Economic Development Projects Research Articles

POWER GAMES ON THE SILK ROUTE: A JOURNEY FROM HISTORICAL TO MODERN ERA

The real aim of the programme is an extension of Chinese power and influence. As per an analyst, it is a game where China is steadily placing counters across Asia and Europe. In the Western views, it is easy to interpret comments as a strategy of China, with the aim of extending Chinese influence in a series of carefully planned steps. Around 114 BC by the Han dynasty, the trade routes of Central Asia were expanded largely through the missions and explorations of Chinese imperial envoy Zhang Qian. The world’s greatest economic construction and development project ever is being undertaken by China. In the economic map of the world the New Silk Road project is a revolutionary change. The geopolitical conflicts over the project could lead to a new cold war between East and West for dominance in Eurasia as it is becoming clearer every day.

Estimating the impact of the effective valorization of cultural and natural resources for the economic development of Beirut

The main topic of this project is to assess the current situation of tourism in Lebanon and to identify and interpret the actual case of how tourism industry can benefit from economic development projects in Lebanon. The main problem that Lebanon is incapable to properly use natural and cultural assets inspite of very rich potentials. In order to analyze the situation, we conducted a study through conducting a survey as data collection methods. We basically want to develop on a theory that was previously discussed and that will need further examination. Aim and objectives This paper aims to review how Lebanon plans to review its resource management for improving tourism. our objectives are to study Beirut’s rich ancient history in a wat to demonstrate that. The study conducted in Tyre, also showing similar goals, was used a reference study. The main objective of this study is to find out how tourism is viewed in Beirut and if the citizens actually are in favor of valorizing u resources or not. Therefore, the research also want to assess if it succeeded or failed overall. Today, any coastal Lebanese City, including Tyre or Beirut faces a problem in properly managing it natural or cultural resources. Therefore, cities like Tyre Saida, Jbeil and Beirut, have not utilized their resources optimally (irrespective if natural or cultural), have had records of possessing incorrect and deeply rooted values and setbacks in human capital. Past Studies The literature has been formal. Aside from 2 MBA projects on economic development and tourism movement correlations were demonstrated with these two variables. One project, focusing on Tyre, whereas the second concentrating on Beirut we were able to come up with tangible examples on how resource management in Lebanon was practiced (or its absence). Methodology The selected data collection and research design points out to a mixed qualitative and quantitative research methodology, utilizing surveying as the main means of gathering information. This explains the 15 unstructured interviews and the 32 questionnaires we collected during our fat finding phase. In order to examine the current situation, in the way that the central authorities in Beirut view the valuation of our heritage as a way to improve tourism (and ultimately to improve our GDP), our study demonstrates through our findings collected both unstructured from interviews and structured surveys that a much larger population wants us to preserve our heritage as a means of improving economic development. As such, the study utilized mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods through distributing structured questionnaires and unstructured interviews. Provided our selected data collection methods, our results provided a better understanding of how tourism can be sustainable in Beirut, and how it can be beneficial to our GDP in the long run. Conclusions Results showed that sustainable tourism development in Lebanon is highly dependent on the presence of all necessary resources. This can be related to the tourist profile types the city wishes to attract. However, Lebanon lacks proper administrative management and organization of its scarce resources. All results emphasized on the importance of human capital in the development of any tourist destination. These findings certainly will hold true in any other city in the region. And, to date, Lebanon has a deficient central administration unable to properly use our scarce resources (energy, fuel, water, etc.). Consequently, we as Lebanese must benefit from our rich human capital on the long-term, complete sustainable economic growth through and improving the tourism industry (in Beirut or elsewhere). Because Beirut city lacked the vision once it accepted the destruction of BEY 194, we lost a unique chance to valorize a unique heritage, giving us a chance to attract tourists, following the real estate developers’ and SOLIDERE’s barbaric acts.

