Capacity Assessment Framework Research Articles

Development and pilot implementation of a novel protocol to assess capacity and readiness of health systems to adopt HPV detection-based cervical cancer screening in Europe

BackgroundCervical cancer remains a significant public health concern in Europe. Effective introduction and scaling up of human papillomavirus (HPV) detection-based cervical cancer screening (CCS) requires a systematic assessment of health systems capacity. However, there is no validated capacity assessment methodology for CCS programmes, especially in European contexts. Addressing this gap, our study introduces an innovative and adaptable protocol for evaluating the capacity of CCS programmes across varying European health system settings.MethodsOur research team developed a three-step capacity assessment framework, incorporating a health policy review checklist, a facility visit survey, and key informants’ interview guide followed by a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. Piloting this comprehensive approach, we explored the CCS capacity in three countries: Estonia, Portugal and Romania. These countries were selected due to their contrasting healthcare structures and resources, providing a diverse overview of the European context.ResultsConducted over a period of 9 months, the capacity assessment covered multiple resources, 27 screening centres, 16 colposcopy and treatment centres and 15 key informant interviews. Our analysis highlighted both shared and country-specific challenges. A key common issue was ensuring high compliance to follow-up and management of screen-positive women. We identified considerable heterogeneity in resources and organization across the three countries, underscoring the need for tailored, rather than one-size-fits-all, solutions.ConclusionsOur study’s novelty lies in the successful development of this capacity assessment methodology implementable within a relatively short time frame, proving its feasibility for use in various contexts and countries. The resulting set of materials, adaptable to different cancer types, is a ready-to-use toolkit to improve cancer screening processes and outcomes. This research marks a significant stride towards comprehensive capacity assessment for CCS programmes in Europe. Future directions include deploying these tools in other countries and cancer types, thereby contributing to the global fight against cancer.

Local government capacity for earthquake disaster risk reduction in Malaysia: Case studies in Bentong and Selayang areas

This paper investigates the status of earthquake disaster risk reduction (DRR) capacity of local governments (LG) in Malaysia, and the factors that influence the LGs’ capacity to reduce earthquake risk. Currently, there is a lack of understanding and systematic study of the capacity of LG to address earthquake DRR even though the LGs in Malaysia are at the forefront of the national agenda to carry out DRR actions at the local level. A qualitative methodology was utilised based on a comparative case study design involving two cases of LG in Malaysia with the risks in dealing with earthquakes i.e. Bentong Municipal Council and Selayang Municipal Council. The study employed semi-structured interviews and documentation analysis as its data collection methods. To ensure a systematic data collection, a capacity assessment framework (CAF) had been developed based on key capacity categories identified according to the powers and responsibilities of the LG as outlined by UNDRR, and components of UNDP capacity building. The findings of this study suggested that inadequacy of LG in Malaysia to address earthquake DRR measures are mainly due to several capacity issues: insufficient financial backing, lack of knowledge and required expertise, lack of specific unit to tackle DRR issues, and low utilisation of existing resources such as inter-agency networking and regulations. The findings highlighted the need to empower the LG with improved capacities and governance structures. This paper concludes with several recommendations on how the LG can address key capacity gaps identified in this study.

Drainage representation in flood models: Application and analysis of capacity assessment framework

Drainage systems are an integral part of urban infrastructure to help transport and treat wastewater as well as manage flooding during extreme rainfall events. Although there is a significant cost associated with the creation, operation and maintenance of drainage systems, the representation of these systems in flood models is overly simplified. This simplification is due to data protection regulations, and the complexities associated with drainage network modelling. A new framework developed by Water UK in collaboration with the Environmental Agency and sewerage undertakers for UK Drainage Water Management Plans provides data on the capacity and performance of the drainage system. The output from this framework provides a new method of incorporating a more explicit representation of spatially varied drainage capacity in flood models.This study presents the first application of the UK’s capacity assessment framework (CAF) for drainage representation in flood models. We develop a method of using the CAF outputs to represent spatially varied drainage losses across a catchment and assess its impact on flood risk. Three catchments in Leeds are used to quantify the difference generated in flooding when using a national average removal rate (NARR, e.g., 12 mm/hr) and our CAF-derived rainfall removal rates. Although there is variance across catchments, the results show the CAF removal rates increase flood depths, velocities, and flood hazards when compared to the national average due to a more realistic representation of the real system drainage capacity. With the pressures of climate change and continued urban development, a better representation of real drainage systems capacities will become more important and will make local solutions more resilient and relevant to the realities on the ground.

