Aid Coordination Research Articles

Improving struggling medical and nursing students’ subjective vitality, school engagement and academic performance through a peer mentorship intervention programme: an intervention protocol

BackgroundThe undergraduate medical training programme is demanding and rigorous. This underlines the importance of a peer mentorship strategy to improve the well-being, self-determination, school connectedness, and performance of struggling medical and nursing students. This study is aimed at identifying struggling medical and nursing students using two cumulative continuous assessment test (CAT) scores, assess their subjective vitality and school engagement and evaluate the impact of the peer mentorship intervention on them.MethodsThe study will adopt a mixed-methods approach and will be conducted in the medical colleges of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, and the University of Rwanda. Three instruments will be used: The subjective Vitality Scale (SVS), the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI), and the academic records of the students before and after the commencement of the intervention programme. The consenting least-performing medical and nursing students identified by their low CAT scores (below 45%) in basic medical sciences will be selected for study in each institution. The outcome measures will include students’ CAT scores, subjective vitality, and school engagement scores. The data will be analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Thematic content analysis will be adopted in the analysis of the responses generated from the focus group discussion. The mean ± standard deviation or median and interquartile range statistic will be adopted for the quantitative data.DiscussionGiven the paucity of data on struggling medical and nursing students in Nigeria and Rwanda, this research was designed to help in exploring evidence-based interventions to improve and prevent poor subjective well-being of struggling students. The study is expected to fill these knowledge gaps. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial registry, PACTR202405546896613, registration date: 27th May, 2024. This proposal has been supported by grant 1R25TW011217 from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Fogarty International Center (FIC) which also includes co-funds from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth). The Grant Principal Investigators are Profs. Nelson K.Sewankambo (contact PI), Prisca Adejumo, Jean Bisimwa Nachega, Fatima Suleman.

Impact-based forecasting of tropical cyclone-related human displacement to support anticipatory action

Tropical cyclones (TCs) displace millions every year. While TCs pose hardships and threaten lives, their negative impacts can be reduced by anticipatory actions like evacuation and humanitarian aid coordination. In addition to weather forecasts, impact forecast enables more effective response by providing richer information on the numbers and locations of people at risk of displacement. We introduce a fully open-source implementation of a globally consistent and regionally calibrated TC-related displacement forecast at low computational costs, combining meteorological forecast with population exposure and respective vulnerability. We present a case study of TC Yasa which hit Fiji in December 2020. We emphasise the importance of considering the uncertainties associated with hazard, exposure, and vulnerability in a global uncertainty analysis, which reveals a considerable spread of possible outcomes. Additionally, we perform a sensitivity analysis on all recorded TC displacement events from 2017 to 2020 to understand how the forecast outcomes depend on these uncertain inputs. Our findings suggest that for longer forecast lead times, decision-making should focus more on meteorological uncertainty, while greater emphasis should be placed on the vulnerability of the local community shortly before TC landfall. Our open-source codes and implementations are readily transferable to other users, hazards, and impact types.

New ways of aid coordination: results of an implementation study on the digitalization of neighborhood assistance for the older adults

New ways of aid coordination: results of an implementation study on the digitalization of neighborhood assistance for the older adults

Digital Battlegrounds: The Interplay of Social Media, State Power, and Influencers in Türkiye’s Earthquake Response

This study examines the critical role of Twitter (X) in crisis communication during the earthquake that struck Türkiye on 6 February 2023, focusing on how two prominent influencers, Haluk Levent and Oğuzhan Uğur, effectively utilized the platform in response to the disaster. Analysis of highly retweeted posts and engagement rates for tweets collected using related keywords—“ahbap,” “babalatv,” “haluklevent,” and “oguzhanugur”—reveals how Twitter served not only for functions such as sharing locations for rescue operations, information dissemination, organization, and fundraising but also for defense against attacks and criticism of the government. Furthermore, Twitter emerged as a digital battleground where power struggles unfolded between the state and activist influencers. This study addresses this oversight by examining how Twitter functions not merely as a tool for communication and aid coordination but also as an arena of political contestation, filling a critical gap in understanding the role of social media. It underscores the critical need to consider the underlying political dynamics that social media interactions bring to the forefront during emergencies.

