Kaleidoscope Model Research Articles

A Kaleidoscope Model to address the Construction 4.0 policy changes in Malaysia

The current era of Industry 4.0, driven by advanced technologies, holds immense potential for revolutionising various industries and fostering substantial economic growth. However, comprehending intricate processes of policy change poses difficulties, impeding necessary adaptations. Public apprehensions are growing about the inertia and efficacy of policy changes, given the influential role of policy environments in shaping development amidst resource constraints. To address these concerns, the study introduces the Kaleidoscope Model of policy change, serving as a roadmap for policymakers to enact effective changes. The study investigates the mediating impact of cultural change within the framework of the Kaleidoscope Model. The study delves into cultural influences by incorporating the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) Theory. The methodology involves questionnaires survey, analysing using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings reveal that only the Policy Adoption and Policy Implementation components significantly affect the assessment of the effectiveness of the Construction 4.0 policy. Intriguingly, the final model demonstrates no discernible connection between the Kaleidoscope Model and the cultural influences. This study makes a noteworthy contribution to the realm of political science by furnishing a comprehensive framework and directives for the successful implementation of the Construction 4.0 policy.

How do sustainability policies emerge in the Colombian political system? A Kaleidoscope Model Analysis of the Policy for Sustainable Cattle 2022–2050

Environmental concerns such as deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions have reached preoccupying levels globally, for which the governments of different countries have committed to mitigation actions. In Colombia, one of the most ambitious initiatives to contribute to the commitments is the Policy for Sustainable Cattle 2022–2050 (Política para la Ganadería Bovina Sostenible 2022–2050), whose purpose is to promote the transition from traditional cattle farming to sustainable production systems and value chains. This study analyzes the construction process of the policy and determines the factors that allowed the change in public policies towards more sustainability. For this, a documentary analysis is carried out with a qualitative-descriptive approach consulting primary and secondary sources. As a theoretical framework, the Kaleidoscope Model of Policy Change is used, emphasizing on the first three stages, namely a) Agenda Setting, b) Design, and c) Adoption, and delving into the fourth stage of Implementation. The results reveal that multiple factors allowed the development of the policy, such as the need to face the environmental crisis, international summits that highlighted the problem, previous policies and, in general, an accumulation of experiences and knowledge. It became also evident that the main challenges for this policy have been the lack of coordination among the different national governments, as had its own vision of sustainability, in addition to the complexity of coordinating sustainability and competitiveness criteria among the ministries. It is concluded that although the development of the policy is a first step in the transition to sustainability, there are still many challenges ahead for change to be expressed in concrete actions.

The politics of agricultural policy and nutrition: A case study of Malawi's Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP).

The concept of food and nutrition policy has broadened from simply being an aspect of health policy, to policy interventions from across a wide range of sectors, but still with potentially important impact on nutritional outcomes. This wider and more complex conceptualisation involves policy with multiple objectives and stakeholder influences. Thus, it becomes particularly important to understand the dynamics of these policy processes, including policy design and implementation. To add to this literature, we apply the Kaleidoscope Model for understanding policy change in developing country contexts to the case-study of an agricultural input subsidy (AIS) programme in Malawi, the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), exploring the dynamics of the FISP policy process including nutritional impact. Over a three-month period between 2017 and 2019 we conducted in-depth interviews with key stakeholders at national and district levels, and focus groups with people from rural districts in Malawi. We also undertook a review of literature relating to the political economy of the FISP. We analysed the data thematically, as per the domains of the Kaleidoscope Model. The analysis across the FISP policy process including policy design and implementation highlights how stakeholders' ideas, interests and influence have shaped the evolution of FISP policy including constraints to policy improvement-and the nutritional impacts of this. This approach extends the literature on the tensions, contradictions and challenges in food and nutrition policy by examining the reasons that these occur in Malawi with the FISP. We also add to the political science and policy analysis literature on policy implementation, extending the concept of veto players to include those targeted by the policy. The findings are important for consideration by policymakers and other stakeholders seeking to address malnutrition in rural, food-insecure populations in Malawi and other low-income settings.

Addressing the Implication of the Construction 4.0 Policy in Malaysia

The rise of digitalization is prompting governments to reconsider their strategies due to challenges faced by industries during this transition. Governments have prioritized Industry 4.0, implementing large-scale policies to enhance productivity, competitiveness, and workforce skills. However, understanding the complex process of policy change poses difficulties in driving necessary transformations. This research introduces the Kaleidoscope Model, which offers a roadmap for policymakers to perform effective changes with the moderating effect – challenges faced. The study employs document analysis and semi-structured interviews for qualitative data through content analysis. Results highlight that Policy Adoption and Policy Implementation notably influence the evaluation of the Construction 4.0 policy's effectiveness. Interestingly, the final model doesn't show a clear link between the Kaleidoscope Model and policy evaluation due to moderating effects. This research expands political science by aiding the implementation of the Construction 4.0 policy, providing guidelines for policymakers and construction stakeholders. By embracing advanced technologies, the construction industry's dynamics are transformed to align with the goals of the policy. Keywords: Construction 4.0 Policy; Construction Industry; Implication; Malaysia; Policy Change

