scholarly journals Q methodological study on stakeholder involvement processes that support process use of evaluation in the Upper Regions, Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-214
Author(s):  
Bernard Afiik Akanpabadai Akanbang ◽  
Gordon Dugle ◽  
Millicent Awialie Akaateba

This paper uses Q Methodology to ascertain the views of project staff on how they could be involved in evaluation in order to enhance process use.  Structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five project staff who participated in two project evaluations within the context of participatory evaluation in Ghana. It emerged that the use of Q Methodology in evaluation studies enhances the mainstreaming of process use by helping to focus on the critical issues in participatory evaluation practice. Process use is enhanced when ample time is provided for intensive interaction with evaluation stakeholders from the formative stage of evaluation. Process use also requires evaluators to create an environment that is supportive of mutual interaction and closeness in working relations with stakeholders. The research concludes that process use in evaluation is attained through well-planned evaluation that gives voice to project staff and emphasises shared learning. The study recommends critical attention to active participation of project staff, group processes and shared learning, if process use is to be achieved by evaluation. Further research is needed to clarify which form(s) of stakeholder involvement in evaluations contributes more positively to process use.

Author(s):  
Edwin Ochieng Okul ◽  
Raphael Ondeko Nyonje

The results of an evaluation should be used for the envisioned goal and the evaluation process and/or outcomes should be used in practice and decision making. This article presents research whose objective was to establish the extent to which stakeholder involvement in evaluations impacts the utilization of evaluation findings for program improvement. Guided by the pragmatic paradigm and supported by the Utilization-Focused Evaluation Model and Knowledge Use Theory, the researchers assumed a descriptive and correlational design using mixed methods. The sample size for this study was 232 project staff from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Kisumu Central Sub-County, Kenya. To analyze qualitative data, the open-ended responses from key informant interviews were recorded and coded appropriately for further analysis for themes through content analysis and comparative analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe the basic characteristics of the quantitative data. To ensure the validity and reliability of the research instruments, pilot testing was conducted. Cronbach’s alpha at α = 0.908 was attained as the reliability coefficient of the pre-test instruments. Tests of statistical assumptions were carried out before data analysis to avoid invalidation. A hypothesis was tested at the α = .05 level of significance and was rejected. The findings demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between stakeholder involvement in evaluations and the utilization of evaluation results. This research, therefore, reinforces literature and helps to understand the ways in which stakeholder involvement in evaluations influences the utilization of evaluation results. It informs the evaluation field of study, fills gaps in the evaluation use literature, and contributes to the appreciation of factors that predict and enhance the utilization of evaluation results


10.33117/512 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-69

Purpose: This paper presents aspects of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Implementation Success Model to guide CSR engagements. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case methodology is used to investigate two CSR companies in Uganda. Semi-structured interviews with managers and stakeholders are conducted. Data triangulation includes reviewing CSR reports and documents, and visiting communities and CSR activities/projects mentioned in the case companies’ reports. Grounded theory guides the data analysis and aggregation. Findings: The findings culminate into a “CSR Implementation Success Model. ” Key aspects of CSR implementation success are identified as: (i) involvement of stakeholders and management (i.e., co-production) at the start and during every stage of CSR implementation; (ii) management of challenges and conflicts arising within/outside of the company itself; and (iii) feedback management or performance assessment—i.e., accountability via CSR communications and reporting. Stakeholder involvement and feedback management (accountability) are pivotal, though all three must be considered equally. Research limitations: The studied companies were large and well-established mature companies, so it is unclear whether newer companies and small and medium-sized enterprises would produce similar findings. Practical implications: Successful CSR implementation starts with a common but strategic understanding of what CSR means to the company. However, CSR implementation should (i) yield benefits that are tangible, and (ii) have a sustainable development impact because these two aspects form implementation benchmarks. Additionally, top management should be involved in CSR implementation, but with clear reasons and means. Originality/value: This paper unearths a CSR Implementation Success Model that amplifies views of “creating shared value” for sustainable development. It guides organizations towards strategic CSR, as opposed to the responsive CSR (returning profits to society) that largely dominates in developing countries. Additionally, it explains how to add value to the resource envelope lubricating the entire CSR implementation process


