scholarly journals The Safe Harbors Youth Intervention Project: inter-sectoral collaboration to address sexual exploitation in Minnesota

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel Edinburgh ◽  
Emily Huemann ◽  
Kathryn Richtman ◽  
Andrea McDonald Marboe ◽  
Elizabeth Saewyc

The authors aimed to evaluate the Safe Harbors Youth Intervention Project inter-sectoral collaboration to improve continuity and appropriateness of services for sexually exploited children and adolescents. The study was carried on through an intensive, single case study, drawing on interviews and focus groups with experiential youths (n=125) and multi-sectoral stakeholders (n=196), documented activities, and repeated interviews with collaborating team members (n=29), teen clients (n=46) and parents (n=22). The collaboration was designed around an eight-step process for creating victim-centered protocols within and across organizations, altering services to bridge gaps in care, and creating training tools for the different sectors. The results of the study showed an initial needs assessment documented fragmented care and problematic communication across departments and sectors. The shared protocol development among decision makers from each agency, focused on best practices and evidence-based interventions, fostered trusting relationships, improved awareness of different roles and services, and speeded practice changes to remove barriers to care for sexually exploited youths. A task-focused collaboration with a shared community-wide protocol, increases transparency between services, and ongoing inter-sectoral training helps healthcare team foster a meaningful response to sexually exploited youths.

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 581
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Rodriguez Delgadillo ◽  
Khaled Medini ◽  
Thorsten Wuest

Additive manufacturing as a key Industry 4.0 technology brings radical changes to how we execute production and services operations. However, this innovative technology has not reached maturity and research and development are still in progress to unleash its full sustainability potential. This paper aims to provide operational guidance to decision makers to jointly improve quality and sustainability performance of additive manufacturing processes. We propose a framework based on the DMAIC (Define/Measure/Analyze/Improve/Control) methodology and comprehensive pool of targeted key performance indicators (KPIs) and illustrate this framework through a single case study. The paper evidences the feasibility of extending DMAIC to the growing additive manufacturing domain to achieve quality and sustainability objectives. The case study uncovered some challenges, e.g., the need for customization to a company/industry context, which must be addressed in order to widely apply the proposed framework successfully.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Schlossberg ◽  
◽  
Rebecca Lewis ◽  
Aliza Whalen ◽  
Clare Haley ◽  
...  

This report summarizes the primary output of this project, a book of COVID-era street reconfiguration case studies called Rethinking Streets During COVID-19: An Evidence-Based Guide to 25 Quick Redesigns for Physical Distancing, Public Use, and Spatial Equity. COVID-era needs have accelerated the process that many communities use to make street transformations due to: a need to remain physically distanced from others outside our immediate household; a need for more outdoor space close to home in every part of every community to access and enjoy; a need for more space to provide efficient mobility for essential workers in particular; and a need for more space for local businesses as they try to remain open safely. This project is the third in a series of NITC-supported case study books on best practices in street reconfigurations for more active, sustainable, and in this case, COVID-supportive uses. The full, 154-page book is available for free download from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC).


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Sreekumar Menon

This exploratory qualitative single case study discusses the benefits and process improvements pertinent to enterprise resource and planning (ERP) projects. The study was conducted in a Canadian case organization in the oil and gas industry that includes twenty participants from four project role groups of senior leaders, project managers, project team members, and business users. The results of the study revealed twenty-two key benefits and four process improvements from which organizations can draw value while planning for ERP projects. The top six benefits include: standardization of common business processes, single integrated system, standardized reporting, improved key performance indicators (KPI), all countries in one system, and easy access to data. Knowing and maximizing these key benefits may prove beneficial for organizations, while planning for major investments in ERP systems.