The role of inernational institutions of destination countries in the formation of Moldovan diaspora in the European Union

The following article analyzes the involvement of international organizations and EU states in the consolidation and development of the Moldovan diaspora in the European Union; the article also investigates the primary forms and mechanisms of stimulating these processes. The main international institutions participating in the implementation of programs and projects are the UN, the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the OSCE, the ICMPD, and others. On a regional level Moldova is the participant of many specialized organizations and platforms in the field of migration: Eastern Partnership, FRONEX, EUBAM, Mobility Partnership, the Prague Process, the Budapest Process, the Söderköping Process, and others. Among the donors that provide Moldova with financial aid in the field of migration and diaspora are many EU states, the USA, and several other countries. The Moldovan government regulates the institutional framework and the mechanism of coordination of external aid provided by the international organizations and donor-countries. Moldova receives different kinds of financial, legal, and logistical aid from the EU for the regulation of migration, integration of migrants in the EU. The article lists European conventions that influenced the development of Moldovan policy in the field of migration and diaspora. Diasporas are viewed as agents of change. European institutions begin to focus in their policies on diasporas only starting with 2011. The EU insists on close collaboration between the diasporas and the countries of origin, considering that migrant integration is more effective by way of diasporas. It is necessary for civil society institutions to participate in the process of integration. Moldova adopts the positive practices of diaspora attraction, its support for the country’s sustainable development. Practice shows that it is necessary to make agreements not only in the field of labor migration and social protection, but also in the field of labor migrants’ legal protection. The increasing role of the diaspora is tied to the deepening collaboration with the civil society of the destination countries, the participation of labor migrants in the destination countries’ political life. It is important for every level of administration participate in the development and implementation of strategies for migrant integration.

Mathematical enhancement of unsupervised machine learning algorithms for optimal lifeline donor knowledge extraction

Lifeline Donor groups are crucial in the field of humanitarian aid because they provide lifesaving aid in times of crisis. For effective resource management and aid coordination, it is crucial to draw relevant insights from donor data in a timely manner. Scalability, precision, and flexibility in responding to changing donor dynamics are all areas where traditional techniques of knowledge extraction fall short. This study offers a fresh method for optimizing knowledge extraction from Lifeline Donor databases by utilizing improved unsupervised machine learning methods. In order to extract, categorize, and prioritize donor knowledge from disparate data sources, this research presents a multi-faceted framework that includes cutting-edge machine learning algorithms. By merging cutting-edge developments in NLP and data mining, the proposed framework improves upon classic clustering and topic modelling methods. The program is able to capture subtle semantic links and underlying patterns in donor communication data by using methods like word embedding models and graph-based clustering.

Rural service coordination programming for women using substances and their families.

Women experiencing substance use during their pregnancies or after the birth of a child report being fearful of losing their children based on care, stigmatized when seeking assistance, and barriers to care such as having to provide the same information to different providers, and having to repeat their lived experiences with substance use in detail. Particularly these service barriers can be confusing, complicated, and difficult to follow, which could lead to non-compliance or not seeking services. We evaluated components of a service coordination program for women experiencing substance use, their children, and larger families who help with caregiving. We examined stakeholder interest in the program, feasibility providing services over time, and initial program effectiveness. Participant enrollment and outcomes as well as service coordination activities provided over a 4-year period was gathered across three demonstration site locations (a birthing hospital, reunification program, and home visiting program). Program information was gathered from needs assessment data, health survey data from enrolled caregivers and infants, training evaluations, and budget recordings of direct aid. In this mixed method design, we examined potential differences between baseline and the last assessment for women and children enrolled in the program. We also utilized univariate analyses of variance to examine the main effects of maternal and infant characteristics on final maternal and infant outcomes. Three sites enrolled 182 women and families for program services. Patient navigators provided direct aid, training, goal setting, and service coordination and planning. Families remained in the program, on average, 655 days and were satisfied with the services received. Respondents thought the program elements were easy to implement within the rural setting. The program effectively addressed basic needs, violence (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.34 (0.05-0.53)), infant development (p < 0.02; η2 = 0.51 (0.13-0.61)), and maternal depression (p < 0.05; η2 = 0.9 (0.00-0.22)). Select outcomes did differ by site. A service coordination model utilizing a patient navigator role to coordinate client services coupled with an approach that serves the infant and caregiver needs was feasible and desirable by all stakeholders within a rural setting. Service coordination effectively impacted select caregiver and infant outcomes.

