Participation Of Key Stakeholders Research Articles

Nordic radiographers’ and students’ perspectives on artificial intelligence – A cross-sectional online survey

IntroductionThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the domain of radiography holds substantial potential in various aspects including workflow efficiency, image processing, patient positioning, and quality assurance. The successful implementation of AI within a Radiology department necessitates the participation of key stakeholders, particularly radiographers. The study aimed to provide a comprehensive investigation about Nordic radiographers' perspectives and attitudes towards AI in radiography. MethodsAn online 29-item survey was distributed via social media platforms to Nordic students and radiographers working in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands including items on demographics, specialization, educational background, place of work and perspectives and knowledge on AI. The items were a mix of closed-type and scaled questions, with the option for free-text responses when relevant. ResultsThe survey received responses from all Nordic countries with 586 respondents, 26.8% males, 72.1% females, and 1.1% non-binary/self-defined or preferred not to say.The mean age was 37.2 with a standard deviation (SD) of ±12.1 years, and the mean number of years since qualification was 14.2 SD ± 10.3 years. A total of 43% (n = 254) of the respondents had not received any AI training in clinical practice. Whereas 13% (n = 76) had received AI during radiography undergrad training. A total of 77.9% (n = 412) expressed interest in pursuing AI education. The majority of respondents were aware of the potential use of AI (n = 485, 82.8%) and 39.1% (n = 204) had no reservations about AI. ConclusionOverall, this study found that Nordic radiographers have a positive attitude toward AI. Very limited training or education has been provided to the radiographers. Especially since 82.8% reports on plans to implement AI in clinical practice. In general, awareness of AI applications is high, but the educational level is low for Nordic radiographers. Implication for practiceThis study emphasises the favourable view of AI held by students and Nordic radiographers. However, there is a need for continuous professional development to facilitate the implementation and effective utilization of AI tools within the field of radiography.

Multi-hazard risk assessment of rail infrastructure in India under local vulnerabilities towards adaptive pathways for disaster resilient infrastructure planning

“Lifeline of the nation” is the motto of Indian Railways as it connects through a common thread, billion plus population in one way or the other. The National Rail Plan for India – 2030 focuses on creating a ‘future ready’ Railway system by 2030 by suitably integrating new railway systems like high-speed rails. However, rail infrastructure is exposed to multi-hazards and disasters sometimes disrupt safe rail operations. This study explores rail infrastructure risk assessment at a national scale utilizing the UNDRR framework and synthesized application of geospatial technologies with a focus on disentanglement of local vulnerabilities of the rail infrastructure assets utilizing factors of health of bridges, visibility obstruction to level crossings, labour wages & their regions and GSDP under multi-hazard scenarios. The results revealed that the NR and NFR were identified as high-risk routes under the risk analysis of physical and social vulnerability scenarios, followed by CR Railways. The average annual frequencies of emergency cases in each zone show a correlation r (17) = 0.4758 with the combined mean risk ranks for each zone. In comparison to socioeconomic factors, which contribute to indirect losses, physical factors directly affect safety and contribute to direct losses. Further, outcomes depict more accidents on Indian Railways during the monsoon (nearly 50%) and cold weather (29%) seasons. The study suggests that with the participation of key stakeholders, including urban and transport planners, an integrated approach is helpful in identifying critical rail routes towards risk-informed adaptive disaster-resilient infrastructure planning for providing safety, continuity and reliability of essential rail services.

Challenges for research uptake for health policymaking and practice in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

