Good Policy Research Articles

A Good Data Augmentation Policy is not All You Need: A Multi-Task Learning Perspective

Data augmentation, which improves the diversity of datasets by applying image transformations, has become one of the most effective techniques in visual representation learning. Usually, the design of augmentation policies faces a diversity-difficulty trade-off. On the one hand, a simple augmentation leads to a low training set diversity, which can not improve model performance significantly. On the other hand, an excessively hard augmentation has an overlarge regularization effect which harms model performance. Recently, automatic augmentation methods have been proposed to address this issue by searching the optimal data augmentation policy from a predefined searching space. However, these methods still suffer from heavy searching overhead or complex optimization objectives. In this paper, instead of searching the optimal augmentation policy, we propose to break the diversity-difficulty trade-off from a multi-task learning perspective. By formulating model learning on the augmented images and the original images as the auxiliary task and the primary task in multi-task learning respectively, the hard augmentation does not directly influence the training of the primary branch and thus its negative influence can be alleviated. Hence, neural networks can learn valuable semantic information even with a totally random augmentation policy. Experimental results on ten datasets for four tasks demonstrate the superiority of our method over the other twelve methods. Codes have been released in https://github.com/ArchipLab-LinfengZhang/data-augmentation-multi-task.

Monte Carlo tree search algorithms for risk-aware and multi-objective reinforcement learning

In many risk-aware and multi-objective reinforcement learning settings, the utility of the user is derived from a single execution of a policy. In these settings, making decisions based on the average future returns is not suitable. For example, in a medical setting a patient may only have one opportunity to treat their illness. Making decisions using just the expected future returns–known in reinforcement learning as the value–cannot account for the potential range of adverse or positive outcomes a decision may have. Therefore, we should use the distribution over expected future returns differently to represent the critical information that the agent requires at decision time by taking both the future and accrued returns into consideration. In this paper, we propose two novel Monte Carlo tree search algorithms. Firstly, we present a Monte Carlo tree search algorithm that can compute policies for nonlinear utility functions (NLU-MCTS) by optimising the utility of the different possible returns attainable from individual policy executions, resulting in good policies for both risk-aware and multi-objective settings. Secondly, we propose a distributional Monte Carlo tree search algorithm (DMCTS) which extends NLU-MCTS. DMCTS computes an approximate posterior distribution over the utility of the returns, and utilises Thompson sampling during planning to compute policies in risk-aware and multi-objective settings. Both algorithms outperform the state-of-the-art in multi-objective reinforcement learning for the expected utility of the returns.

Job Stress and Its Effects on Job Performance of Employees: Ghana Revenue Authority in Tamale Metropolis as a Case Study

Competition among businesses in today’s ever-dynamic environment places a high demand and burden on employees. These demands induce stress on employees with the consequences of individual health challenges, family breakdown, pressure on social amenities, low productivity and profitability of firms. This study was undertaken to establish the implications of job-related stress on employees’ job performance. The sample comprises all workers of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Tamale, the Northern Region of Ghana. All employees (census) were used for the study and data was collected using both primary and secondary sources. The findings revealed that stress is a normal occurrence at the workplace that affects all people, regardless of their gender or socioeconomic class, hence, the need for management to formulate a good policy directed at reducing stress among workers, and encouraging high performance among workers. This will help reduce job-related stress. Managers must be dedicated to making adjustments that will assist workers to cope with some of the known stressors. It is recommended that managers should match individual capabilities with the tasks and duties allocated to avoid both physical, emotional and psychological pressure on the employee. Management should establish a congenial and collegial atmosphere for working and operate an open-door communication policy as a management style because this will ease pressure and tension since leadership style was cited as a stressor.

Towards a mechanism for expert policy advice in education

AbstractThere is a growing consensus that existing arrangements for policy making in education are far from optimal. This paper is about policy making and the roles of—and relationships between—elected officials, civil servants and academics in the making of policy. It aims to open up a conversation about new ways of making education policy that make better use of academic expertise by shedding light on policy making from the perspective of a former policy broker. With specific reference to England, experiences of the world of policy are drawn on to provide an account of the following: the disconnect between academic research and policy; what good policy advice looks like; and, most significantly, what an expert policy advice mechanism in education could look like. The mechanism put forward is one possibility for further discussion within the academic community in the first instance: an independent group of diverse academic experts to provide trustworthy and transparent policy advice to the education ministry. It is envisaged that by bringing a set of insights together here, understandings of the world of policy making will be enhanced and further thinking and conversations about mechanisms for expert policy advice in education will be induced, starting with this flagship journal's readership. The subsequent accumulation of these discussions may then, in time, lead us towards better policy making.

