Predicting IT Governance Performance : A Method for Model-Based Decision Making

OpenAIRE

Simonsson, Mårten

2008-01-01

Contemporary enterprises are largely dependent on Information Technology (IT), which makes decision making on IT matters important. There are numerous issues that confuse IT decision making, including contradictive business needs, financial constraints, lack of communication between business and IT stakeholders and difficulty in understanding the often heterogeneous and integrated IT systems. The discipline of IT governance aims at providing the decision making structures, processes, and rela...

Knowing Better: Improving Collective Decision Making in Higher Education Shared Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Manick, Christopher J. D.

2016-01-01

This dissertation addresses the question: Should higher education governance and decision-making be an elite or collective responsibility? It brings into conversation (i) the debate over the future of shared (i.e. participatory, faculty) governance in higher education, and (ii) research in democratic theory, specifically the epistemic defense of…

Models of governance in multihospital systems. Implications for hospital and system-level decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Morlock, L L; Alexander, J A

1986-12-01

This study utilizes data from a national survey of 159 multihospital systems in order to describe the types of governance structures currently being utilized, and to compare the policy making process for various types of decisions in systems with different approaches to governance. Survey results indicate that multihospital systems most often use one of three governance models. Forty-one percent of the systems (including 33% of system hospitals) use a parent holding company model in which there is a system-wide corporate governing board and separate governing boards for each member hospital. Twenty-two percent of systems in the sample (but 47% of all system hospitals) utilize what we have termed a modified parent holding company model in which there is one system-wide governing board, but advisory boards are substituted for governing boards at the local hospital level. Twenty-three percent of the sampled systems (including 11% of system hospitals) use a corporate model in which there is one system-wide governing board but no other governing or advisory boards at either the divisional, regional or local hospital levels. A comparison of systems using these three governance approaches found significant variation in terms of system size, ownership and the geographic proximity of member hospitals. In order to examine the relationship between alternative approaches to governance and patterns of decision-making, the three model types were compared with respect to the percentages of systems reporting that local boards, corporate management and/or system-wide corporate boards have responsibility for decision-making in a number of specific issue areas. Study results indicate that, regardless of model type, corporate boards are most likely to have responsibility for decisions regarding the transfer, pledging and sale of assets; the formation of new companies; purchase of assets greater than $100,000; changes in hospital bylaws; and the appointment of local board members. In

A comparative study of factors influencing decisions on desired family size among married men and women in Bokkos, a rural local government area in Plateau state.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahansim, Makshwar L; Hadejia, Idris S; Sambo, Mohammed N

2013-03-01

The total fertility rate of Nigerian women has remained high at 5.7. This is even higher for women in rural areas. Men and women in rural areas desire more children than those in urban areas. This study was aimed at describing and comparing the factors that influence family size decisions among men and women in Bokkos, a rural Local Government Area in Plateau state, Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive comparative study was used. Data was collected using structured interviewer administered questionnaires. Seventy two percent of women and 83.6% of men who desire to have 1-4 children had at least a secondary school education. Close to seventy percent of both men and women would have fewer children if they are certain of their survival to adulthood. Over 50% of the respondents believe that the husbands should have the final say on family size decisions. Preference for male children influences decisions on family size among men and women in the study population.

BRICS STATES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE: THE WTO CASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra G. Koval

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The rise of emerging powers in the world economy has a significant impact on the transformation of global economic governance. The countries with emerging economies seek to enhance their role in international economic organizations and decision-making at the global level. The main players here are the BRICS countries. The contradictions between these countries and Western states represent a modern challenge to the functioning of the global governance. This is clearly demonstrated by the failure of the international trade negotiations under the WTO, which leads to the shift of member states’ priorities towards megaregional trade agreements and indicates the need for changes in the organization. The WTO cannot be seen today as a “rich men’s club” since emerging powers are eager to actively participate in trade negotiations, while recognizing the established rules and regulations. Despite the attempts of certain cooperation in their policies, BRICS countries differ in their trade interests. These states not only play different roles at the world markets of goods and services, but also apply various tariff and non-tariff measures. Moreover, a significant number of protectionist measures affects intra-BRICS trade. These differences complicate the cooperation of emerging powers in the international trading system and entangle the process of transformation of global economic governance.

Governance, Government, and the Search for New Provider Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard B. Saltman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A central problem in designing effective models of provider governance in health systems has been to ensure an appropriate balance between the concerns of public sector and/or government decision-makers, on the one hand, and of non-governmental health services actors in civil society and private life, on the other. In tax-funded European health systems up to the 1980s, the state and other public sector decision-makers played a dominant role over health service provision, typically operating hospitals through national or regional governments on a command-and-control basis. In a number of countries, however, this state role has started to change, with governments first stepping out of direct service provision and now de facto pushed to focus more on steering provider organizations rather than on direct public management. In this new approach to provider governance, the state has pulled back into a regulatory role that introduces market-like incentives and management structures, which then apply to both public and private sector providers alike. This article examines some of the main operational complexities in implementing this new governance reality/strategy, specifically from a service provision (as opposed to mostly a financing or even regulatory perspective. After briefly reviewing some of the key theoretical dilemmas, the paper presents two case studies where this new approach was put into practice: primary care in Sweden and hospitals in Spain. The article concludes that good governance today needs to reflect practical operational realities if it is to have the desired effect on health sector reform outcome.

Governance, Government, and the Search for New Provider Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Saltman, Richard B; Duran, Antonio

2015-11-03

A central problem in designing effective models of provider governance in health systems has been to ensure an appropriate balance between the concerns of public sector and/or government decision-makers, on the one hand, and of non-governmental health services actors in civil society and private life, on the other. In tax-funded European health systems up to the 1980s, the state and other public sector decision-makers played a dominant role over health service provision, typically operating hospitals through national or regional governments on a command-and-control basis. In a number of countries, however, this state role has started to change, with governments first stepping out of direct service provision and now de facto pushed to focus more on steering provider organizations rather than on direct public management. In this new approach to provider governance, the state has pulled back into a regulatory role that introduces market-like incentives and management structures, which then apply to both public and private sector providers alike. This article examines some of the main operational complexities in implementing this new governance reality/strategy, specifically from a service provision (as opposed to mostly a financing or even regulatory) perspective. After briefly reviewing some of the key theoretical dilemmas, the paper presents two case studies where this new approach was put into practice: primary care in Sweden and hospitals in Spain. The article concludes that good governance today needs to reflect practical operational realities if it is to have the desired effect on health sector reform outcome. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Federal Grants to State and Local Governments

Science.gov (United States)

Congressional Budget Office, 2013

2013-01-01

In fiscal year 2011, the federal government provided $607 billion in grants to state and local governments. Those funds accounted for 17 percent of federal outlays, 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and a quarter of spending by state and local governments that year. Over the past 30 years, those "intergovernmental" grants--financial…

Joint Participation in Decision Making: A Study of Faculty Government and Faculty-Administrative Consultation at Fresno State College.

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, W. L.; And Others

This is one of a group of studies on faculty organization and faculty government. Fresno State College was studied for (1) the nature and effectiveness of the procedures that had been devised for faculty-administrative consultation, (2) the process of faculty and administrative participation in governance through the Academic Senate and selected…

Data as a Strategic Resource: Self-determination, Governance, and the Data Challenge for Indigenous Nations in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Carroll Rainie

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Data about Indigenous populations in the United States are inconsistent and irrelevant. Federal and state governments and researchers direct most collection, analysis, and use of data about U.S. Indigenous populations. Indigenous Peoples’ justified mistrust further complicates the collection and use of these data. Nonetheless, tribal leaders and communities depend on these data to inform decision making. Reliance on data that do not reflect tribal needs, priorities, and self-conceptions threatens tribal self-determination. Tribal data sovereignty through governance of data on Indigenous populations is long overdue. This article provides two case studies of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and their demographic and socioeconomic data initiatives to create locally and culturally relevant data for decision making.

Governance, Sustainability and Decision Making in Water and Sanitation Management Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martín Alejandro Iribarnegaray

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We explore the connections between the concepts of governance and sustainability and discuss their possible roles in water and sanitation management systems (WSMS. We see governance as a decision-making process that drives the relationship between social institutions and the public affairs of a given society. We understand sustainability as a combination of spatial, temporal, and personal aspects, and we argue that this definition is more comprehensive than the traditional triple bottom line of economy, environment, and society. We combined these two concepts into a new conceptual framework of “governance for sustainability” that is theoretically sound and arguably appropriate to understand local WSMS. To illustrate this framework, we developed and estimated a Sustainable Water Governance Index (SWGI for the city of Salta, Argentina. This aggregated index was calculated with data from literature, information from the city’s water company and other local institutions, field visits, and interviews. The SWGI for Salta obtained an overall score of 49 on a 0–100 scale, which fell into the “danger” range. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the method and conclude that aggregated indices such as the SWGI, complemented with contextual information, can be a helpful decision-making tool to promote more sustainable WSMS.

Understanding and applying principles of social cognition and decision making in adaptive environmental governance

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental governance systems are under greater pressure to adapt and to cope with increased social and ecological uncertainty from stressors like climate change. We review principles of social cognition and decision making that shape and constrain how environmental governance...

International survey of government decisions and recommendations following Fukushima

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okyar, H.B.

2011-01-01

A key issue in nuclear emergency management is the need to keep decision makers informed of the details of a situation which is evolving quickly. For example, decision makers need the latest information, and periodic updates, when making decisions regarding advice to citizens, policies on the import and export of food and goods, and industries that may be affected. During the 17 March 2011 meeting of the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies (IACRNE), which was the first of a series of meetings following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, participants discussed the possibility of establishing a 'database' of the decisions and recommendations made by various governments at an early stage of the Fukushima accident, as well as updating and modifying the database as long as it remained of use. The IACRNE agreed that this information would be very useful, and mandated the NEA to try to collect it. In total, 34 countries (26 NEA members) participated in the survey. The survey results were consolidated into a single document indicating the country, the decision taken or recommendation made, the applicable date and the population concerned. It is important to note that countries submitted differing amounts of information at different points in time during the accident's progression. The survey results indicate that an international overview is required to better understand how national governmental decision-making could be further co-ordinated. The NEA has undertaken some initiatives to analyse the types of decisions made, including the information available and necessary to support such decisions, and the implications for co-ordination needs and mechanisms

Nanotoxicology and nanomedicine: making development decisions in an evolving governance environment

Science.gov (United States)

Rycroft, Taylor; Trump, Benjamin; Poinsatte-Jones, Kelsey; Linkov, Igor

2018-02-01

The fields of nanomedicine, risk analysis, and decision science have evolved considerably in the past decade, providing developers of nano-enabled therapies and diagnostic tools with more complete information than ever before and shifting a fundamental requisite of the nanomedical community from the need for more information about nanomaterials to the need for a streamlined method of integrating the abundance of nano-specific information into higher-certainty product design decisions. The crucial question facing nanomedicine developers that must select the optimal nanotechnology in a given situation has shifted from "how do we estimate nanomaterial risk in the absence of good risk data?" to "how can we derive a holistic characterization of the risks and benefits that a given nanomaterial may pose within a specific nanomedical application?" Many decision support frameworks have been proposed to assist with this inquiry; however, those based in multicriteria decision analysis have proven to be most adaptive in the rapidly evolving field of nanomedicine—from the early stages of the field when conditions of significant uncertainty and incomplete information dominated, to today when nanotoxicology and nano-environmental health and safety information is abundant but foundational paradigms such as chemical risk assessment, risk governance, life cycle assessment, safety-by-design, and stakeholder engagement are undergoing substantial reformation in an effort to address the needs of emerging technologies. In this paper, we reflect upon 10 years of developments in nanomedical engineering and demonstrate how the rich knowledgebase of nano-focused toxicological and risk assessment information developed over the last decade enhances the capability of multicriteria decision analysis approaches and underscores the need to continue the transition from traditional risk assessment towards risk-based decision-making and alternatives-based governance for emerging technologies.

State and local governments cashing in

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedrelid, Ola N.

2006-01-01

The power companies biannual turnover and the continuing high prices this autumn are two trends pointing towards a record high profit for the power industry. This also means a solid profit for the Norwegian state and many local governments on county or municipality level. Charts illustrate the governments' share of the increased profit

Energy Metrics for State Government Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Trevor

Measuring true progress towards energy conservation goals requires the accurate reporting and accounting of energy consumption. An accurate energy metrics framework is also a critical element for verifiable Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Energy conservation in government can reduce expenditures on energy costs leaving more funds available for public services. In addition to monetary savings, conserving energy can help to promote energy security, air quality, and a reduction of carbon footprint. With energy consumption/GHG inventories recently produced at the Federal level, state and local governments are beginning to also produce their own energy metrics systems. In recent years, many states have passed laws and executive orders which require their agencies to reduce energy consumption. In June 2008, SC state government established a law to achieve a 20% energy usage reduction in state buildings by 2020. This study examines case studies from other states who have established similar goals to uncover the methods used to establish an energy metrics system. Direct energy consumption in state government primarily comes from buildings and mobile sources. This study will focus exclusively on measuring energy consumption in state buildings. The case studies reveal that many states including SC are having issues gathering the data needed to accurately measure energy consumption across all state buildings. Common problems found include a lack of enforcement and incentives that encourage state agencies to participate in any reporting system. The case studies are aimed at finding the leverage used to gather the needed data. The various approaches at coercing participation will hopefully reveal methods that SC can use to establish the accurate metrics system needed to measure progress towards its 20% by 2020 energy reduction goal. Among the strongest incentives found in the case studies is the potential for monetary savings through energy efficiency. Framing energy conservation

STATE-OWNED RURAL BANK PERFORMANCE: DO GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE UNIQUENESS MATTER?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azilsyah Noerdin

2016-12-01

Full Text Available It has been widely recognized that ownership structure has an impact on firm performance. This paper examines whether rural banks owned by government have poorer performance than those owned by private parties with the emphasis on corporate governance uniqueness of state-owned rural banks. 42 rural banks in Indonesia has been selected as the sample. MANOVA test is used to investigate the difference performance between the two types of the rural banks. The results show that state-owned rural banks perform poorer than their privately-owned counterparts. It is indicated by lower ROA ratio and higher OEOI and NPL ratios. The important implication of this finding suggets that government ownership impede boards of rural banks to implement good corporate governance practices in order to improve their banks performance.

The role of the State in new governance: reinventing government ... again?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Heijden, J.

2013-01-01

New environmental governance (NEG) gains momentum in addressing complex environmental problems. One of its bedrock principles is collaboration between state and non-state actors. Yet, what exactly does this collaboration look like? In scratching a bit deeper under the surface of the NEG literature

State Independent Electoral Commissions and local government elections in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson O. Olaniyi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Many state governments have not been allowing their State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs to conduct elections as at when due but rather settle for ‘caretaker committees’. Where elections have been conducted, the party in control of a state apparatus has been known to have cleared the polls. The general objective of this study is to assess the impact of electoral contest at the local government level on the political development of Nigeria. Specific objectives include (1 assessing the role of the political executives of a state in the determination of representation at the local government level in Nigeria; and (2 assessing the activities of SIECs in the management of local government polls. This study adopts comparative cum case study approach to analysing local government polls in Nigeria. This is discussed on a geopolitical basis. Some of the findings of the study include: (1 local government election in Nigeria is not given premium position by many state governments in the political landscape of their state because of the fear of playing into the hands of their political rivals; and (2 SIECs are only independent in name and not in practice. The study recommends, among others, that (1 the country should adopt the arrangement in the aborted Third Republic where the country’s EMB was empowered to conduct all elections at all levels of government and (2 local government elections in Nigeria should key into the electoral process of the country in all ramifications.

THORP and after - challenging state decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowden, P.; Lawrence, J.

1994-01-01

This article looks at an increasing trend for European Community law to be used by those seeking to challenge decisions taken at a national level which effect the environment. The debate over the future operation of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant at the Sellafield site (THORP) is used as an example of this trend. The United Kingdom government's energy policy authorised the construction and operation of the THORP plant. The decision to continue with the project has been challenged by Greenpeace and Lancashire County Council acting cooperatively. Their challenge was based on Community law and legislation. (UK)

The shaping of pharmaceutical governance: the Israeli case

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

This article focuses on governance of the pharmaceutical sector in Israel. It traces the relationships between the state, industry, and sick funds from before the establishment of National Health Insurance (NHI) in 1995 to the beginning of this decade, in particular as they have grappled with the challenge of making national formulary decisions in a rational manner. Subsequent to the introduction of NHI there have been shifts in the modes and mix of governance. This research shows empirically that a relatively complex mix of hierarchical and network modes of governance can be successfully established over an extended period of time when flexibility is maintained through the implementation process. The system for defining and updating a standard basket of health services has coped well with the challenge of managing a range of difficult and potentially volatile stakeholder relationships in the pharmaceutical sector and of distancing ministers from controversies of funding and listing decisions. Government has succeeded in containing drug costs whilst still maintaining a basket of reimbursable drugs that, from an international perspective, is comprehensive and technologically advanced. On the other hand, network arrangements appear to have delayed the introduction of suitable accountability relationships and hindered their development. The state has traditionally played an intermediary role between unavoidable corporate interests of industry and sick funds, with little transparency and to the detriment of more pluralistic access to decision making. Governance arrangements in Israel appear to limit the potential and incentive of the state and the sick funds to realize their potential countervailing powers in subsidy and pricing decisions. PMID:24914409

Data as a Strategic Resource: Self-determination, Governance, and the Data Challenge for Indigenous Nations in the United States

OpenAIRE

Stephanie Carroll Rainie; Jennifer Lee Schultz; Eileen Briggs; Patricia Riggs; Nancy Lynn Palmanteer-Holder

2017-01-01

Data about Indigenous populations in the United States are inconsistent and irrelevant. Federal and state governments and researchers direct most collection, analysis, and use of data about U.S. Indigenous populations. Indigenous Peoples’ justified mistrust further complicates the collection and use of these data. Nonetheless, tribal leaders and communities depend on these data to inform decision making. Reliance on data that do not reflect tribal needs, priorities, and self-conceptions threa...

Space strategy and governance of ESA small member states

Science.gov (United States)

Sagath, Daniel; Papadimitriou, Angeliki; Adriaensen, Maarten; Giannopapa, Christina

2018-01-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has twenty-two Member States with a variety of governance structures and strategic priorities regarding their space activities. The objective of this paper is to provide an up-to date overview and a holistic assessment of the national space governance structures and strategic priorities of the eleven smaller Member States (based on annual ESA contributions). A link is made between the governance structure and the main strategic objectives. The specific needs and interests of small and new Member States in the frame of European Space Integration are addressed. The first part of the paper focuses on the national space governance structures in the eleven smaller ESA Member States. The governance models of these Member States are identified including the responsible ministries and the entities entrusted with the implementation of space strategy/policy and programmes of the country. The second part of this paper focuses on the content and analysis of the national space strategies and indicates the main priorities and trends in the eleven smaller ESA Member States. The priorities are categorised with regards to technology domains, the role of space in the areas of sustainability and the motivators for space investments. In a third and final part, attention is given to the specific needs and interests of the smaller Member States in the frame of European space integration. ESA instruments are tailored to facilitate the needs and interests of the eleven smaller and/or new Member States.

State Government Revenue Recovery from the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

James Alm; David L. Sjoquist

2014-01-01

The "Great Recession" lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, and it wreaked havoc on the revenues of state (and local) governments. While the U.S. economy has improved since the end of the Great Recession, state government revenues have in most cases still not completely recovered. We use various indicators to measure how different states have -- or have not -- recovered in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and we also attempt to explain why these different patterns of recovery have emer...

Gender inequalities in employment, governance and decision-making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolin Marija

2010-01-01

patterns of political behavior of women in Serbia and European Union are examined, considering participation in governance, decision making and public policy. The analysis emphasizes that women are still under-represented in political system and its institutions in Serbia, more then in the most EU countries. Namely, the number of women in politics in Serbia was dramatically reduced in the course of the nineties due to strengthening of nationalistic politics, ethnic conflicts, economic sanctions and isolation of the country. Relative to the socialist period, when participation of women in parliaments was 17%, women completely disappeared from the political scene in this period. After the 1992 elections, only 4.0% women were elected into the Serbian parliament, and after the elections in 2000, of the 250 members of the Serbian parliament, only 27 (10.8% were women. Finally, participation of women at the 2008 Parliamentary Elections doubled (20,4% following the introduction of quota for the less represented gender in the Law on Election of Members of Parliament. Representation increased to 21.3% at the local level also. But, women are still underrepresented on leading positions in governing and decision making in public policy. There are three times less women among the legislators, state agencies officials, CEOs, directors and managers. .

HSIP New Mexico State Government Buildings

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — This dataset includes buildings occupied by the headquarters of cabinet level state government executive departments, legislative offices buildings outside of the...

U.S. infrastructure : funding trends and opportunities to improve investment decisions

Science.gov (United States)

2000-02-01

Given the profound economic and social importance of the public infrastructure, it is crucial that federal, state, and local governments make prudent decisions on how to invest limited available resources. In making these decisions, governments will ...

Has the Federal Government the power to instruct State authorities in procedures under the Atomic Energy Act

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ost, W.; Pelzer, N.

1979-01-01

The differences in opinion which have emerged between the Federal Government and ministers of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia about further permits to be issued for construction of the SNR 300 fast breeder reactor at Kalkar have raised the question of whether the Federal Government has the right to issue directives to a state authority to grant a permit. Close examination of the legal aspects indicates that hardly any literature and no court decisions are as yet available on this problem, because it has never played a role so far. However, it is undisputed that there is such a right to give instructions. Under the Constitution and the Atomic Energy Act the state authorities are responsible for granting permits, but only as agents acting on behalf of the federal authority. Such instructions must be in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act and the objective sought must be lawful for the instructions to be effective. (orig.) [de

Manufacturing Decisions and Government Subsidies for Electric Vehicles in China: A Maximal Social Welfare Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoxue Zheng

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In order to address challenges in the sustainable development of transportation, economy, and environment, governments of China and conventional automobile manufacturers are extremely concerned about the development of the electric vehicle (EV manufacturing industry and market. However, owing to the limitations of EVs and the government economic policies on decreasing subsidies in China, many manufacturers are worried about entering the EV market. Given the low consumer preference for EVs, using a leader-follower Stackelberg game model, we investigate the impact of government a subsidy on the optimal production and pricing decisions of an auto manufacturer who could produce both EVs and conventional vehicles. We characterize whether/under what conditions the manufacturer’s decision to offer EV products under government subsidy, whilst increasing its profits (a win-win situation. On the policy side, we delineate how government a subsidy can be set to realize the inherent economic, environmental, and social benefits of EV production (the triple win of EV production. We further investigate the impact of EV manufacturing- and society-related factors on the balance among manufacturer profits, environmental impact and social welfare. This study also finds that the adoption of EVs is not bound to be beneficial for the environment.

Should states and local governments regulate dietary supplements?

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, Ranjani

2016-01-01

Federal regulation of dietary supplements in the United States is governed by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. The law has been criticized as weak and ineffective. Alarming research has emerged demonstrating that supplements may be mislabelled, contaminated, adulterated with dangerous or unknown compounds, or sold at toxic doses. As a result, the health community has raised concerns about the safety and quality of dietary supplements. Increased federal oversight is an important avenue for improving supplement safety; however, states and local governments may also pursue strategies to strengthen the overall regulatory control of dietary supplements. States and local governments have substantial experience in regulating other products that pose a risk to public health, such as tobacco. Additionally, much has been learned about the tactics the tobacco industry has employed to protect its interests. Lessons learned may be applied to new regulatory efforts aimed at improving the safety of dietary supplements at the state and local levels. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

State and Local Government Partnership

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barton, Alexander; Rinebold, Joel; Aresta, Paul

2012-03-30

The State and Local Government Partnership project has built relationships between the Department of Energy (DOE), regional states, and municipalities. CCAT implemented this project using a structure that included leadership by the DOE. Outreach was undertaken through collaborative meetings, workshops, and briefings; the development of technical models and local energy plans; support for state stakeholder groups; and implementation of strategies to facilitate the deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The final guidance documents provided to stakeholders consisted of individual strategic state “Roadmaps” to serve as development plans. These “Roadmaps” confirm economic impacts, identify deployment targets, and compare policies and incentives for facility development in each of the regional states. The partnerships developed through this project have improved the exchange of knowledge between state and local government stakeholders and is expected to increase the deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in early market applications, consistent with the DOE’s market transformation efforts. Technically accurate and objective information was, and continues to be, provided to improve public and stakeholder perceptions regarding the use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Based on the “Roadmaps” and studies conducted for this project, there is the potential to generate approximately 10.75 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity annually from hydrogen and fuel cell technologies at potential host sites in the Northeast regional states, through the development of 1,364 to 1,818 megawatts (MW) of fuel cell electric generation capacity. Currently, the region has approximately 1,180 companies that are part of the growing hydrogen and fuel cell industry supply chain in the region. These companies are estimated to have over $1 billion in annual revenue and investment, contribute more than $51 million in annual state and local tax revenue

State E-Government Strategies: Identifying Best Practices and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2007-07-23

Internet; ! Developing meaningful online applications for local government, businesses, educators, and other sectors; ! Establishing local “ eCommunity ...state, national, and international levels. However, frequently there is little meaningful coordination or communication between various e-government...weekly with the governor, 13% reported meeting monthly, and 21% reported “other,” meaning that these states have a different meeting schedule

State Decision-Makers Guide for Hazardous Waste Management: Defining Hazardous Wastes, Problem Recognition, Land Use, Facility Operations, Conceptual Framework, Policy Issues, Transportation.

Science.gov (United States)

Corson, Alan; And Others

Presented are key issues to be addressed by state, regional, and local governments and agencies in creating effective hazardous waste management programs. Eight chapters broadly frame the topics which state-level decision makers should consider. These chapters include: (1) definition of hazardous waste; (2) problem definition and recognition; (3)…

Developing science policy capacity at the state government level: Planning a science and technology policy fellowship program for Colorado and beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Druckenmiller, M. L.

2017-12-01

There is growing recognition of the potential to advance science policy capacity within state legislatures, where there is most often a shortage of professional backgrounds in the natural sciences, technology, engineering, and medicine. Developing such capacity at the state level should be considered a vital component of any comprehensive national scale strategy to strengthen science informed governance. Toward this goal, the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado Boulder is leading a strategic planning process for a Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program within the Colorado state legislature and executive branch agencies. The intended program will place PhD-level scientists and engineers in one-year placements with decision-makers to provide an in-house resource for targeted policy-relevant research. Fellows will learn the intricacies of the state policymaking process, be exposed to opportunities for science to inform decisions, and develop a deeper understanding of key science and technology topics in Colorado, including water resources, wildfire management, and energy. The program's ultimate goals are to help foster a decision-making arena informed by evidence-based information, to develop new leaders adept at bridging science and policymaking realms, and to foster governance that champions the role of science in society. Parallel to efforts in Colorado, groups from nine other states are preparing similar plans, providing opportunities to share approaches across states and to set the stage for increased science and technology input to state legislative agendas nationwide. Importantly, highly successful and sustainable models exist; the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has implemented a federally based fellowship program for over 43 years and the California Council for Science and Technology (CCST) has directed a fellowship program for their state's legislature since 2009. AAAS and CCST

GOVERNMENT ELECTRONIC PURCHASING: AN ASSESSMENT OF BRAZILIAN STATE GOVERNMENTS' E-PROCUREMENT WEBSITES

OpenAIRE

Alves, Tomaz Rodrigo; Universidade de São Paulo; Souza, Cesar Alexandre; Universidade de São Paulo

2011-01-01

One of the electronic government applications that has been fast developing in Brazil is e-procurement. It’s a field that allows relatively objective measuring, regarding price cuts and savings generated by the reduction of bureaucracy. This research evaluated the quality of the e-procurement portals of the 26 Brazilian state governments and also the Federal District, considering primarily features that could be useful to suppliers. In order to do so, a scoring method was developed, in which ...

Evaluation Of Delta State E-Government Website | Chete ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study evaluates Delta state government website by adopting the method used since 2001 in evaluating national government websites. The questionnaire and web survey techniques were adopted for this study. The data from the questionnaire was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and the ...

Woody biomass policies and location decisions of the woody bioenergy industry in the southern United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Zhimei; Hodges, Donald G.; Young, Timothy M.

2013-01-01

Woody biomass for bioenergy production has been included in relatively few renewable energy policies since the 1970s. Recently, however, several states have implemented a variety of new woody biomass policies to spur the establishment of new bioenergy industry. Establishing new woody biomass-based facilities in a specific state is affected by a number of factors such as the strength of these new policy incentives, resource availability, business tax climate, and the available labor force. This study employs a conditional logit model (CLM) to explore the effects of woody biomass policies on the siting decisions of new bioenergy projects relative to some of these other state attributes. The CLM results suggest that state government incentives are significantly related to state success in attracting new plants. The results have substantial implications regarding woody biomass policies and the creation of a new bioenergy industry. -- Highlights: •This study explores the effects of state attributes on the siting decisions of new woody bioenergy projects. •Results suggest that state woody biomass policies are significantly related to state success in attracting new plants. •Other factors related to the siting of woody bioenergy facilities include resource availability, taxes, and wage rate

What University Governance Can Taiwan Learn from the United States?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lung-Sheng; Land, Ming H.

2010-01-01

Due to changes from centralization to marketization, Taiwan's university governance must increase its effectiveness. The purpose of this paper was to introduce trends in and issues of Taiwan's university governance, describe university governance in the United States, and draw implications that Taiwan's university governance needs to learn from…

The impact of late budgets on state government borrowing costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Asger Lau; Lassen, David Dreyer; Nielsen, Lasse Holbøll Westh

2014-01-01

We analyze how a key component of fiscal governance, the ability of governments to pass a budget on time, affects government bond yield spreads. Based on a sample of 36 US states from 1988 to 1997, and using an original data set on budget enactment dates, we estimate that a 30. day budget delay h...... a cumulative impact that is equivalent to a one-time increase in the yield spread of around 10 basis points. States with sufficient liquidity incur no costs from late budgets, while unified governments face large penalties from not finishing a budget on time....

The effects of governance modes on the energy matrix of Andean countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontaine, Guillaume

2011-01-01

This article addresses the consequences of different modes of energy governance on the energy matrix. Energy governance is understood as a regulation system of the energy related interplays between the State, the society and the economy. The energy matrix is a useful instrument for comparative policy analysis, since it informs us about production and consumption trends, by sources and sectors. Our central argument is that energy governance follows two different patterns, one hierarchical and the other cooperative, that are not necessarily determined by the initial factors allocation, and produce different effects on the energy matrix. Hierarchical governance is based on centralized decision-making and State-centered development, while co-governance is based on decentralized decision-making and market-oriented development. To develop this argument, we compare the energy matrix from the five Andean countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia).

The effects of governance modes on the energy matrix of Andean countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fontaine, Guillaume, E-mail: gfontaine@flacso.org.e [Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences (FLACSO), Research Laboratory on Governance, Quito (Ecuador)

2011-05-15

This article addresses the consequences of different modes of energy governance on the energy matrix. Energy governance is understood as a regulation system of the energy related interplays between the State, the society and the economy. The energy matrix is a useful instrument for comparative policy analysis, since it informs us about production and consumption trends, by sources and sectors. Our central argument is that energy governance follows two different patterns, one hierarchical and the other cooperative, that are not necessarily determined by the initial factors allocation, and produce different effects on the energy matrix. Hierarchical governance is based on centralized decision-making and State-centered development, while co-governance is based on decentralized decision-making and market-oriented development. To develop this argument, we compare the energy matrix from the five Andean countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia).

Towards a Typology of Adaptive Governance in the Digital Government Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Cancan; Medaglia, Rony; Zheng, Lei

2018-01-01

and of accountability between government and non-government actors is critical to developing different types of adaptive governance. Findings show that the distribution of decision-making power and of accountability can be decoupled, resulting in three types of adaptive governance – namely polycentric, agile......, and organic governance. We contribute to research by detailing and empirically testing the notion of adaptive governance in a digital government context, and to practice by highlighting the role of the distribution of decision-making power and of accountability in devising adaptive governance strategies....... there is an increasing need to establish forms of collaboration that can respond to swift changes in the environment related to technology and citizen demands. Drawing on the analysis of four cases of IT-related project collaboration, we put forward that the degree of sharing of decision-making power...

State Education Finance and Governance Profile: Tennessee

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Mike

2010-01-01

This article presents the state education finance and governance profile of Tennessee. The 17th largest state, Tennessee is home to 2.01% of the nation's inhabitants. Funding of K-12 education in Tennessee is accomplished via a formula known as the Basic Educational Program (BEP). This plan primarily utilizes school district enrollment numbers to…

Factors Influencing Adaptive Marine Governance in a Developing Country Context: a Case Study of Southern Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louisa S. Evans

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Adaptive governance can be conceptualized as distinct phases of: 1 understanding environmental change; 2 using this understanding to inform decision making; and 3 acting on decisions in a manner that sustains resilience of desirable system states. Using this analytical framework, we explore governance in practice in two case studies in Kenya, that reflect the "messiness" of contemporary coastal governance in many developing country contexts. Findings suggest that adaptive marine governance is unlikely to be a smooth process of learning, knowledge sharing, and responding. There are institutional, sociocultural, and political factors, past and present, that influence each phase of both local and state decision making. New local institutions related to fisher associations and Beach Management Units influence learning and knowledge sharing in ways contrary to those expected of institutions that enable collaborative fisheries management. Similarly, state decision making is relatively uninformed by the diverse knowledge systems available in the coastal zone, despite the rhetoric of participation. Historical relations and modes of working continue to play a significant role in mediating the potential for adaptive governance in the future. The case studies are illustrative and point to a number of institutional and political issues that would need to be addressed in processes of governance reform towards more adaptive management in developing country contexts.

'Good Governance' dan 'Governability'

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- Pratikno

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The article endeavors to trace the outset of governance concept, its dominant meanings and discourse, and its implication towards governability. The central role of government in the governing processes has predominantly been adopted. The concept of governance was emerged precisely in the context of the failure of government as key player in regulation, economic redistribution and political participation. Governance is therefore aimed to emphasize pattern of governing which are based both on democratic mechanism and sound development management. However, practices of such good governance concept –which are mainly adopted and promoted by donor states and agencies– tend to degrade state and/or government authority and legitimacy. Traditional function of the state as sole facilitator of equal societal, political and legal membership among citizens has been diminished. The logic of fair competition has been substituted almost completely by the logic of free competition in nearly all sectors of public life. The concept and practices of good governance have resulted in decayed state authority and failed state which in turn created a condition for "ungovernability". By promoting democratic and humane governance, the article accordingly encourages discourse to reinstall and bring the idea of accountable state back in.

German Federal Constitutional Court decision of May 22, 1990. On the right of the Federal Government to issue instructions in the field of commission administration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

The Federal Constitutional Court discusses questions relating to the distribution of competence in the field of commission administration pursuant to Article 85 of the Basic Law ('Grundgesetz') in connection with a specific licensing procedure under atomic law (Kalkar). Under Art. 85 of the Basic Law executive competence is assigned irrevocably to the individual State, whereas substantive competence is always only assigned to the State insofar as it is not claimed by Federal Government. The decision further reviews questions of: Legal injury through federal instruction pursuant to Article 85 (3) of the Basic Law; a claimable right to the substantively lawful execution of the authority to instruct or even a right to sue for an injunction in the case of an infringement of the Constitution or of a basic right and associated boundary questions; the nedessity of clarity of instructions; and the obligation of Federal Government to act in a manner conducive to the promotion of the interests of the Federation as such. The Court also made it clear that the limits to the influence of the state on the rights of the individual derived from the principle of the Rule of Law do not apply to questions concerning competence in the Federation-State relationship. [Reference: Federal Constitutional Court 2 BvG 1/88, decision of May 22, 1990]. (RST) [de

Test and Evaluation Metrics of Crew Decision-Making And Aircraft Attitude and Energy State Awareness

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Randall E.; Ellis, Kyle K. E.; Stephens, Chad L.

2013-01-01

NASA has established a technical challenge, under the Aviation Safety Program, Vehicle Systems Safety Technologies project, to improve crew decision-making and response in complex situations. The specific objective of this challenge is to develop data and technologies which may increase a pilot's (crew's) ability to avoid, detect, and recover from adverse events that could otherwise result in accidents/incidents. Within this technical challenge, a cooperative industry-government research program has been established to develop innovative flight deck-based counter-measures that can improve the crew's ability to avoid, detect, mitigate, and recover from unsafe loss-of-aircraft state awareness - specifically, the loss of attitude awareness (i.e., Spatial Disorientation, SD) or the loss-of-energy state awareness (LESA). A critical component of this research is to develop specific and quantifiable metrics which identify decision-making and the decision-making influences during simulation and flight testing. This paper reviews existing metrics and methods for SD testing and criteria for establishing visual dominance. The development of Crew State Monitoring technologies - eye tracking and other psychophysiological - are also discussed as well as emerging new metrics for identifying channelized attention and excessive pilot workload, both of which have been shown to contribute to SD/LESA accidents or incidents.

Impacts of NRC programs on state and local governments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nussbaumer, D.A.; Lubenau, J.O.

1983-12-01

This document reports the results of an NRC staff examination of the impacts of NRC regulatory programs on State and local governments. Twenty NRC programs are identified. For each, the source of the program (e.g., statutory requirement) and NRC funding availability are described and the impacts upon State and local governments are assessed. Recommendations for NRC monitoring and assessing impacts and for enhancing NRC staff awareness of the impacts are offered

42 CFR 137.444 - If a Self-Governance Tribe objects to the recommended decision, what action will the Secretary take?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false If a Self-Governance Tribe objects to the... SERVICES TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE Appeals Appeals of An Immediate Reassumption of A Self-Governance Program § 137.444 If a Self-Governance Tribe objects to the recommended decision, what action will the Secretary...

The Effect of Corporate Governance on Capital Structure Decisions – A Case of Saudi Arabian Banking Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasir Ali

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this empirical study is to analyse the impact of Corporate Governance on Capital Structure Decisions in Saudi Arabian commercial banking sector. The components of corporate governance whose impact has been analysed on the capital structure are board size, independence of directors, ownership structure, ownership of management, board meetings. Multiple regression analysis, Correlation matrix and Descriptive Statistics is used to assess the relationship among corporate governance components and capital structure of Saudi commercial banks for the years 2010 and 2011. The results shows that ownership structure and board size are positively correlated which is coherent with most of the previous studies. Managerial ownership and board independence are negatively correlated and board meeting held in a year is also negatively correlated but is statistically insignificant. Moreover the study found that on average the Saudi banks uses 68 % debt capital. The research study is supposed to facilitate regulatory authorities like CMA for improving the implementation of rules and regulations in order to make corporate governance tools work more efficiently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The research study evaluates the effects of corporate governance components on capital structure decisions of Saudi commercial banks.

