which a society, at various levels, can operationalize relationships between scientific and public, private, and civil society institutions and actors to effect scientifically-informed social change." This recasts the relationships between science and society from notions of "gaps" to notions of interconnectedness and interplay (coproduction; alongside the societal foundations that shape what is or is not possible in that dynamic connection (capacities. The articles in this special feature apply this concept to reveal social, political, and institutional conditions that both support and inhibit high-quality environmental governance as global issues are tackled in particular places. Across these articles we suggest that five themes emerge as important to understanding coproductive capacity: history, experience, and perceptions; quality of relationships (especially in suboptimal settings; disjunct across scales; power, interests, and legitimacy; and alternative pathways for environmental governance. Taking a coproductive capacities perspective can help us identify which interventions may best enable scientifically informed, but locally sensitive approaches to environmental governance.

  18. Responsibility and Capacities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ryberg, Jesper

    2014-01-01

    That responsible moral agency presupposes certain mental capacities, constitutes a widely accepted view among theorists. Moreover, it is often assumed that degrees in the development of the relevant capacities co-vary with degrees of responsibility. In this article it is argued that, the move from...... the view that responsibility requires certain mental capacities to the position that degrees of responsibility co-vary with degrees of the development of the mental capacities, is premature....

  19. Using Local Data To Advance Quantitative Literacy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen Sweet

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available In this article we consider the application of local data as a means of advancing quantitative literacy. We illustrate the use of three different sources of local data: institutional data, Census data, and the National College Health Assessment survey. Our learning modules are applied in courses in sociology and communication, but the strategy of using local data can be integrated beyond these disciplinary boundaries. We demonstrate how these data can be used to stimulate student interests in class discussion, advance analytic skills, as well as develop capacities in written and verbal communication. We conclude by considering concerns that may influence the types of local data used and the challenges of integrating these data in a course in which quantitative analysis is not typically part of the curriculum.

  20. Children capacity in disaster risk reduction: A call for action

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Mohammadinia

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Disasters have various physical, psychological, social and economical effects on all age group, particularly children who are more vulnerable than adults. In the aftermath of disasters, children like pregnant women, elderly and handicaps are special group with special needs. This is because they are at greater risk based on their specific physiological and psychological characteristics. Moreover,, according to the Sendai document, children need more attention in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRRprograms design, policies implementation with a proactive approach in Disaster Risk Reduction (1. In the Sendai document it is emphasized that policies regarding disaster risk reduction, cognition and risk perception about the risk property should be considered based upon the hazards and the environment in terms of vulnerability, capacity and exposure (2.Hyogo framework for action was also already have been focused on child priority on the legislation program (3. Accordingly, it is necessary to involve children in disaster risk reduction programs actively in order to overcome their needs and their problems (4. As children are more affected groups in various aspects of disasters in most countries, their potential utilization, the conditions and space should be provided based on laws, national policies, training and capacity. Although after disaster children required particular needs and attention(5-6, they should be considered as an active group who could participate in DRR program and help their family and also the community.(4, 7 Some evidences suggest on value of children team working for community preparedness. Iran had a successful experience for using adolescence capacity as a pillar in activation of early warning; including notification announced while observing the rising sea levels for local community in order to reduce the risk of flood disaster at a local area in the North of Iran. According to the Hyogo and the Sendai documents, it seems that using