Basic Infrastructure Research Articles

Is economic growth less welfare enhancing in Africa? Evidence from the last forty years

On current trends, the future of global poverty reduction will be determined by Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Yet, poverty reduction has been relatively slow on the continent, even during periods of strong economic growth. The empirical literature has argued that this is due to the lower growth elasticity of poverty in SSA compared to other regions. This paper contributes to this debate by i) using an up-to-date and expanded sample of 575 successive and comparable growth spells between 1981 and 2021 and 2) unpacking the factors that contribute to the lower growth elasticity of poverty in SSA. First, the analysis confirms previous findings that economic growth (which we measure by growth in GDP per capita) has consistently been less poverty-reducing in SSA, even after controlling for initial differences in poverty, income levels, and inequality (and changes therein). Second, we find that the lower growth elasticity is due to a significantly lower passthrough between growth in GDP per capita and growth in household income or consumption as measured from surveys. GDP growth is particularly ineffective in improving the incomes of the poorest households, whose consumption expenditures in SSA are independent of economic growth, in contrast to low-income households elsewhere. Third, examining the factors that mediate the passthrough between GDP growth and household welfare, we find that limited provision of basic education services and basic infrastructure and the slow process of structural transformation inhibit the passthrough between economic growth and household welfare, as do dependence on natural resources and occurrence of violent conflicts. Overall, variables that strengthen (weaken) the effect of aggregate economic growth on household welfare are scarcer (more abundant) in SSA, which partly explains the weaker effect of economic growth on household welfare.

Analysis of the Potential and Development of Natural Tourist Attractions at Telaga Cinta, Suli Village, Salahutu District, Central Maluku Regency

This study aims to examine the tourism potential of the Telaga Cinta area in Suli Village and to identify strategies for developing the attraction's potential using a SWOT analysis. Telaga Cinta in Suli Village has several strengths, such as stunning natural lake scenery, attractive facilities, cleanliness and security, and basic infrastructure such as electricity and telephone networks for internet access. Additionally, the local community's hospitality is a distinctive attraction for tourists. However, some areas for improvement were addressed, including the poor condition of the road leading to the tourist site with several potholes and the lack of facilities for more food and beverage kiosks. Nevertheless, there are significant opportunities for the development of Telaga Cinta, such as job creation, increasing local community income, and the widespread availability of tourist information on the internet and social media. Regarding threats, Telaga Cinta faces several challenges, including more cooperation between the government and the community in developing the tourist site, competition from other tourist attractions, and improving facilities and services at competing tourist sites. SWOT analysis found that the intersection point lies, indicating the need to adopt a growth-oriented strategy focusing on improving transportation infrastructure and enhancing facilities according to visitor needs. Therefore, development efforts should focus on repairing the road to the location, providing the lacking facilities, and improving cooperation between the government and the local community.

Readiness and Service Model Exploration for Chronic Kidney Disease Telemonitoring at Public Hospital in Bengkulu, Indonesia

Public hospitals in Bengkulu lack health workers in hemodialysis units, making services not optimal, and the quality of life of chronic kidney disease patients is not controlled. Thus, telemonitoring should be an alternative to a remote health service. This study aimed to determine readiness and explore the telemonitoring service model needed in public hospitals in Bengkulu. This qualitative research used group discussion forums and in-depth interviews with 24 informants, consisting of management and health workers in the hemodialysis unit, recruited by purposive sampling. Audio recordings, verbatim transcripts, and thematic analyses were carried out. Public hospitals in Bengkulu are ready to carry out telemonitoring services regarding potential reasons, expectations from health workers, and benefits to implement as alternative solutions to improve service quality—inhibiting factors such as support tools, patients, health workers, organization, and low understanding of telemonitoring. Supporting factors are the adequacy of basic infrastructure facilities, the allocation of funds, and the required service models such as materials, supporting devices, and service settings. In conclusion, a public hospital in Bengkulu meets the readiness indicators of telemonitoring services for chronic kidney disease patients from a health worker’s perspective. Potential supporting factors need to be improved, inhibiting factors need to be anticipated, and the required service model needs to be described.

