Monitoring Involvement Research Articles

Community Empowerment Alternatives to Rural Drinking Water Infrastructure Problems: Case Study of Rural SPAM in Krangkeng District, Indramayu Regency

Abstract. The Drinking Water Supply System (SPAM) is a basic community need that must be provided by the government. Water availability is currently a problem in rural areas of Krangkeng District. The condition of the region often experiences drought during the dry season and only 59.27% of people have access to adequate drinking water. Every year the government provides assistance in the form of physical development and water supply via tank trucks. The lack of public awareness in the sustainable implementation of SPAM has resulted in this problem recurring every year. With this phenomenon, community empowerment efforts are needed to create increased community capacity and active community participation in managing the drinking water supply system in Krangkeng District so that it can be sustainable. This research aims to identify community empowerment alternatives described in the aspects of implementing rural SPAM in Krangkeng District using a qualitative descriptive approach. The research results show that there are aspects that are problematic in implementing SPAM in terms of planning for the provision of infrastructure and drinking water services that are not yet structured. Technically, there is limited water infrastructure that can be utilized, there is no management institution, minimal funding allocation related to SPAM, minimal regulatory aspects and there has been no effort to improve from a social perspective related to the sustainability of SPAM. Based on these aspects, the community empowerment alternatives that can be implemented are education and awareness about the importance of drinking water use, community involvement both as management institutions (pokmas) and as users, involvement in collaborative advocacy networks with external parties, and involvement in monitoring and evaluation. It is hoped that this research can help stakeholders in Krangkeng District in efforts to mitigate problems with the implementation of SPAM and the sustainability of water resources in the future.

Effect of Beneficiary Participation on Project Performance: A Case of an HIV Peer Education Project in Gicumbi District, Rwanda

The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence rates are among the highest in the world. This study investigated the impact of beneficiary participation on the performance of an HIV peer education program implemented by the Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV (RRP+) in Gicumbi District from 2017 to 2020. Researchers examined three specific areas: project planning, implementation, and monitoring. Stakeholder and Engagement Theory alongside Participation Theory were reviewed. The study adopted a descriptive research design with qualitative and quantitative approaches. The total study population for this research was be 3,938 that included Recipients of Care (RoC) and stakeholders directly involved in the HIV peer education project implemented by the Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV (RRP+) in Gicumbi District, Rwanda, from 2017 to 2020. A mixed sampling approach was employed to select participants for this research. This approach involves a combination of probability and non-probability sampling methods. Therefore, the sample size calculated using the Yamane formula was 387 Recipients of Care (RoC) and stakeholders. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings indicated significant beneficiary involvement in strategic planning and annual plans, with mean scores of 3.78 and 3.50, respectively, on a 1-4 scale. Moderate familiarity with the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (average 3.22) was observed. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant positive impact on Project Performance (p < 0.05). Beneficiaries reported satisfactory healthcare and psychosocial support (mean score 0.99) and moderate satisfaction with supportive supervision (mean score 1.62). Capacity-building (average 1.02) showed room for improvement, yet still had a significant positive influence on Project Performance (p < 0.05). Limited involvement in monitoring (mean score 1.04) was observed, with high satisfaction in feedback meetings (mean score 4.15). Feedback acceptability (average 3.42) indicated moderate acceptability, also positively impacting Project Performance (p < 0.05). The positive unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.398 indicate that increased healthcare and psychosocial support are associated with higher project performance. The positive unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.026 suggest that supportive supervision has a relatively positive relationship with project performance. The positive unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.293 highlight the importance of training beneficiaries during project implementation. The study recommended foster greater beneficiary involvement in project planning by conducting regular consultations, workshops, and feedback sessions. Review and refine the supportive supervision approach to address the varying levels of satisfaction among beneficiaries. Maintain regular and productive feedback meetings to capture beneficiary input and concerns. Enhance feedback collection and analysis processes to ensure feedback is incorporated into project activities effectively. Form a strengthened system of monitoring and evaluation in order to consistently evaluate performance of project as well as adapt to evolving requirements of the beneficiary. Additionally, formulate models of sustainability to ascertain that favorable and positive impacts of the project are preserved after its overall completion.

