Coalition Of Partners Research Articles

Towards a strategy for the recovering of the Mediterranean monk seal in the Adriatic-Ionian Basin

Occasional but recurrent sightings indicate that the endangered Mediterranean monk seal is still present in most of its historical range within the Adriatic-Ionian region in the central Mediterranean Sea. However, in most of the adjacent countries, the species’ abundance and distribution are practically unknown. An actively reproducing sub-population with a minimum of 25 adult/sub-adult seals lives in the Greek central Ionian Sea. The latter can form a nucleus from which the entire Adriatic-Ionian Basin could be re-colonized if adequate conservation measures are implemented throughout the area and in a coordinated manner. We examine the historical presence in the region as a baseline for providing a benchmark for conservation. We further look into the species’ habitat availability, possibilities for a rapid population assessment and various parameters that are considered crucial for its conservation, such as the existence of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), corridors for connectivity purposes as well as needs for raising public awareness. We recommend a series of interlinked actions within the framework of a conservation strategy the implementation of which will ensure the conditions for maintaining ecologically, demographically, and genetically viable sub-populations of this species emblematic for the entire Mediterranean Sea. To achieve this goal, a coalition of partners from this area is required in order to adopt the strategy and jointly implement the measures required.

Rapid assessments of the impact of COVID-19 on the availability of quality seed to farmers: Advocating immediate practical, remedial and preventative action

Rapid assessments of the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the seed sector were conducted by a coalition of partners in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Uganda in May and June 2020. The method was rapid, iterative, inclusive and valuable in revealing threats to the availability and timely access of farmers to quality seed and to food, nutrition and income security, and in advocating for remedial and preventative action. Via mobile application and web survey, and focus group discussions on virtual conferencing platforms a panel of 36 or more local experts operating particularly in formal seed systems in each country identified potential disruptions to activities in the seed sector and recommended immediate practical action to ensure continuity in performance. Recommendations, and the stakeholders best positioned to propel their action, were proposed to and approved by senior leadership in the sector. The entire process from survey to publication of a seed alert in each iteration was completed within two weeks. Due to the highly seasonal nature of agriculture, and recognition that activities are time-bound, quick turnaround on assessments was essential. Dashboards indicated where impact was felt the hardest, also showing how dynamic the situation was. Countries were at different stages in their agricultural seasons, which made the data highly contextual, but also interesting for getting a glimpse into the future. Lessons were offered from one country to another. Reduced mobility was the root cause of many disruptions in supplying seed to farmers. Disruptions caused seed and related industry to operate at reduced capacity. The cost of transactions and doing business during these times may have increased the scarcity and price of inputs beyond what farmers can recover. Sales of quality seed in formal markets were perceived to decline due to delays in distribution, weakened promotion efforts and fewer farmers present. Farmers are less likely to benefit from investments in crop improvement for more seasons to come due to delays in the development and release of new varieties. Social distancing prevents stakeholders from meeting to exchange goods, services and information, but the sector is gradually getting up to speed with information technology. For all concerns, practical options were offered and often implemented. The pandemic has exacerbated structural weaknesses in the organization of the seed sector, for which reforms are not only justified, but overdue.

32.H. Round table: Emergency preparedness: Core competencies for medical students as part of public health workforce