Challenges Faced by Human Resource Department Regarding Teachers’ Promotions and Salary Upgrading: A Case of GA West Education Directorate of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Promotion is among the essential human resource functions carried out in any organization. The study assessed challenges of processing teachers' promotions and salaries in Accra, Ghana. The sequential explanatory design was used for the study. The population for the research comprised teachers and officials of the human resource departments of the Ga West Education Directorate. The study used simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires and interview guides to collect data. A number of significant challenges were encountered by human resource departments in processing promotions and salary upgrading. These were large number of teachers due for promotion, ineffective implementation of promotion leading to number of complaints from teachers, low funding for processing promotions and salary upgrading, poor record management of promotions and salary upgrading and unfairness and corruption. The study further revealed that good promotion policy, adequate information on promotion opportunities, adequate provision of funds for processing promotions and salary upgrading, proper record management on promotions and salary upgrading are measures that could be adopted to solve problems of promotion and salary upgrading of teachers. The study recommended that all teachers who are due for promotion should be promoted and have their salaries upgraded on time. Proper records of teachers must be kept by the Ga West District Education Directorate and Ghana Education Service to ease the promotion process.

‘Nothing Gets Realised Anyway’: Adolescents’ Experience of Co-Creating Health Promotion Measures in Municipalities in Norway

In this study, we aimed to explore how adolescents experience co-creating health promotion measures in four municipalities in Norway. We applied a qualitative design with group interviews (n = 9) among forty-nine adolescents participating in projects related to ‘Program for Public Health Work in Municipalities’ (2017–2027). Additionally, participatory observation of project activities was performed in two municipalities. We conducted a data-driven thematic analysis to analyse the data. The most prominent finding was that the adolescents often expressed feelings of resignation and dissatisfaction. Furthermore, we identified four underlying reasons behind the resignation and dissatisfaction. These were related to long project duration, the experience of not having an influence on the outcome, promises not being kept and lack of information and continuity in their participation. Essential features for meaningful participation were not present, and the findings suggest that the municipalities had limited success in facilitating participation that adolescents perceived as meaningful. The findings indicate that despite good intentions and policies supporting children’s participation, effort placed on implementing such policies in practice is still needed. This study adds knowledge regarding important factors to consider when involving young people in co-creating measures to avoid unintended effects such as disempowering adolescents.

FOCI Commitment pada Job Performance dengan Generasi X dan Y sebagai variabel Moderator

Research aim : The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of generational differences in the interrelationships among affective commitment (AC) and sustainable job performance between Gen X and Gen Y employees.
 Design/Methode/Approach: The research design used is correlational research that aims to test and analyze the influence of independent variables on dependent variables. The data used is primary data through questionnaires distributed through google form. The population of this study is all employees of Auto 2000 in Jakarta, Tangerang, Depok and Bekasi as many as 500 employees. The number of respondents used was 320 respondents where the sampling method used purposive sampling. The analysis tool used is the Structural Equation Model (SEM) using Smart-PLS software.
 Research Finding : The results showed that one of three FOCI (affective commitment to the organization, affective commitment to the supervisor, and affective commitment to coworkers) was found to be positively related to job performance, namely contextual performance. 
 Theoretical contribution/Originality : From the results of data analysis, it is also concluded that the generation difference between generation X and generation Y does not affect FOCI on job performance.
 Practitionel/Policy implication : The results of the study provide input for decision makers in companies that affective FOCI of commitment has a relationship with Job Performance. Therefore, company leaders can make good policies to improve employee performance.
 Research limitation : This research has several limitations in the selection of dimensions of the FOCI of Commitment ( AC) affective variable, namely in the aspects of commitment to organization, commitment to supervisors, and commitment to coworker.