Revision of Malawi’s Health Benefits Package: A Critical Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation

ObjectivesHealth benefits packages (HBPs), which define specific health services that can be offered for free or at a reduced cost to fit within public revenues, have been recommended for over 30 years to maximize population health in resource-limited settings. However, there remain gaps in defining and operationalizing HBPs. We propose a combination of design and prioritization methods along with practical strategies to improve the implementation of future iterations of the HBP in Malawi. MethodsFor HBP development for Malawi’s Third Health Sector Strategic Plan, we combined cost-effectiveness analysis with a quantitative, consultative multicriteria decision analysis. Throughout the process of development, we documented challenges and opportunities to improve HBP design and application. ResultsThe primary and secondary HBP included 115 interventions. However, the definition of an HBP is just one step toward focusing limited resources, with functional operationalization as the most critical component. Full implementation of previous HBPs has been limited by challenges in aid coordination with the misalignment of nonfungible vertical donor funding for the HBP without accounting for the complexity and interconnectedness of the health system. Opportunities for improved application include creation of a complementary minimum health service package to guide overall resource inputs through an integrative approach. ConclusionsWe believe that expanded participatory HBP methods that consider value, equity, and social considerations, along with a shift to providing integrated health service packages at all levels of care, will improve the efficiency of using scarce resources along the journey to universal health coverage.

Aid coordination through competition? Unintended consequences of China–Japan rivalry in foreign aid policy in Asia

Abstract The power struggle between China and Japan in Asia continues, with their political confrontations extending to foreign aid rivalry. While Japan used to dominate in foreign aid in the region, China has overtaken it with its infrastructure assistance. No formal regional aid and development framework has yet been developed here. However, this article argues that unintentional donor coordination between China and Japan has been realized. The aid provided by the two does not overlap as each country tends to focus on a limited number of recipients, and a natural division of labor originates. Why has their rivalry resulted in aid coordination? This article answers the question by examining the behaviors of Japanese and Chinese aid and finding that, ironically, it is their shared interest in economic infrastructure aid that creates such a situation.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISM OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT OF UKRAINE ECONOMY RECOVERY UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF INSTITUTIONAL, MANAGERIAL AND CORRUPTION RISKS

The article examines the content and components of the organizational and economic mechanisms of public management of the post-war and post-catastrophe recovery of the country's economy. Attention is paid to the impact of institutional, managerial and corruption risks on the reconstruction process. The stages (generations) of the reconstruction of the economies of the countries of the world after wars and disasters have been determined. An analysis of successful and unsuccessful global practices of international assistance for social and economic recovery is presented. The universal components of the national model of the organizational and economic mechanism of the public management of reconstruction are highlighted, for example, joint with the international community, careful planning to overcome the consequences of wars and disasters, the formation of the management organizational structure of the revival process, its financial support from various sources. It is emphasized that after the war, the fight against corruption will become the main challenge in Ukraine. The key elements of the organizational and economic mechanism of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine based on the minimization of risks of an institutional, managerial and corruption nature are proposed. It is noted that, taking into account international experience, Ukraine has already begun the process of planning post-war economic rehabilitation with the initiative of the country's government to widely involve the world community in its discussion and implementation. As part of the work, it was stated that the plan should be clear in terms of goals, limited in time, consistent in execution, defined by final results. The article draws attention to the fact that Ukraine should become the "owner of the reconstruction", carry out the transformation itself under close international supervision and control. The need for coordination and integration of international aid, internal budgetary and extra-budgetary resources, investments, loans, and technical support based on the "single window" principle is indicated. In this regard, it is emphasized the need to form a reliable and authoritative institution that will be responsible for the process of reconstruction of Ukraine, coordination of internal and external efforts.

