scholarly journals Contrasting Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Pine Plantations in the Páramo Ecosystem of Ecuador

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Quiroz Dahik ◽  
Patricio Crespo ◽  
Bernd Stimm ◽  
Felipe Murtinho ◽  
Michael Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Water Provision ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Erosion Prevention ◽  
Future Management

The páramo, a collection of Neotropical alpine ecosystems, plays a prominent role in ecosystem services (ESs), providing water supply and regulation, conservation of biodiversity, and carbon storage in soil. The establishment of pine plantations for carbon sequestration and wood production has recently raised questions concerning the possible impact on the páramo’s ES. This study identifies the main stakeholders in this field and compares and contrasts their perceptions of the impact of pine plantations on the páramo’s ES, because the disparity among stakeholders’ perceptions must be addressed to achieve sustainable management. The data were gathered using 56 semi-structured interviews and were qualitatively analyzed. The results show that the main stakeholder groups (landowners, local government officials, foresters, and nature conservationists) acknowledge the important ES of the plantations. The perception of plantation impact varies among and within stakeholder groups, however, on specific functions, such as water provision, carbon storage, erosion prevention, and habitat function for wildlife and natural vegetation. Consideration and integration of these perceptions can help policy makers and organizations develop sustainable policies for the future management of the páramo ecosystem.

scholarly journals Disaster response and recovery in two informal settlements: A local government perspective

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 606-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu ◽  
Malcolm Alan Henworth Wallis
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
The Impact

Informal settlements in urban areas have long been afflicted by disasters and exposed to exploitation by politicians, shacklords, academics, journalists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), tavern owners and government officials. This problem is caused to some degree by limited land for expansion which has resulted in the creation of highly densified and unplanned, irregular settlements using poor, combustible building materials. The purpose of the article is to investigate whether eThekwini Municipality’s strategies are sufficient to respond to and recover from the impact of disasters. The research was undertaken at the Foreman and Kennedy Road informal settlements located in Clare Estate, under Ward 25, in Durban within eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (refer to Annexure 1). These areas are very important politically as they are densily populated and highly contested between political parties and local resistant’s organizations such as Abahlali baseMjondolo. Questionnaires were self-administered to a sample size of 220 of which 140 respondents completed the questionnaires, thereby generating a response rate of 63.6%. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with municipal officials. The findings indicate that 44.3% of the victims of disasters received assistance from NGOs and regard civil society as playing an important role after disasters compared to 7.1% of the responding municipal officials.

Neoliberal governance in Indonesian universities: the impact upon academic identity

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 666-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurdiana Gaus ◽  
David Hall
Keyword(s):  
Academic Identity ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
State Universities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Personal Project ◽  
Neoliberal Governance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the under life of Indonesian academics during ongoing implementation of government-driven policy enacted in higher education instititutions in Indonesia. The attention was specifically focused on the new programme of accountability and quality assurance moderated by the implementation of online assessment system to monitor and evaluate the perfromance of lecturers directly and how this system impacted upon the meaning of academic identity perceived by them. Design/methodology/approach – This study was drawn from a qualitative research of case study approach. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data and conducted with 30 academics from three state universities. Findings – This study revealed that academics were grappling to balance their schism between keeping their existing identity tenable and excercising new prescribed roles from external environment. However, academics were still able to practice their preceived identity through their principled personal project that legitimate them to become academics and pursue their success rather than use instrumental means. Practical implications – The results of this study will be expected to contribute to a better understanding on the dynamics of academics’ world as it is encountered against government-driven policy, and provide indications for policy makers to take into account this issue in the formulation and enactment of their policy. Originality/value – A new aspect of identity in academic profession was found, that is to say religion.

The benefits of logistics clustering

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana Rivera ◽  
David Gligor ◽  
Yossi Sheffi
Keyword(s):  
Value Added ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rich Description ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Job Growth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the benefits of logistics clustering, with the intent to explain their growth and popularity among private agents and policy makers during the last decade. Design/methodology/approach – Because of limited knowledge about the benefits of logistics clustering a main objective of this paper is theory building. The authors employed a grounded theory approach and conducted 135 open and semi structured interviews with logistics executives, government officials, academics, and chambers of commerce representatives. Findings – Study results revealed that, the agglomeration of logistics firms provides several key benefits to companies. Specifically, it was found that logistics clustering facilitates collaboration-related benefits, offering of value added services, career mobility for the logistics workforce within the cluster, and promotes job growth at multiple levels within the cluster. The authors offer a rich description of these benefits and the mechanisms that facilitate these outcomes. Research limitations/implications – This paper uses a qualitative approach. Further research using a quantitative approach to measure the magnitude of the impacts and benefits of logistics clusters would be desirable. Originality/value – This paper identifies the benefits associated with logistics clustering and thus provides justification for public authorities and private agents to invest in this phenomenon.