An exploratory study identifying where local government public health decision makers source their evidence for policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoneham, Melissa; Dodds, James

2014-08-01

The Western Australian (WA) Public Health Bill will replace the antiquated Health Act 1911. One of the proposed clauses of the Bill requires all WA local governments to develop a Public Health Plan. The Bill states that Public Health Plans should be based on evidence from all levels, including national and statewide priorities, community needs, local statistical evidence, and stakeholder data. This exploratory study, which targeted 533 WA local government officers, aimed to identify the sources of evidence used to generate the list of public health risks to be included in local government Public Health Plans. The top four sources identified for informing local policy were: observation of the consequences of the risks in the local community (24.5%), statewide evidence (17.6%), local evidence (17.6%) and coverage in local media (16.2%). This study confirms that both hard and soft data are used to inform policy decisions at the local level. Therefore, the challenge that this study has highlighted is in the definition or constitution of evidence. SO WHAT? Evidence is critical to the process of sound policy development. This study highlights issues associated with what actually constitutes evidence in the policy development process at the local government level. With the exception of those who work in an extremely narrow field, it is difficult for local government officers, whose role includes policymaking, to read the vast amount of information that has been published in their area of expertise. For those who are committed to the notion of evidence-based policymaking, as advocated within the WA Public Health Bill, this presents a considerable challenge.

Exclusive Minilateralism: An Emerging Discourse within International Climate Change Governance?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey Scott McGee

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Over the past five years there have been a series of significant international climate change agreements involving only elite state actors. The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, APEC Sydney Leaders Declaration and US Major Economies Process all displayed a shift towards a model of international climate change governance involving a small group of economically powerful states, to the exclusion of less powerful states and environmental NGOs. The modest result from the UNFCCC COP 15 meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 and subsequent UNFCCC meetings has strengthened calls for international climate governance to be pared down to smaller decision making forums of key states only. This article argues that these developments evidence an emerging discourse of ‘exclusive minilateralism’ in international climate policy that is challenging the inclusive multilateral discourse that has formed the bedrock of international climate change governance since the inception of UN climate regime in the early 1990s. The exclusive minilateralism discourse offers a significant challenge to both the cosmopolitan and discursive democratic aspirations of international climate change governance. One response to the exclusive minilateral discourse is to reform the UNFCCC consensus-based decision making rule to provide the COP with greater ease of decision making on key issues relating to mitigation and adaptation. Another response is to more formally include the exclusive minilateralism discourse within the UNFCCC COP process. This could be achieved by forming a small peak body of states and key NGO groups to act as an influential advisor to the COP process on key issues requiring expedition and resolution.

The Effect of Public and Private Decisions on University Governance on the Transnational Relations of American-Associated Universities in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasmus Bertelsen

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the effect of public and private decisions on university governance on how historic and current American-associated universities in the Middle East have and continue to connect as transnational actors with a multitude of public, private and civil society actors in American society. These universities are the classic missionary universities in Beirut and Cairo (the American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University and the American University in Cairo as well as the many branch campuses and new universities with American accreditation or partnership which have appeared especially in the Gulf States. The ability of these universities to engage with actors in American society and the Middle Eastern host society is explained by their model of governance highlighting public and private decisions on primarily owner-ship structure and non- or for-profit status. Affiliated, non-profit status explains academic reputation, while proprietary, for-profit status is detrimental. Academic reputation is the basis of the relationships these universities maintain with American private, public and civil society actors.

Political power beyond the State: problematics of government. 1992.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Nikolas; Miller, Peter

2010-01-01

This paper sets out an approach to the analysis of political power in terms of problematics of government. It argues against an overvaluation of the 'problem of the State' in political debate and social theory. A number of conceptual tools are suggested for the analysis of the many and varied alliances between political and other authorities that seek to govern economic activity, social life and individual conduct. Modern political rationalities and governmental technologies are shown to be intrinsically linked to developments in knowledge and to the powers of expertise. The characteristics of liberal problematics of government are investigated, and it is argued that they are dependent upon technologies for 'governing at a distance', seeking to create locales, entities and persons able to operate a regulated autonomy. The analysis is exemplified through an investigation of welfarism as a mode of 'social' government. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of neo-liberalism which demonstrates that the analytical language structured by the philosophical opposition of state and civil society is unable to comprehend contemporary transformations in modes of exercise of political power.(1).

E-governance European and international standards of opportune impact on decision-making in the Republic of Moldova

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria GOREA

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The scientific publication denotes trends of a scientific and academic research of the practices of the: investigation, development, evaluation, implementation, practical application, renovation and evolutionary domain that refers to the European and international e-government standards who manifest an opportune impact on decision- making process of the Republic of Moldova, which also develops the image of the relational hierarchy of the e-government and the decision-making process by creating some situations modeled and obtained recursively the repercussion aspect of the international standards that can resolve the dilemmas existing in space microenvironment framed in macroenvironment progressing continuously emerging the evolution irreversible of the phenomenon of the globalization etc.

Food Service Guideline Policies on State Government-Controlled Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaganjor, Hatidza; Bishop Kendrick, Katherine; Warnock, Amy Lowry; Onufrak, Stephen; Whitsel, Laurie P; Ralston Aoki, Julie; Kimmons, Joel

2016-09-13

Food service guideline (FSG) policies can impact millions of daily meals sold or provided to government employees, patrons, and institutionalized persons. This study describes a classification tool to assess FSG policy attributes and uses it to rate FSG policies. Quantitative content analysis. State government facilities in the United States. Participants were from 50 states and District of Columbia in the United States. Frequency of FSG policies and percentage alignment to tool. State-level policies were identified using legal research databases to assess bills, statutes, regulations, and executive orders proposed or adopted by December 31, 2014. Full-text reviews were conducted to determine inclusion. Included policies were analyzed to assess attributes related to nutrition, behavioral supports, and implementation guidance. A total of 31 policies met the inclusion criteria; 15 were adopted. Overall alignment ranged from 0% to 86%, and only 10 policies aligned with a majority of the FSG policy attributes. Western states had the most FSG policies proposed or adopted (11 policies). The greatest number of FSG policies were proposed or adopted (8 policies) in 2011, followed by the years 2013 and 2014. The FSG policies proposed or adopted through 2014 that intended to improve the food and beverage environment on state government property vary considerably in their content. This analysis offers baseline data on the FSG landscape and information for future FSG policy assessments. © The Author(s) 2016.

Challenges of Local Government Administration in Edo State of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examined the fundamental problems that envelope local government administration in Edo State, and discovered that the challenges are constitutional issues. It also identified problems of graft, poor revenue generation by local authorities, and poor revenue allocation cum fiscal transfer to local governments.

Foresight as an e-Government Development Planning Component: Proposed e-Government Foresight Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rokas Grincevičius

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Despite the fact that e-government is developed by a country which is making the first steps in this area, or state, seeking to increase effectiveness of the existing e-government tools, it is necessary to have the methodology to create a basis for the formation of strategic e-government decisions, whose implementation will meet existing citizen needs and emerged challenges which appear during continuous information communication technology transformation processes.One of the ways to respond to these requirements is the application of foresight exercises as a component of strategic e-government planning. Nevertheless in Lithuania and many other Eastern European countries, the planning process is still centralized, based on the five-year planning context. Ex communist states are behind other regions with the number of research based on the foresight methodology, so these conditions determine the lack of information in this domain and this article is a small part of the attempt to fill the existing vacuum.The main aim of this article is to analyse the foresight impact on the electronic government strategic planning process, its role in the political decision formation process and by identifying contact points of different foresight research components, in the context of e-government foresight methodology framework creation processes, to form a deeper perception on how foresight works as a system.This aim is determined by the following objectives—to analyse foresight concept, circumstances and causes of its origin, main guidelines, methods used during foresight exercises and reasons, which determine its application; also, to analyse different suggested foresight exercise approaches and according to the results of the analysis, to form a distinctive e-government foresight methodology, which can be used for already performed foresight analysis or for prototyping a planned one.Thus, the first part of the article covers the most important theoretical

Should the federal government bail out the states? Lessons from past recessions

OpenAIRE

Richard H. Mattoon

2009-01-01

Like the economy in general, individual state economies are struggling in this recession. State governments face significant constraints in raising additional revenues. Most states are required to balance their budgets regardless of the economic environment. This article considers the role of the federal government in helping the states to manage their finances.

A Systematic Evaluation of State Laws Governing Optometric Glaucoma Management in the United States Upto 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Chodnicki, Kevin; Kalarn, Sachin; Quinn, Laura; Jampel, Henry; Saeedi, Osamah

2018-03-01

To describe state laws that govern the optometric practice of glaucoma management in the United States and to correlate those laws with state demographics upto 2015. We performed a cross-sectional ecological study of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Regulations governing optometric scope of practice as written by each state Board of Optometry were reviewed. Specific optometric privileges assessed included: ability to manage glaucoma independently, use of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents, use of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents (including topical and oral steroids and other oral pharmaceutical agents), IV injections, intraocular injections, therapeutic lasers, presence of defined referral, and comanagement guidelines, and hours of yearly continuing education needed for glaucoma management. Optometric privilege was compared with demographic and employment information for each state. Optometrists in all states, except for Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia are allowed to manage glaucoma; 16 states have defined comanagement guidelines. Therapeutic lasers are allowed in 3 states: Kentucky, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. States with defined comanagement guidelines had a mean of 6.9±1.9 ophthalmologists per 100,000 people, significantly more than the 5.3±1.1 in states without defined comanagement of glaucoma (Pstate, the less likely there is to be defined comanagement [β (SE)=-0.008 (0.003), P=0.02] and the greater the number of ophthalmologists in a given state, the more likely a state has defined comanagement [β (SE)=-0.13 (0.006)]. There is a diversity of regulations that govern optometric management of glaucoma in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The number of optometrists and ophthalmologists in a state may influence state regulations governing optometric practice and referral guidelines.

Altered States: Globalization, Sovereignty, and Governance | IDRC ...

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

For all the opportunities that globalization promises, it raises urgent ... Has the achievement of democratic government come too late for most of the ... The message of Altered States is one of both hope and warning: globalization opens great ...

Shared Decision Making in Education Governance Using Business Portals

Science.gov (United States)

Peoples, Adrian L.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to address a high-volume problem for the Delaware Department of Education Office of Professional Accountability (OPA). This problem was addressed by sharing the certification decision with qualified personnel located at each of the four teacher preparation programs located in Delaware at Delaware State University…

The Arts and State Governments: At Arm's Length or Arm in Arm?

Science.gov (United States)

Lowell, Julia F.; Ondaatje, Elizabeth Heneghan

2006-01-01

Even though a majority of Americans claim to support public funding of the arts, state government spending on the arts is minimal--and may be losing ground relative to other types of state expenditures. Moreover, most state arts agencies, or SAAs, have not succeeded in convincing state government leaders that the arts should be integral to their…

Government regulation to promote healthy food environments--a view from inside state governments.

Science.gov (United States)

Shill, J; Mavoa, H; Allender, S; Lawrence, M; Sacks, G; Peeters, A; Crammond, B; Swinburn, B

2012-02-01

Food policy interventions are an important component of obesity-prevention strategies and can potentially drive positive changes in obesogenic environments. This study sought to identify regulatory interventions targeting the food environment, and barriers/facilitators to their implementation at the Australian state government level. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior representatives from state/territory governments, statutory authorities and non-government organizations (n =45) to examine participants' (i) suggestions for regulatory interventions for healthier food environments and (ii) support for pre-selected regulatory interventions derived from a literature review. Data were analysed using thematic and constant comparative analyses. Interventions commonly suggested by participants were regulating unhealthy food marketing; limiting the density of fast food outlets; pricing reforms to decrease fruit/vegetable prices and increase unhealthy food prices; and improved food labelling. The most commonly supported pre-selected interventions were related to food marketing and service. Primary production and retail sector interventions were least supported. The dominant themes were the need for whole-of-government and collaborative approaches; the influence of the food industry; conflicting policies/agenda; regulatory challenges; the need for evidence of effectiveness; and economic disincentives. While interventions such as public sector healthy food service policies were supported by participants, marketing restrictions and fiscal interventions face substantial barriers including a push for deregulation and private sector opposition. © 2011 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2011 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Groundwater governance in Asia: present state and barriers to implementation of good governance

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, T.

2014-09-01

The present state of groundwater governance in Asia was reviewed. The main problem regarding groundwater resources in each Asian country is overexploitation, causing water level decline, land subsidence and salt water intrusion. For those groundwater hazards, many countries have established regulations such as laws and regulations as countermeasures. However, those laws and regulations are not the basic laws on groundwater resources, but only for countermeasures to prevent groundwater hazards. Common problems and barriers for implementing groundwater governance in Asian countries are that there is more than one institute with different and sometimes overlapping responsibilities in groundwater management. To overcome those conflicts among institutions and establishment of good governance, it is necessary to establish an agency in the government as one coordinate function reinforcing the direct coordination and facilitation of groundwater policy-making and management. As one such framework, the conceptual law called the Water Cycle Basic Law, which is under planning in Japan, is examined in this paper.

Integrating adaptive governance and participatory multicriteria methods: a framework for climate adaptation governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Munaretto

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Climate adaptation is a dynamic social and institutional process where the governance dimension is receiving growing attention. Adaptive governance is an approach that promises to reduce uncertainty by improving the knowledge base for decision making. As uncertainty is an inherent feature of climate adaptation, adaptive governance seems to be a promising approach for improving climate adaptation governance. However, the adaptive governance literature has so far paid little attention to decision-making tools and methods, and the literature on the governance of adaptation is in its infancy in this regard. We argue that climate adaptation governance would benefit from systematic and yet flexible decision-making tools and methods such as participatory multicriteria methods for the evaluation of adaptation options, and that these methods can be linked to key adaptive governance principles. Moving from these premises, we propose a framework that integrates key adaptive governance features into participatory multicriteria methods for the governance of climate adaptation.

Categorical Funds: The Intersection of School Finance and Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joanna; Gasparian, Hovanes; Perry, Nicholas; Capinpin, Fatima

2013-01-01

How a state chooses to design its system of funding schools is ultimately a question of education governance, determining who--state policymakers, school districts, or school principals--gets to make the decisions about how and where funding is spent. States have two primary ways of funding schools: the foundation, or base funding that is intended…

Government regulation of forestry practices on private forest land in the United States: an assessment of state government responsibilities and program performance

Science.gov (United States)

Paul V. Ellefson; Michael A. Kilgore; James E. Granskog

2006-01-01

In 2003, a comprehensive assessment of state government, forest practice regulatory programs in the United States was undertaken. Involved was an extensive review of the literature and information gathering h m program administration in all 50 states. The assessment determined that regulatory programs focus on a wide range of forestry practices applied to private...

Impacts of government subsidies on pricing and performance level choice in Energy Performance Contracting: A two-step optimal decision model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Zhijian; Shao, Shuai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An ESCO optimal decision model considering governmental subsidies is proposed. • Optimal price and performance level are deduced via a two-stage model. • Demand, profit, and performance level increase with increasing subsidies. • ESCO’s market strategy should firstly focus on high energy consumption industries. • Governmental subsidies standard in different industries should be differentiated. - Abstract: Government subsidies generally play a crucial role in pricing and the choice of performance levels in Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). However, the existing studies pay little attention to how the Energy Service Company (ESCO) prices and chooses performance levels for EPC with government subsidies. To fill such a gap, we propose a joint optimal decision model of pricing and performance level in EPC considering government subsidies. The optimization of the model is achieved via a two-stage process. At the first stage, given a performance level, ESCOs choose the best price; and at the second stage, ESCOs choose the optimal performance level for the optimal price. Furthermore, we carry out a numerical analysis to illuminate such an optimal decision mechanism. The results show that both price sensitivity and performance level sensitivity have significant effects on the choice of performance levels with government subsidies. Government subsidies can induce higher performance levels of EPC, the demand for EPC, and the profit of ESCO. We suggest that ESCO’s market strategy should firstly focus on high energy consumption industries with government subsidies and that government subsidies standard adopted in different industries should be differentiated according to the market characteristics and energy efficiency levels of various industries.

A baseline understanding of state laws governing e-cigarettes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gourdet, C K; Chriqui, J F; Chaloupka, F J

2014-07-01

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been available for purchase in the USA since 2007, and have grown rapidly in popularity. Currently, there are no federal restrictions on e-cigarettes; therefore, any regulations are under the purview of state and/or local governments. This study examines state laws governing e-cigarettes through youth access restrictions, smoke-free air requirements and/or excise taxation. Codified statutory and administrative laws, attorney general opinions, executive orders, and revenue notices and rulings effective as of 15 November 2013 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, were compiled using Boolean searches in Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw. All laws were analysed by two study authors to determine the presence and components of relevant provisions. Two categories of laws were identified; (1) explicit e-cigarette laws and (2) laws focused on tobacco-derived and/or nicotine-containing products. Thirty-four states' laws address e-cigarettes either explicitly or as part of language applying to tobacco-derived or nicotine-containing products. Laws explicitly addressing e-cigarettes primarily focus on youth access (22 states) or smoke-free air (12 states); only Minnesota imposes an excise tax on e-cigarettes. Similarly, tobacco-derived or nicotine-containing products are primarily regulated through youth access restrictions (6 states), smoke-free air laws (5 states), or excise taxation (2 states). In the current absence of federal law governing e-cigarettes, more than one-half of the states have taken the initiative to regulate these products. The opportunity exists for the remaining states to incorporate e-cigarette-related restrictions into their pre-existing tobacco control laws. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The Current Mind-Set of Federal Information Security Decision-Makers on the Value of Governance: An Informative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Stroup, Jay Walter

2014-01-01

Understanding the mind-set or perceptions of organizational leaders and decision-makers is important to ascertaining the trends and priorities in policy and governance of the organization. This study finds that a significant shift in the mind-set of government IT and information security leaders has started and will likely result in placing a…

The Politics of States', Local Governments' Creation and Nigeria's ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nekky Umera

federal structure; the demands for the creation of additional states and localities to the ... The second part dwelt on local government creations, using the 1991 population ..... While big states can threaten the corporate existence and stability of ...

Food Service Guideline Policies on State Government Controlled Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Zaganjor, Hatidza; Bishop Kendrick, Katherine; Warnock, Amy Lowry; Onufrak, Stephen; Whitsel, Laurie P.; Ralston Aoki, Julie; Kimmons, Joel

2017-01-01

Purpose Food service guidelines (FSG) policies can impact millions of daily meals sold or provided to government employees, patrons, and institutionalized persons. This study describes a classification tool to assess FSG policy attributes and uses it to rate FSG policies. Design Quantitative content analysis. Setting State government facilities in the U.S. Subjects 50 states and District of Columbia. Measures Frequency of FSG policies and percent alignment to tool. Analysis State-level policies were identified using legal research databases to assess bills, statutes, regulations, and executive orders proposed or adopted by December 31, 2014. Full-text reviews were conducted to determine inclusion. Included policies were analyzed to assess attributes related to nutrition, behavioral supports, and implementation guidance. Results A total of 31 policies met inclusion criteria; 15 were adopted. Overall alignment ranged from 0% to 86%, and only 10 policies aligned with a majority of FSG policy attributes. Western States had the most FSG policy proposed or adopted (11 policies). The greatest number of FSG policies were proposed or adopted (8 policies) in 2011, followed by the years 2013 and 2014. Conclusion FSG policies proposed or adopted through 2014 that intended to improve the food and beverage environment on state government property vary considerably in their content. This analysis offers baseline data on the FSG landscape and information for future FSG policy assessments. PMID:27630113

Environmental governance in China: Interactions between the state and "nonstate actors".

Science.gov (United States)

Guttman, Dan; Young, Oran; Jing, Yijia; Bramble, Barbara; Bu, Maoliang; Chen, Carmen; Furst, Kathinka; Hu, Tao; Li, Yifei; Logan, Kate; Liu, Lingxuan; Price, Lydia; Spencer, Michael; Suh, Sangwon; Sun, Xiaopu; Tan, Bowen; Wang, Harold; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Xinxin; Zeidan, Rodrigo

2018-08-15

In the West, limited government capacity to solve environmental problems has triggered the rise of a variety of "nonstate actors" to supplement government efforts or provide alternative mechanisms for addressing environmental issues. How does this development - along with our efforts to understand it - map onto environmental governance processes in China? China's efforts to address environmental issues reflect institutionalized governance processes that differ from parallel western processes in ways that have major consequences for domestic environmental governance practices and the governance of China "going abroad." China's governance processes blur the distinction between the state and other actors; the "shadow of the state" is a major factor in all efforts to address environmental issues. The space occupied by nonstate actors in western systems is occupied by shiye danwei ("public service units"), she hui tuanti ("social associations") and e-platforms, all of which have close links to the state. Meanwhile, international NGOs and multinational corporations are also significant players in China. As a result, the mechanisms of influence that produce effects in China differ in important ways from mechanisms familiar from the western experience. This conclusion has far-reaching implications for those seeking to address global environmental concerns, given the importance of China's growing economy and burgeoning network of trade relationships. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State governance versus dentists' autonomy - the case of Swedish dental care.

Science.gov (United States)

Franzén, Cecilia

2018-03-01

A trend towards the state governance of healthcare through quality indicators and national clinical guidelines has been observed, and it is argued that this trend can be a challenge to the autonomy of healthcare professionals. In Sweden, these regulatory tools have been implemented in combination with subsidies for adult dental care that are based on guideline recommendations which serve to ensure that dental care is evidence-based and cost-effective. This paper aims to analyse the implications of these changes regarding dentists' autonomy and whether the government's political intentions can be fulfilled. The paper is based on documents from government authorities and professional theories. The financial control over Swedish dental care has been strengthened, and it can be argued that this is a step in the right direction from a societal point of view, as public resources are limited. Dentists' professional autonomy with their patients is not affected, which is appropriate, as patients should be treated according to their individual needs and expectations. This article shows that the state's governance does not directly detail dentists' work, which indicates a balance between state governance and dentists' autonomy. However, further research is required to get knowledge on Swedish dentists' view of the governance.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG and Investment Decision in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayema Sultana

2018-06-01

Full Text Available As a key facet of sustainable development, environmental, social and governance (ESG discretion on stock market investment decision is gaining prevalence following the global financial crisis. ESG considers the sustainable return, risk reduction, and accountability aspects of investments. This study is an exploration of the individual stock market investors’ preferences for ESG issues and the influence that purpose of investment has on investment decision-making, by testing the investment horizon as a moderator. The theoretical background was taken from the theory of planned behavior (TPB, goal setting theory (GST, and the behavioral asset pricing model (BAPM. The study uses the sequential mix method of research, starting with an interview followed by a survey, which was conducted among individual stock market investors in Bangladesh, using simple random sampling. Structural equation modeling (SEM analysis was carried out using Warp PLS version 6.0. The key findings of this study delineate the effect of ESG issues and the purpose of investment on investment decision-making. The contribution of the study signifies the moderating role of the investment horizon, which confirms the importance of the long-term horizon as a time and risk diversification factor. The sparse utilization of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC (2004 and Thomson Reuters Corporate Responsibility Index (TRCRI (2013 as measurement scales in this study is mentioned. This study has made practical contributions for managers, investors, and regulators.

75 FR 33734 - Regulations Affecting Publication of the United States Government Manual

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-15

...) The Director publishes a special edition of the Federal Register called ``The United States Government... its regulations the requirement that the United States Government Manual (Manual) be published and... INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy P. Bunk, Director of Legal Affairs and Policy, Office of the Federal Register, at...

Archiving of Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) on State Government Web Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Joel B.

2012-01-01

Rising cost and declining revenues have hampered the financial affairs of state governments, forcing many to curtail services, reduce employee benefits, and trim the workforce, calling into question the fiscal sustainability of many state governments. As a result, stakeholders are demanding greater accountability and increased transparency into…

38 CFR 1.506 - Disclosure of records to Federal Government departments, State unemployment compensation agencies...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Federal Government departments, State unemployment compensation agencies, and the Office of Servicemembers....506 Disclosure of records to Federal Government departments, State unemployment compensation agencies... official purposes by any department or other agency of the U.S. Government or any state unemployment...

United States Local Government Reform: The Emergence of the City Manager

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Robert McEVOY

2002-06-01

Full Text Available City Managers came into being in the early 1900.s because of the corruption, waste, and lack of responsiveness of local governments in the United States. Business leaders in large cities had begun to recognise that major changes in their local governments were desperately needed for their businesses to grow and prosper. Andrew Carnegie, a founder of United States Steel, had indicated that business needed a stable society to prosper. Local government had to become responsive to the changing needs of the poor, abused and neglected children, the mentally ill and the elderly, to cite a few examples.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERVISION OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE BALTIC STATES: A COMPARATIVE VIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VIOLETA KIURIENÉ

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses models of administrative supervision of local self-government in the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of these models. The research done in this article defines the theoretical concept of administrative supervision of local self-government; gives an overview of the legislative framework underpining the key administrative supervision bodies of local self-government in the Baltic States; discusses the issue of legal regulation and the present state of administrative supervision over local self-government units in the Baltic States; gives some theoretical and practical suggestions to develop this field in the Baltic States.The research methods employed in preparation of this article are theoretical methods of analysis of scientific literature and sources, legal acts and documents as well as comparative and logical analysis, induction and generalisation. Three Baltic States similar in their area, number of inhabitants, and governmental peculiarities have been chosen for the analysis.

Russian Initiatives in Internet Governance

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Sergey Sergeevich Shirin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the research of Russian initiatives concerning its participation in international system of Internet governance. In the research, conceptual and theoretic basis for participation of state governments in Internet governance is given, academic discourse of this issue is assessed, the review of main Russian initiatives made from 2005 (since the second stage of the World Summit on Information Society till the present day is carried out. The conclusion is made that the most successful Internet governance initiative of Russia is the implementation of cyrillic top level domains. Much less successful are Russian attempts to reconstruct existing organizational structure of Internet governance. Russian policy is assessed as a policy of preferring loud statements and PR rather than real influence on development of Internet technologies. Russia consideres Internet as political resource and tries to increase its influence on decision making process on a political, not operational level of Internet governance. The author states that federal government of the United States of America has fully lost the control on the domain name systems. These functions are going to be given to the private sector, while ICANN, which was established according to the Memorandum of Understanding/Joint Project Agreement with U.S. Department of Commerce, is becoming a truly independent international organization. Considering this, the author comes to the conclusion that political transformations for the sake of Russia are already made. He also forecast that next initiatives of Russia will be directed to the segmentation of the Internet.

The effects of emotional states and traits on risky decision-making.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, Michael Lewis; Smith, Bruce W., 1959- (,University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM-)

2006-12-01

Understanding the role of emotional states is critical for predicting the kind of decisions people will make in risky situations. Currently, there is little understanding as to how emotion influences decision-making in situations such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, pandemics, and combat. To help address this, we used behavioral and neuroimaging methods to examine how emotion states and traits influence decisions. Specifically, this study used a wheel of fortune behavioral task and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the effects of emotional states and traits on decision-making pertaining to the degree of risk people are willing to make in specific situations. The behavioral results are reported here. The neural data requires additional time to analyze and will be reported at a future date. Biases caused by emotion states and traits were found regarding the likelihood of making risky decisions. The behavioral results will help provide a solid empirical foundation for modeling the effects of emotion on decision in risky situations.

Challenges of Corporate Governance in State-Owned Companies – Croatian Perspectives

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Boris Crnković

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The term corporate governance is related to the agency problem, which is also known as the principalagent problem. In the microeconomic theory the relationship between principal and agent refers to the situation when the owner of the business and the manager running the business are not the same person. In such a case ownership and management are separated, which is a good situation for managers, who can use it to promote some of their own goals which do not necessarily have to correspond to the objectives of the business, i.e. owner of the business. The term corporate governance may also include the way in which owners of the business successfully motivate managers to act in the best interest of the owner of the business, thus maximising the company’s profit. The relationship between the principal and the agent in case of state-owned companies is two-fold (citizens – politicians and politicians – managers. Therefore corporate governance in state-owned companies faces specific challenges. From the perspective of the Republic of Croatia it is clear that progress in the privatisation process cannot be expected soon due to political and economic reasons. Therefore it is necessary to ensure an efficient system of corporate governance in state-owned companies to ensure protection of the interests of the state, i.e. the citizens in state-owned companies.

Stakeholder management in the local government decision-making area: evidences from a triangulation study with the English local government

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Corrêa Gomes

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The stakeholder theory has been in the management agenda for about thirty years and reservations about its acceptance as a comprehensive theory still remains. It was introduced as a managerial issue by the Labour Party in 1997 aiming to make public management more inclusive. This article aims to contribute to the stakeholder theory adding descriptive issues to its theoretical basis. The findings are derived from an inductive investigationcarried out with English Local Authorities, which will most likely be reproduced in other contexts. Data collection and analysis is based on a data triangulation method that involves case-studies, interviews of validation and analysis of documents. The investigation proposes a model for representing the nature of therelationships between stakeholders and the decision-making process of such organizations. The decision-making of local government organizations is in fact a stakeholder-based process in which stakeholders are empowered to exert influences due to power over and interest in the organization’s operations and outcomes.

Decision-support tools for Extreme Weather and Climate Events in the Northeast United States

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, S.; Lowery, M.; Whelchel, A.

2013-12-01

Decision-support tools were assessed for the 2013 National Climate Assessment technical input document, "Climate Change in the Northeast, A Sourcebook". The assessment included tools designed to generate and deliver actionable information to assist states and highly populated urban and other communities in assessment of climate change vulnerability and risk, quantification of effects, and identification of adaptive strategies in the context of adaptation planning across inter-annual, seasonal and multi-decadal time scales. State-level adaptation planning in the Northeast has generally relied on qualitative vulnerability assessments by expert panels and stakeholders, although some states have undertaken initiatives to develop statewide databases to support vulnerability assessments by urban and local governments, and state agencies. The devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 has raised awareness of the potential for extreme weather events to unprecedented levels and created urgency for action, especially in coastal urban and suburban communities that experienced pronounced impacts - especially in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Planning approaches vary, but any adaptation and resiliency planning process must include the following: - Knowledge of the probable change in a climate variable (e.g., precipitation, temperature, sea-level rise) over time or that the climate variable will attain a certain threshold deemed to be significant; - Knowledge of intensity and frequency of climate hazards (past, current or future events or conditions with potential to cause harm) and their relationship with climate variables; - Assessment of climate vulnerabilities (sensitive resources, infrastructure or populations exposed to climate-related hazards); - Assessment of relative risks to vulnerable resources; - Identification and prioritization of adaptive strategies to address risks. Many organizations are developing decision-support tools to assist in the urban

Project governance: selected South African government experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. van der Walt

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Some form of accountability and power structure binds all organisations. Such structures are typically referred to as the “governance” structure of the organisation. In organisations that have relatively mature project applications and methodologies in place, governance mechanisms are established on more permanent bases. With its focus on performance, results and outcomes, project governance establishes decision-making structures, as well as accountability and responsibility mechanisms in public institutions to oversee projects. As government institutions increasingly place emphasis on project applications for policy implementation and service delivery initiatives, mechanisms or structures should be established to facilitate clear interfaces between the permanent organisation and the temporary project organisation. Such mechanisms or structures should enhance the governance of projects, that is, the strategic alignment of projects, the decentralisation of decision- making powers, rapid resource allocation, and the participation of external stakeholders. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept “project governance”, and to highlight examples of project governance as applied in selected government departments in provincial and national spheres. This would enable the establishment of best practice examples and assist to develop benchmarks for effective project applications for service delivery improvement.

Whole-of-Government Approaches to Fragile States in Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Gorm Rye

2013-01-01

For a number of years fragile states have been high on the foreign policy agendas of the USA and the EU. Both actors look upon fragile states with great concern and consider them as security threats. Officially they give priority to ‘whole-of-government approaches’ (wga) when addressing the threats...

Good governance and the implementation of national health insurance in the public health sector: A case of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melody Brauns

2015-09-01

Full Text Available For years it has been argued that implementation failure is one of the main reasons why policies do not yield the results expected. In South Africa, a version of this argument, which often features, is that good policies are drawn up but then not implemented. Government failure is a reality. Just as corporations survive according to whether they make good decisions, so to governments fall or are re-elected on whether they make good decisions. General argument in governance literature is that a wide variety of developments have undermined the capacity of governments to control events within the nation state. As a consequence the state can no longer assume a monopoly of expertise or of the resources to govern.

Metabolic state alters economic decision making under risk in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mkael Symmonds

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Animals' attitudes to risk are profoundly influenced by metabolic state (hunger and baseline energy stores. Specifically, animals often express a preference for risky (more variable food sources when below a metabolic reference point (hungry, and safe (less variable food sources when sated. Circulating hormones report the status of energy reserves and acute nutrient intake to widespread targets in the central nervous system that regulate feeding behaviour, including brain regions strongly implicated in risk and reward based decision-making in humans. Despite this, physiological influences per se have not been considered previously to influence economic decisions in humans. We hypothesised that baseline metabolic reserves and alterations in metabolic state would systematically modulate decision-making and financial risk-taking in humans.We used a controlled feeding manipulation and assayed decision-making preferences across different metabolic states following a meal. To elicit risk-preference, we presented a sequence of 200 paired lotteries, subjects' task being to select their preferred option from each pair. We also measured prandial suppression of circulating acyl-ghrelin (a centrally-acting orexigenic hormone signalling acute nutrient intake, and circulating leptin levels (providing an assay of energy reserves. We show both immediate and delayed effects on risky decision-making following a meal, and that these changes correlate with an individual's baseline leptin and changes in acyl-ghrelin levels respectively.We show that human risk preferences are exquisitely sensitive to current metabolic state, in a direction consistent with ecological models of feeding behaviour but not predicted by normative economic theory. These substantive effects of state changes on economic decisions perhaps reflect shared evolutionarily conserved neurobiological mechanisms. We suggest that this sensitivity in human risk-preference to current metabolic state has

Embedding a State Space Model Into a Markov Decision Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lars Relund; Jørgensen, Erik; Højsgaard, Søren

2011-01-01

In agriculture Markov decision processes (MDPs) with finite state and action space are often used to model sequential decision making over time. For instance, states in the process represent possible levels of traits of the animal and transition probabilities are based on biological models...

Mechanisms of e-government activity in the Republic of Moldova compared to the decision-making framework of EU internationalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria GOREA

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The performances of the macrosystem e-Government denotes the macro and microenvironments of decision moving through the implementation and application of a variety of mechanisms and tools, which being diversified contribute to fortifying the common public opinion. The cyber administration develops the most important mechanisms to reinforce the uniformity of the microenvironment e-Government. The Republic of Moldova is a component and participative part of the evolutionary decisional microsystem of e-Government similar to the directives of the macrosystem vectors.

Heath Sector Network Governance and State-building in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Science.gov (United States)

Bwimana, Aembe

2017-12-01

Longstanding patterns of interaction exist between state and non-state actors seeking to improve public health in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC is a weak state, and, in many cases, private actors have stepped in to fill the void created by the lack of state health care provision. However, the role of these interactions in creating a governance network in the health sector has been underexplored. Using data from 18 months of qualitative field research, this study aimed to explore governance networks in DRC's health sector, examining how multiple stakeholders work to manage the health system and how the resulting governance network has been relevant for the state-building process. The findings demonstrate that the health sector in South Kivu is emerging as an arena of networked governance based on active partnerships between state institutions and non-state actors. Interactions between state and non-state actors account for the persistence of the health sector in a setting characterized by state weakness. However, networked governance does not function optimally, because, although non-state interventions fill the void where the state falls short, the DRC state has faced the challenge of interacting with partners with fragmented and horizontally competing agendas. Although weak, the shadow of state authority is present in the arena of stakeholders' interactions, as the state plays a determining role by providing a regulatory framework. Overall, the findings show that the interactive engagement of non-state actors contributes to improving institutional capacity through these actors' engagement with state institutions for health system management and institutional development. However, although networked health sector governance does contribute to state capacity, it is difficult to assess the real influence of these interactions on the state-building process in a context of critical fragility, where coordination and alignment have been problematic. © The

Solar and Wind Site Screening Decision Trees

Science.gov (United States)

EPA and NREL created a decision tree to guide state and local governments and other stakeholders through a process for screening sites for their suitability for future redevelopment with solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and wind energy.

National Guard State Partnership Program: A Whole-of Government Approach

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

be better able to take ownership of and solve crisis situations within their borders, provide necessities to their people through sound governance...lower level concentrated focus on a partner country (State vs . U.S. Government); executing mission spanning military, political, economic and...and hydroelectric development, foreign investment 22 reform and development, franchise opportunities, bio-fuels development, and public and

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

Thematic report on public governance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouder, F.