BackgroundAn estimated 85% of research resources are wasted worldwide, while there is growing demand for context-based evidence-informed health policymaking. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), research uptake for health policymaking and practice is even lower, while little is known about the barriers to the translation of health evidence to policy and local implementation. We aimed to compile the current evidence on barriers to uptake of research in health policy and practice in LMICs using scoping review.MethodsThe scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses-extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Both published evidence and grey literature on research uptake were systematically searched from major databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL (EBSCO), Global Health (Ovid)) and direct Google Scholar. Literature exploring barriers to uptake of research evidence in health policy and practice in LMICs were included and their key findings were synthesized using thematic areas to address the review question.ResultsA total of 4291 publications were retrieved in the initial search, of which 142 were included meeting the eligibility criteria. Overall, research uptake for policymaking and practice in LMICs was very low. The challenges to research uptake were related to lack of understanding of the local contexts, low political priority, poor stakeholder engagement and partnership, resource and capacity constraints, low system response for accountability and lack of communication and dissemination platforms.ConclusionImportant barriers to research uptake, mainly limited contextual understanding and low participation of key stakeholders and ownership, have been identified. Understanding the local research and policy context and participatory evidence production and dissemination may promote research uptake for policy and practice. Institutions that bridge the chasm between knowledge formation, evidence synthesis and translation may play critical role in the translation process.

PP18 Unlocking The Potential Of Medical Device Reimbursement In India For Better Health Outcomes

IntroductionThe Indian healthcare landscape has witnessed several promising changes including the introduction of a comprehensive medical technology inclusion process, Diagnosis-related group (DRG)-pilot and value-based incentives for hospital services under the national public health insurance scheme. Realizing the need for a more patient-centric stance towards improving healthcare outcomes as the way forward, we propose incremental changes including greater participation of public and private care-providers in topic prioritization and the appraisal committee. We also propose a unique evidence-driven approach using reimbursement as a lever for rewarding quality and innovation in medical technologies.MethodsWe developed two discussion guides to capture the ideas around deeper involvement of care-providers and patient societies, and introduction of value-based reimbursement for incentivizing high-quality implantable medical devices in India. The guides were prepared using secondary research and key informant interviews. Over 25 key stakeholders representing payers, regulatory agencies, government authorities, clinical experts, and industry players selected through quota sampling participated in a roundtable meeting. Based on the meeting outcomes, key recommendations for leveraging medical device reimbursement for better health outcomes were developed.ResultsThis qualitative research was carried out with participation of key stakeholders across the medical device reimbursement process. The group proposed recommendations for bringing care-providers closer to the process through a structured and inclusive nomination approach involving therapy users and patient groups at various stages of evaluation. Complementing the existing value-based incentives framework for hospital services, we proposed a similar two-step pathway for incentivizing quality of implantable medical devices. The proposal includes the introduction of certification-based and outcome-based incentives built on a scientific and holistic evaluation criterion.ConclusionsThrough this process, we created a pragmatic and concrete call for a stronger voice from care-providers and patient groups in the evaluation process. Consecutively, the proposed innovative framework introducing value-based incentives for implantable medical devices will be instrumental in enabling access to quality health care to poor patients. These strategies follow the principles of value-based care and will go a long way in achieving better health outcomes for the population. The scientific initiative has been made possible with the support of St. Jude Medical India Pvt Ltd. (now Abbott).

The Effectiveness of Curriculum Review in Improving Quality, Relevance, and Students’ Employability in University Education in Uganda

The study examined the relationship between curriculum review and students’ employability in the faculty of science at Kyambogo University, Uganda. The population comprised of lecturers in the faculty of science and the sample size consisted of 66 full time lecturers. The specific objective of the study was to assess the relationship between curriculum review and students’ employability. Curriculum review was assessed regarding its relevance in developing professional skills, personal skills, and interpersonal skills as important employability skills for students. Quantitative results revealed that there is a positive statistically significant correlation between curriculum review and students’ employability (Professional skills r= 0.766, p=.0.001; Personal skills r=0.596, p=0.356; interpersonal skills, r=0.349, p=0.497). Regression analysis indicated that curriculum review (β = 0.75, P = 0.00) < 0.05) had a strong positive significant effect on students’ employability. Qualitative results revealed that curriculum review is one of the strategies of quality assurance at the programme level; participation of key stakeholders in the curriculum review ensures the quality and relevance of the curriculum; and financial facilitation of curriculum review process motivates higher levels of output. It is therefore recommended that: the University financially facilitates curricula reviews so that key stakeholders get involved to improve the quality and relevance of curricula; Kyambogo University should collaborate and develop partnerships with industries to improve educational innovation, University technology, and promote knowledge transfer from university to industry and society, and consequently enhance students’ employability.