Author(s):  
Celia Polo García-Ochoa

Objective: This study explores how business accelerators programs can impact on the successful growth of their accelerated start-ups based on the dynamic capabilities’ perspective. The author investigates business accelerators practices and tools in supporting new ventures development with the aim of addressing the following research question: To what extend can start-ups benefit from participating in an accelerator program from the dynamic capabilities’ perspective? Methodology: Given the lack of literature on business acceleration practices and on how them influences a start-up’s dynamic capabilities generation, the authors conducted an exploratory case study in a Spanish business accelerator. Results: The business accelerator provide startups with a mix of services embedded in specific practices and tools resulting in the generation of the dynamic capabilities of sensing the market, absorption, integration, and innovation in its startups. Limitations: This study focuses on a single case study resulting in a limited generalization of its findings. Practical implications: This paper open new paths for business accelerators and other institution decision makers by giving guidelines to design business acceleration programs allowing them to allocate resources in a more rational way. It also offers a valuable perspective for founders on the ways of satisfying their needs to complete their business potential. It also offers them an initial checklist of practices to be aware of when deciding to apply to a business accelerator. Also, we add a new perspective to study business accelerator contributions and shed some light on what specific accelerators’ tools and practices may facilitate positive effects in startups.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubab Malik ◽  
Robin Mann ◽  
Rebecca Knapman

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate and document a new approach to best practice benchmarking called rapid benchmarking. Rapid benchmarking is defined by the authors as an approach to dramatically shorten the typical length of time to conduct a successful best practice benchmarking project.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology involved a case study exploration of a multinational dairy company's best practice benchmarking approach using structured interviews and data collection to examine the speed and results achieved through its benchmarking approach and whether it was justified in naming it as rapid benchmarking. A comparison of the speed of the dairy company's approach was undertaken against 24 other organisations that had utilised the same benchmarking methodology (TRADE Best Practice Benchmarking). In addition, a literature review was undertaken to search for other cases of rapid benchmarking and compare rapid benchmarking with other rapid improvement approaches.FindingsThe findings revealed that the approach used by the dairy company was unique, with best practices being identified and action plans signed off for deployment within a five-day period (far quicker than the average time of 211 days reported by other organisations). Key success factors for rapid benchmarking were found to be allocating five dedicated days for the benchmarking team to spend on the project, identifying the right team members for the project, obtaining sponsorship support for the project and providing intensive facilitation support through a benchmarking facilitator.Research limitations/implicationsOnly one company was found to use a rapid benchmarking approach; therefore, the findings are from one case study. The depth of analysis presented was restricted due to commercial sensitivity.Practical implicationsThe rapid benchmarking approach is likely to be of great interest to practitioners, providing them with a new way of finding solutions and best practices to address challenges that need to be solved quickly or with minimal expense. For organisations that have been using benchmarking for many years, the research will enable them to re-evaluate their own benchmarking approach and consider if rapid benchmarking could be used for some projects, particularly for internal benchmarking where it is easier to apply.Originality/valueThis research is the first to identify and document a rapid benchmarking approach and the first to provide a detailed analysis of the length of time it takes to undertake best practice benchmarking projects (and each stage of a benchmarking project).


Author(s):  
Ada Hurst ◽  
Oscar G. Nespoli ◽  
Sarah Abdellahi ◽  
John S. Gero

AbstractAcademics teach engineering design based on design theory and best practices, practitioners teach design based on their experience. Is there a difference between them? There appears to be little prior work in comparing the design processes of design academics and practitioners. This paper presents a case study in which the design activity of a team of academics was compared to that of a team of practitioners. The participants’ verbalizations during team discussions were coded using the Function- Behaviour-Structure (FBS) ontology. A qualitative comparison reveals that the team of practitioners constructs the design space earlier and generally spends more time in the solution space than the team of academics. Further, the team of practitioners has a significant number of direct transitions from function (F) to structure (S), while no such transitions are observed for the team of academics. Given that this is a single case study, the results cannot be used as the basis for any generalizations on how academics and practitioners compare. This is a successful proof of methodologies that lay the foundation for a series of hypotheses to be tested in a future study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 124 (6) ◽  
pp. 497-510
Author(s):  
Rebecca Frantz ◽  
Sarah G. Hansen ◽  
Buket Erturk ◽  
Wendy Machalicek ◽  
Jane Squires ◽  
...  