Influence of Monitoring and Evaluation on the Performance of “Give Directly” Project in Rwanda

The study aimed at determining the influence of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) on the Give Directly project performance in Rwanda. The study was specifically to examine how Monitoring and Evaluation plans influence the performance of Give Directly project in Rwanda, to assess how Monitoring and evaluation training influences Give Directly project performance in Rwanda, to evaluate whether stakeholders’ involvement in Monitoring and evaluation influences Give Directly project performance in Rwanda and to determine whether M&E Budget influences Give Directly project performance in Rwanda. The study was important to Give Directly project, other Non-Government and Government organizations and further researchers. The study was directed by three theories including evaluation theory, Program theory and theory of change. This research may be used as a source of information for further research. Both descriptive and correlation research design were used for the study. The targeted population were all 90 project implementers of Give Directly project in Rwanda whereby census method was considered. Data was collected using Likert scale questionnaire. Data was processed, analyzed by quantitative method and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 20 was used to code and enter quantitative data for analysis. Both descriptive including mean and standard deviation and inferential statistical analysis (linear regression analysis, correlation) were used. Data was presented using tables. Inferential statistics were also performed using the field data and tested at 5% level of significance and it resulted the followings: the results demonstrate a moderate strong positive relationship between M&E plans and project performance of Give Directly in Rwanda (r= 0.545, sig=.000) followed by M&E Training which had a moderate strong positive relationship (r=0.537, sig=.000) and M&E Budget had a moderate strong positive relationship (r=0.532, sig=.000). Furthermore, the results revealed a weak correlation between Stakeholders involvement in M&E and project performance (r=0.253, sig=0.016). By using linear regression analysis, it indicated that all explanatory variables including M&E Plans, M&E Training, Stakeholders involvement in M&E and M&E budget have an influence on the Give Directly project performance.

Parental Involvement in the Implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum

Numerous studies have been conducted on competency-based curriculum (CBC), but fewer have focused on parental involvement in its implementation. This study aimed to assess the roles of parents in CBC implementation, identifying barriers to effective involvement and proposing strategies for improvement. The research was guided by the following objectives: to examine parental provision of learning resources to children; to determine parental involvement in monitoring and guiding children to complete homework; and to ascertain whether parents provided a conducive atmosphere for learning to occur among children in primary schools in Kakamega county. A descriptive research design was employed in this study. The target population included 50 primary schools, 245 class teachers, 3190 grade six learners, and 245 parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. The sample size was 447, consisting of 8 primary schools, 49 class teachers, 341 grade six learners, and 49 parents. Respondents were sampled through simple random and stratified sampling procedures. The researcher created Likert scale questionnaires and interview schedules which were used for data collection. A pilot study was conducted in two schools. Content validity was used to determine the instruments’ validity, while reliability was determined using Pearson product-moment correlation. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively according to the research objectives. Quantitative analysis used descriptive statistics (frequencies and mean) to analyze data. The qualitative data, on the other hand, were examined thematically as per the study’s objectives. The study’s findings revealed that parental involvement in the CBC implementation in Kakamega County was significantly influenced by various factors. It was found that while some parents provided adequate learning resources and created conducive learning environments, others faced barriers such as limited financial resources and lack of awareness regarding their roles. Additionally, the study showed that parental guidance and monitoring of homework completion was consistent, with parents actively engaging in children’s studies. The conclusion drawn from the study indicated that for effective CBC implementation, there needed to be increased parental awareness and involvement, particularly in monitoring and providing learning resources. The study recommended the development of targeted sensitization programs to educate parents about their critical roles, the establishment of community support systems to address financial barriers, and regular workshops to equip parents with skills necessary for supporting their children’s education. These strategies were deemed essential to enhance parental engagement and ensure the successful implementation of the CBC in primary schools.

Opportunities for expanded nurse and nurse navigator involvement in design, implementation and management of remote patient monitoring programs.