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Vilaça

Abstract The Regulation responds to legislation failures in the European regulatory framework on medical devices (MD), which in turn led to public health issues. Two media scandals triggered the final actions on the elaboration of this EU Regulation, which was already being thought off in a context of fast MD development, and on the commitment of member-states to harmonize legislation in order to better manage resources. This Regulation is expected to address detected gaps, and contribute to the protection of European citizens' health by ensuring high quality and safety of MD, through advocating for more transparency, vigilance, and traceability. A technique to evaluate policies is the implementation analysis, as it links theory and practice. By understanding it, it is possible to ascertain if, in fact, the Regulation will contribute, as proposed, to improve public health. The implementation analysis framework I developed can be used in other countries affected by this Regulation, and may even be extrapolated to other scenarios. Entry into force 25/05/17.Full application 05/20. This qualitative study uses document analysis and semi-structured interviews to collect data, and literature review to frame the situation and to study implementation analysis. The questions are: identify the facilitators and resistance points of the implementation; explore perceptions of the Portuguese MD distributors; understand the policy implementation pathway; and have a picture of the implementation status in Portugal. The results can be summarized as: implementers are interested in complying with the Regulation; there is stakeholder involvement in policy making and throughout the implementation process; the main points of resistance, difficulties and the facilitators are identified; and the Regulation is being implemented according to the timelines. The public health action brought by the policy is that each economic operator is an active actor on vigilance and patient safety across MD lifecycle. Key messages If we are interested in the extent to which a particular polity is able to solve the problems with which it is confronted, we need to study the way in which the law is executed in practice. Focus on the effective implementation of the new regulatory framework on medical devices to protect patients and ensure it addresses new and emerging challenges.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hartley ◽  
Robert D. J. Smith ◽  
Adam Kokotovich ◽  
Chris Opesen ◽  
Tibebu Habtewold ◽  
...  

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.


2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Carolyn Vos Strache ◽  
Alana Strong ◽  
Cheree Peterson

The omnipresent physical self remains for young adult females a significant measure of self-worth. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that coping strategies are as complex as they are pervasive as young women strive to maintain positive psychological outlooks despite negatively-perceived physical attributes. Self-presentational concerns may affect one’s activity choice.This study expands on the work of Taylor, Neter, and Wayment (1995) to determine which motives guide the self-evaluation processes of the physical self. An examination of structured interviews identifies which motives direct women in the self-evaluation of their bodies, and concurrently examines whether different motives determine individual response when appraising a “good” versus “not good” physical aspect. Motives, as defined by Taylor et al. (1995), were self-enhancement, self-verification, self-improvement and self-assessment. Interviews were conducted with 30 female, Southern California, undergraduate college students from Southern California, ranging in age from 19-22.A chi-square analysis revealed that women employed different motives in “good” versus “not good” body aspect comparisons (Enhancement: X2 = 21.78 p< .01; Verification: X2 = 10.05 p< .01; Improvement: X2 = 5.15 p< .05). When describing a “good” aspect, women employed the enhancement motive 92 percent of the time, verification 80 percent of the time, and improvement 15 percent of the time. For “not good” aspects, women used enhancement motive 53 percent of the time, verification 98 percent of the time, and improvement 33 percent of the time. Women used more than one motive 74 percent of the time and single motives only 26 percent of the time in the evaluation process. Direct quotes reveal that almost all the women sought out information about themselves when they thought it would reflect favorably. However, when they reported on a “not good” aspect, coping mechanisms included redirecting their attention to more positive characteristics or mentally cordoning off an area of weakness to prevent that attribute from permeating all aspects of their identity. Understanding how we think in the self-evaluation process may offer an explanation why some people are motivated to exercise and why others are not.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-62
Author(s):  
Gabriel Barroso De Azevedo ◽  
Emerson Antônio Maccari ◽  
Nader Asgary

Purpose – Higher education institutions have used more and more project management tools to run development projects to create new professional postgraduate programs. The purpose of this research was to propose an adaptive project management model for creating a professional doctoral course in Business Administration, in order to fulfill the goals established by CAPES.Design/methodology/approach – For such, the qualitative approach was favored with the adoption of the single case study method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academic coordinators who are experts in the field in addition to the gathering of documents, thus using data triangulation to explore the phenomenon. The analysis of primary data and the analysis of documents from the Coordinating Agency for Advanced Training of Graduate Personnel (CAPES) served as inputs for analyzing and interpreting the results.Findings – As a result, we developed an adaptive project management model with the following characteristics: a) constant planning of activities, occurring in every cycle of interactions; b) iteration using short activities, allowing for more control of the project; c) validations performed continuously to ensure the goals proposed by CAPES are reached; and d) adaptable to change of scope during the execution phase of the project life cycle.Research limitations/implications – Among the limitations of the study is the lack of other studies related to the use of adaptive project management methodologies for developing postgraduate programs. And for future researches, we point out the need for applying the proposed model, to verify its efficacy and adherence to the development of a professional doctoral course.Originality/value – This study contributes to the academy by highlighting the need for project management as a tool and technique for the development of stricto sensu professional graduate programs. In this way, HEIs will be able to use a model of adaptive project management practices to achieve the objectives proposed by the CAPES evaluation process. As a result, HEIs are strengthened in the management, control and monitoring of the progress of their programs.