A Kaleidoscope of play: a new approach to play analysis in childhood

ABSTRACT Play is a frequent and relevant activity during childhood, and developmental psychologists agree that it offers a unique window on development. Play, however, remains a fuzzy concept, and difficulties persist in its definition, often leading to obstacles in building and comparing experimental studies. This may be due to widespread tendencies to define play by referring to non-observable inner states, to consider playing something that occurs in the head rather than in-the-world and to overreliance on developmental stages. Enactive approaches to child play have instead recently stressed the importance of play contexts, considering child play an activity in-the-world rather than a mental state, thereby de-intellectualizing play and pretense. Along these lines, in this paper the authors propose a novel approach to the definition of play types by considering the roles of organism, environment, and task constraints, within the framework of Material Engagement Theory. Focusing on the material world surrounding the child and the interactions which characterize play, we critically review the strategy of resorting to non-observable categories in the study of play, and we propose a new model (the Kaleidoscope Model) for play analysis.

Design and approval of the nutritional warnings' policy in Peru: Milestones, key stakeholders, and policy drivers for its approval.

Nutritional warnings are used as a public health strategy to address obesity. Peru approved in 2013 and implemented in 2019 a law requiring nutritional warnings on the marketing and packaging of processed foods high in sugar, sodium, saturated fat, and containing trans-fat. The complexity behind the design and approval of these policies over six years provides unique learnings, that inform the obesity prevention context, especially when proposed policies face strong opposition from powerful stakeholders. Our study aims to describe the milestones and key stakeholders' roles and stances during the nutritional warnings policy design in Peru, and to identify and analyze the main drivers of policy change that explain its approval. In 2021, interviews were conducted with 25 key informants closely involved in its design. Interviews were analyzed using the Kaleidoscope Model as a theoretical framework. Relevant policy documents and news were also analyzed. Milestones for this policy included the approval of the Law, Regulation, and Manual. Policy supporters were mainly from Congress, civil society advocates, and Health Ministers. Opponents came from Congress, ministries linked to the economic sector, the food industry, and media. Across the years, warnings evolved from a single text, to traffic lights, to the approved black octagons. Main challenges included the strong opposition of powerful stakeholders, the lack of agreement for defining the appropriate evidence supporting nutritional warning parameters and design, and the political instability of the country. Based on the Kaleidoscope Model, the policy successfully targeted a relevant problem (unhealthy eating decisions) and had powerful advocates who effectively used focusing events to reposition the warnings in the policy agenda across the years. Negotiations weakened the policy but led to its approval. Importantly, government veto players were mostly in favor of the policy, which enabled its final approval despite the strong opposition.

The seed sector development in low-income countries: Lessons from the Malawi seed sector policy process

IntroductionExternal conditionalities have shaped public policy development in borrowing nations. This has been through top-down policy support programs, an example being the policy reforms under the structural adjustment program. Under the seed sector reforms Malawi committed to the Southern Africa Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa harmonized seed regulations technical agreements.MethodsTo contribute to the debate, we analyzed the Malawi seed sector policy process by investigating three questions: What were the leading events? Who were the stakeholders involved, and their roles? Which factors influenced the policy process? Qualitative tools were employed based on policy process theory using the Kaleidoscope Model. We used stakeholder inception, planning, feedback workshops, and key informant interviews (N = 17). This data was complemented by grey literature as secondary information. Snowball sampling was used to identify key informant interview participants based on the saturation principle. Narrative analysis focusing on content, structure, and dialogic context was used.ResultsOur results show a strong external influence on the seed sector policy process. This began after independence when development partners supported the establishment of the public agricultural research system to improve production for food security and export. Failure to achieve the earlier objectives resulted in economic reforms aimed at private sector-led seed sector development based on market-oriented policies. The increase in the private sector's role called for adopting and enacting regulatory policies and legislation that used policy transfer theory. International financial institutions, multinational companies, and regional economic communities led this process. Our evidence suggests that the civil society community in Malawi contested the policies for not recognizing farmers' rights. This affected the domestication process of the harmonized seed regulations technical agreements.DiscussionTherefore, we recommend critical consideration and embracing of existing domestic social, political, and technical conditions to support economic policy reforms. This would help reduce unintended consequences and improve inclusivity. Governments may need to play an interlocutory role for the various actors in the policy domain during the domestication process.

Understanding policy change for obesity prevention: learning from sugar-sweetened beverages taxes in Mexico and Chile.