2002-01-01

The objective of the FSC workshop was to learn from the process that led to the ratification by the Finnish Parliament, on 18 May 2001, of the Decision in Principle on the final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel in Olkiluoto, Eurajoki. One of the objectives clearly expressed by the NEA was to help government to make the right decisions, including by looking at successful policy making and decision-making practices. This gave 'Public Governance' issues a prominent role in the debates. In addition, the meeting was conceived as a discussion between stakeholders, which, interestingly, also made it an exercise in 'Public Governance'. This purpose of this report is to identify some key governance lessons that emerged from looking at this process in detail. It looks at the difficult policy context in which the Decision in Principle had to be taken. It highlights the governance challenge that emerged and suggests some key findings that could possibly be relevant in other similar circumstances. (author)

E-government as anti-bureaucracy state technology: theoretical and legal characteristic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

В. В. Сухонос

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Problem setting. In today's Ukraine reform encountered not only external but also to internal obstacles. The latter were associated not only with the lack of political will, but also with insufficient theoretical knowledge of individuals who organizes changes. Moreover, getting public office, reformers become a part of the bureaucratic state machinery and experiencing significant resistance change. This primarily occurs because of changes that the organizers do not understand the essence of bureaucracy, and therefore can not overcome its negative features. Recent research and publications analysis. In independent Ukraine the majority of works are devoted to problems of organization of public administration, mainly concentrated around corruption. However, the issue of red tape mostly ignored by the overwhelming majority state researchers. As an exception we can mention common work of V. Tsvetkova and V. Gorbatenko «Democracy – Management – Bureaucracy», in which, inter alia, considered «loss, achievements and prospects of the modernization of Ukrainian society» through the prism of theories of bureaucracy. The reform of the state mechanism have also been the subject of research, both domestic and foreign researchers. Here, in particular, we can recall the work P. Rudyk, A. Yuschyk and joint research experts and World Bank N. Manning and N. Parison and Ukrainian scientists P. Klimushkin and A. Serenok who paid a lot of attention to e-governance as a cornerstone of any factor as modern reforms. Without belittling the achievements of the above scientists should keep in mind that none of them considered reforming the state mechanism in the context of changes in the bureaucracy any other state technology, in particular e-government. Their attention is focused only on the fundamental problems of bureaucracy and e-government. Paper objective. That is why the purpose of this article is the study of e-government as anti-bureaucratic state

Leisure, Government and Governance: A Swedish Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstrom, Lisbeth

2011-01-01

The leisure sector has witnessed a tremendous expansion since 1960. The purpose of this article is to analyse the decisions and goals of Swedish government policy during the period 1962 to 2005. The empirical analysis covers government Propositions and governmental investigations. The fields covered are sports, culture, exercise, tourism and…

Comparative analysis of government debt in the European Union's member states, 2000-2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talpoş Ioan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a detailed comparative analysis of the evolution of government debt stocks in the E.U. Member States at the end of the period 31.12.2000-31.12.2013 from the point of view of the share of these debts in the GDP, with a focus on six groups of the E.U. Member States (E.U.-28 countries, E.U.-27 countries, Euro area-18 countries, Euro area-17 countries, Non Euro area-10 countries, Non Euro area-11 countries, on the E.U. Member States with a government debt stock share above or below 60% of the GDP at 31.12.2013, on the Member States which recorded very large deviations of the government debt stocks and of those stocks' shares in PIB in the analyzed period or which recorded a decrease in government debt stock shares in PIB - and, separately, on Romania as well.

Sustainable nanotechnology decision support system: bridging risk management, sustainable innovation and risk governance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, Vrishali; Semenzin, Elena; Hristozov, Danail; Zabeo, Alex; Malsch, Ineke; McAlea, Eamonn; Murphy, Finbarr; Mullins, Martin; Harmelen, Toon van; Ligthart, Tom; Linkov, Igor; Marcomini, Antonio

2016-01-01

The significant uncertainties associated with the (eco)toxicological risks of engineered nanomaterials pose challenges to the development of nano-enabled products toward greatest possible societal benefit. This paper argues for the use of risk governance approaches to manage nanotechnology risks and sustainability, and considers the links between these concepts. Further, seven risk assessment and management criteria relevant to risk governance are defined: (a) life cycle thinking, (b) triple bottom line, (c) inclusion of stakeholders, (d) risk management, (e) benefit–risk assessment, (f) consideration of uncertainty, and (g) adaptive response. These criteria are used to compare five well-developed nanotechnology frameworks: International Risk Governance Council framework, Comprehensive Environmental Assessment, Streaming Life Cycle Risk Assessment, Certifiable Nanospecific Risk Management and Monitoring System and LICARA NanoSCAN. A Sustainable Nanotechnology Decision Support System (SUNDS) is proposed to better address current nanotechnology risk assessment and management needs, and makes. Stakeholder needs were solicited for further SUNDS enhancement through a stakeholder workshop that included representatives from regulatory, industry and insurance sectors. Workshop participants expressed the need for the wider adoption of sustainability assessment methods and tools for designing greener nanomaterials.

Sustainable nanotechnology decision support system: bridging risk management, sustainable innovation and risk governance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subramanian, Vrishali, E-mail: vrishali.subramanian@unive.it; Semenzin, Elena; Hristozov, Danail; Zabeo, Alex [University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (Italy); Malsch, Ineke [Malsch TechnoValuation (Netherlands); McAlea, Eamonn; Murphy, Finbarr; Mullins, Martin [University of Limerick, Kemmy Business School (Ireland); Harmelen, Toon van; Ligthart, Tom [TNO (Netherlands); Linkov, Igor; Marcomini, Antonio, E-mail: marcom@unive.it [University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (Italy)

2016-04-15

The significant uncertainties associated with the (eco)toxicological risks of engineered nanomaterials pose challenges to the development of nano-enabled products toward greatest possible societal benefit. This paper argues for the use of risk governance approaches to manage nanotechnology risks and sustainability, and considers the links between these concepts. Further, seven risk assessment and management criteria relevant to risk governance are defined: (a) life cycle thinking, (b) triple bottom line, (c) inclusion of stakeholders, (d) risk management, (e) benefit–risk assessment, (f) consideration of uncertainty, and (g) adaptive response. These criteria are used to compare five well-developed nanotechnology frameworks: International Risk Governance Council framework, Comprehensive Environmental Assessment, Streaming Life Cycle Risk Assessment, Certifiable Nanospecific Risk Management and Monitoring System and LICARA NanoSCAN. A Sustainable Nanotechnology Decision Support System (SUNDS) is proposed to better address current nanotechnology risk assessment and management needs, and makes. Stakeholder needs were solicited for further SUNDS enhancement through a stakeholder workshop that included representatives from regulatory, industry and insurance sectors. Workshop participants expressed the need for the wider adoption of sustainability assessment methods and tools for designing greener nanomaterials.

75 FR 66054 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services, Public...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-27

... Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services, Public Accommodations and in... of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities and Public Accommodations; Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government...

In the Clouds: The Implications of Cloud Computing for Higher Education Information Technology Governance and Decision Making

Science.gov (United States)

Dulaney, Malik H.

2013-01-01

Emerging technologies challenge the management of information technology in organizations. Paradigm changing technologies, such as cloud computing, have the ability to reverse the norms in organizational management, decision making, and information technology governance. This study explores the effects of cloud computing on information technology…

Official communique from the Government of Peru on the decision of the Government of Libya to cease production of weapons of mass destruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The Director General has received a letter from the Permanent Mission of Peru, dated 29 December 2003, enclosing an Official Communique by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, regarding the decision of the Government of Libya to cease production of weapons of mass destruction. In the light of the wish expressed in the letter from the Permanent Mission of Peru, the text of the Communique is attached

Business, Government and Foreign Policy: Brazilian Construction Firms Abroad

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernardo Frossard Silva Rego

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This article analyses the interaction between Brazilian companies and government in the context of foreign policy, observing the state's support for the internationalization of large Brazilian civil construction firms. The results show that over the years these companies had privileged access to the Federal Executive, including civil service agencies. One consequence of this system of channelling demands through the Executive was to demote the Legislative branch to a secondary role. This pattern of interaction changed following the restoration of Congress's decision-making capacity, prompting the sector to diversify its areas of influence, focusing in particular on the Congress. To expand internationally, construction firms interact with the government primarily through the Executive, specifically via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty, which provides technical and diplomatic support, and the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico, which supplies funding. The main argument of this article is that foreign policy should be examined through the relations between state and non-state actors in a multitude of decision-making arenas, taking into consideration both domestic and international factors.

Integrative Governance of Environmental Water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin: Evolving Challenges and Emerging Pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff-Mattson, Zachary; Lynch, Amanda H

2017-07-01

Integration, a widely promoted response to the multi-scale complexities of social-environmental sustainability, is diversely and sometimes poorly conceptualized. In this paper we explore integrative governance, which we define as an iterative and contextual process for negotiating and advancing the common interest. We ground this definition in a discussion of institutional factors conditioning integrative governance of environmental water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin. The Murray-Darling Basin is an iconic system of social-ecological complexity, evocative of large-scale conservation challenges in other developed arid river basins. Our critical assessment of integrative governance practices in that context emerges through analysis of interviews with policy participants and documents pertaining to environmental water management in the tri-state area of southwestern New South Wales, northwestern Victoria, and the South Australian Riverland. We identify four linked challenges: (i) decision support for developing socially robust environmental water management goals, (ii) resource constraints on adaptive practice, (iii) inter-state differences in participatory decision-making and devolution of authority, and (iv) representative inclusion in decision-making. Our appraisal demonstrates these as pivotal challenges for integrative governance in the common interest. We conclude by offering a perspective on the potential for supporting integrative governance through the bridging capacity of Australia's Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.

Financing State Governments in Nigeria, 1980-2007 | Akujuobi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

State governments in Nigeria are saddled with a lot of responsibilities that are geared towards the development of their areas. To do this, they engage in expenditure profiles that are at times overwhelming, especially when compared with their limited financial resources. This problem of insufficient funding sources and ...

Bridge over troubled waters? The state-NGO interface in governing urban environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tropp, H

1998-12-31

Environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources are aggravating problems in many developing countries. A particular case about Non-Governmental Organisations` (NGOs) commitment to river water pollution in Madras (south India) is developed here, mainly with regards to the interface between the state and NGO sector. A significant reason behind environmental problems are insufficient structures of governance. An often proposed solution, by both international and local organisations and governments, is to develop a partnership between the state and local organisations and communities. The arguments here show that such increased cooperation or decentralization may not come easy and is complicated by various meanings of governance, such as discretionary state power, limited transparency of bureaucratic and political processes, red-tapism and different perceptions of causes and solutions to environmental problems 25 refs, 1 fig

Bridge over troubled waters? The state-NGO interface in governing urban environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tropp, H.

1997-12-31

Environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources are aggravating problems in many developing countries. A particular case about Non-Governmental Organisations` (NGOs) commitment to river water pollution in Madras (south India) is developed here, mainly with regards to the interface between the state and NGO sector. A significant reason behind environmental problems are insufficient structures of governance. An often proposed solution, by both international and local organisations and governments, is to develop a partnership between the state and local organisations and communities. The arguments here show that such increased cooperation or decentralization may not come easy and is complicated by various meanings of governance, such as discretionary state power, limited transparency of bureaucratic and political processes, red-tapism and different perceptions of causes and solutions to environmental problems 25 refs, 1 fig

Glurbanization of the Chinese megacity Guangzhou – image-building and city development through entrepreneurial governance

OpenAIRE

A. L. Bercht

2013-01-01

The continuing integration of the Chinese economy into the globalizing world and increasing intercity competition have had significant and comparatively recent implications for post-socialist urbanization in China. Driven by market-oriented development and globalization, decentralization of economic decision-making and downscaling of governance from the central state to local governments and authorities characterize the changing role of the state from urban managerialism to ...

Management of carbon across sectors and scales: Insights from land use decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Dilling, L.; Failey, E. L.

2008-12-01

Carbon management is increasingly becoming a topic of interest among policy circles and business entrepreneurs alike. In the United States, while no binding regulatory framework exists, carbon management is nonetheless being pursued both by voluntary actions at a variety of levels, from the individual to the national level, and through mandatory policies at state and local levels. Controlling the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for climate purposes will ultimately require a form of governance that will ensure that the actions taken and being rewarded financially are indeed effective with respect to the global atmosphere on long time scales. Moreover, this new system of governance will need to interface with existing governance structures and decision criteria that have been established to arbitrate among various societal values and priorities. These existing institutions and expressed values will need to be examined against those proposed for effective carbon governance, such as the permanence of carbon storage, the additionality of credited activities, and the prevention of leakage, or displacement of prohibited activities to another region outside the governance boundary. The latter issue suggests that interactions among scales of decision making and governance will be extremely important in determining the ultimate success of any future system of carbon governance. The goal of our study is to understand the current context of land use decision making in different sectors and examine the potential for future carbon policy to be effective given this context. This study examined land use decision making in the U.S. state of Colorado from a variety of ownership perspectives, including US Federal land managers, individual private owners, and policy makers involved in land use at a number of different scales. This paper will report on the results of interviews with land managers and provide insight into the policy context for carbon management through land

Joint federal research and development process to meet state and local needs. Part 1. Science and technology and political decision making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wise, H F; Smith, L K; Einsweiler, R C; Jensen, D E

1980-10-01

This part of the handbook addresses the basic how to do it - how states and local governments can identify complex and cross-cutting issues and develop and manage scientific and technical resources in seeking policy solutions to such issues. The following subjects are discussed: background statement of the issue; the research/decision-making process; defining problems and identifying research components; research and decision-making strategies; how to identify existing knowledge or ongoing research in the area of policy concern; and managing multi-disciplinary research. The fourteen agencies involved in this effort include: US Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Science Foundation. (PSB)

Solar Photovoltaic Financing: Deployment on Public Property by State and Local Governments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cory, K.; Coughlin, J.; Coggeshall, C.

2008-05-01

State and local governments have grown increasingly aware of the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of taking a lead role in U.S. implementation of renewable energy, particularly distributed photovoltaic (PV) installations. Recently, solar energy's cost premium has declined as a result of technology improvements and an increase in the cost of traditional energy generation. At the same time, a nationwide public policy focus on carbon-free, renewable energy has created a wide range of financial incentives to lower the costs of deploying PV even further. These changes have led to exponential increases in the availability of capital for solar projects, and tremendous creativity in the development of third-party ownership structures. As significant users of electricity, state and local governments can be an excellent example for solar PV system deployment on a national scale. Many public entities are not only considering deployment on public building rooftops, but also large-scale applications on available public lands. The changing marketplace requires that state and local governments be financially sophisticated to capture as much of the economic potential of a PV system as possible. This report examines ways that state and local governments can optimize the financial structure of deploying solar PV for public uses.

30 CFR 227.108 - How will MMS notify a State of its decision?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How will MMS notify a State of its decision... MINERALS REVENUE MANAGEMENT DELEGATION TO STATES Delegation Process § 227.108 How will MMS notify a State of its decision? MMS will notify you in writing of its decision on your delegation proposal. If MMS...

Constructing a State Policy To Promote Regionalism in School Government.

Science.gov (United States)

Zukowsky, Jerome; And Others.

This paper defines regionalism, sets some tentative directions for the concept, and raises difficult questions related to its application in New York State. Regionalism, which offers an alternative to a State-local school governing system, is used to decentralize the planning and management of public services. A regional unit permits district…

Governing new technology: A comparative analysis of government support for nanotechnology in the Netherlands and the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Eijmberts, Johannes

This study examines this variance in national government support for nanotechnology---its shape, size, and policy priorities---by comparing the United States and the Netherlands. Our operating hypothesis is that national government support for nanotechnology development is driven not by the intrinsic nature of the technology but by longstanding structural and institutional arrangements. That is, in the U.S., pluralist political traditions and reliance on classical liberal market economics would suggest a detached national government approach, leaving any initiative to market actors. At the same time, legacies of corporatism in the Dutch political system and a tradition of greater direct government involvement in the national economy would suggest a government-led policy on nanotechnology development. The findings show otherwise. Early on, the U.S. government established the National Nanotechnology Initiative, an overarching federal mechanism to promote and coordinate nanotechnology development. Yet, despite its appearance of central direction and coordination, the NNI reflected pluralist arrangements by leaving ample autonomy for participating federal departments and agencies. The creation of the NNI was driven particularly by concerns of about foreign challenges to American global leadership in science and technology. In the Netherlands, by contrast, the path taken shows the legacy of Dutch corporatist practice---slow, incremental, and embedded in pre-existing institutional arrangements. The Dutch government initially took no directive role, relying instead on established links among universities, public research funding organizations, and industries to advance nanotechnology development in the Netherlands. However, over time, Dutch government involvement in nanotechnology grew to be more supportive, sizeable, comprehensive, and directive---particulary by requiring substantial investments in risk-related research as a condition for public funding and, notably, by

Shelter from the Storm: Roles, responsibilities, and challenges in United States housing policy governance.

Science.gov (United States)

Willison, Charley

2017-11-01

Housing is a critical social determinant of health. Housing policy not only affects health by improving housing quality, affordability, and insecurity; housing policy affects health upstream through the politics that shape housing policy design, implementation, and management. These politics, or governance strategies, determine the successes or failures of housing policy programs. This paper is an overview of challenges in housing policy governance in the United States. I examine the important relationship between housing and health, and emphasize why studying housing policy governance matters. I then present three cases of housing governance challenges in the United States, from each pathway by which housing affects health - housing quality, affordability, and insecurity. Each case corresponds to an arm of the TAPIC framework for evaluating governance (Krieger and Higgins) [1], to assess mechanisms of housing governance in each case. While housing governance has come a long way over the past century, political decentralization and the expansion of the submerged state have increased the number of political actors and policy conflict in many areas. This creates inherent challenges for improving accountability, transparency, and policy capacity. In many instances, too, reduced government accountability and transparency increases the risk of harm to the public and lessens governmental integrity. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Swedish decision to withdraw

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, G.

1988-01-01

A referendum in Sweden in 1980 regarding the future use of nuclear energy resulted in a Parliamentary decision not to build reactors beyond the twelve units already licensed and to decommission them all by the year 2010. The author analyses this decision and the 1980 Act implementing it, pointing out that during preparation of the latter, the Government stated that some compensation would be granted for a forced premature decommissioning, although the Act is silent in this respect. He discusses the legal basis on which a nuclear operator could base a claim and concludes that any compensation will finally depend on a decision by Parliament. (NEA) [fr

Hard and Soft Governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moos, Lejf

2009-01-01

of Denmark, and finally the third layer: the leadership used in Danish schools. The use of 'soft governance' is shifting the focus of governance and leadership from decisions towards influence and power and thus shifting the focus of the processes from the decision-making itself towards more focus......The governance and leadership at transnational, national and school level seem to be converging into a number of isomorphic forms as we see a tendency towards substituting 'hard' forms of governance, that are legally binding, with 'soft' forms based on persuasion and advice. This article analyses...... and discusses governance forms at several levels. The first layer is the global: the methods of 'soft governance' that are being utilised by transnational agencies. The second layer is the national and local: the shift in national and local governance seen in many countries, but here demonstrated in the case...

Non-state global environmental governance : the emergence and effectiveness of forest and fisheries certification schemes

OpenAIRE

Gulbrandsen, Lars H.

2009-01-01

There is growing scholarly interest in the role and function of non-state actors in global governance. A number of non-state governance schemes have been created in recent years to set environmental and social standards for the certification of private companies and producers. This thesis focuses on certification schemes in the forestry and fisheries sectors, as initiatives in these two sectors arguably represent the most advanced cases of non-state rulemaking and governance in the environmen...

How Participatory Should Environmental Governance Be? Testing the Applicability of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Model in Public Environmental Decision-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Lührs, Nikolas; Jager, Nicolas W.; Challies, Edward; Newig, Jens

2018-02-01

Public participation is potentially useful to improve public environmental decision-making and management processes. In corporate management, the Vroom-Yetton-Jago normative decision-making model has served as a tool to help managers choose appropriate degrees of subordinate participation for effective decision-making given varying decision-making contexts. But does the model recommend participatory mechanisms that would actually benefit environmental management? This study empirically tests the improved Vroom-Jago version of the model in the public environmental decision-making context. To this end, the key variables of the Vroom-Jago model are operationalized and adapted to a public environmental governance context. The model is tested using data from a meta-analysis of 241 published cases of public environmental decision-making, yielding three main sets of findings: (1) The Vroom-Jago model proves limited in its applicability to public environmental governance due to limited variance in its recommendations. We show that adjustments to key model equations make it more likely to produce meaningful recommendations. (2) We find that in most of the studied cases, public environmental managers (implicitly) employ levels of participation close to those that would have been recommended by the model. (3) An ANOVA revealed that such cases, which conform to model recommendations, generally perform better on stakeholder acceptance and environmental standards of outputs than those that diverge from the model. Public environmental management thus benefits from carefully selected and context-sensitive modes of participation.

A procurement-based pathway for promoting public health: innovative purchasing approaches for state and local government agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Noonan, Kathleen; Miller, Dorothy; Sell, Katherine; Rubin, David

2013-11-01

Through their purchasing powers, government agencies can play a critical role in leveraging markets to create healthier foods. In the United States, state and local governments are implementing creative approaches to procuring healthier foods, moving beyond the traditional regulatory relationship between government and vendors. They are forging new partnerships between government, non-profits, and researchers to increase healthier purchasing. On the basis of case examples, this article proposes a pathway in which state and local government agencies can use the procurement cycle to improve healthy eating.

The Essence Of Government Shares Subscription A Review The Implementation Of State-Owned Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urbanisasi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine and explain the mechanisms and the implementation of government share subscription in the implementation of SOEs legal standing of the government shares subscription in the implementation of the state budget that separated in the implementation of SOEs and its legal implications of state loss or not and also legal accountability for losses arising out of shares subscription of SOE. In this study the authors use normative legal research. The data obtained in this study will be analyzed using qualitative normative method with inductive logic. Results from the study indicate that state shares subscription in the establishment of SOE or limited company with funds derived from State Budget are separated. Thus the government no longer has any authority in the field of civil law as a business entity. A clear separation of the status of country as business and as government organizer carries consequences. With the separation then there is clarity about the concept of the state financial losses. SOE as one form of business entity that aim to make a profit is a separate legal entity and has responsibilities that are separately anyway though formed and capital originating from the state finances and the loss of one transaction or in legal entity cannot be categorized as a state finance loss because the state has functioned as a private legal entity.

Traveling Uncharted Waters: The Exchange of Government Information between the United States and China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rui

1998-01-01

Describes a program established between the United States and China for exchange of government publications through their national libraries, the Library of Congress and the National Library of China. Challenges to the program, including the shift to electronic formats in the United States and government Internet censorship in China, are…

Fostering eGovernment as State Social Responsibility (SSR: Case Study of an Australian City Council

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinara Rao Karna

2012-12-01

Full Text Available           Democracies around the world now face Citizen-apathy. This is a concern now more than ever faced by countries around the globe. eGovernment is undoubtedly a platform to deliberate and enable citizens regain confidence and faith in democratic  processes. Citizens now seek Verifiable, Open, Transparent, Empathetic, Responsive and Sensitive Electronic Democracy and Government (VOTERS EDG, Karna, 2012. Similar to corporate world, there are voices stressing on govenments for the need to understand the stakeholders, their involvement, relationships and responsibilities of a state in eGovernance. Citizens everywhere now demand Verifiable, Open, Transparent, Empathetic, Responsive and Sensitive Electronically Democratic Government as a State Social Responsibity (SSR. Peoples movements and outbursts against authorities with the help of Word of Mouse (Karna, 2012 have established that transparent and open governance is the need of the hour. This paper presents findings of the study conducted in an Australian City Council for preparing the city council for ‘City e-readiness’ to initiate e-Government activities. We propose the idea of ‘Centrality of Citizens’ in context of eGovernment. We further build upon the original concept of deeming eGovernment as ‘State Social Responsibility’ (SSR (Karna, 2010, by governments at all levels.  

Legality, legitimacy and formal and informal decision-making processes: when does a decision become legitimate?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwetkoff, C.

2004-01-01

A few words on the purpose of this paper are given by way of introduction. A brief analysis will be made of the relationship between legality and legitimacy in relation to decision-making processes and within the context of the policies concerning the public management of technological risks. The aim is to raise questions and outline some reflections based on the theory of the state, from the perspective of the conditions of the institutionalization of power. I shall first clarify a few conceptual points. The notion of legality refers to the notion of compliance with legal standards, that is to say, with the law. Is the decision made by a person empowered by law so do to (legal competence)? Is it taken in compliance with legal procedure? And are the effects implicitly in keeping with the spirit of the law? The legitimacy of the power of those who govern, or the legitimacy of their decisions, is not determined solely by legal standards but rather, is a matter of individual and social representation or view. As Hobbes says, in essence, to govern is to convince: to convince people of the rightfulness of the source of the power of those who govern and of the action or public policies that they formulate. The paper is organised around three propositions: 1. The role of the legitimacy or social acceptability of public policies has always been an element of the way all political systems function. This role, however, occupies an increasingly important place on the political agenda in a societal decision-making context that has undergone irreversible changes. 2. Although the essence of the social legitimacy of public policies remains the same, the conditions, mechanisms and criteria evolve. 3. The critical centrality of social legitimacy, together with the evolution of the criteria for legitimate decision, today modify the decision-making mechanisms that were established in response to the requirements of classical democracy. We observe a political organisation i n the

Building Stakeholder Trust: Defensible Government Decisions - 13110

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franklin, Victor A. [Savannah River Remediation LLC, Bldg. 705-1C, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States)

2013-07-01

Administrative decisions must be grounded in reasonable expectations, founded on sound principles, and bounded by societal norms. Without these first principles, attaining and retaining public trust is a Herculean task. Decisions made by governmental administrators must be both transparent and defensible: without the former the agency will lose the public's trust and support (possibly prompting a legal challenge to the decision) and without the latter the decision may fail to withstand judicial scrutiny. This presentation and accompanying paper delves into the process by which governmental decisions can achieve both defensibility and openness through building stakeholder trust with transparency. Achieving and maintaining stakeholder trust is crucial, especially in the environs of nuclear waste management. Proving confidence, stability, and security to the surrounding citizenry as well as those throughout the country is the goal of governmental nuclear waste remediation. Guiding administrative decision-making processes and maintaining a broad bandwidth of communication are of incalculable importance to all those charged with serving the public, but are especially essential to those whose decisional impacts will be felt for millennia. A strong, clear, and concise administrative record documenting discrete decisions and overarching policy choices is the strongest defense to a decisional challenge. However, this can be accomplished using transparency as the fundamental building block. This documentation allows the decision-makers to demonstrate the synthesis of legal and technical challenges and fortifies the ground from which challenges will be defended when necessary. Further, administrative actions which capture the public's interest and captivate that interest throughout the process will result in a better-informed, more deeply-involved, and more heavily-invested group of interested parties. Management of information, involvement, and investment on the

Building Stakeholder Trust: Defensible Government Decisions - 13110

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, Victor A.

2013-01-01

Administrative decisions must be grounded in reasonable expectations, founded on sound principles, and bounded by societal norms. Without these first principles, attaining and retaining public trust is a Herculean task. Decisions made by governmental administrators must be both transparent and defensible: without the former the agency will lose the public's trust and support (possibly prompting a legal challenge to the decision) and without the latter the decision may fail to withstand judicial scrutiny. This presentation and accompanying paper delves into the process by which governmental decisions can achieve both defensibility and openness through building stakeholder trust with transparency. Achieving and maintaining stakeholder trust is crucial, especially in the environs of nuclear waste management. Proving confidence, stability, and security to the surrounding citizenry as well as those throughout the country is the goal of governmental nuclear waste remediation. Guiding administrative decision-making processes and maintaining a broad bandwidth of communication are of incalculable importance to all those charged with serving the public, but are especially essential to those whose decisional impacts will be felt for millennia. A strong, clear, and concise administrative record documenting discrete decisions and overarching policy choices is the strongest defense to a decisional challenge. However, this can be accomplished using transparency as the fundamental building block. This documentation allows the decision-makers to demonstrate the synthesis of legal and technical challenges and fortifies the ground from which challenges will be defended when necessary. Further, administrative actions which capture the public's interest and captivate that interest throughout the process will result in a better-informed, more deeply-involved, and more heavily-invested group of interested parties. Management of information, involvement, and investment on the front-end of

The metropolitan area as a knee-jerk response to the multilevel governance and its derived national public decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălin Daniel DUMITRICĂ

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The paper objectifies the first part of a larger projects aiming at establishing a public decision-making map pertaining to the negative externalities in the framework of the economic approach of subsidiarity in the multilevel governance (the case of Romania. The first part of the larger research project refers to testing whether the economic theory of the European Union multilevel governance, with its core consisting in the subsidiarity principle, puts more pressure on the national public decisions (more specifically those related to specific market failures, though it interferes with all state’s functions and their specific decisions.Our research thesis begins by establishing whether the relationship between the local political elites and public governance at the level of towns and communes is considered a very straight forward, even obvious relationship. The political parties, by means of the publicly and democratically-elected officials (mayors and local council-members, make the most important decisions concerning public affairs (i.e. pertaining to a market failure examined by a second stage of the project.In an attempt to modernize the Romanian administrative system, to make public administration more dynamic, flexible and pro-active, the local political leaders decided the development of a new type of structure, the metropolitan area. The metropolitan areas, due to the constraints of the law, were established as associative organizations, composed of several administrative-territorial units.The paper at hand presents the establishment of the metropolitan areas in Romania as a political decision to associate towns and communes, in view of gaining access to better-performance instruments for local economic development. The emergence of the metropolitan areas in our country is strongly connected with the local political elites, the local political actors representing, in fact, the engine of the metropolitan structures and regional

Transparency in decision-making processes governing hazardous activities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, B.; Jensen, K.K.; Sandøe, P.

2007-01-01

Transparent decisions are decisions in which the decision maker clearly presents to others the normative and factual premises behind the conclusions and explains the reasoning leading from these premises to the conclusion. Transparency thus involves uncovering, describing, documenting...... and communicating all the argumentative steps in the line of reasoning. It also involves acknowledging the weighting of any evidence drawn upon in reaching the final decision. It is recommended that each decision should be accompanied by an audit trail describing the premises justifying it. Uncertainties should...

Comparison of USDA Forest Service and Stakeholder Motivations and Experiences in Collaborative Federal Forest Governance in the Western United States

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Emily Jane; White, Eric M.; Cerveny, Lee K.; Seesholtz, David; Nuss, Meagan L.; Ulrich, Donald R.

2017-11-01

In the United States, over 191 million acres of land is managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, a federal government agency. In several western U.S. states, organized collaborative groups have become a de facto governance approach to providing sustained input on management decisions on much public land. This is most extensive in Oregon, where at least 25 "forest collaboratives" currently exist. This affords excellent opportunities for studies of many common themes in collaborative governance, including trust, shared values, and perceptions of success. We undertook a statewide survey of participants in Oregon forest collaboratives to examine differences in motivations, perceptions of success, and satisfaction among Forest Service participants ("agency participants"), who made up 31% of the sample, and other respondents ("non-agency") who represent nonfederal agencies, interest groups, citizens, and non-governmental groups. We found that agency participants differed from non-agency participants. They typically had higher annual incomes, and were primarily motivated to participate to build trust. However, a majority of all respondents were similar in not indicating any other social or economic motivations as their primary reason for collaborating. A majority also reported satisfaction with their collaborative—despite not ranking collaborative performance on a number of specific potential outcomes highly. Together, this suggests that collaboration in Oregon is currently perceived as successful despite not achieving many specific outcomes. Yet there were significant differences in socioeconomic status and motivation that could affect the ability of agency and nonagency participants to develop and achieve mutually-desired goals.

Comparison of USDA Forest Service and Stakeholder Motivations and Experiences in Collaborative Federal Forest Governance in the Western United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Emily Jane; White, Eric M; Cerveny, Lee K; Seesholtz, David; Nuss, Meagan L; Ulrich, Donald R

2017-11-01

In the United States, over 191 million acres of land is managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, a federal government agency. In several western U.S. states, organized collaborative groups have become a de facto governance approach to providing sustained input on management decisions on much public land. This is most extensive in Oregon, where at least 25 "forest collaboratives" currently exist. This affords excellent opportunities for studies of many common themes in collaborative governance, including trust, shared values, and perceptions of success. We undertook a statewide survey of participants in Oregon forest collaboratives to examine differences in motivations, perceptions of success, and satisfaction among Forest Service participants ("agency participants"), who made up 31% of the sample, and other respondents ("non-agency") who represent nonfederal agencies, interest groups, citizens, and non-governmental groups. We found that agency participants differed from non-agency participants. They typically had higher annual incomes, and were primarily motivated to participate to build trust. However, a majority of all respondents were similar in not indicating any other social or economic motivations as their primary reason for collaborating. A majority also reported satisfaction with their collaborative-despite not ranking collaborative performance on a number of specific potential outcomes highly. Together, this suggests that collaboration in Oregon is currently perceived as successful despite not achieving many specific outcomes. Yet there were significant differences in socioeconomic status and motivation that could affect the ability of agency and nonagency participants to develop and achieve mutually-desired goals.

O Estado Regulador e o Estado Administrativo: A Expertise Política e o Governo dos Técnicos / The Regulatory State and Administrative State: The Expertise and the Government of Experts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilmara Joane Macedo de Medeiros

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This essay analyzes the legitimacy of norms produced by the state’s regulatory activity. Underpinnings of the regulatory state and regulatory activity are discussed from the viewpoint of theories that might explain the legitimacy of its normative production, not least the administrative state theory of Dwight Waldo, who defends a government by technicians, valuing expertise. Methodology/approach/design – In the first section, the paper presents concepts of regulation and regulatory state. After that, the paper introduces the underpinnings for legitimate production of norms and the concept of public administration is addressed from the perspectives of the theory proposed by Dwight Waldo. Findings – According to Dwight Waldo, the legitimacy of regulatory decisions taken by a bureaucratic body relies on the technical expertise of its members, admitted through a meritocratic state choice.

Improving the Slum Planning Through Geospatial Decision Support System

Science.gov (United States)

Shekhar, S.

2014-11-01

In India, a number of schemes and programmes have been launched from time to time in order to promote integrated city development and to enable the slum dwellers to gain access to the basic services. Despite the use of geospatial technologies in planning, the local, state and central governments have only been partially successful in dealing with these problems. The study on existing policies and programmes also proved that when the government is the sole provider or mediator, GIS can become a tool of coercion rather than participatory decision-making. It has also been observed that local level administrators who have adopted Geospatial technology for local planning continue to base decision-making on existing political processes. In this juncture, geospatial decision support system (GSDSS) can provide a framework for integrating database management systems with analytical models, graphical display, tabular reporting capabilities and the expert knowledge of decision makers. This assists decision-makers to generate and evaluate alternative solutions to spatial problems. During this process, decision-makers undertake a process of decision research - producing a large number of possible decision alternatives and provide opportunities to involve the community in decision making. The objective is to help decision makers and planners to find solutions through a quantitative spatial evaluation and verification process. The study investigates the options for slum development in a formal framework of RAY (Rajiv Awas Yojana), an ambitious program of Indian Government for slum development. The software modules for realizing the GSDSS were developed using the ArcGIS and Community -VIZ software for Gulbarga city.

Financing State Governments in Nigeria, 1980-2007 (Pp. 204-215)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nekky Umera

distribution function of economics and it concerns itself with the way in .... State governments should not be discriminatory in bringing to book ... Baumol, William J. (1965), Welfare Economics 2nd Ed., Cambridge , Harvard University Press.

Interactive governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Eva; Torfing, Jacob; Peters, B. Guy

Governance has become one of the most commonly used concepts in contemporary political science. It is, however, often used to mean a variety of different things. This book helps to clarify this conceptual muddle by concentrating on one variety of governance-interactive governance. The authors argue...... that although the state may remain important for many aspects of governing, interactions between state and society represent an important, and perhaps increasingly important, dimension of governance. These interactions may be with social actors such as networks, with market actors or with other governments......, but all these forms represent means of governing involving mixtures of state action with the actions of other entities.This book explores thoroughly this meaning of governance, and links it to broader questions of governance. In the process of explicating this dimension of governance the authors also...

State Failure, Crisis of Governance and Disengagement from the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This situation, symptomatic of a crisis of governance, provides immediate explanation for the contested character of Africa's public sphere. This paper examines the nature of contestation in Africa's public sphere between the two dominant actors in the sphere – the state and civil society, the ideological underpinnings of this ...

The New Political Economy of Health Care in the European Union: The Impact of Fiscal Governance.

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Scott L; Jarman, Holly; Baeten, Rita

2016-01-01

We argue that the political economy of health care in the European Union is being changed by the creation of a substantial new apparatus of European fiscal governance. A series of treaties and legal changes since 2008 have given the European Union new powers and duties to enforce budgetary austerity in the member states, and this apparatus of fiscal governance has already extended to include detailed and sometimes coercive policy recommendations to member states about the governance of their health care systems. We map the structures of this new fiscal governance and the way it purports to affect health care decision making. © The Author(s) 2016.

On developing a prospecting tool for wind industry and policy decision support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKeown, Charles; Adelaja, Adesoji; Calnin, Benjamin

2011-01-01

This paper presents the rudiments of a Wind Prospecting Tool designed to inform private and public decision makers involved in wind industry development in reducing transaction costs associated with identifying areas of mutual focus within a state. The multiple layer decision support framework has proven to be valuable to industry, state government and local decision makers. Information on wind resources, land availability, potential land costs, potential NIMBYism concerns and economic development potential were integrated to develop a framework for decision support. The paper also highlights implications for decision support research and the role of higher education in providing anticipatory science to enhance private and public choices in economic development. - Research Highlights: →In this paper we explore the building and value of a wind industry location decision support tool. →We examine the development process from the industry perspective. →We discuss the creation of a decision support tool that was designed for industry, state policy makers and local decision makers. →We build a model framework for wind prospecting decision support. →Finally we discuss the impact on local and state decision making as a result of being informed by science based decision support.

Financing Decisions of Companies Listed in the Different Segments of Corporate Governance of BM&FBovespa According to Pecking Order Theory

OpenAIRE

Tani, Bruna Bagalhi; Albanez, Tatiana

2016-01-01

Among the various theories about capital structure is Pecking Order theory, which establishes a hierarchy of preferences for sources of funding due to the existence of information asymmetry. In this paper, we seek to verify if this theory applies to the financing decisions of Brazilian companies that are listed in the different segments of corporate governance of BMF&Bovespa, analyzing whether, in the 2010-2014 period, a higher level of corporate governance implies lower adherence to this...

Financing Decisions of Companies Listed in the Different Segments of Corporate Governance of BM&FBovespa According to Pecking Order Theory

OpenAIRE

Tani, Bruna Bagalhi; Albanez, Tatiana

2016-01-01

Among the various theories about capital structure is Pecking Order theory, which establishes a hierarchy of preferences for sources of funding due to the existence of information asymmetry. In this paper, we seek to verify if this theory applies to the financing decisions of Brazilian companies that are listed in the different segments of corporate governance of BMF&Bovespa, analyzing whether, in the 2010-2014 period, a higher level of corporate governance implies lower adherence to this the...

Notes from the laboratories of democracy: state government enactments of market- and state-based health insurance reforms in the 1990s.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrilleaux, Charles; Brace, Paul

2007-08-01

We identify two policy strategies that state governments pursue to reduce uninsurance, and we classify policies as being either state based or market based. The two policy strategies are distinguished by whether states rely on the institutional capabilities of the state or market processes to provide insurance. We develop and test models to explain states' adoptions of each type of policy. Using Poisson regression, we evaluate hypotheses suggested by the two strategies with data from U.S. states in the 1990s. The results indicate that institutionally more-capable state governments with strong liberal-party presence in the legislature adopt more state-based policies and fewer market-based policies. By contrast, the model of market-based, business-targeted reforms reveals that government capability plays a smaller role. Instead, these policies are driven by economic affluence, political competition, higher incomes, greater uninsurance, and more previous attempts to address the uninsurance problem. These findings reveal distinct institutional, partisan, electoral and demographic influences that shape state-based and market-based strategies. First, policy choices can be driven by the presence or absence of state capability. The domain of feasible policy choices open to states with institutional capability may be decidedly different than that available to states with fewer institutional resources. Second, while market-based policy approaches may be the most feasible politically, they may be the least successful in remedying practical uninsurance issues. These results thus reveal that institutional characteristics of states create an important foundation for policy choice and policy success or failure. These results would suggest that the national government's strategy of pursuing market-based solutions to the problem will not result in its being solved.