2009 ◽  
pp. 69-80
Author(s):  
Fausta Scardigno ◽  
Caterina Balenzano ◽  
Giuseppe Moro

- This paper suggests some considerations regarding the relationship between evaluation and making decision processes, through the description of an evaluation experience of some formative projects orientated towards unemployed young people living in Apulia Region. After the definition of evaluation question, made together with Educational Local Authority, we have preferred a qualitative research approach. Sharing a participative approach, we have chosen a multistakeholder research design as instrument to catch the representations of actors involved regarding the evolution of projects, the weak and strong aspects, through to focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews respectively administered to actuators and beneficiaries of these projects. Interviews have been analyzed first trough content analysis of relevance and in a second moment trough associations analysis between words, by the use of T-Lab software. Highlighting stakeholders' suggestions and recommendations and giving back them to the decision maker confirms the utility of evaluation as instrument to supporting making decision processes, with the aim of improving policies.Key words: partecipate evaluation, multistakeholder research design, utilization of evaluation Process


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 (116) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Lawrenz ◽  
Douglas Huffman ◽  
J. Randy McGinnis

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 138-138
Author(s):  
Danielle Dupuy ◽  
Louise Miller ◽  
Christine B. Weldon ◽  
Jennifer M. Orsi ◽  
Terry Macarol ◽  
...  

138 Background: In mammography, compression, and positioning are key quality factors. ACR standards suggest that compression should ensure that a breast is taut (drawn tight with no slack). In environmental scans, semi-structured interviews with cross discipline providers from Chicago mammography facilities, we found wide variation in radiology technologist’s understanding of standard compression and views. Optimal compression was reported from 12-45 lbs and some sites reported that four views are taken regardless of breast size. This discovery led to a mammography technologist training program as a quality improvement intervention. Methods: The Chicago Breast Cancer Quality Consortium contracted with Louise Miller, AART, CRT, and RTRM to lead a Breast Imaging Boot Camp and partnered with 4 hospitals to carry out the training. There were three components of the boot camp: a 1-day seminar for all mammography technologists, 1 day of hands on training for a limited number of techs and a train the trainer component where selected techs went through a 3-day intensive program with the goal of preparing them to provide ongoing education to the Chicago mam-tech community. A preliminary tool was developed and used randomly by radiologists during the training to examine the amount of tissue in the image from one year to the next, the presence or absence of an Inter-mammary fold and cleavage. Results: More than 120 radiology technologists attended a day-long seminar, 10 received hands on training, 4 of the 10 were trained to be future trainers. Participants rated their overall impression of the day-long seminar between 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale. During the hands-on training, radiologists assessing the images commented on significant improvements in image quality from the previous year’s mammogram. A quantitative evaluation process has been developed to examine the efficacy of the training and measure impact on mammography quality. This evaluation involves a 3 month and 1-year assessment that will take place in September of 2012 and again in May of 2013. Results of first evaluation will be available for presentation. Conclusions: Results from the evaluation will help review effectiveness of technologists post-training techniques and identify areas to improve.


2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 381-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Edel McHugh ◽  
Joseph P. Wherton ◽  
David K. Prendergast ◽  
Brian A. Lawlor

Teleconferencing is increasingly being used as a medium of delivering social support for dementia caregivers. Further direction is required from pilot studies before the optimal clinical service can be delivered. Following a 6-week pilot support group for spousal caregivers, delivered via teleconferencing software, we interviewed 8 participants for their feedback. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory analysis. Themes of “group processes” and “barriers,” containing subcategories of “functions of the group,” “responsibilities of facilitators,” and “barriers to communication” were discussed. According to caregivers, successful teleconferencing support groups should acknowledge the caregiver as the dementia expert, allow participants to meet before the deployment of the support group, provide active facilitation and leadership via the researcher, employ user-friendly technologies, and facilitate for the group to self-maintain following the pilot deployment period. These issues should be taken into consideration when designing future teleconferencing applications for caregivers.


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