Expert Survey Research Articles

A new framework on climate-induced food-security risk for small-scale fishing communities in Tanzania

Food insecurity is a pressing issue facing our world, particularly affecting coastal communities who rely on marine resources. The problem is further compounded by the rapidly changing climate, a deteriorating environment and growing human populations. It is essential to evaluate this issue accurately to reduce risk and improve the situation of coastal communities, especially in countries with less socioeconomic development. To this end, we develop a food security social-ecological risk assessment framework for developing communities in coastal areas of the Western Indian Ocean facing a changing environment. The framework integrates local ecological knowledge, expert scientific opinion, survey data, and satellite sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a observation. We conducted a local-scale case study in four regions in Tanzania; Mafia, Pemba, Tanga, and Unguja, revealing that they face moderate to high risk levels of food insecurity. The highest risk was observed in the island communities of Pemba and Unguja, while the communities of Mafia and Tanga had the lowest risk due to lower exposure and sensitivity to climate change. Our results show that recognizing the key differences across risk components is crucial in identifying effective intervention strategies for local practitioners. This study highlights the need for detailed assessments to provide accurate information on local-scale food security dynamics, specifically when assessing impacts induced by environmental and climatic changes.

Constructing an evaluation index system for clinical nursing practice teaching quality using a Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process-based approach

BackgroundThe key step in evaluating the quality of clinical nursing practice education lies in establishing a scientific, objective, and feasible index system. Current assessments of clinical teaching typically measure hospital learning environments, classroom teaching, teaching competency, or the internship quality of nursing students. As a result, clinical evaluations are often insufficient to provide focused feedback, guide faculty development, or identify specific areas for clinical teachers to implement change and improvement. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to to construct a scientific, systematic, and clinically applicable evaluation index system of clinical nursing practice teaching quality and determine each indicator’s weight to provide references for the scientific and objective evaluation of clinical nursing practice teaching quality.MethodsBased on the “Structure-Process-Outcome” theoretical model, a literature review and Delphi surveys were conducted to establish the evaluation index system of clinical nursing practice teaching quality. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to determine the weight of each indicator.ResultsThe effective response rate for the two rounds of expert surveys was 100%. The expert authority coefficients were 0.961 and 0.975, respectively. The coefficient of variation for the indicators at each level ranged from 0 to 0.25 and 0 to 0.21, and the Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.209 and 0.135, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). The final established index system included 3 first-level, 10 second-level, and 29 third-level indicators. According to the weights computed by the AHP, first-level indicators were ranked as “Process quality” (39.81%), “Structure quality” (36.67%), and “Outcome quality” (23.52%). Among the secondary indicators, experts paid the most attention to “Teaching staff” (23.68%), “Implementation of teaching rules and regulations (14.14%), and “Teaching plans” (13.20%). The top three third-level indicators were “Level of teaching staff” (12.62%), “Structure of teaching staff” (11.06%), and “Implementation of the management system for teaching objects” (7.54%).ConclusionThe constructed evaluation index system of clinical nursing practice teaching quality is scientific and reliable, with reasonable weight. The managers’ focus has shifted from outcome-oriented to process-oriented approaches, and more focus on teaching team construction, teaching regulations implementation, and teaching design is needed to improve clinical teaching quality.