THE MODEL OF PARLIAMENT IN WAR TIMES: THE FORMAT OF COLLABORATION

The article considers the possibility of transforming legislative structures into an interactive platform for joint actions with the participation of key stakeholders during martial law, using the example of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 2022. The collaborative format is presented as an alternative approach to instrumental partnership, which allows the involvement of subjects from various levels and institutions. The author proposes the structure of the military parliament based on three indicators, namely: the general systemic context, the specifics of the management regime, and the dynamics of cooperation. The first indicator is based on the criteria for key participants, as well as the agreement on the rules of participation and accountability on the platform of joint actions. At the same time, the scope of collaborative subjects' powers may vary depending on the competencies of the involved stakeholders. The second indicator plays the role of procedural legitimacy marker, affecting the degree of policy coherence and decision-making, while the third factor means the willingness of participants to support joint political decisions regardless of the level of their agreement with the players' personal political preferences. In the text of the article, the researcher divides the general structure of integrated governance into separate management blocks, based on the peculiarities of the Ukrainian parliament and the functionality approved by the VRU Regulations. In parallel with some unit reduction, it is proposed to implement two additional units: rapid response and civil control as appropriate during martial law. In addition to the structure, the author prescribes some changes in parliamentary procedures and behavioral patterns among deputies. Despite the potential advantages, the researcher notes that the collaborative format of cooperation has several disadvantages, namely: the impact of joint results on the procedural legitimacy of decisions, as well as the principle of determining the personal contribution of each of the involved stakeholders, remains uncertain. It would be worthwhile to take into account the existing network connections between the political actors of the Ukrainian parliament to calculate the potential risks of the transition to an interactive space of action.

Stakeholder Participation in Planning of a Sustainable and Competitive Tourism Destination: The Genoa Integrated Action Plan

The outbreak of COVID-19 confronted the international community with critical health, social, and economic challenges. Travel and tourism were among the hardest affected sectors. In 2020 and 2021 new travel trends emerged, emphasizing local destinations, short distances, and consequently, lower-carbon transportation (proximity tourism). Post-pandemic recovery represents an opportunity to bounce back better by rethinking the sector’s economic model for the sake of sustainability and innovation. This paper disseminates the research that led to the structuring of guidelines for a breakthrough and inclusive municipal-level action plan for the promotion of sustainable tourism, as part of the Tourism Friendly Cities project. An operational methodology is discussed here, whereby key stakeholder participation, conceptualized through a sextuple helix model, is the foundation of the planning process. A small-scale action and a qualitative assessment tool of the participatory process are also illustrated. The proposed methodology corroborates the vast positive effects deriving from stakeholder participation in terms of trust, ownership, planning quality, innovativeness and sustainability of interventions. In applying the methodology, although the digital framework was evaluated positively in terms of the number of participants that could be involved, data collection, and confidentiality of activities, the evaluation shows that hybrid modes of participation are more desirable.

Development and psychometric testing of a clinical reasoning rubric based on the nursing process

BackgroundTo facilitate the development of clinical reasoning skills in nursing students, educators must possess the ability to teach and evaluate them. This study aimed to describe the development and validation process of an analytic rubric of clinical reasoning skills based on the nursing process in undergraduate nursing students.MethodsA seven-step method was used for rubric development. The initial validation process of the rubric of clinical reasoning was performed with the participation of key stakeholders to assess its face and content validity as well as applicability in the classroom and bedside. An initial pilot test was performed based on scenario-based examinations in the nursing process training course so that convergent validity was used to show how closely the new scale is related to the previous measure for evaluating students’ tasks. Internal consistency and inter-rater correlation coefficient measurement for reliability were assessed.ResultsThe rubric to assess clinical reasoning skills was developed into eight categories according to the five stages of the nursing process. Content and face validity of the rubric were done qualitatively and resulted in a clear, simple rubric relevant to clinical reasoning skills assessment. The convergent validity was confirmed by the conventional method. The reliability was approved by a high inter-rater correlation coefficient based on the assessment by two random independent raters.ConclusionThe clinical reasoning meta-rubric developed in this study meets the purpose of the study. This analytical rubric can be applied to guide teaching and learning as well as evaluate clinical reasoning based on the findings. Testing the applicability confirmed its validity and reliability for assessing clinical reasoning skills in nursing process education during the undergraduate nursing program.