The duties encompassed within public health, according to Acheson's definition, are to be undertaken by society as a whole. This is further emphasised within 'ASPHER's European List of Core Competencies for the Public Health Professional' which mentions that public health responsibilities fall upon the 'public health workforce'. If even those outside the medical profession are considered part of the public health workforce, why are medical students being overlooked as a group who can contribute? As representatives of the future generation of medical professionals, shouldn't they be an obvious starting point for practising public health advocacy? Medical students have the potential to act and, with better integration into the public health workforce, could become an asset. Despite them having a legal obligation to contribute in emergency situations, there are insufficiencies or a lack of clarity within the guidelines to highlight and elaborate on what students are specifically expected to be able to carry out in various situations. This is in stark contrast to the predefined lists of competencies against which medical professionals are assessed.This workshop will focus on identifying the core competencies regarding medical students in their contribution to emergency preparedness and how these could be integrated into the existing framework for effecting a structured and organised response. The primary outcome is to achieve better advocacy for public health in future medical professionals with a focus on preparedness for emergency situations.To begin with, research carried out to elucidate whether different countries have set guidelines or competencies that are expected of medical students by the conclusion of their medical studies will be presented. Such guidelines both on national and regional levels were identified and then compared following analysis.This will be followed by more personal accounts from medical students and a discussion of the potential steps that could be introduced to improve emergency preparedness.Shortcomings of such guidelines concerning medical student competencies are further highlighted in times of crisis such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is during this time when healthcare systems are stretched and their contribution may be most valuable. The nature of this contribution within the context of international pandemic plans will be explored and debated.Finally this workshop will conclude by opening up the floor for discussion between the panellists and the audience regarding the topics and issues raised.This workshop aims to highlight the need for core competencies in medical education and bring this topic to the forefront for further discussion and analysis amongst professionals, with the eventual international unification, simplification and clarification of these being the ultimate goal. This could be pivotal for the future of public health and in the advancement and evolution of education.Key messages Armed with suitable competencies, medical students can be an asset to the public health workforce if utilised effectively and in doing so can enhance preparedness response.This project’s outcomes are in alignment with ASPHER’s European Public Health Core Competencies Programme (EPHCCP) and the WHO Coalition of Partners (CoP).

25.G. Round table: Public health codes of ethical professional conduct for effective practice

Abstract One of the major outputs of the WHO Regional Office for Europe “Coalition of Partners” initiative has been the development of the “Road map for professionalization of the public health workforce in Europe.” Public health ethics was considered as one of the key pillars for practice for the workforce. The report highlighted the case and urgent need for development of Public Health Codes of ethics and professional conduct (CoC) as an essential part of workforce development strategies. The development of CoCs is considered essential to pursue the mission and moral mandate of public health and to clarify the purpose of professional activities in public health. Scotland has been working as an initial pilot site in Europe to consider developing a CoC for its workforce as part of its public health reform program. The purpose of this roundtable workshop is to share and reflect on the learning from the process, experience and findings from development of the Scottish CoC as the first pilot site in Europe and implications for development of such codes in other public health systems. The workshop will also share the evidence, rationale and background to CoC with research and learning from around the world on the issue. The Roundtable will include brief presentations by an experienced expert panel of senior public health leaders, ethicists and academics who have been working on development of public health Codes of professional conduct. This will be followed by reflection, consultation and debate with participants around the case, nature and options for development of codes of practice and distinguishing features for public health practice. There are issues to whether there is need for country specific, regional or global codes of ethics taking account core public health values and implications for practice. One of the key issues identified is fundamental importance of ensuring such work is linked to a strategy and activities to build competency and capacity around public health ethics and law and to ensure resources, systems and robust education and training activities are put in place for a sustainable development of the issue. Key messages The Development of CoCs is important in order to support the workforce, pursue the mission and moral mandate of public health and clarify the purpose of professional activities. There is need to develop activities and strategy for building competency and capacity in public health ethics alongside development of Code of ethics and professional conduct.

Strengthening the public health workforce in Slovakia through professionalization

Abstract Issue The Coalition of Partners (CoP) takes collective action to strengthen public health (PH) services and capacities across the WHO European Region. A review of the implementation of the European Action Plan for Strengthening PH Capacities and Services showed that, despite robust action, its potential remained largely unrealized. In 2017-2018 Slovakia has joined the WHO activities aimed to accelerate a progress in Europe and in individual Member States. One of the main problem of the Slovak PH system is a lack of experts and unbalanced infrastructure. Description of the problem The critical shortage of PH workforce in Slovakia is a result of increasing retirement of physicians, decreasing interest of young physicians and PH professionals to enter to PH practice, and limited opportunities for other professionals in the current PH system. Therefore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Public Health Authority of the SR, the relevant academic institutions and non-governmental organisations agreed to deal with strengthening the PH workforce and took the responsibility for mobilizing the resources needed to implement the Agenda for Action. Results In September 2019, regional PH institutes, universities, professional associations, and other experts were invited to evaluate the PH workforce professionalization using a rapid assessment tool (Czabanowska, Slock, 2019). In October-December 2019, three national round tables were held with aim to formulate the areas for cooperation. In February 2020, the core team and three expertś teams were nominated by the State secretary of the MOH to continue on prioritising the future recommendations in the fields of: education and training, research and development, system and financing. Lessons The initiative supporting PH professionalization has a potential to form a national CoP on strengthening PH capacities and services. Its long-term vision is focused on effectively and efficiently governed PH system in Slovakia. Key messages In Slovakia, strengthening the public health workforce is essential. Started cooperation on supporting public health professionalization is an important step for future actions at national level.