Decentralized science (DeSci): definition, shared values, and guiding principles

Rapid advancements in Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), including blockchain, are foundational to a new era of digital innovation. This innovation has catalyzed the emergence of “Decentralized Science (DeSci),” a new concept and movement that aims to address the challenges of modern science. Given the novelty of the field of DeSci, this study aims to provide a comprehensive definition of the term and explore and conceptualize the shared values and guiding principles inherent to DeSci. To achieve these objectives, an exploratory literature review was conducted to identify and synthesize the scholarly and secondary literature. The search and selection process included six databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, arXiv, and Social Science Research Network), focusing on the last 15 years (2008 to 2023). Owing to the novelty of DeSci, the literature review was supplemented by an anonymous online-based expert survey using a combination of single-choice and open-ended questions. The experts were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria related to their activities in the DeSci field. Seven studies were selected for evaluation from the scholarly literature, and additional 24 sources of information were included in the analysis. In the expert survey, 39 valid datasets were collected and analyzed. The synthesis of the exploratory literature review and expert survey results led to a comprehensive definition of “Decentralized Science” (DeSci) reflecting recurring themes. As no publications explicitly discussed or addressed the values or principles of DeSci in the literature review, a set of shared values and guiding principles was defined based on the expert survey results. This study proposes a comprehensive definition of DeSci and a set of shared values and guiding principles, highlighting the importance of future research in this area.

Priority areas for the development of the health technology assessment system in Ukraine: survey results

The purpose of the study is to analyze the expert opinion on the priority areas of development of the HTA in Ukraine, taking into account the existing condition, problems and possible prospects for effective development. Materials and methods. The expert survey (online questionnaire) included the preparation of a special questionnaire, targeted selection of experts based on their competence in the field of HTA. Three groups of respondents took part in the survey, including 13 HTA developers, 32 users, and 31 informed persons to ensure the representativeness of the survey results. The following methods were used to process and interpret the results: scientific generalization, mathematical and statistical, analytical, and graphical. Results of the study. Based on the results of the expert survey, the role and place of the HTA in the health care system was determined. Experts see the main purpose of the HTA as preparing the necessary information of the relevant level of evidence for decision-making on the selection of optimal MTs (in particular, for budget procurement, inclusion in regulatory lists for price regulation and reimbursement). The respondents' opinions on the participation of different socio-professional groups in the implementation of the HTA and the use of its results were studied. Thus, according to the results of the survey, HTA experts and scientists can carry out the assessment, and in some cases (mini-HTA, hospital HTA for the formation of local formularies and protocols) – specialists of medical institutions. According to the respondents, it is advisable to expand the use of HTA results for decision-making at the national, regional and local levels. According to the survey, the priority areas for the development of HTA are the creation of a professional environment, adequate logistical and informational support, improvement of legislation, creation of an optimal institutional structure, harmonization of HTA methodology and development of international cooperation. Conclusions. The expert survey allowed us to determine the most likely scenario for the further development of HTA in Ukraine. According to the majority of respondents, the main efforts are currently focused on capacity building, formation of a professional environment, active use of evidence, and infrastructure development.

Perceptions of the Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship Graduates: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Leadership.

Despite increasing numbers of faculty identifying as underrepresented in medicine (URiM) over the last few decades, URiM representation in academic medicine leadership has changed little. The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine funded the Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship (LTSF) to target this population and provide a framework for scholarly success. Based on responses to open-ended questions from a leadership survey, we characterize how early-career URiM family medicine faculty view leadership and assess attitudes and perceptions of leadership development. A survey, developed by survey experts from multiple institutions and consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions, was sent to the first two cohorts after the LTSF program. All LTSF participants identified as URiM and as early-career (5 years or less since fellowship or residency) family medicine faculty. Fellowship faculty collected anonymous survey responses through Qualtrics (Qualtrics, LLC). We conducted thematic analysis with emergent and iterative coding by two experienced qualitative researchers. All of the fellows surveyed (N=19) completed the survey. The qualitative researchers identified the following themes: leadership development (with subthemes of collaborative scholarship and request for mentoring), and barriers to leadership and scholarship (with subthemes of lack of time, lack of support, and diminished opportunities for advancement). These themes represent lessons learned from URiM faculty participating in a single faculty development fellowship. Collaborative scholarship, both as an early-career faculty need and a leadership responsibility, is a new contribution to the existing literature. While identified by URiM family medicine faculty, these themes are likely familiar to early-career faculty across all medical specialties and faculty identities. These lessons can guide senior academic leaders in preparing early-career faculty for leadership in academic medicine.

