scholarly journals An Exploration of the Key Indicators in Holistic Accountability at Public Sector Elementary Schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahira Bibi ◽  
Sarah Warris
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Based ◽  
Key Indicators

To ensure sustainable progress in education system accountability comes into play, prompting the researcher to undertake qualitative exploratory study of school accountability at   public sector elementary schools of ICT to gain insight into the prevailing accountability norms within public education in the Federal Capital of Pakistan as well as to gauge the applicability of a comprehensive model of Holistic Accountability. The study focused on the exploration of the four key indicators of holistic accountability at public sector elementary schools of Islamabad.   Document analysis of federal accountability regulations was undertaken through an examination of the primary sources of data to cover the qualitative aspects of this research study while other primary sources of data included checklists and semi-structured interviews administered on the population sample selected through purposive sampling. Content analysis grounded on inductive reasoning revealed that the term “accountability” is quite unconnected to public elementary schools operating under the Federal Directorate of Education. School checks are more in-line with performance evaluations and monitoring exercises under the annual claim of School Development Planning. However, the four constructs of the study designed from the conceptual model of holistic accountability in alignment with the research objectives proved to have relevancy and significance in the local context as each of the four key (school-based) indicators of holistic accountability supports not just the goals of the federal board of education including student achievement, safe and secure schools but also gives freedom to schools to define their own school based strategies, practices and programs which best meet the needs of their students. Study exposed an acceptance and need for adopting holistic accountability practices at elementary schools of ICT along with transparency as regards to decision making, goal sharing and resource spending with the public.

On the Other Side of an Ethnocratic State? lgbt Activism in Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-104
Author(s):  
Adelita Selmić
Keyword(s):  
Primary Sources ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Political Equality ◽  
Departure Point ◽  
Institutional Accountability ◽  
Lgbt Activism ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Developmental Dynamics

This paper discusses the developmental dynamics of Bosnian and Herzegovinian (BiH) lgbt (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) activism in the context of the European integration (Europeanization) process. Although the official politics of BiH authorities aspires towards the European Union (eu), the country’s political deadlock and the steady position of the potential eu candidate, have created conditions in which activism operates with declarative and financial support from European organizations while having very limited impact on policies and local institutions. In this set-up, lgbt activism and non-heterosexual sexualities are placed between the specific local context of an ethnocratic state and the Western European narratives of lgbt rights and freedoms. I draw upon a range of primary sources, including the material obtained through a series of semi-structured interviews with activists, to argue that, for the time being, the lgbt movement in BiH lacks either governmental, political or societal support. However, marginal sites of non-heteronormative resistance could potentially appear as a departure point for creating an intersectionality-sensitive political platform from which to struggle for a general civic and political equality and institutional accountability.

scholarly journals Implementing Partnering for Change in Québec: Occupational Therapy Activities and Stakeholders’ Perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-82
Author(s):  
Chantal Camden ◽  
Wenonah Campbell ◽  
Cheryl Missiuna ◽  
Jade Berbari ◽  
Léa Héguy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Analysis Framework ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Based ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
The Impact

Background. The occupational therapy school-based Partnering for Change (P4C) model has mostly been documented in Ontario. Purpose. This implementation study describes the implementation of P4C in two Québec elementary schools (P4C-Q), as well as therapy practices, their impacts, factors perceived to influence implementation, and recommendations. Method. A sequential mixed-methods design was applied. Therapists (n=2) completed daily journals, describing activities by P4C-Q level. Therapists and other school-stakeholders (n=11) participated in semi-structured interviews, analyzed through a content analysis framework. Findings. Daily journals illustrated that the majority of therapy time was spent on activities targeting the entire classroom, and on collaboration with educators. Interviews illustrated how coaching was used across different practices and the impact of these practices for schools (e.g., capacity-building) and children (e.g., increased functioning), and highlighted how relationship-building is key to facilitating the implementation of this model. Implications. Lessons learned may be helpful for others implementing P4C in their own contexts.

