Reassessing fiscal federalization: policy assessment of forestry sector royalty revenue-sharing in Nepal

This article studies the effect of an Earth systems Science for All program intervention. This intervention was aimed at cultivating a sense of success and developing cognitive skills among students in classes with a dominant number of students from Ethiopian origin who are characterized by a low scholastic achievement level. The effect the earth systems approach curriculum was studied through a mix of quantitative and qualitative research tools. The battery of qualitative and quantitative research tools that were used in this study, enabled to the collection of data concerning the cognitive and affective outcomes of the implementation of the Earth systems science program. All the different sources of data consistently indicate a very positive influence of the earth systems based science program on the students in both cognitive and emotional domains. These findings were consistently supported by two different sources of information - students and teachers.

Mood boards are fundamental tools used in design industries. The term mood board is often used generically to cover a wide range of board types, each having specific uses. The types of boards considered to be a vital part of the design process that facilitate creative and innovative thinking and application, as opposed to those associated with marketing to merely present and communicate product to an audience, are the focus of this study. The creation of mood boards involves a recognizable process coupled with creativity. The creative process used to develop mood boards can be seen to have three fundamental stages that offer the creator opportunities for deep levels of engagement to take place in order to develop creative and innovative design solutions. This study explores and models this process uncovering the underlying principles in relation to working methodologies and problem-solving theories. Further system models conceptualize the working methodologies of thirteen individuals in case studies using observation techniques and think-aloud methods. An evaluation of the participants’ levels of engagement with the process stages enriches the analysis, drawing conclusions for best practice approaches to the task and the understanding of mood boards as qualitative research tools.

In recent years, there have been increasing demands for public policy design to be guided by empirical evidence, especially in programmes addressing social inclusion. In this scenario, qualitative approaches are often subordinated to the macro results obtained from quantitative instruments. Based on the results of a mixed-methods RCT research design, this article explores how qualitative research tools might provide qualitative significance – information as valuable as numerical data obtained using standardised scales. This proposal is based on the results of a research project addressing problems associated with barriers to employment and mental health among its participants. The impact of gender-sensitive issues – i.e., the unequal distribution of care responsibilities – or the development of mental health problems such as anxiety are often underestimated in studies based purely on statistical data. Our approach underscores the value of the testimonies and narratives obtained through qualitative tools – e.g., semi-structured interviews and focus groups – and how these can provide first-class evidence for the design and impact assessment of public policies tackling social inclusion.

The Constitution of Nepal as Federal Democratic Republic was promulgated on September 20, 2015 by the second CA. The primary objective of this study is to review the modality presented in the new constitution on the natural resources, economic rights and revenue allocation. The study finds that the fiscal decentralization initiatives have not been successful in minimizing the political, social, economic, regional and ethnic inequalities inherent for nearly 240 years of a unitary system of governance in Nepal. The study recommends that VAT and income taxes will have to be collected concurrently at both the central and sub-national levels. Other taxes including excise duties will have to be collected by the sub-national governments which will support the expenditure responsibilities of the sub national governments adequately in federal Nepal. Intergovernmental transfer modality has to be included in the constitution. National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission (NNRFC) have been constituted at the central level to make national level development plans and to make recommendations for additional grants and loans. A State Planning Commission (SPC) and a State Fiscal Commission (SFC) can be established in each state to prepare state development plans and to deal with the transfers to be made to local bodies.

Policy Relevant Conservation Science

This paper is a review of pertinent qualitative research processes, approaches, and tools in social sciences. The purpose is to attempt to lay the groundwork and provide insight to both the theoretical and practical considerations behind qualitative research, especially as it is conducted in South African universities. The review adopted a purposive non-probability sample from the population of participating universities, namely, the socalled previously advantaged White universities, and the previously disadvantaged Black universities, to critically look at research challenges that the latter universities face. This review established amongst other thing that the research output of the previously advantageous White universities far surpasses and outclasses that of the previously Black university… and this gap in research output levels between the two types of institutions was remarkably unacceptable. It was on the basis of this outcomes that the review suggests and recommends the thematic model of qualitative research discourse that includes the following processes, approaches and tools: (a) selection and choice of a research paradigm/approach; (b) qualitative research design; (c) introduction of and background to the study;(d) problem formulation and statement of the problem and sub-problems; (e) formulation of the research questions; (f) identification key research aim and objectives; (g) qualitative data collection and gathering; (h) qualitative data analysis and interpretation; (I) the significance of the study; (j) the scope and/or limitations of the study; (k) discussion of the findings ; (l) recommendations; and (m) summary and conclusion of the study. It is believed that if this model can be effectively implemented, could lead to the performance of qualitative research processes, approaches, and tools in social sciences research, and further lead to the improvement of research outputs in the previously disadvantaged Black universities in the country.Key Words: Qualitative Research DiscourseSocio-economic ChallengesSocial InquiryNovice Qualitative ResearcherQualitative Research Methods and Methodologies