Implementing the EU eco‐scheme in the Netherlands: A results‐based points system approach

SummaryThe latest reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aimed at making it more results‐oriented in order to ensure the sustainability of the sector. From 1 January 2023, in the new policy framework, the European Commission introduced a new tool – eco‐schemes. This tool presents several advantages compared to the former ‘greening’ since it includes more ambitious targets than the previous policy framework. Another difference with the previous system is that the eco‐schemes focus on results rather than efforts, while creating some room for the EU Member States to design measures which take into account existing local circumstances and needs. For the implementation of the eco‐schemes, the Netherlands has developed a menu‐points‐system. The Dutch system is a good policy improvement compared to the previous ‘greening’ measures. Nevertheless, due to its hybrid form, it does not yet lead to the best possible cost‐efficiency measures. To achieve that, a ‘pure’ point‐reward (instead of an effort‐reward) should have been implemented. Another novelty of the Dutch eco‐scheme policy is the development of a simulation tool, which can assist farmers to test different choices before they make their final decisions.

Representation of Tribal women in Panchayat Raj Institutions

Tribal women play the significance role in every society of that particular composition of population. It amount to nearly half of the population and therefore this significant half of its population it is inherently important to ensure their equal presence and participation in the larger process of decision local governance. Panchayati Raj institution as integral, both to democratic self-governance and democratic decentralisation in grass root level in India. Women have always and almost everywhere been on the fringe of political and social power. Women’s leadership has to emerge from the grassroots to gain confidence and to make a claim at higher levels. But it is being said that “Women have come into politics as proxy candidates and continue to be manipulated by powerful patriarchal elites. The barriers of gender division of labour, women’s low levels of mobility, seclusion, lack of information and negotiation skills, internalised low self image, stereotypes and lack of confidence continue in some degree. Generally Panchayats and the higher level political institutions have the same ideology for women’s place there - no women or token women though giving absolute formal equality with one person, one vote and no formal barriers to their entry. For the first time the constitutional amendment mandated one-third minimum reservation for women in the Panchayats. The constitutional amendment has made the composition of Panchayats wider within a broad framework of this amendment, but the social relations of gender are intertwined with local social, economic and political institutions. Decentralisation promotes participation and improves the controlling function held by the lower levels of the political system and hence could be a good policy option for enhancing women’s political participation.

Realizing Excellent and Quality Public Policy through Emergency Call 112 Service in Probolinggo City

Policy challenges include conflicts with other regulations, inconsistencies, multiple interpretations, and inoperability, along with lack of evidence. Public policy is related to decisions in allocating resources in order to utilize and provide benefits to society with the intervention of leaders and policy analysis. The policy that needs to be considered is the government's readiness policy in assisting and saving the community in urgency and emergency conditions. It is applied to NTPD 112 in Probolinggo City. This attracts the author to conduct research related to NTPD 112 which is aligned with the principles of public policy. This research is a descriptive qualitative research to examine the concept of excellent and quality public policy with a pilot call 112 service in Probolinggo City. Data and information were collected through interviews, observations, and literature studies. The Probolinggo City Government has formulated public policies on 112 emergency call services with the main principles of excellent policies, including policies for the public; irrevocable policies; great and good policies; policies with management; policies with moral values; policies with systems; policies are a gift to the community; policies are an honor; policies to glorify the community; and policies as learning.

Analysis of Basic Education Policies Related to Facilities and Infrastructure

The process of analyzing education policy and providing facilities and infrastructure in educational units lack facillities and infrastructure preparation in the school environment can result in not carrying out the learning process effectively and efficiently. That way, policymakers and stakeholders are expected to be able to think through, describe, and identify the process of preparing facilities and infrastructure carefully to support the continuity of education. This research departs from field observations so as to obtain various solutions. With various sources of factual data as support in compiling scientific work and obtaining data from scientific literature such as journals and reading books using the library research method. The analysis used a qualitative research approach; the technique of collecting data was by observing at school and reviewing the literature. Focusing on the purpose of procuring infrastructure facilities can influence the learning process and the implementation of effective learning, so it is deemed necessary to analyze good educational policies even though there are obstacles and challenges financially. For example, from the results of the learning survey for the 2020–2021 school year, there are around 50% of students whose parents are financially constrained, so they ask for a reduction in school fees. The realization of learning depends on the extent to which schools, through educational policy analysis, describe and identify the facilities and infrastructure that need to be prepared. Government participation is determined by its policies in providing educational facilities.

