Local Government Involvement Research Articles

Subnational assessment of threats to Indian biodiversity and habitat restoration opportunities

The active involvement of subnational authorities, cities and local governments has been identified as one of the enabling conditions to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land). However, there has not been any systematic application of any biodiversity metric at the subnational level to identify where the main responsibilities and opportunities lie within a country. Here, we therefore apply the recently proposed species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric for amphibians, birds and terrestrial mammals in 36 states and 666 districts of India, one of 17 megadiverse countries. The STAR metric takes into account the endemicity and the scope and severity of all threats affecting each species’ population hosted by the region and can quantify the potential contribution of threat mitigation and habitat restoration in a particular region towards global biodiversity goals. The larger the STAR metric score, the larger the contribution of a specified area for global species conservation. Out of 97 individual threats affecting species in India, we found that crop production is the major threat, contributing 44% of the total national STAR score followed by biological resource use such as hunting and logging (23%), and residential and commercial development (11%). Just seven out of 36 states and 66 out of 666 districts hosting high numbers of threatened and endemic species contribute 80% to the national STAR score. Importantly, the states and districts with most potential to contribute to threat abatement do not always overlap with those where habitat restoration will yield high benefits. Our analysis demonstrates the applicability and value of the STAR metric to subnational governments for biodiversity conservation elsewhere in the world.

Problems of regulating the quality of medical care in Ukraine and the main directions of their solution

Improving the quality of health care remains problem of the day for world health systems. Recognized quality management tools are used in Ukraine. However, a series of studies indicate the need for their improvement.. The aim of this work was to determine the features of the application of international instruments for regulating the quality of medical care and to substantiate the conceptual directions of their improvement in Ukraine. Materials and methods of research used: systemic approach; comparative analysis; bibliosemantic; conceptual modeling; scientific literature sources, including systematic reviews from the PubMed database; domestic legal documents. Main results: unlike international practices, professional activity of doctors is not licensed in Ukraine. The economic activity of health care institutions and individuals-entrepreneurs engaged in medical practice is subject to licensing. Аccreditation standards have not been revised since 2013. Domestic adaptation of clinical guidelines has been suspended for several years. Certification of quality management systems is administratively related to accreditation. All quality management tools are strictly regulated by the Ministry of Health, without the involvement of local governments, public patient organizations and health professionals. Conceptual directions of improvement of tools of quality regulation are offered: adoption of the law on professional licensing of doctors; creation of an independent accreditation agency; updating the content of accreditation standards, supplementing them with patient safety standards in accordance with international criteria; creation of methodological support for accreditation and certification; training of accreditation inspectors; introduction of tracer methodology in order to verify compliance with accreditation standards; resumption of adaptation of international clinical guidelines at the health sector.

Analysis of the Kulon Progo Bela-Beli Program on the Economy

Regional or local economic development is a process of involvement of local governments and elements of society in jointly managing local resources or potentials with the aim of creating new jobs that can stimulate economic and community growth as well as alleviating people in poverty. One of the efforts to overcome these problems is the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" program. This study has a purpose, namely to determine the implementation of the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" program for the people in the Kulon Progo area. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method by using survey research. The use of this method is in accordance with the purpose of this study, which is to describe the implementation of the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" program for the community in the Kulon Progo area. The results of the study use two perspectives, namely the perspective of the community who are members of the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" Program and the perspective of stakeholders in the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" Program with the results obtained on the economy and community participation in the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" Program. directly and indirectly felt by the people of Kulon Progo Regency through employment, increasing income, increasing quality and productivity, as well as high enthusiasm and participation in the program. Other results through the role of local governments through related agencies obtained very good and efficient results through the provision of counseling, assistance, supervision, and always innovating in the "Bela-Beli Kulon Progo" Program which was felt directly and indirectly by the people of Kulon Progo Regency.