An Innovative and Globally Competitive Higher Education Sector is a Prerequisite for Radical Economic Transformation in South Africa

Radical economic transformation has come to mean many different things to many different people. In recent political discourse, the concept has been utilised to symbolise the government’s commitment to fast-track changes in the structure of the economy, particularly from the perspective of revisiting the ownership of wealth and resources. When loosely used, the term somehow confers upon government the agency to ensure that the ownership structure of the economy should be transformed (radically) in a manner that changes the structure and pace of economic development and fulfils the aspirations of the National Development Plan. This paper argues that the idea of radicalised economic transformation is a contested one, because economic transformation can hardly be radicalised in the sense that is being communicated in the mainstream discourse. The transformation of any economy requires painstaking mechanical and systematic remodelling of certain push pillars within several sectors, of which the higher education sector is key. Radicalising the process of economic transformation in South Africa could hardly be achieved without radical steps to transform the role, contribution and output of the higher education sector. The construction of an economic development project that brings about sustainable, meaningful improvements would require much more than a rhetoric commitment to the romantic notion of radical economic transformation. It will require dealing with built-in weaknesses of the system and picking seed pillars with a potential to inject radical change into the broader economy. It is the key argument of this paper that radicalising the transformation of the higher education sector is the real prerequisite to radical economic transformation, especially when such transformation targets more than the racial profile of university staff to also focus on output, efficiency and global competitiveness.

The Degree of Success in Environmental Mitigation Measures of Development Projects in Sri Lanka with Special Reference to Peraru Water Supply and Sanitation Project

Human life and element of nature is well connected. Man-made activities can destroy the natural system which sustains the human life. In many parts of the world, economic development projects directed at improving levels of material comfort have had unintended detrimental effects on people and natural resources. Water, land, and air have been degraded to the point where they can no longer sustain existing levels of development and quality of life. Economic development in developing countries has been focused on immediate economic gains environmental protection has not been a priority because the economic losses from environmental degradation often occur long after the economic benefits of development have been realized. Environmental Management Plans (EMP) are used in development projects to mitigate the anticipated impacts due the project intervention. EMP is monitored periodically using performance indicators shown in the Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMoP). As per National Environmental Act, all the mega development activities must have an   EMP. Some development projects effectively implement the EMP but there are cases that the implementation is not being practiced as per the EMP. This study assessed   how effectively EMP was implemented in Per Aru Water Supply and Sanitation Project. A structured interview guideline was used to collect and obtain information from the target group. The study analysed impact and mitigation on key environmental factors such as air, water, land, fauna and flora. Throughout the study, it was found that the implementation of EMP was successful. Project had planted around 176,972 plants for removing 1600 trees; Followed enough mitigation measures riprap and turfing to control the erosion in the bund; less mobile species were translocated to similar habitat area; no degradation occurred to the water body surrounding the project area; however project had failed to take enough mitigation measures on dust, translocating the flora and releasing the environmental flow. It is recommended to release the environmental flow, form a grievance redress mechanism to solve environmental related peoples’ complains and grievances, improve the community consultation, increase the project approving agencies monitoring on the implementation of EMP, and control the invasive plants Muntingia calabura (Jam fruit tree). Further, recommended to donor agencies to evaluate the successfulness of the implemented EMP after project completion

Covid-19 and the Health Economic-Industrial Complex: structural fragilities and possibilities of facing the sanitary crisis

The aim of this study is to discuss the global dynamics of the production and innovation system of the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (HEIC), especially how structural fragilities have been made evident due to the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on this discussion, the paper intends to present an introductory reflection, though propositional, regarding measures that can stimulate internalization, development and utilization of some technologies included in the concept of “Revolution 4.0” not only as part of a socio- economic development project, but also as a way to fight the sanitary emergency.

Sports Stadiums and Local Economic Activity: Evidence from Cobb County, Georgia

Though most studies find that sports stadiums are not strong drivers of economic activity in metropolitan areas, localized development effects may be sufficient to justify public subsidies for a host municipality if circumstances are favorable. This analysis examines the economic ramifications of an intra-metropolitan area relocation of Atlanta’s professional baseball team from a traditional standalone downtown stadium to a new stadium-anchored mixed-use development in suburban Cobb County. Using the synthetic control method, the study employs metro-Atlanta counties to construct a counterfactual outcome for estimating changes in sales tax revenue after the ballpark opened. The findings indicate a net increase in taxable sales in the county; however, the magnitude of the effect is small and not statistically significant. Though net new spending is evident, approximately one-third of the project’s sales appear to derive from crowding out other local economic activity. In total, added tax collections fall well short of covering the public subsidies provided by Cobb. The stadium’s limited economic impact, despite its favorable location and ancillary mixed-use development, further supports past findings that sports venues are poor investments as economic development projects.