Working in a therapeutic community: exploring the impact on staff

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisha Vyas ◽  
Cathy Spain ◽  
David Rawlinson
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Emotional Instability ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact working in a therapeutic community (TC) has on staff practice and personal development. Design/methodology/approach Eight female members of staff who work in the TC participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used. Findings The findings of this paper show three superordinate themes: confidence gained within TC; the staff impact of the intensity of TC; and staff value for specific TC principles. Research limitations/implications Limitations include researcher bias as both authors work in the TC and/or in the service. Reasonable adjustments were made in order to account for this. Practical implications Implications for future research include understanding and supporting the needs of staff and further exploration of the impact of staff working within TCs for people diagnosable with emotionally unstable personality disorders. Originality/value The research was carried out at one of the longest running TCs for people with emotional instability in the country. It offers a unique opportunity to garner the views of staff members with up to 27 years of experience. Findings may be of value to practitioners, administrators, policy makers and researchers interested in therapeutic communities.

scholarly journals Measuring the Supply of Ecosystem Services from Alternative Soil and Nutrient Management Practices: A Transdisciplinary, Field-Scale Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10303
Author(s):  
Alissa White ◽  
Joshua W. Faulkner ◽  
David Conner ◽  
Lindsay Barbieri ◽  
E. Carol Adair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Silage Production ◽  
The Impact

Farmers and policy makers pursue management practices that enhance water quality, increase landscape flood resiliency, and mitigate agriculture’s contribution to climate change, all while remaining economically viable. This study presents a holistic assessment of how two practices influence the supply of these ecosystem services—the use of an aerator prior to manure application in haylands, and the stacked use of manure injection, cover crops, and reduced tillage in corn silage production. Field data are contextualized by semi-structured interviews that identify influences on adoption. Causal loop diagrams then illustrate feedbacks from ecosystem services onto decision making. In our study, unseen nutrient pathways are the least understood, but potentially the most important in determining the impact of a practice on ecosystem services supply. Subsurface runoff accounted for 64% to 92% of measured hydrologic phosphorus export. Average soil surface greenhouse gas flux constituted 38% to 73% of all contributions to the equivalent CO2 footprint of practices, sometimes outweighing carbon sequestration. Farmers identified interest in better understanding unseen nutrient pathways, expressed intrinsic stewardship motivations, but highlighted financial considerations as dominating decision making. Our analysis elevates the importance of financial supports for conservation, and the need for comprehensive understandings of agroecosystem performance that include hard-to-measure pathways.

scholarly journals Impact of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) on Rural Communities' Livelihoods in Xiengkhouang Province, Lao PDR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sopha Soulineyadeth
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Unexploded Ordnance ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Indochina War

<p>For over 30 years since the end of the Second Indochina War, UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) contamination in Laos has been a major issue. Laos is considered the most heavily bombed country in the world in terms of quantity of ammunition per capita.  Approximately 25 percent of the villages are contaminated with UXO, and a third of the country’s total area is covered by UXO contamination, comprising around 87 thousand square kilometres. This severely limits the expansion of agricultural production, which leads to scarcity of food supplies, and limits local people’s ability to achieve sustainable livelihoods. Thus, UXO is both a significant challenge to community development and national social and economic development. UXOs are also the cause of many accidents in Laos, the casualties are often farmers who are involved in agricultural activities. Between 1999 and 2012, 934 casualties which was divided into 655 injuries and 279 deaths.  This study was conducted in Xienkhouang province, Lao PDR, a region heavily affected by UXO. The aim of this thesis is to explore the policies and institutions working on UXO in this province, the major difficulties rural communities face in their livelihoods in relation to UXO and the strategies they are using to cope with these difficulties, and to provide a reflection on how to improve support for these communities.  Applying the sustainable livelihood framework as its conceptual framework, this research followed a qualitative approach involving the conduction of 24 semi-structured interviews, including 15 villagers and 9 interviews from organisations working on the UXO domain.  Understanding of the impact of UXO on rural communities' livelihoods an their coping mechanism is crucial to expand debates within development studies in post-conflict settings, as well as for both practitioners and policy makers.</p>

scholarly journals The upper middle income status of botswana vis a Vie gaberone’s non-governmental organisations’ access to international funding.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-46
Author(s):  
Zenzo Lusaba Dube ◽  
Gwendoline Vimbai Mandizvidza
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Income Status