564 Background: The use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) in oncology for timely reporting of adverse events to improve patient outcomes is well-documented; however, less is known about real-world implementation of RPM and its impact on workforce needs. To assess use and perceptions about RPM, including its role in patient reported outcomes (PROs), the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) surveyed U.S. cancer program staff. Methods: Developed by expert advisors and patient advocacy partners, a survey of cancer program staff was distributed between December 2022 and January 2023. The survey included 25 closed and open-ended questions. Results: 128 multidisciplinary cancer program staff completed the survey, of which 45% are actively planning/implementing RPM programs. 34 U.S. states were represented. The three largest roles represented were medical oncologists (n=54; 42%), cancer program administrators (n=18; 14%) and nurses/nurse navigators (n=14; 11%). Of all respondents, 82% viewed nursing teams as the most appropriate to review and triage RPM data. Nurses indicated less involvement with the design/development of RPM programs (0%) compared to administrators (33%) and oncologists (48%). Similarly, 3% of nurses reported involvement in monitoring or taking actions on RPM data, compared to 12% of administrators and 56% of oncologists. Notably, no nurses compared to 6% of administrators and 18% of oncologists strongly agreed that they had access to educational resources and training needed to support a RPM program. In qualitative responses, nurses indicated provider education as the greatest need for RPM to become standard of care in cancer programs. Conclusions: Despite a high perceived need for nursing involvement in all aspects of RPM programs, real-world data indicates that nurses, who are expected to monitor/triage RPM data by most of their peers, are less frequently involved in the design and implementation of RPM programs. Future research is needed to understand these workforce barriers, and to explore novel approaches to tailored provider education and engagement to ensure that RPM programs benefit from diverse workforce and patient involvement.

THE STRATEGY OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISORY AGENCY IN THE WEST JAVA REGION IN INCREASING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY SUPERVISION

Community participation is an indicator that determines the quality of election administration and signifies the importance of democracy for a country. Participation in elections is carried out in two ways, including first conducting election socialization and secondly carrying out voter education and conveying the results of election monitoring and reporting suspected election violations. High public participation in elections (voter turnout) and public trust are part of the integrity of elections on the other hand low participation in elections is associated with public apathy. The Bawaslu’s data for the 2019 simultaneous elections in the West Java region show high findings and reports of violations, while public participation in monitoring and reporting suspected violations is considered low. The low level of public involvement in monitoring and reporting electoral fraud is due to the lack of socialization and education carried out by Bawaslu, so the capacity of the community as a human resource to monitor and report suspected election violations is still low. The research method used is a qualitative research method with research instruments including interviews with 17 key informants and field observations by making direct observations covering the West Java region and reviewing documents as supporting data in data refinement. The study results illustrate that the Participatory Oversight Program implemented by Bawaslu could have been more optimal, as evidenced by the low level of public participation in election monitoring and reporting suspected violations. In contrast, future election violations are increasingly massive. So it requires strategies and collaboration to increase participatory community supervision.

Implementing Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan with Beneficiaries for Improving Performance: Evidence from Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer

The beneficiaries’ involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation is one of the key drivers for the performance of development projects. The Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer is a neediness decrease project carried out in all the districts. The motivation behind the study was to lay out the influence of households’ associations in the implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation plan on the performance of the Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project. The study took on a pragmatic paradigm with a blended research design strategy. Yamane formula was used to obtain a sample size of 400 heads of households while eight Village Committees and eight Monitoring Officers were selected by using purposive sampling. Quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and regression models while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. The study established a significant influence between households’ involvement in the implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation plan (t= 8.472, p-value =.000) on the performance of the Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project. In this manner, it was evidenced that households’ contribution to Monitoring and Evaluation significantly influenced the performance of the Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project. It was recommended therefore that the Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project Monitoring and Evaluation policy should be reviewed in order to ensure it is people-centered and make it vital for households’ involvement in the Monitoring and Evaluation cycle. The review must define the Monitoring and Evaluation team that is composed of households’ representatives. Further investigations ought to look at the organizational practice of Monitoring and Evaluation and level of use of Monitoring and Evaluation information for further improving performance.