Illness narratives and explanatory models have been a research focus for the discipline of medical anthropology for decades. In recent years, standardized qualitative research tools have been developed to elicit illness narratives as a means of conducting socio-cultural analysis and as a springboard for health-related interventions – particularly with reference to communities experiencing rapid socioeconomic transition or those in which trauma has been experienced. Nevertheless, gaps persist in terms of the latent methodological and epistemological challenges of translating and transplanting such research tools to new contexts. This paper chronicles the adaptation of the McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI) for use in the culturally Tibetan region of Mustang, Nepal. This analysis is based on 44 in-depth interviews using an adapted version of the MINI to elicit narratives about experiences of illness. The MINI proved to be a compelling research tool, particularly in terms of engaging research assistants in the field. Yet its deployment in a context where distinctions between individual and social suffering can be blurred, where the dichotomization of ‘religion’ and ‘medicine’ makes little sense, and where understandings of causality are rooted in the concept of karma, revealed the extent to which the MINI – and, by extension other such qualitative research tools – emerges from particular models of narrative construction and assumptions about the relationships between self and other, cause and effect. Concluding recommendations are made regarding the adaptation of this tool to other settings.

ABSTRACTThe article is a reflection on the use of an oral diary as a qualitative research tool, the role that it played during fieldwork and the methodological issues that emerged. It draws on a small-scale empirical study into primary school teachers' use of group discussion, during which oral diaries were used to explore and document teacher reflective thinking across time. The paper considers the design of the oral diary tool in this context and how its use created both a window on the developing construction of teachers' ideas about their practice of using group discussion in science and also a space to explore emerging analytical themes. The way in which the regular routine of the oral diary entries helped to make connections between the researcher and the participant and nurture fieldwork relationships is discussed in addition to the limitations of this specific research tool.

Evidence-informed and human rights-based combination prevention combines behavioural, biomedical, and structural interventions to address both the immediate risks and underlying causes of vulnerability to HIV infection, and the pathways that link them. Because these are context-specific, no single prescription or standard package will apply universally. Anchored in 'know your epidemic' estimates of where the next 1000 infections will occur and 'know your response' analyses of resource allocation and programming gaps, combination prevention strategies seek to realign programme priorities for maximum effect to reduce epidemic reproductive rates at local, regional, and national levels. Effective prevention means tailoring programmes to local epidemics and ensuring that components are delivered with the intensity, quality, and scale necessary to achieve intended effects. Structural interventions, addressing the social, economic, cultural, and legal constraints that create HIV risk environments and undermine the agency of individuals to protect themselves and others, are also public goods in their own right. Applying the principles of combination prevention systematically and consistently in HIV programme planning, with due attention to context, can increase HIV programme effectiveness. Better outcome and impact measurement using multiple methods and data triangulation can build the evidence base on synergies between the components of combination prevention at individual, group, and societal levels, facilitating iterative knowledge translation within and among programmes.

Many commentators tell us that the qualitative research tools in most common use, while fit for many purposes, are ineffective in discovering the emotional reasons behind behaviour. In my arena - children and young people's research - I am seeking to address this with the development of creative workshops. With this, I have for the first time combined my dual backgrounds of qualitative research and drama (before retraining as a researcher, I was in theatre for 15 years as an actor and director, including many productions for children). Workshops will comprise a mix of research and drama exercises, together accessing areas normally hidden during, for instance, standard focus groups. The impetus for this development comes from a current trend to involve storytelling in research in some way or another.

