Normative practices of property rating in Ghana: towards improving policy on rating undeveloped urban lands in secondary cities

PurposeThe paper examined how local authorities have attempted to rate undeveloped land as a means of mobilising revenues and the challenges associated with implementing this policy guideline. It focused on current practices in terms of policy and administration, the availability of undeveloped urban land, its revenue potential, and ways to improve policy for local land taxation.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from the mixed-method approach both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Officials of the Wa Municipal Assembly, Lands Commission, Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority were purposely selected based on their knowledge and the roles they play in property rating practice. They were interviewed to understand their perceptions and views on rating undeveloped lands. Stratified proportionate and simple random sampling methods were used to select respondents. The respondents included land and landed property owners in three selected neighbourhoods.FindingsThe paper found that there was the prevalence of undeveloped lands mainly held by speculators and individuals constrained by financial challenges to develop their parcels. The Wa Municipal Assembly is unable to implement the policy guideline on charging rent on undeveloped lands due to lack of adequate information and generally unwillingness to implement this provision. Besides, the current guideline is too prohibitive and cannot be implemented in its current form. However, there is a window of opportunity for the Assembly to build data on undeveloped lands and moderately begin the implementation of the policy guideline.Practical implicationsUrban growth in Ghana is characterised by leapfrog development with many patches of undeveloped land in and around cities. The property taxation policies largely do not focus on undeveloped land or unimproved site value. In Ghana, property rate policy on the tax base excludes undeveloped land. However, government policy guidelines prescribe the charging of rent on these lands by local authorities. This paper provides a comprehensive discussion on the revenue potential of undeveloped urban land and why local government authorities have not been able to harness this potential. The paper has therefore recommended ways local authorities can use to mobilise revenue from undeveloped urban land.Originality/valueThere is limited research in rating undeveloped urban land especially looking at it from the perspective of policy and implementation as well as current practices. The paper shed light on the prevalence of undeveloped urban land and the guidelines that exist help local governments mobilise revenue from these lands. It contributes to the understanding that local government can harness the revenue potential of undeveloped land if policy design and implemented regarding these lands is enhanced. The paper also provides a good background and framework for further studies.

Coping Strategies of Nigeria Higher Education Institutions during COVID-19 Lockdown

Beginning at end of the year 2019, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has drowned the world into uncertainty and has threatened the continuity of traditional classroom learning that is the backbone and, in many cases, the main method of learning in most countries. This paper seeks to ascertain how Higher Institutions of learning in Nigeria have thrived during the lockdown period, based on the National policy document that spells out the guidelines for school reopening. Official documents such as newspaper reports university bulletins are used to corroborate in order to ascertain the implementation of the provisions of the policy guideline document as well as assess the efficacy of the measures on students’ quality of learning.

E-learning in the time of COVID-19: Lived experiences of three university teachers from two countries

This study set out to provide a descriptive yet critical exploration of teachers’ experiences while using e-learning in the context of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Using a qualitative phenomenology research paradigm, the study explored first-hand experiences of three university teachers (hence researchers as well) from two countries, that is, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. The contexts in which the researchers used e-learning showcased complex, challenging, and dynamic sites, that is, within institutions and individual classrooms. More specifically, the study identified acceptances, struggles, and negotiations at both the macro-level of policy/decision making and the micro-level of online classroom practices. Reflecting on the findings, this article concludes by offering a set of recommendations that might be applicable and useful for similar contexts beyond Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. The researchers argue for developing a context-based, inclusive, and appropriate e-learning policy guideline that could be utilized during the emergency time now and in the near future.

Functional Authority: A Tool of Decentralizing Corporate Management

Functional authority is a management term that underscores the need to apply authority by an individual, team to play over an individual, department, division in order for them to follow strict principles, procedures to carry out their work within schedule aiming to make the best outcome according to the standard principle of the organization. Through the functional authority an organization’s mission, vision, objectives, policy, guideline, procedure, principle, cultures are highlighted. Functional authority is bestowed to those persons by the authority to the effect that they will control specific processes, practices, policies, or other matters to carry out managerial functions as per the decision of the company’s policymakers. Delegation of functional authority varies at different types of strategic decisions. First, decisions concerning capital investments are kept more centralized than those concerning the workforce due to the greater number of financial resources and the greater externalities involved in each individual decision. Second, as to decisions concerning investments in capital equipment, the larger the amount of the investments the less likely decentralization. As to decisions concerning a plant’s labor force, decision authority is more likely to be kept centralized if decisions affect other units of the firm and decentralized if they have a larger impact on the plant manager’s activity. In labor relations matter, decentralization is necessary for the implementation of agreements reached after negotiation and are applicable to all units under their one ownership. On the other hand, centralization is necessary in case labor relations are at the bargaining level only. The concept, expressed as the transfer of authority from the center to subordinate ends, is important both for more effective and productive management of the areas outside the center organization in public administration and for strengthening these areas in terms of democracy conception. Because of the increasing interest all over the world in issues such as ensuring service need compliance, the importance of decisions made by the closest unit to the public and the reduction of bureaucratization have made implementation of decentralized systems a necessity in the local regions.