What Happened to Ethiopian Youth during the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate Ethiopian urban youth’s changing risk beliefs, contributing factors, and global south lessons in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with urban youth in Ethiopia’s East-Gojjam district. The findings revealed three major stages in the youth’s risk perception: the high perceived risk stage associated with early pandemic outbreaks, the steady decline stage associated with economic stress that outweighed perceived health risk, and the zero risk stage when all safety measures appear to have been completely abandoned. The government’s self-contradictory rhetoric and practice, the contradiction between religious teachings and scientific messages, and misinformation in social media are factors for the evolved risk beliefs. A major lesson from the global south is the active participation of key stakeholders in bridging the gap between government and society.

Participatory Project Cycle Management and Performance of Donor Funded Projects in Mandera County, Kenya

The performance of donor funded projects in the global arena has been linked by previous studies to participatory project cycle management. According to report by senate county public accounts and investment committee report of 2019, 60% donor funded projects in Mandera County did not perform as expected and did not achieve their objectives. The study's particular goals were to evaluate the impact of participatory identification of the project, planning, implementation and monitoring and assessment on performance of projects in Mandera County supported by donations. The research was directed by community action planning theory, Freire’s theory, Arnstein’s Ladder of citizen participation and theory of change.The research was done using a descriptive research approach.. The study's intended audience was 84 donor funded projects in Mandera County. The size of the sample for the study was 16 donor funded projects representing 20% of the total sample size. The selection process used stratified random sampling. 16 project coordinators from the sampled donor funded projects and 344 household heads the households benefiting based on the chosen donor-funded programs in Mandera County. Questionnaires for household heads and interview schedules for the project coordinators were used as the primary data collection instruments. The acquired data was cleaned, coded, and put into the SPSS version 21 statistical package for social sciences. The study discovered that participation of key stakeholders in project identification, planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation have a significant influence on performance of donor funded projects in Mandera County. The study recommends that organizations executing projects in Mandera County should encourage participation of the community Due to their major impact on the success of initiatives sponsored by donors, they are taken into account in project planning, monitoring, and assessment.. Further studies should be conducted to assess the determinants of low community participation in planning and monitoring and evaluation. The current study only sampled household heads and ignored other stakeholders. Therefore future studies should replicate the current study but widen the scope of the sampled respondents to include other stakeholders. Keywords: Participatory Project, Cycle Management, Donor Funded Projects, Projects Performance, Project Monitoring.

The integration of farmer participation approaches in cotton variety development for efficient selection, adoption, and production of new cotton varieties in Zimbabwe

The success of any breeding program rests upon the active involvement and participation of key stakeholders or technology recipients. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a versatile crop that is grown in most parts of the world, hence the need to involve different players in the process. Zimbabwe’s national variety development program includes a “Client-oriented” research approach called “Participatory Variety Selection” (PVS) in the process. The process that involved the evaluation of different advanced cotton genotypes by farmers in different cotton growing areas included five advanced genotypes and one commercial variety popularly grown by farmers. These were grown in a Mother-Baby Trial arrangement. Through the integration of farmers’ and researchers’ selection criteria, the study sought to enhance the identification and selection of best-performing cotton genotypes under diverse growing conditions. The study established that farmers’ preferred cotton attributes included large bolls (> 5g), uniform boll split (to avoid many picks), short interboll distance (many bolls per fruiting branch), uniform short height (1.0-1.2m), more bolls per plant (>30) and low pest damage (bollworms and Jassid). Through the use of these attributes, the farmers identified SN-96-5, 830-01-3, and 645-98-11 as their best performing genotypes through voting and Focus Group Discussions that were conducted where they recorded 206 votes, 130 votes, and 129 votes respectively. Total Seed Cotton Yield data from the farmer-managed plots (Baby Trial) and Researcher-managed (Mother Trial) were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis. The study results which revealed significant differences in the genotypic, environmental variance, and interaction (Table 5) (P<0.04, P<0.001, and P<0.035 respectively) identified genotype SN-96-5 as the best performing genotype. AMMI and GGE biplots also indicated that SN-96-5 was the most ideal, high-yielding, and fairly stable genotype. Therefore, SN-96-5 is recommended for release and commercial production in Zimbabwe.