THE DETERMINANTS OF E-GOVERNMENT RELATIONAL MODELS CONSTRUCTION: INTERACTION, COMMUNICATION, PARTICIPATION AND COLLABORATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florentina Neamtu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In recent decades the integrating approach of new information and communication technologies in the public sector grew faster. Worldwide, most states have made and still make substantiate efforts towards the coherent strategies implementation in order to favor the complex process of integrating the new information and communication technologies. Regardless of the objectives - maximizing efficiency, increase transparency in the decision process, improve service quality or citizen participation in decision making - what we call today e-Government has become an essential mechanism in administrative reforms, independent of aggregation level. The article presents an analysis of the factors that define the outline of the e-government relational model.

Comparing transnational organizational innovation in state administration and local government

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Morten Balle

2014-01-01

and similarities between different forms of organizational innovation and in part, on differences and similarities between state and municipal organizations. Eleven forms of organizational innovation often related to New Public Management (NPM), are included in the empirical analyses: Privatization/Outsourcing...... of 2009. We find that NPM tools have had a much stronger impact in local government than in state administration. The reasons for and the implications of this finding are discussed....

Corporate governance of the state-owned enterprises in an emerging country: Risk management and related issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noluthando Shirley Matsiliza

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article assesses the extent to which state owned enterprises (SOE have complied with corporate governance codes, as recommended by King III in South Africa. Corporate governance in the post-apartheid era has changed irrevocably. The development path which is the agenda to transform state owned enterprises has been a trial and error (trend in South Africa. This paper argues that the South African State Owned Enterprises (SOEs have applied the King III principles of corporate governance, while grappling with structural changes that impact in their practice regarding their organisational performance on risk and corporate governance. Along with regulatory measures on corporate governance, the SOEs are looking at strategies to translate the concept of corporate governance into practical solutions that involve stakeholders and government support. Using a qualitative approach, this theoretical paper employed document analysis for data collection and analysis. This paper calls for more risk intelligent management of agencies so that future opportunities and threats are recognized and addressed promptly and effectively. The value of this paper is based on its contribution to the existing knowledge area on corporate governance and leadership

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT: A STATE OF THE ART

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladu Alina Beattrice

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Extant research have for long identified that corporate governance has the potential to affect both financial performance and the opportunistic behavior of managers. Studies on the influence of corporate governance mechanisms on firm performance do not often assess the possibility that reported earnings can be misrepresented by managers with the scope of achieving various objectives. This paper examines the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management practices. According to prior empirical studies in the field, corporate governance can reduce the extent of manipulative practices and increase the quality of financial reporting. As stated above, this study examined prior research investigating different corporate governance mechanisms that can have negative impact on earnings management practices. In this regard the legal system and the effects of takeover were examined as external mechanisms of corporate governance on manipulative behavior of managers. Internal mechanisms of corporate governance were also assessed. Board independence was found to enhance certain monitoring behaviors of managers while an audit committee can oversee the internal control for financial reporting and the quality of financial information. This paper contributes to corporate governance literature by providing detailed reviews of different corporate governance mechanisms on the most documented practice of creative accounting: earnings management. Limits of the current research are explored as well as the scope for future research.

Which type of government revenue leads government expenditure?

OpenAIRE

Abdi, Zeinab; Masih, Mansur

2014-01-01

This Malaysia is a developing Islamic state that faced government budget deficit since 1998. It is undeniable that a budget deficit or inability to cover government spending is not positively seen by external parties. The optimum level of government budget is the state where government spending is totally offset by government revenue and that can be achieved through an increase in tax revenue or decrease in spending. The paper aims to discover the existence of a theoretical relationship betwe...

GOVERNING BOARD OF THE PENSION FUND

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

At its 103rd meeting on 3 October 2001, the Governing Board heard two reports by the Organization's Legal Adviser, one concerning a proposal to introduce a new voting procedure for the CERN Finance Committee and the second a progress report on the work of the Working Group on Pension Guarantees. As far as the Pension Fund is concerned, the voting procedures proposal would mean that all Finance Committee recommendations to the CERN Council and Finance Committee decisions relating to Pension Fund matters would be subject to a double majority, namely to a majority of the Member States present and voting plus at least 51% of the contributions of all the Member States. The aim of this proposal is to avoid decisions being taken by a majority of countries representing an insufficiently large proportion of Member State contributions. J.-M. Dufour then presented a progress report on the important issue of pension guarantees, informing the Board that the report, and in particular the conclusions, by the group of expert...

Architecture Governance: The Importance of Architecture Governance for Achieving Operationally Responsive Ground Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kolar, Mike; Estefan, Jeff; Giovannoni, Brian; Barkley, Erik

2011-01-01

Topics covered (1) Why Governance and Why Now? (2) Characteristics of Architecture Governance (3) Strategic Elements (3a) Architectural Principles (3b) Architecture Board (3c) Architecture Compliance (4) Architecture Governance Infusion Process. Governance is concerned with decision making (i.e., setting directions, establishing standards and principles, and prioritizing investments). Architecture governance is the practice and orientation by which enterprise architectures and other architectures are managed and controlled at an enterprise-wide level

The governance of federal debt in the United States of America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gisele Mah

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The United State of America has been experiencing high debt to GDP ratio of more than 100% and these Public debts are detrimental. The main purpose of this study was to examine the shocks of the variables on others in the USA economy by using quarterly data. The variance decomposition and the Generalised Impulse Response Function techniques were employed to analyse the data. The result revealed that high variation of shocks in real federal debt is explained by their own innovations in the short run, by CPI followed by real federal debt its self. In the long run, this leads to CPI and real government spending. The GIRF reveals that in the short run, real federal debt responds negatively to shocks from CPI, real federal interest payment and real federal government tax receipts and positively to real federal debt and real government spending. In medium term, only real federal government tax receipts are negative while the others are positive. In the long run, the response are all positive to shock from the independent variables. The results lead to the recommendation that the US government should focus on real federal debt in the short run. In the medium term, US government should focus on increasing real government spending and reducing only real federal government tax receipts. In the long run the target should real be federal debt, CPI, real federal interest payment, real government spending and real federal government tax receipts

Governing the Nexus for Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marx Sina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This report summarizes the challenges of and requirements for effective governance of the water, energy and food nexus. With global dynamics such as climate change, urbanization and changing consumption patterns, governing resources in a coherent manner becomes both more complex and more relevant for sustainable development. Governance challenges include nexus economics (costs and benefits of different approaches to resource management, institutional design (like questions of how decision-making should be best distributed and good governance (how to make sure that nexus governance adheres to certain agreed upon principles and values. In terms of economics, a balance between sector specific actions and nexus governance is required. For effective decision-making it is important that power among different institutions is both distributed and coordinated. Good nexus governance requires targets that can be monitored to make sure that basic principles are followed and to examine whether progress toward sustainable development is being made.

Beyond Section 508: The Spectrum of Legal Requirements for Accessible e-Government Web Sites in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Jaeger, Paul T.

2004-01-01

In the United States, a number of federal laws establish requirements that electronic government (e-government) information and services be accessible to individuals with disabilities. These laws affect e-government Web sites at the federal, state, and local levels. To this point, research about the accessibility of e-government Web sites has…

Recommendations for Homeland Security Organizational Approaches at the State Government Level

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Woodbury, Glen

2004-01-01

..., administer, and ensure effectiveness of these structures. States have begun to establish decision-making bodies independently, inconsistently, and with few measurements to evaluate effectiveness...

Public Governance and Governability: Accountability and Disclosure permitted by Accounting Applied to the Public Sector as a Sustainability Instrument for the State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Gonçalves Oliveira

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In an accounting-financial perspective applied to business organizations, the Going-Concern Principle presupposes their sustainability towards perpetuity, influencing and guaranteeing investors’ returns. In Public Management, this is no different, underlining the existence of the Going-Concern Principle of the State. This describes the State as a political society that, like the company, should be perennial and sustainable, always aiming for the promotion of the common good and the development of its people. In line with the expected contribution, this paper is aimed at discussing the importance of Accounting Applied to the Public Sector as a useful tool for effective Public Governance and Governability, in accordance with a sustainability view that is applicable to the management of the State. What the method is concerned, regarding the ends, it was an exploratory and explanatory research and, regarding the means, bibliographic and documentary research and theoreticalempirical observation were used, focusing on compliance with Public Management disclosure (transparency and accountability (social responsibility to render accounts to society. As a result, a strong interrelation between the terms was verified, as Accounting evidences governments’ results and actions based on governance (the means/the how related to governability (political power and actions, and also that both are oriented towards the sustainability of the State. As regards the latter, it was also verified that it is more comprehensive than the term “sustainability” itself, which is often narrowed down to the eco-environmental view and ignores important financial (equilibrium and economic-social variables inherent in the social function of the State Como.

Governing transitions: Cases and insights from two periods in the history of the UK gas industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arapostathis, Stathis; Carlsson-Hyslop, Anna; Pearson, Peter J G; Thornton, Judith; Gradillas, Maria; Laczay, Scott; Wallis, Suzanne

2013-01-01

The paper aims to inform historically the analyses of future sociotechnical transition pathways in the electricity sector, particularly those developed by the Transition Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy project. It also aims to inform the theoretical approach to transitions by focusing on key decisions at ‘branching points’ that led to transitions in the UK gas energy services regime, which occurred under different governance patterns. The first historical case study covers the market-led transformation of the manufactured gas regime from 1877 to 1914, which developed the end-uses of gas beyond lighting to include cooking, and extended access to working class consumers. The second case study covers the period from 1948 to 1977, historically reconstructing the transition from town gas to natural gas. This state-led and coordinated conversion to natural gas was preceded by a period of destabilisation of the manufactured gas regime, the co-existence of several niche technologies and the hybridisation of the key actors and technological infrastructures of the incumbent regime. Comparing the cases provides insights for future energy service transitions by addressing the significance of power, trust and networking in the decision making processes involved in the governance of energy transitions. - Highlights: ► Historical work is useful in understanding socio-technical energy transitions. ► Different governance modes have led to transitions with different characteristics. ► Gas regimes operating under market and state ‘logics’ took decisions differently. ► Decisions at key branching points led to path dependency, affecting later decisions. ► Agency, governance and trust were important elements in the transitions analysed.

Nurse aide decision making in nursing homes: factors affecting empowerment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhuri, Tanni; Yeatts, Dale E; Cready, Cynthia M

2013-09-01

To evaluate factors affecting structural empowerment among nurse aides in nursing homes. Structural empowerment can be defined as the actual rather than perceived ability to make autonomous decisions within an organisation. Given the paucity of research on the subject, this study helps to close the gap by identifying factors that affect nurse aide empowerment, that is, decision-making among nurse aides. The data for the study come from self-administered questionnaires distributed to direct-care workers (nurse aides) in 11 nursing homes in a southern state in the USA. Ordinary least square regression models were estimated to analyse the effects of demographic predictors, personal factors (competency, emotional exhaustion and positive attitude) and structural characteristics (coworker and supervisor support, information availability and shared governance) on nurse aide decision-making. Findings suggest race among demographic predictors, emotional exhaustion among personal characteristics, and supervisor support, and shared governance among structural factors, significantly affect nurse aide decision-making. It is important to explore race as one of the central determinants of structural empowerment among nurse aides. In addition, the nature and type of emotional exhaustion that propels decision-making needs to be further examined. The study shows the importance of shared governance and supervisor support for fostering nurse aide empowerment. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

48 CFR 29.303 - Application of State and local taxes to Government contractors and subcontractors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... claiming immunity from State or local sales or use taxes. Before any activity contends that a contractor is an agent of the Government, the matter shall be referred to the agency head for review. The referral... transaction from a sales or use tax may not rest on the Government's immunity from direct taxation by States...

The Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative: Climate Resilient Local Governments

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, J. G.

2008-12-01

Local governments, the first responders to public health, safety and environmental hazards, must act now to lessen vulnerabilities to climate change. They must plan for and invest in "adapting" to inevitable impacts such as flood, fire, and draught that will occur notwithstanding best efforts to mitigate climate change. CCAP's Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative is developing a framework for informed decision making on climate adaptation. Looking ahead to projected climate impacts and 'back casting' can identify what is needed now to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build local resiliency to climate change. CCAP's partnership with King County (WA), Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade County (FL), Milwaukee, Nassau County (NY), Phoenix, San Francisco, and Toronto is advancing policy discussions to ensure that state and local governments consider climate change when making decisions about infrastructure, transportation, land use, and resource management. Through the Initiative, local leaders will incorporate climate change into daily urban management and planning activities, proactively engage city and county managers and the public in developing solutions, and build community resilience. One goal is to change both institutional and public attitudes and behaviors. Determining appropriate adaptation strategies for each jurisdiction requires Asking the Climate Question: "How does what we are doing increase our resilience to climate change?" Over the next three years, the Initiative will design and implement specific adaptation plans, policies and 'catalytic' projects, collect and disseminate "best practices," and participate in framing national climate policy discussions. In the coming years, policy-makers will have to consider climate change in major infrastructure development decisions. If they are to be successful and have the resources they need, national climate change policy and emerging legislation will have to support these communities. The Urban Leaders

Decision making in a human population living sustainably.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, John S; Burgman, Mark A; Marewski, Julian N; Fidler, Fiona; Gigerenzer, Gerd

2012-10-01

The Tiwi people of northern Australia have managed natural resources continuously for 6000-8000 years. Tiwi management objectives and outcomes may reflect how they gather information about the environment. We qualitatively analyzed Tiwi documents and management techniques to examine the relation between the social and physical environment of decision makers and their decision-making strategies. We hypothesized that principles of bounded rationality, namely, the use of efficient rules to navigate complex decision problems, explain how Tiwi managers use simple decision strategies (i.e., heuristics) to make robust decisions. Tiwi natural resource managers reduced complexity in decision making through a process that gathers incomplete and uncertain information to quickly guide decisions toward effective outcomes. They used management feedback to validate decisions through an information loop that resulted in long-term sustainability of environmental use. We examined the Tiwi decision-making processes relative to management of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) fisheries and contrasted their management with the state government's management of barramundi. Decisions that enhanced the status of individual people and their attainment of aspiration levels resulted in reliable resource availability for Tiwi consumers. Different decision processes adopted by the state for management of barramundi may not secure similarly sustainable outcomes. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

Controlling Methane Emissions in the Natural Gas Sector. A Review of Federal and State Regulatory Frameworks Governing Production, Gathering, Processing, Transmission, and Distribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paranhos, Elizabeth [Energy Innovation Partners, Seoul (South Korea); Kozak, Tracy G. [Energy Innovation Partners, Seoul (South Korea); Boyd, William [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Bradbury, James [U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States); Steinberg, D. C. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Arent, D. J. [Joint Inst. for Strategic Energy Alaysis, Washington, DC (United States)

2015-04-23

This report provides an overview of the regulatory frameworks governing natural gas supply chain infrastructure siting, construction, operation, and maintenance. Information was drawn from a number of sources, including published analyses, government reports, in addition to relevant statutes, court decisions and regulatory language, as needed. The scope includes all onshore facilities that contribute to methane emissions from the natural gas sector, focusing on three areas of state and federal regulations: (1) natural gas pipeline infrastructure siting and transportation service (including gathering, transmission, and distribution pipelines), (2) natural gas pipeline safety, and (3) air emissions associated with the natural gas supply chain. In addition, the report identifies the incentives under current regulatory frameworks to invest in measures to reduce leakage, as well as the barriers facing investment in infrastructure improvement to reduce leakage. Policy recommendations regarding how federal or state authorities could regulate methane emissions are not provided; rather, existing frameworks are identified and some of the options for modifying existing regulations or adopting new regulations to reduce methane leakage are discussed.

The state of shared decision making in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yew Kong; Ng, Chirk Jenn

2017-06-01

Shared decision making (SDM) activities in Malaysia began around 2010. Although the concept is not widespread, there are opportunities to implement SDM in both the public and private healthcare sectors. Malaysia has a multicultural society and cultural components (such as language differences, medical paternalism, strong family involvement, religious beliefs and complementary medicine) influence medical decision making. In terms of policy, the Ministry of Health has increasingly mentioned patient-centered care as a component of healthcare delivery while the Malaysian Medical Council's guidelines on doctors' duties mentioned collaborative partnerships as a goal of doctor-patient relationships. Current research on SDM comprises baseline surveys of decisional role preferences, development and implementation of locally developed patient decision aids, and conducting of SDM training workshops. Most of this research is carried out by public research universities. In summary, the current state of SDM in Malaysia is still at its infancy. However, there are increasing recognition and efforts from the academic institutions and Ministry of Health to conduct research in SDM, develop patient decision support tools and initiate national discussion on patient involvement in decision making. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Chronic motivational state interacts with task reward structure in dynamic decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Jessica A; Worthy, Darrell A; Maddox, W Todd

2015-12-01

Research distinguishes between a habitual, model-free system motivated toward immediately rewarding actions, and a goal-directed, model-based system motivated toward actions that improve future state. We examined the balance of processing in these two systems during state-based decision-making. We tested a regulatory fit hypothesis (Maddox & Markman, 2010) that predicts that global trait motivation affects the balance of habitual- vs. goal-directed processing but only through its interaction with the task framing as gain-maximization or loss-minimization. We found support for the hypothesis that a match between an individual's chronic motivational state and the task framing enhances goal-directed processing, and thus state-based decision-making. Specifically, chronic promotion-focused individuals under gain-maximization and chronic prevention-focused individuals under loss-minimization both showed enhanced state-based decision-making. Computational modeling indicates that individuals in a match between global chronic motivational state and local task reward structure engaged more goal-directed processing, whereas those in a mismatch engaged more habitual processing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strengthening the Fabric of Government: A Description of WOVEN (Women's Ohio Volunteer Employment Network).

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Mary E.

WOVEN (Women's Ohio Volunteer Employment Network), is directed at changing the low representation of women in decision making positions in public service. Women comprise more than a third of the work force in the State of Ohio; yet they have typically held the low level, low paying jobs. A 1973 status report on women in State government revealed…

'A Sense of Urgency': The EU, EU Member States and the Recognition of the Palestinian State

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martins, Bruno Oliveira

2015-01-01

In the aftermath of the July-August 2014 war in Gaza, the Swedish government officially recognized the State of Palestine. This decision triggered a cascade of resolutions adopted in national parliaments of European Union member states and, eventually, led to the adoption of a European Parliament...

The nuclear phase-out. An expensive miscalculation by the federal government?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerssenbrock, Trutz Graf

2011-01-01

With its ''energy turnaround'', implemented on 31 July 2011 through the Thirteenth Amendment to the Nuclear Energy Law (AtG), the Liberal/Christian Democrat Government finally seems to have thrown all caution to the wind. Its conduct of state affairs in the meantime appears to be governed more by calculated political manoeuvering and emotion mongering than by the constitutional order, and in legal respects it is leading the Federal Government into an impasse. The present article examines the impact of this misguided decision on the public purse in the form of (legitimate) claims for damage by the power supply companies concerned, and to what magnitude it might amount.

Housing in China: State Governance, Market and Public Perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emile Kok-Kheng Yeoh

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Chinese house prices have been receiving huge coverage in both the domestic and the international media. Although the Chinese government has implemented many policies to control house prices, especially in the big cities, it is obvious that there is disequilibrium between demand for and supply of houses. Even though numerous housing policies have been put in place to overcome that, house prices in China are still rising. Many Chinese citizens from the low- and middle-incomes group find it difficult to purchase a house in the cities due to high house prices. This paper covers the current situation of the house prices in China, introduces the existing state of affairs about the Chinese housing market, explores a series of important reasons for high house prices, examines various public policies the Chinese government is using to control real estate, as well as reveals the citizens’ perceptions related to rising house prices. To gauge citizens’ perception of the current state of affairs in this regard, a questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information with a final sample of 256 respondents from more than ten cities of different tiers in the different regions of China.

Continuity of operations/continuity of government for state-level transportation organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-01

The Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 (HSPD-20) requires all local, state, tribal and territorial government agencies, : and private sector owners of critical infrastructure and key resources (CI/KR) to create a Continuity of Operations/Con...

76 FR 41857 - Petition Under Section 302 on Alleged Expropriations by the Dominican Republic; Decision Not To...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-15

... Expropriations by the Dominican Republic; Decision Not To Initiate Investigation AGENCY: Office of the United... (``Section 301'') with respect to alleged expropriations without adequate compensation by the Government of... expropriations without adequate compensation by the Government of the Dominican Republic. The petition states...

Demographic indicators of trust in federal, state and local government: implications for Australian health policy makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Samantha B; Mamerow, Loreen; Taylor, Anne W; Henderson, Julie; Ward, Paul R; Coveney, John

2013-02-01

To provide baseline findings regarding Australians' trust in federal, state and local government. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) survey was administrated during October to December 2009 to a random sample (n=1109) across Australia (response rate 41.2%). Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out by means of SPSS. Age, household size, household income, IRSD and ARIA were found to be significant indicators for trust in federal, state and local government. Trust in state government is lower for older respondents and respondents living in inner and outer regional areas. Trust in local council is lower in respondents living in inner regional areas, respondents living in disadvantaged areas, and respondents in the income bracket of $60001 to $100000. Trust in federal government is lower for older respondents and respondents living in disadvantaged areas. Of note is diminished trust in government among older, regional and lower income ($30001-$60000) respondents. Trust in all levels of government was found to be the lowest in population groups that are identified by empirical research and media to have the poorest access to government services. As a consequence, improved access to services for these populations may increase trust in health policy. Increased trust in health governance may in turn, ensure effective dissemination and implementation of health policies and that existing inequities are not perpetuated through distrust of health information and policy initiatives.

Integrating adaptive governance and participatory multicriteria methods: a framework for climate adaptation governance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Munaretto, S.; Siciliano, G.; Turvani, M.

2014-01-01

Climate adaptation is a dynamic social and institutional process where the governance dimension is receiving growing attention. Adaptive governance is an approach that promises to reduce uncertainty by improving the knowledge base for decision making. As uncertainty is an inherent feature of climate

Shared governance. From vision to reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Westrope, R A; Vaughn, L; Bott, M; Taunton, R L

1995-12-01

Quality patient care is best provided by competent clinical staff members who are committed to their work, organizational values, and goals, and who maintain employment over time. Shared governance has provided the framework for clinical nurses to become more committed to their practice through decision making and to assume accountability for the outcomes of their decisions. At a tertiary teaching facility, shared governance resulted in increased job satisfaction, commitment, and retention among staff nurses. The authors describe the journey from creation of the shared governance vision to reality, and the impact of the changes.

Student Participation in Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, William L.; And Others

1970-01-01

The success of student government activities on any campus is significantly affected by the amount of student participation permitted in the institution's decision-making processes. The traditional" model of government--characterized by tokenism--often results in the separate jurisdictions" model-- characterized by fragmentation and interest…

Managing across levels of government: evaluation of federal-state roles and responsibilities involving nonfederal forests in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Paul V. Ellefson; Calder M. Hibbard; Michael A. Kilgore

2006-01-01

With the assistance of state foresters and federal agency executives, an evaluation was made of federal and state government roles and responsibilities focused nonfederal forests in the United States. The evaluation involved an inventory of legally (and administratively) defined federal roles, identification bf federal programs supporting accomplishment of such roles,...

Culture and medical decision making: Healthcare consumer perspectives in Japan and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Alden, Dana L; Friend, John M; Lee, Angela Y; de Vries, Marieke; Osawa, Ryosuke; Chen, Qimei

2015-12-01

Two studies identified core value influences on medical decision-making processes across and within cultures. In Study 1, Japanese and American adults reported desired levels of medical decision-making influence across conditions that varied in seriousness. Cultural antecedents (interdependence, independence, and power distance) were also measured. In Study 2, American adults reviewed a colorectal cancer screening decision aid. Decision preparedness was measured along with interdependence, independence, and desire for medical information. In Study 1, higher interdependence predicted stronger desire for decision-making information in both countries, but was significantly stronger in Japan. The path from information desire to decision-making influence desire was significant only in Japan. The independence path to desire for decision-making influence was significant only in the United States. Power distance effects negatively predicted desire for decision-making influence only in the United States. For Study 2, high (low) interdependents and women (men) in the United States felt that a colorectal cancer screening decision aid helped prepare them more (less) for a medical consultation. Low interdependent men were at significantly higher risk for low decision preparedness. Study 1 suggests that Japanese participants may tend to view medical decision-making influence as an interdependent, information sharing exchange, whereas American respondents may be more interested in power sharing that emphasizes greater independence. Study 2 demonstrates the need to assess value influences on medical decision-making processes within and across cultures and suggests that individually tailored versions of decision aids may optimize decision preparedness. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Turkey's recent decision regarding the Akkuyu NNP. Annex 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boelme, A.; Tanrikut, A.

2002-01-01

The Turkish Government postponed the Akkuyu NPP project on 25th of July 2000. This was the 4th unsuccessful attempt of the country to build a nuclear power plant since 1965. The estimated burden of the foreign credit on the economic program to stabilize the economy and drop the inflation rate was the main reason for this decision. The Government stated that the postponement of the Akkuyu NPP project did not mean that Turkey would avoid usage of nuclear energy in the future. The Cabinet's announcement also states the need of contributing to the technological improvements of new generation nuclear power plants. (author)

Shared governance in a clinic system.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyers, Michelle M; Costanzo, Cindy

2015-01-01

Shared governance in health care empowers nurses to share in the decision-making process, which results in decentralized management and collective accountability. Share governance practices have been present in hospitals since the late 1970s. However, shared governance in ambulatory care clinics has not been well established. The subjects of this quality project included staff and administrative nurses in a clinic system. The stakeholder committee chose what model of shared governance to implement and educated clinic staff. The Index of Professional Nursing Governance measured a shared governance score pre- and postimplementation of the Clinic Nursing Council. The Clinic Nursing Council met bimonthly for 3 months during this project to discuss issues and make decisions related to nursing staff. The Index of Professional Nursing Governance scores indicated traditional governance pre- and postimplementation of the Clinic Nursing Council, which is to be expected. The stakeholder committee was beneficial to the initial implementation process and facilitated staff nurse involvement. Shared governance is an evolutionary process that develops empowered nurses and nurse leaders.

Decision-making authority and substance abuse treatment for adolescents: a survey of state laws.

Science.gov (United States)

Lallemont, Tori; Mastroianni, Anna; Wickizer, Thomas M

2009-04-01

State laws concerning decision-making authority for voluntary inpatient substance abuse (SA) treatment of minors may be a potential barrier to appropriate treatment. We sought to identify and classify relevant laws related to the provision of voluntary inpatient SA treatment to adolescents 12 to 17 years (minors) as an exploratory assessment to improve understanding of how these laws might affect treatment decisions. In summer 2006, we conducted a survey of statutes, regulations, and legal cases in the 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding the authority of parents (or guardians) and minors to make treatment decisions for voluntary inpatient SA treatment. All 50 states have laws applicable to voluntary inpatient SA treatment for adolescents, and the laws vary significantly throughout the nation. If a minor and parent disagree about SA treatment, some states defer to the decision-making authority of the minor, whereas other states defer to the parent. Most significantly, the majority of states fail to specify whether the minor's or the parent's decision will control in the event of a conflict. The lack of clarity in state laws regarding decision-making authority for voluntary inpatient SA treatment of minors may create a potential barrier to treatment for adolescents, especially those with more serious SA problems. This lack of clarity could lead to confusion among parents, adolescents, healthcare professionals, and treatment facilities, and ultimately could result in a failure to treat adolescents in need of medical attention. Policymakers should ensure that state laws clearly specify procedures to enable treatment if a conflict arises between adolescents and parents, including procedures to ensure that the due process rights of adolescents are protected.

Restructuring the arrangements between government and state enterprises in the oil and mining sectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharoni, Y.; Ascher, W.

1998-01-01

The article analyses the relationship between governments and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the oil and minerals sectors. The case is made that SOEs in these sectors have distinct peculiarities of behaviour, and are beset with specific difficulties in addition to typical problems common to SOEs in all sectors. The reasons for the uniqueness of SOEs in the oil and minerals sector stem mainly from their large size, their capacity to earn and borrow foreign currency, their strategic importance and other factors. The key to understanding and reforming state oil and mining enterprises lies in recognizing that their sub-optimal behaviour is often caused by conflicts within government regarding control of the SOE's financial flows, including the natural resource rent. These conflicts are frequently aggravated by the inappropriateness of fiscal arrangements between these SOEs and their governments. Guidelines for reforming these arrangements are offered, which, in some respects, differ considerably from those applicable to conventional state-owned enterprises outside the natural resources sector. (author)

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN MALAYSIA: THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE REFORMS AND STATE BUSINESS RELATION IN MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nor Azizah Zainal Abidin

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 not only introduced the term of corporate governance but also drew attention of the public about the weaknesses of Malaysian corporate governance practice. After 1998, Malaysian government decided to adopt corporate reform that could enhance the quality of good corporate management practice. Thisreform is clearly stated in the code and rules of corporate governance. The purpose of this research is to study the significance of implementing the code and rules of corporategovernance since the public already realize the close relationship between business and politics. Three companies were chosen as indicators for this study. As a result, it was found that companies which are involved in corporate malpractice but have goodrelationship with states will always be excluded from the legal corporate action.

Governance in urban development crisis situations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jörg Rober

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Urban shrinking processes are increasingly recognized as a phenomenon for research in urban politics, encompassing entire cities or parts of it as well as metropolitan areas that are experiencing a fundamental decline in both their economic and social bases.Cities are facing complex social problems like aging processes within the resident population and simultaneously running shrinking processes. Observable side effects of these transformation processes are higher vacancy rates and under-utilization of infrastructure facilities. Therefore cities are no longer able to cope alone with this growing complexity, hence a demand for cooperation evolves. The ongoing reforms of internal structure of local government connected with the devolution of resources and competences, as well as the changing external relationships between the business community, local public bodies, individual bureaucrats and local politicians, increase institutional fragmentation. Thus internal and external reform processes generate an extended network of policy actors involved in local decision making. Schools of thought in urban politics accentuate the changing role of local governments in decision making processes. Regime theory, corporatism, regulation theory or civic governance concepts differ in their emphasis on the importance of specific actors participating in local decision making. The paper reviews the competing theoretical assumptions for the importance of specific actors in local decision making. This addresses the question to what extent specific governance modes adopted in reaction to shrinking processes are an expression of a changing relationship between local governments and civil society or business actors in an international comparative context. Is there a trend to more convergence with respect to the adopted governance modes?

The Institutional Vision of the Geopolitics of Water Resources in Venezuela (State, Nation and Government

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Javier Lizcano Chapeta

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In the global, regional and local context, water resources are a strategic element from the geopolitical point of view, given the scarcity of water and the management that must be given to this problem from States, governments and nations. In this sense, the purpose is to analyze the strategic importance that has been given to water resources in Venezuela, taking into account the vision of the State, government and nation. A documentary design is used, of descriptive type, and as a data collection technique, bibliographic archiving and content analysis of previous sources are used. The results indicate that the international debate on the importance of water resources is a fact and that in countries such as Venezuela that have great reserves, a strategy must be adopted that aims at a true integral management of water resources. It is concluded that it is urgent the coordinated work between the national government and local governments to enforce the regulations created by the State and operationalize with the institutions that have been established for the management of water resources in the country.

Circumventing the Glass Ceiling: Women Executives in American State Governments.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullard, Angela M.; Wright, Deil S.

1993-01-01

Data from 1984 (n=489) and 1988 (n=658) surveys show that female executives in state government have progressed in top positions in certain types of agencies, but much progress has occurred by avoiding, not breaking, the glass ceiling. Most notable male-female differences are in party affiliation, age, interagency mobility, career progress, and…

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN MALAYSIA: THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE REFORMS AND STATE BUSINESS RELATION IN MALAYSIA

OpenAIRE

Nor Azizah Zainal Abidin; Halimah @ Nasibah Ahmad

2007-01-01

The Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 not only introduced the term of corporate governance but also drew attention of the public about the weaknesses of Malaysian corporate governance practice. After 1998, Malaysian government decided to adopt corporate reform that could enhance the quality of good corporate management practice. Thisreform is clearly stated in the code and rules of corporate governance. The purpose of this research is to study the significance of implementing the code and rules ...

A Governance Roadmap and Framework for EarthCube

Science.gov (United States)

Governance Steering Committee, EarthCube

2013-04-01

EarthCube is a process and an outcome, established to transform the conduct of research through the development of community-guided cyberinfrastructure for the Geosciences as the prototype for potential deployment across all domain sciences. EarthCube aims to create a knowledge management system and infrastructure that integrates all Earth system and human dimensions data in an open transparent, and inclusive manner. EarthCube requires broad community participation in concept, framework, and implementation and must not be hindered by rigid preconceptions. We discovered widely varying interpretations, expectations, and assumptions about governance among EarthCube participants. Our definition of governance refers to the processes, structure and organizational elements that determine, within an organization or system of organizations, how power is exercised, how stakeholders have their say, how decisions are made, and how decision makers are held accountable. We have learned, from historic infrastructure case studies, background research on governance and from community feedback during this roadmap process, that other types of large-scale, complex infrastructures, including the Internet, have no central control, administration, or management. No national infrastructure that we examined is governed by a single entity, let alone a single governance archetype. Thus we feel the roadmap process must accommodate a governance system or system of systems that may have a single governing entity, particularly at the start, but can evolve into a collective of governing bodies as warranted, in order to be successful. A fast-track process during Spring, 2012 culminated in a Governance Roadmap delivered to an NSF-sponsored charrette in June with an aggressive timetable to define and implement a governance structure to enable the elements of EarthCube to become operational expeditiously. Our goal is to help ensure the realization of this infrastructure sooner, more efficiently, and

Simplifying decision making: a practical framework

OpenAIRE

Chaudhry, Muhammad Shirjeel Riaz; Sidek, Mohmad Safhree

2014-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited This thesis proposes a decision-making model based on PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal) analysis, AHP (Analytical Hierarchical Process), and game theory. The case study used to demonstrate the concept is a 2013 Malaysian crisis wherein foreign intruders occupied a village in Sabah state. The Malaysian government, ultimately, launched a military operation to clear the area. The focus of our st...

CHALLENGES OF THE RECENT FINANCIAL CRISIS UPON THE EUROPEAN UNION ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MIHUȚ IOANA-SORINA

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The process of economic governance constitute a property or a characteristic for a multitude of areas including markets, communities, societies, state, being considered a triggering factor at regional, national or supranational level. The European Union economic governance incorporates some key features, namely in this case the decisions are made as a result of an interconnected action between a complex network that implies different levels of governing. The purpose of this article is to investigate the obstacles that the process of EU economic governance had to overcome during the recent financial crisis and the measures that the responsible authorities adopted in order to improve the general efficiency of this system. The main conclusion of this article is that the recent financial crisis highlight the limits that the European Union economic governance had in implementing economic policies that assure a smooth path towards sustainable growth and convergence in the context of a continuous process of integration between the member states. The new model of economic governance concentrates upon a mechanism of monitoring and early reporting of any macroeconomic imbalances as well as an intensified monitoring activity within the budgetary field.

Vitiviniculture in the State of São Paulo (Brazil: Governance and technological strategies meeting market challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verdi Adriana Renata

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The viticulture in the State of São Paulo is expressive in the Brazilian context, as it holds the second place in planted area and third in production. Considering that the main practice is table viticulture, a good proportion of the grapes processed at the most relevant wine producer counties, come from the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The objective of this work is to characterize the current context of the vitiviniculture sector in the State of São Paulo, based on the main strategies of governance and technological strategies of governmental and private agents. For that, the work is fundamented on the results of the projects financed by FAPESP: “Revitalization of the vitivinicultural productive chain in the State of São Paulo: competitiveness, governance and sustainability” (2006/51949-7 and “The Territorial Governance Modalities in the State of São Paulo: coordination, territories, public policies and development” (2011/50837-9, besides following the Chamber for the Grape and Wine Sector and interviews with leaders of the sector. Therefore, the work approaches the major improvements of the more favorable governance of the vitiviniculture sector: formation of cooperatives, technological innovation, policies, public and private investment focused on building the identity of the wine from the State of São Paulo.