scholarly journals Adaptation of a school-based mental health literacy curriculum: from Canadian to English classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosie Mansfield ◽  
Neil Humphrey ◽  
Praveetha Patalay ◽  
Anna Moore ◽  
Emily Stapley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
School Context ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
English Classrooms ◽  
School Based ◽  
Pedagogic Practices

Abstract Background School-based mental health literacy (MHL) interventions are increasingly trialled outside of the country in which they were developed. However, there is a lack of published studies that qualitatively explore their cultural adaptation. This study investigated the reasons for adaptations made and suggested to a Canadian MHL curriculum (The Guide) within the English school context. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 school staff responsible for the planning and/or implementation of The Guide across three schools in the South East of England, as part of the Education for Wellbeing (EfW) feasibility study. Transcripts were analysed using a hybrid, deductive-inductive thematic analysis. Results Adaptations made and suggested included dropping and emphasising content, and adapting language, examples and references. Most adaptations were proactive and related to The Guide's implementation methods, including developing more interactive and student-led approaches. Staff Capacity and Expertise, Timetabling, and Accessibility of Resources were identified as logistical reasons for adaptations. Philosophical reasons included Consistency of Messages, Student Characteristics, Reducing Stigma and Empowering Students, National and Local Context, and Appropriate Pedagogic Practices. Conclusion Overall, recommendations were for immediately implementable lesson plans informed by teachers' knowledge about best pedagogic practices in England. Adequate training, attended by both senior leadership and those implementing, was also emphasised. While ensuring that the core components are clear, MHL interventions should be developed with a necessary level of flexibility to accommodate contextual characteristics. Future research should ensure that adaptations are captured through process and implementation evaluations conducted alongside efficacy trials.

Capacity development for innovation in the public sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-280
Author(s):  
Klas Palm
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Capacity Development ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Regional Organisations

Purpose The public sector seems to have a culture and structure for control and improvement of ongoing activities but lacks the culture and structures for innovation. Thus, capacity development among public sector employees can be an important method for the development of better conditions for innovation. The purpose of this paper is to identify key factors affecting the achievement of good results when municipal and regional organisations carry out capacity development of employees with the aim of creating greater leeway for innovation in their organisation. Design/methodology/approach The study behind this paper has looked at four different concrete cases, which have applied essentially different methods for capacity building for innovation issues. A qualitative research method was used. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 39 respondents. The analysis of the information revealed in the interviews was carried out through a thematic analysis in three steps. Findings The study shows that action learning makes it easier for employees to turn knowledge generated through action into reality. The study also shows that it seems difficult to work from a digital communication platform if the platform is not combined with physical meetings. The study shows that committed and hands-on leadership is very important, that there is a need for strategic communication related to the capacity development effort including clarification and definition of what innovation means in the local context. Originality/value This paper shows a number of important aspects to consider when municipalities and regional organisations plan their capacity development initiatives in innovation. By taking these into account increases the ability of public organisations to develop and adapt their operations and deliver high quality and value-adding services to the citizens.

scholarly journals A qualitative study of organisational response to national quality standards for 7-day services in English hospitals

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Sutton ◽  
Julian Bion ◽  
Russell Mannion ◽  
Janet Willars ◽  
Elizabeth Shaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organisational Culture ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Senior Staff ◽  
National Quality ◽  
History Of ◽  
Day Services ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background National standards are commonly used as an improvement strategy in healthcare, but organisations may respond in diverse and sometimes negative ways to external quality demands. This paper describes how a sample of NHS hospital trusts in England responded to the introduction of national standards for 7-day services (7DS), from an organisational behaviour perspective. Methods We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with executive/director level and clinical staff, in eight NHS trusts that varied in size, location, and levels of specialist staffing at weekends. We explored approaches to implementing standards locally, and the impact of organisational culture and local context on organisational response. Results Senior staff in the majority of trusts described a focus on hitting targets and achieving compliance with the standards. Compliance-based responses were associated with a hierarchical organisational culture and focus on external performance. In a minority of trusts senior staff described mobilising commitment-based strategies. In these trusts senior staff reframed the external standards in terms of organisational values, and used co-operative strategies for achieving change. Trusts that took a commitment-based approach tended to be described as having a developmental organisational culture and a history of higher performance across the board. Audit data on 7DS showed improvement against standards for most trusts, but commitment-focused trusts were less likely to demonstrate improvements on the 7DS audit. The ability of trusts to respond to external standards was limited when they were under pressure due to a history of overall poor performance or resource limitations. Conclusions National standards and audit for service-level improvement generate different types of response in different local settings. Approaches to driving improvement nationally need to be accompanied by resources and tailored support for improvement, taking into account local context and organisational culture.

