Twinning Project between the Japanese Midwives Association and Mongolian Midwives Association for Organisational Strengthening as Shown by MACAT

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatsumi Taniguchi ◽  
Yoshiko Suetsugu ◽  
Yoko Sato ◽  
Yuki Nakamichi ◽  
Nasantogtokh Dashdondog ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Board Members ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Progress Rate ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Key Variables

Abstract BackgroundThe Japanese Midwives Association (JMA) collaborated with the Mongolian Midwives Association (MMA) on the twinning project under the guidance of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the organisational strengthening of the MMA through the twinning project with the JMA. ICM’s Member Association Capacity Assessment Tool (MACAT) was used as an indicator of MMA’s organisational strengthening—first in the year 2015 and then at the end of 2018—for a comparative analysis. For a comprehensive evaluation, qualitative interviews were conducted with the board members and general members of the MMA in 2018, and the results were compared with the issues identified during the first visit to MMA in 2014. ResultsIn 2015, 27 (28.1%) of the 96 MACAT items were achieved, while in 2018, 66 items (68.8%) were achieved. The average progress rate was 40.7%. Items with a high progress rate corresponded to: Governance (50.0%), Management Practices and Leadership (50.0%), Functions (43.8%), and Financial Resource Management (37.5%). Four themes emerged from the interviews: Professional identity, Strengthening midwifery services, Advocacy for midwives, and Recognition of midwives as autonomous professionals.ConclusionsThe organisational strengthening of the MMA through the twinning project resulted in more positive outcomes than expected. These outcomes were apparent from the evaluation of the MACAT items and the opinions and impressions of the MMA members, as elicited through the qualitative interviews. The MACAT was selected as an easy-to-understand index. However, instead of following the concept of ‘equal participation on the ground level’, a mentorship approach was adopted in line with the concept of equity. Equity and a mentorship approach can serve as key variables of success in international co-operation.

scholarly journals Conflict or Coordination? Assessment of Coordinated Development between Socioeconomic and Ecological Environment in Resource-based Cities ： Evidence from Sichuan Province of China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Xiao ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Huan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Indicator System ◽  
Sichuan Province ◽  
Ecological Environment ◽  
Coordinated Development ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Evaluation Indicator System ◽  
Comprehensive Level ◽  
Development Goals

Abstract The relationship between socioeconomic and ecological environment become a significant factor influencing the sustainable development of resource-based cities (RBCs), the transformation of RBCs is a key component of regional high-quality development. A comprehensive evaluation indicator system was constructed to research the coupling coordination level of RBCs in this paper, the dynamic DM model and the CCD model were adopted to measure the comprehensive level of the coupling coordination degree between socioeconomic and ecological environment of the 9 resource-based cities in Sichuan province. The results showed that the coupling coordination level was not ideal. Only two cities were located to the moderate coordination, and other cities were located to the primary coordination or tiny coordination. In addition, there was a significant different between SE and EE, and the comprehensive evaluation score of SE was lower than that of EE in eight RBCs, which accounting for 88.89%. Based on this, the policy suggestions for the sustainable development of different type of RBCs were provided. This study offers a model of China’s experience that might be benefit for achieving sustainable development goals (SGDs) of other cities and countries.

scholarly journals Towards Achieving Food Security in Nigeria: A Fuzzy Comprehensive Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination in Organic Fertilizers

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-127
Author(s):  
Hammed Adeniyi Salami ◽  
Saheed Matemilola ◽  
Sulaiman Akorede Fasasi ◽  
Musa Opeyemi Ahmed ◽  
Ismail Adebayo Adigun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Comprehensive Assessment ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Fuzzy Comprehensive Assessment ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Zero Hunger