Infrastruktura migracyjna w Polsce i jej wielowymiarowość na przykładzie filipińskiego vloga YouTube

International labor migration is increasingly facilitated by unofficial intermediaries who play a significant role within the diverse migration infrastructure. Growing uncertainty about the future caused by conflicts, economic crises, or pandemics has led migrants to increasingly seek employment through the Internet, where micro-influencers become active assistants, providing advice to those seeking work abroad. In recent years, Overseas Filipino Workers have become such active online intermediaries. Migrant vlogs have become an integral part of the multidimensional migration infrastructure, facilitating transnational labor intermediation and exposing issues related to navigating infrastructural dimensions for basic infrastructure users – migrants. The article aims to illustrate the multidimensionality of migration infrastructure through the example of the YouTube vlog. Despite attempts to liberalize migration management methods, such as through the possibility of seeking employment online, they have not led to the development of migrants’ migratory capacities. Nowadays, migrants – the basic infrastructure users – have to navigate through additional elements of infrastructure (vlogs) as well as face growing bureaucratization of the process itself, which should be considered an example of infrastructural involution (Xiang and Lindquist 2014). The paper presents the results of a qualitative content analysis of the comments posted under the video of a Filipina vlogger living in Poland, who provides advice on her YouTube channel to people interested in employment. The results illustrate the multidimensionality of migration infrastructure on the example of a vlog and prove the infrastructural involution resulting from the growing complexity of commentators’ needs.

Affordable housing for low-income community in Thailand: the challenges of the improvement of the quality of life

The major problems of the urban poor are lack of land, housing insecurity and access to basic infrastructure. The increase in inadequate housing and homelessness among the urban poor are clear manifestations of their relative poverty. For decades, affordable housing has been a strategy of the Thai government to promote access to the housing of an adequate standard. The main focus of this paper is on two low-income communities which constructed new settlements on new lands. Both were supported by funding and housing loans from the Thai Community Development Organizations Institute (CODI), and I was appointed to lead the projects as a community architect. This paper aims to explore the challenges of promoting affordable housing and how people deal with these challenges. They were involved in the participatory planning, design processes and worked collaboratively with each other. Additionally, financial assistance was a vital mechanism to facilitate community building processes. The outcomes of the processes generated by the activities and solutions respect the needs of the people. Also, collective saving groups were a significant development to learn together and overcome considerable constraints.

When Prominence Overrules EminenceSubsidization of the Cultural Sectors in the Netherlands

What processes determine the allocation of state subsidies to a selection of cultural and artistic organizations? In the case of the Dutch cultural basic infrastructure (BIS) two main criteria are issued, namely quality and reputation. In this article, no attempt is made to define measures for artistic quality and reputation. Instead, it is observed by which criteria decision makers, public media, and artistic leaders refer to these concepts. The way in which the selection and granting are performed shows striking similarity with processes described in the literature. First, the theory of social comparison asserts that people in a shared activity compare opinions and abilities in a strife for growth. When technical constraints and limits impede the progress in ability, effort and attention shift to opinions on abilities of the members. In this social dimension, growth is more easily attained. This decoupling results into stagnation and inferior learning processes. Second, in an implicit elaboration of the social comparison theory, a model is proposed in which perceived quality and prominence determine which organization will receive price premiums. Perceived quality is indicated by the quality of the inputs and productivity assets. Prominence origins from media rankings and elicited preferences of intermediary organizations and affiliation with high-status actors. Prominence has more bearing in social processes in the institutional field than on quality indicators. This model provides a base for reputation bias among stakeholders of organizations. The theoretical approaches have been operationalized into an analytical framework. The framework appears to offer a powerful and accurate instrument to describe and explain courses of action and outcomes in Dutch cultural sectors. In discussion, it is questioned if it is wise to base a subsidization policy on social comparison. The strive for prominence in the institutional fields tends to overrule the search for quality and eminence. It is recommended to reconsider social comparison processes by reduction of the arbitrariness in the performance assessment and evaluation. In this respect, promising and high-quality performers are supported in their access to large audiences. It is proposed that the framework can be applied in all situations where resources and performance opportunities are allocated to a selection of executing actors. Choices will be based on a mix of past and future performances. The situations suited for application may vary from philanthropy to hard core and non-profit sectors to private business industries.