The Core components of three functions of clinical supervision in undergraduate medical education during a clinical course

Objective: Attending physicians must holistically consider medical trainees. The quality control aspects of clinical practices and skills development as well as increase in trainees’ knowledge and alleviated stress. Current clinical supervision does not meet the needs of trainees. This study aimed to identify the components of functions of clinical supervision in (UGM). The process of the literature review was implemented in five phases following the method developed by Carnwell and Daly. The scope of the review was limited to clinical supervision of medical trainees and the functions of clinical supervision models. Methods: Using the keywords in combination and separately, were searched in the databases of PubMed, ERIC, Scopus, and WOS from 1970 to 2019. Results: A total number of 49 documents (Policy /Guideline/ Standard) and 19 articles (functions of clinical supervision) were obtained. Conclusion: To make efforts to empower attending physicians in the clinical supervision functions and these functions be simultaneously applied for trainees supervision.

RELATIONSHIP UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL, SUCCESSION PLANNING, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Purpose: This paper aims to explore an integrated relationship between performance appraisal, succession planning, and career development in the Indian context. A very few empirical studies could be seen in identifying a relationship between the proposed variables. Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study was conducted by employing the cross-sectional survey-based research design along with the convenience sampling method. Around, 167 questionnaires were circulated through online via Google forms. Finally, 134 responses were received from respondents having 80.23% response rate. The responses were subject to analysis using normality check, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation, model fit and multiple hierarchical regression analysis. Findings: Results reveal that all three study variables are positively associated with each other. This study fully supports the applicability of performance appraisal, and succession planning as crucial predictors of career development more specifically in the Indian context. Research limitations/implications: This current study is conducted using online data collection procedure, while future studies may use in-depth interview and daily diary studies. Practical implications: This study exhibits how employee career development can be initiated through succession planning and performance appraisal. This study also suggested that the organizations which emphasize on an effective policy guideline for systematic performance appraisal will probably support the succession planning and career development. Originality/value: Notably, no prior studies empirically investigate the proposed relationship in Indian context. Furthermore, the findings serve as a policy guideline for the performance appraisal, succession planning and career development literature in an Indian organizational setting.

Research Data Management Practices at Bindura University of Science Education

The study assessed the research data management (RDM) practices at Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) with the aim of understanding how research data (RD) is managed. The study was prompted by lack of proper RDM policy. UK data archive research data lifecycle model was adopted in the study for benchmarking RDM practices at BUSE in line with international standards. The research used the interpretism approach and is qualitative in nature. Interviews were used to collect qualitative data from the Research and Postgraduate Centre (RPGC), deputy librarian, sub-librarian, and technology librarian. Quantitative data obtained from departmental chairpersons, assistant librarians, and chief library assistant was gathered by using questionnaires. The population was chosen using purposive sampling. The findings revealed that although respondents appreciated RDM practices, some researchers were managing their RD while RPGC was responsible for RD submitted to their office. The concept of RDM was relatively new to most researchers. The study recommended a policy guideline and training of researchers.

Understanding OECD Guidelines for QSAR Models-A Software development and harmonization strategy

Post GATT era has turned towards harmonization processes not only relating to trade, services, and taxation but also towards research processes to some extent. The current guideline especially helps in developing software that helps end users of software in overcoming ambiguities and come to a faster acceptance of the research by the authority. The objective of harmonization is to minimize time, expenditure, experimental animals, scrutiny and approval processes. The current article is to know how the Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship research is made uniform for the research community by developing a policy/guideline as an international standard setting.

Program Usaha Kesehatan Sekolah: Upaya Kolaboratif Untuk Kesehatan Anak

This article aims to examine the importance of school-based health promotion as an effort to improve children's health. To improve children's health through school institutions, a policy guideline that is guided by them is needed. Institutional theory is used in this article to describe how efforts to improve student health. Literature relating to students' health conditions and the implementation of health promotion is used as a database in this article. Furthermore, the data from various literatures were analyzed qualitatively based on the study group. It can be concluded that health promotion to improve the quality of health can be carried out through the School Health Promotion. Management with a Joint Regulatio of 4 (four) Ministers, namely the Ministry of Education and Culture; Ministry of Religion, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Home Affairs. The joint regulation is one of the strengths in institutionalizing programs, namely rules or policies. Policies on school-based health education provide detailed guidance, so that actors can act systematically. With systematic action it can influence social networking and cross-sectoral coordination.