Co-producing land for housing through informal settlement upgrading: lessons from a Namibian municipality

This paper summarizes the informal settlement upgrading processes in the Namibian municipality of Gobabis, which are arguably the most accomplished bottom-up developments in the country so far. As these processes were made possible through a broad coalition of partners, we employ the lens of co-production and engage with the more recent literature on it, which focuses on questions of equity and empowerment. We note how co-production achieves more efficient use of resources and decentralizes power in urban development. We argue that in this case, efficiency and equity are aligned. We also note how despite these achievements, the balance of power remains uneven in favour of central and local governments. The paper also briefly describes the context of urban development in Namibia, and concludes with a set of questions for further research on co-production of land for housing the urban poor.

ASPHER V4 Working Group supports the road map for professionalising the public health workforce

Abstract Background The ASPHER V4 Working Group (WG) was established in 2016 and officially launched during the 9th European Public Health Conference in Vienna. One of the key objectives of the WG is to strengthen public health capacity development in V4 countries. The WG supports the implementation of the recently reviewed European Action Plan for Strengthening Public Health Capacities (EAP). The EAP’s review highlighted the need to focus further action on four enabling Essential Public Health Functions (EPHOs) including human resources for public health. This is why the WG is heavily involved in the recent development of a new Road map for professionalising the public health workforce, one of the products of the recently established Coalition of Partners (CoP) that was convened by the WHO Regional Office for Europe in close cooperation with ASPHER and Maastricht University. Objectives Supporting the WHO CoP with a focus on development and further implementation of a new Road map for professionalising public health workforce in V4 countries. Using a new rapid assessment tool to evaluate the state of the public health profession in the Czech Republic. Sharing the report on the current state of public health professions in the Czech Republic with the WG and using it as a comparison of the current state in all V4 countries. Results Key strengths and weaknesses of the first rapid assessment of the current state of the public health profession in the Czech Republic are presented. Key actions are proposed for the WG: a) Preparation of a grant proposal to the International V4 Fund and b) Continuing active involvement in CoP activities. Conclusions The rapid assessment tool for evaluating the state of the public health profession was successfully implemented in the Czech Republic with the close cooperation of academia, researchers, policy makers and practitioners. The summary confirms that further work on the professionalization of the public health workforce is needed. Key messages ASPHER V4 WG is strongly involved in the development of a new road map for professionalising the public health workforce, coordinated by the WHO CoP, ASPHER and Maastricht University. Summary of the first rapid assessment of the current state of the public health profession in the Czech Republic confirms the importance of further action in this area of work.

Skills building seminar: Building skills and capacity for a future health workforce

Abstract Background It is increasingly recognised that there is ‘no health without a workforce’ and that action has to be taken to develop an integrated and sustainable future health workforce. However, training and education opportunities are lacking for all those engaged in health workforce development. There is an urgent need for health systems and policy to foster skills building and institutional capacity for health workforce development to respond effectively to changing healthcare needs of the population and to the labour market shortages in many countries. Objectives This seminar will address these issues and help reducing the knowledge gaps. The seminar is arranged around for major topics: the WHO framework for action to guide health workforce planning and governance, the competences framework to strengthen the education and professionalisation of public health developed by the WHO Coalition of Partners and ASPHER, the internationalisation of health professional education using medical education in Romania as a case study, and finally a framework for strengthening health workforce research. The seminar aims to help PhD students and early career researchers to develop skills in the field of health workforce research and development. It also provides knowledge and tools for policymakers and practitioners who are responsible for health workforce education and governance. This seminar will promote the development of training programmes for health workforce research and thereby contribute to public health leadership in health workforce development. There will be ample time for discussion and teaching material will be made available for the participants. Key messages Building skills and institutional capacity is key to improve health workforce research and policy. People-centred care and universal healthcare coverage call for new skills and education programmes.