Does hosting a professional sports team benefit the local community? Evidence from property values

Local governments often justify subsidizing sports stadiums as economic development projects that have positive returns on investment. If this is true, economic and quality-of-life spillovers that are capitalized in local property values ought to generate additional tax revenue for host municipalities through increased property assessments. This analysis uses the synthetic control method to estimate the effect of a new publicly-funded professional baseball stadium and team relocation on property assessments in Cobb County, Georgia. Cobb assessment values did not increase relative to other metro-Atlanta counties following the stadiums' announcement or opening, which is inconsistent with the stadium having a positive fiscal impact, even with its desirable location and accompanying mixed-used development. The findings are consistent with past economic studies and are likely generalizable to other stadium projects.

Civilizational features of the development of Russia in the context of modern social transformations

The article examines the main civilisational features of the development of Russia and their role in the modern socio-political transformations of Russian society. These features, according to the author, include the leading role of the state in the implementation of development projects and resource mobilisation; uneven socio-political development in time and space (development of society by impulses and jerks); combination in social dynamics of numerous opposite tendencies; periodic change of cultural and geopolitical vectors of development, caused by social delimitation and divisions. Arguments are given in favour of the fact that many of these features of the development of Russian society are due to the special, intermediate geographical, geopolitical and cultural-civilisational position of Russia between the civilisations of the West and the East. The author proves that a simple, uncritical borrowing and copying of Western political institutions without reformatting and adapting them to the conditions of modern Russia will either lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of these institutions, or to their serious degeneration and change. It is concluded that in the development and implementation of any projects of socio-political and economic development, it is essential to take into account both the general civilisational features of Russia and the internal Russian regional, local specifics, local socio-cultural norms and traditions, since their ignoring can lead to breaking the main social, cultural and value structures of Russian society.In addition, in modern conditions of global socio-political transformations and the numerous challenges associated with them it is extremely important for successful socio-political development to organically combine traditions with the necessary social innovations. However, as shown in the article, at present in Russia there is no such organic combination, and this seriously hinders socio-economic and cultural development. This implies the need to combine centralised planning and the development of federal development projects with the initiatives and proposals of local and regional communities, to focus not only on regional and local bureaucratic structures, but also on initiatives coming "from below" from groups of active citizens, from public organisations, volunteers and others. The author comes to the conclusion that this is especially important in the situation of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis socio-economic and political phenomena caused by it.

INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL AS A FACTOR IN INCREASING THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE ECONOMY

Purpose. The aim of the article is to research of methodical bases of formation and develop of qualitative characteristics of human capital in Ukraine and influence of investments on this process. Methodology of research. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is the fundamental provisions of modern economic theory, scientific works of scientists. The following methods were used in the process of research, in particular: analysis and synthesis – to study the object and subject of research; abstract and logical – for theoretical generalizations and formulation of conclusions; constructive and experimental – to form a solution with the help of analytical software; tabular – for a visual representation of the dynamics of investing in human capital. Findings. The main problems and prospects of human capital development are substantiated, the properties inherent in this economic category are determined. The reasons for inefficient reproduction of human capital in Ukraine are identified; the lack of an effective market mechanism in terms of human training is established. It is determined that the surplus of previously prestigious specialists can further create conditions for problems with their employment. It was investigated that there are problems with employment of graduates of higher education institutions in specialties related to economic orientation and law. Originality. According to the results of the study, it is substantiated that human capital plays an important role in ensuring the effective functioning of the country's economic system. This made it possible to analyse and clarify the importance of the qualitative characteristics of human capital and the impact of investment in human capital as a factor in increasing the competitive advantage of the economy. Practical value. The scientific substantiation of theoretical positions and practical measures on maintenance of the mechanism of the state regulation of reproduction of human capital according to transformational changes which can be used at development of projects of economic and social development of Ukraine is offered. Key words: investments, human capital, labour productivity, development, efficiency, education, competitive advantages, reproduction.

