scholarly journals Monitoring local well-being in environmental interventions: a consideration of practical trade-offs

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Palmer Fry ◽  
M. Agarwala ◽  
G. Atkinson ◽  
T. Clements ◽  
K. Homewood ◽  
...  

AbstractWithin the field of environmental management and conservation, the concept of well-being is starting to gain traction in monitoring the socio-economic and cultural impact of interventions on local people. Here we consider the practical trade-offs policy makers and practitioners must navigate when utilizing the concept of well-being in environmental interventions. We first review current concepts of well-being before considering the need to balance the complexity and practical applicability of the definition used and to consider both positive and negative components of well-being. A key determinant of how well-being is operationalized is the identity of the organization wishing to monitor it. We describe the trade-offs around the external and internal validity of different approaches to measuring well-being and the relative contributions of qualitative and quantitative information to understanding well-being. We explore how these trade-offs may be decided as a result of a power struggle between stakeholders. Well-being is a complex, multi-dimensional, dynamic concept that cannot be easily defined and measured. Local perspectives are often missed during the project design process as a result of the more powerful voices of national governments and international NGOs, so for equity and local relevance it is important to ensure these perspectives are represented at a high level in project design and implementation.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
N.I. Fisher ◽  
D.J. Trewin

Given the high level of global mobility, pandemics are likely to be more frequent, and with potentially devastating consequences for our way of life. With COVID-19, Australia is in relatively better shape than most other countries and is generally regarded as having managed the pandemic well. That said, we believe there is a critical need to start the process of learning from this pandemic to improve the quantitative information and related advice provided to policy makers. A dispassionate assessment of Australia’s health and economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic reveals some important inadequacies in the data, statistical analysis and interpretation used to guide Australia’s preparations and actions. For example, one key shortcoming has been the lack of data to obtain an early understanding of the extent of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases or the differences across age groups, occupations or ethnic groups. Minimising the combined health, social and economic impacts of a novel virus depends critically on ongoing acquisition, integration, analysis, interpretation and presentation of a variety of data streams to inform the development, execution and monitoring of appropriate strategies. The article captures the essential quantitative components of such an approach for each of the four basic phases, from initial detection to post-pandemic. It also outlines the critical steps in each stage to enable policy makers to deal more efficiently and effectively with future such events, thus enhancing both the social and the economic welfare of its people. Although written in an Australian context, we believe most elements would apply to other countries as well.


2020 ◽  
pp. 147078532095679
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Zawadzka ◽  
Agnes Nairn ◽  
Tina M Lowrey ◽  
Liselot Hudders ◽  
Aysen Bakir ◽  
...  

As global material wealth rises and young people are heavily exposed to advertising across a range of channels, including rapidly developing social media where material goods are flaunted as symbols of a happy and successful lifestyle, materialism levels across the world seem likely to rise. Given consistent research showing the correlation between materialism and low well-being, this gives cause for concern. However, no studies have so far tested whether current measures of youth materialism are generalizable across different countries and cultures. Our article fills this gap by exploring through a range of internal and external validity tests whether the popular Youth Materialism Scale (YMS) can be used with confidence across China, France, Belgium, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We show that a 5-item version of YMS is invariant across the countries (internal validity) and that it broadly correlates in expected ways with six different theoretically related constructs: Self-Esteem, Life Satisfaction, Attitude to Advertising, Parental Support, TV Use, and Internet Use (external validity). We believe that researchers and policy makers can confidently use this 5-item version of the scale in international contexts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 6863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chalmers ◽  
Stetkiewicz ◽  
Sudhakar ◽  
Osei-Kwasi ◽  
Reynolds

The impact of beef consumption on sustainability is a complex and evolving area, as sustainability covers many areas from human nutrient adequacy to ecosystem stability. Three sustainability assessment frameworks have been created to help policy makers unpack the complexities of sustainable food systems and healthy sustainable dietary change. However, none of these frameworks have yet to be applied to a case study or individual policy issue. This paper uses a hybrid version of the sustainability assessment frameworks to investigate the impact of reducing beef consumption (with a concurrent increase in consumption of plant-based foods, with a focus on legumes) on sustainability at a UK level. The aim of this paper is to understand the applicability of these overarching frameworks at the scale of an individual policy. Such an assessment is important, as this application of previously high-level frameworks to individual policies makes it possible to summarise, at a glance, the various co-benefits and trade-offs associated with a given policy, which may be of particular value in terms of stakeholder decision-making. We find that many of the proposed metrics found within the sustainability assessment frameworks are difficult to implement at an individual issue level; however, overall they show that a reduction in beef consumption and an increase in consumption of general plant-based foods, with a focus around legumes production, would be expected to be strongly beneficial in five of the eight overarching measures which were assessed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Anna Vassall ◽  
Sedona Sweeney ◽  
Edwine Barasa ◽  
Shankar Prinja ◽  
Marcus R Keogh-Brown ◽  
...  

Covid-19 requires policy makers to consider evidence on both population health and economic welfare. Over the last two decades, the field of health economics has developed a range of analytical approaches and contributed to the institutionalisation of processes to employ economic evidence in health policy. We present a discussion outlining how these approaches and processes need to be applied more widely to inform Covid-19 policy; highlighting where they may need to be adapted conceptually and methodologically, and providing examples of work to date. We focus on the evidential and policy needs of low- and middle-income countries; where there is an urgent need for evidence to navigate the policy trade-offs between health and economic well-being posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hal E. Hershfield ◽  
Elicia M. John ◽  
Joseph S. Reiff

Prior policy work has effectively eased some financial problems that Americans face: Automatic enrollment in retirement saving accounts has drastically increased the number of workers who participate in defined contribution retirement plans. Yet, such choice architecture interventions cannot always be implemented, and even when they can, they are beholden to whatever decisions the choice architect made and, in any case, may not go far enough in helping maximize financial well-being over time. Additional interventions thus need to complement already successful choice architecture ones. Namely, because many financial decisions involve trade-offs between present and future selves, with the present self often being prioritized, this review highlights interventions that make the future self more vivid to decision makers. We discuss the theoretical background underlying such interventions, the factors that may make vividness interventions more or less effective in policy contexts, and possible future directions for researchers and policy makers.


