Make space! Creating Church with Newcomers

Special Issue on Collaborative Engineering

Collaborative design support : workshops to stimulate interaction and knowledge exchange between practitioners

The insufficient understanding and literature on people collaborating in the Architectural-Engineering-Construction (AEC) industry has prompted researchers to investigate this by conducting project-to-project comparisons. A mixed method-based comparison of two construction projects’ design teams was made in order to present factors to be considered in fostering a positive collaborative culture. Client knowledge and involvement, existing relationships between teams, stronger informal collaboration, a decentralised leadership style and the adequate monetary motivation to a firm were found to be most critical. The study also assessed whether the use of holistic analysis methods can quantitatively show the differences between the projects; in particular, which project had a more positive collaborative culture. The perception based method used correlated the variance of perception of the teamwork environment and systemic risk to the projects with a more positive collaborative culture; 80% of constructs (some postulated attribute of people assumed, to reflect in test performance) supported the qualitative data. Additionally, assessments of the personalities of respondents from the project with a more collaborative culture also showed higher collective agreeableness. Findings suggest that projects with more changes, more assumptions made and uncertainty in requirements affect the collaborative culture negatively.

Effective public administration governance in the 21st century requires adapting to an ever-changing landscape of complex societal needs, technological advancements, and shifting political contexts. In the face of rapid urbanization, demographic changes, and shifting global dynamics, African public administrations are being called upon to navigate an increasingly complex governance landscape. This paper explores the imperative of innovative adaptation and resilience practices in African public administration governance. It also examines the role of adaptive governance, digital transformation, and human-centered design in fostering a resilient and responsive public sector and highlights the importance of building trust, engaging citizens, and promoting diversity and inclusivity in public administration. This paper argues that traditional approaches to governance are no longer sufficient to address the multifaceted challenges facing African countries, and that innovative strategies are needed to build resilience and adapt to an ever-changing environment. It reviews existing literature on public administration governance in Africa, highlighting the key challenges and opportunities that arise from demographic shifts, technological advancements, and changing societal expectations. It then presents case studies of successful adaptation and resilience strategies employed by New Zealand and Singapore governments, highlighting the importance of inclusive and participatory approaches, digitalization, and capacity building. Ultimately, this research aims to provide a roadmap for policymakers and practitioners seeking to navigate the complexities of public administration governance and create a more agile, effective, and citizen-centric government. The paper concludes by outlining a framework for navigating the dynamic landscape of public administration governance in Africa, emphasizing the need for ongoing learning, collaboration, and innovation to ensure effective and sustainable governance practices. Through embracing a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and collaboration, public administrators can develop the capacity to respond to emerging challenges and seize opportunities for improvement.

In order for teacher trainers to effectively integrate ICT in their teaching practice and serve as a model to their pre-service teachers, teacher training should consist of technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. One way to achieve this is by setting up collaborative (design) teams. In this contribution four cases of ICT design teams are presented, each starting from a different perspective. The functioning of the design teams is assessed by making use of two recently developed frameworks. The team leaders are vital for the functioning of their team, and all teams succeed (at least to some extent) in designing learning materials and strengthening the ICT competences of the team mem- bers. Other success factors are the networked nature of the design teams and the personal interest of the team members; whereas time and duration of the project were the limiting factors. The project ran over two academic years; limiting the activities of the design team to one school-year might have led to fewer drop-outs and more involvement. Key words : teacher training, ICT-competencies, community of practice, blended learning, ICT design team

The three studies reported in this chapter seek the perspectives of teachers and school leaders on the sustainability of design teams in higher education. The first study pertains to the sustainability and scalability of teacher design teams in Ghana’s polytechnics. The second study investigated opportunities and challenges for large-scale implementation of e-learning by providing professional development for instructors through collaborative design at the Open University of Tanzania. Finally, the third study reports on the continued use of core elements of a collaborative professional development program for communicative language in Ethiopia. Data were collected among teachers who participated in design teams, non-participating teachers and management, between 6 and 18 months after the first implementation of teacher design teams. The findings of the three studies are presented. Opportunities for sustainability and implications of scaling up collaborative curriculum design in teacher design teams as a strategy for professional development and curriculum innovation are described and discussed.