Оцінювання актуальності та впливу глобальних викликів для національної політики.

The article is devoted to the presentation of certain results of the scientific project «Evaluation of national social policy in the context of global challenges», which was carried out by a team of specialists of the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the NAS of Ukraine in 2022—2024. These results were obtained during carrying out tasks related to the identification of global challenges for Ukraine, assessment of their relevance and impact on national policy. The main basis of this work is the theoretical and applied findings of the most famous studies of such categories as global risks, threats and challenges. The study of global risks and challenges is one of the most relevant scientific tasks for today, as humanity is increasingly aware of the urgent need to confront possible threats to its existence both at the level of international cooperation and at the level of national policy. The article provides a brief overview of current research with an emphasis on the Global Risk Perception Survey (GRPS) methodology, according to which the World Economic Forum annually conducts assessments and publishes their results in its reports. By analogy with the international GRPS methodology, as part of the project implementation, for the first time in Ukraine, a series of surveys of national experts was conducted to assess the national context of global challenges perception. The first round was held on the eve of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine’s territory by Russian troops, in the period from February 16 to February 23, 2022, the second round — in the summer of 2022, and the third — in the fall of 2023. The purpose of this study is to determine the composition, degree of relevance and measure of impact of global challenges (at the national level — on the population of the country, at the local level — on the population of the community), as well as to study the temporal component of changes in their perception. For the formation of main postulates of the research, the work uses general scientific methods of generalization, analysis, comparisons, as well as a graphic method — for visualization of obtained results. As a tool for the two-dimensional assessment of the relevance and impact of global challenges, the authors built a matrix that allowed to group the challenges according to the growth rate of the evaluated parameters. The largest group includes eight challenges that have a significant impact on national policy and will be relevant in the next three years: «Employment crisis», «Deterioration of the population’s mental health», «Collapse of social security systems», «Decreasing accessibility and quality of education», «Damaging the ecosystems», «Increasing social inequality», «Deterioration of water resources quality», «Insufficient ensuring of human rights». The experts assessed only one challenge as catastrophic — the «High level of armed violence», by which they obviously meant human losses due to the death and injury of the military personnel and civilian population, loss of health and work capacity. It is these challenges that will require priority attention in the development of national policy strategies. The ability of our country to face global challenges and ensure social and economic resilience depends on the adequacy of the decisions that will be made.

The Influence of Land Subsidence on Risk of Constructing 150 kV Transmission Tower for South Sumatra – Bangka Belitung Interconnector

Transmission system is one of the national essential objects and should be reliable when functioning. Moreover, disturbances in transmission system can lead to disruption of the service function. A common risk to the reliability of electric distribution is land subsidence on transmission tower. Furthermore, the 150 KV interconnector of South Sumatra-Bangka Belitung (Sumsel-Babel) is located in the coastal area of Banyuasin Dua sub-district, South Sumatra. This area is a river delta with peat and clay soil structures and is prone to land subsidence. Therefore, this research aimed to identify environmental factors that affect land subsidence and cause risk to transmission tower. In the context of this research, Copras (Complex Proportional Assessment) and MCSA (Multi Criteria Spatial Analysis) were used for parameter weighting and risk assessment of tower location, respectively. The results of an expert survey to assess risk of potential land subsidence at tower location showed five parameters, namely, land use, distance to waters or potential flooding, land slope factor, soil type, and conus value. Individual parameters were weighted quantitatively and qualitatively based on the opinions of construction experts. Specifically, the qualitative method was performed by weighting based on criteria and sub-criteria, which were analyzed using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). On the other hand, spatial analysis of locations at risk of land subsidence was conducted using GIS software. Based on the assessment results obtained, land use criteria had the largest weighting influence of 0.340 and the smallest weighting on the cone value was 0.08. Finally, tower location that are most at risk of land subsidence are on peatland, near water, and clay soil.