This article examines the policy change process that resulted in the current sugar-sweetened beverages taxes in Mexico and Chile, using the Kaleidoscope Model for Policy Change, a framework developed for nutrition and food policy change analysis. We used a qualitative study design, including 24 key informant (KI) interviews (16 researchers, 5 civil society representatives and 3 food/beverage industry representatives), encompassing global and in-country perspectives. The analysis shows concurrence with the Kaleidoscope Model, highlighting commonalities in the policy change process. These included the importance of focusing events and coalitions for agenda-setting. Both top-down executive leadership and bottom-up pressure from civil society coalitions were important for the policy adoption as were flexible framing of the tax, and taking advantage of windows of opportunity. In both countries, the tax resulted from national, revenue-seeking fiscal reforms and in sub-optimal tax rates, as a result of the industry influence. KIs also discussed emerging evaluation results, highlighting differences in interpretation concerning the magnitude of change from the tax, and shared potential modifications to the current policies. This analysis contributes to a greater understanding of the policy change process focused on obesity prevention, using an innovative theoretical framework developed specifically for food and nutrition policy.

What drives policy reform? A cross-country review of micronutrient policy change in Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia

Abstract There is increased interest and awareness in country and among donors of the importance of evidence-based policy change in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. While much is known about the technical and programmatic elements necessary to end hunger and undernutrition (including micronutrient deficiencies), far less is known about how to initiate policy discussion and overcome the political and implementation constraints necessary for policy change and impact in this domain. Despite universal and targeted programs to combat micronutrient deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa, achieving results has proven more challenging than expected, except in the case of iodine deficiency reductions. This paper reviews the three in-depth country case studies of micronutrient policy change in Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia. Using the Kaleidoscope Model of policy change, data collected from the construction of policy chronologies and engagement with a range of stakeholders in the countries, the review highlights what drives and constrains policy change. The cases show that credible evidence and knowledge are crucial to all elements of the policy cycle. International attention to nutrition, focusing events and guidelines on best practice were found to be essential in initiating policy reform. However, sustaining the momentum seems dependent on donor support and the coordination of a wide range of stakeholders and implementing partners, including the private sector. The Kaleidoscope Model offers a tool to guide governments, researchers, and international agencies regarding the entry points for policy change and an insight into the key considerations to move the process through the policy stages and to initiate ongoing cycles of change.

COPD patient education and support – Achieving patient-centredness

BackgroundThe art of medicine is undergoing a dramatic shift in focus, evolving to focus on patient involvement as partners in care, transforming the traditional, prescriptive, reactive practice of healthcare into a proactive discipline. The personal and societal burden of chronic diseases is burgeoning and unsustainable in current systems, novel approaches are required to address this. DiscussionAlthough considerable progress has been made in the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and care guidelines for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), questions remain surrounding the implementation of best practice education and support. Current educational programmes, personal limitations and preferences and patient-clinician communication in modification of coping styles and behaviour are discussed. A novel holistic model, the Kaleidoscope Model of Care is proposed to address the barriers to optimal self-care behaviours. Conclusion and practice implicationsHolistic approaches are essential for optimal self-management and improved outcomes. Guidance on personalised goals for patients to help meeting their therapy priorities is needed to aid healthcare professionals (HCPs) and funders to minimise healthcare burden and costs. The novel KALMOD approach may optimise patient empowerment, exploring whole-life factors that impact COPD care and improve interactions between patients and HCPs for optimised outcomes.

The Kaleidoscope Model of policy change: Applications to food security policy in Zambia

USAID through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy (FSP) and the CGIAR Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) research program.

Interview: A psychologist's view of diabetes care

KATHARINE BARNARD SPEAKS TO SARAH JONES, COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Professor Katharine Barnard, Chartered Health Psychologist, specializes in the psychosocial impact and management of diabetes. She has a long-standing research interest in psychosocial functioning and factors important to optimal quality of life. Through her extensive research portfolio, a greater understanding has been gained of the factors contributing to therapy choices and quality of life; behavioral interventions and theoretical underpinning; and the far-reaching impact that diabetes has on both the individuals with the condition and their family members. Professor Barnard's research to date has made significant advances in unravelling some of the complexities associated with this multifaceted area. Professor Barnard is the founder of the Kaleidoscope Model of Diabetes Care philosophy and Behaviors for Health intervention (KALMOD Behaviors for Health), and Principal Investigator on the web-based cognitive–behavior therapy for depression i...

Kaleidoscope model of diabetes care: time for a rethink?