Aligning dam removals and road culvert upgrades boosts conservation return-on-investment

Dams and road culverts fragment river ecosystems worldwide by restricting the movement of aquatic species. In many watersheds, a diverse set of actors coordinates the removal of these barriers. Non-governmental organizations often focus on small dams and road culverts, while large dam removal projects are coordinated by federal agencies or coalitions of partners. Here we evaluate the return-on-investment of these strategies by exploring a continuum of methods for selecting barrier removal projects, ranging from a focus on many small barrier removal projects to a few large ones. We used estimated removal costs of more than 100,000 barriers in the North American Great Lakes to construct economically realistic barrier removal scenarios. We then simulated the movement of stream-resident and anadromous fishes through model river networks with a few large dam removals, many road culvert retrofits, or a mix of both. We found that the strategy of removing both dams and road culverts had the greatest potential to benefit both stream-resident and anadromous fishes, but only when projects were aligned longitudinally within the river network. Our results demonstrate the importance of allocating conservation resources to both small and large restoration projects, and highlight a need for increased coordination and communication among the many different organizations investing in barrier removals. Our findings complement optimization approaches to prioritizing barrier removals by providing general guidelines for practitioners to follow when project selection must depart from a prescribed portfolio of projects.

Urban governance and public leisure policies: a comparative analysis framework

In the last few decades, the literature on leisure policies has evolved, thanks to a better understanding of the effects and impacts of public leisure actions rather than a comprehensive study of that field's public policy process. This has resulted in the development of a corpus focused on knowledge for policies rather than knowledge of policies, particularly in the study of urban governance and of the co-production of services with the non-profit and private sectors. The purpose of this article is to further explore the theoretical and conceptual implications of urban governance applied to the analysis of public leisure policies. It also aims to draw inspiration from the main approaches of urban policy analysis in order to propose an analytical framework applicable to an empirical process for comparative analysis mainly focused on describing the dynamics of local governance. The main purpose of this framework is to analyse the actors, governance mechanisms and factors that characterise the development of local leisure policies while giving special consideration to the collaborative nature of the relationships within this coalition of partners.

Area of City Impact Agreements

Area of city impact agreements, or growth management tools negotiated between cities and counties, are required by Idaho Code section 67-6526 “to delineate areas of future contiguous growth in order to assure their orderly development and thereby reconcile potentially competing designs for boundary expansion with accepted land use planning principles.” City of Garden City v. City of Boise, 104 Idaho 512, 514 (1983). In Fall, 2012, the University of Idaho College of Law’s Economic Development Clinic worked with a coalition of partners to review existing area of city impact agreements. The Clinic obtained 125 area of city impact agreements, one of the largest collections of local government agreements addressing growth management ever assembled in Idaho, and likely anywhere in the country. Based upon its research, the Clinic drafted this report with detailed guidance for Idaho cities and counties negotiating future area of city impact agreements. Outside of Idaho, this report will be of use to state and local government law and land use law scholars interested in growth management, smart growth, and extra-territorial powers of cities. The Clinic's guidance document and the original agreements are available in this file.

Epilogue: a critical look at a nascent field.

A broad coalition of partners, entitled PHIRIC (Population Health Intervention Research Initiative for Canada), are working to increase the amount/quality of population health intervention research (PHIR) in our country. A central theme is to advance the science in this area. The current CJPH Supplement is welcomed as a set of diverse studies done to further our understanding of PHIR. The papers illustrate the range of questions that can be addressed and the variety of methods that need to be utilized. There is a need for critical reflection on three questions: 1) what constitutes PHIR? 2) which intervention parameters can be researched? and 3) what methods are recognized by the research community? Although legitimate attempts to define PHIR exist, the boundaries remain elusive. (Even the choice of articles in the current Supplement might be questioned.) It has cogently been argued that 'true' public health interventions intend to change risk conditions and alter distributions of health risk. This commentary suggests an important amendment to prior evaluation questions in stating that PHIR must pay attention to how intervention outcomes are distributed. There are also questions inherent in assessing the equity and distribution of an outcome. The bottom line is that we need to spread the word: more research is needed.