Islamic and sectarian or secular and nationalist? New classification of Iraqi Shi’a political actors based on ideological anchorage

ABSTRACT Since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, Iraqi Shi’a political actors have been the main forces leading the country, dominating the domestic legislative scene over their Sunni and Kurdish counterparts. This article brings innovative analysis and classification of actors, such as Islamic Da’wa Party, Badr Organization, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), Harakat Huquq, Al-Hikma, Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), Sadrist Movement, or Imtidad, bringing more light on the Iraqi political scene since the parliamentary elections in 2021. The ideological anchorage of the parties is evaluated in two dimensions, religious and sectarian, placing them on the Islamic-secular and sectarian-nationalist axes, reflecting their approach towards intra-religious issues, vilayet al-faqih, possible normalization of relations with Israel, sectarianism, and nationalism. The methodology of this research is based on Chapel Hill Expert Survey data collection, semi-structured interviews with politicians and political experts from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Iraq, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, content analysis of examined actors’ statements on social and official media and opinion polls, reflecting the voices of the Iraqi society. The main results of this research singled out clusters of more pro-Iranian actors (Badr Organization, AAH, Harakat Huquq), with the highest tendency to use Islamic and sectarian policies, followed by more traditional Iraqi political actors such as Islamic Da’wa Party and ISCI. Al-Hikma, Sadrist Movement and Imtidad then inclined to be more nationalist and secular. Finally, it shows the Iranian influence as a crucial factor in shaping the domestic and foreign policies of thoseactors.

Вопросы организации «умного поезда милосердия»

The article is devoted to the problem of digitalization of sanitary trains, which ensure the stage of medical evacuation of victims in emergency situations. In order to improve the quality of medical and diagnostic measures along the route, and the use of existing digital medical services, it is necessary to create a “smart mercy train” (UPM) equipped with modern information and telecommunications facilities. Relevance: At the stage of the digital transformation of Russian Railways, ensuring the timeliness and efficiency of medical evacuation of victims is possible by creating a “smart mercy train” using existing solutions for objects of an intelligent transport system. The choice of equipment for an intelligent transport system is determined by the volume and type of information of a medical and administrative nature. Objective: To assess the projected information flows and functional needs of a “smart” means of medical evacuation by rail in emergency situations. Methods: Methods of expert survey, system analysis and theory of operations research were used. Results: An analysis of existing solutions for the creation of a “smart” means of medical evacuation by rail is presented. The internal and external information flows received by the head of the mercy train, which need special technical support (means of communication), are ranked. The place of the integrated personal electronic medical record at the stages of medical evacuation within the framework of the Unified Military Medical Information System has been determined. The results of the creation of a digital “smart mercy train” are determined. Practical significance: Taking into account the assessment of projected information flows and functional needs of communication users in the UPM made it possible to determine the required types of communication and the speed of information transfer for the implementation of the functions of communication users, which will further calculate the average subscriber load on the UPM communication network.

Analysis of a balanced safety performance indicator as a key element of operational controlling in the ATS organization

Controlling is considered as a versatile modern focus of management. It is widespread in various fields of human activity but has not found direct application in civil aviation yet. Meanwhile, any aviation organization is subject to the general laws of management, therefore, controlling can and should find its application in the management of an aviation organization. Due to the particular importance of safety management considerations, controlling, as a management concept that allows you to control processes rather than results, fits seamlessly into the procedures of safety management systems (SMS) of aviation service providers. In particular, the development and monitoring of safety performance indicators (SPI) can be considered as a key element of operational controlling. In the SMS, the procedure to deal with the SPI, in conjunction with the risks mitigation procedure for safety, is an essential component of the entire system. To ensure the effectiveness of this procedure in the Air Traffic Service (ATS) organization, it is necessary to develop a balanced overall SPI. As the analysis showed, the indicators applicable in ATS organizations are focused on considering only incidents of the same “weight” and do not objectively reflect a level of safety assurance at ATS and its dynamics. The article presents a variant of developing a revised balanced indicator, which considers less significant deviations from the proper ATS system operation, errors and violations of personnel. The indicator was developed on the basis of the expert survey of ATS specialists. Monitoring and predicting of indicators are also important tasks of operational controlling. These problems can be solved by various methods, the applicability and comparative effectiveness of some of them are discussed in this article. All calculations are based on real data of one of the major ATS organizations of the Russian Federation.