Abstract P3-15-01: Patients and Researchers Together (PART); a patient-centered tumor tissue collection PARTnership between patients and researchers to increase tissue donations for breast cancer research

Abstract Introduction: Translational research is essential to the success of every cancer center. Increasingly doctors ask patients to donate tissue to study all aspects of the disease to improve cancer treatments and quality of life. Patients are key stakeholders and partners in the success of the translational research process. The University of North Carolina (UNC), Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) researchers would like to increase the number of patients that donate tissue to support research and value patients who donate. Securing the right tissues at the right time, and processing and storing them properly is essential for research that leads to breakthrough discoveries. Purpose: LCCC supports the inclusion of patient advocates in all cancer center research. Therefore, the UNC Breast SPORE patient advocates initiated a program called Patients and Researchers Together (PART) to ensure patients work closely with researchers to drive the best research forward. The PART-Tissue program aims to develop a process to increase the donation and usage of patient donated tissues. This program is built on significant patient engagement that leads to a bi-directional patient and researcher PARTnership. We believe patients will be more willing to donate tissue if they are informed about the research process, understand the impact research has to improve patient’s lives, and are valued as PARTners of LCCC. Objectives: The first objective is to promote the excellence of LCCC translational research to all stakeholders, including patients and the community. Second; create a patient-centered tissue donation program that will meet researcher needs across LCCC, and Third; ensure the tissue collection process is primarily focused on recognizing patient’s voluntary contributions while minimizing patient burden. Methods: We first created a multi-stakeholder committee to ensure the participation of key stakeholders in all activities. We developed a process to identify relevant materials to assist in tissue donation at LCCC. The project focused on a Lineberger breast cancer tissue collection protocol (LCCC9819). We discussed patient, researcher and clinician/surgeon needs that reflect the vision of the PART program. We identified the need for several types of informational materials for patients, developed them with multi-stakeholder involvement and evaluated their accuracy, readability, understandability, and health literacy. We assessed the current and future needs of LCCC researchers by conducting interviews and surveys. We also engaged patient advocates as PARTners throughout this project. Results: We initiated the PART-Tissue program in August 2020 and we have engaged multiple stakeholders throughout the project. We evaluated LCCC9819 from the patient, research and clinical perspectives. We identified a series of informational materials needed for patients to introduce them to the value of tissue donation and to introduce them to the LCCC9819 protocol. We developed two introductory materials and a study summary. We conducted interviews and developed a survey to collect information about researcher needs at LCCC. In pilot interviews, we noticed a high need for fresh tissue, which requires real-time coordination between clinicians, clinical research coordinators, surgeons, pathologists and researchers. We also developed a website to connect directly with patients and the community about the importance of tissue donation that can lead to discoveries in cancer risk reduction and treatment. The goal is to develop a process where patients feel encouraged to donate tissue samples and are appreciated as partners with researchers who use the tissue to improve the lives of cancer patients. Citation Format: Patricia A. Spears, Vernal Branch, Jennifer A. Potter, Missy Van Lokeren, Nasrin H. Babadi, Adriana S. Beltran, Laurie Betts, Coleen Crespo, Barbara Dean, Amy L. Garrett, Laura T. Jensen, Gary L. Johnson, Hayley Morris, Philip Spanheimer, Charles M. Perou, Lisa A. Carey, H. Shelton Earp. Patients and Researchers Together (PART); a patient-centered tumor tissue collection PARTnership between patients and researchers to increase tissue donations for breast cancer research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-15-01.