Keywords: Nonprofit human resources, staff development, staff, talent development, leadership, grantmaking strategyPart I - The Nonprofit Talent ChallengeFraming the IssueThe workforce challenge facing the social sector has been characterized primarily as a leadership crisis or deficit (Tierney, 2006; Eisenberg 2004; Schwarz, 2003). The narrative is premised on the idea that baby boomer nonprofit executive directors would begin retiring at the traditional age. This has not come to pass. The story line also suggests that this exodus will leave too few people to fill the vacated slots. This framing conflates management and leadership into one challenge, ignoring the distinction between these ideas and making invisible the importance of nonexecutive roles. Moreover, it overlooks millions of promising nonprofit professionals already in the field and committed to lifelong service. This flawed crisis mentality has led to ill-informed interventions, including efforts to recruit business students to manage the nonprofit sector (Buchanan, 2013).The true crisis is not a lack of bodies to fill nonprofit jobs; rather, it is the deficit of investment in current nonprofit people and the systems that them (Kunreuther & Corvington, 2007). It is true that numerous foundations have proudly funded excellent fellowships and leadership-development initiatives over many years (McGonagill & Reinelt, 2011). I have personally benefitted from such generous support, both as a program participant and as staff at a leadership-development organization. In recent years, the of executive coaching, sabbatical opportunities, and executive-transition management have grown popular among some foundations. Yet, it has been unclear how many foundations this work and how much philanthropic capital is routed to nonprofit talent efforts.To investigate this question, I partnered with the experts at the Foundation Center's research department. We found that during 1992-2011, the annual average total for nonprofit talent was 1.24 percent of grant dollars. In the last decade, the percentage of this of funding fell by half, from 1.4 percent to 0.8 percent of total grants each year. (See Figure 1.) A similar study by McKinsey & Co. found that only 1 percent of funding went to leadership development (Callanan, 2013).While designing a proxy for talent grantmaking using the Foundation Center taxonomy, I discovered that the codes to describe for grantee talent are nonexistent or, at the very least, challenging. For example, under the type of support category, the descriptive term that comes closest is faculty/staff development. This blurry phrasing presents a clear bias toward higher education and a lack of general focus in grantmaking on staff development at any of grantee organization. This is not the fault of Foundation Center; it is an inherited mental model amongst many funders that does not encourage them to conceptualize grantee talent as an important ingredient in the success of organizations and programs.With this data as context, the next sections examine the talent investment crisis by describing the current and chronic landscape.Urgent: The Current Talent EnvironmentSeveral trends in the nonprofit arena make it important to increase talent investment in this decade. These developments include generational and demographic change, a bottleneck in nonprofit careers, the war for talent, and the increasing rate at which talent moves in the nonprofit labor market. These issues have taken shape in the context of long-term divestment in nonprofit talent and chronically broken talent-support systems.Massive demographic and generational change in the American workforce has been widely documented and discussed (Halpern, 2006). The new majority will be people of color, not white people. The greatest generation is rapidly exiting the stage. Baby boomers are reaching the traditional retirement age. …

In order for teacher trainers to effectively integrate ICT in their teaching practice and serve as a model to their pre-service teachers, teacher training should consist of technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. One way to achieve this is by setting up collaborative (design) teams. In this contribution four cases of ICT design teams are presented, each starting from a different perspective. The functioning of the design teams is assessed by making use of two recently developed frameworks. The team leaders are vital for the functioning of their team, and all teams succeed (at least to some extent) in designing learning materials and strengthening the ICT competences of the team members. Other success factors are the networked nature of the design teams and the personal interest of the team members; whereas time and duration of the project were the limiting factors. The project ran over two academic years; limiting the activities of the design team to one school-year might have led to fewer drop-outs and more involvement.

High-quality online courses can result from collaborative instructional design and development approaches that draw upon the diverse and relevant expertise of faculty design teams. In this reflective analysis of design and pedagogical practice, the authors explore a collaborative instructional design partnership among education faculty, including the course instructors, which developed while co-designing an online graduate-level course at a Canadian University. A reflective analysis of the collaborative design process is presented using an adapted, four-fold curriculum design framework. Course instructors discuss their approaches to backward instructional design and describe the digital tools used to support collaboration. Benefits from collaborative course design, including ongoing professional dialogue and peer support, academic development of faculty, and improved course design and delivery, are described. Challenges included increased time investment for instructors and a perception of increased workload during design and implementation of the course. Overall, the collaborative design team determined that the course co-design experience resulted in

Problem Statement and Purpose. The article examines the key factors influencing the formation of city development models, including demographic changes, economic potential, geographical conditions, and technological progress. It is considered how the geographical location of the city affects its infrastructural development, economic orientation and development strategies chosen by development companies. Special attention is paid to the impact of demographic changes, such as migration and population growth, on the infrastructure and social needs of cities, and the problem of economic potential in different geographical contexts is also revealed. It is analyzed how technological progress, in particular the development of smart cities, transforms urban space, and the role of development companies in implementing innovative solutions in the face of climate change and natural disasters is also considered. Data & Methods. The article uses an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of urban development models, including theoretical research methods such as comparative analysis, synthesis, systematic approach and modelling. The analysis was carried out on the basis of the latest scientific works, statistical data and examples from urban planning practice. Results. The study found that urban development patterns are shaped by many factors, with geography, demographic change, economic potential, technological progress and infrastructure capabilities playing a key role. Geographical factors such as natural resources, climatic conditions and access to transport routes continue to determine the economic orientation of cities, steering them towards the development of certain sectors such as industry, trade or technology. At the same time, these same factors also impose constraints on growth and require adaptive urban planning strategies. Demographic changes, such as migration and population growth, put pressure on urban infrastructure and labour markets, resulting in the need to expand housing stock and develop social and transport services. On the one hand, this stimulates urban development, but on the other hand, it leads to imbalances in the distribution of resources between large urban centers and less developed regions, which requires careful planning and investment. The economic potential of cities is closely linked to their geographical location and the availability of natural resources, but at the present stage, the use of human capital and innovative technologies is becoming increasingly important. Cities with well-developed educational and research institutions are becoming centers of innovation, attracting foreign investment and promoting the development of knowledge-intensive industries. Technological progress has a significant impact on shaping urban development models, as the introduction of innovative technologies allows for more efficient use of resources, sustainable management of urban systems, and reduction of environmental risks. In particular, the digitalisation of management processes, the use of geographic information systems and smart city technologies help to optimize urban space and improve the quality of life of the population. In order to achieve sustainable urban development, it is necessary to develop strategies that take into account the complex impact of geographical, demographic, economic and technological factors. Such an approach will ensure the balanced development of both large urban centers and smaller cities, contributing to national economic growth and improving the quality of life.

