Structural Power in Sustainability Transitions: Case Studies of Energy Storage Integration Into Regional Transmission Organization Decision Processes

Highly technical rules for regional electricity markets shape opportunities for new technologies and the pace of transition to a cleaner and more distributed power system. We compare three case studies of regional transmission organizations and identify common mechanisms that describe the relationship between institutional design and administrative policy decisions. We compare industry actors, old and new, across these case studies to better understand structural power and institutional stability through four mechanisms drawn from the literature: (1) self-reinforcing interests, (2) participation in and position of groups, (3) influence over communication and information, and (4) control over problem framing and pace of decisions. A focus on the mechanisms that operate within RTO governance provides insight into needed RTO governance reform.

International experience and common errors in protecting of confidentiality, protection and use of CbC reporting information

Within the OECD, where governments are working together to address important issues of globalization, efforts are also being made to help OECD member countries respond more quickly to new challenges, one of which is to ensure the confidentiality and proper use of information. The OECD provides governments with the opportunity to share experiences in implementing administrative policy, to seek answers to common problems, to identify best practices and to coordinate activities in the context of these issues. The study of issues related to ensuring confidentiality, protection and use of reporting information between countries (Country-by-country, hereinafter - CbC) in the article is considered from the standpoint of international experience, in the context of this issue. For Ukraine as a post-Soviet country, the study of relevant experience is presented by such countries as Georgia, Kazakhstan and Russia. The analysis of international experience in ensuring confidentiality and the appropriate level of protection of information that is the subject of exchange between OECD member countries as part of the implementation of the BEPS Action Plan. The research is based on a combination of general scientific methods, comparison methods and an empirical approach. A summary of the national regulations of the countries in question is made, which contain provisions on confidentiality, data protection and proper use of information Country-by-country reports. Based on the results of the study, it has been proven that different tax administrations should, in practice, have different approaches to ensure the required level of effective protection of confidentiality of country-by-country reports information and establish penalties for breach of confidentiality.

V. V. von Wal as Head of Vilnius Province in 1901—1902

The activities of one of the typical representatives of the Russian regional bureaucracy of the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries — Viktor Vilhelmovich von Wal as governor of Vilnius province, which he held from 1901 to 1902 is examined in the article. Particular attention is paid to the circumstances of his appointment to this position, which was due to attempts at administrative reorganization of the management of the northwestern outskirts of Russia. A brief analysis of the socio-political situation that had developed by the beginning of the 20th century in the Vilnius province is given and it is indicated that the most acute problem during this period was the active labor movement, which had a mixed socio-ethnic character in the region. It is concluded that the management model implemented by von Wahl, which was based on the traditional administrative-power dominant, did not correspond to the situation in the region and provoked an increase in the degree of violence in the province. It is noted that, despite the short-term tenure of von Waal as governor of Vilna, it had a number of important consequences, demonstrating the premature liquidation of the institution of the governor-general in the region and the need to soften the administrative policy towards the local population.

Poverty in South Asia: An Intellectual History

The Oxford English Dictionary defines poverty as “destitution” with respect to lack of wealth and material possessions. It denotes a condition where an individual has inadequate resources and earnings to afford those necessities they require in order to stay alive and well. This condition can stem from extraneous shocks, such as the death of the head of the household or a poor harvest, or can result from systematic factors like power relations or institutions that have, since ancient times, kept some groups in society in precarious conditions. Descriptions of poverty are plentiful in ancient and medieval texts, which tend to characterize poverty with regard to natural, cultural, and personal features. In sharp contrast, the emergence of poverty as a public policy concern did not become evident until the latter part of the 19th century. It is also noteworthy that the means of measuring poverty that began to emerge in 19th and early 20th centuries identified poverty as a cultural or individual trait, rather than as a consequence of legal or administrative policy making. These latter day quantitative methods of measurement also provide the earliest evidence base for the design of public policies for poverty alleviation and advancing human development.