Systematic Mapping of Long-Term Urban Challenges

This paper investigates on long-term challenges faced by local governments. Using empirical evidence from Estonia, this paper aims to help fill a research gap in that there is a lack of a systematic approach on how to analyze common urban challenges via direct involvement of local governments. In terms of conceptual framework, a unique combination of public value theory and mission-oriented innovation is proposed. The data is collected via questionnaire, interviews and workshops involving up to 35 local governments. It is important that instead of current problems relating only to one city, this study focuses on finding shared, long-term challenges and, from them, generates a list of top 10 challenges. This provides valuable input to initiating new research and innovation projects in the key, smart city domains (e.g., energy, mobility, built environment, governance and data).

FOREST WAQF STRATEGY IN PROTECTING INDIGENOUS FORESTS IN ACEH PROVINCE

Aceh's forest is a biosphere reserve, a world heritage, and a natural habitat for animals, such as the Sumatran tiger, Ceumpala Kuneng, and Sumatran elephant. However, Aceh's forests are currently experiencing a deficit related to uncontrolled land conversion, among others due to forest conversion to oil palm land, gold mining, illegal logging, and illegal new stone mining. Although Aceh's forest area as of 2019 was 2,989,212 hectares, the damage figure reached 15,140 hectares. Thus, this study aims to create a model of Aceh’s forest waqf to protect it from the natural damage caused by humans. This qualitative research utilized the ANP (Analytic Network Process) analysis tool. The study results revealed that the most important factors for Aceh's forest waqf model were components of forest waqf, companies, and the government. Forest waqf solutions include infaq and shadaqah fund solutions, waqf institutions, and full-time nazhir (waqf manager). The company's solutions encompass institutional audits, citizen patrols, and reporting. Meanwhile, the government's solution can be in the form of a limitation solution, policy evaluation, and local government involvement. Besides, the strategy of forest waqf in protecting indigenous forests in Aceh Province can be in the form of synergies between forest waqf and BAZNAS (National Zakat Amil Agency), monitoring local officials, and granting authority to local governments.

Analisis Take-Home Pay dan Perencanaan Anggaran terhadap Sustainabilitas Program Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional

Abstract: Dynamic regulation changes in JKN Program are made by the government to maintain the program’s financial health and sustainability by increasing the contributions, but the local government budget weakening during the Covid-19 pandemic is resulting in contribution receivable increasing. This study aims to compare the contributions from the collection of Civil Servant salaries and local government subsidies based on take-home pay compared to the previous calculation and the effect on the civil servants to analyze the compliance of local government budget planning and the obstacles on the budget insufficiency. This study uses a case study through the qualitative method with a descriptive analysis approach, this research uses secondary data in the form of documents and primary data in the form of interviews. The samples are conducted by purposive sampling as many as 127,341 civil servants in Aceh Province. The results showed the potential for an increase in income of 140.81 billion rupiahs, which was an increase of 47.52%. In total, the payment of contributions by deductions from the salaries of civil servants decreased by 281%. On the other hand, the contribution paid by the local government increased by 203%. In terms of budget, 5 of the 24 local governments have provided their budget availability for a 4% contribution. The regulation changes have positive impacts on the sustainability of the JKN program by increasing the program’s income and realizing mutual cooperation with equitable contribution and the involvement of local governments through a larger portion of the contribution budget. Coordination and guidance improvement between the central government and local government to monitor the implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 75 of 2019 as a national priority program and sanction enforcement for local governments which are in contribution arrears and insufficient budget. Keywords: take-home pay; budgeting; sustainability; JKN Program

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceptions about Zika in women of childbearing age in Amazonas, Peru.

To describe the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions about Zika in women of childbearing age (WCA) in the department of Amazonas in Peru, following a Zika outbreak. Descriptive study with a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach. We carried out stratified sampling, by applying a survey to a sample of 723 WCA aged 15 to 49 years in the district of Bagua, department of Amazonas, then we carried out four focus groups with 35 WCA in each group. Frequencies and the grounded theory were used for quantitative and qualitative analysis respectively. Interpretation of both methods was integrated using a narrative approach. We found that 86.3% of WCA knew that it is possible to get sick with Zika, 10.1% knew that it is transmitted through sexual intercourse, 2.2% knew that it can be transmitted during pregnancy and 68.5% consider that the information is insufficient. In practice, 60% (n=434) used mosquito nets, 53.4% (n=386) covered water containers and 7.3% (n=4) perceived local government involvement. Qualitative data showed distrust of vector control and expressed the need for psychological support for pregnant women and their families. There are gaps in the knowledge and practices of WCA regarding the prevention of sexual and vertical transmission of Zika; WCA distrust vector control, do not perceive local government involvement, suggest psychological support should be provided to pregnant women with Zika, as well as to mothers with disabled children, and wish to access more information about Zika.