GOOD VILLAGE GOVERNANCE DI DESA AYUMOLINGO

The practice of good village governance has been pioneered and implemented since the outbreak of the reform era, during which the reformation of the government system led to a clean democratic process so that good governance is one of the reform tools that is absolutely necessary in the new government. However, if you look at the development of the implementation of good governance in Indonesia, especially in Ayumolingo Village, which has been running for about 15 years, it has not been fully successful in accordance with the aspirations of reform. This qualitative research by prioritizing primary data and secondary data, focuses on seeing how the application of the principle of transparency in governance towards good village governance in Ayumolingo Village and the factors that influence it? The conclusion is that the implementation of the principles of Good Village Governance in Ayumolingo Village, Gorontalo Regency, resulted in the application of the principle of transparency in Ayumolingo Village being good, but there is still a need for improvement from the aspect of community involvement in monitoring and supervising the governance of Ayumolingo Village. The factors that influence the application of the principle of transparency in the governance of Ayumolingo Village in realizing good village governance are coordination factors, physical factors and power factors.

Households’ Involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation Decision-Making and Performance of Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project

Poverty is one of the challenges affecting developing countries. In efforts to curb this problem, Tanzania has been implementing a Conditional Cash Transfer project for reducing the poverty reduction rate among households that were identified to be extremely poor. Therefore, this study assessed the extent to which households’ involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation decision-making influenced the performance of the Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project. Descriptive cross-sectional and correlational research designs were used, supported by a pragmatic paradigm. By using Yamane‘s (1967) formula, a sample size of 400 respondents was obtained from a target population of 61,240 households. Data were collected through administered questionnaires, key in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings established a significant influence between households’ involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation decision-making (t=4.970, p-value=0.000) on the performancethe of Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project. It was concluded that households’ involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation decision-making played a significant role in the performance of the Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project. Therefore, it was recommended that implementers of the project were required to establish the section in the M&E document that incorporates the involvement of households at the decision levels as a catalyst for influencing the performancethe of Tanzania Conditional Cash Transfer Project.

Confidence College – an online education tool for neurology patients

COVID-19 and its aftermath highlight the importance of patient self-care and involvement in monitoring and improving their health. Resources to guide this are essential. Our objective was to create a web-based patient education tool, to facilitate patient education and empowerment for people with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, available without cost to patients, carers and clinicians. This project was conducted within community and secondary neurology services. Patients and their carers were involved in designing, reviewing and revising the tool, as equal partners with clinicians and digital engineers. A web-based design template was developed with graphics and links to enable patients to create personalised plans. Participants are patients, carers, clinicians (neurology consultants and specialist nurses), neurological charities, the London Neuroscience Clinical Network, NHS England and Shift.ms (a service design team with experience in creating digital services for individuals living with neurological conditions). Shift.ms conducted in-depth interviews. Clinicians used evidence from personal and PubMed databases. Shift.ms analysed and co-ordinated the responses, and designed the pilot tool. Confidence College provides a delivery model for patient education relating to multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. It requires follow-up evaluation regarding uptake. This web-based accessible patient empowerment tool has no limit on recurrent use, low maintenance costs and no additional costs in up-scaling the number of users. It is ideally suited for use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stakeholder Involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation and Performance of Constituency Development Funded Projects: A Case of Juja Constituency, Kiambu County, Kenya