Considerations for Evaluating Older Adults with Cancer for Depression: A Qualitative Survey of Experts

ABSTRACT Objectives The objective of this study was to engage national experts in geriatric psychiatry and oncology in qualitative interviews to develop consensus regarding how older adult cancer survivors (OACS) experience depressive symptoms, and how best to assess OACs for depression. Methods Expert clinicians in geriatric oncology disciplines were interviewed about approaches to assessing depression in OACs. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and conducted until thematic saturation was achieved. Thematic Content Analysis was utilized to identify key themes. Results Experts (N = 8) were board certified geriatric psychiatrists and oncologists with specialization in geriatric medicine. Two conceptual domains were identified: Key indicators of depression in OACs (e.g. anhedonia; loss of meaning and purpose; loneliness and social withdrawal) and unique considerations for depression assessment in OACs (e.g. alternative phrasing to “depression,” disentangling mood and cancer or treatment-related side effects). Conclusions The approaches identified tended to depart from traditional diagnostic criteria for depression. Clinical implications Results provide additional insight into the limitations of existing depression measures for OACs. The themes and practices identified in the present study suggest that a revised measure of depression for OACs may be useful. Future research will continue to shed light on best practices for depression assessment in OACs.

The impact of risk factors on the sustainability of food distribution chain functioning in Kazakhstan

In conditions of risk and uncertainty, food security is ensured taking into account the requirements of isolation, safety and health, which requires changes to the existing supply chain (SC) system in the food environment, as well as the creation of more sustainable food supply chains. The aim of the study is to assess the conditions and factors of the functioning of the food commodity distribution chain (FCDC) of the agri-food market in conditions of risk, in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic. To formulate a conceptual framework reflecting the structure of the SC elements, the method of systematic review and generalization of literature was used; the method of expert survey of participants in the SC of food products (FP). During the analysis, seven significant factor constraints (technological, financial, economic, institutional, social, epidemiological, geographical) were revealed, the environment and operating conditions of the FCDC associated with the impact of the pandemic were identified. The risk factors of the environment and operating conditions of the FCDC and their possible effects on the SC are evaluated. Practical recommendations are given to reduce risks and improve the efficiency of the agro-food commodity distribution SC. The study attempts to study the influence of various factors caused by the restriction of the functioning of the food environment and affecting the stability of the SC of perishable products. The results could also be used to inform SC participants about the measures needed to create more sustainable SC foods in the future.

THE EXPERT EVALUATION METHOD IN FORECASTING THE PROMOTION OF A GASTRONOMIC TOUR AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR MAKING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

The article is dedicated to studying the opinions of potential consumers of tourist services regarding the possibilities of forming and promoting a gastronomic tour in Ukraine. Based on the results of an expert survey, the authors present a realistic picture of the formation and promotion of a gastronomic tour in Ukraine, which allows identifying problems and outlining necessary ways to solve them. The obtained data provide a clear view of the state and development of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine, allowing for the study of consumer opinions, understanding their perspectives on this issue, and identifying the major challenges overlooked by public sector representatives. These representatives are capable of making effective management decisions regarding the prospects and opportunities for the development of gastronomic tourism and the promotion of gastronomic tours in Ukraine.

Innovations in daily commuting - what types of solutions are competitive? European case study.