An Overview Of Academic Leadership, Governance And Management

Being a good teacher may require effective leadership, governance and management skills. These skills can help you offer guidance and support to students to help them succeed. Learning more about what it means to be a good teacher can help you assess your own skills and determine what areas you can improve. Successful academic leaders have good governance and management policy and use their nonverbal, verbal, and written communication skills daily. Although many academic leaders, governed, and academic managers create detailed lesson plans, successful ones remain flexible and adapt their lessons to their students

Food and Water Security in the Context of Sustainable Development

A review of food and water security in the context of sustainable development is the purpose of this study. Food and water security are complicated sustainable development challenges that are linked to both health and sustainable economic development through malnutrition. These are contained in the sustainable development SDGs such as 2 and 6 (Zero Hunger) (Sanitation and clean water). This paper is a review of food and water security that has to do with the conceptual issues, stylized facts on food and water security, food and water security nexus, factors militating against food security around the world, related empirical studies and way forward, Having pointed out some of the factors militating against food and water security such global warming/ climate change, disease outbreak and insecurity etc. strong conclusion and recommendation were made such as fight against insecurity and diseases outbreak, good sanitation and hygiene should also be promoted and sustained, good agricultural policy formation and implementation amongst other things will play out to promote food and water security, hence, to achieve sustainable economic development.

Commercial banks’ profitability and portfolio management in Ghana

Purpose: The primary goal of the research was to assess the relationship between Ghanaian commercial banks' profitability and portfolio management. Research methodology: All nine of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE)'s listed banks were included in the population of this descriptive study. All nine banks were sampled. This study only considered data from financial statements and bank reports covering the five-year period between 2016 and 2021. Results: Results showed that asset investment has a positive effect on the financial performance of commercial banks in Ghana. Additionally, a positive effect of the loan portfolio on the commercial banks’ financial performance was found. It was finally discovered that asset investment affects the banks’ financial performance in a significantly positive way. Limitations: The study was limited to nine banks listed on the GSE. Contribution: It was concluded that when there is a good loan portfolio management policy, banks perform well and are profitable. Consequently, it is advised that top management and other stakeholders play a crucial role in achieving strategic goals by championing best practices in portfolio management and evaluating the sufficiency of effective portfolio management factors in an unbiased manner.

Implementation of School-Based Management at Senior High School of State I Ratahan Timur

Implementation of School-Based Management (SBM), from time to time, the public's awareness of the urgency of education is increasing and is starting to appear on the surface. The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of school-based management at Senior High School of State I Ratahan Timur and to describe the obstacles to implementing school-based management at Senior High School of State I Ratahan Timur. Describe the efforts made by the school to overcome the obstacles to the implementation of school-based management that occurred at Senior High School of State I Ratahan Timur. The research method used is the descriptive qualitative method. the research object is the implementation of learning supervision at Senior High School of State I Ratahan Timur, the researcher uses data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Furthermore, to analyze the data that has been collected from the beginning of the study to the end of the study with data reduction techniques, data presentation, and conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the principal as a school leader seeks to optimally carry out his leadership duties following the concept of characteristics of school-based management objectives. This is evidenced by his role in planning, organizing, supervising, and evaluating the implementation of teaching and learning activities and administrative services running effectively and efficiently. This study concludes that school-based management in Senior High School of State I Ratahan Timur is seen as a very good government policy so that schools can be given the authority to determine the direction of school policies independently.

Policies Implementation to Address Harassment in Workplace


 Workplace harassment exists throughout all types of workplaces. This is also experienced in developed countries, developing countries and undeveloped countries all over the world. Harassment is a type of bullying and discrimination and considered as a social problem. It is important for all workers to understand workplace harassment so you can avoid a hostile work environment. A good workplace harassment policy must be implemented and regulated so that the necessary steps can be taken so ensure a safe working environment for all employees. Most basic types of harassment are verbal and psychological; there are also more serious forms, such as abuse, physical and sexual. All types of workplace harassment are considered illegal. They will not only affect an employee’s productivity, comfort and safety at work, but they can also expose an organization to legal liability if it does not handle the harassment properly. Sexual harassment is a widespread and global problem that affects both women and men. Women and girls however, more commonly experience it, across all levels of society around the world. The global movement that went viral in October 2017 started out as a social media hash tag, the movement has since massively grown, encouraging millions of women across the world to speak out about sexual harassment. The Malaysian pledge to uphold the success of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on Gender Equality and Health and Well Being is also interconnected with the topic above, so implementing related laws/policies on work place and sexual Harassment with intervention from the Government is crucial to reduce and mitigate the social problem. This assignment will focus on government intervention to address such problems by implementing / establishing laws, policies, code of conduct practices and guidelines to protect women in the workplace. I will use case studies from South Korea, Malaysia and Cambodia to try to find similar programs that have been implemented to protect the rights of women in the workforce as equal humans. By then, researcher will be able to prove that through workplace harassment law/policies will make it way to reduce the harassment problem.

