Level Of Investment In Infrastructure Research Articles

Effect of Accountability Practices on County Government Performance in Kenya: A Case Study in Makueni and Marsabit County Governments

With devolution, it is expected that enhanced public involvement through participation and incorporation of other good governances’ practices would enhance accountability and performance of county (sub-national) governments in terms of timely delivery of services and accountability in resource utilization.However, previous studies indicate that counties are experiencing inefficient utilization of resources and poor timely delivery of services. About 41 percent of Kenyans were unsatisfied with performances of their counties in 2016, according to Transparency International Survey. This hinders effective performance. Conversely, some counties have performed well according to rating done by Policy Tracking Impact Public Affairs Consulting 2018, which ranked Makueni county government as the best performing county based on development projects and policies implied by counties.Therefore, the study sought to compare the effects of corporate governance practices on performances in Makueni and Marsabit counties. Marsabit County was chosen because despite Makueni being ranked the best, both counties experience almost similar challenges in their governance. The issues of low human capital development, cross-border community level conflicts, and low level of investment in infrastructure, high level of poverty, food insecurity, land degradations and poor health system are the common challenges that affect performance of the two county governments. Therefore, this study sought to examine the effects of accountability governance practices on the selected counties in Kenya. To accomplish the objectives, correlational research design and interpretivism research philosophy was adopted by the study. The target population consisted of county officials and heads of groups and the community leaders in the two counties. Primary data was collected and analyzed using a linear model to estimate the coefficients. The findings indicated that accountability had significant positive effect of 55.8 percent on county government performance. In this regard, the study recommended the need for counties to strengthen county resource management systems to boost accountability and ultimately its performance.

Effect of Responsiveness Practices on County Government Performance in Kenya: A Case Study in Makueni and Marsabit County Governments

It is expected that public involvement through participation and incorporation of other good governances’ practices in the developed governance process would enable policy makers legislate responsive policies that promotes performances in the county governments through timely delivery of services and efficient utilization of resources in the counties. The Constitution of Kenya has prioritized public participation in the devolved governance system, by acknowledging the right of local people to manage their own matters in advancing their political, social and economic expansion. However, previous studies indicate that counties are experiencing misappropriation and misallocation of resources, against the needs and priorities for the public. About 41 percent of Kenyans were unsatisfied with performances of their counties. This hinders effective performance. Conversely, some counties have performed well according to rating done by Policy Tracking Impact Public Affairs Consulting 2018, which ranked Makueni county government as the best performing county based on development projects and policies implied by counties. Therefore, the study sought to compare the effects of corporate governance practices on performances in Makueni and Marsabit counties. Marsabit County was chosen because despite Makueni being ranked the best, both counties experience almost similar challenges in their governance. The issues of low human capital development, cross-border community level conflicts, and low level of investment in infrastructure, high level of poverty, food insecurity, land degradations and poor health system are the common challenges that affect performance in the counties. Thus, this study sought to examine the effects of responsiveness governance practices on the selected counties in Kenya. To accomplish the objectives, the study adopted correlational research design and interpretivism research philosophy. The target population consisted of county officials, heads of groups and community leaders in the two counties. Primary data was collected and analyzed using a linear model to estimate the coefficients. The findings indicated that responsibility had significant positive effect of 13.6 percent on county government performance. In this regard, the study recommended the need for counties to ensure strict adherence of resource allocations in line with the county integrated development plans and annual development plans, developed through public participation.

An Evaluation of Urban Resilience to Flooding

Flooding has become the natural disaster that causes the greatest losses, with urban flooding restricting the healthy development of cities. The ability to assess a city’s resilience to flooding is very important and would contribute to improving resilience and also help to inform planning and development. The aim of this study was to determine the key urban flood resilience indicators for three different Chinese cities (Wuhan, Nanjing, and Hefei) and to prioritize these for each city. A combined interpretive structure and network analysis method (ISM-ANP) model was used to evaluate and analyze the selected evaluation indicators. A four-level urban flood resilience evaluation network model was constructed to determine the interdependence between indicators and to calculate the priorities of the flood resilience indicators for the three cities. Overall, rescue capacity was found to be extremely important and was defined as the most important index. For Wuhan, indicators related to the distribution of waters were found to be more important, while for Nanjing, spatial planning and spatial structure of land use were found to be key priorities. In Hefei, the level of investment in infrastructure and the level of public resources occupy a more important position. The framework presented in this study contributes to the understanding of urban flood resilience and has the potential to be extended to other natural hazards.