The government finances Constituency Development Fund projects to ensure they are effectively finished. In addition, they play a key role in the achievement of the Kenya's Vision 2030. To improve the performance of Constituency Development Fund projects monitoring and evaluation is a common practice during various phases of the projects. However, most Constituency Development Fund projects are characterized by low stakeholder involvement. Further, Constituency Development Fund initiatives have worse success with regard to time, cost, and quality targets. The study therefore sought to examine the effect of stakeholder involvement in monitoring and evaluation on performance of the Constituency Development Fund projects in Juja constituency, Kiambu County. Descriptive and explanatory research was used for the investigation. The target population was 60 Constituency Development Fund projects in Juja Constituency and the respondents were 60 individuals. The results indicated that stakeholders' involvement in monitoring and evaluation has a positive and significant effect on performance of the Constituency Development Fund projects in Juja constituency. The study concludes that an improvement in stakeholder involvement in monitoring and evaluation would lead to an improvement in the performance of the Constituency Development Fund projects in Juja constituency. The study recommends that all stakeholders in a project should be properly informed in order to guarantee that meetings are held frequently and that all members participate actively in monitoring and evaluation. Involvement and management of stakeholders improves project quality and project ownership. All stakeholders should be involved in every monitoring and evaluation activity and make necessary adjustments if required to ensure Constituency Development Fund projects achieve the set objectives.

KAPASITAS SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM HIV/AIDS DI KABUPATEN SINTANG

Background: HIV/AIDS sufferers in Sintang Districts recorded the number of new cases from 29 people in 2012 to 63 people in 2017. Funding for the HIV/AIDS program from the Global Fund is uncertain, while funding from the Sintang Regency APBD tends to decrease. These data indicated that the dependence on funding
 for the HIV/AIDS program from donors, namely the Global Fund, is large enough that a study on the sustainability of the HIV/AIDS program is required if funding support from donors ceases. This can be a consideration for local governments and managers of the HIV/AIDS program to maintain the sustainability of the HIV/AIDS program to achieve the benefits and objectives to be achieved in the HIV/AIDS prevention program.
 Objective: To describe capacity sustainability (funding stability, or ganizational capacity, program evaluation, program adaptation and communication) of HIV/AIDS programs in Sintang District.
 Methods: This research used a qualitative approach with descriptive research type. Subjects of this study were 21 people. This research used purposive sampling and snowballing sampling for
 People living with HIV/Aids (PLWHA), with data analysis used is content analysis.
 Results: The sustainability of HIV/AIDS programs has not been supported by varied funding sources and the ability to obtain funding through the private sector (CSR). Priority setting of the proposed funding program is not evenly distributed, especially on cross-sectoral OPD and lack of NGO independence in terms of funding. Increased availability of health personnel and improvement of facilities at puskesmas to be able to perform HIV / AIDS testing.
 Standard evaluation report formats are still not getting attention, not yet supported by the local monitoring and evaluation team as well as some OPD across sectors have not benefited from the evaluation.
 weak aspects of prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission and cross sectoral involvement in monitoring. lack of availability of counselors and weak cross-sectoral involvement in communicating programs.
 Conclusion: The capacity of funding stability, organizational capacity, program evaluation, program adaptation and communication still require improvement and improvement with priority setting policy and funding through the private sector, support for the role of stakeholders related to the HIV/AIDS program.

Community volunteer assessment of recreational water quality in the Hutt River, Wellington

ABSTRACT Water is an important component of many recreational opportunities and New Zealand invests significant resources in recreational water quality (RWQ) monitoring to assess risks to public health. However, monitoring primarily focuses on microbiological hazards and RWQ is considerably broader than this. The goal of this study was to take a comprehensive approach to evaluating RWQ while exploring the potential for greater public involvement in monitoring. A popular river swimming site was co-monitored weekly by volunteers and a council field officer. The attributes monitored–water temperature, visual clarity, benthic cyanobacteria and filamentous periphyton cover, E. coli and rubbish–were identified from a volunteer workshop. There was good concordance between volunteer and council data suggesting that volunteer measurements can be considered reliable. This highlights the potential for volunteers, with professional support, including training and quality assurance, to extend council RWQ surveillance to additional monitoring sites while improving public engagement on water management.

