scholarly journals Effective Organizational Functioning Capacity Needs of Rural Advisory Service Networks: A Delphi Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-119
Author(s):  
Kevan Lamm ◽  
Alexa Lamm ◽  
Kristin Davis ◽  
Alyssa Powell ◽  
Jyothi Bommidi
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Service Networks ◽  
Management Guidelines ◽  
Organizational Functioning ◽  
Advisory Service

This study expands on previous research within an international extension context with a particular focus on identifying the capacities associated with effective organizational functioning. A panel composed of 31 experts participated in a three-round Delphi process and identified a list of 38 specific capacities associated with effective organizational functioning related to extension networks. Among the 38 specific items, five primary themes emerged: (1) an extension network should be transparent about its policies, procedures, and organizational intent; (2) knowledge sharing and collaboration within an extension network is critical; (3) general policies and management guidelines should be in place; (4) the development and maintenance of intentional, long-term relationships with various actors in extension, including stakeholders, policy-decision makers, and the private sector is critical; (5) reasonable expectations and guidelines should be established for both extension network officers and network members. The study’s results provide a guide within which extension networks and organizations may evaluate current capacities from both a developmental and strengths perspective.

LONG-TERM FORECASTING WITH PREDICTION MARKETS – A FIELD EXPERIMENT ON APPLICABILITY AND EXPERT CONFIDENCE

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Graefe ◽  
Christof Weinhardt
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Prediction Markets ◽  
Trading Behavior ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Long Term Forecasting

While prediction markets have become increasingly popular to forecast the near-term future, the literature provides little evidence on how they perform for long-term problems. For assessing the long-term, decision-makers traditionally rely on experts, although empirical research disputes the value of expert advice. Reporting on findings from a field experiment in which we implemented two prediction markets in parallel to a Delphi study, this paper addresses two questions. First, we analyze the applicability of prediction markets for long-term problems whose outcome cannot be judged for a long time. Second, by comparing trading behavior of an expert and a student market, we analyze whether there is evidence that supports the assumption that experts possess superior knowledge. Our results show that prediction markets provide similar results as the well-established Delphi method. We conclude that prediction markets appear to be applicable for long-term forecasting. Furthermore, we observe differences in the confidence of experts and non-experts. Our findings indicate that, in contrast to students, experts reveal their information well-considered based on what they think they know. Finally, we discuss how such analyses of market participants’ confidence provide valuable information to decision-makers and may be used to improve on traditional forecasting methods.

Rethinking the Structural Prevention of Mass Atrocities

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen McLoughlin
Keyword(s):  
Policy Decision ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Implicit Assumption ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Preventive Work ◽  
Structural Prevention ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Causes Of Violence

Interest amongst scholars and policy decision-makers in the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities has grown in recent years. Despite this, many have overlooked problems inherent in the commonly accepted notion of prevention. Crystalized in the Carnegie Commission’s 1997 report, ‘Preventing Deadly Conflict’, prevention has typically been understood in two parts, one addressing impending cases of violence (direct prevention) and the other focusing on the underlying causes of violence (structural prevention). The concept of structural prevention is especially problematic. Commonly defined as the identification and addressing of ‘root causes’, this conceptualisation contains at least two limitations: first, there is an implicit assumption that root causes lead inevitably to violence, and second, there has been a tendency for international actors to decide, in general and global terms, what counts as root causes and how to ameliorate them, downplaying the role of local contexts and overlooking the preventive work of local and national actors. This article argues that the concept of structural prevention needs broadening to incorporate an understanding of the dynamic interaction between the risk that root causes pose, and locally-based mitigation factors that foster resilience. Effective long-term prevention should be based – not only on identifying and ameliorating negative characteristics in countries at risk – but also on contributing to the complex management of diversity. While this makes intuitive sense – and may in fact reflect the reality of how much preventive work is done – such an approach has not hitherto been reflected in conceptual understandings of prevention adopted by the United Nations, as well as academic researchers.

scholarly journals Canadian Science Meets Parliament: Building relationships between scientists and policymakers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaying Zhao ◽  
Meghan B Azad ◽  
Erin M Bertrand ◽  
Cole Burton ◽  
Valorie A Crooks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Decision ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Specific Class ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Tier Ii ◽  
University Professor ◽  
Future Events