In the quest towards achieving the Zero hunger agenda of the sustainable development goals by 2030, the utilization of organic fertilizers, for soil amendment purposes, has been posited as a feasible alternative for overcoming the negative impacts of inorganic fertilizers. Despite its manifold benefits, the use of untreated and improperly treated organic materials in agricultural production is however capable of introducing toxic metals in the soil-plant systems causing health and agro-environmental impacts. In this study, available organic fertilizers use by Nigerian farmers were selected and analyzed for nutrient values and most importantly, heavy metal contamination. The degree of contamination in each sample was modeled using fuzzy comprehensive assessment. The manure samples possessed optimum nutritional values; the nitrogen, phosphate, and potash contents ranged from 0.91 – 7.44, 0.06 – 1.61, 0.14 – 0.58% respectively. The fuzzy algorithm results categorized all the organic fertilizers as pristine, with a membership degree ranging from 35 to 99%. However, an excessive level of toxic contamination, with a membership function between 3 to 33% was observed. The major contaminants were identified as Zn, Cr, and Cd with an individual contribution of 16, 29, and 33% respectively. Adequate remediation techniques and good management practices that reduce the concentration of heavy metals in the organic fertilizers especially that of Zn, Cr, and Cd, should therefore be promoted among the producers and users of these soil improvers in Nigeria.

Sustainable Development: Regional Aspect of the Global Agenda

2020 ◽  
pp. 118-127
Author(s):  
O. G. Smeshko
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Regional Economy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Scientific Discourse ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Regional Management ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Development Concept ◽  
Regional Authorities

The presented study analyzes current trends in the spreading of the sustainable development concept in regional management practices.Aim. The study aims to evaluate the reflection of sustainable development problems in regional management practices.Tasks. The author examines the concept of sustainable development in the context of the modern approach to territorial development management; analyzes the way problems of sustainable development are represented in modern studies of regional economy; determines the degree of involvement of regional authorities in the promotion of sustainable development goals.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition to examine the specific features of representation of sustainable development goals in scientific discourse on the regional economy and the extent of regions’ involvement in the achievement of sustainable development goals (through the example of the environmental factor). The study uses information publicly available on the official websites of the UN and the Russian Federal State Statistics Service. The author’s opinion is based on the materials presented in analytical reviews of events at business forum, economic publications on the sustainable development of the regional economy. and the author’s own calculations.Results. The formation of the sustainable development concept and a mechanism for controlling the achievement of goals into which the process of sustainable development can be decomposed is described. Scientific discourse on the directions of regional economic studies that address the problems of sustainable development is analyzed. The performance indicators of regional authorities in achieving sustainable development goals are analyzed.Conclusions. National development management requires active interaction between the federal center, regional authorities, administrative bodies, and businesses in the development of the national agenda and integration of sustainable development goals into it. At present, none of the actors in this process show significant signs of activity.

scholarly journals Supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: reconceptualising a ‘sustainable development assessment tool’ for the health and care system in England

2018 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hewitt ◽  
Petra Molthan-Hill ◽  
Richard Lomax ◽  
Jerome Baddley
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Corporate Citizenship ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
National Public Health ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Development Assessment

Aim: As one of the biggest organisations in the world, the National Health Service (NHS) in England can contribute considerably to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN’s SDGs). In order to optimise this, this study evaluated and reconceptualised a sustainable development assessment tool for health and care settings in England. Methods: A quantitative survey and user/expert discussion panels were conducted to evaluate and reconceptualise the existing sustainable development assessment tool used by the NHS in England, the so-called ‘Good Corporate Citizenship Assessment Tool’, including potential improvements such as the integration of the UN’s SDGs. Results: A reconceptualised self-assessment tool integrating the UN’s SDGs was developed and implemented online as the ‘Sustainable Development Assessment Tool’ (SDAT). Further improvements included a process-oriented redesign and the creation of new modules and cross-sections aligning them with the leads responsible for the implementation of key initiatives in NHS organisations, which would contribute to achieving the targets of the SDGs. Conclusion: User/expert involvement has enabled an informed approach to a reconceptualisation of a sustainable assessment tool for health and care settings. The tool will support organisations to build their mandatory Sustainable Development Management Plans, as part of the National Public Health Outcomes Framework. Alignment of the tool to the UN’s SDGs provides an opportunity for health and care organisations to demonstrate accountability and progress against the UN’s set of transformational goals. Furthermore, the tool could be adapted to other public service providers.

scholarly journals Auf der Suche nach dem wirksamsten Nudge zur Absatzsteigerung nachhaltiger Speisen in der Außer-Haus-Gastronomie

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-108
Author(s):  
Pascal Ohlhausen ◽  
Nina Langen ◽  
Silke Friedrich ◽  
Melanie Speck ◽  
Katrin Bienge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Nutrition Behavior ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
German Cities