THE EVOLUTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SELF-GOVERNMENT IN RUSSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Yashchuk

2017-01-01

Full Text Available УДК 34The article highlights the main stages in the development of local government and self-gov-ernment in Russia. It shows the specifics of each stage. The formation of the Russian state was accompanied by the synthesis of the princely power and the community self-government. The genesis autocracy was accompanied by a struggle with the self-government institutions. The creation of rural and urban self-government in the second half of the XIX century was accom-panied by a debate on the social and public origin of these institutions.The Soviet state was based on the unity of the Soviet system. It concluded the discrete de-velopment of local self-government in Russia. There is no historical strong tradition of local government in this system.Objective of the article is to identify and characterize the main stages of development of local government and self-government in Russia. Show the discrete nature of the develop-ment of local self-government in Russia.The formation of the Russian state was accompanied by the synthesis of princely power and community self-government. Genesis autocracy was accompanied by a struggle with self-government institutions. The absence of territorial self-government in Russia was offset by the presence of social class municipality for a long time. Caste traditions tradition had a negative impact after the establishment of rural and urban self-government in the second half of the XIX century.During the preparation of the reforms and their implementation were discussions of the rela-tionship between the state and the community began in management. As a result, there is the inclusion of local authorities in the sphere of active state regulation. The desire of the county public to the political activity was suppressed by autocracy. The Provisional Government at-tempt to rely on the local self-government to create new authorities ended in failure.The Soviet state was based on a single management system. Certain powers

External factors affecting decision-making and use of evidence in an Australian public health policy environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zardo, Pauline; Collie, Alex; Livingstone, Charles

2014-05-01

This study examined external factors affecting policy and program decision-making in a specific public health policy context: injury prevention and rehabilitation compensation in the Australian state of Victoria. The aim was twofold: identify external factors that affect policy and program decision-making in this specific context; use this evidence to inform targeting of interventions aimed at increasing research use in this context. Qualitative interviews were undertaken from June 2011 to January 2012 with 33 employees from two state government agencies. Key factors identified were stakeholder feedback and action, government and ministerial input, legal feedback and action, injured persons and the media. The identified external factors were able to significantly influence policy and program decision-making processes: acting as both barriers and facilitators, depending on the particular issue at hand. The factors with the most influence were the Minister and government, lawyers, and agency stakeholders, particularly health providers, trade unions and employer groups. This research revealed that interventions aimed at increasing use of research in this context must target and harness the influence of these groups. This research provides critical insights for researchers seeking to design interventions to increase use of research in policy environments and influence decision-making in Victorian injury prevention and rehabilitation compensation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-Organized Governance Networks for Ecosystem Management: Who Is Accountable?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Hahn

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Governance networks play an increasingly important role in ecosystem management. The collaboration within these governance networks can be formalized or informal, top-down or bottom-up, and designed or self-organized. Informal self-organized governance networks may increase legitimacy if a variety of stakeholders are involved, but at the same time, accountability becomes blurred when decisions are taken. Basically, democratic accountability refers to ways in which citizens can control their government and the mechanisms for doing so. Scholars in ecosystem management are generally positive to policy/governance networks and emphasize its potential for enhancing social learning, adaptability, and resilience in social-ecological systems. Political scientists, on the other hand, have emphasized the risk that the public interest may be threatened by governance networks. I describe and analyze the multilevel governance network of Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve (KVBR in Southern Sweden, with the aim of understanding whether and how accountability is secured in the governance network and its relation to representative democracy. The analysis suggests that the governance network of KVBR complements representative democracy. It deals mainly with "low politics"; the learning and policy directions are developed in the governance network, but the decisions are embedded in representative democratic structures. Because several organizations and agencies co-own the process and are committed to the outcomes, there is a shared or extended accountability. A recent large investment in KVBR caused a major crisis at the municipal level, fueled by the financial crisis. The higher levels of the governance network, however, served as a social memory and enhanced resilience of the present biosphere development trajectory. For self-organized networks, legitimacy is the bridge between adaptability and accountability; accountability is secured as long as the

On the Role of Perceived Procedural Justice in Citizens' Reactions to Government Decisions and the Handling of Conflicts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kees van den Bos

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper examines several hundred cases in which citizens were contacted in an 'informal' way by public officials as part of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations' Fair Tracks project. In Fair Tracks, public officials engage in direct and interpersonal conversations with citizens when the officials are about to make a negative decision or upon receiving citizens' complaints or objections against government decisions. Public officials typically do so by phone and the purpose of the open communication that follows is to discuss together what the problem is and how the citizen's problem can best be handled. The current paper presents empirical evidence suggesting that why Fair Tracks works is because it activates perceived procedural justice. For example, when citizens felt they had been treated respectfully and politely by public officials and when they could voice their opinions to the public officials this led to a reliable perception of procedural justice. Furthermore, higher levels of perceived procedural justice were associated with more satisfaction about the outcome reached during the conversation with the public officials, more trust in mutual compliance with the outcome, more trust in government, and higher levels of conflict resolution. Implications and limitations are discussed.

The Evolving Contingency Contracting Market: Private Sector Self regulation and United States Government Monitoring of Procurement of Stability Operations Services

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

statements of work would be useful in ensuring ethical govern- ment procurement practices. Conclusions The United States conducts diplomatic, defense...THE EVOLVING CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING MARKET: PRIVATE SECTOR SELF-REGULATION AND UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MONITORING OF PROCUREMENT OF STABILITY...MARKET: PRIVATE SECTOR SELF-REGULATION AND UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MONITORING OF PROCUREMENT OF STABILITY OPERATIONS SERVICES Whitney Grespin January

Exploring how different modes of governance act across health system levels to influence primary healthcare facility managers' use of information in decision-making: experience from Cape Town, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Vera; Gilson, Lucy

2017-09-15

Governance, which includes decision-making at all levels of the health system, and information have been identified as key, interacting levers of health system strengthening. However there is an extensive literature detailing the challenges of supporting health managers to use formal information from health information systems (HISs) in their decision-making. While health information needs differ across levels of the health system there has been surprisingly little empirical work considering what information is actually used by primary healthcare facility managers in managing, and making decisions about, service delivery. This paper, therefore, specifically examines experience from Cape Town, South Africa, asking the question: How is primary healthcare facility managers' use of information for decision-making influenced by governance across levels of the health system? The research is novel in that it both explores what information these facility managers actually use in decision-making, and considers how wider governance processes influence this information use. An academic researcher and four facility managers worked as co-researchers in a multi-case study in which three areas of management were served as the cases. There were iterative cycles of data collection and collaborative analysis with individual and peer reflective learning over a period of three years. Central governance shaped what information and knowledge was valued - and, therefore, generated and used at lower system levels. The central level valued formal health information generated in the district-based HIS which therefore attracted management attention across the levels of the health system in terms of design, funding and implementation. This information was useful in the top-down practices of planning and management of the public health system. However, in facilities at the frontline of service delivery, there was a strong requirement for local, disaggregated information and experiential

48 CFR 29.302 - Application of State and local taxes to the Government.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Government are immune from State and local taxation. Whether any specific purchase or lease is immune, however, is a legal question requiring advice and assistance of the agency-designated counsel. (b) When it... from State and local taxation that may be available. If appropriate, the contracting officer shall...

How Hybridity has Evolved in the Governance of State-owned Enterprises

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tolstrup Christensen, Lene

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the evolution of the governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in passenger rail services. Two opposite cases are presented: one from Sweden and the other from Denmark. Using institutional change theory, the paper shows how the SOEs' hybrid character changed over time. Th...

A Decision Support Framework for Science-Based, Multi-Stakeholder Deliberation: A Coral Reef Example

Science.gov (United States)

Rehr, Amanda P.; Small, Mitchell J.; Bradley, Patricia; Fisher, William S.; Vega, Ann; Black, Kelly; Stockton, Tom

2012-12-01

We present a decision support framework for science-based assessment and multi-stakeholder deliberation. The framework consists of two parts: a DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-States-Impacts-Responses) analysis to identify the important causal relationships among anthropogenic environmental stressors, processes, and outcomes; and a Decision Landscape analysis to depict the legal, social, and institutional dimensions of environmental decisions. The Decision Landscape incorporates interactions among government agencies, regulated businesses, non-government organizations, and other stakeholders. It also identifies where scientific information regarding environmental processes is collected and transmitted to improve knowledge about elements of the DPSIR and to improve the scientific basis for decisions. Our application of the decision support framework to coral reef protection and restoration in the Florida Keys focusing on anthropogenic stressors, such as wastewater, proved to be successful and offered several insights. Using information from a management plan, it was possible to capture the current state of the science with a DPSIR analysis as well as important decision options, decision makers and applicable laws with a the Decision Landscape analysis. A structured elicitation of values and beliefs conducted at a coral reef management workshop held in Key West, Florida provided a diversity of opinion and also indicated a prioritization of several environmental stressors affecting coral reef health. The integrated DPSIR/Decision landscape framework for the Florida Keys developed based on the elicited opinion and the DPSIR analysis can be used to inform management decisions, to reveal the role that further scientific information and research might play to populate the framework, and to facilitate better-informed agreement among participants.

Automated Vehicle Policy and Regulation: A State Perspective Workshop: Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, Stanley E. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Levine, Aaron [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-06-01

A workshop held on May 18, 2016, at the University of Maryland focused on key principles that should govern state policy decisions intended to ensure the safe operation of autonomous vehicles (AVs). The patchwork approach taken by early state adopters had primarily addressed only testing of these vehicles. As uncertainties in technology and business models play out, and in the absence of more suitable policies and regulations, states are relying on laws created for conventional vehicles to govern AV operations. The workshop addressed these challenges with three panel discussions that examined the underpinnings of policy development, factors affecting policy decisions, and the ultimate impact of AVs in a number of areas, including economic competitiveness; quality of mobility, particularly for disabled community; and energy use and emissions.

Status report No. 8: State uses of Exxon and Stripper Well oil overcharge funds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzales, H.; Claytor, C.P.

1991-07-01

From March of 1986 through early January, 1991 (when the report surveying began) state governments received $3.423 billion in funds obtained by the federal government through two major cases, based on price overcharges committed by numerous oil companies during the period of price controls, between 1973 and 1981. Furthermore, about another $1 billion may still be collected from oil companies, with roughly 1/2 to be distributed to the states (and the other 1/2 to the federal government), over the next 5 to 10 years. The role of state governments is to allocate the funds, within the specific case guidelines, to new or existing energy programs, in a way which is designed to benefit (or provide restitution to) the class or classes of purchasers who bore the burden of the overcharges. This report incorporates information collected by NCLC through telephone surveys conducted from January through March 1991. The information we collected on the status and state uses of both Exxon and Stripper Well funds is contained in the state-by-state narrative summary selection and in a series of tables at the end of the report. Each of the quarterly reports tracks final state decisions allocating use of these funds. The terms ''allocated'' and ''designated'' are used interchangeably throughout the document to mean that final state decisions have been made regarding these funds. Tracking state allocations about these funds is the only practical way for us to provide an overview of the actual status of state processes or decisions which have occurred with regard to this money. 9 tabs

Challenges in developing e-government for good governance in North Sumatra

Science.gov (United States)

Siahaan, AY

2017-01-01

E-government as one form of public administration reform in Indonesia is increasingly related to the pursuance of good governance. This paper examines the relationship between of e-government and good governance by utilizing the case study design on the implementation of e-procurement in North Sumatra. It reveals centrality of local politics and business culture in understanding resistances of both local government officials and local business which creates loopholes’ for the practice of ‘bad governance’ in all phases of e-procurement in North Sumatra province. Data transparency does not equate and guarantee the realization of good governance. Public knowledge and understanding on government decision making processes and accountability (process and policy transparency) are central to achieve good governance through e-procurement. E-procurement system does not automatically change organizational and working culture of the implementers and suppliers. This paper provides insight to the attitude and the perception of private sector engage in e-procurement towards government in implementing e-government. Resistance, digital divide and local politics interrelatedly obstruct the realization of pursuing good governance through e-procurement.

Dynamics Governing Women's Decision on Reproductive Health Matters: Reflections from a Qualitative Study in Central India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Somen Saha

2005-08-01

Full Text Available One of the major challenges of Reproductive and Child Health Programme in India is addressing the barriers in communication and improve dialogue between diverse stakeholders, particularly women in the community. Through a qualitative study conducted in one of the rural districts of India, it was attempted to understand the factors affecting women's decision-making process. It is observed that most of the factors are affected by strong intrinsic environment and hence it becomes important for programme managers to understand the environment first in order to design an acceptable and effective communication strategy. In this study, knowledge, tradition, stigma and accessibility of services are identified as the key primary factors affecting decision making of women in the community, particularly on their health related issues. These in turn are governed by various supporting factors. Finally, it is observed that communication strategies can achieve their desired objective only when the local intrinsic environment is taken into cognisance.

Rosneft, Gazprom and the Government: the Decision-Making Triangle on Russia's Energy Policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baev, Pavel

2014-03-01

Russia finds itself exposed to many risks in the fast-moving global revolution in energy affairs, and cannot avail of its opportunities despite its unique combination of natural resources and experience in their exploitation. It has entered the phase of economic stagnation, and the under-performance of the energy sector is one of the key determinants of the durability of this trend. Energy export can no longer be wielded as a heavy-impact instrument of foreign policy, and the squabbles for shrinking oil and gas revenues form a key driver of the evolving crisis of the petro-authoritarian regime built by President Vladimir Putin. Escalating problems in the Russian energy sector are caused by the system of decision-making on oil and gas matters, in which Putin acts as a supreme arbiter in the flexible triangle formed by the government and two super-large state companies-Gazprom and Rosneft. It is the imperative of checking the decline of budget revenues that determines the priority in government policy of greater confiscation of profits and heavier taxation of the energy business. This squeeze on the interests of energy 'oligarchs' provokes them to appeal to Putin for tax breaks, which he is increasingly reluctant to grant, given the need to pursue an active social policy. The constant flow of insoluble issues makes Putin irritable and generally less engaged with the energy business than he used to be. Gazprom's notorious inefficiency in its core business emboldens competitors to capture greater shares of the domestic market and to demand exemptions from its export monopoly. Putin is loath to carry this political liability but remains reluctant to contemplate reforms that would amount to un-bundling of this conglomerate. Rosneft under the control of Igor Sechin has become the champion of the Russian oil industry, executing a series of acquisitions and signing a series of deals with Western 'majors'. Putin's benevolence is the key to the

Better parks through law and policy: a legal analysis of authorities governing public parks and open spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Ana; Fry, Christine R

2011-01-01

Improving parks in low income and minority neighborhoods may be a key way to increase physical activity and decrease overweight and obesity prevalence among children at the greatest risk. To advocate effectively for improved recreation infrastructure, public health advocates must understand the legal and policy landscape in which public recreation decisions are made. In this descriptive legal analysis, we reviewed federal, state, and local laws to determine the authority of each level of government over parks. We then examined current practices and state laws regarding park administration in urban California and rural Texas. We identified several themes through the analysis: (1) multiple levels of governments are often involved in parks offerings in a municipality, (2) state laws governing parks vary, (3) local authority may vary substantially within a state, and (4) state law may offer greater authority than local jurisdictions use. Public health advocates who want to improve parks need to (1) think strategically about which levels of government to engage; (2) identify parks law and funding from all levels of government, including those not typically associated with local parks; and (3) partner with advocates with similar interests, including those from active living and school communities.

A regret theory approach to decision curve analysis: A novel method for eliciting decision makers' preferences and decision-making

OpenAIRE

Vickers Andrew; Hozo Iztok; Tsalatsanis Athanasios; Djulbegovic Benjamin

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Decision curve analysis (DCA) has been proposed as an alternative method for evaluation of diagnostic tests, prediction models, and molecular markers. However, DCA is based on expected utility theory, which has been routinely violated by decision makers. Decision-making is governed by intuition (system 1), and analytical, deliberative process (system 2), thus, rational decision-making should reflect both formal principles of rationality and intuition about good decisions. ...

Synthetic biology regulation and governance: Lessons from TAPIC for the United States, European Union, and Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Trump, Benjamin D

2017-11-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging technology with potential benefits to various fields, yet also contains potential risks to human and environmental health. The field remains in an emerging state with limited quantitative guidance and a small but growing population of international researchers that conduct work within this field. Given the uncertain nature of this technology, an adaptive and anticipatory governance framework may be necessary to balance the potential benefits that may accrue from the technology's continued research alongside a desire to reduce or eliminate potential risks that may arise. However, such developments must account for the unique political and institutional factors that form a government's risk culture - something that can facilitate or impede the development of adaptive synthetic biology governance moving forward. The TAPIC framework helps illustrate those factors that are essential to develop good governance for emerging technologies like synthetic biology. Specifically, an application of TAPIC to synthetic biology governance indicates that the factors of accountability, participation, and integrity must be bolstered to improve technology governance in governments like with the United States, European Union, and Singapore. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Long term governance of radioactive waste - research and guidance on governance methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meskens, G.

2007-01-01

Our modern society is increasingly faced with challenges and problems that cannot be solved by a purely technical, political or social approach. Radioactive waste disposal site selection and management can be characterised as one of these challenges that require a transdisciplinary approach, integrating social, philosophical and ethical aspects in a 'technical' practice. Along the spirit of this transdisciplinary approach, and in order to ensure the necessary public support for a policy decision regarding this practice, stakeholder involvement is more and more seen as a necessary policy element in the decision making process. The aim is to achieve the broad involvement of individuals from civil society, with significant representation from local communities, elected representatives and NGO's, as well as scientists from outside radioactive waste management organisations, together with established players in the field, such as the implementers of radioactive waste management, public authorities, experts and waste producers. Several initiatives regarding stakeholder involvement in radioactive waste management have been taken already in Europe, as well in the research era as in 'the real world'. Among them was the EC FP6 COWAM2 project ('Community Waste Management 2 - Improving the Governance of Nuclear Waste Management and Disposal in Europe') that run from January 2003 to December 2006. The objective of COWAM 2 was to contribute to the actual improvement of the governance of Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) in order to address the issue of geological waste disposal in Europe, by: Better addressing and understanding societal expectations, needs and concerns as regards radioactive waste decision making processes, notably at local and regional levels, taking advantage of the past and ongoing successful and unsuccessful experiences of RWM in the concerned European countries; Increasing societal awareness of and accountability for RWM at local, national and European

A Governance Roadmap and Framework for EarthCube

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, M. L.

2012-12-01

EarthCube is a process and an outcome, established to transform the conduct of research through the development of community-guided cyberinfrastructure for the Geosciences as the prototype for potential deployment across all domain sciences. EarthCube aims to create a knowledge management system and infrastructure that integrates all Earth system and human dimensions data in an open transparent, and inclusive manner. EarthCube requires broad community participation in concept, framework, and implementation and must not be hindered by rigid preconceptions. We discovered widely varying interpretations, expectations, and assumptions about governance among EarthCube participants. Our definition of governance refers to the processes, structure and organizational elements that determine, within an organization or system of organizations, how power is exercised, how stakeholders have their say, how decisions are made, and how decision makers are held accountable. We have learned, from historic infrastructure case studies, background research on governance and from community feedback during this roadmap process, that other types of large-scale, complex infrastructures, including the Internet, have no central control, administration, or management. No national infrastructure that we examined is governed by a single entity, let alone a single governance archetype. Thus we feel the roadmap process must accommodate a governance system or system of systems that may have a single governing entity, particularly at the start, but can evolve into a collective of governing bodies as warranted, in order to be successful. A fast-track process during Spring, 2012 culminated in a Governance Roadmap delivered to an NSF-sponsored charrette in June with an aggressive timetable to define and implement a governance structure to enable the elements of EarthCube to become operational expeditiously. Our goal is to help ensure the realization of this infrastructure sooner, more efficiently, and

The Institutional Vision of the Geopolitics of Water Resources in Venezuela (State, Nation and Government)

OpenAIRE

Carlos Javier Lizcano Chapeta

2017-01-01

In the global, regional and local context, water resources are a strategic element from the geopolitical point of view, given the scarcity of water and the management that must be given to this problem from States, governments and nations. In this sense, the purpose is to analyze the strategic importance that has been given to water resources in Venezuela, taking into account the vision of the State, government and nation. A documentary design is used, of descriptive type, and as a data colle...

Problems concerning the Federal Government-Laender relationship in nuclear law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, K.

1990-01-01

The Atomic Energy Act is characterized by extremely extensive powers of decision and sole responsibility of the executive. Its profile is determined by discretionary assessment powers in connection with the interpretation of the given preconditions of pertinent legal standards and by judically not verifiable assessment possibilities in connection with legal consequences. In this situation, the authority to instruct, given to the Federal Government within the framework of the execution of Federal laws by Laender according to the instructions of the Federal Government pursuant to section 85 III Basic Law, is of special, far-reaching significance. The article investigates the limitatations of the Federal Government's power to instruct Laender to carry out activities underlying Federal laws: The burden has to be bearable for the Laender, the directions have to be absolutely clear. The fruitlessness of a Federal Government-Laender court case, in which a Land turns to the Federal Constitutional Court because of an instruction which, in the Land's eyes, would lead it to act unlawfully, does not principally exclude a Land from seeking legal protection in the administrative courts of law. It can only be hoped that the Federal Government will make use of its powers to instruct Laender with the necessary sensitivity, also in those cases when Laender, according to an appropriate decision of the Federal Constitutional Court, cannot enforce by legal proceedings the state's obligation to act in line with legal order. (orig./HSCH) [de

Motivational states influence effort-based decision making in rats: the role of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens.

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Bettina; Sommer, Susanne; Hauber, Wolfgang

2012-03-01

Decision-making policies are subject to modulation by changing motivational states. However, so far, little is known about the neurochemical mechanisms that bridge motivational states with decision making. Here we examined whether dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) modulates the effects of motivational states on effort-based decision making. Using a cost-benefit T-maze task in rats, we examined the effects of AcbC DA depletions on effort-based decision making, in particular on the sensitivity of effort-based decision making to a shift from a hungry to a sated state. The results demonstrated that, relative to sham controls, rats with AcbC DA depletion in a hungry as well as in a sated state had a reduced preference for effortful but large-reward action. This finding provides further support for the notion that AcbC DA regulates how much effort to invest for rewards. Importantly, our results further revealed that effort-based decision making in lesioned rats, as in sham controls, was still sensitive to a shift from a hungry to a sated state; that is, their preferences for effortful large-reward actions became lower after a shift from a restricted to a free-feeding regimen. These finding indicate that AcbC DA is not necessarily involved in mediating the effects of a shift in motivational state on decision-making policies.

Fire science application and integration in support of decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Tom Zimmerman

2011-01-01

Wildland fire management in the United States has historically been a challenging and complex program governed by a multitude of factors including situational status, objectives, operational capability, science and technology, and changes and advances in all these factors. The improvement and advancement of risk-informed decision making has the potential to improve...

Symposium Connects Government Problems with State of the Art Network Science Research

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-16

Symposium Connects Government Problems with State-of-the- Art Network Science Research By Rajmonda S. Caceres and Benjamin A. Miller Network...the US Gov- ernment, and match these with the state-of-the- art models and techniques developed in the network science research community. Since its... science has grown significantly in the last several years as a field at the intersec- tion of mathematics, computer science , social science , and engineering

Selecting decision strategies: the differential role of affect.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheibehenne, Benjamin; von Helversen, Bettina

2015-01-01

Many theories on cognition assume that people adapt their decision strategies depending on the situation they face. To test if and how affect guides the selection of decision strategies, we conducted an online study (N = 166), where different mood states were induced through video clips. Results indicate that mood influenced the use of decision strategies. Negative mood, in particular anger, facilitated the use of non-compensatory strategies, whereas positive mood promoted compensatory decision rules. These results are in line with the idea that positive mood broadens the focus of attention and thus increases the use of compensatory decision strategies that take many pieces of information into account, whereas negative mood narrows the focus of attention and thus fosters non-compensatory strategies that rely on a selective use of information. The results further indicate that gaining a deeper theoretical understanding of the cognitive mechanisms that govern decision processes requires taking emotions into account.

Policymakers' Reflections on Water Governance Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyeeta Gupta

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The two cultures theory argues that policy makers and scientists have different cultures and difficulty in communicating with each other. Others argue that there is increasing co-production of knowledge. This essay aims to assess the concerns of policy makers based on our policy work, policy-related research work, and our day-to-day experiences in terms of three questions: What are the perceived major issues for water governance? What are the major challenges in the structure of the existing global water governance approach? What is the vision for improving global water governance? This essay combines views from governmental, hybrid, inter- and non-governmental policy makers. It argues that water covers so many issues, aspects, and sectors that a key challenge is whether water should be governed as a sector or as a cross-cutting issue. It looks at how this challenge plays out within the United Nations system and leads to specific goal setting, while missing an overall visionary approach and a legally binding system of governance; within the hybrid arena, where it leads to inclusive discussion but not necessarily triggering consensus decisions; within nation states, where it has led to a loss of focus and a multitude of gaps and overlaps; and within transnational cooperative projects, where it has led to multiple interpretations of what is good practice. It then identifies a series of research questions.

Private Debt Overhang and the Government Spending Multiplier: Evidence for the United States

OpenAIRE

Bernardini, Marco; Peersman, Gert

2015-01-01

Using state-dependent local projection methods and historical U.S. data, we find that government spending multipliers are considerably larger in periods of private debt overhang. In particular, we find significant crowding-out of personal consumption and investment in low-debt states, resulting in multipliers that are significantly below one. Conversely, in periods of private debt overhang, there is a strong crowding-in effect, while multipliers are much larger than one. In high-debt states, ...

The Governance of Energy Poverty in Southeastern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouzarovski, Stefan; Sarlamanov, Robert; Petrova, Saska

2011-03-01

This report presents the outcomes of a recently-completed research project aimed at uncovering the different ways in which energy poverty - understood as a condition wherein the domestic energy services available to a household are below socially and materially-necessitated levels - is produced by, and mitigated through, the interaction of relevant decision-making institutions in the energy, social welfare, health and housing domains. The project focused on conditions in Southeastern Europe, where energy prices have been recently on the rise despite falling incomes and poor access to efficient and adequate energy services. We explored the legal frameworks and governance practices that underpin energy poverty-related policies the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria: two neighboring countries at different development stages in terms of the state's regulatory capacity to support households vulnerable to energy deprivation. Data was gathered and analyzed with the aid of interviews with decision-makers, as well as a review of written legal and policy documents. The broad-level patterns of energy poverty in both countries were established with the aid of analyses of published statistical data, and findings from the secondary literature. The findings of the study revealed that both states have moved from a reactive policy regime - entailing a slow process of energy liberalization and privatization due to social welfare concerns, gradual energy price increases, and the inadequate development of targeted social welfare programs - towards a more proactive approach, which has involved the strengthening and expansion of social safety nets, accompanied by the introduction of comprehensive measures such as block tariffs and direct earmarked support. Even though the shift from one regime to the other has taken place at a much faster and stronger pace in Bulgaria, both states still lack targeted residential energy efficiency programs for vulnerable households, and the flow of

76 FR 28964 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-19

... of the United States Code governing the roles and responsibilities of the Navy. In its decision, the... actions in compliance with the Endangered Species Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the National...

Action and inertia in collaborative governance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kossmann, Christina M.; Behagel, Jelle H.; Bailey, Megan

2016-01-01

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have emerged as an important tool to protect the marine environment and are increasingly implemented through collaborative governance networks. Even though collaborative governance is thought of as a way towards more effective decision-making, sustainable outcomes

The association of hospital governance with innovation in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chen-Wei; Yan, Yu-Hua; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Inamdar, Syeda Noorein; Lin, Hsien-Cheng

2018-01-01

Hospitals in Taiwan are facing major changes and innovation is increasingly becoming a critical factor for remaining competitive. One determinant that can have a significant impact on innovation is hospital governance. However, there is limited prior research on the relationship between hospital governance and innovation. The purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual framework to hypothesize the relationship between governance mechanisms and innovation and to empirically test the hypotheses in hospital organizations. We examine the relationship between governance mechanisms and innovation using data on 102 hospitals in Taiwan from the Taiwan Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation and Quality Improvement. We model governance mechanisms using board structure, information transparency and strategic decision-making processes. For our modeling and data analysis we use measurement and structural models. We find that in hospital governance, information transparency and strategic decision making did impact innovation. However, governance structure did not. To facilitate innovation, hospital boards can increase information transparency and improve the decision-making process when considering strategic investments in innovative initiatives. To remain competitive, hospital boards need to develop and monitor indices that measure hospital innovation to ensure ongoing progress. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Understanding Internal Accountability in Nigeria’s Routine Immunization System: Perspectives From Government Officials at the National, State, and Local Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Erchick

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background Routine immunization coverage in Nigeria has remained low, and studies have identified a lack of accountability as a barrier to high performance in the immunization system. Accountability lies at the heart of various health systems strengthening efforts recently launched in Nigeria, including those related to immunization. Our aim was to understand the views of health officials on the accountability challenges hindering immunization service delivery at various levels of government. Methods A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview immunization and primary healthcare (PHC officials from national, state, local, and health facility levels in Niger State in north central Nigeria. Individuals were selected to represent a range of roles and responsibilities in the immunization system. The questionnaire explored concepts related to internal accountability using a framework that organizes accountability into three axes based upon how they drive change in the health system. Results Respondents highlighted accountability challenges across multiple components of the immunization system, including vaccine availability, financing, logistics, human resources, and data management. A major focus was the lack of clear roles and responsibilities both within institutions and between levels of government. Delays in funding, especially at lower levels of government, disrupted service delivery. Supervision occurred less frequently than necessary, and the limited decision space of managers prevented problems from being resolved. Motivation was affected by the inability of officials to fulfill their responsibilities. Officials posited numerous suggestions to improve accountability, including clarifying roles and responsibilities, ensuring timely release of funding, and formalizing processes for supervision, problem solving, and data reporting. Conclusion Weak accountability presents a significant barrier to performance of the routine immunization

Interaction and activity coordination of territorial customs bodies of the State fiscal service of Ukraine with local state administrations and local self-government bodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Олексій Павлович Федотов

2016-06-01

Based on the results of the study the author notes that the interaction of the Ukrainian SFS customs offices and local state administrations with local self-government bodies is an inherent quality, link and component of the Ukrainian SFS Customs offices functioning organization, which aims to improve the state customs service implementation standards by the Ukrainian SFS customs houses and to ensure the said implementation efficiency. However, in the course of interaction of the Ukrainian SFS customs with local state administrations and local self-government bodies each of the mentioned organizations specializes in solving their specific tasks in accordance with their subject expertise, and forms a clear organizational system. The complementarity of such kind helps to improve the state customs affairs conductance quality and is realized through the coordination of performance of the Ukrainian SFS customs offices, local state administrations and local self-government bodies as the interaction subjects through normative, informational and analytical provision for the interaction and concretization of the activities of each subject within the planned activities.

A political economy analysis of decision-making on natural disaster preparedness in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Rono-Bett, Karen C

2018-01-01

Most deaths from natural disasters occur in low- or middle-income countries; among them, countries in the Horn of Africa - where Kenya lies. Between September 2015 and September 2016, 23.4 million people in this region faced food insecurity because of the 2015 El Niño, characterised by floods and droughts. The importance of effective government decision-making on preparedness and response are critical to saving lives during such disasters. But this decision-making process occurs in a political context which is marred by uncertainty with other factors at play. Yet, good practice requires making investments on a 'no-regrets' basis. This article looks at the factors influencing Kenya's decision-making process for natural disasters, the preparedness for the 2015 El Niño as a case study. I explored what stakeholders understand by 'no-regrets investments' and its application. I assessed financial allocations by government and donors to disaster preparedness. Based on key informant interviews, focus group discussions and financial analyses, this article presents evidence at national and subnational levels. The findings indicate that in making decisions relating to preparedness, the government seeks information primarily from sources it trusts - other government departments, its communities and the media. With no existing legal frameworks guiding Kenya's disaster preparedness, the coordination of preparedness is not strong. It appears that there is a lack of political will to prioritise these frameworks. The no-regrets approach is applied predominantly by non-state actors. Because there have been 'non-events' in the past, government has become overcautious in committing resources on a no-regrets basis. Government allocation to preparedness exceeds donor funding by almost tenfold.

Characteristics and Effectiveness of the U.S. State E-Government-to-Business Services

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jensen J.; Truell, Allen; Alexander, Melody W.

2008-01-01

This study examined the user-interface characteristics and effectiveness of the e-government-to-business (G2B) sites of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. A group of 306 online users were trained to assess the sites. The findings indicate that the majority of the state G2B sites included the user-interface characteristics that provided online…

Nuclear. Exchange of letters between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America. Treaty series 1993 no.5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Discussions between officials of the Governments of the United States of America and Canada concerning cooperation between Canada and the United States of America on the application of non-proliferation assurances to Canadian uranium to be transferred from Canada to the United States of America for enrichment and fabrication into fuel and thereafter retransferred to Taiwan for use in nuclear reactors for the generation of electricity on Taiwan

Recent Challenges Facing US Government Climate Science Access and Application

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, G. T.; Carter, J. M.; Licker, R.

2017-12-01

Climate scientists have long faced politicization of their work, especially those working within the US federal government. However, political interference in federal government climate change science has escalated in the current political era with efforts by political actors to undermine and disrupt infrastructure supporting climate science. This has included funding changes, decreased access to climate science information on federal agency websites, restrictions on media access to scientific experts within the government, and rolling back of science-based policies designed to incorporate and respond to climate science findings. What are the impacts of such changes for both the climate science community and the broader public? What can be done to ensure that access to and application of climate change-related research to policy decisions continues? We will summarize and analyze the state of climate change research and application in the US government. The impacts of political interference in climate change science as well as opportunities the scientific community has to support climate science in the US government, will be discussed.

Making Education: Governance by Design: Notes from a book project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Lisa Rosén

2017-01-01

in and through material school designs: from the material and aesthetic language of schooling to the design of the built environment, from spatial organisation to the furnishing and equipment of classrooms and from technologies of regulation to the incorporation of tools of learning. Over the last decades......, governance as a concept developed within political science has gained a growing popularity in an increased number of research fields, also within the field of educational research (Amos 2010). Recent theories on governance open up to look at governance beyond political decision-making processes and state...... in the book focus on design processes and on designers/architects and people involved in the planning of school design as well as on school leaders, teachers and pupils adopting, inhabiting and re-shaping them in everyday school life. By stressing the processual aspects of school designs, the book puts...

Governance in Strategic Environmental Assessment: Lessons from the Portuguese practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteiro, Margarida B.; Partidário, Maria Rosário

2017-01-01

The analysis of governance in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) can help understand why, whether and how strategic decision-making happens. Understanding the governance context is strategic to improve the role and capacity of SEA to stimulate, and legitimate decisions that integrate environmental issues and are sustainability driven. The objective of this paper is to discuss why governance is important in SEA. In the SEA literature governance is mostly addressed in silos (i.e. public participation or decisions transparency or accountability) rather than in an integrated way. In addition few authors adopt a strategic view to address the governance context within which SEA is used. In this paper we address the heuristics of governance in SEA based on theoretical and empirical evidence, suggesting how SEA may incorporate the governance dimension. First a review of the SEA literature in relation to governance sets the context to the analysis on how governance is approached in practice, based on 60 Portuguese SEA cases. This is followed by the presentation of an empirical SEA case conducted in Portugal to illustrate what, in our understanding, can be an example of good practice in considering governance in SEA. Final discussion reflects on the role of governance in SEA in promoting engagement, enabling collaborative action, learning processes and dialogues, concluding on the relevance of governance in creating development contexts that can deal with change.

Energy summit Hessen. Implementation concept of the state government Hessen; Hessischer Energiegipfel. Umsetzungskonzept der Hessischen Landesregierung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-02-15

By means of the concept under consideration, the state government of Hessen (Federal Republic of Germany) has pursued the possible and realistic course for the implementation of the targets of the energy summit. The main aspects of this contribution are the implementation of the energy policy of Hessen into the European and national framework; Status quo of the energy consumption in Hessen; Areas of action and measures of the state government of Hessen; Actors of the energy policy turnaround; Monitoring.

What role for government? The promotion of civil society through forestry-related climate change interventions in post-conflict Nepal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rutt, Rebecca Leigh; Lund, Jens Friis

2014-01-01

This study examines rationales behind the choice of local interlocutors by forestry-related climate change projects in post-conflict Nepal. In their stated objectives, all projects claim to involve the government, and most project decision makers are in favor of government involvement, yet project...... resources overwhelmingly favor civil society institutions. Project decision makers’ choices are shaped by a combination of donor conditionalities, contextual constraints, and beliefs about which institutional attributes matter and how to address historical marginalization. The projects’ empowerment of civil...... and collectively reassess the role of forestry-related climate change projects in the larger process of post-conflict reconstruction in Nepal....

e-Government for Development Information Exchange (DIE): Zambia

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Bwalya Kelvin

In most parts of the world, political systems which utilize authoritative rule and mostly employ top-down decision-making processes are slowly transcending towards democratic norms. Information Technology Systems have been identified and adopted as one of the most efficient vehicles for appropriate, transparent and inclusive / participatory decision making. Zambia has shown a higher propensity to indigenous knowledge systems which are full of inefficiencies, a lot of red tape in public service delivery, and prone to corrupt practices. Despite that being the case, it is slowly trying to implement e-government. The adoption of e-government promises a sharp paradigm shift where public institutions will be more responsive and transparent, promote efficient PPP (Public Private Partnerships), and empower citizens by making knowledge and other resources more directly accessible. This paper examines three cases from Zambia where ICT in support of e-government has been implemented for Development Information Exchange (DIE) - knowledge-based decision making. The paper also assesses the challenges, opportunities, and issues together with e-government adoption criteria regarding successful encapsulation of e-government into the Zambian contextual environment. I propose a conceptual model which offers balanced e-government adoption criteria involving a combination of electronic and participatory services. This conceptual e-government adoption model can later be replicated to be used at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) level given the similarity in the contextual environment.

Changing foreign policy: the Obama Administration’s decision to oust Mubarak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Céu Pinto Arena

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper analyses the decision of the Obama administration to redirect its foreign policy towards Egypt in the wake of the Arab Spring. It attempts to highlight the issue of how governments deal with decision-making at times of crisis, and under which circumstances they take critical decisions that lead to major shifts in their foreign policy track record. It focuses on the process that led to a reassessment of US (United States foreign policy, shifting from decades of support to the autocratic regime of Hosni Mubarak, towards backing his ouster. Specifically, the paper attempts to assess to what extent the decision to withdraw US support from a longstanding state-leader and ally in the Middle East can be seen as a foreign policy change (FPC. A relevant research question this paper pursues is: how can the withdrawal of US support to a regime considered as an ally be considered, in itself, as a radical FPC?

METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT GOVERNANCE CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitalina TSYBULYAK

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article discusses current approaches to the process of assessing rural development governance, reveals its advantages and disadvantages. The article as well presents performance system indicators of governance process by means of two elements of dynamics assessment, rural development (economic, financial, and social sphere, ecology and population health and management process (assessment of strategic plan (concept of development, program of socioeconomic development of rural areas, current activity of local authorities, in particular. More over, it is suggested to use typology of approaches (objective (evolutionary, command and control, economic (infrastructural, complex, and qualitative to definition of process essence of rural development governance and correlation of traditional functions, performed by the subjects of the governance process of rural development (state authorities institutions, local authorities institutions, economic entities, and community. Adjusting traditional functions, performed by governance subjects of local development, their supplementing with new ones, relevant to the present-to-date model of «shared governance» is an important element of analysis of assessment tools for effectiveness of rural development governance. In addition, the author defines functioning of two forms of rural population involvement into the process of rural development governance: active and passive. Active one suggests that rural population participate in making and implementing governance decisions (public meetings, organization of social discussions, and development of territory community self-governance; passive one suggests that the emphasis is placed only on information distribution among population (meetings with parliament members, direct phone lines with territory governors, publication of normative and legal acts and reports on budget execution

Electronic Government

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wimmer, Maria A.; Traunmüller, Roland; Grönlund, Åke

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Electronic Government, EGOV 2005, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in August 2005. The 30 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions, and assess the state-of-the-art in e-government/e-governance...

76 FR 32377 - Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations; OMB Circular A-133 Compliance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-06

... --a Federal E-Government Web site that allows the public to find, review, and submit comments on... OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations... CFDA 84.938, [[Page 32378

The Mayor of EarthCube: Cities as an Analogue for Governing Cyberinfrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Pearthree, G. M.; Allison, M. L.; Patten, K.