Awareness and product knowledge of service stakeholders involved in the importation and distribution of HCFC-22 in Botswana

Environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion and climate change remain universal subjects of concern, with baneful effects on both the environment and human health. The consumption and venting of ozone depleting substances (ODS) into the atmosphere are the chief anthropogenic cause of ozone depletion. One such manmade ODS with high global warming potential Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22). The MP targeted to phase-out HCFC-22 with obligatory cut-off timelines for its use by 2040 for developing nations. To comply with the HCFC-22 phase-out timelines, meant at embarking on national communications to disseminate information on HCFC-22 phase-out through key stakeholders’ involvement. The achievement of HCFC-22 phase-out strategy depends on participation of key stakeholders in the implementation process. the level of awareness and product knowledge of service stakeholders in the importation and distribution of HCFC-22 in Botswana. customs officers, officers and industrial consumers. Questionnaires and interviews were used to solicit key stakeholders’ views, opinions and perceptions on HCFC-22 phase-out awareness and product knowledge. Results revealed that 87% of the stakeholders are learned and knowledgeable in ODS related service provision. The level of HCFC-22 knowledge and awareness among stakeholders is moderate with distinguished inter-group differences. In particular, industrial consumers had the highest median level of HCFC-22 awareness than other stakeholders, indicating gaps in HCFC-22 phase-out awareness raising and training. About 67% of respondents had low levels of awareness of the HPMP and alternative technologies to HCFC-22. This proposes gaps in information dissemination to key stakeholders and this remains a crucial disparity between the country’s HPMP success lead and lag indicators. There is need to carefully select communication media used in line with the media consumption habits of target markets. Use of popular and commonly accessed social-media platforms would ensure that the HCFC-22 phase-out messages have high chance of reaching targeted stakeholders and the general population.

Effect of AGIS on Implementation of Electronic Land Administration in FCT, Abuja Nigeria

Land administration in Abuja includes processes of land registration, cadastre, valuation and land inventory. Every country in the world pursues these activities in one form or another irrespective of the stage of development. Developing countries particularly, Nigeria are overwhelmed by challenges of land management and administration. Recent efforts to secure tenure and enhance real property markets are under pressure from increasing demand and competition for land. Effort at implementing land administration reform in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have led to inefficiency, incoherent and poor land management. This has undermined the huge potentials and global competitiveness in the sector. This study assesses the effectiveness of Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) on the implementation of electronic land administration in the FCT. Descriptive survey method was adopted in carrying out this study. Data collection involved sample of 150 applicants/beneficiaries of land, drawn across seven districts to determine how electronic land administration system in the FCT has improved the practice. The findings of the study revealed that electronic land administration in AGIS does not address unequal land distribution. Also, management, acquisition and disposal of public land follow unclear procedures and are not applied equitably and transparently. Formal land delivery takes an inordinate amount of time under the existing frameworks and land fees are unaffordable to many residents in the FCT. Based on the findings, the study recommended the empowerment of the Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) to ensure fairness and equity in land acquisition processes, reorganizing the AGIS workflow, installation of state-of-the art technology for efficiency that will make the processes and procedures for acquisition of land clear to the general public. The study also recommended active participation of key stakeholders through public hearings and citizen’s forums.

Local content implementation and development in Ghana\u2019s upstream oil and gas sector for sustainable development: contemporary issues on policy management

The need to develop and boost the potentials of Ghana’s upstream oil and gas activities has been advocated by policymakers, academics, and financial institutions since the discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities. It has been argued that if well implemented, upstream activities have a trickledown effect on the local content policy linkages that apart from taxes, can lead to improved financial and social benefits. In this study, how Ghana can use local content policy in upstream oil and gas operations to maximum economic and social benefits for the good of the Ghana government, citizens, and the Multinational Oil Companies, is the main question to be answered? To address this question, comprehensive analysis of local content laws and policies and stakeholder consultations are conducted. The paper argues that an effective local content policy towards achieving sustainability in the upstream oil and gas industry demands balancing the needs of policymakers, local communities, Multinational Oil Companies, and regulators to succeed. The study recommends a local content implementation master plan; active participation of key stakeholders (government, citizens and Multinational Oil Companies); and integration of forward and backward linkages in the implementation of Ghana’s upstream local content laws and policies.