Village Regulations (Perdes): Potentials and Challenges in Realizing Autonomous Village

This article attempts to analyse the opportunities and challenges of villages in regulating village regulations (Peraturan Desa/Perdes) as a basis for realizing village autonomy and development. Sidoharjo I Pasar Miring is a village in Deli Serdang Regency which routinely has not formulated Perdes in carrying out government affairs, public services, economy and socio-cultural development so that the focus of village development has not been directed along with low legal and political legitimacy regarding programs carried out by the village government. This is a qualitative study using observations, interviews and FGDs as the main data sources. Secondary data consists of both statistical, scientific sources and government documents. The key informants of the study consisted of elements of village government, including the executive, legislative and community leaders. The study found several inhibiting factors for the low effort to enforce Perdes, including those related to competence, integrity, and conflicts of interest as well as technical and political support from local governments as important elements in the Perdes regulatory process. This article recommends the need for capacity building for the formulation elements of Perdes, the involvement of local governments in conducting socialization and monitoring in the formulation of Perdes.

Capacitating local governments for the digital earth vision: lessons learnt from the role of municipalities in the South African spatial data infrastructure

ABSTRACT The Digital Earth vision foresees the availability and accessibility of geospatial information to achieve the goals of sustainable development, economic growth and social well-being. In the case of urban areas, up-to-date geospatial information is essential for managing a city towards achieving these goals. The rapid shift from rural to urban areas globally puts pressure on local governments and they often struggle to find and organise the resources required to collect and maintain geospatial information that can help to address urban growth challenges. A spatial data infrastructure (SDI) can facilitate the availability and accessibility of geospatial information towards addressing national objectives, however, the involvement of local governments in an SDI can be a challenge. In this paper, we critique the role of municipalities against the backdrop of the developments of the South African SDI (SASDI) to date. The critique identifies five high-level shortcomings of the SASDI that have led to the limited participation of municipalities. Based on the shortcomings, we provide recommendations for capacitating municipalities through SASDI so that the Digital Earth vision can also be achieved for municipalities. These recommendations are aimed at involving the local sphere of government in a national SDI and are equally applicable to other countries.

CSR MANAGEMENT BASED TRIPLE HELIX MODEL IN NORTH SUMATRA PROVINCE

This study aims to examine CSR management based on the triple helix model in compa-nies in North Sumatra Province. The research was conducted from May to July 2021 by distributing questionnaires to 112 companies operating in North Sumatra Province, 20 uni-versities and 33 district/city governments. The test is based on the triple helix model, namely the involvement of universities, companies and local governments in managing CSR so that it is more well implemented and integrated. The sampling technique for com-panies is random sampling spread over 5 major cities, namely, Medan, Pematang Siantar, Tebing Tinggi, Padangsidimpuan, and Sibolga. The results of hypothesis testing indicate that there is no difference in the perceptions of the three parties for the integration of CSR management. The test results also prove that the commitment of the three elements of the triple helix supports each other for integrated CSR management in North Sumatra Prov-ince. The limitation of this research is that there are different sampling techniques for each element of the triple helix so that sample bias is predicted. The recommendation of this re-search for further studies is to add mass media as an element to support integrated CSR management.