Innovations drive dynamic changes in daily commuting especially in functional urban areas (FUAs), where transport systems are developed. Innovative solutions are being tested in FUAs, and they not only pose an alternative to conventional transport systems, but can also revolutionize daily commuting in cities. The main aim was to classify the innovation drivers identified in literature and to determine their impact on travel behaviour (TB) in FUAs with a use of expert survey. The following research hypothesis was examined: the level of innovation utilization in daily commuting and its impact on TB is similar in countries with similar levels of economic development. The survey results were processed to (1) create a ranking of innovations in TB in European OECD countries and (2) group countries based on similarity in prioritizing innovations influencing TB, using Ward hierarchical clustering method. As a result, innovative factors were comprehensively identified and classified in six categories.

Brief communication: Lessons learned and experiences gained from building up a global survey on societal resilience to changing droughts

Abstract. This paper describes the process of creating a global survey of experts to evaluate drought resilience indicators. The lessons learned include five main points: (1) the heterogeneity in the conceptual background should be minimized before the construction of the survey; (2) large numbers of indicators decrease the engagement of respondents through the survey, and ways to apportion indicators whilst maintaining reliability should be considered; (3) it is necessary to design the survey to balance response rate and accuracy; (4) the survey questions should have clear statements with a logical and flowing structure; and (5) reaching experts with different domain experience and representing different regions is difficult but crucial to minimize biased results.

Key Issues of Economic Evaluations for Health Technology Assessment in China: A Nationwide Expert Survey

ObjectivesHealth technology assessment (HTA) is increasingly crucial in medicine price negotiations in China, yet previous appraisals revealed national discrepancies on key economic evaluation issues: willingness-to-pay threshold, pricing models for multi-indication medicines, and comparator selection principles. This study aimed to collect expert opinions on these issues for future HTA evaluations. MethodsA nationwide anonymous web-based survey encompassing experts across academia, HTA, consultancy/contract research organization/industry, service provider, and payer. In 2023, a generic invitation containing a web link to the questionnaire was disseminated via WeChat using convenience and snowball sampling. Agreement rates for questionnaire views were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The relationship between participants’ responses and demographics was examined using appropriate logistic models. ResultsA total of 303 responses were received from experts in 34 cities. Key expert views include a suggested base willingness-to-pay threshold ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 times gross domestic product (52.1% agreement); elevated thresholds for childhood diseases, rare diseases, end-of-life diseases, and first-in-class medicines (>78.0% agreement); a single pricing model for multi-indication medicines (60.4% agreement); consideration of multiple medicines as comparators (79.9% agreement); and avoiding the use of centrally procured medicines as comparators for medicines with a time to market of less than 3 years (71.0% agreement). Participants who are service provider had lower odds of selecting higher thresholds (odds ratio 0.26; P < .01) than responders from consultancy/contract research organization/industry. ConclusionsExpert views indicate the need for substantial changes in China’s current HTA methods, highlighting the need for increased investment in HTA processes and expertise cultivation.

Advancing crop disease early warning in South Asia by complementing expert surveys with internet media scraping

AbstractWheat contributes one‐fifth of the global food supply with an estimated 29% of global production in low and lower‐middle income countries. As production expands across southern Asia, yields are often negatively impacted by outbreaks of fungal rust diseases. A wheat rust early warning and advisory system comprising surveillance, near real‐time disease risk forecasts and advisory dissemination has been established in two target countries in South Asia, including Nepal and Bangladesh. However, as wheat rust spores can be aerially transmitted over long distances, near real‐time estimates of disease incidence are required from sources of infection in neighbouring regions. To address this challenge, we developed and tested a novel algorithm to generate proxy observations of infection sources using online media reports in two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan. Media sampling could provide an effective alternative where data from ground surveys are not readily available in near real‐time. Our results show that west Nepal was exposed to a substantial inoculum pressure from aerially dispersed stripe rust spores originating from India and Pakistan. There were no outbreaks of stripe rust disease in Bangladesh with only very low levels of cross‐border dispersion and generally unfavourable environmental conditions for infection. We further describe how proxy observations informed farmer decision‐making in near real‐time in Nepal and filled a knowledge gap in identifying early sources of infection for a major outbreak of stripe rust during 2020 in Nepal. Our results highlight the importance of international cooperation in mitigating transboundary plant pathogens.