The Role of Natural History Collections in Public Engagement for Enhancing Biodiversity Research

Citizen science biodiversity monitoring projects are becoming very common. It is generally accepted that these joint projects, of scientists and the public, have a positive effect on biodiversity and conservation education programs as well as on policy-makers opinion Ganzevoort et al. (2017). Yet, there is still a debate on the quality of the data collected in citizen science monitoring schemes, and especially on the benefits to high-quality research. Here, I present an example of how collection-based research and involvement of the public (non-taxonomists) in taxonomical education, i.e., advanced citizen science, can enhance research on scorpion diversity in Israel. Furthermore, the process of public involvement in monitoring and especially the prerequisites needed for this process, contributed to high-quality research, that in turn is enhancing biodiversity science. Considering this, I will discuss the basic stages required for successful public engagement in high-quality biodiversity research and monitoring schemes.

Do institutional blockholders influence corporate investment? Evidence from emerging markets

This paper examines the relationship between firm investment ratios and institutional blockholders for a sample of 6300 publicly traded firms in 16 large emerging markets for the 2004–2016 period. Results show that independent, long-term, and local institutional investors boost investment ratios, and this is consistent with the monitoring role and blockholder voice intervention hypotheses. The presence of institutional blockholders, regardless of their monitoring involvement, reduces firm cash flow sensitivity ratios and thus, firms' financial constraints. Minority institutional investors complement the positive effect of blockholder investors. However, the effect on financial constraints decreases as the quality of the country's institutions increases.

Experiences of user involvement in mental health settings: User motivations and benefits.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: User involvement, when people who have accessed services become actively involved in aspects of mental health care, can sometimes be "tokenistic" and not well thought through. Users are often involved in their own care, and asked for feedback, but are less likely to be meaningfully involved in developing services and training staff. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: To implement meaningful involvement, it is important to know why some users choose to devote time to such activities. User representatives in this study, involved in a UK mental health service, wanted to help people in a similar position and give something back to those that helped them. As people started involvement activities, such as interviewing staff, they gained confidence and felt part of something that was making a difference. After being supported by staff to explore opportunities, representatives become more independent and some moved to different, sometimes salaried, roles. Some representatives did not feel valued or supported. Staff often controlled opportunities, and many users missed out on being involved. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Staff need to understand and receive training on involvement. The definition of involvement should be agreed by users and staff together, and outcomes of involvement activities must be fed-back to users on a regular basis. There should be dedicated involvement workers in services, to support individuals and integrate involvement into the system. It is important to consider how to make involvement accessible to more mental health service users. ABSTRACT: Introduction Despite guidance promoting user involvement, meaningful involvement continues to be debated within services. To effectively implement involvement, it is important to acknowledge why users devote time to such activities. Aim This study explores user representatives' experiences of involvement, including motivations and personal benefits. Method Thirteen user representatives involved in activities such as staff training and interviews were recruited from a UK National Health Service mental health Trust during 2015. Themes within semi-structured interviews were developed using constructivist grounded theory analysis. Memo-writing, process and focused coding, and core categories supported development of the conceptual framework of being a user representative. Findings Being a user representative was inextricably linked to wellness, yet staff governed opportunities. Making a difference to others and giving back were initial motivating factors. Experiences depended on feeling valued, and the theme of transition captured shifts in identity. Discussion User representatives reported increased confidence and well-being when supported by staff. However, involvement triggered mental health difficulties and identified the need for regular monitoring and reflection of involvement activities and practice. Implications for practice Services should consider coproduction, where users and staff agree together on involvement definitions. Dedicated involvement workers are crucial to supporting individual well-being and monitoring involvement.

Monitoring and Evaluation Systems and Performance of Non-Governmental Based Maternal Health Projects in Bungoma South Sub-County, Kenya

