Government Action Research Articles

Modeling inter-organizational business process governance in the age of collaborative networks

Collaborative networks require inter-organizational business process governance (IO-BPG) mechanisms to define ownership over shared resources and activities, accountability over operations, inter-organizational roles and responsibilities, and strategic partner alignment. We developed an IO-BPG modeling approach aiming to incorporate (1) IT governance activities (e.g., IT performance measurement), (2) data governance activities (e.g., data strategy management), and (3) “shadow” parallel governance-related operations. Resulting from a design science research project, our contributions include the building blocks (domain attributes, ontology, and requirements) of a novel BPMN extension, its demonstration in logistics operations, its evaluation, and design principles to guide IO-BPG modeling. Suggestions for the development and evaluation of future BPMN extensions are also highlighted based on the lessons learned in this project. For practitioners, our contribution can improve accountability reports over data assets and operations, identify dataset ownership, assist in the coordination of governance activities in networked businesses, and comply with regulations and strategic partnership agreements.

Identifying Cultural Diplomacy and Sustainable Development in Sister Province Cooperation of Bali, Indonesia

While States have traditionally formed the focus of International Relations studies, the contributions of local government actors have become increasingly important in both influencing and responding to the forces of global politics, including in the Global South. In this vein, this preliminary study explores the practice of the local government in initiating sister province cooperation in Bali, Indonesia. This study uses three conceptual frameworks: paradiplomacy, sustainable development, and critical discourse analysis. Primary data were collected through interviews with relevant local government officials in Bali and secondary data were gathered from academic articles, official websites, and online news items. This paper identified two most prominent sectors of this cooperation, namely: tourism and culture. These two areas align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While clearly connected with governmental and international goals, challenges remain in implementing sister province cooperation, achieving continuity among the parties involved, and dealing with funding limitations.

When spies go public! Lessons learnt from the instrumentalization of intelligence for strategic communication in the run-up to the Russian-Ukrainian war

ABSTRACT Timely warning to policy-makers and the general public about the planned Russian invasion of Ukraine is hailed as an intelligence and strategic communication success. It has resulted in increased confidence in US and UK intelligence services and in revigorated involvement in strategic communication in security and defence. Decision-makers at all levels seem to have understood that employing intelligence in strategic communication in a timely and transparent manner can lead to enhanced public understanding of ongoing security challenges and support for measures that could affect their own well-being, as well as to restore confidence in government actions. The current research analyzes how intelligence was integrated into the strategic communications of the US, UK, NATO and the EU in the months preceding the Russian invasion in Ukraine. The objective of the research is to draw lessons learned during this period to better understand how, to what extent and in what circumstances traditionally classified intelligence products can be integrated in decision-makers’ strategic communication and what limitations need to be imposed.

Addressing the COVID-induced healthcare backlog: How can we balance the interests of people and nature?

The COVID-19 pandemic created healthcare backlogs of routine primary and preventive care, elective procedures, dental care, and mental healthcare appointments across the world. So far, governments are responding by enacting pandemic recovery policies that expand their healthcare sector activity, without much, if any, consideration of its effects on the environmental crisis that is (among other things) worsening human health and health equity. This study argues that, as a matter of health and social justice, governments have an ethical responsibility to equitably reduce the backlog with minimal environmental damage. To do so, a first key action is to give priority to policy options that minimise negative human impacts on the environment. Yet these policies alone will not be sufficient to address the backlog, particularly in relation to elective procedures. The study therefore contends that a second key action for governments is to enact the policy options that are best able to equitably reduce the remainder of the backlog, while accelerating the transition to sustainable health care in ways that are best able to reduce the specific environmental costs of those policy options. It concludes by considering whether limits apply to governments' ethical responsibilities that ultimately mean accelerating the transition to sustainable health care is not required when addressing the backlog.

Tata Kelola Sumber Daya Alam Vanili di Kabupaten Sikka

This study aims to explain the design of vanilla natural resource governance in Sikka Regency, explain the configuration and roles of actors in vanilla natural resource governance in Sikka Regency and explain the implications of vanilla natural resource governance design in Sikka Regency on farmers' welfare. The benefit of this research is as a reference material for the government, entrepreneurs and farmers as actors in vanilla natural resource governance in Sikka Regency in vanilla management. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive method with observation, interview and documentation study techniques. The results showed that vanilla governance design in the form of production, distribution and benefits currently implemented in Sikka Regency has not yet obtained optimal results and there are actors who have their respective positions and roles in governance that still need to be coordinated to optimize the benefits of governance. In addition, the design of vanilla governance in Sikka Regency has not been able to improve the welfare of vanilla farmers in Sikka Regency.