Governing aid coordination in regional platforms: the G20 Compact with Africa case

The diversity and increasing number of development actors is a factor of complexity for recipient countries that puts at risk the efficiency of assistance delivery and undermines country ownership. The G20 Leaders have called on the international community to promote country platforms, owned by governments, to foster coordination among development partners and mobilize private investments. The objective of this study is to analyse the coordination exercise of the G20 Compact with Africa, a regional platform initiated under the Germany G20 Presidency in 2017, in line with its mandate to leverage private financing. In particular, we will investigate how the international community pursues common goals in the sectors of operations under the Compact with Africa and how Compact's countries structure their national development and sectoral strategies in synergy with development partners. The analysis will be triangulated through a documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews to assess how country platforms can contribute to promoting a coordinated approach among development partners in the definition of government priorities and attract private sector investments. Points for practitioners The implications of this work emphasize that country platforms can act as a vehicle to harmonize, monitor, and narrow the number of development priorities in a country. For this mechanism to be effective, country leadership and ownership should be inclusive of all development partners and in line with governments’ needs and targets.

Union Civil Protection Mechanism as an International Policy Tool Supporting Ukraine

As a long-term researcher and active participant in the rescue and humanitarian international aid coordination action, the author undertakes the analysis of changes that have occurred since the inception of the legal basis and international crisis coordination structures, focusing on the increasing role of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The material contains not only the analysis of normative documents and a comprehensive description of the pillars of European civil protection but also practical examples of the European mechanism’s increasing involvement in actions outside the Union over two decades and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article contains examples of material and hardware-based humanitarian aid implemented for Ukraine and a comprehensive systemic approach to Polish civil protection represented by the State Fire Service in preparation for Ukrainian representatives to be familiar with the European Civil Protection mechanism. Numerous examples of activating the mechanism from the Polish perspective are shown both from the perspective of the aid recipient (fire in Biebrza National Park in 2020) and the donor (Lebanon blast in 2020, earthquake in Nepal 2015, forest fires in France 2022 or support to Ukraine).

Japan’s ODA to Pakistan and Aid Coordination Beyond Aid Modalities

Before the Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) takes place in April this year, we decided to organise this seminar today. There are several reason for doing this. First, 9/11 in 2001, Pakistan as a partner for Japan’s ODA has changed in a substantial way. Second, in 2005 Japan resumed its new commitments on yen loans, and it would be appropriate to review our ODA policy to Pakistan before our yen loan operation is put back in full swing. Third, Japan’s ODA to Pakistan has mainly been delivered through projects. Facing the growing criticism against the project approach, it would be our responsibility as a major donor to review the effectiveness of our main aid modality. Fourth, aid coordination in Pakistan has entered into a new era after Pakistan and donors including Japan joined in the adoption of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in March 2005.

Contributing to collaborative health governance in Africa: a realist evaluation of the Universal Health Coverage Partnership