2012-12-01

Historical development of national and global infrastructure follows common paths with common imperatives. The nascent development may be led a by champion, innovator, or incubating organization. Once the infrastructure reaches a tipping point and adoption spreads rapidly, the organization and governance evolves in concert. Ultimately, no wide-spread infrastructure (from canals to highways to the electric grid to radio/television, or the Internet) operates with a single overarching governing body. The NSF EarthCube initiative is a prototype implementation of cyberinfrastructure, using the broad geoscience community as the testbed. Governance for EarthCube is emulating the pattern of other infrastructure, which we argue is a system of systems that can be described by organized complexity, emergent systems, and non-linear thermodynamics. As we consider governance cyberinfrastructure in the geosciences, we might look to cities as analogs: cities provide services such as fire, police, water, and trash collection. Cities issue permits and often oversee zoning, but much of what defines cities is outside the direct control of city government. Businesses choose whether to locate there, where to operate, and what to build. Residents make similar decisions. State and federal agencies make decisions or impose criteria that greatly affect cities, without necessarily getting agreement from them. City government must thus operate at multiple levels - providing oversight and management of city services, interaction with residents, businesses, and visitors, and dealing with actions and decisions made by independent entities over which they have little or no control. Cities have a range of organizational and management models, ranging from city managers, councils, and weak to strong mayors, some elected directly, some chosen from councils. The range and complexity of governance issues in building, operating, and sustaining cyberinfrastructure in the geosciences and beyond, rival

Numeracy, Financial Literacy, and Financial Decision-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annamaria Lusardi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Financial decisions, be they related to asset building or debt management, require the capacity to do calculations, including some complex ones. But how numerate are individuals, in particular when it comes to calculations related to financial decisions? Studies and surveys implemented in both the United States and in other countries that are described in this paper show the level of numeracy among the population to be very low. Moreover, lack of numeracy is not only widespread but is particularly severe among some demographic groups, such as women, the elderly, and those with low educational attainment. This has potential consequences for individuals and for society as a whole because numeracy is found to be linked to many financial decisions. As we shift responsibility from governments and employers onto individuals, it is increasingly important to find ways to equip people with the skills that are necessary to make savvy financial decisions.

Clean Energy Financing Programs: A Decision Resource for States and Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Describes financing-program options, key components of financing programs, and factors for states and communities to consider as they make decisions about getting started or updating their clean energy financing programs.

Coal Development in the Northern Great Plains. The Impact on Revenues of State and Local Governments. Agricultural Economic Report No. 394.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinson, Thomas F.; Voelker, Stanley W.

Development of Northern Great Plains coal resources will create new demands for state and local government services. Development will also produce increased government revenues. Special taxes on coal production have been enacted in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming in order to ensure that state and local governments receive sufficient revenues to…

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 31 - Audit Requirements for State and Local Government Recipients

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... that a single audit provides Federal agencies with information and assurance they need to carry out... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Audit Requirements for State and Local... AGREEMENTS TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Pt. 31, App. A Appendix A to Part 31—Audit Requirements for State...

The Prosecution of State-Level Human Trafficking Cases in the United States

OpenAIRE

Amy Farrell; Monica J DeLateur; Colleen Owens; Stephanie Fahy

2016-01-01

In an effort to combat human trafficking, the United States federal government and all fifty states passed new laws that criminalise human trafficking and support the identification and prosecution of human trafficking perpetrators. Despite the passage of these laws, only a small number of human trafficking cases have been prosecuted in the last fifteen years. Guided by the notion that prosecutors seek to avoid uncertainty when making decisions to pursue criminal prosecution, we explore how h...

Information Security Governance: When Compliance Becomes More Important than Security

OpenAIRE

Tan , Terence C. C.; Ruighaver , Anthonie B.; Ahmad , Atif

2010-01-01

International audience; Current security governance is often based on a centralized decision making model and still uses an ineffective 20th century risk management approach to security. This approach is relatively simple to manage since it needs almost no security governance below the top enterprise level where most decisions are made. However, while there is a role for more corporate governance, new regulations, and improved codes of best practice to address current weak organizational secu...

Introduction: Agents of Change? Staging and Governing Diasporas and the African State

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turner, Simon; Kleist, Nauja

2013-01-01

During the last decade, African diasporas have emerged as agents of change in international development thinking. Diasporas are being courted by donors, sending states, and NGOs for their contributions to development in their countries of origin; praised for their remittances, investments...... and knowledge transfer. This Introduction seeks to scrutinise critically these processes, examining issues of governance and categorisation in relation to African states and diasporas. We explore the theoretical and political implications of the emergence of diasporas in relation to questions of hybridity...

Interactive Governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang, Henrik

2016-01-01

Governance analysis has exploded in recent years, and it has become nearly impossible to tell what difference the concept and practice of governance makes from those of government and state. In addition governance analysis has been placed more and more in the shadow of the new institutionalisms and...... and growth. However, interactive governance is not a property or effect of institutions; nor does it apply solely to those individuals who seek success above everything else. It is connective more than individualistic or collectivistic in nature; and it manifests a governability capacity which...

E-Government Attempts in Small Island Developing States: The Rate of Corruption with Virtualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, Arif

2017-12-01

In recent years, many Small Island Developing State (SIDS) governments have worked to increase openness and transparency of their transactions as a means to enhance efficiency and reduce corruption in their economies. In order to achieve a cost-effective and efficient strategy to implement a transparent government, Information Communication Technologies offer an opportunity of virtualization by deploying e-government services to promote transparency, accountability and consistency in the public sector and to minimize corruption. This paper explores the potential impact of government virtualization by SIDS and against corruption by comparing the corruption perception index (CPI) rates of 15 SIDS countries. The CPI relates to the degree by which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians by business people and country analysts. In order to reveal the long-term impact of virtual deployment and its consequences on corruption, an in-depth case analysis based on the CPI index rates was conducted on the deployment of the e-government system in Cyprus.

Understanding evidence: a statewide survey to explore evidence-informed public health decision-making in a local government setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Rebecca; Waters, Elizabeth; Moore, Laurence; Dobbins, Maureen; Pettman, Tahna; Burns, Cate; Swinburn, Boyd; Anderson, Laurie; Petticrew, Mark

2014-12-14

The value placed on types of evidence within decision-making contexts is highly dependent on individuals, the organizations in which the work and the systems and sectors they operate in. Decision-making processes too are highly contextual. Understanding the values placed on evidence and processes guiding decision-making is crucial to designing strategies to support evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM). This paper describes how evidence is used to inform local government (LG) public health decisions. The study used mixed methods including a cross-sectional survey and interviews. The Evidence-Informed Decision-Making Tool (EvIDenT) survey was designed to assess three key domains likely to impact on EIDM: access, confidence, and organizational culture. Other elements included the usefulness and influence of sources of evidence (people/groups and resources), skills and barriers, and facilitators to EIDM. Forty-five LGs from Victoria, Australia agreed to participate in the survey and up to four people from each organization were invited to complete the survey (n = 175). To further explore definitions of evidence and generate experiential data on EIDM practice, key informant interviews were conducted with a range of LG employees working in areas relevant to public health. In total, 135 responses were received (75% response rate) and 13 interviews were conducted. Analysis revealed varying levels of access, confidence and organizational culture to support EIDM. Significant relationships were found between domains: confidence, culture and access to research evidence. Some forms of evidence (e.g. community views) appeared to be used more commonly and at the expense of others (e.g. research evidence). Overall, a mixture of evidence (but more internal than external evidence) was influential in public health decision-making in councils. By comparison, a mixture of evidence (but more external than internal evidence) was deemed to be useful in public health decision

Collaboration between Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Delivering Curative Health Services in North Darfur State, Sudan- a National Report.

Science.gov (United States)

I A Yagub, Abdallah

2014-05-01

North Darfur State has been affected by conflict since 2003 and the government has not been able to provide adequate curative health services to the people. The government has come to rely on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide curative health services. This study was conducted to examine the existing collaboration between government and NGOs in curative health service delivery in North Darfur State, and to identify the challenges that affect their collaboration. Documentary data were collected from government offices and medical organizations. Primary data were obtained through interviews with government and NGOs representatives. The interviews were conducted with (1) expatriates working for international NGOs (N=15) and (2), health professionals and administrators working in the health sector (N= 45). The collaboration between the government and NGOs has been very weak because of security issues and lack of trust. The NGOs collaborate by providing human and financial resources, material and equipment, and communication facilities. The NGOs supply 70% of curative health services, and contribute 52.9% of the health budget in North Darfur State. The NGOs have employed 1 390 health personnel, established 44 health centres and manage and support 83 health facilities across the State. The NGOs have played a positive role in collaborating with the government in North Darfur State in delivering curative health services, while government's role has been negative. The problem that faces the government in future is how health facilities will be run should a peaceful settlement be reached and NGOs leave the region.

Conflict Resolution Strategies in Non-Government Secondary Schools in Benue State, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Oboegbulem, Angie; Alfa, Idoko Alphonusu

2013-01-01

This study investigated perceived CRSs (conflict resolution strategies) for the resolution of conflicts in non-government secondary schools in Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided this study. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used in drawing 15% of the population which gave a total of 500…

ICT-based reforms in local government decision-making in the gram panchayats of Kerala

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex K Thottunkel

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The beneficial impact of computerisation can be felt in all elements that contribute to decision-making in panchayats in the state of Kerala. However, even though computerisation is bringing about immense improvements compared to traditional administrative practices, but scope still remains for further improvement. Instead of the 'as it is' computerisation that is mostly carried out a process based approach is needed.

The Internet and Increased Citizen Participation in Government

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Milakovich

2010-04-01

Full Text Available What roles do communication systems, information technologies and the internet play in fostering citizen participation and influencing the electoral and administrative decisions of government? The internet is simultaneously a world-wide broadcasting network, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic boundaries or time zones. This article describes the origins of participatory democracy, discusses how modern concepts of democracy link to citizen participation, and describes the ways that newly-created spaces on the internet referred to as “polispheres” are being used by political activists and candidates to facilitate wider collaboration and citizen participation. The following questions are addressed: What role does the internet play in fostering and aiding citizen participation in government? Does increased involvement lead to greater trust and confidence in government? What role did the internet play in apparently reversing downward trends in citizen apathy and drawing 8 million new voters to the United States 2008 presidential election? The article suggests that information technology facilitates broader citizen participation and identifies the challenges facing governments in adopting internet-based ICT strategies.

Factors influencing the, selection of state office furniture

Science.gov (United States)

R. Bruce Anderson; R. Bruce Anderson

1973-01-01

Evaluation of the factors influencing the selection of office furniture by nine state governments shows that quality and purchase price have the most important influence on the purchase decision. The intended use of the furniture and the purchasing regulations of the states were key f8CbrS in the use of wood furniture.

The dilemas of the new left-wing governments in Latin America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Moreira

2007-12-01

Full Text Available After two decades of neoliberalism, a wave of leftist governments shakes Latin America. In just one half a decade, they have been transforming the political geography and raising four questions: 1. In what sense can one speak about homogeneous left-wave of new Latin American governments?; 2. Will they mean a change in the ways of making politics?; 3. To what extent will they give an efficient solution to the social crisis of the post market reforms stage?; and 4. Which are the main ideas and principles in order to govern a big part of Latin America from now to the next future? In order to approach these questions, do we explore "models of governability" that rise in Latin American, taking into account three dimensions: the institutional, the public policy dimension and the symbolic one. Conclusions –temporary given the recent events-, state that we are in front of a decisive process for the history of the Latin American left.

A political economy analysis of decision-making on natural disaster preparedness in Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen C. Rono-Bett

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Most deaths from natural disasters occur in low- or middle-income countries; among them, countries in the Horn of Africa – where Kenya lies. Between September 2015 and September 2016, 23.4 million people in this region faced food insecurity because of the 2015 El Niño, characterised by floods and droughts. The importance of effective government decision-making on preparedness and response are critical to saving lives during such disasters. But this decision-making process occurs in a political context which is marred by uncertainty with other factors at play. Yet, good practice requires making investments on a ‘no-regrets’ basis. This article looks at the factors influencing Kenya’s decision-making process for natural disasters, the preparedness for the 2015 El Niño as a case study. I explored what stakeholders understand by ‘no-regrets investments’ and its application. I assessed financial allocations by government and donors to disaster preparedness. Based on key informant interviews, focus group discussions and financial analyses, this article presents evidence at national and subnational levels. The findings indicate that in making decisions relating to preparedness, the government seeks information primarily from sources it trusts – other government departments, its communities and the media. With no existing legal frameworks guiding Kenya’s disaster preparedness, the coordination of preparedness is not strong. It appears that there is a lack of political will to prioritise these frameworks. The no-regrets approach is applied predominantly by non-state actors. Because there have been ‘non-events’ in the past, government has become overcautious in committing resources on a no-regrets basis. Government allocation to preparedness exceeds donor funding by almost tenfold.

Accrual based accounting implementation: An approach for modelling major decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ratno Agriyanto

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Over the last three decades the main issues of implementation of accrual based accounting government institutions in Indonesia. Implementation of accrual based accounting in government institutions amid debate about the usefulness of accounting information for decision-making. Empirical study shows that the accrual based of accounting information on a government institution is not used for decision making. The research objective was to determine the impact of the implementation of the accrual based accounting to the accrual basis of accounting information use for decision-making basis. We used the survey questionnaires. The data were processed by SEM using statistical software WarpPLS. The results showed that the implementation of the accrual based accounting in City Government Semarang has significantly positively associated with decision-making. Another important finding is the City Government officials of Semarang have personality, low tolerance of ambiguity is a negative effect on the relationship between the implementation of the accrual based accounting for decision making

The Text of a Protocol between the Agency and the Governments of Thailand and the United States of America Terminating the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the United States of America for the Application of Safeguards and Terminating the Protocol Suspending that Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

The text of a protocol between the Agency and the Governments of Thailand and the United States of America terminating the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the United States of America for the Application of Safeguards and terminating the Protocol suspending that Agreement is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Protocol entered into force on 27 June 1974, pursuant to Section 6 thereof.

Political Representation and Governance: The Case of Second-Tier Councilors in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina STĂNUȘ

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The notion of governance stresses interaction and co-operation between many interdependent actors and, as such, poses a challenge to political leadership and the traditional electoral- based notion of political representation. Governance-oriented reforms bring about new roles for all actors involved in local politics and policy-making, starting with the elected officials. Among these actors, councilors on both tiers of local government are called upon to take on a new role as goal-steering decision-makers, while accepting a clear separation between politics and administration and the increased interdependence with non-state actors. This paper reflects on the difficulties of accommodating the representational role orientations of local elected officials with the introduction of governance-oriented policy-making mechanisms. It explores two inter-related questions in the context provided by the second tier of local government in Romania: (1 How does the representational role orientation of Romanian councilors look like? and (2 How do Romanian councilors reconcile their representational role orientation with the introduction of governance elements in the Romanian public sector?

The roles of government in improving health care quality and safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Ning; Eisenberg, John M; Meyer, Gregg S

2004-01-01

Discussions surrounding the role of government have been and continue to be a favorite American pastime. A framework is provided for understanding the 10 roles that government plays in improving health care quality and safety in the United States. Examples of proposed federal actions to reduce medical errors and enhance patient safety are provided to illustrate the 10 roles: (1) purchase health care, (2) provide health care, (3) ensure access to quality care for vulnerable populations, (4) regulate health care markets, (5) support acquisition of new knowledge, (6) develop and evaluate health technologies and practices, (7) monitor health care quality, (8) inform health care decision makers, (9) develop the health care workforce, and (10) convene stakeholders from across the health care system. Government's responsibility to protect and advance the interests of society includes the delivery of high-quality health care. Because the market alone cannot ensure all Americans access to quality health care, the government must preserve the interests of its citizens by supplementing the market where there are gaps and regulating the market where there is inefficiency or unfairness. The ultimate goal of achieving high quality of care will require strong partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and the private sector. Translating general principles regarding the appropriate role of government into specific actions within a rapidly changing, decentralized delivery system will require the combined efforts of the public and private sectors.

Clinical Social Work. State Laws Governing Independent Practice and Reimbursement of Services. Fact Sheet for the Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, United States Senate.

Science.gov (United States)

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

This fact sheet on state laws governing the independent practice and reimbursement of services for clinical social workers contains information from questionnaires sent to the state agencies responsible for health insurance regulations and Medicaid and licensing activities. Information on Ohio, the only state which did not respond, is not…

75 FR 44814 - Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations; Circular A-133 Compliance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-29

..., Washington, DC 20503. Comments may also be sent to via http://www.regulations.gov --a Federal E-Government... OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations... CFDA 93.794 program is no longer active (i.e., no funds are being spent by recipients), and it has been...

Stability and Complexity Analysis of a Dual-Channel Closed-Loop Supply Chain with Delayed Decision under Government Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daoming Dai

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper constructs a continuous dual-channel closed-loop supply chain (DCLSC model with delayed decision under government intervention. The existence conditions of the local stability of the equilibrium point are discussed. We analyze the influence of delay parameters, the adjustment speed of wholesale price, recovery rate of waste products, direct price, carbon quota subsidy, and carbon tax on the stability and complexity of model by using bifurcation diagram, entropy diagram, attractor, and time series diagram and so on. Besides, the delay feedback control method is adopted to control the unstable or chaotic system effectively. The main conclusions of this paper show that the variables mentioned above must be within a reasonable range. Otherwise, the model will lose stability or enter chaos. The government can effectively adjust manufacturers' profit through carbon tax and carbon quota subsidy, and encourage manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions and increase the remanufacturing of waste products.

Rethinking Global Care Chains through the Perspective of Heterogeneous States, Discursive Framings and Multi-Level Governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spanger, Marlene; Dahl, Hanne Marlene; Petersson, Elin

2017-01-01

discursive policy analysis with feminist state and multi-level governance theories. Paying attention to the role of the state, we focus on the framing of policy problems that are important for care chains and on potential tensions between different framings within a state and across the different levels...

Practice Governance 101, v. 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, David F

2013-03-01

Consensus governance is a principal weakness leading to group malfunction and failure. Inadequate group governance produces inadequate decisions, leading to inconsistent patient care, inadequate responses to marketplace challenges, and disregard for customers and strategic partners. The effectiveness of consensus management is limited by the pervasive incomplete knowledge and personal biases of partners. Additional structural weaknesses of group behavior include information cascade, the wisdom of the crowd, groupthink, pluralistic ignorance, analysis paralysis, peer pressure, and the herding instinct. Usual corporate governance is, by necessity, the governance model of choice. Full accountability of the decider(s) is the defining requirement of all successful governance models. Copyright © 2013 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Resources for State and Local Government/Solid Waste Planners

Science.gov (United States)

This page provides a brief overview of how EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) can be used by state and local government/solid waste planners. The page includes a brief summary of uses of WARM for the audience and links to other resources.

Do ownership and board composition matter? Efficiency and corporate governance in some UK privatised firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni D’Orio

2005-07-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to analyse the role of privatisation and corporate governance reform and modification in the firm’s organisation for the efficiency of the sample firms. Data Envelopment Analysis estimation will be used to understand the level of efficiency achieved by the Management Decision Unit and the stochastic frontier approach will analyse inefficiency in its components (i.e. if inefficiency is due to an adverse state of the world - statistical noise - or if it can be explained with the determinant of other factors such as corporate governance

State and local safety program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlyle Thompson, G D [Utah State Division of Health, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

1969-07-01

This paper will give emphasis to the need for an increasing role of the states, along with the Federal agencies, in the Plowshare Program in order to assure state and local confidence with respect to the safety of their residents as the Federal government seeks new methods to benefit society. First will be stressed the age-old principle of control at the source. Other factors to be discussed are monitoring; standards and their use; control action; public relations; predictions and the need to have certain advance knowledge of tests - even if security clearance is necessary for appropriate state representatives; the state and local government responsibility to their citizens; the isolation of national decision making from state and local concern and responsibility; cost assessments and their responsibility; and research as it relates to the ecological system as well a the direct short- or long-term effects of radioactivity on man. (author)

State and local safety program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlyle Thompson, G.D.

1969-01-01

This paper will give emphasis to the need for an increasing role of the states, along with the Federal agencies, in the Plowshare Program in order to assure state and local confidence with respect to the safety of their residents as the Federal government seeks new methods to benefit society. First will be stressed the age-old principle of control at the source. Other factors to be discussed are monitoring; standards and their use; control action; public relations; predictions and the need to have certain advance knowledge of tests - even if security clearance is necessary for appropriate state representatives; the state and local government responsibility to their citizens; the isolation of national decision making from state and local concern and responsibility; cost assessments and their responsibility; and research as it relates to the ecological system as well a the direct short- or long-term effects of radioactivity on man. (author)

Path Dependencies and Institutional Bricolage in Post-Soviet Water Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenniver Sehring

2009-02-01

Based on empirical findings, four variables through which the neopatrimonial context in both countries impacts water governance are identified: the decision-making process, the agricultural sector, the local governance institutions, and internal water-institutional linkages. A historical-institutionalist perspective shows how path dependencies limit reform effectiveness: institutionalised Soviet and pre-Soviet patterns of behaviour still shape actors’ responses to new challenges. Consequently, rules and organisations established formally by the state or international donor organisations are undermined by informal institutions. Yet, informal institutions are not only an obstacle to reform, but can also support it. They are not static but dynamic. This is elucidated with the concept of 'institutional bricolage', which explains how local actors recombine elements of different institutional logics and thereby change their meaning.

Partnerships and the good-governance agenda: improving service delivery through state-NGO collaborations

OpenAIRE

Bano, M

2018-01-01

First under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and now under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), partnerships for development, especially between state and NGOs, remain a valued goal. Partnerships are argued to improve provision of basic social services to the poor: the state is viewed as providing scale, with NGOs ensuring good governance. Close study of three leading partnership arrangements in Pakistan (privatization of basic health units, an 'adopt a school' program, and low-co...

Priorities in national space strategies and governance of the member states of the European Space Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Adriaensen, Maarten; Giannopapa, Christina; Sagath, Daniel; Papastefanou, Anastasia

2015-12-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has twenty Member States with a variety of strategic priorities and governance structures regarding their space activities. A number of countries engage in space activities exclusively though ESA, while others have also their own national space programme. Some consider ESA as their prime space agency and others have additionally their own national agency with respective programmes. The main objective of this paper is to provide an up-to date overview and a holistic assessment of strategic priorities and the national space governance structures in 20 ESA Member States. This analysis and assessment has been conducted by analysing the Member States public documents, information provided at ESA workshop on this topic and though unstructured interviews. The paper is structured to include two main elements: priorities and trends in national space strategies and space governance in ESA Member States. The first part of this paper focuses on the content and analysis of the national space strategies and indicates the main priorities and trends in Member States. The priorities are categorised with regards to technology domains, the role of space in the areas of sustainability and the motivators that boost engagement in space. These vary from one Member State to another and include with different levels of engagement in technology domains amongst others: science and exploration, navigation, Earth observation, human space flight, launchers, telecommunications, and integrated applications. Member States allocate a different role of space as enabling tool adding to the advancement of sustainability areas including: security, resources, environment and climate change, transport and communication, energy, and knowledge and education. The motivators motivating reasoning which enhances or hinders space engagement also differs. The motivators identified are industrial competitiveness, job creation, technology development and transfer, social benefits

The Relationship of Government Revenue and Government Expenditure: A case study of Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Ullah, Nazim

2016-01-01

Malaysia is a developing Islamic state that faced budget deficit since 1998. But it is not accepted by all and hopes that state should be in a position of either balance budget or surplus budget. The optimum level of Government budget is the state where government expenditure is totally offset by source of government revenue and that can be achieved through increasing tax revenue or decreasing expenditure. The aim of this study to find out the theoretical relationship betwee...

Governance mode vs. governance fit? : Performance implications of make-or-ally choices for product innovation in the worldwide aircraft industry, 1942-2000

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castaner, X.; Mulotte, L.; Garrette, B.; Dussauge, P.

We examine the impact of governance mode and governance fit on performance in make-or-ally decisions. We argue that while horizontal collaboration and autonomous governance have direct and countervailing performance implications, the alignment of make-or-ally choices with the focal firm's resource

Regional governance: strategies and disputes in health region management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano Maia dos Santos

2014-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To analyze the regional governance of the health systemin relation to management strategies and disputes. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES A qualitative study with health managers from 19 municipalities in the health region of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil. Data were drawn from 17 semi-structured interviews of state, regional, and municipal health policymakers and managers; a focus group; observations of the regional interagency committee; and documents in 2012. The political-institutional and the organizational components were analyzed in the light of dialectical hermeneutics. RESULTS The regional interagency committee is the chief regional governance strategy/component and functions as a strategic tool for strengthening governance. It brings together a diversity of members responsible for decision making in the healthcare territories, who need to negotiate the allocation of funding and the distribution of facilities for common use in the region. The high turnover of health secretaries, their lack of autonomy from the local executive decisions, inadequate technical training to exercise their function, and the influence of party politics on decision making stand as obstacles to the regional interagency committee’s permeability to social demands. Funding is insufficient to enable the fulfillment of the officially integrated agreed-upon program or to boost public supply by the system, requiring that public managers procure services from the private market at values higher than the national health service price schedule (Brazilian Unified Health System Table. The study determined that “facilitators” under contract to health departments accelerated access to specialized (diagnostic, therapeutic and/or surgical services in other municipalities by direct payment to physicians for procedure costs already covered by the Brazilian Unified Health System. CONCLUSIONS The characteristics identified a regionalized system with a conflictive pattern of

Challenges of Governing Second-Growth Forests: A Case Study from the Brazilian Amazonian State of Pará

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Despite the growing ecological and social importance of second-growth and regenerating forests across much of the world, significant inconsistencies remain in the legal framework governing these forests in many tropical countries and elsewhere. Such inconsistencies and uncertainties undermine attempts to improve both the transparency and sustainability of management regimes. Here, we present a case-study overview of some of the main challenges facing the governance of second-growth forests and the forest restoration process in the Brazilian Amazon, with a focus on the state of Pará, which is both the most populous state in the Amazon and the state with the highest rates of deforestation in recent years. First, we briefly review the history of environmental governance in Brazil that has led to the current system of legislation governing second-growth forests and the forest restoration process in Pará. Next, we draw on this review to examine the kinds of legislative and operational impediments that stand in the way of the development and implementation of a more effective governance system. In particular, we highlight problems created by significant ambiguities in legal terminology and inconsistencies in guidance given across different levels of government. We also outline some persistent problems with the implementation of legal guidance, including the need to understand local biophysical factors in order to guide an effective restoration program, as well as difficulties presented by access to technical assistance, institutional support and financial resources for the establishment and monitoring of both existing secondary forests and newly regenerating areas of forest. Whilst we focus here on a Brazilian case study, we suggest that these kinds of impediments to the good governance of second-growth forests are commonplace and require more concerted attention from researchers, managers and policy makers.

Seeing the State through Youth Policy Formation: The Case of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article explores the way in which one of the largest semi-autonomous states in India, the state of Jharkhand, is developing policies that target the youth. It also looks at ways in which it is providing room for youths to participate in processes of decision making. Studying the state government's position, ideology and ...

76 FR 32011 - Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-02

... the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Bolivia Notice of Proposal to... Government of the Republic of Bolivia Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Material from the Pre-Columbian Cultures and Certain Ethnological Material from the Colonial and Republican...

An Integrated Agent Model Addressing Situation Awareness and Functional State in Decision Making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogendoorn, M.; van Lambalgen, R.M.; Treur, J.

2011-01-01

In this paper, an integrated agent model is introduced addressing mutually interacting Situation Awareness and Functional State dynamics in decision making. This shows how a human's functional state, more specific a human's exhaustion and power, can influence a human's situation awareness, and in

Native Americans and state and local governments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusco, E.R. [Cultural Resources Consultants, Ltd. Reno, Nevada (United States)

1991-10-01

Native Americans` concerns arising from the possibility of establishment of a nuclear repository for high level wastes at Yucca Mountain fall principally into two main categories. First, the strongest objection to the repository comes from traditional Western Shoshones. Their objections are based on a claim that the Western Shoshones still own Yucca Mountain and also on the assertion that putting high level nuclear wastes into the ground is a violation of their religious views regarding nature. Second, there are several reservations around the Yucca Mountain site that might be affected in various ways by building of the repository. There is a question about how many such reservations there are, which can only be decided when more information is available. This report discusses two questions: the bearing of the continued vigorous assertion by traditionalist Western Shoshones of their land claim; and the extent to which Nevada state and local governments are able to understand and represent Indian viewpoints about Yucca Mountain.

Native Americans and state and local governments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusco, E.R.

1991-10-01

Native Americans' concerns arising from the possibility of establishment of a nuclear repository for high level wastes at Yucca Mountain fall principally into two main categories. First, the strongest objection to the repository comes from traditional Western Shoshones. Their objections are based on a claim that the Western Shoshones still own Yucca Mountain and also on the assertion that putting high level nuclear wastes into the ground is a violation of their religious views regarding nature. Second, there are several reservations around the Yucca Mountain site that might be affected in various ways by building of the repository. There is a question about how many such reservations there are, which can only be decided when more information is available. This report discusses two questions: the bearing of the continued vigorous assertion by traditionalist Western Shoshones of their land claim; and the extent to which Nevada state and local governments are able to understand and represent Indian viewpoints about Yucca Mountain

On the state of the art: risk communication to decision-makers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bier, V.M.

2001-01-01

This paper reviews the state of the art on risk communication to decision-makers, with an emphasis on issues involved in communicating technical results. In particular, the paper discusses the treatment of uncertainty, variability, and dependence. It also reviews suggestions from the literature regarding the appropriate format of risk communication messages to decision-makers. Due to the lack of detailed empirical investigations and definitive results about this topic, the paper is not intended to be a comprehensive review, but rather as an exploration of key issues in this area

A Markovian state-space framework for integrating flexibility into space system design decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Lafleur, Jarret M.

The past decades have seen the state of the art in aerospace system design progress from a scope of simple optimization to one including robustness, with the objective of permitting a single system to perform well even in off-nominal future environments. Integrating flexibility, or the capability to easily modify a system after it has been fielded in response to changing environments, into system design represents a further step forward. One challenge in accomplishing this rests in that the decision-maker must consider not only the present system design decision, but also sequential future design and operation decisions. Despite extensive interest in the topic, the state of the art in designing flexibility into aerospace systems, and particularly space systems, tends to be limited to analyses that are qualitative, deterministic, single-objective, and/or limited to consider a single future time period. To address these gaps, this thesis develops a stochastic, multi-objective, and multi-period framework for integrating flexibility into space system design decisions. Central to the framework are five steps. First, system configuration options are identified and costs of switching from one configuration to another are compiled into a cost transition matrix. Second, probabilities that demand on the system will transition from one mission to another are compiled into a mission demand Markov chain. Third, one performance matrix for each design objective is populated to describe how well the identified system configurations perform in each of the identified mission demand environments. The fourth step employs multi-period decision analysis techniques, including Markov decision processes from the field of operations research, to find efficient paths and policies a decision-maker may follow. The final step examines the implications of these paths and policies for the primary goal of informing initial system selection. Overall, this thesis unifies state-centric concepts of

Social determinants of health and local government: understanding and uptake of ideas in two Australian states.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawless, Angela; Lane, Anna; Lewis, Felicity-Ann; Baum, Fran; Harris, Patrick

2016-10-23

To examine the awareness and perceptions of local government staff about the social determinants of health (SDoH) and health inequity and use of these ideas to shape policy and practice. 96 staff at 17 councils in South Australia or New South Wales responded to questions in a pilot online survey concerning: sources of knowledge about, familiarity with the evidence on, attitudes towards, and uses of ideas about the social determinants of health. Eight of 68 SA councils and 16 of 152 NSW councils were randomly selected stratified by state and metropolitan status. Differences between states and metropolitan/non-metropolitan status were explored. The majority of respondents (88.4%) reported some familiarity with ideas about the broad determinants of health and 90% agreed that the impact of policy action on health determinants should be considered in all major government policy and planning initiatives. Research articles, government/professional reports, and professional contacts were rated as important sources of knowledge about the social determinants of health. Resources need to be dedicated to systematic research on practical implementation of interventions on social determinants of health inequities and towards providing staff with more practical information about interventions and tools to evaluate those interventions. The findings suggest there is support for action addressing the social determinants of health in local government. The findings extend similar research regarding SDoH and government in NZ and Canada to Australian local government. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Pathological Corporate Governance Deficiencies in South Africa's State-Owned Companies: A Critical Reflection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tebello

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Globally, states use state-owned companies (SOCs or public corporations to provide public goods, limit private and foreign control of the domestic economy, generate public funds for the fiscus, increase service delivery and encourage economic development and industrialisation. Particularly given its unique socio-political and economic dynamics, a country such as South Africa clearly needs this type of strategic enterprise. Yet, that does not mean that everything at our SOCs is as it should be. The beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC has recently seen the resignation of board members, shareholder interference in its operational affairs, and a high turnover of chief accounting officers and other executive management members. Due to non-performance, it has also received several cash injections from its shareholder to enable it to continue to deliver its services. In addition, the shareholder minister took it upon herself to amend the SABC's memorandum of incorporation, conferring upon herself the authority to appoint, suspend or even dismiss key executive members. South African Airways (SAA, in turn, has had seven CEOs in less than four years, has had to be bailed out at a cost of R550 million, and has in addition been granted a R5 billion guarantee by the shareholder for a restructuring exercise. Other SOCs such as Eskom, the Post Office and Telkom have also experienced high board and executive management turnover, perennial underperformance necessitating regular bailouts, and challenges regarding the division of power between their boards and the various shareholder ministers. Another issue that seems to plague South Africa's SOCs is the appointment of board members and executive officials with questionable qualifications. By critically examining the corporate governance challenges besetting the SABC, SAA and Eskom in particular, this article seeks to explore the root causes of the corporate governance deficiencies of SOCs

The Decision Disconnect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cecilia Marie Ridgley

2009-08-01

Full Text Available If the practice of ethics amongst the members of an enterprise and their ideal identity conflict with those of the governing membership in structure, assumptions, dynamic or learning, then we have a decision disconnect that will constrain the success of that enterprise: a governance issue. Understanding the pervasive role of ethics in leading ICT in the enterprise is vital for effective practice of enterprise ICT governance. Hitherto there has been comparatively little critical attention paid to the problem of understanding how the value systems that shape decision-making comprehensively impact the appropriate practice of governance and management in ICT. In this paper, I argue that the value systems at play within the enterprise are central and intrinsic drivers for shaping control and influence. I conclude with a framework for making sense of the complex relationship between ethics, governance and the enterprise, to assist the practitioner in focusing on those planning factors that may be moderated for effective governance. I draw on the findings from the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics’ (in partnership with the Australian Computer Society examination of ethics and regulation in the ICT industry (Lucas and Weckert, 2008 to highlight the particular problem of ethics and governance of ICT people. This paper is significant as the unambiguous establishment of the criticality of value systems in the practice of governance in the enterprise, and particularly the ICT enterprise. The proposed framework provides a systems-thinking basis for practitioners to explicitly plan and design for the dynamic interrelationship of values, people, process, and purpose in enterprise governance. The framework advocates recognition, planning and design for requisite diversity for all system components.

China's Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers' Governance Effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huicong; Zhang, Hongliang; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Qiu, Aichao

2017-10-17

External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China's insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010-2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China's shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China's insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China's insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector.

Government services: sector skills assessment 2012

OpenAIRE

Parry, Jon; Ojo, Adegbola

2012-01-01

The aim of this report is to provide authoritative labour market intelligence (LMI) for the Government Services sector to inform the strategic decision making of national governments in the development of employment and skills policy. It is one of 15 UK Sector Skills Assessment (SSA) reports produced by Sector Skills Councils and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

Governing the Conflicted Commons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sareen, Siddharth

for collective decision-making. This makes them the natural institution of choice to nurture democratic practice among the Ho people of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, whose village communities form the focus of this study. However, Jharkhand’s state laws are at odds with national ones, and decentralisation...... works more along administrative than democratic lines. This limits the extent to which the village assemblies can nurture democratisation in the implementation of development schemes. One village assembly is far more successful at governing natural resources than the other. This is shown to be due...... to proactive leadership, a cohesive community and local social mobilisation within the successful village assembly, in contrast to the co-option of benefits by some village inhabitants in the other. Based on these cases, it is concluded that while a local deliberative institution is essential for nurturing...

Exploring the Iran-Hezbollah Relationship: A Case Study of how State Sponsorship affects Terrorist Group Decision-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc R. DeVore

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding the impact of state sponsorship on the decision-making of violent non-state actors is among the more important issues to scholars of security studies. This article addresses the issue by examining the relationship between Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. To preview its conclusions, there are two main perspectives to consider with regard to the terrorist group – state sponsor relationship. First, state support has a powerful, yet indirect effect on violent non-state actor decision-making by shaping the options available to groups’ leaders.  Second, state sponsors can also directly leverage their aid to shape the strategic decisions of armed non-state actors, forcing their clients to either expand or restrict their activities. Because of inevitable lacunae and contradictions amongst published accounts, this study relies heavily upon primary sources and data collected during field research in Lebanon, including interviews with leaders from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Army, the United Nations' Peacekeeping Mission in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL and the rival Shia organization, Amal.

Demystifying the role of a state ownership in corporate governance and firm performance: Evidence from the manufacturing sector in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amran Rasli

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to examine the role of state ownership in corporate governance and firm performance. We employed ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares regressions to analyze the effects of state ownership on firm performance. We go beyond existing research on state ownership by carefully disentangle investment objectives of state-controlled financial institutions. Such state ownership can be classified as profit-oriented and non-profit-oriented, in which the former consider return on investment to be the primary investment objective, whereas the latter prioritizes socio-economic development. We found that profit-oriented state ownership is an effective corporate governance mechanism and provides political patronage to the firm in the form of firm’s specific resources and credit financing. Although nonprofit-oriented state ownership firms also receive similar political patronage, they tend to be associated with inefficiencies such as the free-rider problems, bureaucracies and political intervention in firm management. We conclude that state ownership consists of heterogeneous entities with respect to corporate governance and firm performance.