Beyond compliance: public voluntary standards and their effect on state institutional capacity in Vietnam

ABSTRACT Public certification standards have received limited scholarly attention, especially the institutional capacity of public authorities that develop and implement these standards to address complex challenges, such as the promotion of industrial ecology and industrial symbiosis for enhancing resource use efficiency. This research uses an institutional capacity assessment framework to examine the ways in which a voluntary public standard for certifying eco-industrial parks affected the Vietnamese state’s capacity to coordinate and implement industrial ecology. The article draws upon the interviews and a review of official documentation to show that the benefits of public standards extend beyond compliance to the enhancement of state capacities to coordinate complex policy domains such as industrial ecology. The findings contribute to providing a basis to redesign standard-setting processes to move beyond end-user compliance and provide insights into how public actors can more effectively address ‘systemic’ sustainability challenges – from circular economy ambitions to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Assessment of distributed new energy-bearing capacity of new power systems with multisource complementary characteristics

A reasonable assessment of the bearing capacity of distributed power-generation sources in power systems is a key guarantee for the construction of new power systems with new energy sources as the core. In view of the fact that the current distributed new energy-bearing capacity assessment method has not yet established a systematic assessment index system and has not taken into account multisource complementarity, a new distributed energy-bearing capacity assessment method for power systems that takes into account the characteristics of multisource complementarity was proposed. First, a distributed new energy-bearing capacity assessment framework was constructed and the influencing factors of distributed energy-bearing capacity were analysed. Second, a multidimensional distributed power bearing-capacity assessment index system and calculation method considering thermal stability, short-circuit current, voltage deviation, and harmonics was proposed and the assessment process of distributed energy-bearing capacity was proposed. Finally, the validity and applicability of the proposed method were verified through actual case simulation.

A Framework for Assessing Organizational User Experience (UX) Capacity

ABSTRACT Organizations across every industry are seeking to adopt effective User Experience (UX) practices, but they often struggle through an expensive process of trial and error because there is no standard methodology or approach for doing so. To address this challenge, we present the UX Capacity Assessment Framework (UXCAF) as a comprehensive tool for helping organizations understand the strengths and limitations of their current UX practices and identify targeted improvement strategies. Developed through a literature review and interviews with UX professionals, the UXCAF includes 21 concepts split into six dimensions of UX capacity: people, resources, practices and processes, organizational literacy, organizational decision-making, and benefits. We apply the UXCAF to three organizations in different sectors to show how organizations of any type and size can learn how to improve their internal UX practices and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.

Urban carrying capacity assessment framework for mega mall development. A case study of Tehran’s 22 municipal districts

This paper presents the research results on the evaluation of Tehran’s 22 municipal districts’ carrying capacity concerning mega malls. Here, we developed an Urban Carrying Capacity Assessment Framework (UCCAF). Using a combination of objective and subjective methods, we determined the final weights of economic, social, environmental, and transportation criteria and their 25 subsequent indices. For the objective weights, we used the “Ekbatan Mega Mall” as a case study and entered the data from field observation, interviews, and questionnaires into the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM). Next, we distributed the criteria and indices to the experts to collect their views and priorities. To obtain subjective weights from these priorities, we used a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method, i.e., Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA). Next, we applied Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) to combine the final weights of indices with the UCCAF results. Here, the districts’ ultimate rankings concerning their carrying capacity for mega malls were obtained. Finally, using the cluster analysis method, districts were classified into six clusters of optimum (district 22), good (district 5), acceptable (districts 21, 4, and 2), poor (districts 19 and 20), very poor (the rest of districts except district 12), and critical (district 12) in terms of carrying capacity. The results reveal that 21 out of 36 recently-built mega malls of Tehran are located in districts with very poor carrying capacity. The proposed framework provides urban planners with a dynamic carrying-capacity-based decision support system.