Abstract The first Science Meets Parliament event in Canada was held in November 2018 in Ottawa, where twenty-eight Tier II Canada Research Chairs (a specific class of Canadian university professor acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field) from diverse disciplines met with forty-three Members of Canadian Parliament and Senators. The main goal of this event was to facilitate communication between these two key pillars of the society, to promote mutual understanding of the nature of their respective work, roles, and responsibilities, and to build long-term relationships. Here, we, representatives of the first cohort of scientists to participate in the program, summarize our experiences and lessons learned from this event, as well as our assessment of the benefits of attending this event for scientists, policy decision-makers, and institutions. Furthermore, we provide suggestions for similar future events in Canada and elsewhere.

scholarly journals Strategy for Sustained Growth with Enhancing Facility Experts’ Knowledge-Sharing Intention with Purchasing Decision-Makers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quik Noh ◽  
Hyoungtark Lee
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Decision Maker ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Tie Strength ◽  
Purchasing Decision ◽  
Sustained Growth ◽  
Statistical Verification ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
A Company

This research focuses on the knowledge-sharing intention of an expert with the purchasing decision-maker in a company as a marketing point for business-to-business transactions, where a company’s facilities expert connects the company’s purchasing decision-maker with the supplier. By providing information about the supplier’s products and companies to this decision-maker, the expert plays an important role in the purchasing decision-maker’s knowledge on suppliers. Therefore, this study aims to improve expert word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions and examines the strategies that influence them. Statistical verification is employed by considering the answers of 103 engineering experts, and a hierarchical multiple-regression analysis is used to test this study’s hypotheses. As a strategy for influencing expert WOM intentions, both the supplier’s and purchasing decision-maker’s expertise and the tie strength with the supplier are examined; the tie strength with the purchasing decision-maker is considered as the moderating variable. Three of the four hypotheses are supported. This paper gives advices to the facility suppliers who want sustained growth. they should not only appeal their expertise to the facility experts who visit their exhibition booth, but also specify who the visitors are and manage the relations with them personally with a long term perspective.

scholarly journals Ludzie bardzo starzy – niewidoczna grupa docelowa polityki społecznej?

2014 ◽  
pp. 57-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Szukalski
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Care ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Population Forecasts

The next decades will see a sharp increase in the number of the oldest old in Poland. The increase in the number of people aged 80 years and more will be caused both by the cohort factors, as well as by a decrease in the probability of dying at advanced and very advanced age. The paper is focused on the results of official population forecasts for the oldest old and on the related challenges that should be treated as important by social policy decision makers. Particular attention is paid to surviving to the age of eligibility for receiving long-term care services, changes in health status of the oldest old, factors affecting the range of family care, and to circumstances of death.

scholarly journals Understanding disparities in Slovenian rural areas: various new indicatiors

Geoadria ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
James Cosier ◽  
Eva Šabec ◽  
Luka Verlič ◽  
Ana Ponikvar ◽  
Irena Jenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
The One ◽  
Faster Development ◽  
Municipal Level ◽  
Rural Policy

It has been widely accepted that regional development disparities are multi-faceted: on the one hand they hinder the development potentials of structurally weak rural areas, whilst on the other they stimulate faster development in distinctive, leading areas, thus re-creating old and generating new, more complex, regional differences. The paper focuses on quantitative ways of understanding the nature of rural disparities in Slovenia where the vast majority of national territory is defined as "rural" by OECD indicators. From the methodological perspective, single- and multi-level indicators were observed at the municipal level (LAU-2). Various indicators have been developed, with several looking at new generators of difference as well as indicators tailored to examine development disparities present in Slovenian rural areas. The results gained by extensive quantitative analysis could be used as scientific starting points that could inform rural policy decision makers in various rural regions. The focus on new indicators is particularly important as it highlights the challenges of such research whilst stressing the critical need for continued research into new generators and forms of disparities that may have negative consequences on rural areas, as well as possibly providing opportunities for previously problematic rural areas to address long-term development troubles.