Zusammenfassung: Um die globalen Nachhaltigkeitsziele zu erreichen sind die Ernährungsentscheidungen, die Gäste in der Außer-Haus-Gastronomie treffen, von besonderer Bedeutung. Welcher Nudge am besten geeignet ist, um Gäste zu einem nachhaltigen Ernährungsverhalten zu stupsen, wurde in fünf unterschiedlichen Reallaboren der Außer-Haus-Gastronomie von Herbst 2016 bis Frühjahr 2017 in vier deutschen Städten getestet. Die Reallabore repräsentieren dabei die drei Segmente der Außer-Haus-Gastronomie - Betrieb, Pflege, Bildung. Erstmals wurden dazu drei identische Nudges zur Steigerung des Abverkaufs der nachhaltigsten Gerichte des Tages standardisiert verglichen. Um eine Vergleichbarkeit zwischen den Reallaborsettings und über den Erhebungszeitraum hinweg zu erzielen, wurde zur Bewertung der Nachhaltigkeit der Gerichte ein eigens entwickeltes Instrument verwendet sowie die Speisepläne zwischen den beteiligten Kantinen harmonisiert. Es zeigt sich, dass der aus Sicht der Unternehmen einfachste der getesteten Nudges allen anderen hinsichtlich der Wirksamkeit zur Steigerung des Absatzes nachhaltiger Speisen in der Außer-Haus-Gastronomie tendenziell überlegen ist. Summary: To achieve the sustainable development goals, it is important to take consumers’ food choices into account which oftentimes take place in the out-of-home catering sector. To influence consumer choice towards a more sustainable nutrition behavior three different nudges in five real life laboratories were tested. Until now—to our knowledge—there are no scientific publications about standardized comparisons of the nudges examined in this study. From autumn 2016 to spring 2017 these nudges were applied to the most sustainable dishes of the day in three different canteen settings (business, care, education) in four German cities. The comparability is ensured through a specifically developed sustainability assessment tool as well as the harmonization of the menus between the settings and across time. One nudge tended to be most efficient for increasing sales of sustainable dishes out-of-home in all settings of the out-of-home catering sector.

scholarly journals Strategic Management Practices and Service Delivery at Public Hospitals in Kenya: A Case of Kenyatta National Hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-128
Author(s):  
Tabitha Mwende Musili ◽  
◽  
Bernadette Mutinda ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
National Hospital ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals

The aim of this research was to investigate influence of strategic management practices and service delivery at public hospitals in Kenya: a case of Kenyatta National Hospital. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the effect of communication and capacity building on service delivery in KNH. The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 as a call to action to end poverty and protect the environment. The third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals is to promote health and well-being among people of all ages. The aim was to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Kenya is, however one of the countries where the target of sustainable development has not been achieved. Among other variables, this was due to service delivery in health facilities. As the largest referral hospital, KNH is also facing service quality problems. The challenges lead to sluggish patient diagnosis and care, unduly long appointments leading to insufficient treatment adherence, and high population expectations for outstretched services. This research used a descriptive style. The Krejcie and Morgan formula was used to generate a sample size of 346 people from a target population of 3,006. To determine the sample size, stratified proportionate sampling was used. A pilot research was conducted to ensure that the instruments were valid. Descriptive and inferential method were used to analyze the results. Students, scholars, and KNH decision-makers should all learn from this research. The study established that there was a statistically significant influence of communication on service delivery at public hospitals in Kenya. The study also revealed that there was a statistically significant effect of capacity building on service delivery at public hospitals in Kenya. Keywords: Capacity building, Communication, Strategic management practices

scholarly journals Sustainability Engagement and Earnings Management: The Italian Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Grimaldi ◽  
Alessandra Caragnano ◽  
Marianna Zito ◽  
Massimo Mariani
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Italian Context

This study aims at exploring the effect of sustainability engagement on earnings management (EM) practices with particular reference to the Italian context in the year 2018, after the implementation of Legislative Decree No. 254/2016 on the disclosure of non-financial information. This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by United Nations in 2015 and specifically with SDG 12 and relative target 12.6 focusing on the adoption of sustainable practices and the integration of sustainability information into reporting on the behalf of companies. We analyzed a sample of 60 companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. Our results suggest that there is a slight negative relationship between sustainability engagement and earnings management practices. Indeed, our evidence shows that companies characterized by higher level of sustainability engagement are less prone to advance EM practices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research to investigate the effect of the sustainability engagement on EM practices with reference to a sample of Italian listed companies.