A capacity assessment framework for the fit-for-purpose land administration systems: The use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Rwanda and Kenya

This article presents a novel capacity assessment framework, coined as Fit-For-Purpose capacity assessment framework (FCAF), to measure the capacity of the land administration system compliant with the Fit-For-Purpose approach. The framework incorporates legal, political, operational, social, technical, and technological capacity conditions and provides a holistic view of the capacity development pathways. The FCAF is designed by merging six capacity dimensions, namely regulations, political system, operational unit, social norms, land recording techniques, and software. FCAF systematically identifies context-specific, enabling and impeding capacity components and thus provides a basis to develop the necessary capacity development strategies and interventions. Specifically, FCAF can serve as a useful heuristic for the development of the capacity development strategies for the adaptation and sustainability of the geospatial technologies in land administration systems. In the article, by assessing the capacity needs for the adaptation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology in Rwandese and Kenyan land administration systems, the efficacy of the FCAF is tested. The findings suggest that in Rwanda, capacity conditions are more supportive of an easier uptake of UAV. Nonetheless, weak market conditions and strict regulations concerning UAV call for attention. In Kenya, existing institutional and political challenges in the land administration system raise concerns about the reliability and attainability of UAV under the current framework conditions. Despite that, there are more supportive market conditions in Kenya in comparison to Rwanda and multiple non-governmental and private actors that can bolster the adaptation process into a more sustainable and scalable land administration system.

Application of Theoretical System in The Development of Policies on Evaluation Capacity for Science and Technology Information Organizations in Vietnam

Evaluation of operational capacity in science and technology information playing an important role in promoting innovation in scientific and technological information activities in Vietnam in order to meet the right of access to scientific and public information technology of organizations and individuals. Based on the application of theoretical system, the study proposes a policy to assess the operational capacity of science and technology information organizations with 02 basic measures: building a capacity assessment framework and evaluation methods. Therefore, the study recommends the promulgation and implementation of this policy.

A Review of Leadership and Capacity Gaps in Nutrition-Sensitive Agricultural Policies and Strategies for Selected Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia

Agriculture policies and strategies designed, purposefully, to address malnutrition are considered nutrition-sensitive and are a critical component of global efforts to address malnutrition in all its forms. However, limited evidence exists on extent and how nutrition is being integrated into agriculture sector policies, strategies, and programs. A review was conducted to address 2 questions: How nutrition-sensitive are agriculture policies, plans, and investments in selected Sub-Saharan African (SSA) and Asian countries? and Which capacity and leadership gaps limit scale up of nutrition-sensitive agriculture policy and programs? The review of existing policies was conducted for 11 selected focus countries (9 in SSA and 2 from Asia) of the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) Collaborative Research Programme on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health led by the IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s 10-point key recommendations for designing nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions was used as an analytical framework. Additionally, a rapid systematic review of published peer-reviewed and grey literature was carried out to identify capacity gaps based on the United Nations Development Program's capacity assessment framework. We found that there is nutrition sensitivity of the policies and strategies but to varying degrees. There is limited capacity for optimum implementation of these policies, programs, and strategies. For most of the countries, there is capacity to articulate what needs to happen, but there are important capacity limitations to translate the given policy/program instruments into effective action. The gaps identified constitute important evidence to inform capacity strengthening of nutrition-sensitive actions for desired nutrition and health outcomes in Africa and Asia.

Should capacity assessments be performed routinely prior to discussing advance care planning with older people?

32 older people (mean age = 84.1) with a Mini-Mental State Examination of 24 or above were recruited from two retirement villages in Auckland. Participants also completed Trail Making Test Part A & Part B and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) before undertaking the two capacity assessments that were video recorded to enable further analysis by four independent old age psychiatrists. Using the MacCAT-T as the gold standard, over half (53.1%) of the participants were considered as lacking in capacity to engage in ACP. Participants struggled with the "Understanding ACP" domain the most. Capacity was not predictable by any of the demographic or cognitive functioning variables. When compared to the gold standard, ACP-CAV was accurate in assessing capacity in 68.8% of the cases. Clinicians should routinely explain ACP to older people and ensure they fully understand it prior to an ACP discussion. If there is any concern about their understanding, further exploration and documentation of their capacity using the capacity assessment framework would be necessary. However, capacity assessment is a complex iterative process that does not easily lend itself to screening methodology and requires a high level of clinical judgment.