BackgroundPolicy dialogue, a collaborative governance mechanism, has raised interest among international stakeholders. They see it as a means to strengthen health systems governance and to participate in the development of health policies that support universal health coverage. In this context, WHO has set up the Universal Health Coverage Partnership. This Partnership aims to support health ministries in establishing inclusive, participatory, and evidence-informed policy dialogue. The general purpose of our study is to understand how and in what contexts the Partnership may support policy dialogue and with what outcomes. More specifically, our study aims to answer two questions: 1) How and in what contexts may the Partnership initiate and nurture policy dialogue? 2) How do collaboration dynamics unfold within policy dialogue supported by the Partnership? MethodsWe conducted a multiple-case study realist evaluation based on Emerson’s integrative framework for collaborative governance to investigate the role of the Partnership in policy dialogue on three policy issues in six sub-Saharan African countries: health financing (Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo), health planning (Cabo Verde, Niger, and Togo), and aid coordination for health (Liberia). We interviewed 121 key informants, analyzed policy documents, and observed policy dialogue events.ResultsThe Partnership may facilitate the initiation of policy dialogue when: 1) stakeholders feel uncertain about health sector issues and acknowledge their interdependence in responding to such issues, and 2) policy dialogue coincides with their needs and interests. In this context, policy dialogue enables stakeholders to build a shared understanding of issues and of the need for action and encourages collective leadership. However, ministries’ weak ownership of policy dialogue and stakeholders’ lack of confidence in their capacity for joint action hinder their engagement and curb the institutionalization of policy dialogue.ConclusionsDevelopment aid actors wishing to support policy dialogue must do so over the long term so that collaborative governance becomes routine and a culture of collaboration has time to grow. Public administrations should develop collaborative governance mechanisms that are transparent and intelligible in order to facilitate stakeholder engagement.

Coordination in practice or performance? The political economy of refugee aid coordination in Jordan

Abstract Political economy literature on the incentives of international actors during humanitarian crises has cast international aid coordination inefficiencies during humanitarian crises as a product of vertical principal–agent problems with informational asymmetries, divergent interests, and inter-agent competition. However, horizontal coordination between international actors represents an important and understudied dimension of the political economy of international aid during refugee responses. Horizontal coordination structures, while offering a potential solution to the principal–agent problem of humanitarian responses, can either result in coordination in practice or coordination in performance. I argue that the incentives of coordinating actors, the level of donor monitoring, and the risk of elimination of some organizations or material opportunities as a result of effective coordination all factor into international organization and international non-governmental organization coordination behaviour. I examine the relationships between stakeholders during the Syrian refugee response in Jordan and the differential take-up of coordination technologies to test my theory with policy implications.

Humanitarnyi dostup pid chas zbroinykh konfliktiv

The article analyses the right to humanitarian access, which finds its expression in humanitarian aid and protection during armed conflicts in accordance with the norms of International Humanitarian Law. The basics of humanitarian access activities are determined. Mechanisms for ensuring and supporting effective humanitarian access as a result of collective action and efforts of humanitarian actors are considered. The article reaffirms that the provision of humanitarian assistance is the responsibility of all parties to an armed conflict in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. International Humanitarian Law is a constant of legal norms that must be applied by all parties to an armed conflict. Determinant in this definition is the presence of armed conflict, not the «humanitarian» component. Authors of the article emphasize that the axiom of International Humanitarian Law is the protection of war victims, which corresponds to the key principle of humanity. Access standards are reflected in the four Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of War of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1977. Unless a State or other party to an armed conflict is a party to a treaty, customary International Humanitarian Law operate in parallel with contractual rules. Humanitarian protection is designed to protect and restore human rights, which is based on the provisions of international human rights law and forms the basis of fundamental human rights and freedoms. The provisions of international criminal law, in particular the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court are strengthens humanitarian access. The article argues that addressing issues such as the accreditation of humanitarian missions, the humanitarian aid coordination system and overcoming regulatory gaps will address the current challenges of humanitarian access in armed conflict mainly due to the difficulties of interaction of international humanitarian missions with the warring parties. The authors of the article confirmed that the violation of the right to humanitarian access poses a threat to peace and security in the world.

Risk and Resilience of Somali Children in the Context of Climate Change, Famine, and Conflict