scholarly journals Ugandan stakeholder hopes and concerns about gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control: new directions for gene drive risk governance

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hartley ◽  
Robert D. J. Smith ◽  
Adam Kokotovich ◽  
Chris Opesen ◽  
Tibebu Habtewold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Control ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Control Programme ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Malaria Control Programme ◽  
Gene Drive ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
New Directions ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background The African Union’s High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies identified gene drive mosquitoes as a priority technology for malaria elimination. The first field trials are expected in 5–10 years in Uganda, Mali or Burkina Faso. In preparation, regional and international actors are developing risk governance guidelines which will delineate the framework for identifying and evaluating risks. Scientists and bioethicists have called for African stakeholder involvement in these developments, arguing the knowledge and perspectives of those people living in malaria-afflicted countries is currently missing. However, few African stakeholders have been involved to date, leaving a knowledge gap about the local social-cultural as well as ecological context in which gene drive mosquitoes will be tested and deployed. This study investigates and analyses Ugandan stakeholders’ hopes and concerns about gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control and explores the new directions needed for risk governance. Methods This qualitative study draws on 19 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Ugandan stakeholders in 2019. It explores their hopes for the technology and the risks they believed pertinent. Coding began at a workshop and continued through thematic analysis. Results Participants’ hopes and concerns for gene drive mosquitoes to address malaria fell into three themes: (1) ability of gene drive mosquitoes to prevent malaria infection; (2) impacts of gene drive testing and deployment; and, (3) governance. Stakeholder hopes fell almost exclusively into the first theme while concerns were spread across all three. The study demonstrates that local stakeholders are able and willing to contribute relevant and important knowledge to the development of risk frameworks. Conclusions International processes can provide high-level guidelines, but risk decision-making must be grounded in the local context if it is to be robust, meaningful and legitimate. Decisions about whether or not to release gene drive mosquitoes as part of a malaria control programme will need to consider the assessment of both the risks and the benefits of gene drive mosquitoes within a particular social, political, ecological, and technological context. Just as with risks, benefits—and importantly, the conditions that are necessary to realize them—must be identified and debated in Uganda and its neighbouring countries.

scholarly journals “What is the actual goal of the pathway?”: examining emergency department physician and nurse perspectives on the implementation of a pediatric concussion pathway using the theoretical domains framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anh Ly ◽  
Roger Zemek ◽  
Bruce Wright ◽  
Jennifer Zwicker ◽  
Kathryn Schneider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Clinical Pathways ◽  
Theoretical Domains Framework ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Emergency Department Physician ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pediatric Concussion

Abstract Background Multiple evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) exist to guide the management of concussion in children, but few have been translated into clinical pathways (CP), which operationalize guidelines into accessible and actionable algorithms that can be more readily implemented by health care providers. This study aimed to identify the clinical behaviours, attitudinal factors, and environmental contexts that potentially influence the implementation of a clinical pathway for pediatric concussion. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted from October 2017 to January 2018 with 42 emergency department clinicians (17 physicians, 25 nurses) at five urban emergency departments in Alberta, Canada. A Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)-informed interview guide contained open-ended questions intended to gather feedback on the proposed pathway developed for the study, as well as factors that could potentially influence its implementation. Results The original 14 domains of the TDF were collapsed into 6 clusters based on significant overlap between domains in the issues discussed by clinicians: 1) knowledge, skills, and practice; 2) professional roles and identity; 3) attitudes, beliefs, and motivations; 4) goals and priorities; 5) local context and resources; and 6) engagement and collaboration. The 6 clusters identified in the interviews each reflect 2–4 predominant topics that can be condensed into six overarching themes regarding clinicians’ views on the implementation of a concussion CP: 1) standardization in the midst of evolving research; 2) clarifying and communicating goals; 3) knowledge dissemination and alignment of information; 4) a team-oriented approach; 5) site engagement; and 6) streamlining clinical processes. Conclusion Application of a comprehensive, evidence-based, and theory-driven framework in conjunction with an inductive thematic analysis approach enabled six themes to emerge as to how to successfullly implement a concussion CP.