Creation of a strategic planning system for the socio-economic and innovative development of organizations of higher education

The article reveals the theoretical and methodological provisions for the formation of the composition of technological elements of the strategic planning system, their interaction with the resource components of the organization of higher education (on the example of Voronezh and St.Petersburg universities) to achieve generalizing and specific targets of quantitative and qualitative nature of the strategic the goal of long-term development of a higher education institution. The concepts of “strategy”, “strategic vision”, “mission of the organization of higher education” are defined. The possibility of optimizing resource consumption in the process of implementing complex measures within the framework of federal, regional, sectoral and local programs and projects of social, economic and innovative development of higher education organizations is substantiated. The priority directions in the development strategy of the analyzed universities are highlighted. The necessity of including such technological elements as strategic analysis, mission, strategic vision, strategic goal, generalizing (basic) strategy, functional (private) strategies in the system of strategic planning of socio-economic and innovative development of the studied universities is substantiated.

ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНИЙ МЕХАНІЗМ ПРОЄКТНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ РОЗВИТКОМ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ

The article identifies the stages of the life cycle of project management for the implementation of organizational and economic mechanism for the implementation of projects for the development of the national economy: initiation, planning, resource provision, implementation and completion. Methods and tools of organizational and economic mechanism of realization of projects of development of national economy at each stage of a life cycle of project management are systematized. The author analyzes the components of the elements of the organizational and economic mechanism of implementation of national economic development projects in accordance with the stages of the project life cycle. The economic and organizational tools of realization of projects of development of national economy are analyzed. The positive aspects of project management are formulated. They are formation of a system of management and control over the implementation of national projects (national governing body, national control and contact point, representative of Ukraine in the group of auditors, national contact point); operation of project offices at eight ministries and the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; availability of a wide range of sources of funds for project financing; availability of results of monitoring the implementation of state investment projects on the website of the Ministry of Economic Development. The shortcomings of organizational and economic support for the implementation of projects are identified. They are lack of qualified staff of government agencies for high-quality development of feasibility studies of projects in terms of cost-benefit analysis; lack of methodological developments in the study of the peculiarities of the analysis of public investment projects; imperfect coordination between different mechanisms of financing public investment projects; unsatisfactory level of use of public-private partnership opportunities and obtaining the necessary financial resources as a result of bond issuance by local authorities; inconvenient format for providing monitoring information on state investment projects; lack of monitoring information and conclusions of beneficiaries on some international technical assistance projects provided to Ukraine; lack of results of monitoring of public-private partnership projects and projects implemented at the expense of MFIs.

The New Industrial Strategy in a Context of Financial Contraction in Algeria

Industrial development has gained a position of strength in the successive debates on the realization of economic development projects, accentuated by exceptional progress of new technologies, such as innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, with a tremendous growth of more innovative companies in terms of production, service delivery or simply concentrated on resell. One can, of course, invoke innumerable theoretical and literary arguments about the contribution of the industrial sector in the economic growth, starting from the works and approaches of the classics and neo-classics, particularly the most contemporary ones, like Rosenstein-Rodan, Myrdal, Nurkse, Hirschman, and many others, as long as the debate focused on the means and instruments to benefit States, provided that it is well managed. Algeria has been well engaged in the implementation of an industrialization strategy, through some programs and projects of revival of the industrial apparatus, in particular the model, globally recognized,” industrializing industries” in order to find alternatives for import substitution and the establishment of an industrial platform capable of raising the level of economic development upwards, and above. Indeed, industrial policy has become hostage of energy and hydrocarbon policy, as long as all investments and efforts have been made and directed in the promotion of the extractive industries, since the oil markets have created opportunities an for financing economic projects, leaving behind other components of the industrial sector, especially manufacturing industries. Taking this into account and in another effort to break away from the grip of the oil sector, the Algerian State turned to a new industrial policy and strategy, which will be more interested in the promotion of manufacturing industries, but this becomes relatively complicated and delicate, in view of the deterioration of public revenues and the possibility of drying up of revenues, as a consequence of the fall in oil prices, leaving, thus, puzzled economic decision-makers on the appropriate means of financing and accompanying this step. We will try, through this paper, to examine the planned and tracked modalities for such a large project, given the economic and financial context, which calls for greater prudence and the rationalization of public expenditures and their targeting.