Теоретичні засади організації місцевого управління та місцевого самоврядування в зарубіжних країнах та Україні

In its modern form, local government and local self-government were formed as a result of constitutional and municipal reforms of the late eighteenth – early nineteenth century. Their formation and development have historically been associated with the process of transition from feudal organization to industrial society. The stronghold of the bourgeoisie were the cities that fought for independence in the management of local affairs. Medieval cities with their administrative, financial and judicial privileges, practically, carried in themselves “embryos of municipalism”. This was expressed, first of all, in the requirements of giving independence to communities and larger historically formed territorial communities. The free community was the leitmotif of the concept of municipal autonomy in Europe. According to many authors, from the middle of the XIX century local government of this kind began to be called local self-government. The public-state concept of self-government is optimal for Ukraine. First, it ensures the formation of a system of local self-government as an institution of civil society. Secondly, such a model contributes to the active involvement of local governments in the implementation of functions and tasks of public administration. The theory of social functions of municipal government has the greatest influence on the practice of local self-government at the present stage of state development. According to it, local governments are social services that are able to meet the interests of all segments of the population. As representatives of the socially useful, non-political activities of the state, local governments are in partnership with him on the basis of mutual benefit and receive financial assistance in response to increased costs. Local self-government naturally depends on the state, in fact acts as a guiding and controlling authority. Local self-government as a somewhat independent institution of civil society is a necessary element of the mechanism for smoothing political differences between the legislative and executive branches of government. Its further development is a prerequisite for the democratization of public administration and the functioning of the political system, which is the basis for the full development of the state. After all, developed local self-government testifies to democratic public administration and ensuring the constitutional principle of state control over citizens. Key words: local government; Anglo-Saxon model of local self-government; continental model of local self-government; local (communal system) self-government of Germany; the Iberian model of local self-government; Soviet model of local self-government; public-state concept.

Enlightening the coastal communities of Bengkalis Island on climate change policies

Coastal communities are some of the most vulnerable groups to the effects of climate change. The Non-Governmental Organization of the Environmental Malay Youth Institute (LSM IPMPL), a partner of the three villages on Bengkalis Island, has traced the communities’ ignorance of climate change policies to the poor digital literacy of community members. This has had an impact on the involvement of community components and local village governments in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. This community service provides assistance, socialization, and training to improve the literacy of the coastal communities of Bengkalis Island, especially as it concerns their access to climate change policies. The results of this activity show an increase in the communities’ knowledge, abilities, skills, and digital awareness of the government's efforts towards forming a climate-resilient society. Furthermore, the activity produced social impact as it increased peace, improved the community's economy and improved the quality of the community's living environment.

A Comparative Study on the Efficiency of Stakeholder Involvement in Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Development

Community-based tourism (CBT) is a development strategy for the community to manage its resources through the use of tourism as a medium. For CBT to operate, communities may rely on the external assistance in their development project. These stakeholders are academia, local government, and international organizations. This paper compares the work efficiency of these stakeholders’ and their involvement in operating CBT strategies. A total of 535 online respondents with work experience as different stakeholders are gathered and compared. The results shows that local government involvement is ranked the most attentive by the community, followed by the assistance of academia, the community itself, and international organizations (where appropriate). This outcome supports the idea in the literature where government is the most crucial external stakeholder to reach out to during the planning stage of CBT development, but it also suggests that the involvement of academics is more efficient than that of international organizations, possibly due to the fact that academics are from a smaller set of individuals or group with theories and consultancy expertise in the field of CBT rather than the international organizations that are more general with the power and resources they could offer. In future study, in-depth interviews with different stakeholder members would allow further explanation and observation of these relationships.

Using participatory action research to improve immunization utilization in areas with pockets of unimmunized children in Nigeria

BackgroundIn 2005, Nigeria adopted the Reaching Every Ward strategy to improve vaccination coverage for children 0–23 months of age. By 2015, Ogun state had full coverage (100%) in 12 of its 20 local government areas, but eight had pockets of unimmunized children, with the highest burden (37%) in Remo North. A participatory action research (PAR) approach was used to facilitate implementation of local solutions to contextual barriers to immunization in Remo North. This article assesses and seeks to explain the outcomes of the PAR implemented in Remo North to understand whether and possibly how it improved immunization utilization.MethodsThe PAR intervention took place from 2016 to 2017. It involved two (4-month) cycles of dialogue and action between community members, frontline health workers and local government officials in two wards of Remo North, facilitated by the research team. The PAR was assessed using a pre/post-intervention-only design with mixed methods. These included household surveys of caregivers of 215 and 213 children, respectively, 25 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in immunization service delivery and 16 focus group discussions with community members. Data were analysed using the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) vaccine hesitancy framework.ResultsCollaboration among the three stakeholder groups enabled the development and implementation of solutions to identified problems related to access to and use of immunization services. At endline, assessment by card for children older than 9 months revealed a significant increase in those fully immunized, from 60.7% at baseline to 90.9% (p < .05). A significantly greater number of caregivers visited fixed government health facilities for routine immunization at endline (83.2%) than at baseline (54.2%) (p < .05). The reasons reported by caregivers for improved utilization of routine immunization services were increased community mobilization activities and improved responsiveness of the health workers. Spillover effects into maternal health services enhanced the use of immunization services by caregivers. Spontaneous scale-up of actions occurred across Remo North due to the involvement of local government officials.ConclusionThe PAR approach achieved contextual solutions to problems identified by communities. Collection and integration of evidence into discussions/dialogues with stakeholders can lead to change. Leveraging existing structures and resources enhanced effectiveness.

