Active Ageing in Italy: A Systematic Review of National and Regional Policies

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. The design of active ageing policies intersects with different overarching societal challenges, especially ageing populations, social rights and sustainability. However, there are no previous attempts to review active ageing policies in the light of these challenges and the international policy objectives and targets that are guiding the international community. The aim of this study is to systematically identify, review and analyse all national and regional policies on active ageing adopted in Italy, by applying a conceptual framework derived from main international policy initiatives in the three areas. The research was conducted in two stages. First, a case study analysis was carried out per each relevant national institution and regional government. Standardised interviews were combined with policy document search, selection and analysis. Second, we performed a policy analysis in the light of a conceptual framework adopted. This latter was composed by nine policy domains, selected and integrated from principles and objectives of three overarching international frameworks on ageing—i.e., the Regional Implementation Strategy (RIS) commitments of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), social rights—i.e., the European Pillar of Social Rights and sustainability—i.e., the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Results pointed out that out of the identified nine policy fields, the major intervention areas by Italian policy makers concerned labour market participation, life-long learning, social and economic inequalities, health and well-being. Less attention had been given to issues such as gender and equal opportunities and sustainable cities. This systematic policy review is a milestone for understanding how active ageing policies contribute to address major societal challenges and what domains need further policy development.

Peran Ulama Dalam Sistem Pemerintahan di Propinsi Aceh

Salah satu keistimewaan Aceh yang diberikan oleh pemerintah pusat pasca reformasi dibawah payung hukum Undang-Undang Nomor 44 Tahun 1999 tentang Penyelenggaraan Keistimewaan Aceh adalah terkait dengan peran ulama dalam penetapan kebijakan daerah, kemudian peran tersebut juga kembali dituangkan dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2006 tentang Pemerintah Aceh. Namun, dalam implementasinya ternyata ulama belum diberikan peran yang signifikan dalam penetapan kebijakan di ranah lokal. Ulama hanya berperan dalam kebijakan terkait kegamaan saja, tidak seluruh bidang aspek pemerintahan. Dalam praktinya, kebijakan yang dibahas bersama antara Pemerintah, Dewan, dan Majelis Permusyawaratan Ulama (MPU) sering diabaikan, sehingga paket kebijakan pemerintah daerah lebih dominan dikendalikan oleh kepentingan pemerintah daerah dan Dewan. Kondisi ini sekaligus memperlihatkan bahwasanya kedudukan MPU kurang tepat dikatakan sebagai mitra sejajar dengan pemerintah daerah dan Dewan, namun lebih kepada sekedar pemberi nasehat saja.One of the privileges of Aceh given by the central government after the reform under the legal umbrella of Law Number 44 of 1999 concerning the Implementation of the Privileges of Aceh is related to the role of ulama in determining regional policies, then this role is also re-asserted in Law Number 11 of 2006 concerning Aceh Government. However, in its implementation, it turns out that the ulama have not been given a significant role in setting policies in the local sphere. Ulama only play a role in policies related to religion, not all aspects of government. In practice, policies that are discussed jointly between the Government, the Council, and the Ulema Consultative Council (MPU) are often ignored, so that the regional government's policy package is more dominantly controlled by the interests of the regional government and the Council. This condition also shows that the MPU's position is not appropriate to say that it is an equal partner with the regional government and the Council, but rather merely as an advisor.

How Active Aging Policies Evolved in Italy? A Systematic Review of National and Regional Policies

In recent years, active aging became a concept progressively considered by policy makers in Italy. A national project for creating a multilevel and co-managed coordination of active aging policies was launched in 2019 by the Italian Government and the National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing (IRCCS INRCA). A systematic review of active aging policies was conducted at both national and regional level. Results showed that national policies still reflect the general categorical fragmentation of Italian welfare system, although substantial developments were found in some sectors, i.e. prolonging working life, supporting families, social inclusion, and healthy ageing. Ten out of twenty-one regions have approved laws dedicated to active aging, although in most cases these laws are too recent to show impact. National and regional policy makers still need to overcome several cultural, coordination and fragmentation challenges for improving active aging policies and harmonise them with societal needs.