Abstract Paraeducators are ideal candidates for delivering communication interventions to children with developmental disabilities and delays (DD) because they spend a significant amount of time with these children. However, professional development is often inadequate and limited research supports best practices. Additionally, paraeducators work with multiple children with varying skill levels. Little research has been conducted on the use of existing strategies with multiple children. This single-case study examines the effect of a training package on paraeducators' fidelity of intervention implementation with a child dyad and subsequent child outcomes. Results suggest that formal coaching contributed to improved fidelity of intervention implementation. Furthermore, paraeducators were able to use intervention strategies with children with varying communication skills and goals. Variable increases in child communication were also detected.


BMJ Leader ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. leader-2021-000538
Author(s):  
Sara Poplau ◽  
Mark Linzer ◽  
Dominique Allwood ◽  
Victor Montori ◽  
Ryan Armbruster ◽  
...  

BackgroundThere is evidence that creating a ‘healthy workplace’ can be of profound importance for clinicians, team members and patients. Yet there have been few papers that have proposed mechanisms to take decades of research and translate this into a practical list of options for leaders and managers to take into account when structuring a clinic based on care and kindness to achieve optimal health.EvidenceWe bring together 20 years of scholarship linking care of the caregivers with outcomes for caregivers and patients. The data are used to support both structures and cultures that will result in satisfied and thriving healthcare team members, as well as satisfied and healthy patients.ResultsThe clinic based on care of the caregivers will be structured to address key aspects of worklife that are known to cause either satisfaction or burnout. Aspects of care, such as time pressure, chaotic environments and worker control of their workplace, will be taken into account in clinical design; organisational culture will be supportive and cohesive, emphasising quality, values and communication. Experiences based on gender and race will be measured and continuously improved; and performance will be evaluated in a new, human-centred manner.OutcomesThe careful and kind clinic will be a remarkable place to work; in contrast to industrialised healthcare, this will be an environment where health can indeed be optimised, for both workers and patients.


IFLA Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 034003522110230
Author(s):  
Carolyne Ménard

Parliamentary libraries play a crucial role in providing information support to decision-makers around the world. These institutions have faced an unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had to modify their practices considerably to keep serving their users. This article explores how the National Assembly of Quebec Library has responded to this issue and redefined its services during the pandemic. The author presents the challenges and opportunities met while adapting virtual services, redefining document handling and improving team communication, and foresees future obstacles for the institution. This case study shares best practices and the lessons learned in the hope of informing and advising similar institutions facing challenges during this pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1023-1041
Author(s):  
Enzo Bivona ◽  
Francesco Ceresia ◽  
Giovanni Tumminello

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how the changing interrelationships between fleet management, human resources and outsourcer capacity areas are likely to counterbalance managerial policies, thereby generating a performance decay. The use of system dynamics modelling in a waste collection company offered an effective contribution to support decision makers to overcoming myopic decisions. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and a case study analysis (including interviews with company actors and data gathering) offered the basis to build a system dynamics model. The model built was then used to run simulations sessions to assess alternative investments decisions. Findings Simulation results show that understanding cause-and-effect relationships between company sub-systems can help managers to shift the focus of their decision process from a single department to the whole business system. Further, the paper offers three alternative scenarios (myopic, reactive and proactive) from which to learn how to design effective long-term sustainable policies. Research limitations/implications The simulation model was developed based on a literature review and a single-case study. Although it offers a useful contribution in the investigated case, to generalise its results, additional application to waste collection companies would be desirable. Practical implications The findings of the study have implications for public decision makers and those scholars investigating how to discourage the adoption of myopic decisions in complex environments. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, only few studies investigated how the fleet management is likely to impact on the performance of waste collection companies. This study offers a contribution in this direction.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document