Compliance Principles for Decision Management Solutions at the Dutch Government

NARCIS (Netherlands)

dr. Martijn Zoet; Koen Smit; Dr.ir. Raymond Slot

2016-01-01

From the article: Abstract Since decision management is becoming an integrated part of business process management, more and more decision management implementations are realized. Therefore, organizations search for guidance to design such solutions. Principles are often applied to guide the design

Financial Indicators in Strategic Decision Making: Recommended Practices for Financial Officers at Small Private Colleges and Universities in the Midwestern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Reissenweber, Beth

2012-01-01

This study explored whether financial leaders and institutional governing boards use financial indicators as a tool to inform decision making, solely as a compliance measurement tool, or not at all. The purpose of this qualitative study was two-fold to: (a) identify the use of financial indicators in strategic decision making, and (b) investigate…

An analysis of local government health policy against state priorities and a social determinants framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Geoffrey R; Davern, Melanie T; Giles-Corti, Billie

2016-04-01

Victorian local governments are required to develop Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans that incorporate state-level health planning priorities and address the social determinants of health. This paper describes a novel method for evaluating councils' performance against these requirements. Deductive content analysis was used to categorise all actions in 14 local government MPHWPs against Victorian state priorities as well as against social determinants of health policy areas. More than 1,000 actions were identified. However, fewer than half directly addressed a state priority, with many actions addressing policy areas known to be broader determinants of health. In particular, there was a marked focus on leisure and culture, and on building social cohesion through changes to living and working conditions. Councils are working beyond state priorities and there was a clear emphasis on addressing the diverse upstream 'causes of the causes' of health, rather than health promotion behaviour change programs. The approach for data analysis and presentation provides a useful method for rapid appraisal of health and wellbeing actions relative to councils', and the State's, responsibility and efficacy in public health. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

22 CFR 63.6 - Assignment of United States Government employees to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND EXCHANGES PAYMENTS TO AND ON BEHALF OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM § 63.6 Assignment of United States... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assignment of United States Government...

Environmental governance as inclusion and exclusion of actors and issues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

2016-01-01

The chapter analyses recent governance in Denmark of the interaction between climate, energy and land use. Governance is seen as inclusion and exclusion of actors and their perspectives in decisions about problems and solutions. Inclusion and exclusion are discussed as decisions about members...... and focus of public commissions. Furthermore, inclusion and exclusion are discussed as an aspect of NGOs’ development of climate plans and the societal role of such plans. The chapter concludes that governance of this field is balancing the interests of established and polluting sectors and the interest...

Guidelines for Libraries of Government Departments. IFLA Professional Reports, No. 106

Science.gov (United States)

Bolt, Nancy, Ed.; Burge, Suzanne, Ed.

2008-01-01

Libraries of government departments provide information to policymakers, to government staff and employees, and, sometimes, to the general public. It is essential that libraries of government departments are organised and managed so as to collect and provide the information most needed by government decision makers, government workers, and the…

Case law and administrative decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Some extracts of case law: ruling of the Supreme Administrative Court on the decision to shut units 3 and 4 of Kozloduy nuclear power plant (Bulgaria), judgement of the County Court of Cherbourg concerning the import of spent fuel to La Hague (France), judgement of the Nagoya High Court on the invalidity of the licence to establish the Monju reactor, judgement of the Mito District Court issuing penalties in respect of the Tokai-Mura accident, the Principle of justification: the application of the Principle to the Manufacture of MOX fuel in the UK, Ruling of the US Court of International trade in relation to the sale of uranium enrichment services in the United States, Commission v Council Accession of the Community to the Convention on nuclear safety, government decision not to appeal court ruling on the continued operation of the Borssele nuclear power plant. (N.C.)

Fishers' information in governance-a matter of trust

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holm, Petter; Soma, Katrine

2016-01-01

Informational governance is an analytical concept that addresses the role of recent rapidly increasing information activities in governance processes and institutions. Scientific information no longer has the status as the only source of relevant information in organizational and public decision

Governance mode choice in collaborative PhD projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salimi, N.; Bekkers, R.N.A.; Frenken, K.

2013-01-01

Joint PhD projects are a promising form of research collaboration, connecting universities to firms and public research organizations. Entering into such collaborations, however, requires decisions in terms of governance. This paper investigates how a university and its partners govern such

The nuclear phase-out. An expensive miscalculation by the federal government?; Kernenergieausstieg. Teure Rechenfehler des Bundes?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerssenbrock, Trutz Graf [Kanzlei Kerssenbrock, Bruck und Goerke, Kiel (Germany)

2011-10-15

With its ''energy turnaround'', implemented on 31 July 2011 through the Thirteenth Amendment to the Nuclear Energy Law (AtG), the Liberal/Christian Democrat Government finally seems to have thrown all caution to the wind. Its conduct of state affairs in the meantime appears to be governed more by calculated political manoeuvering and emotion mongering than by the constitutional order, and in legal respects it is leading the Federal Government into an impasse. The present article examines the impact of this misguided decision on the public purse in the form of (legitimate) claims for damage by the power supply companies concerned, and to what magnitude it might amount.

Gendered Behavior Patterns in School Board Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Mountford, Meredith; Brunner, C. Cryss

2010-01-01

Background/Context: Educational leadership literature lacks research focused on how gender influences decision making, in particular at the highest level of school governance, the school board table. Consequently, whether gender makes a difference during decision making at the school board table has yet to be determined. Purpose/Objective/Research…

An analysis of potential barriers and enablers to regulating the television marketing of unhealthy foods to children at the state government level in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Alexandra; Shill, Jane; Swinburn, Boyd; Mavoa, Helen; Lawrence, Mark; Loff, Bebe; Crammond, Bradley; Sacks, Gary; Allender, Steven; Peeters, Anna

2012-12-28

In Australia there have been many calls for government action to halt the effects of unhealthy food marketing on children's health, yet implementation has not occurred. The attitudes of those involved in the policy-making process towards regulatory intervention governing unhealthy food marketing are not well understood. The objective of this research was to understand the perceptions of senior representatives from Australian state and territory governments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations regarding the feasibility of state-level government regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children in Australia. Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with senior representatives from state and territory government departments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations (n=22) were analysed to determine participants' views about regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children at the state government level. Data were analysed using content and thematic analyses. Regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children was supported as a strategy for obesity prevention. Barriers to implementing regulation at the state level were: the perception that regulation of television advertising is a Commonwealth, not state/territory, responsibility; the power of the food industry and; the need for clear evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of regulation. Evidence of community support for regulation was also cited as an important factor in determining feasibility. The regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children is perceived to be a feasible strategy for obesity prevention however barriers to implementation at the state level exist. Those involved in state-level policy making generally indicated a preference for Commonwealth-led regulation. This research suggests that implementation of regulation of the television marketing of unhealthy food to children should ideally occur under the direction

An analysis of potential barriers and enablers to regulating the television marketing of unhealthy foods to children at the state government level in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung Alexandra

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Australia there have been many calls for government action to halt the effects of unhealthy food marketing on children's health, yet implementation has not occurred. The attitudes of those involved in the policy-making process towards regulatory intervention governing unhealthy food marketing are not well understood. The objective of this research was to understand the perceptions of senior representatives from Australian state and territory governments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations regarding the feasibility of state-level government regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children in Australia. Method Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with senior representatives from state and territory government departments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations (n=22 were analysed to determine participants' views about regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children at the state government level. Data were analysed using content and thematic analyses. Results Regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children was supported as a strategy for obesity prevention. Barriers to implementing regulation at the state level were: the perception that regulation of television advertising is a Commonwealth, not state/territory, responsibility; the power of the food industry and; the need for clear evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of regulation. Evidence of community support for regulation was also cited as an important factor in determining feasibility. Conclusions The regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children is perceived to be a feasible strategy for obesity prevention however barriers to implementation at the state level exist. Those involved in state-level policy making generally indicated a preference for Commonwealth-led regulation. This research suggests that implementation of regulation of the television marketing of

Factors Affecting the Productivity of Government Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry P. Haenisch

2012-01-01

Full Text Available While there have been a variety of studies concerning government worker motivation and productivity, few, if any, studies have focused specifically on state government workers’ perceptions about what factors affect their productivity. With more than 5 million workers employed by state governments in the United States, any improvement in state workplace productivity could have significant financial and service impact for society. In this study, state government workers identified those factors perceived as most affecting their workplace productivity. Data were collected through a survey offered to state government workers in the state of Wyoming. Factor analysis was used to derive key productivity factors from survey responses. The results indicate that state government workers appreciate having freedom and autonomy, like their jobs and the sense of achievement, and welcome teamwork, but feel limited by poor supervision and management, poor communications, and insufficient budgets and staffing. To improve productivity, the workers would eliminate bureaucracy, supervise better, and improve communication.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meghna Thapar

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Corporate governance is a process, relation and mechanism set up for the corporations and firms based on certain guidelines and principles by which a company is controlled and directed. The principles provided in the system ensure that the company is governed in a way that it is able to set and achieve its goals and objectives in the context of the social, regulatory and market environment, and is able to maximize profits and also benefit those whose interest is involved in it, in the long run. The division and distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation (such as the board of directors, managers, shareholders, creditors, auditors, regulators, and other stakeholders and inclusion of the rules and procedures for making decisions in corporate affairs are identified with the help of Corporate Governance mechanism and guidelines. The need to make corporate governance in India transparent was felt after the high profile corporate governance failure scams like the stock market scam, the UTI scam, Ketan Parikh scam, Satyam scam, which were severely criticized by the shareholders. Thus, Corporate Governance is not just company administration but more than that and includes monitoring the actions, policies, practices, and decisions of corporations, their agents, and affected stakeholders thereby ensuring fair, efficient and transparent functioning of the corporate management system. By this paper, the authors intend to examine the concept of corporate governance in India with regard to the provisions of corporate governance under the Companies Act 2013. The paper will highlight the importance and need of corporate governance in India. We will also discuss the important case laws which contributed immensely in the emergence of corporate governance in India.

State-Funded Activism: Lessons from Civil Society Organizations in Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Visser

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Civil society organizations (CSOs in Ireland receive significant state funding and institutional support according to the logic that they are important contributors to democratic governance, with the effect that the CSO sector has expanded and become more embedded in formal decision-making processes over the past several decades. At the same time, dependency on government funding exposes CSOs to three important challenges: to stay true to activist mandates in the face of pressure from state funders to focus on service provision; to maintain accountability to constituents while also satisfying the vertically oriented accountability requirements of the state; and to nurture collaboration among CSOs in a context of competition for state funding. University-based activists, who are also reliant on (increasingly scarce government funding, face similar challenges, and therefore should pay more attention to debates regarding state funding in the CSO sphere. By working together to overcome common challenges associated with state funding, activists in both spheres can more effectively contribute to progressive social change.

A 'sense of urgency': The EU, the EU member states and the recognition of the Palestinian state

OpenAIRE

Martins, Bruno Oliveira

2015-01-01

In the aftermath of the July-August 2014 war in Gaza, the Swedish government officially recognized the State of Palestine. This decision triggered a cascade of resolutions adopted in national parliaments of European Union member states and, eventually, led to the adoption of a European Parliament resolution supporting in principle the recognition of Palestinian statehood. Understood collectively, these efforts constitute a multifaceted European attempt to break with the status quo of the Isra...

8 CFR 312.2 - Knowledge of history and government of the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... fundamentals of the history, and of the principles and form of government, of the United States. A person who... person who is unable to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, and... knowledge and understanding. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1115-0208...

African states and global challenges in democratic local governance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the meantime, the continent of Europe is perceived in the study as having possibly taken local government to a model level of local self-governance, through its European Charter of Local Self-Government. Europe is thus, seen in this study as a region conceivably in the lead in situating the local government, within its ...

Electoral Governance in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitor Marchetti

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Electoral governance has increasingly more frequently been the object of study of the comparative politics literature. This article examines the electoral governance institutional model adopted in Brazil and its consequences for political/electoral competition. It is argued herein that Brazil’s Electoral Justice System, motivated by the institutional design, has ended up becoming one of the main actors of the country’s recent democratic consolidation, being decisive not only with regard to rule adjudication and application, but also to rulemaking. With the purpose of assessing this governance model in action, three important recent rulings by Brazil’s Electoral Justice System are analysed here: verticalization of the coalitions, reduction in the number of councillors, and party loyalty.

40 CFR 3.1000 - How does a state, tribe, or local government revise or modify its authorized program to allow...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... government revise or modify its authorized program to allow electronic reporting? 3.1000 Section 3.1000... government revise or modify its authorized program to allow electronic reporting? (a) A state, tribe, or local government that receives or plans to begin receiving electronic documents in lieu of paper...

Does co-creation impact public service delivery? The importance of state and governance traditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voorberg, Willem; Bekkers, Victor; Flemig, Sophie; Timeus, Krista; Tõnurist, Piret; Tummers, L.G.

2017-01-01

Co-creation in public service delivery requires partnerships between citizens and civil servants. The authors argue that whether or not these partnerships will be successful depends on state and governance traditions (for example a tradition of authority sharing or consultation). These traditions

Text of a Protocol between the Agency and the Governments of Norway and the United States of America in Connection with the Application of Safeguards under a Co-Operation Agreement between the Two Governments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

The text of a protocol between the Agency and the Governments of Norway and the United States of America in connection with the application of safeguards under the Agreement for Co-operation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Norway Concerning Civil Uses of Atomic Energy signed on 4 May 1967, as amended, is reproduced herein for the information of all Members. The protocol entered into force on 25 September 1973 pursuant to Section 4.

Explaining Unethical Business Decisions : The role of personality, environment, and states

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, Reinout E.; Pathak, Raghuvar D.; van Gelder, Jean Louis; Singh, Gurmeet

2017-01-01

A trait-environment-state model of Unethical Business Decisions was developed and tested in two studies in a Pacific Islands setting (i.e., Fiji and the Marshall Islands). In Study 1 (N = 212), we conceptualized and operationalized the environment using two situational variables named ‘Perceived

Enacting Pedagogy in Curricula: On the Vital Role of Governance in Medical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Casiro, Oscar; Regehr, Glenn

2018-02-01

Managing curricula and curricular change involves both a complex set of decisions and effective enactment of those decisions. The means by which decisions are made, implemented, and monitored constitute the governance of a program. Thus, effective academic governance is critical to effective curriculum delivery. Medical educators and medical education researchers have been invested heavily in issues of educational content, pedagogy, and design. However, relatively little consideration has been paid to the governance processes that ensure fidelity of implementation and ongoing refinements that will bring curricular practices increasingly in line with the pedagogical intent. In this article, the authors reflect on the importance of governance in medical schools and argue that, in an age of rapid advances in knowledge and medical practices, educational renewal will be inhibited if discussions of content and pedagogy are not complemented by consideration of a governance framework capable of enabling change. They explore the unique properties of medical curricula that complicate academic governance, review the definition and properties of good governance, offer mechanisms to evaluate the extent to which governance is operating effectively within a medical program, and put forward a potential research agenda for increasing the collective understanding of effective governance in medical education.

Marketized State Ownership and Foreign Expansion of Emerging Market Multinationals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Ming Hua; Cui, Lin; Lu, Jiangyong

2017-01-01

direct investment. We argue that firms with marketized state ownership may derive institutional competitive advantages from their dual responsiveness to shifting global market conditions and home government expectations which has a positive impact on their foreign investment decisions. However...

Government Accountability Reports and Public Education Policy: Studying Political Actors' Decision-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, Timothy Ross

2013-01-01

This study asks how government accountability reports are used to influence public education policy. Government accountability reports, called "audits" in Utah, prove to be useful tools for examining education policy. Using a collective case study design examining Utah's Class Size Reduction (CSR) policy, government accountability…

Measuring governance, corruption, and State capture - how firms and bureaucrats shape the business environment in transition economies

OpenAIRE

Hellman, Joel S.; Jones, Geraint; Kaufmann, Daniel; Schankerman, Mark

2000-01-01

As a symptom of fundamental institutional weaknesses, corruption needs to be viewed within a broader governance framework. It thrives where the state is unable to reign over its bureaucracy, to protect property and contractual rights, or to provide institutions that support the rule off law. Furthermore, governance failures at the national level cannot be isolated from the interface betwee...

Governance, ‘sovereignty-state-territory triad’, human population migration and xenophobia in (South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johannes Tsheola

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article seeks to examine the association of the concept of governance of international relations and, by implication, human population migration, through the rigid practices of “sovereignty-state-territory triad” with the fomentation and exacerbation of societal stereotypes, attitudes and perceptions of xenophobia in Africa, in general, and South Africa, in particular. Ascriptions of the majority of population migration as “international” affirms the centrality of the operationalisation of the “sovereignty-state-territory triad” in understanding the fragmentary constructions of societal attitudes and perceptions of people resident in distinct geopolitical entities ascribed as national territories. State and non-state governance entrapments with this triad perpetuate societal stereotypes that are in concurrence with bordered-territories where populations described as citizens are stimulated to protect endowments and resources of the land against the perceived destruction associated with the conduct of the out-groups. Unsurprisingly, the theorisation of human population migration has equally been intricately involved with environmental conservation and securitisation of biodiversity that enables land dispossession of the vulnerable sections of the population through the Western economic narratives of “Peace Parks”. Simultaneously in Southern Africa, the concept of African Renaissance, inescapably embedded with “cooperation and conflict” at all scales, has offered a buzzword to be realised through “Peace Parks” that have evidently failed to deliver reaffirmation of African cultures, continental emancipation and democratisation. The preeminence of societal stereotypes, attitudes and perceptions of xenophobia and violent abuses of African immigrants in South Africa provides vivid illustrations of the inconsistencies and non-linearity of concepts such as African Renaissance and “Peace Parks”. This article asserts that

China’s Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers’ Governance Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongliang; Qiu, Aichao

2017-01-01

External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China’s insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010–2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China’s shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China’s insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China’s insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector. PMID:29039781

China’s Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers’ Governance Effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huicong Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China’s insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010–2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China’s shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China’s insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China’s insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector.

Public involvement in radioactive waste management decisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-04-01

Current repository siting efforts focus on Yucca Mountain, Nevada, where DOE`s Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is conducting exploratory studies to determine if the site is suitable. The state of Nevada has resisted these efforts: it has denied permits, brought suit against DOE, and publicly denounced the federal government`s decision to study Yucca Mountain. The state`s opposition reflects public opinion in Nevada, and has considerably slowed DOE`s progress in studying the site. The Yucca Mountain controversy demonstrates the importance of understanding public attitudes and their potential influence as DOE develops a program to manage radioactive waste. The strength and nature of Nevada`s opposition -- its ability to thwart if not outright derail DOE`s activities -- indicate a need to develop alternative methods for making decisions that affect the public. This report analyzes public participation as a key component of this openness, one that provides a means of garnering acceptance of, or reducing public opposition to, DOE`s radioactive waste management activities, including facility siting and transportation. The first section, Public Perceptions: Attitudes, Trust, and Theory, reviews the risk-perception literature to identify how the public perceives the risks associated with radioactivity. DOE and the Public discusses DOE`s low level of credibility among the general public as the product, in part, of the department`s past actions. This section looks at the three components of the radioactive waste management program -- disposal, storage, and transportation -- and the different ways DOE has approached the problem of public confidence in each case. Midwestern Radioactive Waste Management Histories focuses on selected Midwestern facility-siting and transportation activities involving radioactive materials.

AUDIT OF MUNICIPALITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS - THE CASE STUDY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard POSPISIL

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Public economics examines the influence of the state on economic equality and efficiency, and on conduction of business entities in connection with the various tax systems and individual behavior in private consumption. To manage the public economy is thorough knowledge of the real decision-making and allocation mechanisms. From a budgetary perspective, the public economy in the Czech Republic is characterized mainly by the state budget, 6,249 municipal budgets and 14 budgets of local government units. These all units are together subject to annual statutory audit, which mainly represents the analysis of the system of the Audit informative and monitoring indicators (ASIMI. The paper analyzes the outcome of the audit with the use of absolute and relative indicators and suggests possible changes and consolidation of municipal and local government budgets in the Czech Republic.

Institutional change and corporate governance reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harilaos Mertzanis

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The global financial crisis has posed challenges to financial institutions governance. Meeting these challenges requires an understanding of governance dynamics in relation to institutions’ performance within a changing environment. The nature and scope of institutional response to a changing environment depends upon inherited governance structures, including socioeconomic conventions and rules of behavior at the macro level and time, expertise and common commitment of directors at the micro level. Innovation and learning-by-doing in governance can be an effective reform strategy. Innovation in governance may include the establishment of new norms of economic behavior and the transformation of decision-making process and the reallocation of responsibilities to directors and senior management. This may also inform regulatory approaches in strengthening financial institutions governance, based on improved disclosure, independent and competent boards

Task Group on Strengthening the DoD Enterprise Governance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2008-01-01

.... The Task group was asked to: Analyze senior governance models that could help the Department align strategy with outcomes and create a decision framework that will enable strategic choices at the senior governance levels of the Department...

Cost-benefit and regulatory decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvie, J.

1996-01-01

The Atomic Energy Control Board is investigating the feasibility of developing methods for factoring cost-benefit considerations into its regulatory decision-making. This initiative results, in part, from the federal government policy requiring cost-benefit considerations to be taken into account in regulatory processes, and from the recommendations of an Advisory Panel on Regulatory Review in 1993, submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada. One of these recommendations stated: 'that mechanisms be developed to examine cost benefit issues and work towards some consensus of opinion among stake holders: a task force on the subject could be an appropriate starting point'. (author)

An analysis of the dispute process regarding high-level nuclear waste repository siting in Toyo-cho, Japan: Decisive factors in the dispute and roles of the governments and experts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komatsuzaki, Shunsaku; Horii, Hideyuki (Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)); Saigo, Takahiro (Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (Japan))

2010-09-15

The siting policy of HLW repository in Japan was 'application-based' until 2007 and Toyo-cho is the only municipality which applied for the Literature Survey. In Toyo-cho, however, a serious antagonism among citizens occurred and the application was withdrawn after the mayor was replaced by election. Our detailed analysis of the process based on the methods of political science and psychology shows five decisive factors: 1) opposing activists both in the town and from outside successfully changed citizens' perceptions of HLW by rhetorical expressions, 2) the mayor lacks careful actions and effective policy adviser, 3) NUMO, an organization which runs HLW projects, didn't effectively coordinate Toyo-cho and stakeholders, 4) the municipal government and council exercised very limited influences on the dispute despite their political authority, and 5) the existence of grant adversely influenced the citizens since it causes criticism that Toyo-cho applies a repository for grant. We finally conclude that the substantial problems, caused by the five decisive factors, were the propagation of enthusiastic opposition and the lack of peaceful deliberation based on local governance. In order to avoid enthusiastic opposition and to realize responsible decision making, or negotiation, we suggest that A) active and prompt response of experts, especially political/administrative ones, to radical opposing activities, B) solution to the adverse influence of the grant by the government's agenda

An analysis of the dispute process regarding high-level nuclear waste repository siting in Toyo-cho, Japan: Decisive factors in the dispute and roles of the governments and experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsuzaki, Shunsaku; Horii, Hideyuki; Saigo, Takahiro

2010-09-01

The siting policy of HLW repository in Japan was 'application-based' until 2007 and Toyo-cho is the only municipality which applied for the Literature Survey. In Toyo-cho, however, a serious antagonism among citizens occurred and the application was withdrawn after the mayor was replaced by election. Our detailed analysis of the process based on the methods of political science and psychology shows five decisive factors: 1) opposing activists both in the town and from outside successfully changed citizens' perceptions of HLW by rhetorical expressions, 2) the mayor lacks careful actions and effective policy adviser, 3) NUMO, an organization which runs HLW projects, didn't effectively coordinate Toyo-cho and stakeholders, 4) the municipal government and council exercised very limited influences on the dispute despite their political authority, and 5) the existence of grant adversely influenced the citizens since it causes criticism that Toyo-cho applies a repository for grant. We finally conclude that the substantial problems, caused by the five decisive factors, were the propagation of enthusiastic opposition and the lack of peaceful deliberation based on local governance. In order to avoid enthusiastic opposition and to realize responsible decision making, or negotiation, we suggest that A) active and prompt response of experts, especially political/administrative ones, to radical opposing activities, B) solution to the adverse influence of the grant by the government's agenda

Complexity in Vocational Education and Training Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Damian

2010-01-01

Complexity is a feature common to all vocational education and training (VET) governance arrangements, due to the wide range of students VET systems caters for, and the number of stakeholders involved in both decision making and funding and financing. In this article, Pierre and Peter's framework of governance is used to examine complexity in VET…

Better governance, better access: practising responsible data sharing in the METADAC governance infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Murtagh, Madeleine J; Blell, Mwenza T; Butters, Olly W; Cowley, Lorraine; Dove, Edward S; Goodman, Alissa; Griggs, Rebecca L; Hall, Alison; Hallowell, Nina; Kumari, Meena; Mangino, Massimo; Maughan, Barbara; Mills, Melinda C; Minion, Joel T; Murphy, Tom; Prior, Gillian; Suderman, Matthew; Ring, Susan M; Rogers, Nina T; Roberts, Stephanie J; Van der Straeten, Catherine; Viney, Will; Wiltshire, Deborah; Wong, Andrew; Walker, Neil; Burton, Paul R

2018-04-26

Genomic and biosocial research data about individuals is rapidly proliferating, bringing the potential for novel opportunities for data integration and use. The scale, pace and novelty of these applications raise a number of urgent sociotechnical, ethical and legal questions, including optimal methods of data storage, management and access. Although the open science movement advocates unfettered access to research data, many of the UK's longitudinal cohort studies operate systems of managed data access, in which access is governed by legal and ethical agreements between stewards of research datasets and researchers wishing to make use of them. Amongst other things, these agreements aim to respect the reasonable expectations of the research participants who provided data and samples, as expressed in the consent process. Arguably, responsible data management and governance of data and sample use are foundational to the consent process in longitudinal studies and are an important source of trustworthiness in the eyes of those who contribute data to genomic and biosocial research. This paper presents an ethnographic case study exploring the foundational principles of a governance infrastructure for Managing Ethico-social, Technical and Administrative issues in Data ACcess (METADAC), which are operationalised through a committee known as the METADAC Access Committee. METADAC governs access to phenotype, genotype and 'omic' data and samples from five UK longitudinal studies. Using the example of METADAC, we argue that three key structural features are foundational for practising responsible data sharing: independence and transparency; interdisciplinarity; and participant-centric decision-making. We observe that the international research community is proactively working towards optimising the use of research data, integrating/linking these data with routine data generated by health and social care services and other administrative data services to improve the analysis

The Governing Board of the Pension Fund

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

The Governing Board of the Pension Fund held its 151st meeting on 7 March at which the Legal Service reported on the ILOAT's judgment concerning an appeal lodged by a beneficiary against the CERN Council's decision to index his pension by 0% for 2005. The Governing Board noted with satisfaction that the appeal had been rejected. The ILOAT recognised that the CERN Council, which had followed the Governing Board's recommendation, had been entitled to take this decision as an 'urgent protective measure' in respect of the Fund's financial position. At the same meeting, the members of the Governing Board expressed their opinions on the report by the consultancy firm Mercer which had been entrusted with the task of comparing the CERN Pension Fund with a sample of similar European funds. It endorsed the CERN Management's opinion that Mercer had not been in a position to make a pertinent comparison between the CERN Pension Fund and other pension funds, and concurred with the conclusions presented by the Management....

Document Management in Local Government.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Bernard J. S.

1998-01-01

The latest in electronic document management in British local government is discussed. Finance, revenues, and benefits systems of leading vendors to local authorities are highlighted. A planning decisions archive management system and other information services are discussed. (AEF)

Internal States and Behavioral Decision-Making: Toward an Integration of Emotion and Cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Ann; Asahina, Kenta; Hoopfer, Eric; Inagaki, Hidehiko; Jung, Yonil; Lee, Hyosang; Remedios, Ryan; Anderson, David J

2014-01-01

Social interactions, such as an aggressive encounter between two conspecific males or a mating encounter between a male and a female, typically progress from an initial appetitive or motivational phase, to a final consummatory phase. This progression involves both changes in the intensity of the animals' internal state of arousal or motivation and sequential changes in their behavior. How are these internal states, and their escalating intensity, encoded in the brain? Does this escalation drive the progression from the appetitive/motivational to the consummatory phase of a social interaction and, if so, how are appropriate behaviors chosen during this progression? Recent work on social behaviors in flies and mice suggests possible ways in which changes in internal state intensity during a social encounter may be encoded and coupled to appropriate behavioral decisions at appropriate phases of the interaction. These studies may have relevance to understanding how emotion states influence cognitive behavioral decisions at higher levels of brain function. Copyright © 2014 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Spatialising Agricultural Water Governance Data in Polycentric Regimes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faith Sternlieb

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Water governance in the Colorado River Basin (CRB is based on a historical and complex set of policies, legal decisions, and operational guidelines called the Law of the River. Behind the complex institutional structure lies an intricate web of data on water, most of which are hydrogeological in nature. However, we posit that in order to realise sustainable water governance, management efforts must also address data on water governance. Therefore, our central research question is: what is the role of water governance data in water governance, as it pertains to agriculture? First, we lay out the digital landscape and theoretical framework that justify the development of the Colorado River Basin Water Governance Relational Database. Then, we conduct an analysis of water-sharing policies within Law of the River to identify and categorise boundaries. By operationalising a boundary typology in a geographic information system, we found that data on agricultural water governance have little to no current role in water governance due to scale discrepancies, insufficient availability and collection of data, and lack of standardisation. In addition, agricultural water governance in the CRB was found to exhibit polycentric patterns. However, unlike the flexible and adaptive nature of some polycentric systems, polycentric data sets may pose challenges to water governance due to limited information regarding organisational changes, policy developments, and special interests. This study advances the science-policy dialogue in four ways: 1 by emphasising the salience of the data on water governance, 2 by incorporating water governance data in water governance and policy decisions, 3 by demonstrating the value of integrating data types, and 4 by engaging users through geo-visualisation.

Does the Technological Content of Government Demand Matter for Private R&D? Evidence from US States

OpenAIRE

Slavtchev, Viktor; Wiederhold, Simon

2014-01-01

Governments purchase everything from airplanes to zucchini. This paper investigates the role of the technological content of government procurement in innovation. We theoretically show that a shift in the composition of public purchases toward high-tech products translates into higher economy-wide returns to innovation, leading to an increase in the aggregate level of private research and development (R&D). Collecting unique panel data on federal procurement in US states, we find that reshuff...

A Resilient Central Administration? The Impact of Internationalization on State Education Governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Thomas; Brøgger, Katja

2019-01-01

been substantial during this period. Previous research has established that this international trend has had an extensive influence on institutions of higher education in terms of profound curriculum changes and the emergence of transnational education standards of comparison. However, only few studies...... governance of the European Union and the Bologna Process on the one hand and the shifting bureaucratic structures and administrative practices of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science on the other. The central aim of the study is to provide important insight into how the ministerial authorities......The last two decades have seen a growing trend towards international harmonization of national education systems in the European Union and beyond. Although education as a policy area still falls under state jurisdiction, changes in modes of governance at both national and international level has...

Deliberative Ecological Economics for Sustainability Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard B. Howarth

2010-10-01

Full Text Available We discuss the recent emergence of ‘deliberative ecological economics’, a field that highlights the potential of deliberation for improving environmental governance. We locate the emergence of this literature in the long concern in ecological economics over the policy implications of limited views of human action and its encounter with deliberative democracy scholarship and the model of communicative rationality as an alternative to utilitarianism. Considering criticisms over methods used and the focus of research in deliberative decision-making, we put forward a research agenda for deliberative ecological economics. Given the promising potential of deliberative processes for improving the effectiveness and legitimacy of environmental decision-making, work in this area could help advance both theory and practice in environmental governance.

Decision strategies to reduce teenage and young adult deaths in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Keeney, Ralph L; Palley, Asa B

2013-09-01

This article uses decision analysis concepts and techniques to address an extremely important problem to any family with children, namely, how to avoid the tragic death of a child during the high-risk ages of 15-24. Descriptively, our analysis indicates that of the 35,000 annual deaths among this age group in the United States, approximately 20,000 could be avoided if individuals chose readily available alternatives for decisions relating to these deaths. Prescriptively, we develop a decision framework for parents and a child to both identify and proactively pursue decisions that can lower that child's exposure to life-threatening risks and positively alter decisions when facing such risks. Applying this framework for parents and the youth themselves, we illustrate the logic and process of generating proactive alternatives with numerous examples that each could pursue to lower these life-threatening risks and possibly avoid a tragic premature death, and discuss some public policy implications of our findings. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

A Three-Legged Stool or Race? Governance Models for NOAA RISAs, DOI CSCs, and USDA Climate Hubs

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, J. G.

2014-12-01

NOAAs Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Teams, DOIs Climate Science Centers (CSCs), and USDAs Regional Climate Hubs (RCHs) have common missions of integrating climate and related knowledge across scientific disciplines and regions to create "actionable" information that decision-makes can use to manage climate risks and impacts at state and local scales. However, the sponsoring agency programs, university investigators, and local federal officials govern each differently. The three models of program and center governance are 1) exclusively university (RISAs), 2) a hybrid of Federal government and (host) university (CSCs,), and 3) exclusively Federal (Hubs). Each model has it's advantages and disadvantages in terms of legal definition and authority, scientific mission requirements and strategies, flexibility and legitimacy to conduct research and to collaborate regionally with constituencies, leadership and governance approach and "friction points,", staff capacity and ability to engage stakeholders, necessity to deliver products and services, bureaucratic oversight, performance evaluation, and political support at Congressional, state, and local levels. Using available sources of information and data, this paper will compare and contrast the strengths and weakness of these three regional applied climate science center governance models.

A Three-Legged Stool or Race? Governance Models for NOAA RISAs, DOI CSCs, and USDA Climate Hub

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, J. G.

2014-12-01

NOAAs Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Teams, DOIs Climate Science Centers (CSCs), and USDAs Regional Climate Hubs (RCHs) have common missions of integrating climate and related knowledge across scientific disciplines and regions to create "actionable" information that decision-makes can use to manage climate risks and impacts at state and local scales. However, the sponsoring agency programs, university investigators, and local federal officials govern each differently. The three models of program and center governance are 1) exclusively university (RISAs), 2) a hybrid of Federal government and (host) university (CSCs,), and 3) exclusively Federal (Hubs). Each model has it's advantages and disadvantages in terms of legal definition and authority, scientific mission requirements and strategies, flexibility and legitimacy to conduct research and to collaborate regionally with constituencies, leadership and governance approach and "friction points,", staff capacity and ability to engage stakeholders, necessity to deliver products and services, bureaucratic oversight, performance evaluation, and political support at Congressional, state, and local levels. Using available sources of information and data, this paper will compare and contrast the strengths and weakness of these three regional applied climate science center governance models.

Public involvement in nuclear decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferte, J. De La

1993-01-01

Over the last two decades, the environment has gained an understandable degree of political prominence, drawing attention to the concept of direct participation of the public in decision-making. As part of that process, the first World Environmental Conference in Stockholm in 1972, the final act of the 1975 Helsinki Conference, the Global Nature Charter of the UN General Assembly of 1982 and the 1992 Rio conference have all increased the obligation of governments to inform their publics, and to give individuals and all categories of the public some degree of involvement in decisions that will directly affect their surroundings. The use of nuclear energy fits clearly into this process. Uncertainty in the public mind about the scientific foundation of nuclear-energy exploitation often motivates the public to intervene in the decision-making process, as does fear of catastrophic consequences. There can also be a specific reaction -crystallizing on nuclear energy - against uncontrolled technological and unlimited industrial development. In any event, there is a direct relationship between public pressure for participation and the perception of the ability - or inability - of the relevant authorities to act with a genuine sense of the wider interest. But, although the nuclear industry has often been taken as a scapegoat, the problems of public acceptance and government management that it raises are not substantially different from those in other branches of heavy industry, particularly in their social and environmental impacts. Indeed, in a large number of countries (France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States are examples) the mechanisms for public participation are broadly similar for both conventional industrial and nuclear installations

Practicing governance towards equity in health systems: LMIC perspectives and experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilson, Lucy; Lehmann, Uta; Schneider, Helen

2017-09-15

The unifying theme of the papers in this series is a concern for understanding the everyday practice of governance in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) health systems. Rather than seeing governance as a normative health system goal addressed through the architecture and design of accountability and regulatory frameworks, these papers provide insights into the real-world decision-making of health policy and system actors. Their multiple, routine decisions translate policy intentions into practice - and are filtered through relationships, underpinned by values and norms, influenced by organizational structures and resources, and embedded in historical and socio-political contexts. These decisions are also political acts - in that they influence who accesses benefits and whose voices are heard in decision-making, reinforcing or challenging existing institutional exclusion and power inequalities. In other words, the everyday practice of governance has direct impacts on health system equity.The papers in the series address governance through diverse health policy and system issues, consider actors located at multiple levels of the system and draw on multi-disciplinary perspectives. They present detailed examination of experiences in a range of African and Indian settings, led by authors who live and work in these settings. The overall purpose of the papers in this series is thus to provide an empirical and embedded research perspective on governance and equity in health systems.

Effectiveness of corporate governance structure: An alternative metric on the performance of listed Chinese companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan George Shan

2008-11-01

Full Text Available We analyse a panel data set covering the years 2001 to 2005 and comprised of a stratified sample of A, AB and AH non financial companies listed on China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges to provide empirical evidence on the influence of corporate control and governance characteristics on the quality and independence of corporate decision making in these companies. The characteristics considered are the level of concentration in and type of ownership of the companies, particularly high levels of government and foreign ownership, and the composition (expertise and size of the companies’ two boards. Performance outcomes, and by association the quality and independence of corporate policy decisions, are measured in the form of firm bad debt to accounts receivable ratio (BD/AR. We find that for our sample firms’ concentration of ownership, including state and foreign ownership, and board size and independence are significant factors in determining the levels of the bad debt ratio.

THE RECOMPOSITION OF THE SCALES OF GOVERNANCE, STATE AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT IN BRAZIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elson Luciano Silva Pires

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The global process of spatial rearrangement of human actions put in focus new themes and scales of analysis of the territory, such as local and regional, that simultaneous to the scale of the union of countries in blocks, result in opening possibilities for multilevel governance structures, or impose redefinition of the roles of the states. It is in this scenario, that the territory emerges as a source or strategy of political power and economic, of dispute of groups or social classes whom have different interests and often conflicting. In this sense, the theme on State and public intervention is important because it constitutes the scale of phenomena arising from the decisional institutional universe of the political territorially centralized, when growing the importance of the decentralization of state power. The aim of this paper is to show that the recomposition of the scales of global, regional and local phenomena define significant parts for the management of territorial policies, while grow the challenges of cooperation and coordination. Thus, we reiterate here the relevance of the contributions from political geography and institutionalist political economics, analyzing, each in its own way, as how political phenomena and institutional forms are territorialized and cut out significant spaces of governance of social relations, their interests, commitments, conflicts, control, domination and power.