KESENJANGAN DALAM PEMBANGUNAN EKONOMI ISLAM

This research aims to reveal how inequality exists in developing countries, as well as government actions and Islamic views regarding the problem of inequality in economic development. The research method used a descriptive qualitative approach using primary and secondary data. The research results show that economic inequality is indicated by unequal growth in expenditure between community groups, while non-economic inequality is indicated by inequality in access to basic services, namely health, education, water and sanitation, and other basic services. The government played an active role by developing the economy in an inclusive manner, increasing worker-intensive investment, giving special attention to micro and small businesses, expanding the rural economy and developing the agricultural sector, guaranteeing social protection for all workers, continuing poverty reduction programs. In Islam, regarding the issue of inequality, there must be consistency in terms of economic growth and equality due to creating a fair situation.

Enhancing global support to address complex sustainable development policy challenges: Learning from success in cross‐sectoral nutrition policy

AbstractMalnutrition is hampering achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and requires policy approaches that address food system drivers. However, this will require the adoption of cross‐sectoral policy measures for nutrition, which has proved challenging in practice. This qualitative co‐designed study drew on theories of policy learning to examine the roles of global organisations in fostering and supporting effective cross‐sectoral policy action to improve nutrition. Forty‐three in‐depth interviews were conducted with government actors at global, regional and national level. Key roles of global institutions to support scaling up of effective cross‐sectoral policy for nutrition included the development of best‐practice guidance, provision of operational and other forms of support, convening to enable political awareness and commitment and coordination to create shared vision. Opportunities to improve global support included improving global coordination, developing incentives to use global guidance and rethinking processes and strategies to support contextual adaptation of global guidance.

Power and coordination: Governance in the poultry regional value chain in Southern Africa

ABSTRACT There is a growing body of literature exploring governance in regional value chains (RVCs) in Africa. Agro-processing RVCs are of particular interest, as this is where the manufacturing capabilities of most African countries lie. The research on RVCs in Africa highlights governance by lead firms and government actors as an important aspect in determining the structure and outcomes within these RVCs. Using the global value chain (GVC) analytical framework, this article analyses governance in the poultry RVC in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The paper finds that the poultry RVC is a bilateral oligopoly, where the lead firms are supermarkets and large poultry producers with exclusive rights to multi-territorial breeding rights. The article highlights that both large producers and the supermarkets play an important role in the formation and structure of the poultry RVC, with important implications for regional integration and industrialisation.

Economia azul sustentável: não podemos perder mais tempo

The Blue Economy was formulated with the aim of surviving the challenge of time, as well as orientating and supporting the needs of the planet, in order to effectively address the critical challenges for this growth. Considering that the blue economy has diverse components, the strategy centres on five critical vectors: i. Fishing, aquaculture and ecosystem conservation; ii. Maritime transport and trade; iii. Sustainable energy, extractive minerals, gas, innovative industries; iv. Environmental sustainability, climate change and coastal infrastructure; v. Governance, institutions and social action. The ocean plays a crucial role in the well-being of humanity, as it contains multiple properties that are essential for the survival of all living beings. However, with successive technological advances, phenomena have emerged that have stimulated the overuse of its potential, calling into question the sustainability of its resources. Based on this premise, we address the issue of the Blue Economy, which emerges as an economy that brings together a range of sectors that make it possible to valorise the riches of the sea in a sustainable and balanced way.

Evaluating Sustainability in Social-ecological Systems: 50 Years of Conservation in Florianópolis, Brazil

This study examines 50 years of land use planning practices in Florianópolis, Brazil, to identify the attributes that resulted in the city’s notable and long-standing commitment to pro-conservation programmes and policies. By analysing key policies, planning strategies, and partnerships that underpin the preservation of forests and green spaces, this research contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on the combined role of conservation governance and collective action in building sustainable and resilient cities. The social-ecological systems framework is applied to evaluate the interactions between multi-level laws, collective action groups, and mid-level government officials to determine the drivers that promoted incremental and accumulative change, ultimately leading to sustainable land conservation practices in Florianópolis. The findings highlight the importance of stakeholder goal alignment, managerial flexibility, and collaboration with diverse actors in achieving long-term conservation goals, particularly in cities adopting an amenity-led growth model. Growing challenges to the continued protection of conservation units in the city resulting from population growth are also raised to advance approaches to evaluating the durability of sustainability initiatives.