Characterisation of Vegetation Response to Climate Change: A Review

Climate change extreme events have consequential impacts that influence the responses of vegetation dynamics as well as ecosystem functioning and sustainable human well-being. Therefore, vegetation response to climate change (VRCC) needs to be explored to foster specific-organised management programmes towards ecological conservation and targeted restoration policy to various climate extreme threats. This review aimed to explore the existing literature to characterise VRCC and to identify solutions and techniques fundamental in designing strategies for targeted effective adaptation and mitigation to achieve sustainable planning outcomes. Accordingly, this review emphasised recent theoretical and practical research on the vegetation-climate responses and their related impacts in the wake of climate change and its debilitating impacts on vegetation. Consequently, this study proposes the Information-based model (IBM), needed to examine Factors–forms of Impacts–Solutions (Techniques)–Risks assessment to identify and provide insights about VRCC in a given region. In conclusion, two enablers of adaptive indicators and the novel systems-based serve as a key policy formulation for sustainability in strengthening the goals of global involvement of local and sub-national governments and institutions in the effective management of vegetation and ecosystem protection.

Domestic retrofit supply chain initiatives and business innovations: an international review

A systematic review of international evidence on housing retrofit supply chains was undertaken for the UK government: a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) summarised the most relevant research from outside the UK; key emerging themes were examined via analysis of 10 expert interviews with European and UK stakeholders, selected for the depth and breadth of their experience in developing retrofit business models. Market development requires concerted efforts from industry and policy, including the regulation of minimum standards. Conservatism in the industry means that opportunities for retrofit will be ignored in preference for the less risky, more familiar repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) market. Successful retrofit involves customer engagement and after-care, which is outside customary practice. Financing mechanisms are important for firms’ cashflow and for customer acceptance. Skills governance needs to take account of national vocational education systems, and is more complex than simply providing a few new courses. Local partnerships are needed to mobilise and organise the supply chain, whether through local government involvement or new business models enshrining collaborative quality assurance. More formal quality assurance implies some consolidation of supply chains. All these elements must be integrated into a service package, whose overall purpose is to minimise the risks of retrofit for supply chains and customers. <em><strong>Policy relevance</strong></em> A functioning, large-scale energy-efficiency retrofit market needs to have some of the attributes of the existing RMI market, with energy performance grafted on. When compared with the ideal requirements for effective policy, existing policy support is inadequate, being too short-lived, too inconsistent and too easily sidelined by market realities. Retrofit requires high-quality outcomes achieved through integrated service, but construction industry business culture is focused on inputs (not outcomes) and the service is fragmented. Policy must help deliver a cultural shift, which no country has yet succeeded in bringing about. The task may be slow as it entails coordination and change across policy, education and vocational training, and industry practices.