Community Lending in the US: A Comparative Analysis of Citibank and Wells Fargo Community Lending Practices

Credit banks in the United States provide specialized services to low-income communities through community lending projects. These projects provide financing for economic development projects for targeted beneficiaries, and, for... purchasing or funding small business loans, ... or community development loans,” including low-credit mortgages and low-interest term loans. Generally grouped as financial inclusion initiatives, these services represent a renewed endeavor amongst banks to strengthen Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. This paper will examine the extent to which banks have been genuine community lenders, drawing on shareholder letters and annual reports from Citibank and Wells Fargo to qualitatively determine the institutions’ messages. From there, I will examine the balance sheets to account for the distribution of liabilities, particularly the extent to which ESG programs contribute to losses for banks. To further substantiate the extent of some of these practices, including fraudulent accounts and excessive overdraft fees from 2010-2018, the paper will draw on direct reports from the US Federal Government, including statements from the Department of Justice indicting Citibank & Wells Fargo for alleged illegal misreporting of profits and accounts. I will research data from academic papers published by the University of Michigan, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Annals of Regional Science. Ultimately, I will try to prove with these sources the extent of the risk community lending posed on corporate profits and whether the tradeoff can be ultimately profitable for the banks.

HYBRID MANAGEMENT OF PROGRAMS OF TERRITORIAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BY MEANS OF CONVERGENCE MECHANISMS

Introduction. Implementation of program projects of social and economic development of the territories of Ukraine is inefficient, with overspending of the budget and completion not at the set time. This is due to the use of reactive project management methodologies that do not take into account the complexity of project implementation, the turbulence of the project environment. The lack of mechanisms for managing project programs of socio-economic development of territories based on the of different methods of project management is an unresolved problem. The implementation of socio-economic development project programs is carried out using the mechanisms of financial regulation of territories on the basis of the recipient-donor model. Therefore, the development of mechanisms for management of project programs of socio-economic development of territorial systems based on the of key methods of project management is an urgent scientific task. Purpose. The purpose of the work is to develop mechanisms for management of program projects of socio-economic development of the regions of Ukraine using the tools of financial regulation, public-private partnership and of these Methods. The methods of hybridization and of project management methodologies are used in the article. Results. Based on research, it is proved that the implementation of program projects of socio-economic development of territories requires the use of various components of project management through hybridization and convergence. The terminological base of project management has been expanded by introducing new definitions hybrid project management of socio-economic development projects, convergence of project management mechanisms. Processes of management of program projects of social and economic development of territories, on the basis of model recipient-donor are formalized. Conclusion. The analysis of current trends in the implementation of complex programs of socio-economic development projects has shown the ineffectiveness of existing project management methodologies associated with the lack of mechanisms for project management based on of best practices in project management projects. A convergent model of management of projects of socio-economic development of territories by means of identification of the main challenges and problems in the life cycle of the regional system is developed, which takes into account indicators of project success in the program based on analysis of project management best practices.

Developmentalism and the Genocide–Ecocide Nexus

ABSTRACT This article seeks to contribute to an emerging “ecological turn” in genocide studies that places the material “extra-human environment” at the core of the biological and cultural integrity of social groups such as indigenous peoples and territorially dependent placed-based groups. Such social groups are often the victims of an array of ecological and culturally genocidal coercive practices which we will discuss herein. From land grabs in the service of economic development projects in Australia to, perversely, “conservation” and the “environmental” protection projects in Uganda and Kenya. For many indigenous and place-based peoples, their historical narrative and their practises, rituals and traditions are inextricably connected to their land base. In this article we explore the ecologically induced genocide suffered by such groups where environmental destruction results in conditions of life that fundamentally threaten a social group’s cultural and/or physical existence.