A Review of Circular Economy Studies in Developed Countries and Its Potential Adoption in Developing Countries

Global industrialization has accounted for large amounts of generated waste, which have accumulated over the years. To guarantee that the future generations will have sufficient resources like food, water and prosperity, it is therefore necessary to transition from a linear economy to a circular economy. Circular economy is one concept, which has continued to gain traction over the years as an effective approach to achieve global, national and local sustainability. A systematic review was employed in this research project with the purpose of identifying how the practical contributions of circular economy have been pursued actively in Australia and other developed countries by reviewing existing and relevant published studies on circular economy in these countries. The result produced a total of 70 final articles, which were collected and analysed for the study considering mainly the year of publication, research methodology, geographical context and industrial applications. Furthermore, the study highlighted very little attention is given to circular economy in many low-income and medium-income countries, and thus, this study explored how this transformative notion can be adopted in developing countries with the participation of key stakeholders to solve waste mismanagement problems.

Critical Success Factors Influencing the Performance of Infrastructure Projects in The Aviation Industry in Kenya; A Case of Moi International Airport

Purpose: Aviation sector in Kenya facilitates both international and domestic trade, promotes tourism and foreign investment thus contributing to government revenue and employment opportunities. Therefore, improving airport infrastructure would help reduce travel time, improve connectivity. The high rates of project failure have become a major concern for stakeholders hence the need to identify key factors that promote project success or failure. This study seeks to assess the critical success factor influencing the performance of construction projects in Kenya.Methodology: The study adopted quantitative method to examine critical success factors for the performance of aviation construction projects in Kenya. Descriptive case study research design was adopted and self –administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative for analysis. The variables of interest include timely financing project activities, competency of contractors, participation of stakeholders, and management skills. Descriptive analysis and inferential tests were conducted with the aid of IBM SPSS version 23 software.Results: The study found that timely financing, contractor competency, stakeholder participation, and management skills have positive and significant influence on the performance of aviation construction projects. Descriptive results suggest that tractors competency, timely financing, management skills, and stakeholders’ participation have a strong positive influence on project performance. The study has also established a significant contribution of contractor competency to the successful performance of aviation construction projects. It was also noted that participation of key stakeholders in projects identification, decision making, and resource mobilization can enhance the success of aviation construction projects. It was observed that these factors account for over 54.9% of changes in project performance.Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: In light of these results, the study recommends industry players to put measures in place that would allow timely provisions of finance for all project activities. It is also important to source for competent and experienced contractors, engage key stakeholders in decision making about the project, and recruit a competent and skilled project manager. The study results have a significant contribution to practitioners in the aviation construction sector in Kenya. The study provides the practitioner with the most critical variables likely to influence the performance of aviation construction projects. It further acknowledges that external factors also influence the success of these projects. In light of this, the practitioners can institute contingency plans to mitigate the risks to ensure successful completion of their projects. To the academic, the current study has filled literature gap on critical success factors for aviation project performance. Given the upcoming mega project in aviation sector around the world, these factors provide the basis for future research in this area to ensure these projects are executed successfully within budget and schedule

Developing Stakeholders' Participatory Framework in Rice Agribusiness: The Case of Pandan Wangi Rice from Indonesia