This analytical report was prepared at the request of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, under government Decision No. 284/2024, to address rapid demographic changes through evidence-based policies to anticipate future demands for resources and social services. The population projection is intended for use by central and local authorities in planning and effectively implementing public policies, ensuring the management of demographic and economic changes and the efficient allocation of resources for the sustainable development of local communities. The national-level population projections is prepared annually by the National Institute for Economic Research (Centre for Demographic Research) of the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova.

This chapter draws upon the experiences of building an authentic collaboration between a University team of academics and students with a hospital design lab and healthcare practitioners to solve real world problems that the hospital stakeholders were ill-equipped to tackle. The collaboration was founded through establishing a like-minded community of practice built upon mutual trust, and the formation of a transdisciplinary design team. The STUDIO602 project demonstrated the mutual benefits of authentic collaboration between industry and higher education. Universities have expertise in supervising and mentoring student research teams to solve real-world problems. By building authentic collaboration between university research teams and hospital design teams innovative solutions to practical health care problems can be solved. Such collaborative design partnerships will lead to better health outcomes for society as innovative solutions to pre-hospital care, out-patient care, and innovative design of hospital infrastructure and technology-enhanced practices are developed. Extending these collaborations to international teams working remotely together we can widen the impact of the developments beyond New Zealand, and bring into the design team international expertise as well. We discuss the application of several techniques used in the software industry and how they relate to the STUDIO602 project—these include design thinking, team management, stakeholder engagement and rapid prototyping techniques. The innovation we are illustrating in this chapter through this project example are the development of pedagogical design principles to facilitate authentic collaboration between student design teams and industry.KeywordsAtelierSocial learning environmentsRhizomatic learningOntological pedagogiesHeutagogyDesign-based research

Collaborative design review in a distributed environment

As the adoption and implementation of building information modeling (BIM) continues to gain momentum, the benefits and challenges of its implementation and use are becoming better defined. However, there still lacks an understanding into the reconfiguration of practice that is being induced by BIM within multi-disciplinary project teams. Part of this reconfiguration of practice involves the development of the model through the generation, authoring and exchange of project information. This paper presents the finding of a research project that investigated the evolution of a BIM developed by a vertically integrated project team on a large institutional project for design and construction purposes. The objective of the research project was to develop measures to investigate the evolution of a BIM in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary project setting. The research team analyzed the bi-weekly iterations of the models produced by the design team following a rigorous protocol. Timesheets were obtained for all project team members involved in the modeling process. The measures developed adopt both the product and the process perspective of BIM. These measures were tested to verify how they correlated to one another and to the overall time spent in the project and in BIM. Four categories of measure are developed: measures of information quantity, measures of information content, measures of information representation and measures of product evolution. These measures can serve as a benchmark to evaluate the efficiency of the modeling and ultimately the project delivery process.

How Community College design programs have linked up in developing curriculum and student projects in using collaborative design methods in the classroom. Project / presentation overview www.designcollaborative.org The design of manufactured parts at times requires a team effort. This team effort may also require having to work with other design teams that are separated by a great distance. Getting design and drafting programs to simulate this type of commercial interaction has been traditionally difficult. Our Design program at Sinclair Community College and the Design programs at Ventura College, and College of the Redwoods have teamed up to develop modular curriculum in collaborative design and created a design “out of the box” style project that can be used by any design or drafting course /program to get started in using collaborative design and working with other design programs. The presentation will focus on the development of the original collaborative design curriculum integration concept, how the concept has been implemented into our curriculum, the tools that are involved and how it can easily be placed into any curriculum of a drawing or design class. This presentation will also provide information on our National Science Foundation funded grant for faculty development on collaborative design and rapid prototyping /tooling. Community college and undergraduate faculty will have the opportunity to receive an immersive “hands on” look at applying this “out of the box” collaborative design or rapid prototyping curriculum beginning August 2005 at the campuses of Sinclair community College and Ventura College. This weeklong training program will provide an in depth look at how to integrate collaborative design into a curriculum, provide training in parametric design software and collaborative tools, and participate in a collaborative design process during the weeklong event. There is also a stipend available to help offset travel expenses. Beginning in the summer of 2005 a network of community college design programs will start a design resource bartering network focused on sharing resources that are used in design curriculum. As educational budgets get slashed across the United States every program cannot have the absolute latest tools used in design and rapid prototyping. Team up with other colleges from around the nation to participate in a barter of tools and resources with other design programs.