The United States, Great Britain, and the Chilean Presidential Election of 1942

Scheduled for February 1, 1942, the election of the successor of Chilean president Pedro Aguirre Cerda, who passed away on November 25, 1941, confronted the United States and Great Britain with an unexpected challenge and forced their governments to reassess their policies toward Latin America amidst a war that, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, had become a truly world affair. Until then, the United States and Great Britain had not openly taken sides in Chilean electoral contests. Economic interests had been a significant concern of U.S. and British diplomats stationed in Chile, but no strategic alliance with national political forces had come about as a result of those interests. In the case of the United States, moreover, the implementation of the Good Neighbor policy by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration had stood on the principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of Latin American countries. The policy was more germane to U.S. hegemony over Central America and the Caribbean than to relations with South American countries, but it still operated as a framework for U.S. foreign policy decisions regarding the latter, including Chile. The election of February 1942, in which U.S. and British diplomats and intelligence agents identified one of the candidates as an ally of the Axis countries, forced the U.S. foreign policy apparatus to ponder the possibility of intervention in the race in a way that had no direct precedent and, more importantly, required a significant reappraisal of the principles and pertinence of the Good Neighbor policy in the new reality imposed by a war in which the United States was directly involved.

Pengaruh Kebijakan Utang, Good Corporate Governance, Cash Holding, Dan Sales Growth Terhadap Nilai Perusahaan (Pada Perusahaan Manufaktur Yang Terdaftar Di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) Tahun 2018-2021)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of debt policy, good corporate governance, cash holding, and sales growth on the value of the company. The method used in this research is a quantitative method through secondary data in the form of financial information of manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange starting in 2018 until 2021. Data obtained from www.idx.co.id and www.finance.yahoo.com, and the company's official website. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling and this study used a sample of 188 observations. In conducting data testing using analytical methods, namely multiple linear analysis of panel data using eviews 12 software. The results showed that good corporate governance debt policy, and cash holding had no effect on firm value, while sales growth had a positive effect on firm value. 
 Keywords: Debt Policy, Good Corporate Governance, Cash Holding, Firm Value, Sales Growth

Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA-Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future.

Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA-Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future.

Small-Scale Vannamei Shrimp Farm Business Sustainability Analysis With Micmac: A Study on Kebumen Coastal Area, Indonesia

Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify the internal and external factors of the sustainability of the vannamei shrimp farming business and the relationship of influence and dependence between the factors. Theoretical framework: Sustainability is required to create a balance between nature and humans for the use of coastal space in Kebumen Regency as a development area for the shrimp farming business to be carried out sustainably and provide sustainable benefits, as well as to preserve existing resources for long-term sustainability (UN, 2020). Development that ignores the interaction of the two results in price increases, which leads to a general decline in human welfare (Fauzi, 2019). This is to the global development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)., which call for Indonesia to become a maritime axis. Design/methodology/approach: The research used a participatory method with semi-structured and in-depth interviews with the shrimp farming community and FGD. The data were analyzed using the sustainability analysis technique of Matrix of Cross Impact Multiplications Applied to a Classification (MICMAC). Findings: Identification of key elements in the sustainability of shrimp farming is essential to overcome and limit the risk of uncertainty caused by external and internal disturbances and pressures on shrimp farms. Government policy is a variable that has a strong and large influence on the sustainability of the shrimp farming business, and good government policy will enable the shrimp farming business system to reduce the pressure and threat of continuity. Research, Practical & Social implications: Future research should focus on the management of shrimp farming and waste management to reduce the ecological, social, and economic impacts and the sustainability of shrimp farming that is environmentally and socially friendly. Originality/value: Government policy is a variable that has a strong and significant impact on aquaculture sustainability, with good government policies allowing the aquaculture system to reduce pressure and threats to shrimp. According to the facts on the ground, the shrimp farming business on the coast of Kebumen regency is operating independently due to a lack of attention, guidance, and policies governing the implementation of the shrimp aquaculture business.