Quantitative evaluation of water, sanitation, and hygiene measures on COVID-19 pandemic peak reduction in the Philippines

New cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are continually being recorded worldwide, despite global efforts in implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions and establishing vaccination programs. This trend highlights the need to identify the factors associated with the continued spread of COVID-19. The World Health Organization recommends hand washing as a cost-effective intervention for preventing COVID-19, indicating that water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) are central to the prevention of the disease. However, low- and middle-income countries lack adequate access to WaSH, which increases the risk of contracting COVID-19. The aim of this study was to identify the WaSH factors associated with the incidence of COVID-19 and quantitatively estimate the effects of improvements in WaSH on reducing the incidence of COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic. Lasso regression and extreme gradient boosting models were used to identify the WaSH factors. Distinct estimation models were developed to assess the effect of WaSH in rural regions under two assumptions: increasing regional basic sanitation coverage up to 25 % and 50%. The reduction in the incidence of COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic was calculated for each rural region. The results of the analyses indicated that basic sanitation is important for reducing the incidence of COVID-19 in rural regions compared to urban regions in the Philippines. In addition, the results suggested that increasing basic sanitation coverage could reduce the incidence of COVID-19 by 2–66 %, alleviating the burden on healthcare facilities. This study indicates that improved basic sanitation infrastructure are needed in rural Philippines. The results of this study emphasise the significance of WaSH as an indicator of COVID-19 incidence, highlighting the need for its enhancement to enable the achievement of sustainable disease prevention and pandemic preparedness goals.

PENERAPAN KONSEP ZERO DELTA RUNOFF DENGAN TEKNOLOGI EKODRAINASE PADA ARIA REMPOA TOWNHOUSE, TANGERANG SELATAN

The increasing need for basic urban facilities and infrastructure, such as housing, can result in a reduction in green open land which can reduce the ability of water to infiltrate into the ground and increase surface runoff. Aria Rempoa Townhouse, a housing complex that is still in the development process, may have problems like these. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the zero delta runoff concept with ecodrainage technology such as retention pond and infiltration well. Research was carried out on the design flood at the outlet before the townhouse is built and after the townhouse is built if the zero delta runoff concept is applied with retention pond and infiltration wells. There are 3 scenarios, scenario 0 before the townhouse is built, scenario 1 after it is built without ecodrainage technology, scenario 2 after it is built with a retention pond, and scenario 3 after it is built with infiltration wells. The research results show that scenario 2 fulfills the concept of zero delta runoff with a pool area of 42 m2 with a depth 3.5 m and 2 outlet pipes with diameter 10 inches without doors discharge the design flood at the outlet of 0,281 m3/sec which is smaller than design flood at the outlet before the townhouse is built of 0.288 m3/second.

Fresh evidence from temperature effects on growth and economic policy uncertainty: A panel quantile approach

This paper provides fresh evidence of temperature effects on GDP per capita growth and economic policy uncertainty (epu). We apply the quantile via moments methodology (Machado and Santos Silva, 2019) in a sample of 31 countries for the period 1980–2021, the most current time frame of the work we reviewed. To the best of our knowledge, temperature effects on epu, in a panel quantile setting, have not been examined before. Our empirical results provide evidence in favor of asymmetric temperature impacts on both growth rates and epu. Specifically, according to our main findings: First, the impact of temperature on the growth rate of GDP per capita is quadratic, negative and increases, in absolute terms, as we move from the upper (flourishing economy) to the lower (bearish economy) quantiles. Second, hotter countries are more vulnerable to economic policy uncertainty, with the effect being more pronounced as uncertainty increases. Third, the temperature effect on GDP is higher than the political effect in weaker economies, while the political effect becomes of greater magnitude in stronger economies. Overall, our results indicate that an increase in temperature due to climate change poses important threats for the development prospects especially, but not exclusively, of the poorer countries that usually have both higher temperatures and face severe issues of economic policy uncertainty due to political instability and lack of basic economic infrastructure.

TIME TO CHANGE THE OUTLOOK OF ICDS SCHEME (AWCS): COMPREHENSIVE FACTS

India is one of the countries with malnutrition and associated health problems. It is also the country with high-level of regional disparity, social hierarchy and inclusive society and is recounted with highest mortality of children of less than 5 years of age with nearly 74 deaths per 1000 live births. As per the reports the hunger and malnutrition among children prevails in large pockets in India. Perusal of literature depicts that 38% of children younger than five years of age in India are stunted. The problem of undernourishment costs India at least $10 billion annually in terms of loss of productivity, illness and death and improvement in human development. ICDS represents the notable symbols of commitment and retort to the above mentioned challenges by providing pre-school education on one hand and simultaneously breaks the nasty cycle of starvation, morbidity, abridged learning capacity and mortality. ICDS hence is believed to be the most imperative and focal progamme with positive role in tackling India’s health and nutrition problems. All the blocks of Jammu and Kashmir are also covered under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme. The programme is implemented through a network of community-level “Anganwadi Centers”. Despite huge allocations by the Central Government through Centrally Sponsored Programme of ICDS in India (especially in rural areas of the state), and under the flagship of this scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, still the growth in basic infrastructure and perfections in amenities/facilities remained unsatisfactory. The National Educational Policy 2020 guarantee to meet UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2 by 2030 and ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality pre-primary education provide opportunities to safeguard impartial access to quality pre-school education. The main theme of this review is to attract the attention with the fact that there must be emphasis more on the significance of the scheme at various platforms. It is the time to evaluate the actual position of the scheme with respect to its execution at the ground level with specified objectives. Also our focus here is to inform concerned Govt. authorities that new insights and tactics cum methodologies need to be developed with respect to inclusive facts to broaden its implementation along with remedial steps to remove the imperfection.