Does the Land Market Have an Impact on Green Total Factor Productivity? A Case Study on China

The influence process of the land market on urban green total factor productivity (GTFP) is characterized by complexity and region. Based on the panel data of 271 cities in China from 2004 to 2016, this paper analyzes the impact of the land market on urban GTFP and explores the regulatory effect of the innovation investment level and the infrastructure investment level on the land market. The following conclusions are drawn: First, the land market restrains the improvement of urban GTFP, whether analyzed from the dimension of land transfer price or land transfer scale, and the influence degree varies in different dimensions. Second, there is regional heterogeneity in the inhibition effect of the land market on urban GTFP. Third, the level of innovation investment and the level of infrastructure investment have significantly different regulatory effects on the impact of the land market on urban GTFP; the level of innovation investment aggravates the inhibition effect of urban GTFP by the land market, while the infrastructure investment level weakens this inhibition effect.

Characterizing Transnational Internet Performance and the Great Bottleneck of China

Transnational Internet performance is an important indication of a country's level of infrastructure investment, globalization, and openness. We conduct a large-scale measurement study of transnational Internet performance in and out of 29 countries and regions, and find six countries that have surprisingly low performance. Five of them are African countries and the last is mainland China, a significant outlier with major discrepancies between downstream and upstream performance. We then conduct a comprehensive investigation of the unusual transnational Internet performance of mainland China, which we refer to as the "Great Bottleneck of China". Our results show that this bottleneck is widespread, affecting 79% of the receiver-sender pairs we measured. More than 70% of the pairs suffer from extremely slow speed (less than 1 Mbps) for more than 5 hours every day. In most tests the bottleneck appeared to be located deep inside China, suggesting poor network infrastructure to handle transnational traffic. The phenomenon has far-reaching implications for Chinese users' browsing habits as well as for the ability of foreign Internet services to reach Chinese customers.

Characterizing Transnational Internet Performance and the Great Bottleneck of China

Transnational Internet performance is an important indication of a country's level of infrastructure investment, globalization, and openness. We conduct a large-scale measurement study of transnational Internet performance in and out of 29 countries and regions, and find six countries that have surprisingly low performance. Five of them are African countries and the last is mainland China, a significant outlier with major discrepancies between downstream and upstream performance. We then conduct a comprehensive investigation of the unusual transnational Internet performance of mainland China, which we refer to as the "Great Bottleneck of China''. Our results show that this bottleneck is widespread, affecting 79% of the receiver--sender pairs we measured. More than 70% of the pairs suffer from extremely slow speed (less than 1~Mbps) for more than 5 hours every day. In most tests the bottleneck appeared to be located deep inside China, suggesting poor network infrastructure to handle transnational traffic. The phenomenon has far-reaching implications for Chinese users' browsing habits as well as for the ability of foreign Internet services to reach Chinese customers.

Improving Public Infrastructure in the Philippines

This paper explores the macroeconomic effects of improving public infrastructure in the Philippines, modeling the infrastructure scale-up plan being implemented by the current administration. After benchmarking the Philippines’ level of infrastructure investment, quantity and quality of public infrastructure, and public investment efficiency relative to its neighboring countries, the analysis uses a dynamic general equilibrium model to quantitatively assess the macroeconomic implications of raising public investment expenditure with different financing schemes and different rates of public investment efficiency. Critically dependent on a model structure in which accumulation of publicly provided infrastructure raises the overall productivity of the economy, the model simulations show that (i) increasing public infrastructure investment results in sustained gains in output, (ii) the effects of improving public investment efficiency are substantial, and (iii) deficit-financed increases in public investment lead to higher borrowing costs that constrain output increases over time. These results underscore the importance of improving public investment efficiency and revenue mobilization.