Rice is an important food crop in Indonesia pointing to the fact that majority of 267.7 million of Indonesian people consume rice in daily basis. Among hundreds of rice varieties in Indonesia, Pandan Wangi rice is superior rice cultivar and gains Geographical Indication (GI) certification for its unique characteristics. These attributes largely correspond with previous research finding of rice-eating consumers, which chose special features, quality of rice and certification logo as their rice preference (Sakolwitayanon et al., 2018). Despite the huge potential market and superior quality, the growth of Pandan Wangi rice agribusiness is still low. Previous research identified the need of stakeholder analysis to bring up development of rice agricultural sector (e.g. Spangenberg et al., 2018). However, current stakeholder analysis guideline is considered too general, lack applicability in stakeholder identification and good practice, and need a systematic framework particularly in a complex setting (Wang and Anies, 2019). Karakosta et al. (2017) suggested stakeholders' participatory approach which is capable of providing more accurate result based on key stakeholders' opinion in their specific area of expertise. In particular, Krywkow and Hare (2008) have developed four main phases of participatory processes: first, preparation of problem analysis and stakeholder layer; second, stakeholders' familiarization of problem and planning; third, dialogue among stakeholders to gain more solid information and contribute knowledge; and fourth, gaining response from the participants and validating the results. In view of the above, there is a need to investigate participation of key stakeholders in Pandan Wangi rice value chain as an effort to maximize Pandan Wangi rice business potential. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to develop stakeholder's participatory framework as the guideline tools to solve rice agribusiness growth problem. In particular, we assess preference of rice eating consumers, of which the result will generate input for the framework development and thus, allowing Pandan Wangi rice agribusiness to achieve the expected outcomes. Keywords: consumer preference; geographical indication; participatory framework; rice producer; stakeholders

Community-based participatory design of a community health worker breast cancer training intervention for South Florida Latinx farmworkers.

ObjectiveCommunity health worker (CHW)-led education is an important strategy to increase awareness and access to breast cancer screening in medically-underserved communities. This study aimed to develop a context-specific, culturally-appropriate training intervention for South Florida CHWs to educate Latinx immigrant farmworkers on breast cancer and early detection.MethodsA community-based participatory research (CBPR) study, conducted 2017–2019, informed the design of a training curriculum for CHWs and educational dissemination materials. Twenty-two CHWs were trained and knowledge gains were measuring using a one-group pre-and post-test design. Triangulated evaluation consisted of field observations of CHW-client interactions, CHW self-reports, and rapid assessment surveys of community members.ResultsA community stakeholder-informed breast cancer training curriculum resulted in significant, sustained breast cancer knowledge gains among CHWs when comparing pre-, post-, and 4–6 month post-training follow-up test scores. Field observations of educational material dissemination, CHW self-reported evaluations, and community rapid assessment surveys at three health fairs demonstrated this was an effective strategy to engage female Latinx farmworkers in breast cancer education.ConclusionsCommunity and key stakeholder participation in the development of a breast cancer educational intervention allowed for tailored design priorities around knowledge-based content, comprehensiveness, relevance, appropriateness, and ease of dissemination to community members. This model of participatory CHW training intervention design can enable future train-the-trainer approaches to disseminate and scale-up evidence-based health education interventions.

Optimizing a stroke caregiver support programme in practice with Participatory Action Research

Abstract Family caregivers (FCG) play a key role in the day-to-day care of stroke survivors. Most FCG support programmes are complex public health interventions. Often, they are designed top-down without key stakeholder participation. Hence, when implementing these programmes in real world settings, they may experience “teething problems”. Optimization in practice and actively engaging its stakeholders to accurately fit the programme to the needs in practice may enhance the programmés chance of success. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) strategy was chosen for the optimization of a German primary prevention programme for stroke FCGs. Immediately after the development of the preliminary support concept (5 Conceptual Building Blocks - CBB), conducted top-down by the academic research team, iterative PAR-cycles (observe - reflect - plan - act) were applied. Together with the stakeholders (service providers and FCG), three steps were taken: (1) verifying and fitting the preliminary CBBs, (2) detecting, developing, verifying and fitting new blocks, and (3) prioritizing all blocks. For data collection a multi-methodological design was chosen. Through PAR, a matured FCG support concept was obtained, containing eight CBBs. The five preliminary CBBs: ‘Content’, ‘Human resources’, ‘Personalized approach’, ‘Timing’, and ‘Setting’, were optimized and prioritized as core blocks, providing the base for individual caregiver support. Three new CBBs: ‘Network building’, ‘Communication’, and ‘Social safety-net’ were assigned as facilitating blocks, interlinking and securing the programme within the existing support system. PAR was found to be essential for both systematically detecting conceptual weaknesses of the preliminary concept and adjusting its components to the needs of the key stakeholders, before full-scale implementation. Involvement of stakeholders, with high levels of participation, will enhance the acceptance of the matured concept and its feasibility in practice.