An analysis of predictors and wealth-based inequality in internet use among women in India: aiming for better digital health outcomes

BackgroundDigital health, aiming to boost healthcare accessibility, is an emerging concept in the domain of healthcare administration and delivery in developing countries. In India, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), more than half (55%) of the men have reported ever using the internet, while only one-third (33%) of the women have done so. This gendered digital divide is further complicated and worsened by the fact that individuals in the lowest wealth quintile exhibit significantly lower internet usage rates, with only 9% of women and 26% of men. Such intersectionality of the gendered digital divide might prove a barrier to realizing the full potential of digital health in India. Eliminating digital inequalities in all forms and ensuring universal digitalization is essential for desired digital health outcomes.MethodsThis study aims to explore India’s readiness for digital health in terms of access to basic digital infrastructure, i.e., the internet. We analyze access to the Internet among Indian women of reproductive age using pan-India survey data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019–21). We investigate predictors of Internet use in a regression model and apply the Erreygers Concentration Index (ECI) to examine inequalities in Internet access. Using decomposition analyses, we analyze factors contributing to digital inequality in terms of internet use.ResultsOur inequality analysis based on the ECI [ECI- 0.4444 (p < 0.001)] suggests that a significant inequality exists in internet access. Furthermore, the decomposition analyses in the study find women’s educational level to be the most prominent (28.19%) contributing factor to internet inequality, followed by wealth (25.67%), place of residence (23.16%), and caste (1.10%).RecommendationWe suggest a comprehensive readiness and need assessment, revamping of digital infrastructure, and moving with caution in implementing digital health innovation in the country as it may further exacerbate the existing healthcare access inequities.

Health impact evaluation of Aspirational Districts Program in India: Evidence from National Family Health Survey

The Aspirational District Program (ADP) is a unique initiative of Government of India launched in 2018 that aims to reduce inter-district multidimensional inequality. ADP aims to bring the least developed districts to catch up with the rest of the other districts in the country. The program is comprehensive in its scope as it targets improvement of several key development indicators spanning health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure indicators. Aspirational districts (ADs) are eligible for enhanced funding and priority allocation of various initiatives undertaken by the central and the state governments. Our research estimates the causal impact of ADP on the targeted health and nutrition indicators using a combination of propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (PSM-DID). We use the fourth and fifth rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data collected in 2015–16 and 2019–21 respectively which serve as the pre and post-treatment data for our analysis. Moreover, we take advantage of the transparent mechanism outlined for the identification of ADs under ADP, which we use for propensity score matching for our PSM-DID. While we observe negative impact of ADP on early initiation of breastfeeding, we believe that the impact is confounded with the effects of Covid-19 since part of NFHS-5 data was collected during the pandemic. However, the negative impact of ADP on early initiation of breastfeeding disappears when we only use pre-covid data (i.e. data for districts from states surveyed before the pandemic). Additionally, using pre-covid data we find a reduction in the prevalence of underweight children younger than 5 years to an extent of 2 to 4 percentage points in ADs as an impact of ADP, which is robust across multiple specification. We do not find evidence of a positive or a negative impact of ADP on any other health and nutrition indicators. Future research efforts should be made towards impact evaluation of all the targeted indicators in order to get a comprehensive unbiased evaluation of ADP.

The Capabilities Divide: ICT Adoption and Use among Bedouin in Israel

ABSTRACT The Bedouin community, a subpopulation of the Arab minority in Israel, has been subject to systematic discrimination throughout the state’s history, including in accessibility to digital services. Based on 25 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Bedouin men and women residing in unrecognised villages – townlets that are not legally designated as municipal entities by the state and therefore lack basic infrastructure – this study asks whether and how the capabilities approach can be used to assess and examine ICT usage among the Bedouin as a marginalised community with distinct needs. The analysis illuminates the tensions and contradictions that characterise their digital experiences and shows that the capabilities approach is particularly apposite for understanding digital exclusion while compensating for the shortcoming of the digital divide framework. The findings uncover the ubiquitous presence of mobile smartphones among Bedouin users as the central enabler of their desired capabilities while pointing out the vital place religion plays in the community members’ decision-making regarding the use of ICTs for the realisation of their desired capabilities.