Author(s):  
Orshanska Marіana

The purpose of the article is to determine the nature, characteristics and keyproblems of the main types of economic and legal instruments for the realizationof foreign direct investment (FDI). the methodological basis of the study is asystematic approach to the processing and compilation of statistics and indicators,as well as methods for their comparison, analysis and synthesis and a method offorecasting decisions on the use of investment potential to increase the attractivenessand volume of FDI attraction. The scientific novelty of the research lies in theanalysis of greenfield and brownfield strategies as the main forms of FDIimplementation, the disclosure of the content and interpretation of data on thereal state of FDI attraction, the search for opportunities to improve the investmentclimate and effective mechanisms for attracting foreign investors. conclusions. Itis confirmed that the investment attractiveness and rating of the country in theinternational market are the main factors for attracting investors. Inaccessibleinfrastructure, inefficient judicial system, high level of corruption and imperfectlegislation are the main obstacles that need to be overcome in order to attractforeign investors’ funds, providing a full package of assistance and support ateach stage of the implementation of investment projects. Greenfield and brownfield(M&A) are the most effective forms of FDI in order to achieve high growth ratesof the domestic economy, improve the level of population well-being andinternationally enter Ukraine. An analysis of the statistics on the effectiveness ofinnovative enterprise development projects, the characteristics of economic andlegal instruments indicate the gradual improvement of the investment climate andthe promotion of FDI inflows into the region’s economy through the implementationof greenfield and brownfield strategies. Examples of effective implementation ofthese strategies in the creation of new enterprises, companies of foreignrepresentation, which are expanding their capacity and entering new domesticmarkets are given. Examples of the brownfield strategy have been analyzed torestart existing and high-quality structural and organizational changes in inefficiententerprises, which have given impetus to improving the economic environment,investment attractiveness of the economy of the region and the country as a whole.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-36
Author(s):  
Vera Todorova

The aim of the current study is to look for theoretically and empirically grounded proof for the correlation between aspirations – extrinsic and intrinsic- determining the motivation – and the psychological wellbeing of adolescents in 11th grade. Materialistic orientation is expressed in the preferences of extrinsic goals such as fame, wealth and image, while the intrinsic aspirations are related to preferences of aspirations for personal growth, personal relationships and community contribution. High level of psychological wellbeing is measured through the six elements from K. Ryff’s definition: self-acceptance, positive interaction with others, autonomy, managing of environment, meaning and personal growth. The research includes a group of 50 students in two Bulgarian high schools.


1973 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Syed Nawab Haider Naqvi

The recent uncertainties about aid flows have underscored the need for achieving an early independence from foreign aid. The Perspective Plan (1,965-85) had envisaged the termination of Pakistan's dependence on foreign aid by 1985. However, in the context of West Pakistan alone the time horizon can now be advanced by several years with considerable confidence in its economy to pull the trick. The difficulties of achieving independence from foreign aid can be seen by reference to the fact that aid flows make it possible for the policy-maker to pursue such ostensibly incompatible objectives as a balance in international payments (i.e., foreign aid finances the balance of payments), higher rates of economic growth (Lei, it pulls up domestic saving and investment levels), a high level of employment (i.e., it keeps the industries working at a fuller capacity than would otherwise be the case), and a reasonably stable price level (i.e., it lets a higher level of imports than would otherwise be possible). Without aid, then a simultaneous attainment of all these objectives at the former higher levels together with the balance in foreign payments may become well-nigh impos¬sible. Choices are, therefore, inevitable not for definite places in the hierarchy of values, but rather for occasional "trade-offs". That is to say, we will have to" choose how much to sacrifice for the attainment of one goal for the sake of somewhat better realization of another.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Baskoro Wicaksono

This study describes the border management policy conducted by the central government, provinceof East Kalimantan and Nunukan. Policies such as the establishment of regulatory, institutionalstrengthening, programs and infrastructure development. The policy is getting good responsefrom the elite and the masses. On the other hand policy makers have expectations of localcommunities border synergism Sebatik Island in order to build and develop the border areas so asto break the chain of dependence on Malaysia. The research was conducted in Sebatik Island,East Kalimantan province Nunukan with the formulation of the problem (a) what policies areoriented to maintain borders, (b) How is the public response to government policy, (c) What areyour expectations of policy makers in local communities to regional border. This study usedqualitative methods to phenomenological research strategy. Techniques of data collection in thisstudy using two ways, namely in-depth interviews and secondary data view Results indicate thatthe existing policy of both the central and provincial to district borders do not solve the problembecause it is made on the island of Sebatik with other border regions. The policy does not includelocal knowledge, where it is desperately needed by the people Sebatik. In addition to policies onprograms and infrastructure development of the center, the district adopted a policy of inactionagainst the illegal cross-border trade, which on the one hand against the rules but if enforced thenpeople can not perform economic activities that impact well-being. Policies like this gets a positiveresponse from the public. Expectations for the future border policy is to load local content orlocal knowledge.Keyword: border policy, local knowledge, dependent relationship


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