The research evaluates if the classification of Botswana as an Upper Middle Income Country (UMIC) negates Gaborone’s Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) access to financial support from international development partners. The objectives were, to establish the extent to which the UMIC status of Botswana has affected NGO access to funding from international development partners, second, to establish what other factors and to what extent such factors influence accessibility of funding from international development partners, third, to establish the strategies engaged by NGOs which are still accessing funding from international development partners and, last, to proffer methodologies that could enhance access to funding from international development partners by Botswana NGOs. A case study research design was used. The research was qualitative and employed semi structured interviews and focus group discussions. A total of fifty six (56) respondents was realized, namely through the policy makers, senior government officials and administrators, NGOs and their umbrella bodies. The research established that Botswana’s UMIC status did not have a huge bearing on failure by some local NGOs in accessing financial support from international development partners. The research revealed that NGOs required more technical and strategic preparedness, a necessary pre requisite for funding.

scholarly journals Mathematics teachers’ professional learning: Impact of story sharing and reflective dialogue

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-81
Author(s):  
Parmeshwar Prasad Mohan ◽  
Deepa Chand
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Reflective Dialogue ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Story Sharing ◽  
The Impact

This research examined the impact of story sharing and reflective dialogue on mathematics teachers’ professional learning in Fiji. Employing a qualitative research methodology, semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from nine Fijian secondary school mathematics teachers. The study established that: 1) teachers improve their instructional practice when they share stories of classroom experiences of teaching with their colleagues and collectively reflect on those stories; 2) the truth of stories is that those that are concrete and willingly shared are powerful in transferring rich knowledge; and 3) when teachers share their stories with their colleagues and engage in reflective dialogue, it provides rich conversations that enhances teachers’ professional growth. Understanding the impact of story sharing and reflective dialogue could provide policy makers and administrators with valuable insights into how to best accommodate into educational policy to enhance teachers’ professional growth.

scholarly journals Identifying opportunities to engage communities with social mobilisation activities to tackle NCDs in El Salvador in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizzie Caperon ◽  
Stella Arakelyan ◽  
Cinzia Innocenti ◽  
Alastair Ager
Keyword(s):  
El Salvador ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Treatment Provision ◽  
Social Mobilisation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Social mobilisation is potentially a key tool in the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in fragile settings. This formative study addressed existing and potential social mobilisation mechanisms seeking behaviour to tackle NCDs in El Salvador, with an emphasis on the implications in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with health workers, government officials, NGO leaders, and community members. Interviews addressed mechanisms for social mobilisation which existed prior to COVID-19, the ways in which these mechanisms tackled NCDs, the impact of COVID-19 on social mobilisation activities and new, emerging mechanisms for social mobilisation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Findings indicate a growing awareness of NCDs within communities, with social mobilisation activities seen as valuable in tackling NCDs. However, major barriers to NCD prevention and treatment provision remain, with COVID-19 constraining many possible social mobilisation activities, leaving NCD patients with less support. Factors linked with effective social mobilisation of communities for NCD prevention included strong engagement of community health teams within community structures and the delivery of NCD prevention and management messages through community meetings with trusted health professionals or community members. There are gender differences in the experience of NCDs and women were generally more engaged with social mobilisation activities than men. In the context of COVID-19, traditional forms of social mobilisation were challenged, and new, virtual forms emerged. However, these new forms of engagement did not benefit all, especially those in hard-to-reach rural areas. In these contexts, specific traditional forms of mobilisation such as through radio (where possible) and trusted community leaders - became increasingly important. Conclusions New mechanisms of fostering social mobilisation include virtual connectors such as mobile phones, which enable mobilisation through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. However, traditional forms of social mobilisation hold value for those without access to such technology. Therefore, a combination of new and traditional mechanisms for social mobilisation hold potential for the future development of social mobilisation strategies in El Salvador and, as appropriate, in other fragile health contexts.

scholarly journals Exploring the Challenges of Goods and Services Tax on Batik Manufacturers

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.15) ◽  
pp. 510
Author(s):  
Zalilawati Yaacob ◽  
Nadiah Abd Hamid ◽  
Nor Fara Shahirah Kamal ◽  
Noorlaila Ghazali ◽  
Roszil Shamsuddin
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Business Associations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia has received criticism from various parties such as businesses, policy makers, professionals, business associations and individuals. Despite the rejections from these parties, the government proceeded to implement GST on 1 April 2015. Subsequently, this led to difficulties encountered by businesses, particularly the manufacturing industry in adjusting the production cost, setting prices of products, and comply with the new indirect tax structure. Hence, this study aims to explore the challenges of GST on SME batik manufacturers pertaining to business performance and compliance. A semi structured interviews were conducted on the top management and owners of SME batik manufacturer in two states of Malaysian Peninsular, namely Kelantan and Terengganu. The respondents reported that, during the era of GST, sales of their batik products decreased tremendously. In addition, they described the GST system as a complex system that affects compliance. This study solicits government’s attention on the impact of GST on Malaysian batik manufacturers. The findings suggest that it is essential for government to devise plans in reducing the financial burden of batik manufacturers and to simplify the GST mechanism in encouraging a high level of GST compliance. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document