How a poverty alleviation policy affected comprehensive disaster risk reduction capacity: Evidence from China's great western development policy

Although it is well established that natural disasters of all kinds give rise to poverty, and poverty deteriorates the disaster loss, few studies have empirically proposed a comprehensive framework to break down the vicious circle. Our study proposed that poverty alleviation policy with governmental accountability can give rise to socio-economic development, and can facilitate the implementation of disaster risk reduction policy. Focusing on the Great Western Development (GWD) policy, our study conducted an index of comprehensive disaster risk reduction and used regression discontinuity design to explore the effect of poverty alleviation policy on the index. Ultimately, the results of regression discontinuity design demonstrated that there was a noticeable jump effect in the index of comprehensive disaster risk reduction from non-targeted regions to policy-targeted regions, namely, anti-poverty policy had a positive effect on disaster risk reduction. Our study highlighted that the primary focus of GWD has been on considerable public investments to improve basic infrastructure, which can directly increase the comprehensive capacity of disaster risk reduction. Hence, disaster risk reduction should be a priority initiative of poverty alleviation policy to break down the vicious “poverty-natural disaster” circle.

BRIDGING THE GAP: INDIA'S PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING SDG 4: QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) aspires to ensure inclusive &amp; equitable quality education for all. This study delves into India's progress towards this crucial objective. While advancements have been made in primary education enrolment and female literacy, significant hurdles remain. Millions of children lack fundamental literacy and numeracy skills, and overall learning outcomes fall short. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these inequalities, disproportionately impacting disadvantaged groups. India, a signatory to the SDGs, has implemented initiatives like the Right to Education Act (RTE) and digital learning platforms (DIKSHA, SWAYAM) to foster access and bridge geographical divides. However, substantial challenges persist. Socioeconomic disparities continue to hinder access for marginalized communities. Teacher shortages, inadequate training, and a lack of basic infrastructure in schools create further roadblocks in ensuring quality education. Achieving SDG 4 necessitates a multi-pronged approach in India. The curriculum and pedagogical approaches must be revamped to improve learning outcomes. Strategies to bridge the equity gap and address disparities based on gender, socioeconomic background, and location are vital. Investing in teacher training, addressing shortages, and providing essential school facilities are essential steps. Finally, promoting lifelong learning opportunities empowers individuals throughout their lives. Addressing these challenges with urgency is critical. By focusing on these priority areas, India can en route for achieving SDG 4 and ensure a future where quality education empowers all citizens.

PUBLIC INVESTMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND EFFICIENCY

The definition of public investment is not as clear and precise as it may seem. Often, public investments are described as public expenditures that contribute to the stock of physical capital, encompassing tangible assets such as properties (excluding land), buildings and other structures (e.g., roads, airports, hospitals, schools, telecommunication structures, government buildings, bridges, etc.), machinery, transportation equipment, and intangible assets like intellectual property (OECD, 2016). Therefore, public investment is the allocation of funds that result in the growth of the aforementioned items. Public investment can be viewed as a political tool in the hands of a government, capable of altering or determining the course that a country's economy and other aspects of life will take. Governments utilize public investments to respond to a variety of challenges over time, addressing global issues such as climate change and local problems like periods of economic decline, diverse demographic trends, rapid urbanization, or adaptation to new technologies. As emphasized by the European Investment Bank, "properly functioning infrastructure networks are the backbone of flourishing economies" (European Investment Bank, 2010). Public investments are integral for economic and social prosperity, contributing to the national capital stock by allocating resources to essential basic infrastructure, education, research and development, thereby leading to increased productivity and improved living standards. The aim of this article is to analyze the role of public investments in the economy in addressing contemporary challenges.