The EU as Active and Passive Political Determinant of Forced Migrants’ Health: Insights from the Case of Germany

Context: This article examines the EU's function as a political determinant of health (PDoH) in national-level regulation of forced migrants’ access to health(care), with a focus on Germany. It sheds light on the role the EU has come to play—and has been assigned—in national policy making under the impact of different crises. Methods: By applying the concepts of claims and frames/framing, the article examines in a document analysis how and to what end(s) the EU as a polity and specific EU legislation were invoked in German draft legislation. Findings: Increasing Europeanization in the areas of health and migration has not only forced national legislators to adapt legislation to abide by EU rules and standards, it has also prompted governmental actors to shift responsibility for policy reforms to the EU—even in cases where not all of these reforms were legally required. Conclusions: The EU's role as a PDoH must be considered from two angles: the EU's active potential to determine public health through its policies and laws, and its passive—to some extent involuntary—potential to do so through the strategic invoking of EU norms, rules, and (in)competences by actors across the EU multilevel governance system.

Ground ozone rise during the 2022 shanghai lockdown caused by the unfavorable emission reduction ratio of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds

Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has shifted from a scientific issue to a key focus of governmental action in China. In recent years, the concentration of NO2 in Shanghai has shown a decreasing trend of 3.7% annually, but ozone concentrations have exhibited significant interannual variability, particularly with a noticeable increase in 2022. This study focuses on investigating the mechanisms behind the increase in ozone concentration during the COVID-19 pandemic control period in 2022 in Shanghai, utilizing a combination of ground observation data, observation-based models, and chemical transport models for analysis. The results indicate that during the lockdown period, the mean values of daily maximum 8-h average O3 concentrations (MDA8 O3) in Shanghai increased by 17 μg/m³, with emission-related factors contributing 65.3%, primarily due to a blanket reduction in VOCs and NOx emissions during the lockdown, with a reduction ratio close to 1:1. However, this reduction ratio and intensity are not sufficiently reasonable to alleviate ozone pollution. Meanwhile, adverse meteorological conditions further exacerbated this effect, contributing 34.7%, with temperature rise having the greatest impact. Results from the chemical transport model show that with the total reduction in NOx and VOCs emissions unchanged, the greater the reduction in VOC emissions and the better the reduction effect on ozone pollution, reducing MDA8 O3 by approximately 10 μg/m³, especially for the control of reactive compounds such as alkenes, aromatics, and OVOCs. However, if the reduction ratio of NOx is greater than that of VOCs, ozone concentrations may not decrease but instead increase. This indicates that ozone concentration is influenced not only by the intensity of emissions reduction but also by the ratio of emissions reduction between NOx and VOCs. Our study emphasizes the critical role of carefully designed strategies, focusing on controlling the ratio of VOCs to NOx and increasing the intensity of VOCs reduction, to effectively alleviate ozone pollution in urban areas.

Contradictions, dilemmas, views and motivations of volunteers in two community food support schemes in two London boroughs

The voluntary and charitable sector is responsible for much food support in the UK, in the absence of direct government action. A rise in food insecurity (FI) places additional importance on the work of unpaid volunteers, instrumental in food support schemes. Their perceptions, views and experiences are essential contributors to maintaining and enhancing such provision. Semi-structured interviews were held with 51 volunteers at two food support schemes in neighbouring London boroughs. Most volunteers were white and middle-aged and almost half were in paid work. Generally high levels of empathy towards clients were expressed, although some were concerned about possible abuse of the support. Contradictory views were expressed in relation to both personal responsibility for FI and the pay-as-you-feel model; training on both is needed. Major motivators for involvement in volunteering were the perceived value of the work and alignment of projects with personal interests, skills and beliefs. Benefits were viewed as wider than solely nutritional. Ethical difficulties described included the appropriateness of using surplus food to address FI, allowing supermarkets to effectively ‘greenwash’ and failing to address underlying drivers of both FI and food overproduction. Volunteers were also concerned that their involvement allowed the government to abdicate responsibility.