Climate change adaptation-disaster risk reduction nexus: case study from Ethiopia

PurposeThe recently released fifth IPCC report indicates a high agreement among global actors on the need to integrate climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, there remains little local level evidence on how DRR and CCA could be linked, the sorts of adjustments that are required for the two concepts to be integrated and the challenges ahead. This paper aims to provide an empirical insight on the possible links and departures between DRR and CCA.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a qualitative case study approach to excavate lessons from an existing DRR intervention for CCA using a local-level adaptive capacity assessment framework as a normative criteria. Data was collected both from primary and secondary sources. The primary data collection involved the use of participatory rural appraisal techniques with village communities in Chifra District, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia.FindingsThe findings showed that the DRR interventions studied addressed parts of the elements of adaptive capacity at the local level. The findings also showed the limitation of the DRR intervention, which could be attributed to both the nature of the DRR interventions in general and implementation problems of the case study intervention in particular. The limitations show cases where full integration of DRR with CCA could be challenging.Originality/valueThe paper argues why the two approaches may not be integrated fully and also shows the need to focus on the design of DRR interventions in achieving both short-term (reducing disaster risks) and long-term objectives (enhancing adaptive capacity).

The Directorate-General for Health and Consumers 1999–2014: An assessment of its functional capacities

Capacity assessment has become a popular measure in the health sector to assess the ability of various stakeholders to pursue agreed activities. The European Commission (EC) is increasingly dealing with a variety of health issues to coordinate and complement national health policies. This study analyses the functional capacity of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) between 1999 and 2004. It applies the UNDP Capacity Assessment Framework and uses a literature review, a document review of EU policy documents and expert interviews to assess the capacity of DG SANCO to fulfill its mandate for public health and health systems. Our results suggest that DG SANCO has established capacities to engage with stakeholders; to assess various health issues, to define issue-specific health policies and to collect information for evaluative purposes. In contrast, capacities tend to be less established for defining a clear strategy for the overall sector, for setting priorities and for budgeting, managing and implementing policies. We conclude that improvements to the effectiveness of DG SANTE’s (the successor of DG SANCO) policies can be made within the existing mandate. A priority setting exercise may be conducted to limit the number of pursued actions to those with the greatest European added value within DG SANTE’s responsibilities.

Exploring sustainable urban water governance: a case study of institutional capacity

The sustainable urban water management system is likely to be characterised by complex and flexible governance arrangements, increased inter-organisational interaction and wide stakeholder participation, which contrasts significantly with the traditional approach. Recently there has been significant financial investment in urban water reform, however the reforms have not been as successful as anticipated and numerous institutional barriers remain. Understanding and assessing institutional capacity is central to addressing institutional impediments. Institutional capacity comprises individual, intra- and inter-organisational and external rules and incentives capacities. This paper reports on the first case study of a social research project that aims to develop an institutional capacity assessment framework. Empirical data from semi-structured interviews with 59 water industry experts in Sydney, Australia, and a broad literature survey were used. The key capacity attributes identified could form the basis of an institutional capacity assessment tool and reveal common and differing attributes across stakeholder groups which provide insight into stakeholder relations. Synthesis of the results revealed that intra- and inter-organisational capacities were facing particular challenges and should be explicitly addressed in reform, policy and capacity development initiatives.

Assessing Collaborative Capacity in a Multidimensional World

Collaborative capacity is central to long-term problem-solving success and poses a challenge for public management scholars—How does one measure collaborative capacity? The authors treat collaborative capacity as an outcome and develop a multidimensional collaborative capacity assessment framework that measures whether capacity is enhanced, stays the same, or is diminished. The framework is applied to two collaborations involving endangered species in the United States. Although traditional measures of compliance show little difference, the full framework finds a stark contrast in long-term problem-solving capacity. One case evinces high overall capacity, whereas the second case registers low, even diminished, capacity.

Collaboration, Enforcement, and Endangered Species: A Framework for Assessing Collaborative Problem-Solving Capacity

ABSTRACT The centrality of collaborative capacity to long-term problem-solving success in natural resource policy poses a critical challenge for social scientists. While the literature on antecedent capacity is relatively rich, there is virtually nothing in the literature related to collaborative capacity as an outcome—the idea of a collaborative capacity assessment framework. What criteria help us understand whether long-term, collaborative problem-solving capacity is enhanced, stays the same, or is diminished? Our framework develops capacity outcomes along multiple dimensions—the vertical, the horizontal, and the partnership linkages between the two—and is applied to collaborations involving endangered species. When the cases are measured along traditional vertical measures there is little difference; both register high rates of compliance. However, when assessed along all three dimensions of the framework, a stark contrast in long-term problem-solving capacity is evident. The Walla Walla case evinces high capacity overall, while the Methow Valley registers low, even diminished capacity.