Coalitional Lobbying and Intersectional Representation in American Rulemaking

Interest groups representing the marginalized regularly neglect advocacy on behalf of their most vulnerable constituents—those with intersectional disadvantage. Yet, they claim that such advocacy is central to their missions. I argue that interest groups representing women, people of color, Native nations, and the poor strategically conduct intersectional advocacy through coalitional lobbying. I test this claim using a new dataset of cosignature patterns within public comments on proposed federal agency rules submitted by a set of such groups between 2004 and 2014. I find that these groups are significantly more likely to pursue intersectional advocacy in coalitions but that coalition work, alone, does not relate to influential intersectional advocacy. Rather, it is particular coalition characteristics, including organizational diversity and financial capacity, that predict such influence. I conclude that collaborative lobbying is an effective tactic for mediating representational bias in interest group advocacy and promoting more pluralistic administrative policy making.

Developing Data-Driven Administrative Policy for International Montessori Center, Thailand

This institutional survey research was used to improve administrative policies at International Montessori Center (IMC), a private international kindergarten in Bangkok, Thailand. The main goal of the study was to gather input from school stakeholders regarding daily conditions and functions, with the ultimate goal of improved administrative policy implementation. A literature review indicated no direct prior research. A survey gathered input from four stakeholder groups, including 15 teachers, 104 parents, 17 staff, and 3 administrators, regarding Physical Safety, Child Sense of Being Valued (classroom atmosphere), Classroom Conditions, Information Availability, Parent-Teacher Meeting Quality, Administrative Support, Parental Support (overall), Educational Tools and Technology, Quality of Peer Professional Relationships, and Availability of Needed Supplies. Stakeholders rated the daily operations areas using five-point Likert-style questions and responded to two open-ended questions. In sum, findings highlighted a number of useful perspectives for the little-studied early-childhood administrative community: a) seemingly mundane school functions are important to those who experience them on a regular basis; b) all stakeholder input is valuable when gathering school daily operations feedback; c) similarities and differences in stakeholder input help administrators develop a more holistic perspective of school functioning; and d) stakeholder input is a valuable tool for administrators to use when critically considering responsive policy formulation. Conclusions reached were limited to correlations and patterns found in one institution. However, it is clear that this original research is a valuable step in improving administrative policy implementation at the private international kindergarten level.

Examining Individual Demographic and School Support Factors Regarding Teachers’ Intention to Use Technology: A Hierarchical Regression Analysis

A proliferation of literature documented the correlation between the teachers’ use of technology and the factors of technostress, burnout as well as the peda-gogical content knowledge. Yet insufficient findings explored the impacting factors of demographic factors of individual teachers and school support on educational use of technology. Hierarchical regression employed in this study advanced the traditional regression analysis of individual demographic factors, added by the second-step of school support model. The statistical results sup-ported both hypotheses that Model 1 of individual factors and Model 2 of the combined factors of individual and school support significantly predicted teachers’ use of technology. In addition, the study results showed that R square value progressed from 0.26 in model 1 to 0.60 in Model 2, implying the additional 34% of the variance explained by the combined factors collectively. The findings shed lights on in robustness of the models in predicting teachers’ in-tention to use technology and the school administrative policy in advocating the persistent use of ICT in educational settings.