Food is Medicine National Summit: Transforming Health Care

Food is Medicine (FIM) interventions reflect the critical links between food security, nutrition security, health, and health equity, integrated into health care delivery. They comprise programs that provide nutritionally tailored food, free of charge or at a discount, to support disease management, disease prevention, or optimal health, linked to the health care system as part of a patient’s treatment plan. Such programs often prioritize health equity. On 26–27 April, 2023, Tufts University’s Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute held a 2-day National Food is Medicine Summit with leaders, practitioners, and individuals with diverse lived experiences in health care, research, government, advocacy, philanthropy, and the private sector to identify challenges and opportunities to sustainably incorporate FIM services into the health care system and at scale. This report of a meeting describes key themes of the Summit, based on presentations and discussions on momentum around FIM, incorporating FIM in health care, tradeoffs and unintended consequences of various FIM models, scaling of programs, financing and payment mechanisms, educating and engaging the health care workforce, and federal and state government actions and opportunities on FIM. Speakers highlighted examples of recent public and private sector actions on FIM and innovative cross-sector partnerships, including state Medicaid waivers, academic and philanthropic research initiatives, health care system screenings and interventions, and collaborations including community-based organizations and/or entities outside of the food and health care sectors. Challenges and opportunities to broader implementation and scaling of FIM programs identified include incorporating FIM into health care business models, educating the health care workforce, and sustainably scaling FIM programs while leveraging the local connections of community-based organizations. This meeting report highlights recent advances, best practices, challenges, and opportunities discussed at the National Summit to inform future actions on FIM.

FINANCIAL CRISIS AND INSTABILITY

Financial crises and instability are common occurrences in the world economy, and they have significant effects on both developed and developing nations. The numerous causes of financial crises and the ensuing instability in the financial markets are thoroughly examined. It explains the theoretical foundations of financial crises, going over important ideas including market bubbles, excessive leverage, and regulatory shortcomings The paper also looks into how regulations and governmental actions can either exacerbate or lessen financial crises, how financial institutions contribute to systemic risk propagation and how interconnected they are. It looks at how the spread of crises across borders and asset classes can aggravate their severity through the contagion effect. It also covers the socio-economic fallout from financial crises, such as social unrest, income inequality, and unemployment. The summary concludes by highlighting how crucial it is to have strong regulatory control and proactive risk management to avert and lessen future financial disasters. It promotes a comprehensive strategy that blends international collaboration, regulatory changes, and responsible risk-taking to promote long-term economic growth and stability in a global financial system that is becoming more linked.

Morality and Immorality in Politics in Aceh Post 2005 MoU Helsinki (A Case Study on the Relevance of Actions Compared with Peace Promises)

This research analysed the morality of actions taken to implement promises made in Aceh post-2005 MoU Helsinki Peace Agreement. Consideration has been given to the current political conditions in Aceh. Morality is a product of a culture and differs between cultures: Differences between the morality of the Acehnese and that of the Javanese were a major cause of conflict between the Acehnese and the Government of Indonesia. The immorality of the Indonesian Government's actions has been a major cause of rebellion in Aceh in the past. Field research was done by recording participant observations, after which data analysis used the Miles et al. methods. Results showed that after nearly 2 decades of peace, not all the goals in the MoU have been realized. Yes, there were major improvements—there were no more security operations, and some special institutions have been set up: However, many Acehnese haven't felt the full morality of all the peace promises, and morality could be better amongst the elite in both Aceh and Jakarta.

Expansion, Fracturing, and Depoliticisation: UK government anti-trafficking funding from 2011 to 2023

Anti-trafficking policy discourses and funding trajectories in the UK are developing and expanding in a fractured way. This paper demonstrates that current policies and funding allocations primarily focus on supporting specific ‘victims’ and targeting indistinct ‘criminals’, rather than addressing the broader structural issues underlying human trafficking. This focus perpetuates ignorance of harm done at other scales. Supporting migrants who meet a narrow definition of ‘victims’ effaces how government-funded projects and agencies abuse migrants and exacerbate their vulnerability to exploitation. Anti-trafficking funding from the UK’s Official Development Assistance addresses both the individual and structural scales. However, structural problems are often framed as external, neglecting the impacts of UK policies that increase the vulnerability of migrants and low-paid or casualised workers. We also demonstrate that the UK government’s anti-trafficking discourse and funding are increasingly fractured along spatial lines, with a limited emphasis on the rights of exploited individuals outside the UK coinciding with attacks on the rights of migrants inside. Instead of narrow, depoliticised anti-trafficking discourses, it is vital to critique government policies that cause structural harm and amplify migrants’ vulnerability to exploitation. This could involve defunding certain government activities that increase vulnerabilities rather than merely expanding individual-level funding.