A Partnership Approach to Promoting Information Literacy for Higher Education Researchers

The promotion of information literacy in the UK higher education research sector has traditionally been the preserve of academic libraries. However, other professional groups have obvious interests in this area, and there is a strong case for providing a framework which enables different parties with a stake in information literacy to work together in order to reach practical objectives. In the UK, a coalition of partners has been set up to provide this collective framework and to provide synergy. This paper sets out the rationale for this approach, sets out the sort of activities that the coalition has fostered since its inception in late 2009 and reflects on whether it might serve as an example for other parts of Europe or for transnational collaborations.

Race, Class and Politics in Peninsular Malaysia: The General Election of 2008

Racial politics have bedevilled peninsular Malaysia since independence in 1957, largely sustained by a ruling coalition of partners sharing power unequally, in a consociational government. The effect of a racialised practice over fifty years is the institutionalisation of the politics of ethnic pluralism, each component driven by its own internal dynamic and cultural logic: for the Chinese it is the politics of economic security, for the Tamils the politics of religion and caste, and for the Malays incipient class antagonisms that are historically rooted in a feudal society. In the general election of 2008, there was an unprecedented swing of votes across the ethnic divide against the ruling government, resulting in the loss of five state governments to an opposition coalition espousing multiculturalism and the loss of the government's two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time. However, we argue that these developments do not signal the beginning of the end of racial politics in peninsular Malaysia. Instead, the opposition has skilfully recoded multiculturalism as social justice and accountability in racial terms, and effectively communicated this to an essentially racialised electorate at a time when Malays, Chinese and Tamils had lost faith in the ruling government's ability to address deep-seated grievances specific to each of these communities.

Business incubation in Brazil: Creating an environment for new ventures

Brazil leads one of the most successful incubation movements in Latin America, through innovation and adaptation of incubator models to suit indigenous needs. The government has clearly made incubators a policy priority as witnessed by the various initiatives to support incubators and incubatees. Even though business incubation has not gained widespread currency, multiple levels of government and a coalition of partners from various spheres appear to be involved in supporting incubators. Business incubation in Brazil is very much a bottom-up effort with universities playing a key role, unlike Chile where the government has played a relatively top-down role in fostering business incubation. Compared to China, the emphasis in Brazil appears to be more on the softer services such as networking relative to the provision of physical space and hard infrastructure. This article discusses the business incubation landscape in Brazil drawing comparisons with China and Chile, along with policy implications.

The GAVI Financing Task Force: One model of partner collaboration

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, now called the GAVI Alliance, was launched in 2000 as a coalition of partners, including countries, international organizations, bilateral donors, the vaccine production industry, and nongovernmental organizations; most activities were to be implemented through these partner organizations. Four task forces were established at the outset to define issues relevant to GAVI Alliance goals and to recommend actions. This paper describes the innovations and outputs of the Financing Task Force (FTF), which worked in three areas: country support to sustainably finance vaccines and immunization programs in the context of introducing new vaccines; vaccine supply and demand issues as they impact vaccine choice, production costs and price/dose; innovative financing mechanisms for vaccines and immunization programs through, for example, capital markets. This analysis particularly focuses on the FTF's work on financial sustainability. Through its partnership, the FTF was able to leverage organizational change in its participating organizations, in the countries supported by the GAVI Alliance, and in the policies of GAVI itself. These achievements, along with areas where the desired outcome was not achieved, are summarized with lessons that may be useful to other multi-partner health alliances.

Poliomyelitis: present epidemiological situation and vaccination problems.

In 1988 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared its commitment to the goal of global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000, generating new enthusiasm in pursuing this objective worldwide. The nations involved are supported by a coalition of partners, including Rotary International, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Atlanta, Ga., UNICEF, and the WHO itself. Interventions in countries in which poliomyelitis is still endemic are also supported by the authorities of numerous countries free from this disease.