Optimizing Maintenance Strategies for Public Fire Doors in Apartment Buildings: Study on Deterioration Patterns and Replacement Timing

This study aimed to identify factors contributing to the performance degradation of aging fire doors and determine their appropriate replacement time by analyzing the probability of operation of fire doors using building statistics and expert surveys. Aged fire doors with degraded performance should be repaired or replaced quickly; however, there is no clear standard for fire door repair or replacement. Therefore, we analyzed the operation probability of fire doors and conducted expert surveys to determine the proper replacement timing of fire doors and identify the performance degradation factors. The fire door operation probability survey results showed that fire doors operating for those more than 15 years had more than 20% probability of operation failure, and the main causes of operation failure improper installation, insufficient management, or poor performance. The expert survey results indicated that the optimal replacement period for fire doors is 10 to 15 years. The primary factors contributing to performance deterioration were identified as twisting and corrosion (27%), dents (24%), and damage (20%).

Analysing the promotion of Kazakhstan’s national brand in the global space

A positive national brand plays a key role in enhancing the competitiveness of a country. In this regard, the role of researching issues related to its promotion in the global economic environment is increasing. The purpose of this article is to study the current state of branding of Kazakhstan in the global space to identify key problematic aspects and develop recommendations related to its promotion. The methods of analysis, synthesis, expert survey, extrapolation and graphic representation were used to study theoretical and practical aspects of Kazakhstan’s brand promotion in the global space. As a result of the conducted research, the structural attributes of Kazakhstan’s brand were specified and its model was defined on the basis of S. Einholt’s hexagon concept. The analysis of the results of world rankings as the most optimal tools for measuring the attractiveness of the state allowed to establish the multidirectional position of Kazakhstan. The comparative analysis of the Global Competitiveness Index for the last five years has shown an improvement in the country’s position on the factors that determine the attractiveness of investment in the economy of the state. Based on the results of the study of the evolution of brand management, expert survey and SWOT-analysis of the promotion of the national brand of Kazakhstan in the global space, the main problems in the formation of the national brand have been identified. The key among them is the lack of a unified strategy for the promotion of the national brand. There are also no recognisable brands in the field of digital technologies, tourist brands, there is low involvement of citizens in creating an attractive image of the country. The stages of constructing the national brand of Kazakhstan on the basis of identifying and supporting its identity are proposed. The results of the study can be used in the development of the strategy of promotion of the national brand of Kazakhstan by state authorities.

통합교육형 순회교육 담당 교사의 역량 탐색

The purpose of this study was to identify educational competencies (competency group - competency element - competency indicator) that itinerant teachers perceive as necessary and important according to the characteristics of inclusive itinerant education in which special education teachers from the Gyeonggi-do Special Education Support Center visit general schools to support students with special needs placed in general classrooms. This study aims to derive implications for future professional development programs to enhance the expertise of itinerant teachers at the Gyeonggi-do Special Education Support Center. To achieve this aim, a draft of the competencies for itinerant teachers was developed by analyzing papers on the competencies of special education teachers and inclusive itinerant education. The validity of these competencies was then verified through two rounds of Delphi expert surveys. Through this process, the necessary competencies for itinerant teachers at the Special Education Support Center were finalized into three competency groups, nine competency elements, and 20 competency indicators. Based on the research results, the structure and components of the final competencies required for itinerant teachers at the Gyeonggi-do Special Education Support Center were discussed; moreover, the differences from the competencies of general special education teachers and the characteristics of inclusive itinerant education conducted by the Gyeonggi-do Special Education Support Center were also considered.