NASA Wrangler: Automated Cloud-Based Data Assembly in the RECOVER Wildfire Decision Support System

Science.gov (United States)

Schnase, John; Carroll, Mark; Gill, Roger; Wooten, Margaret; Weber, Keith; Blair, Kindra; May, Jeffrey; Toombs, William

2017-01-01

NASA Wrangler is a loosely-coupled, event driven, highly parallel data aggregation service designed to take advantageof the elastic resource capabilities of cloud computing. Wrangler automatically collects Earth observational data, climate model outputs, derived remote sensing data products, and historic biophysical data for pre-, active-, and post-wildfire decision making. It is a core service of the RECOVER decision support system, which is providing rapid-response GIS analytic capabilities to state and local government agencies. Wrangler reduces to minutes the time needed to assemble and deliver crucial wildfire-related data.

Accrual based accounting implementation: An approach for modelling major decisions

OpenAIRE

Ratno Agriyanto; Abdul Rohman; Dwi Ratmono; Imam Ghozali

2016-01-01

Over the last three decades the main issues of implementation of accrual based accounting government institutions in Indonesia. Implementation of accrual based accounting in government institutions amid debate about the usefulness of accounting information for decision-making. Empirical study shows that the accrual based of accounting information on a government institution is not used for decision making. The research objective was to determine the impact of the implementation of the accrual...

Governing metropolitan green infrastructure in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Robert F. Young; E. Gregory McPherson

2013-01-01

In this paper we explore whether the enhancement of urban ecosystem services through largescale metropolitan treeplanting initiatives is being planned and executed as a component of traditional municipal government or represents new transdisciplinary strategies in environmental governance Drawing on qualitative interviews with...

International environmental governance: Lessons learned from Human Rights Institutional Reform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fauchald, Ole Kristian

2011-07-01

This report focuses on the possibility of establishing a High Commissioner for the Environment and transforming the UNEP Governing Council into a Council for the Environment. For this purpose, it considers the parallels between human rights regimes and environmental regimes. It provides a short-list of functions to be covered by a reformed environmental governance regime, and discusses how the reform can be coordinated with UNEP, as well as with the current and future institutional framework for sustainable development. The report also discusses how the reform can be related to fifteen core multilateral environmental agreements. Finally, the report considers how the reform can be carried out through a discussion of five separate options: a decision by the UN General Assembly, by the ECOSOC, or by the UNEP Governing Council, as well as through agreements between conferences of parties of environmental agreements, or directly between states. A main purpose of the report, which has been commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry for the Environment, is to provide input to the preparations for the Rio+20 Conference in 2012.(auth)

Procedural justice in wind facility siting: Recommendations for state-led siting processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ottinger, Gwen; Hargrave, Timothy J.; Hopson, Eric

2014-01-01

Evidence suggests that state control of wind facility siting decisions fosters new project development more effectively than local control, yet the literature suggests that affected citizens tend to be more fairly represented in local siting processes. We argue that successful renewable energy policy must satisfy both the need for new project development and the obligation to procedural justice. To suggest how it can do so, we analyze existing state- and county-level siting processes in Washington state, finding that both fall short on measures of procedural justice. To overcome this limitation and address the tension between procedural justice and project development, we then propose a collaborative governance approach to wind facility siting, in which state governments retain ultimate authority over permitting decisions but encourage and support local-level deliberations as the primary means of making those decisions. Such an approach, we argue, would be more just, facilitate wind development by addressing community concerns constructively and result in better projects through the input of diverse stakeholders. - Highlights: • States have made wind energy development a priority. • Local opposition to new projects could hinder future wind energy development. • Procedural justice is necessary to resolve local issues and ensure timely wind facility siting. • Both state- and county-led siting processes fall short with respect to criteria for procedural justice, though local processes have some advantages. • States could instead induce counties, developers to engage in deliberation

Incentives Packages and Employees’ Attitudes to Work: A Study Of Selected Government Parastatals In Ogun State, South-West, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hezekiah Olubusayo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available For any organization to compete favourably in the competitive society, employees’ attitudes and commitment towards work goes a long way in determining the employees’ performance and organization productivity. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of incentives packages on employees’ attitudes towards work. A descriptive research method was adopted for this study using one hundred twenty valid questionnaires which were completed by members of staff of four (4 selected government parastartals in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria using stratified and systematic sampling technique. The data collected were carefully analyzed using percentage supported by standard deviation to represent the raw data in a meaningful manner. The results show that strong relationship exists between incentives packages and employees’ attitudes towards work and the workers are not satisfied with the present incentives packages. The summary of the findings indicates that there is strong correlation between the tested dependent variable and independent construct. However, employers of labour and decision makers should endeavour to review incentives packages at various levels in order to earn employees’ commitment and satisfaction.

Decision-making and problem-solving methods in automation technology

Science.gov (United States)

Hankins, W. W.; Pennington, J. E.; Barker, L. K.

1983-01-01

The state of the art in the automation of decision making and problem solving is reviewed. The information upon which the report is based was derived from literature searches, visits to university and government laboratories performing basic research in the area, and a 1980 Langley Research Center sponsored conferences on the subject. It is the contention of the authors that the technology in this area is being generated by research primarily in the three disciplines of Artificial Intelligence, Control Theory, and Operations Research. Under the assumption that the state of the art in decision making and problem solving is reflected in the problems being solved, specific problems and methods of their solution are often discussed to elucidate particular aspects of the subject. Synopses of the following major topic areas comprise most of the report: (1) detection and recognition; (2) planning; and scheduling; (3) learning; (4) theorem proving; (5) distributed systems; (6) knowledge bases; (7) search; (8) heuristics; and (9) evolutionary programming.

Effects of government incentives on wind innovation in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Nathaniel; Azevedo, Inês; Hounshell, David

2013-12-01

In the United States, as elsewhere, state and federal governments have considered or implemented a range of policies to create more sustainable energy generation systems in response to concerns over climate change, security of fuel supply, and environmental impacts. These policies include both regulatory instruments such as renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) and market incentives such as tax credits. While these policies are primarily geared towards increasing renewable generation capacity, they can indirectly affect innovation in associated technologies through a ‘demand-pull’ dynamic. Other policies, such as public research and development (R&D) funding, directly incentivize innovation through ‘technology-push’ means. In this letter, we examine these effects on innovation in the United States wind energy industry. We estimate a set of econometric models relating a set of US federal and state policies to patenting activity in wind technologies over the period 1974-2009. We find that RPS policies have had significant positive effects on wind innovation, whereas tax-based incentives have not been particularly effective. We also find evidence that the effects of RPS incentives differ between states. Finally, we find that public R&D funding can be a significant driver of wind innovation, though its effect in the US has been modest.

Toward a Behavioral Theory of Boards and Corporate Governance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ees, Hans; Gabrielsson, Jonas; Huse, Morten; Gabrielson, J.

Review A coherent alternative to an economic approach of corporate governance is missing. In this paper we take steps towards developing a behavioral theory of boards and corporate governance. Building upon concepts such as political bargaining, routinization of decision making, satisficing, and

Measuring the Extent of European State Aid Control : An Econometric Analysis of the European Commission Decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, E.; Ozbugday, F.C.

2011-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of the European Commission (EC) decisions on state aid control using data on 550 state aid cases approved by the EC between 1998 and 2009. More specifically, we measure the determinants of the duration of state aid, total budget of state aid and daily budget of state

Measuring the Extent of European State Aid Control : An Econometric Analysis of the European Commission Decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, E.; Ozbugday, F.C.

2010-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of the European Commission (EC) decisions on state aid control using data on 550 state aid cases approved by the EC between 1998 and 2009. More specifically, we measure the determinants of the duration of state aid, total budget of state aid and daily budget of state

The Role of Institutional Logics in Shaping Architecture Governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Peter; Svejvig, Per; Carugati, Andrea

2016-01-01

are discussed in relation to current practice and theory on both architecture and IT governance. Generally, the findings show how architecture governance is shaped through a complex, contextual and social process beyond rational, managerial decision-making. Finally, we propose that institutional logics can...... to IT governance literature in general. IT governance is often described as a management prerogative, however, using institutional logics as a theoretical lens and sensitizing device, we show how different logics emerged over time and influenced how the organization governed its architecture. These findings...

Participatory Governance in Secondary Schools: The Students' Viewpoint in Eastern Region of Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Mulwa, David M.; Kimosop, Maurice K.; Kasivu, Gedion M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the students' view on participatory school governance in secondary schools of the Eastern region, Kenya. Participatory school governance implies the involvement of stakeholders in the decision making process in schools. The objectives of the study were to identify the key decision makers in selected…

Bases for Decisions on Final Disposal in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avolahti, Jaana

2001-01-01

The disposal of the spent nuclear fuel is approaching one of the significant milestones in Finland. Social debate on the nuclear waste management is going on aiming at a decision of principle on future directions of spent fuel management. The research so far has required no political decision. This current situation is preceded by preparations for two decades carried out by Posiva Oy who took over the programme managed earlier by Teollisuuden Voinia Oy, one of the country's nuclear power companies. The preparations comprise site investigations, technical concept development, research into long-term safety and an environmental impact assessment. The work carried out by Posiva is under regular assessment by the authorities. Research programmes are drawn up every year and reports are published for open review. The preparations in the next years to come aim at starting the construction of the repository in 2010 and the disposal operations are planned to be started in 2020. Various stakeholders in Finland are involved in the decision-making process on the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The process started when Posiva as an implementer applied for the Government's Decision in Principle in 1999. The Government made a favourable decision in December 2000 on the basis of different considerations. Among the important bases were the preceding favourable decisions made by the proposed siting municipality and the regulatory authority for radiation safety. At the moment the members of the Parliament are discussing the principles of the disposal in order to be able to vote on the Government's decision in the springtime. This paper discusses similarities and differences between the decisions made so far as regards the deep repository. The objective is to present the significance of the decisions from the point of view of an implementer of the repository. The Decision in Principle does not give any consent to start constructing the repository. Licenses for construction and

Governing Board of the Pension Fund

CERN Document Server

2006-01-01

Most of the discussions at the meetings of the Governing Board of the Pension Fund on 20 September, 13 October and 15 November 2005 led to decisions by the Council at its Session on 15 and 16 December 2005 that will shape the future of the Pension Fund in more ways than one. The summary of these three most recent meetings of the Governing Board therefore focuses on the Council's decisions concerning: a package of equilibration measures for the CERN Pension Fund, consisting of proposals by the Governing Board and by the CERN Management; amendments to the Rules of the Pension Fund concerning family composition; an amendment to the Rules of the Pension Fund introducing a new Article III 1.06, 'The extension of the contract of a staff member beyond the age limit of 65'; the payment of compensation to the Pension Fund for the reduction observed in staff numbers between 2001 and 2004; the indexation of pensions for 2006. Regarding the first point above, the following measures were approved: The use of more r...

Digital Environmental Governance in China: Information Disclosure, Pollution Control, and Environmental Activism in the Yellow River Delta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiaxin Tan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Chinese water bureaucracy increasingly utilises information and communications technology (ICT in order to strengthen interaction with the population, which is severely affected by industrial pollution. Government webpages, mailboxes, and online interviews with officers have become prevalent tools for environmental governance, including information disclosure, and a virtual communication forum between the state and its citizens. The present study employs a mixed methods approach with a qualitative emphasis to explore the process of communication and interaction between government agencies and local residents in Dongying, Shandong Province. The results show that information disclosure of pollution data remains far from being transparent, despite the fact that the local government has implemented digital environmental governance, as encouraged by the central Chinese state. Internet technologies empower resource-poor environmental activists in Dongying to strengthen their social network and build communication with the authorities. The application of bureaucratic techniques, however, is key for them to enter the communication interface with government agencies in order to influence political decisions. Results suggest that local cadres tend to send mixed signals to activists and display wariness towards them. They also tend to take preventive measures to keep the situation under control when environmental disputes arise. The proposed communication interface approach sheds a clearer light on the complexity among the emergent ICTs, environmental activism, and digital governance.

GOVERNMENT SIZE VERSUS GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY IN A MODEL OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisca Guedes de Oliveira

2016-04-01

Full Text Available We develop a Solow type growth model where firms produce a single homogenous good using labor, private capital and a public good. The "amount" of public good depends on current government spending and government quality. Quality is the result of the accumulation of public capital. Governments charge distortionary taxes and provide the public good, investing also in "quality" by accumulating public capital. We analyze how the composition of government spending between current expenditures and quality affects the equilibrium levels. We aim to understand the difference in terms of steady state levels between leviathan, quality driven and benevolent governments.

Governance and Institutions: Proposals for a Research Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Valdés Ugalde

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the difference between the concepts of governability and governance in economics and political science. The main focus is to address basic principles of neoclassical theory in order to explore alternative research approaches for the analysis of governance in institutional building and agent relationships to rules. With this purpose, the article assesses the adequacy of explanations of citizens decision making in democracies with sharp inequalities and heterogeneous preferences.

Zavádění projektu data governance

OpenAIRE

Zosinčuk, Dominik

2013-01-01

Topic of this thesis is the Data Governance implementation in the large companies. These companies struggle during governing and managing data to get useful insights for the decision making. Data Governance is new approach to managing the companies which helps to solve the data management pain points and helps organizations to work with data effectively and without any problems. Data Governance helps to transform data into asset. This thesis is divided into theoretical and practical part. In ...

13 CFR 134.409 - Decision on appeal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Decision on appeal. 134.409 Section 134.409 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION RULES OF PROCEDURE GOVERNING... § 134.409 Decision on appeal. (a) A decision of the Administrative Law Judge under this subpart is the...

Reducing Energy Subsidies in China, India and Russia: Dilemmas for Decision Makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indra Overland

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This article examines and compares efforts to reduce energy subsidies in China, India and Russia. Despite dissimilarities in forms of governance, these three states have followed surprisingly similar patterns in reducing energy subsidies, characterised by two steps forward, one step back. Non-democratic governments and energy importers might be expected to be more likely to halt subsidies. In fact, the degree of democracy and status as net energy exporters or importers does not seem to significantly affect these countries’ capacity to reduce subsidies, as far as can be judged from the data in this article. Politicians in all three fear that taking unpopular decisions may provoke social unrest.

Democracy and Environmental Integration in Decision-Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Figueroa, Maria

This dissertation presents an evaluation of the democratic qualities of decision-making processes for large transport infrastructure projects in two Scandinavian countries: Denmark and Sweden. The study uncovers criteria from aggregative and deliberative theories of democracy to create a qualitat......This dissertation presents an evaluation of the democratic qualities of decision-making processes for large transport infrastructure projects in two Scandinavian countries: Denmark and Sweden. The study uncovers criteria from aggregative and deliberative theories of democracy to create...... exemplify points of democratic strength and fragility in the decision processes. A robust system of participatory procedures exists, in both countries, as part of the planning tradition or as part of the legally mandatory environmental assessment procedures. This robust system shows fragility for government...... discourses to the state. While the role of civil society in deliberation is crucial, the study accepts that not all that goes on in civil society is conducive either to more democracy or greater environmental integration. The relevant discussion is then how to deal with differences that may have...

Governance and European Civil Society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kutay, Acar

This book provides a critical analysis of the European Union’s approach to ‘governance’, focusing on the way in which civil society is incorporated within the EU decision-making process and arguing that it is not conducive to the democratisation of EU governance.\

Decision-making in state lotteries: half now or all of it later?

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Forest; Johnson, Matthew W; Bickel, Warren K

2003-12-01

Many state lotteries offer players a choice between receiving roughly half of the jackpot immediately and receiving the entire jackpot over 25 annual payments. This requires players to make a decision that involves uncertainty, delay, and large amounts of real money. Archival data on lottery players' jackpot payment decisions were collected from seven state and three multistate lotteries. Players' jackpot payment preferences were assessed at the time of ticket purchase and after winning a jackpot. Preference for the annuity payment option significantly decreased as jackpot size increased, both at the time of ticket purchase and after winning. Furthermore, a significant proportion of winners who selected the annuity payment option at ticket purchase switched to the cash payment option after winning, whereas no winners switched from the cash to the annuity option after winning. These findings suggest that real-world choices involving large sums of money may be subject to diminishing marginal utility and probability and delay discounting.

Quality of Governance and Local Development: The Case of Top Nine Performing Local Government Units in the Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MA. NIÑA I. ADRIANO

2014-08-01

Full Text Available There is a large body of literature that studies the link between good governance and development in a country level. However, only a few have exploited the same study in the local government unit (LGU setting. This study attempts to establish the relationship between the quality of governance and the state of local development of the Top 9 Performing LGUs in the Philippines (La Union, Albay, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Makati City Valenzuela City, Taguig City, Davao City and Angeles City as measured by the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS, the nationwide governance performance evaluation and management tool used in the Philippines. I used the data generated by the LGPMS, particularly the state of local governance and the state of local development, to see if there is a relationship between the two variables using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results revealed that that there is no relationship between the quality of governance and the state of local development in the consistently top performing LGUs in the Philippines for the period 2009-2011. The findings of this study will be useful to government officials such as public administrators, LGU executives, policy makers, researchers, and students of public administration in addressing the issue of good governance and local development in their respective LGUs.

Cost-benefit considerations in regulatory decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvie, J.D.

1996-01-01

The Atomic Energy Control Board is investigating the feasibility of developing methods for factoring cost-benefit considerations into its regulatory decision-making. This initiative results, in part, from the federal government policy requiring cost-benefit considerations to be taken into account in regulatory processes, and from the recommendations of an Advisory Panel on Regulatory Review in 1993, submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada. One of these recommendations stated: 'that mechanisms be developed to examine cost-benefit issues and work towards some consensus of opinion among stakeholders; a task force on the subject could be an appropriate starting point'. (author)

Governance mode vs. governance fit? : Performance implications of make-or-ally choices for product innovation in the worldwide aircraft industry, 1942-2000

OpenAIRE

Castaner, X.; Mulotte, L.; Garrette, B.; Dussauge, P.

2014-01-01

We examine the impact of governance mode and governance fit on performance in make-or-ally decisions. We argue that while horizontal collaboration and autonomous governance have direct and countervailing performance implications, the alignment of make-or-ally choices with the focal firm's resource endowment and the activity's resource requirements leads to better performance. Data on the aircraft industry show that relative to aircraft developed autonomously, collaborative aircraft exhibit gr...

The Impact of Governance Practices on the Operating Performance: A Study on the Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dezie L. Warganegara

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the corporate governance practices on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs and to find out their impacts on the operating performance of the firms. This study finds out the substantial improvements of the quality of corporate governance practices in public-listed Indonesian SOEs. Total corporate governance (CG compliance score and each component score show an upward trend improvement. With regard to the relationship between CG compliance and operating performance, as represented by Return on Assets, Net Profit Margin, and Assets Turnover, this study finds out that there is a direct relationship between the governance quality and operating performance. This positive relationship is cpused by the reduction of the operating cost and not coused by the increase of sales or the better use of assets.

The Impact of Governance Practices on the Operating Performance:A Study on the Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dezie L. Warganegara

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the corporate governance practices on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs and to find out their impacts on the operating performance of the firms. This study finds out the substantial improvements of the quality of corporate governance practices in public-listed Indonesian SOEs. Total corporate governance (CG compliance score and each component score show an upward trend improvement. With regard to the relationship between CG compliance and operating performance, as represented by Return on Assets, Net Profit Margin, and Assets Turnover, this study finds out that there is a direct relationship between the governance quality and operating performance. This positive relationship is cpused by the reduction of the operating cost and not coused by the increase of sales or the better use of assets.

Alkem instruction: Legal relief of a Federal State against instructions under the Atomic Energy Act issued by the Federal Government

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinberg, R.

1987-01-01

The German Federal Minister for the Environment, Protection of Nature, and Reactor Safety instructed the Hesse State Minister for Economics and Technology to grant the applications filed by Alkem GmbH for a first partial permit of the construction and operation of a fuel element factory, and to grant it on the basis of a draft working document discussed between the two ministries. The new feature is the refusal of the Hesse State Minister to follow these instructions. This has given rise to a conflict between the State and Federal Governments. The article deals with one aspect of the multifaceted legal controversy, i.e., the question of the possibilities of legal relief open to a Federal State against an instruction under the Atomic Energy Act issued by the Federal Government. First, the rank of this instruction within the scope of administration on behalf of the Federal Government will be discussed. Next, the central problem of the preconditions under which an instruction may violate rights of a Federal State will be investigated. Finally, the possibilities of litigation will be briefly referred to. (orig./HP) [de

The evolving role of governments in the nuclear energy field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2004-01-01

The NEA Nuclear Development Committee (NDC) recently completed a study that looks into the evolving role of governments in nuclear energy matters. Many decisions on government intervention in recent decades have been based on the earlier experience of what works best. The report suggests some considerations that all governments could take into account when establishing their respective roles. (author)

Multi-level governance in EU climate law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vedder, Hans; Woerdman, Edwin; Roggenkamp, Martha; Holwerda, Marijn

2015-01-01

This chapter analyses the multi-level governance in EU climate law; it connects the international arena, with EU and national decision-making and relates climate change considerations to competitiveness concerns.

77 FR 8860 - Pesticide Emergency Exemptions; Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-15

...; Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... agencies. The emergency exemptions may take the following form: Crisis, public health, quarantine, or.... These are rarely requested. 3. A ``crisis exemption'' is initiated by a State or Federal agency (and is...

Open government: collaboration, transparency, and participation in practice

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lathrop, Daniel; Ruma, Laurel

2010-01-01

... 7: Lead by Example Practical Steps for Government Agencies About the Author BY THE PEOPLE by Carl Malamud About the Author THE SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE by Beth Simone Noveck The Closed Model of Decision Making New Technologies and Civic Life Participatory Democratic Theory in the Age of Networks About the Author ENGINEERING GOOD GOVERNMENT by Ho...

Governance or Governing – the Missing Link?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luminiţa Maria Crăciun

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Governance and governing are two distinct concepts, but they intertwine. “Good governing” exercises good influence on development. “Good governance” supposes first a relationship of power focused on a series of reforms structured at three levels: the political – administrative level, the economic level, and the level of civil society. As this dimension is difficult to measure, the qualitative evaluation of the governing act raised the interest of the World Bank researchers, who elaborated and monitored the dynamics of a set of indicators, which includes six major dimensions of the governing. A retrospective concerning the image of governing in Romania during the period from 1996 to 2005 suggests a modest increase of the score: from -0.138 (1996 to 0.008 (2002; that was partially achieved based on the voice and responsibility index and on the political stability index, not on those that measure more directly the administrative performance or the integrity of the governing act. For a comparative study, we chose seven countries for the purposes of analysis (two new European Union member states: Romania and Bulgaria; two older member countries of the European Union: Slovenia and Latvia; three non-member states: Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia, which reveal the quality of the governing from a comparative perspective. Corruption control completes the image created by the analyzed indicators. The mere formal accomplishment of commitments made in the pre-accession activity, doubled by recent internal evolutions, bring doubts about the credibility of the anticorruption reforms, as Romania continues to be considered the country with the highest CPI in the European Union. The pessimism of public opinion and the fact that only 34% of the Romanian people consider that the level of corruption will decrease in the following three years constitutes an alarm signal addressed to the governance, in view of the real reformation of the administration system

Towards a single European electricity market. A structured approach to regulatory mode decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Jong, H.M.

2009-01-01

This study focuses on the processes through which the rules and regulations that govern European electricity markets - and inherently, their integration process - are established. So far, European policy makers have largely followed a 'trial-and-error' approach to finding an appropriate regulatory mode (process) for dealing effectively with market integration issues. This unstructured approach to regulatory mode selection leads to several problems: - Today's trial-and-error strategy of shifting from one regulatory mode to another is time-consuming. - In the regulatory mode selection process, certain key principles of good governance are insufficiently considered. - European regulatory processes are experienced as vague, intransparent, and illegitimate by 'outside' stakeholders. This study develops a 'structured approach to regulatory mode decision-making' (STARMODE) based on the theory of decision modelling in policy management and a case study exploring three key market integration issues in the field of electricity markets: interconnector investment, congestion management and market transparency. The main objective is to present a systematic and comprehensive framework for analysing and improving regulatory mode decision-making in the context of the European Union, focusing on electricity market integration. The STARMODE approach is generally applicable to (and relevant for) European market integration issues in industries characterized by a natural monopoly and/or an essential service. The approach may also contribute to national regulatory mode decision-making and multi-state decision-making in other continents.

Open Government: A Tool for Democracy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emiliana De Blasio

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The growing disconnection between citizens and decision-makers is pushing politics towards a re-shaping of institutional design. New spaces of political participation are sustained and even reinforced by communication, especially by digital communication. Governments and public administrations can find and use different models to facilitate citizens’ participation; e-government, open government and a specific design of digital democracy. In this respect, open government can constitute a way to re-connect citizens and political institutions, but at the same time, it can also be an “appealing” tool to institutionalize bottom-up participation and so anesthetizing it. The aim of this article is to present the first findings of an international research project about open government and participatory platforms in four European countries (France, Italy, Spain, the UK. The study tries to understand if participatory platforms can improve the quality of democracy, and if open government can contribute to democratizing democracy.

78 FR 23903 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-23

... Cheryl Lee, Chief, State Finance and Tax Statistics Branch, Governments Division, U.S. Census Bureau... economic research and comparative studies of governmental finances. Tax collection data are used to measure...) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to...

Public participation in the decision making process in the nuclear field in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierantoni, F.

1993-01-01

In Italy, the decision making process to localize, construct and operate electronuclear power stations have been restructured and such a process today must follow the rules enacted by three laws: the Act of 2 August 1975 about the procedures for choosing the site; the Act of 8 July 1986 about the rules for the environmental impact evaluation, the so-called VIA which in italian means GO; the Act of 10 August 1988 which states that the construction of nuclear waste processing plants and nuclear waste storage plants must pass the Environment Impact Evaluation. In Italy there are three levels of Local government,'Regioni', 'Provincie' and 'Comuni', that are free to compete among themselves and with the Central government, so that it is very sticky to implement any decision. The Public Inquiry is a strongly innovative instrument. The Environmental Impact Evaluation procedure guarantees the transparency of the decision making process and supplies a real communication channel between the public opinion and the authorities. In the Public Inquiry any association, organization, union or group of people have the right to verify any part of the project under the Environmental Impact Evaluation and to express their consideration and observation on the subject

Proposal on state affairs and government system for next government

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-11-15

The contents of this book are introduction of need of study and purpose, building ecosystem to create jobs, consolidation of social innovation to improve life quality, construction of infrastructure to revitalize region, construction of new digital ecosystem, building of effective intellectual property system, creation of future competitiveness with scientific technology, establishment of raising of creative person and comprehensive discussion on reorganization of government system like need, principle, feature, difficulty, and arrangement of discussion.

Proposal on state affairs and government system for next government

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-11-01

The contents of this book are introduction of need of study and purpose, building ecosystem to create jobs, consolidation of social innovation to improve life quality, construction of infrastructure to revitalize region, construction of new digital ecosystem, building of effective intellectual property system, creation of future competitiveness with scientific technology, establishment of raising of creative person and comprehensive discussion on reorganization of government system like need, principle, feature, difficulty, and arrangement of discussion.

20 CFR 404.1018 - Work by civilians for the United States Government or its instrumentalities-wages paid after 1983.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... States Claims Court, a judge of the United States Court of International Trade, a judge of the United... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Work by civilians for the United States Government or its instrumentalities-wages paid after 1983. 404.1018 Section 404.1018 Employees' Benefits...

Constitutional Models of Semi-Presidential Systems of Government in Russia and Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davor Boban

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The establishment of new political systems in Central and Eastern Europe after the collapse of communist regimes implied a decision on a new system of government instead of the earlier proclaimed assembly system. The position of the framers of the Constitution on the need for a strong institution of state presidency during the transition process, and the correlation of forces between diff erent actors in the political arena, have resulted in the establishment of the semi-presidential system in many of these countries. In Russia and Poland, with the fi rst modifi cations of their Constitutions, some elements of semi-presidentialism were adopted, and then the whole concept of semi-presidentialism has been accepted. The constitutional models in the two countries are compatible with the criteria of semi-presidential systems – they have a dual structure of the executive branch of government and a fi xed term of the state president elected on the general elections and politically unaccountable to the parliament. The political practice in these countries during the last fi fteen years has shown diff erent eff ects of the established system. In Russia, the state president dominated so much over the political system that the system was virtually presidential, while in Poland the constitutional changes in 1990, 1992 and 1997 have resulted in the change of the correlation of forces within the dual structure of the executive branch of government.

The effect of state dependent mandate laws on the labor supply decisions of young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Depew, Briggs

2015-01-01

Prior to the Affordable Care Act, the majority of states in the U.S. had already implemented state laws that extended the age that young adults could enroll as dependents on their parent's employer-based health insurance plans. Because of the fundamental link between health insurance and employment in the U.S., such policies may effect the labor supply decisions of young adults. Although the interaction between labor supply and health insurance has been extensively studied for other subpopulations, little is known about the role of health insurance in the labor supply decisions of young adults. I use the variation from the implementation and changes in state policies that expanded dependent health insurance coverage to examine how young adults adjusted their labor supply when they were able to be covered as a dependent on their parent's plan. I find that these state mandates led to a decrease in labor supply on the intensive margin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

22 CFR 401.25 - Government brief regarding navigable waters.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Government brief regarding navigable waters. 401... PROCEDURE Applications § 401.25 Government brief regarding navigable waters. When in the opinion of the Commission it is desirable that a decision should be rendered which affects navigable waters in a manner or...

ISSUES ON ENFORCEABILITY OF FINAL DECISIONS OF EUROPEAN UNION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE REGARDING EUROPEAN TRADEMARKS ON FIXING THE AMOUNT OF COST IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sorin Eduard PAVEL

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyse the enforceability in Romania of final decisions fixing the amount of costs related to European trademarks, issued by European Union Intellectual Property Office. According to art 110 (1 and (2 of EU Regulation 2017/10011 , such decisions are titles enforceable in any Member State and enforcement proceedings are governed by applicable national civil law of the Member State in territory of which the enforcement is carried out. Apparently, the enforcement of these decisions in Member States should be a formal procedure devoid of issues. Things may be complex having in view that each Member State is compelled by the art 110 (2 of the EU Regulation 2017/1001, to designate a national authority responsible with the verification of the authenticity of respective decisions. Precisely, what happens when a Member State "forgot" to designate such national authority? Can enforcement proceedings regarding these decisions in respective Member State, be effective? Romania does not designate the national authority prescribed under art. 110 (2 of EU Regulation 2017/1001, fact that generates, at least from theoretical perspective, issues on the enforcement of this kind of decisions. In a nutshell, if no such national authority has been designated, the procedure on verification of authenticity of these decisions cannot be fulfilled, meaning that enforcement proceedings may be deemed as failing to comply with the national law.

Nuclear supervision - Administration by the federal states on behalf of the Federal Government or direct federal administration? Evaluation from a practical point of view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cloosters, W.

2005-01-01

The organization of supervisory authorities under the Atomic Energy Act is not a new issue. In fact, it was discussed vehemently in the Federal Republic of Germany as far back as in the early fifties. Federal legislation in late 1959 decided to have the Atomic Energy Act executed in part under direct federal responsibility and, as far as the important supervision of the nuclear power plants operated in the Federal Republic of Germany was concerned, by the federal states on behalf of the federal government. Federal Minister for the Environment Trittin reopened the debate about the organization of nuclear administration by announcing his intention to transfer the supervision of nuclear power plants to direct federal administration. This announcement not only raises the question of legal permissibility of transferring nuclear power plant oversight to federal administration, but also requires a critical review, as presented in this article, of practical regulatory supervision to ensure safe operation of nuclear facilities. In this connection, both the actual content of supervisory activities and the way in which they are carried out must be examined in an effort to find an answer based on solid premises to the question raised above. For reasons explained in the contribution, oversight of nuclear power plants cannot be carried out as a centralized function. Instead, the legislative decision of 1959 in favor of the federal states exercising supervision on behalf of the federal government continues to be correct at the present stage also in the light of the steps initiated to opt out of the peaceful uses of nuclear power. (orig.)

Including all voices in international data-sharing governance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaye, Jane; Terry, Sharon F; Juengst, Eric; Coy, Sarah; Harris, Jennifer R; Chalmers, Don; Dove, Edward S; Budin-Ljøsne, Isabelle; Adebamowo, Clement; Ogbe, Emilomo; Bezuidenhout, Louise; Morrison, Michael; Minion, Joel T; Murtagh, Madeleine J; Minari, Jusaku; Teare, Harriet; Isasi, Rosario; Kato, Kazuto; Rial-Sebbag, Emmanuelle; Marshall, Patricia; Koenig, Barbara; Cambon-Thomsen, Anne

2018-03-07

Governments, funding bodies, institutions, and publishers have developed a number of strategies to encourage researchers to facilitate access to datasets. The rationale behind this approach is that this will bring a number of benefits and enable advances in healthcare and medicine by allowing the maximum returns from the investment in research, as well as reducing waste and promoting transparency. As this approach gains momentum, these data-sharing practices have implications for many kinds of research as they become standard practice across the world. The governance frameworks that have been developed to support biomedical research are not well equipped to deal with the complexities of international data sharing. This system is nationally based and is dependent upon expert committees for oversight and compliance, which has often led to piece-meal decision-making. This system tends to perpetuate inequalities by obscuring the contributions and the important role of different data providers along the data stream, whether they be low- or middle-income country researchers, patients, research participants, groups, or communities. As research and data-sharing activities are largely publicly funded, there is a strong moral argument for including the people who provide the data in decision-making and to develop governance systems for their continued participation. We recommend that governance of science becomes more transparent, representative, and responsive to the voices of many constituencies by conducting public consultations about data-sharing addressing issues of access and use; including all data providers in decision-making about the use and sharing of data along the whole of the data stream; and using digital technologies to encourage accessibility, transparency, and accountability. We anticipate that this approach could enhance the legitimacy of the research process, generate insights that may otherwise be overlooked or ignored, and help to bring valuable

Energy Efficiency Policy in the United States: Overview of Trends at Different Levels of Government

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doris, E.; Cochran, J.; Vorum, M.

2009-12-01

This report catalogs by sector--buildings, transportation, industrial, and power--energy efficiency policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and identifies some prominent policy trends. Four key findings emerged from this report: 1) leadership on energy efficiency is necessary--and is found--at each level of government; 2) there is no widely accepted methodology for evaluating energy efficiency policies; 3) coordination among the three levels of government--and across sectors--is increasingly important, and there are opportunities to significantly improve policy performance through a unified strategy; and 4) there are efficiencies to be gained by informing policies in one sector with experience from others.

Energy Efficiency Policy in the United States. Overview of Trends at Different Levels of Government

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doris, Elizabeth [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cochran, Jaquelin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Vorum, Martin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2009-12-01

This report catalogs by sector--buildings, transportation, industrial, and power--energy efficiency policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and identifies some prominent policy trends. Four key findings emerged from this report: 1) leadership on energy efficiency is necessary--and is found--at each level of government; 2) there is no widely accepted methodology for evaluating energy efficiency policies; 3) coordination among the three levels of government--and across sectors--is increasingly important, and there are opportunities to significantly improve policy performance through a unified strategy; and 4) there are efficiencies to be gained by informing policies in one sector with experience from others.

Adaptive decision making in multi-stakeholder retail planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, I.I.

2011-01-01

The decision where to locate new retail facilities is increasingly more a multi-stakeholder decision instead of a single-actor decision. In the past, the Dutch Government had a strong hand in determining the program and location for new shopping centres. Since the introduction of the newest national

The State of Young Scholars and Scientists in Africa | CRDI - Centre ...

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

This multinational study analyzes the career decisions and research performance of young scientists in higher education, government, parastatal (organizations whose activities serve the state), and industrial research and development (R&D) sectors across Africa. Its goal is to contribute to a better informed discussion on ...

Avoiding Implementation Failure in Catchment Landscapes: A Case Study in Governance of the Great Barrier Reef.

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, Allan P; Vella, Karen; Gooch, Margaret; Potts, Ruth; Pressey, Robert L; Brodie, Jon; Eberhard, Rachel

2017-10-04

Water quality outcomes affecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are governed by multi-level and multi-party decision-making that influences forested and agricultural landscapes. With international concern about the GBR's declining ecological health, this paper identifies and focuses on implementation failure (primarily at catchment scale) as a systemic risk within the overall GBR governance system. There has been limited integrated analysis of the full suite of governance subdomains that often envelop defined policies, programs and delivery activities that influence water quality in the GBR. We consider how the implementation of separate purpose-specific policies and programs at catchment scale operate against well-known, robust design concepts for integrated catchment governance. We find design concerns within ten important governance subdomains that operate within GBR catchments. At a whole-of-GBR scale, we find a weak policy focus on strengthening these delivery-oriented subdomains and on effort integration across these subdomains within catchments. These governance problems when combined may contribute to failure in the implementation of major national, state and local government policies focused on improving water quality in the GBR, a lesson relevant to landscapes globally.

Navigating the boundary of science for decision making at the state and local level

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, L. M.; Wood, C.; Boland, M. A.; Rose, C. A.

2015-12-01

Scientific information should play a vital role in many decision making processes, yet issues incorporating geoscience information often arise due to inherent differences between how scientists and decision makers operate. Decision makers and scientists have different priorities, produce work at different rates, and often lack an understanding of each others' institutional constraints. Boundary organizations, entities that facilitate collaboration and information flow across traditional boundaries such as that between scientists and decision makers, are in a unique position to improve the dialogue between disparate groups. The American Geosciences Institute (AGI), a nonprofit federation of 50 geoscience societies and organizations, is linking the geoscience and decision-making communities through its Critical Issues Program. AGI's Critical Issues program has first-hand experience in improving the transfer of information across the science-decision making boundary, particularly in areas pertaining to water resources and hazards. This presentation will focus on how, by collaborating with organizations representing the decision making and geoscience communities to inform our program development, we have created our three main content types - website, webinar series, and research database - to better meet the needs of the decision-making process. The program presents existing geoscience information in a way that makes the interconnected nature of geoscience topics more easily understood, encourages discussion between the scientific and decision-making communities, and has established a trusted source of impartial geoscience information. These efforts have focused on state and local decision makers—groups that increasingly influence climate and risk-related decisions, yet often lack the resources to access and understand geoscience information.

Governance and human resources for health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)