EURRECA’s Approach for Estimating Micronutrient Requirements

2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Matthys ◽  
Pieter van ‘t Veer ◽  
Lisette de Groot ◽  
Lee Hooper ◽  
Adriënne E.J.M. Cavelaars ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reference Values ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
The Body ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Nutrient Requirements ◽  
Factorial Approach ◽  
Dietary Reference Values ◽  
Health Policy Decision ◽  
Quantitative Integration

In Europe, micronutrient dietary reference values have been established by (inter)national committees of experts and are used by public health policy decision-makers to monitor and assess the adequacy of diets within population groups. The approaches used to derive dietary reference values (including average requirements) vary considerably across countries, and so far no evidence-based reason has been identified for this variation. Nutrient requirements are traditionally based on the minimum amount of a nutrient needed by an individual to avoid deficiency, and is defined by the body’s physiological needs. Alternatively the requirement can be defined as the intake at which health is optimal, including the prevention of chronic diet-related diseases. Both approaches are confronted with many challenges (e. g., bioavailability, inter and intra-individual variability). EURRECA has derived a transparent approach for the quantitative integration of evidence on Intake-Status-Health associations and/or Factorial approach (including bioavailability) estimates. To facilitate the derivation of dietary reference values, EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) is developing a process flow chart to guide nutrient requirement-setting bodies through the process of setting dietary reference values, which aims to facilitate the scientific alignment of deriving these values.

Research for a sustainable European sugar sector

2010 ◽  
pp. 487-495
Author(s):  
Martin Bruhns ◽  
Peter Glaviè ◽  
Arne Sloth Jensen ◽  
Michael Narodoslawsky ◽  
Giorgio Pezzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Industry ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sustainable Chemistry ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Manufacturing Applications ◽  
European Technology

The paper is based on the results of international project entitled “Towards Sustainable Sugar Industry in Europe (TOSSIE)”. 33 research topics of major importance to the sugar sector are listed and briefly described, and compared with research priorities of the European Technology Platforms: “Food for Life”, “Sustainable Chemistry”, “Biofuels”, and “Plant for the Future”. Most topics are compatible with the research themes included in the COOPERATION part of the 7th Framework Program of the EU (2007-2013). However, some topics may require long-term R&D with the time horizon of up to 15 years. The list of topics is divided into four parts: Sugar manufacturing, Applications of biotechnology and biorefinery processing, Sugarbeet breeding and growing, Horizontal issues. Apart from possible use of the list by policy- and decision makers with an interest in sugarbeet sector, the description of each research topic can be used as a starting point in setting up a research project or other R&D activities.

Financial Performance of ECIL, Hyderabad – An Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Jyothi ◽  
Dr. T. Satyanarayana Chary
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Present Position ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Comprehensive Manner

Financial performance of individual organizations differ very significantly, however, the performance is distinguishable between public sector companies and private sector companies as their nature and size of investment and business environment is different . The ECIL is a very vast growing company which requires additional funds on a regular basis, whether internal or external. Particularly, the company needs both long term and short-term finances in view of its present position and enormous scope for improvement in the services provided. The present paper is a modest attempt to discuss the financial performance analysis of ECIL, Hyderabad in terms operating profits, capital employed ratios and turnover in a comprehensive manner over a period of 10 years.

scholarly journals Integrated Impact Assessment for Sustainable Hydropower Planning in the Vjosa Catchment (Greece, Albania)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1514
Author(s):  
Rebecca Peters ◽  
Jürgen Berlekamp ◽  
Ana Lucía ◽  
Vittoria Stefani ◽  
Klement Tockner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Hydropower Plants ◽  
Hydropower Planning

Mitigating climate change, while human population and economy are growing globally, requires a bold shift to renewable energy sources. Among renewables, hydropower is currently the most economic and efficient technique. However, due to a lack of impact assessments at the catchment scale in the planning process, the construction of hydropower plants (HPP) may have unexpected ecological, socioeconomic, and political ramifications in the short and in the long term. The Vjosa River, draining parts of Northern Greece and Albania, is one of the few predominantly free-flowing rivers left in Europe; at the same time its catchment is identified an important resource for future hydropower development. While current hydropower plants are located along tributaries, planned HPP would highly impact the free-flowing main stem. Taking the Vjosa catchment as a case study, the aim of this study was to develop a transferable impact assessment that ranks potential hydropower sites according to their projected impacts on a catchment scale. Therefore, we integrated established ecological, social, and economic indicators for all HPP planned in the river catchment, while considering their capacity, and developed a ranking method based on impact categories. For the Vjosa catchment, ten hydropower sites were ranked as very harmful to the environment as well as to society. A sensitivity analysis revealed that this ranking is dependent upon the selection of indicators. Small HPP showed higher cumulative impacts than large HPP, when normalized to capacity. This study empowers decision-makers to compare both the ranked impacts and the generated energy of planned dam projects at the catchment scale.

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