Climate change is an existential threat to all of humanity. Its impact on the children of Somalia provides insights into the severity of risks posed by climate change to current and future generations. Globally, there has been a continuous increase in mean annual temperatures since 1991 and scientists anticipate an increase of up to 4.3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Concomitantly, Somalia has experienced a decrease in annual rainfall, resulting in recurrent droughts. According to the UN’s emergency aid coordination office, these droughts have grown in frequency and intensity over the past three decades, fueling increased frequency of famine and contributing to internal conflict and civil war. In this article, the impact of climate change on children, exemplified by the plight of Somali children, is viewed through the lens of cumulative adversity and related consequences of poverty on malnutrition, illness, disruptions of family systems, and displacement, with a diaspora around the globe. The paper promotes a multi-systems resilience framework that guides strategies for addressing the complex, cascading crises that accompany climate change, exploring the construct of resilience from the individual/interpersonal level through family systems and communities, including a reframing of the Somali diaspora. The paper concludes with a series of global transnational policy recommendations based on children’s rights, the promotion of resilience, and approaching climate change from a child sensitive perspective, encouraging youth engagement and leadership, along with peace-building.

PEMBERDAYAAN MASYARAKAT MELALUI PROGRAM GERAKAN DESA IKUT SEJAHTERA (GADIS) DI KABUPATEN PESAWARAN

This research departed from the problem of organizing the GaDIS program, the Pesawaran District Government formed the GaDIS Financial Aid Coordination Team as the organization implementing GaDIS assistance under "supervise" and the responsibility of the Pesawaran Regent. In carrying out its duties, the Coordination Team is assisted by a Team Secretariat consisting of elements from the relevant regional apparatus. With this assistance, it is hoped that BUMDes can be empowered and productive, which in the end will present or generate income for the village, and then of course that income will have a positive and significant effect on the independence and welfare of the village. The research method is basically a scientific way to obtain data with a specific purpose and use. The method chosen is closely related to the procedures, tools and research design used. The procedures and tools used in the research must match the research methods used. The implementation of the GaDIS Program which is held systematically, based on high-performing villages and prioritizes the type of business or potential based on village deliberations, indirectly gives a positive effect, namely stimulation to each other village that has not received the GaDIS Program to improve their performance and improve their government administration. as well as strengthening in many other lines of implementation, so that in the future it is hoped to be able to obtain the GaDIS Program for strengthening in other economic fields. This is of course in line with the definition and thought that public policy is a program projected from goals, values ​​and practices. A policy choice is made to lead to the use of public power to influence the lives of citizens. But on the other hand, the lack of institutional strengthening and the low capacity of human resources for BUMDes management, as well as the low accessibility and action, have also resulted in low improvements in business, income and community improvement. This is at least experienced by Caringin Village, Way Ratai District, which was found by researchers in the field.

Coordinating Public Good Provision by Mediated Communication

We examine a setup where two agents allocate a fixed budget between public goods in two areas. The agents may be biased to one area, which is their private information. Without communication, the funds are allocated inefficiently, resulting in gaps and duplication in public good provision. Direct communication between the agents is ineffective and cannot resolve the coordination failure even when the potential biases are negligible. Coordination can be improved by a mediator who filters the information communicated by the agents. Our results can throw light on how to improve coordination of humanitarian aid by an appropriately designed information management system. (JEL D82, D83, H41, H84)

Estimating direct economic impacts of severe flood events in Turkey (2015–2020)

Over the past decades, floods have caused significant financial losses in Turkey, amounting to US$ 800 million between 1960 and 2014. With the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR), it is aimed to reduce the direct economic loss from disasters in relation to the global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. Accordingly, a methodology based on experiences from developing countries was proposed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to estimate direct economic losses on the macro-scale. Since Turkey also signed the SFDRR, we aimed to adapt, validate and apply the loss estimation model proposed by the UNDRR in Turkey for the first time. To do so, the well-documented flood event in Mersin of 2016 was used to calibrate the damage ratios for the agricultural, commercial and residential sectors, as well as educational facilities. Case studies between 2015 and 2020 with documented losses were further used to validate the model. Finally, model applications provided initial loss estimates for floods occurred recently in Turkey. Despite the limited event documentation for each sector, the calibrated model yielded good results when compared to documented losses. Thus, by implementing the UNDRR method, this study provides an approach to estimate the direct economic losses in Turkey on the macro-scale, which can be used to fill gaps in event databases, support the coordination of financial aid after flood events and facilitate monitoring of the progress toward and achievement of Global Target C of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.