Integration of renewable energy policies between central and regional governments

Renewable Energy will play a more critical role in meeting future energy needs. Therefore, it is necessary to have policies and strategies at the national and regional levels so that the development of renewable energy can increase and develop. Unfortunately, Indonesia does not have a specific policy that covers the development of renewable energy until now. This study aims to see the integration of central and regional policies by targeting the renewable energy mix as a connecting link. This research was conducted using the document analysis method. The study results indicate that the national level’s legal instruments and policies for renewable Energy are inadequate. The instrument is still fragmented into several policies with a minimal portion and legal standing that is not strong enough. We propose the need for policies at the national level that specifically regulate renewable Energy and prepare derivative regulations for the law to have an integrated policy. In addition, local governments must also integrate their regional regulations with existing policy instruments at the national level. Good integration of national and regional policies is expected to accelerate renewable energy development in Indonesia, and the targets are not just ambitions written on paper.

Functional Regions as Bases for Provinces in Slovenia

Socio-economically based functional regions, which are partially self-contained economic areas, are often more suitable for various structural analyses, implementation of state and regional policies, development of state administration, planning and monitoring of spatial development, identification of spatial disparities and other analyses of socio-economic relations than the traditional historically and geographically based administrative regions. This article therefore examines the assumption that functional regions are a suitable basis for the formation of territorial provinces in Slovenia. We have modelled the functional regions of Slovenia according to the established and internationally accepted method CURDS and compared them with the current proposals for provinces and established statistical regions in Slovenia. The results show a very strong functional contiguity and a good economic balance of eight provinces and a very good population balance of the provinces with two special status urban municipalities.

Why Couldn't the COVID-19 Epidemics Be Managed? In the Context of Complexity Science,A Solution Framework: Global Cooperation, Regional Policies, and Local Intervention

Background and Aim: The COVID-19 epidemics, is considered to be the most recent and already one of the most destructive epidemics in human history. As part of this study, primarily the biological, economic, and social effects of past epidemics and the COVID-19 epidemics on societies were examined.The aim of the study was to examine the similarities between countries' current state in the context of the COVID-19 epidemics and to develop an approach to epidemic management from a complexity perspective. Material and Methods: The analysis used data from 27 European Union member countries, the United Kingdom and the United States, and primarily examined the current state of the countries in the context of the epidemic using the Multidimensional Scaling Analysis method. In addition, SARS-CoV-2-induced cases, deaths and tests were examined via the correlation analysis method with nine variables that were identified in the context of the COVID-19 (average age, total population, urban population rate, population density, average life expectancy, per capita income, average education duration, hospital beds per 1,000 people, human inequality coefficient). Results: As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the current state of the countries, based on the impact and sources of the epidemic was quite similar, and that the variables mentioned were minimally related to the number of cases, deaths, and tests. Conclusion: These findings have been interpreted notas only showing that traditional approaches to today's epidemic management, and public health approaches have aspects that need improvement, but also that the epidemic is a multidimensional dynamic system and can be explained from the complexity perspective. As a result, the epidemic management framework was developed from the complexity perspective, which includes global cooperation, regional policies, and a local intervention approach. Therefore, the lifestyles of societies determine the size of the epidemic, while the management style determines whether or not the epidemic turns into a crisis for societies.

EBITDA Index Prediction Using Exponential Smoothing and ARIMA Model

Forecasting has become essential in different economic sectors for decision making in local and regional policies. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to use and compare performance of two linear models to predict future values of a measure of real profit for a group of companies in the fashion sector, as a financial strategy to determine the economic behavior of this industry. With forecasting purposes, Exponential Smoothing (ES) and autoregressive integrated moving averages (ARIMA) models were used for yearly data. ES and ARIMA models are widely used in statistical methods for time series forecasting. Accuracy metrics were used to select the model with best performance and ES parameters. For the real profit measure of the financial performance of the fashion sector in Colombia EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) was used and was calculated using multiple SQL queries.

Four Types of Japanese Regional Policy in the Perspective of Liberal Intergovernmentalism

What are the determinants of Japan’s regional policies? This article argues that Japan’s regional policy is the result of the government’s strategic choice made through processes of domestic and international bargaining. Based on liberal intergovernmentalism, this article focuses on the level of domestic preferences for East Asia and the threat of China. In the first stage, the preference of the Prime Minister and political winning-coalition groups matter. In the second stage, the level of the threat of China is a pivotal variable. In combining these two variables, the article proposes the following four types of ideal regional policies for Japan: (1) pro-East Asia policy; (2) expanded-Asia policy; (3) interactive policy; and (4) reactive policy. To substantiate this idea, the article traces Japan’s regional policy trajectory from the Yoshida Cabinet to the Hatoyama Cabinet. An in-depth case study shows that Japanese cabinets vary in their regional policies in the way this article expected from each ideal type based on liberal intergovernmentalism.