An ANALYSIS OF CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE FOR ROAD REHABILITATION WORK USING SPECIAL ALLOCATION FUND OF 2022 IN MALANG REGENCY

Road is one of basic infrastructure playing crucial role in development process. Good condition of road creates properes transportation system. It, in turns ensures smooth movement of men and goods. Good transportation will make price of public goods cheap. So far, road rehabilitation works in Malang regency are conducted by usin Special Allocation Fund raising severeal problems such as late down payment, material queue and other. This study aims at analysisng performance of contractor of road rehabiitation using Special Allocation Fund of 2022 in Malang Regency. Customer Satisfaction Index analysis is used to analyse the contractors performance. In addition, Importance Performance Analysis is employed to find out performance variabel that should be improved or maintained. Then, simple linear regression analysis is used to find out the correlation between stakeholders’ level of satisfaction and performance importance on the part of contractors of road rehabilitation works using Special Allocation Fund of 2022 in Malang Regency. The findings shows that stakehoders are higly satisfied with performance of contractors of road rehabilitation works using Special Allocation Fund of 2022 in Malang Regency. It is shown by score of CSI 86,99%. It is also found that there is positive and significant correlation between stakeholders’ level of satisfaction and performance importance on the part of contractors of road rehabilitation works using Special Allocation Fund of 2022 in Malang Regency. However, there are some performance variables that should be improved by the contractors.

Arahan Pengembangan Infrastruktur dalam Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan Di Kecamatan Bataguh, Kabupaten Kapuas

Bataguh District has great potential for agricultural resources and is the largest rice producing area in Kapuas Regency, based on field conditions, the existing infrastructure is not yet supportive and most of the infrastructure is still not optimal, so efforts are needed to develop infrastructure for the agricultural sector and resilience. food in Bataguh District. This research aims to determine the infrastructure needed to support regional development of the agricultural sector and food security. Starting with the analysis looking for the basic infrastructure needed in the agricultural sector, starting with a descriptive analysis stage to identify the condition of the infrastructure in the field. The next stage involves using the Importance-Performance Analysis method to evaluate the level of importance and performance of the infrastructure. In the final stage, triangulation analysis is used to conclude the results and provide development directions to support the agricultural sector and food security in Bataguh District, Kapuas Regency. Based on the research results, it is known that the priorities for infrastructure groups are: quadrant 1 (Road Network, Agricultural Irrigation, Storage Warehouses and Agricultural Processing Facilities), quadrant 2 (Communication Network and Electricity Network Coverage), quadrant 3 (Clean water network, Availability of Sanitation, Cooperatives , and gas stations) and quadrant 4 (Modes of Transportation, Markets, and Transportation Support Facilities).

Digital transformation in adult education centres in Baden-Wuerttemberg

ABSTRACT The article discusses processes of digital transformation in adult education centres (AEC) in Baden-Wuerttemberg. It focuses on (a) environmental changes as perceived by specific actors, (b) topics and content related to the public education mandate, and (c) development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire. The data come from an explorative study in one German state, in which 34 managers were interviewed between November 2021 and May 2022 about key changes within their organisations. The results show that (a) different actors from the organisational environment are involved in shaping the digital transformation. A distinction can be made between enablers and inhibitors. In addition, (b) the AEC’s public education mission and thus the AEC’s efforts to promote digital inclusion are also changing. Finally, (c) digital transformation is also changing the organisation’s digital media repertoire. Ensuring basic infrastructure and new digital technologies for micro-didactic areas and exchange within and outside the AEC are seen as necessary. The results show that digital transformation is a multidimensional process with clear interrelations. These have hardly been explicitly considered in previous research. Pedagogical practice can gain suggestions from the results for improving cooperation with the organisational environment or for improving the organisational media repertoire.

Engineering the trust machine. Aligning the concept of trust in the context of blockchain applications

Complex technology has become an essential aspect of everyday life. We rely on technology as part of basic infrastructure and repeatedly for tasks throughout the day. Yet, in many cases the relation surpasses mere reliance and evolves to trust in technology. A new, disruptive technology is blockchain. It claims to introduce trustless relationships among its users, aiming to eliminate the need for trust altogether—even being described as “the trust machine”. This paper presents a proposal to adjust the concept of trust in blockchain applications with the tools provided by conceptual engineering. Its goal is to propose a concept of trust, that offers more than a halo term, devoid of the normative depth that the original, philosophical term actually carries. To evaluate possible concepts of trust in blockchain applications, five criteria are proposed: These criteria ensure that the conceptual relation indeed embodies trust, thereby being richer than mere reliance, and that the chosen concept highlights the active role of the trustor. While the concepts of trust in engineers and trust in algorithms have to be discarded, institutional trust emerges as a viable candidate, given some refinements. Ultimately, the concept of trust by normative expectations and attribution is suggested to capture the essence of trust in blockchain applications.