The growth in number and size of non-governmental organizations in Kenya has been met with a growing concern about identifying their achievements and effectiveness of their projects. The struggle by majority of NGOs account for their work and demonstrate real results continues to taint their image as development change agents to various stakeholders. One way organizations can improve effectiveness of their interventions is by strengthening their monitoring and evaluation systems. This study sought to determine the influence of monitoring and evaluation systems on performance of non-governmental based maternal health projects in Bungoma South Sub-County, Kenya. Specific objectives were to: determine how monitoring and evaluation plans, human Resource capacity, nature of monitoring and evaluation information systems adopted, and stakeholder participation in monitoring and evaluation influence performance of nongovernmental maternal health projects in Bungoma South Sub-County. A descriptive survey design and correlation design was employed. With a target population of 101 respondents, a census was conducted on all respondents involved in implementation of maternal health projects from the three non-governmental organizations (AA, STC, and CREADIS). Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. A fairly strong correlation of 0.607, 0.530, 0.533 and -0.489 for monitoring and evaluation plans, human resource capacity, nature of information system adopted, and stakeholder participation respectively and performance of maternal health projects. The regression analysis indicated that, taking all the independent variables at a constant zero, performance of maternal health projects was 4.087. The study recommends alignment of staff job descriptions with their M&E plans, increase the number of M&E training, conduct Routine Data Quality Assessment to detect areas of difficulties to staff, invest in Information and Communication Technology, and manage stakeholders’ involvement in Monitoring and Evaluation in order to achieve quality data.

The Risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Primary Sjögren Syndrome: A General Population-based Study.

To estimate the future risk and time trends of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in individuals with newly diagnosed primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) in the general population. Using a population database that includes all residents of British Columbia, Canada, we created a study cohort of all patients with incident SS and up to 10 controls from the general population matched for age, sex, and entry time. We compared incidence rates (IR) of pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and VTE between the 2 groups according to SS disease duration. We calculated HR, adjusting for confounders. Among 1175 incident pSS cases (mean age 56.7 yrs, 87.6% women), the IR of PE, DVT, and VTE were 3.9, 2.8, and 5.2 per 1000 person-years (PY), respectively; the corresponding rates in the comparison cohort were 0.9, 0.8, and 1.4 per 1000 PY. Compared with non-SS individuals, the multivariable HR for PE, DVT, and VTE among SS cases were 4.07 (95% CI 2.04-8.09), 2.80 (95% CI 1.27-6.17), and 2.92 (95% CI 1.66-5.16), respectively. The HR matched for age, sex, and entry time for VTE, PE, and DVT were highest during the first year after SS diagnosis (8.29, 95% CI 2.57-26.77; 4.72, 95% CI 1.13-19.73; and 7.34, 95% CI 2.80-19.25, respectively). These findings provide population-based evidence that patients with pSS have a substantially increased risk of VTE, especially within the first year after SS diagnosis. Further research into the involvement of monitoring and prevention of VTE in SS may be warranted.

Do Institutional Blockholders Influence Corporate Investment? Evidence from Emerging Markets

This paper examines the relation between firm investment ratios and institutional blockholder ownership for a sample of 6,300 publicly traded firms of 16 large emerging markets for the 2005-2014 period. Results show that independent, long-term, and local institutional investors boost investment ratios, consistent with the monitoring role and blockholder voice intervention hypotheses. The presence of institutional blockholders, regardless their monitoring involvement, reduces firm cash flow sensitivity ratios and thus decreasing firms’ financial constraints.

Moving forward in collaborative forest management: Role of external actors for sustainable Forest socio-ecological systems

Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) of local forest users and governments promoted to achieve sustainable forest Social-Ecological Systems (SESs) by consolidating strengths of these actors. Although much of the writings on CFM acknowledge its potential to deliver sustainable SESs, knowledge about what specific role of government can strengthen local forest management and utilization is still poor at best. This study aims to fill the gap by analyzing meta-data from International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) database for 77 SESs (IFRI sites) in seven countries. We used Ordinal logistic regression to model association between government's Forester Department involvement in important forest management activities and sustainability of forest SES. Our result shows that Forester Department involvement in planting, forest maintenance activities and forest benefit sharing among forest users are associated with sustainable SESs while their involvement in monitoring, sanctioning and transfer of local people harvest right are associated with unsustainable SESs. Our finding has important implications for the ongoing local to global level discourse on how to structure appropriate government interventions to achieve positive social and environmental outcomes from local forest management. However, we suggest precaution not to overstretch the implication of our findings as a panacea for CFM.