National Audit Data highlight persistent sub-optimum control among increasing numbers of people living with diabetes, with severe consequences for the individual and the NHS. The aim of the present review was to introduce a new cohesive, holistic model of care, tailored to individual needs to support optimum diabetes outcomes. This model of diabetes is necessary in order to understand the driving forces behind behaviour and their impact on diabetes management. Feelings (an emotional state or reaction) and beliefs (an acceptance that something is true or real) are fundamental behavioural drivers and influence diabetes self-management choices. Individually, these explain some of the complexities of behaviour and, collectively, they impact on personal motivation (rationale/desire to act) to achieve a specific outcome. Inevitably, they independently affect diabetes self-management and the environment in which individuals live. A model of care that proposes the encompassing of environment, intrinsic thought and therapy regimens to provide tailored, personalized healthcare should support enhanced diabetes self-management and outcomes from diagnosis. The Kaleidoscope model of care could be deliverable in routine care, incorporating each of the influences on diabetes self-management, and should benefit both individuals with diabetes and healthcare professionals.

Measuring functional skills in preschool children at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities

Approximately 400,000 preschool children have a major neurodevelopmental disorder impacting on mobility, cognitive-adaptive, or communicative skills. As many as 1 in 3 children live at psychosocial disadvantage because of poverty, parental mental illness or substance misuse, or low parental educational (i.e. less than high school). In the past decade over 500,000 preschool children have survived being born with very low birth weight (1001-1500 g) or extremely low birth weight status (< or =1000 g). Given the scope of these risks and the importance of optimizing outcomes for vulnerable children, this review will highlight advances in functional assessment using adaptive and multiattribute health-related quality of life measures. A framework based on the International Classification of Functioning, (ICF) World Health Organization and the Dynamic Kaleidoscope Model of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will be described and illustrated with examples of children receiving new biomedical technologies. Assessment scales were chosen for review if they measured adaptive skills or multiattribute health status and had been used in child disability populations. Instruments reviewed include the Infant and Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire (ITQOL), The Netherlands Office of Prevention Assessment of Preschool Quality of Life (TAPQOL), the Health Status Classification System-PreSchool (HSCS-PS), the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS), the Warner Inventory of Developmental and Emerging Adaptive and Functional Skills (Warner IDEA-FS), the Scales of Independent Behavior Revised (SIB-R) Early Development Form, the Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4 (PedsQL 4.0). By measuring functional and adaptive skills and health-related quality of life, we can help devise intervention strategies that optimize developmental independence, family supports, and community participation among children who are at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities or who have evolving established neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Kaleidoscope careers: An alternate explanation for the “opt-out“ revolution

Executive Overview Recently, there has been considerable media attention granted to “the opt-out revolution,“ a term coined to describe the alarming talent drain of highly trained women, largely working mothers, who choose not to aspire to the corporate executive suite. This article critically reviews explanations for this phenomenon, and posits an alternate explanation of the kaleidoscope career model that fits workers' concerns for authenticity, balance, and challenge, vis-a-vis the demands of their careers in this new millennium. In particular, the kaleidoscope model fits women's careers well as a means of understanding how women operate relationally to others in both work and non-work realms. Like a kaleidoscope that produces changing patterns when the tube is rotated and its glass chips fall into new arrangements, women shift the pattern of their careers by rotating different aspects in their lives to arrange their roles and relationships in new ways. The article concludes with guidelines on how wome...

A KALEIDOSCOPE MODEL: DEFINING NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Research on the relationship between people and nature has rarely incorporated a definition of natural environments. This exploratory project was designed to uncover underlying themes which comprise conceptualization of natural environments. Fourteen interviews were conducted with adult respondents, combining a biographical section with a picture sorting exercise. Content analysis revealed a myriad of dimensions and attributes which can be organized into four meta-level themes used to categorize environments as natural or not natural. The meta-themes included: (1) people as separate from nature; (2) assessment of natural elements; (3) human impact on nature; and (4) the human place within natural environments. Further analysis of the meta-level themes led to hypothesis generation about possible subcategories of natural environments, including ‘totally natural’, ‘civilized natural’, ‘semi-natural’ and ‘quasi-natural’. ‘Non-natural’ environments were also included in this schema, as they define the boundary of natural environments. A kaleidoscope model is used to illustrate how nature is defined through a complex web of interrelationships.

Stamina: the Thread of Human Life

What human qualities contribute to future health? In the prospective Precursors Study, a cohort of medical students was measured and tested at a mean age of 23 and followed for up to 33 years. As subjects developed disease and/or died prematurely, youthful psychological profiles characterizing several major disorder groups were distinctive. Whereas physicians in midlife who had remained in good health had had youthful profiles suggesting self-esteem, a warm relationship with parents, an open, flexible approach to life, minimal nervous tension under stress, and a lack of morbid psychodynamic undertones in response to the Rorschach test, subjects in the mental, cardiovascular and neoplasm groups showed different psychological patterns. One of the most striking findings was that the Family Attitude Questionnaire showed that the cancer and mental disorder groups were similar in their lack of closeness to parents, in contrast to the cardiovascular and healthy groups. The kaleidoscope model is proposed.