scholarly journals Communication Strategies for the 2030 Agenda Commitments: A Multivariate Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10554
Author(s):  
Isabel-María García-Sánchez ◽  
Víctor Amor-Esteban ◽  
David Galindo-Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Csr Strategies ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Corporate Social

Companies are fully aware of the importance of including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies, and of the importance of ensuring that the information disclosed allows groups to be identified. The business contribution to the 2030 Agenda is of interest, as it entails an accurate representation of company identity and is congruent with its contribution to the 2030 Agenda. For it, a content analysis of the business communication of 69 Spanish companies with their stakeholders was carried out in order to identify the possible existence of impression management practices. The evidence obtained indicates that although certain companies have adopted strategies to legitimise their contribution through self-promoting information or terms that allow diverting attention from irresponsible behaviour, companies that show a commitment to the 2030 Agenda do not make use of the information disclosed to manage stakeholder perceptions. Theoretically, our research contributes to increasing current knowledge about corporate communication strategies related to non-financial information, and identifying strategies to legitimise and manage impressions in the information related to the SDGs initiatives.

“No one will be left behind?” Taíno indigenous communities in the Caribbean and the road to SDGs 2030

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-320
Author(s):  
Johnnel Smith ◽  
Andrew J. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous People ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Christopher Columbus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Road ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Caribbean

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the existence of the Taíno people in Cuba and Jamaica and their alignment with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of 2030. The Caribbean has long had a narrative that the indigenous people – the Taíno – were made extinct after their encounter with Christopher Columbus in the 1500s. However, recent theoretical and empirical data have documented the survival and existence of indigenous people throughout the Caribbean. The goal of this paper is to contribute to a new narrative on Caribbean indigenous communities by documenting their current needs and challenges in achieving sustainability. It further recommends practical ways in which indigenous communities can be included in plans/goals for sustainability to ensure full alignment for the betterment of their people. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes a qualitative case study approach coupled with a literature review of the Taíno of the Caribbean. Qualitative interviews were conducted with Caciques/Kasikes (Tribe Leaders) and members of Taíno communities in Jamaica and Cuba. Findings The members of the indigenous communities’ view community-based/indigenous tourism as a solution to preserve and sustain their heritage and provide income for their people; they provide strong recommendations on how this may be achieved in keeping with the 2030 SDGs. Originality/value Academic literature that documents the modern day existence and experiences of the Caribbean indigenous people, especially in Cuba and Jamaica, is a clear gap. The goal of this paper is to provide a new theoretical framework/narrative on Caribbean indigenous communities and suggest practical ways in which they can be further integrated with tourism to ensure full alignment for the betterment and sustainability of their people.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Student Sustainability Competencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Waltner ◽  
Werner Rieß ◽  
Christoph Mischo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Development And Validation

The importance of education, and ESD in particular, for achieving sustainable development is highlighted in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since the Brundtland Report (1987) and the Agenda 21 conference in Rio in 1992, many measures and programs have been launched. However, no widely accepted and validated assessment instruments are currently available to examine the output levels of ESD on the student side as a means to contribute to monitoring the effects of ESD initiatives. Furthermore, connections to the results of empirical educational research are often lacking. Indeed, operationalization is necessary in order to evaluate actions of fostering ESD. Taking concepts of empirical educational and other relevant research findings (for example, psychology for sustainability) into account, this study develops a reliable and valid approach to measuring sustainability competencies. In this paper, novel data of a first school assessment is presented. One thousand six hundred and twenty-two students (aged from 9 to 16) participated in the survey. The paper-pencil questionnaire covers general (socio-demographic) as well as cognitive, affective, behavioral, application- and curriculum-orientated aspects of sustainability competencies. The evidence for the validity and reliability of the instrument indicates that the presented assessment tool constitutes a suitable instrument by which to measure sustainability competencies in secondary schools. The gathered insights show a path towards the operationalization of sustainability competencies to clarify the needs and achievements of ESD implementation in schools.

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