Politik Hukum Hubungan Pusat dan Daerah dalam Penanggulangan Bencana

The 1945 Constitution of Republic of Indonesia states that it is mandatory for government to ensure all of citizen life and well-being in any conditions and to protect them. This mandate take its concrete form by constructing the relevant National Development Plan. The government responsibility in disaster management is in the hands of central and local government—it is supposedly in well-planned and integrated manner. However, in reality, there is still a lot of overlapping authority and bureaucracy from both the central and local or regional governments in disaster management. The harmonization is needed between the central and regional governments, with the basis of granting the widest possible autonomy within the framework of a unitary state. The purpose of this research is to identify the central and regional relationship arrangements in disaster management in the prevailing regulations and to identify steps that must be taken to realize the harmonization of regulation arrangement between the central government and the regions in disaster management. This research is a normative juridical research and uses a basic, systematic approach and the law synchronization approach. From this paper, it is found that the legal politics of central and regional relations in the planning document have been designed to always be synchronous and consistent and have a high level of harmonization, but in the implementation stage it still needs to be reviewed because there are still disharmony caused by the lack of involvement of local governments as partners and communication between the central government and the local government.

Position and Role of Social Supermarkets in Food Supply Chains

Abstract Background: Social supermarkets were developed in Europe after the economic crisis 2008-2014. Their purpose is to decrease food waste that occurs in traditional food supply chains and to ensure access to food to socially endangered citizens. Objectives: This paper analyses the general perception of consumers regarding the mission and purpose of social supermarkets in four Central Eastern European (CEE) countries: Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, and Serbia. Methods/Approach: The paper brings the results of the survey research conducted in the observed CEE countries measuring attitudes towards the relevance and the role of social supermarkets. Results: There is a positive attitude regarding the existence of social supermarkets in all the analysed CEE countries. Less than 10% of respondents claim that there is no need for such organizations. In Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland examinees claim that reduction of food waste rather than reduction of poverty should be emphasized as a mission of social supermarkets. Conclusions: Social supermarkets require improvement of a legal framework, welfare system integration, and implementation of state monitoring. Moreover, larger involvement of religious communities, national and local governments, as supporting institutions is observed as a necessity in all the countries.

Modernization of social dialogue as an imperative for developing social responsibility by business organizations in Ukraine

The relevance of the paper is determined by the need to modernize social dialogue in Ukraine as a means of increasing the social responsibility of business organizations and a prerequisite for the country’s sustainable socio-economic development. The paper is aimed at reviewing and systematizing effective practices of modernization of social dialogue, which are revealed in the publications of foreign and Ukrainian scientists, high-ranking officials and public figures. These practices are considered from the standpoint of their expediency and the possibility of their implementation in the processes of social interaction of organizations of employees, employers and public authorities in Ukraine.A review of the foreign experience in organizing social dialogue convincingly demonstrates a fairly high level of efficiency in the European Union, which contributes to achieving a balance of interests of major economic actors, increasing their social responsibility. For Ukraine, it is expedient to introduce the European practice of the so-called broad approach to the organization of social dialogue, which provides for the expansion of its subjects at the expense of representatives of territorial entities, environmental, women’s, youth, cultural and other public organizations. The involvement of local governments, public and NGOs in solving the most important socio-economic problems will contribute to the spread of the practice of differentiating between social and public dialogue. In Ukraine, employee participation in corporate governance should be strengthened, access to shareholder income should be expanded, and institutional tools for regulating the collective bargaining process should be improved.

Don’t You Want My Help? Volunteer Involvement and Management in Local Government

The global COVID-19 health pandemic has put extraordinary pressure on already fiscally strapped local governments. As local jurisdictions search for strategies to meet rising service expectations with declining resources, use of volunteers would seem to offer significant advantages. This study examines the involvement of volunteers to deliver services in all county governments in one U.S. state, as well as the factors that explain the extent of use of this service approach. Our analysis is based on information collected from a survey of county government officials working in 10 service domains, supplemented by demographic and other data drawn from a variety of sources. To arrive at valid estimates of volunteer involvement in the delivery of county services, we introduce a novel methodology that corrects our survey data for possible sample and response biases based on a calibration estimator using auxiliary information. The results of our inquiry reveal a higher use of volunteers to deliver services by county governments than suggested by the literature. The findings show, moreover, that counties with higher per capita income, greater percentage of residents attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher formal education, and lower unemployment are likely to involve volunteers in the delivery of more services, as are those county governments with greater per capita spending and per capita property tax revenues. These results have important implications in regard to the capacity of local governments to use volunteers, which we treat in the Discussion.