Summary: Sport social workers operate across all sport systems and settings, from youth recreation to professional athletics. Due to the diversity of ways in which social work practice intersects with sport, the specialization of sport social work remains nebulous. To begin to disentangle this ambiguity, the current exploratory study sough to better understand the unique perspectives and lived experiences sport social workers who: (1) use sport to promote healthy development and holistic wellbeing, and (2) provide services to those involved in sport to promote healthy development and holistic wellbeing. Following the recommendations of Braun et al. (2021)—who positioned the online survey as a qualitative research tool—a 29-item online questionnaire was administered to the Alliance of Social Workers in Sport email listserv. In total, 84 participants engaged in the survey. Findings: Findings highlight unique opportunities for sport social workers (e.g., teach life skills; engage in interprofessional collaborations), benefits of having sport social workers (e.g., enhance treatment, social work values), and barriers that sport social workers face (e.g., lack of education, sport culture). Applications: The ability to better understand the ways in which social workers operate at the intersection of social work and sport is a critical next step in advancing the profession, as well as the unique area of sport social work practice.

Rather often we have to confront with the pessimistic views on the future of the family business. Contrary to these prognosis, the FB is not only present but also improving its position in the global economy and playing a key role in the European economy too. They represent 60 % of employment and more than 60 million jobs in the private sector. Among many internal challenges of FB in the five years’ time, the importance of the ‘company succession’ is increasing together with the renewing technology and ‘attracting the right sills/ talents’ (Global Family Survey, 2015). This article is focusing on the transfer of socio-economic wealth (SEW) as a key intangible asset within the intergenerational changes in the FB. The paper outlines the various concepts (narrow vs. broad) of the SEW and special attention is paid to the risk prone [taken] and risk adverse entrepreneurial attitudes. In this relation, the authors made distinction between the ‘opportunity’ and ‘necessity entrepreneurs’. Using empirical experiences based on multi-site company case studies in the three INSIST project countries, the various sub-sections are focusing on the transfer of the following key components of the SEW to the next generation: trust-based social-system, generic human values (i.e. openness, mutual respect, correctness, reliability, responsibility etc.) and ‘practice based – embedded collective knowledge’. Key lesson of this analysis is the following: transferring physical assets in the succession process seems to us less important than the transfer of the intangible one embedded in the company’s culture community. Further systematic national and international investigations – combining quantitative and qualitative research tools – are necessary to acquire more accurate picture on the impacts of transferring both intangible and tangible assets in the succession process in the FB.

BackgroundThe World Cancer Research Fund International's (WCRF International) analysis of global research shows a strong link between diet, physical activity, and risk of cancer. To address this, WCRF International has developed a package of policy resources to promote healthy diets and physical activity to support reporting, categorising and monitoring of policy actions. The MOVING policy framework was developed as a complement to the well-established NOURISHING framework of diet-related policies-outlining a comprehensive set of areas in which governments should take action to promote physical activity. The new framework forms the basis for the MOVING database of implemented policy actions.MethodsFor the MOVING framework, literature reviews were undertaken, and the results were distilled into policy categories on which academics and policy experts provided feedback. The framework is the basis for a specific inclusion criteria and search strategy to determine how policy actions will be collected, reviewed and categorised for the MOVING database. A comprehensive scanning methodology was designed to identify all relevant policies across the MOVING policy areas. Relevant policies are then verified with in-country experts and uploaded to the database. This methodology was tested, refined and will be applied to 27 European countries.ResultsThe MOVING policy framework comprises six policy areas within four policy domains and details the areas where governments should take action to promote physical activity. The framework forms the structure for a new database of global physical activity policies, which was launched in the summer of 2020. The MOVING database currently includes 234 policy actions from 12 countries. The MOVING database is a logical and practical tool, allowing users to search for policy actions categorised in the structure of the MOVING framework.ConclusionThe MOVING physical activity framework and database are innovative tools that support reporting, categorising and monitoring of physical activity policy actions that will work alongside the NOURISHING framework and database. These physical activity policy tools allow stakeholders such as researchers, civil society organizations and policy makers to quickly identify both gaps and strengths in government action and therefore assess where there is scope for improvement within and across countries.

IntroductionUnmet need for healthcare is a proxy indicator used to assess the performance of healthcare systems throughout the world. While the Russian Federation is committed to improving healthcare for its...

Given that many modern problems are complex and even wicked, and that actual variables are hidden underneath dynamics that are socially moderated and ever changing, it is difficult for any research tool to take into account all these factors. However, existing tools can be improved or augmented with a view to encourage open discussions to elicit subtle points, but must be simple and resource efficient enough to be conducted at various stages to take into account emerging dynamics. Due to the culture of the organisation, when sensitive issues need to be researched, most people display an unwillingness to speak their mind – thus, affecting management and leadership. Many elect to keep mum about their true feelings and prefer to say only the politically correct things. This paper presents the Paper Dialogue as a qualitative research tool that can help to address these issues, thus improving the quality of data collected.