New Zealand Emergency Department COVID-19 Preparedness Survey

ABSTRACTObjectiveThis research sought to assess the level of COVID-19 preparedness of Emergency Departments (EDs) in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) through the views of Emergency Medicine specialists working in District Health Boards around the country. Given the limited experience NZ hospitals have had with SARS-CoV-2, a comparison of current local practice with recent literature from other countries identifying known weaknesses may help prevent future healthcare worker infections in NZ.MethodsA cross-sectional survey by convenience sample of New Zealand Emergency Specialists in November 2020 to evaluate preparedness of engineering, administrative policy, and PPE use.ResultsA total of 137 surveys were completed (32% response rate), revealing heterogeneity in NZ ED clinical work environments in November 2020. More than 10% of emergency specialists surveyed reported no access to negative pressure rooms. N95 fit testing was not done on 15 (11%). Most specialists (86%) work in EDs that cohort patients, about one-third (34%) do not use spotters during PPE doffing, few have policy regarding breaches in PPE, and most do not have required space for physical distancing in non-clinical areas. Initial PPE training, simulations and segregating patients were widespread but appear to be waning with persistent low SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. PPE shortages were not identified in NZ EDs, yet 13% of consultants did not indicate they would use respirators during aerosol generating procedures on COVID-19 patients. Treatment interventions including non-invasive ventilation and high flow nasal cannula were common. Many respondents reported high levels of stress attributable to predicted inadequate staffing and the state of overall preparedness in event of a second wave.ConclusionsNew Zealand emergency specialists identified significant gaps in COVID-19 preparedness, and they have a unique opportunity to translate lessons from other locations into local action. Proactive identification of weaknesses in hospital engineering, policy, and PPE practice in advance of future SARS-CoV-2 endemic transmission would be prudent.What is already known?Aotearoa New Zealand has eliminated COVID-19 community transmission. Recently, trans-Tasman neighbour Australia has controlled SARS-CoV-2 surges which were complicated by significant nosocomial spread and healthcare worker infections. Several recent publications as well as expert recommendations from the Australian Department of Health and Human Services have listed improvements to the Hierarchy of Controls necessary to prevent future outbreaks in hospitals and long-term care facilities.What are the new findings?Survey responses specifically identified breakdowns in engineering, administrative policy and PPE in New Zealand emergency departments (EDs), potentially increasing healthcare worker nosocomial infection risk. As of November 2020, equitable access of all NZ emergency specialists to recommended negative flow rooms, fit testing of N95 masks, and other evidence based policy upgrades to COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) standards are not universal.What do the new findings imply?The experience of local emergency specialists in a rapidly evolving pandemic can identify weaknesses in emergency preparedness previously reported to have increased nosocomial infection risk in similar healthcare environments. The aim of this research was to identify those weaknesses in local NZ emergency department policy, protocols and PPE and further efforts to provide proactive recommendations for system improvement. Finally, the research sought to understand how safe NZ emergency specialists felt during the initial lockdown and provides insight as to the psychological experiences of this vital group of front-line staff.

Developing Data-Driven Administrative Policy for International Montessori Center, Thailand

This institutional survey research was used to improve administrative policies at International Montessori Center (IMC), a private international kindergarten in Bangkok, Thailand. The main goal of the study was to gather input from school stakeholders regarding daily conditions and functions, with the ultimate goal of improved administrative policy implementation. A literature review indicated no direct prior research. A survey gathered input from four stakeholder groups, including 15 teachers, 104 parents, 17 staff, and 3 administrators, regarding Physical Safety, Child Sense of Being Valued (classroom atmosphere), Classroom Conditions, Information Availability, Parent-Teacher Meeting Quality, Administrative Support, Parental Support (overall), Educational Tools and Technology, Quality of Peer Professional Relationships, and Availability of Needed Supplies. Stakeholders rated the daily operations areas using five-point Likert-style questions and responded to two open-ended questions. In sum, findings highlighted a number of useful perspectives for the little-studied early-childhood administrative community: a) seemingly mundane school functions are important to those who experience them on a regular basis; b) all stakeholder input is valuable when gathering school daily operations feedback; c) similarities and differences in stakeholder input help administrators develop a more holistic perspective of school functioning; and d) stakeholder input is a valuable tool for administrators to use when critically considering responsive policy formulation. Conclusions reached were limited to correlations and patterns found in one institution. However, it is clear that this original research is a valuable step in improving administrative policy implementation at the private international kindergarten level.

PROPERTY TAX AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURAHUASI DISTRICT, APURÍMAC -2019

The objective stated in this investigation is; "Determine how the collection of property tax is related to the local development of the Curahuasi district, Apurímac 2019", whose research method was hypothetical-deductive, descriptive, correlational, non-experimental and cross-sectional design, basic type, sample was 330 Taxpayers of property tax, result; inferentially on the relationship between the variables of property tax collection and local development statistical value for the Rho of Spearman is ρ =, 714; on the other hand, the collection of property taxes with the economic growth dimensions Rho de Spearman ρ =, 734; Spearman's Rho Human Resources Training Development ρ =, 663; sociocultural and institutional improvement value obtained from Rho de Spearman is ρ =, 681; Administrative Policy value obtained the Spearman's Rho ρ =, 724. And Spearman's environmental Rho ρ =, 677. with the value of p = .00 (p <.05) each; and as for the result of descriptive statistics of 100%, 66.7% of taxpayers affirm that there is no tax collection nor is there local development; Similarly, a high percentage of taxpayers affirm that there is no economic growth (66.9%); development in human resources training (66.3%); socio-cultural and institutional improvement (64.5%); Concertation of Administrative Policy (67.3%); environmentally sustainable development (64.2%); therefore it is concluded that; There is a high positive correlation between the variables of property tax collection and local development, as well as other dimensions discussed in this research. Keywords: Property tax, local development, Curahuasi.