1920년대 대한민국 임시정부 주관 기념행사와 항일노래

This study examined the aspects and historical roles of anti-Japanese songs created and sung during the activities of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, China, which resisted Japanese imperialism’s invasion of Korea. It is intended to clarify the reality and significance of cultural and artistic independent activities by analyzing the types and contents of anti-Japanese songs sung at various commemorative events held by the provisional government. First, the Shanghai Provisional Government celebrated March 1, the day of the declaration of independence, as a national holiday, and August 29 as a national Humiliation day. In addition, October 3 of the lunar calendar was established as “Foundation Day” and commemorative events involving temporary government factors were steadily held. At the site of this anniversary event, various anti-Japanese songs, including “The National Anthem,” were made and sang together to strengthen their will to resist Japanese. Second, the March 1st Independence Day event was held as a “celebration ceremony to commemorate the Declaration of Independence” in which lawmakers, government ministers, and students gathered within the parliamentarians. Participants sang “The National Anthem” based on the tune of “Auld lang Syne,” and mainly sang “Samiljeolga” and “Independence Army Song.” Independence Army Song is a representative Manchurian independence army song that was sung a lot in the 1910s, and the tune is borrowed from the American military song “Marching Through Georgia”. Third, on August 29th, the National Humiliation Day, “National Humiliation Song” and “National Humiliation Memorial Song” were mainly sung. On October 3rd of the lunar calendar, great religious figures and government factors attended the National Foundation Day and mainly sang “Shinga”. Fourth, various forms of memorial songs, including Requiem, were sung at an event to commemorate the martyrs who died during the independence movement. The memorial song was later sung at every event with a tune and was handed down as an anti-Japanese song.

Некоторые особенности документирования финансовой деятельности учреждений власти и самоуправления Нальчикского округа в начале ХХ века

The article focuses on studying some features of documenting the financial activities of govern-ment and self-government institutions of the Nalchik district in the early twentieth century. The paper considers the records of government and local government institutions that were entrusted with financial functions (district and district boards, Treasuries, including Nalchik, Stavropol Treasury Chamber, Congress of Trusted Rural Societies of Greater and Lesser Kabarda and Five Mountain Societies, Kabardian public Sum and its treasurer, rural boards, rural public funds). The informative impact of such clerical documents as prescriptions, resolutions, reports, relations, re-ceipts from residents of villages, bills from various institutions to the treasurer of the Kabardian public sum and the head of the Nalchik district, statements, receipts, certificates, etc. is deter-mined for the study of various areas of the economic history of the Kabardian and Balkarian popu-lation of the district. The exchange of information between the subjects of financial relations oc-curred through telegrams and notices, and their description is given. It is concluded that the rec-ords of the institutions of government and self-government of the Nalchik district in financial ac-tivity contain information about how, in what form and on what issues they interacted with each other and with other non-financial institutions, what the hierarchy of financial institutions of the Nalchik District looked like during the period under study; and also reflected information on the composition of employees of financial institutions, authorities and self-government and their em-ployees, including representatives of the Kabardian and Balkarian population.

A TIPIFICAÇÃO PENAL DOS CRIMES CIBERNÉTICOS NO DIREITO BRASILEIRO

This article, a descriptive and qualitative bibliographic research, based on authors such as Delgado (2017), Prado (2019), Souza and Ramalho (2022) among others, aims to discuss the way in which the Brazilian legal system has acted in the prevention and classification of cyber crimes. The work was structured in topics which correspond to its specific objectives as follows: bringing concepts of crime and criminal offenses and the way in which they are configured in Brazilian law; elucidate what would be a cyber crime and what are the requirements for its configuration; argue about the three dimensional theory of law (fact, value and norm) to justify governmental actions that lead to the classification of cyber crime. The conclusion reached was that Brazilian Criminal Law has been adapting to new situations and social facts that give rise to a legal response in defense of society.