A value-oriented approach to assessing regional economic development projects

A value-oriented approach to assessing regional economic development projects

«One Belt - One Way»: Characteristics of the Largest Partner Companies of the Project

The global economic development project, called «the Silk Road», as well as «the One Belt — One Road» initiative, implemented on the basis of an initiative of the PRC government, combines many areas and individual projects. Each of them — the northern, southern and marine ones, requires significant investments and sound political decisions. The PRC is working in this direction today, redistributing resources for development of each branch of «the Silk Road». The confidence in the need of developing not only the economy, but also the socio-social relations, the culture of the territories of penetration, creates special requirements for both direct developers and companies implementing projects in terms of the global initiative. In the annual summaries of economic and exchange news, of course, a special place is occupied by information about the leaders of the project. Among dozens of the leaders, one can single out the top three companies that have made a massive investment breakthrough over the past three years. Among these companies is the All-China Civil Engineering Corporation operating on the open market since 2007 after a series of structural transformations of the largest leaders in construction and oil sectors. The second place is occupied by the company «Chinese Railways», the number of personnel of which today exceeds 10 million people. The third place belongs to the Chinese Railway Construction Company, as the successor to the Chinese Railway Engineering Corps. These three leaders in this article are analyzed on the basis of exchange indicators (all companies have the form of public companies), as well as financial reporting indicators. To compare the activity intensity of the silk road investors, the article presents the data of the Russian PJSC «Gazprom».

Heritage-led development and historic churches: professional roles in the case of Hamra, Sweden

PurposeDeparting from a study of a heritage-led economic development project of a Swedish historic church, the purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss how professional roles within the heritage field are negotiated through a development-centered heritage discourse, focusing on the implications for religious heritage sites.Design/methodology/approachA synchronic discourse analysis was conducted on a number of documents originating from the case study project, as well as five semi-structured interviews with key actors from the heritage field and the Church of Sweden.FindingsThe findings of the paper show that professional heritage discourses and practice limit and prevent nonstate heritage actors to engage in heritage-led development schemes of historic churches. Additionally, the professional roles and skills of nonheritage actors are perceived as ambiguous within the current governance system.Practical implicationsExamining emerging forms of management of religious heritage sites can provide inspiration and indicate possible conflicts that need to be addressed by heritage professionals in order to achieve successful management.Originality/valueWhile studies of heritage-led economic development projects have previously focused on impact assessment and community engagement, this paper sheds light on how the discourses of these projects affect the conception of professional roles and practices.

Transformation of Urban Black America into a Free Enterprise System

This article presents personal reflections on a vision to move the Blacks in America from a state of despair to one of prosperity. It is a bold attempt to present the experience of 50 years of activism, teaching, and writing on the subject. I have a clear vision of how the community, local government, and the university can join forces in a social and economic development project that would help poor Blacks form and own “tenant Organizations” and make them “Stockholders,” through carefully planned and executed cooperation. It is a real game changer in the lives of the American Blacks since the days of Black Wall Street.

Sustainable local economic development indicator framework: A tool for property building redevelopment projects

ABSTRACT Sustainable Local Economic Development has been an emerging approach to economic development for more than a decade, with the goal of enhancing economic, social, and environmental sustainability. As practitioners seek and implement sustainable economic development projects, an indicator framework is needed to ensure these projects are contributing to the sustainability of the community. The purpose of this paper is to propose an indicator framework using the five principles of Sustainable Local Economic Development (SLED). Specifically, the indicator framework is designed to score historic property redevelopments that utilize Historic Tax Credits. These projects have become more prevalent in community/economic development as they provide communities an opportunity to reactivate or enhance physical assets for the purpose of development. The goal of the indicator framework is to provide practitioners the ability to analyze data related to the historic property redevelopment project and determine how well the project meets the five principles of SLED.