Risk management factors contributing to transgressions in the procurement practices in South African SOEs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindani Myeza ◽  
Naledi Nkhi ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
African State ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Executive Level

PurposeThe study aims to deepen the understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented, thereby contributing to transgressions in public procurement for South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs). A deeper understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented is especially important in South Africa, given the high social, economic and environmental risks to which national and major SOEs are exposed in the procurement process.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a qualitative design, based on detailed semi-structured interviews with 19 participants comprising management advisors, forensic investigators and auditors to explore why risk management principles are circumvented by South Africa SOEs.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that the tone that is set at political and executive level plays an important role in determining compliance with risk management principles by lower-level staff. Intense levels of political influence at SOEs are the main reason behind risk management systems being undermined.Originality/valueThe current study is one of the first explorations of why transgressions in public procurement continue to be evident despite risk management reforms being adopted by South Africa public sector. The research responds to the call for more studies on why reforms in South Africa public sector are not reducing transgression in public procurement. The study provides primary evidence on the importance of political and executive leadership in influencing the effectiveness of risk management reforms in the public sector.

Development of public sector information management systems: challenges and promising practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannan Khalid ◽  
Asim Noor ◽  
Javed Iqbal ◽  
Shahid Farid ◽  
Victor Chang
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Information Management System ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Project Integration ◽  
Management Project ◽  
Scope Management

Purpose More and more governmental organizations are switching to information systems to enhance their operations and reduce cost but the development of these systems involves a lot of challenges. This paper aims to find out the challenges that project managers have to face during the development of such systems and the practices they can adopt to address these challenges. Design/methodology/approach To identify the challenges, data have been gathered across six key project management areas. The six targeted key areas are project integration management, project scope management, project time management, project cost management, project human resource management and project communications management. The authors have coordinated with 11 managerial-level IT professionals using semi-structured interviews and have gone through their communication archives. Findings Findings prove that practices such as focusing on cost reduction, informal congregations, trainings and frequent communication between vendor and client help in addressing the challenges. Furthermore, learning from management experiences of the managers can assist managers in similar role to create a pattern of success while working with governmental projects. Originality/value The authors peek into the development life cycle of a public sector project named as prison information management system. The project has encountered numerous challenges and has been accomplished in significantly delayed time than designated.

Leadership of change in South Africa public sector turnarounds

2018 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mampe Kumalo ◽  
Caren Brenda Scheepers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Director General ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Financial Consequences

PurposeOrganisational decline has far-reaching, negative emotional and financial consequences for staff and customers, generating academic and practitioner interest in turnaround change processes. Despite numerous studies to identify the stages during turnarounds, the findings have been inconclusive. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap by defining these stages, or episodes. The characteristics of leaders affect the outcome of organisational change towards turnarounds. This paper focusses, therefore, on the leadership requirements during specific episodes, from the initial crisis to the full recovery phases.Design/methodology/approachA total of 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with executives from the public sector in South Africa who went through or were going through turnaround change processes and 3 with experts consulting to these organisations.FindingsContrary to current literature in organisational change, this study found that, in these turnaround situations, leadership in the form of either an individual CEO or director general was preferable to shared leadership or leadership distributed throughout the organisation. This study found four critical episodes that occurred during all the public service turnarounds explored, and established that key leadership requirements differ across these episodes. The study shows how these requirements relate to the current literature on transactional, transformational and authentic leadership.Practical implicationsThe findings on the leadership requirements ultimately inform the selection and development of leaders tasked with high-risk turnaround change processes.Originality/valueFour episodes with corresponding leadership requirements were established in the particular context of public sector turnaround change processes.

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