Znaczenie ładu instytucjonalnego dla rozwoju kapitału ludzkiego i sukcesu procesów transformacji państw posocjalistycznych

This article aims to prove that the institutional order in a broad sense is essential for the success of transformation processes of post-socialist economies, especially for achieving positive social outcomes which contribute to the development of human capital. The analysis was conducted on the basis of an original model of the transformation process established by the author, using some examples of indica-tors illustrating the changes. The theoretical model assumptions were verified through a comparative study carried out for the group of countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which transformed their economic systems from central planning to market economy. Within the indicator analysis there have been included statistical data and indicators developed by several international institutions. It has been proved that there is no correlation between the technical, economic and social effects of transformation. The process of technical and infrastructure modernization often precedes positive effects in the econom-ic and social spheres. This is mainly due to the high level of investment in infrastructure, often financed from external resources (e.g. the European Union). In addition, societies of the post-socialist countries evaluate the processes occurring in the economy in a specific way (sometimes surprising). The percep-tion of “happiness” is not directly dependent on “hard” indicators reflecting the current condition of the economy. However, the transformation model presented in this article assumes that social factors have a significant influence on the dynamics of institutional changes therefore it can be expected that in countries where people positively assess the prosperity of the country, the dynamics of further develop-ment can exceed the countries with low levels of social satisfaction.

Towards Effective Infrastructure Development in Nigeria: Theoretical Considerations from a Project Management Perspective

A link exists between the level of investment in infrastructure and economic growth. However, it has been shown that in spite of huge amounts earmarked for infrastructural projects, the desired outcome/benefits are not attained in many cases. This has been attributed to poor adherence to project management principles in the conception, design, and execution of these projects. This paper highlights poor project conception and definition, poor budget and stakeholder management, as well as inadequate monitoring and evaluation as major causes of these failures. This can be minimized through the integration of good project management principles in the planning, design and execution of projects, supported by a robust monitoring and evaluation procedure.

Adopting BIM Standards for Managing Vision 2030 Infrastructure Development in Qatar

This research was designed to assess the significance of using Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards to enhance efficiency in the Qatari construction industry. The need for more efficient processes arose in part from the Qatari government’s increased level of investment in infrastructure and the accompanying desire to secure the country’s 2030 vision. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the Qatari construction industry. Three questions guided this research: (i) What are the current challenges facing the Qatari construction industry in the smooth deliverance of projects?” (ii) “What strategies does the industry use in the promotion of an integrated business model that is technological centric?” (iii) “What are the possible challenges that the industry would face if it were to adopt BIM as a standard for all projects in the Qatari construction industry?” The outcome of the research shows that using BIM as a standard could not reduce the inefficiencies faced by the industry. While the respondents to the survey had realised that the industry had challenges, the implementation of BIM seemed not to be in line with the difficulties experienced in the industry. This finding was supported by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.001 for many survey questions. While the industry could be using BIM in general, it still does not form part of the strategy to promote collaborative working. The research did not emphasise the process of implementing BIM standards because most contracts did not require the use of BIM; neither do regulators. The research highlights the challenges of implementing BIM as a standard in a modern construction industry that is facing inefficiency. Even though clients have the capacity to apply innovative strategies, they are stifled by complex business structures and processes. Inefficient delivery of facilities raises questions about the management structures used by the industry. With a large expatriate workforce, Qatar needs systematic tools and approaches such as BIM for managing construction processes regardless of the level of experience and exposure of its managers. Adopting BIM could significantly improve working relations on projects. The research shows that the construction industry would require a standardised BIM process if companies were to deliver on their targets. There is value in adopting tools and techniques that would enhance collaborative tendencies by professionals working in the industry. However, the overall strategy to implement a standardised BIM approach would initially exacerbate current problems before it could bring forth improvements to the construction process.

Harnessing Windfall Revenues: Optimal Policies for Resource‐Rich Developing Economies

A windfall of natural resource revenue (or foreign aid) faces government with choices of how to manage public debt, investment, and the distribution of funds for consumption, particularly if the windfall is both anticipated and temporary. We show that the permanent income hypothesis prescription of an ever-lasting increase in consumption financed by borrowing ahead of the windfall and then accumulating a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is not optimal for capital-scarce developing economies. Such countries should accumulate public and private capital to accelerate their development and, only if the windfall is large relative to initial foreign debt, is it optimal to build a SWF. The optimal time profile of consumption is biased towards the near future, as compared to the permanent income hypothesis. Outcomes depend on instruments available to government. We study cases where the government can make lump-sum transfers to consumers; where such transfers are impossible so optimal policy involves cutting distortionary taxation in order to raise investment and wages; and where Ricardian consumers can borrow against future revenues, in which case the policy response to possible over-consumption is a high level of investment in infrastructure.

Harnessing Windfall Revenues: Optimal Policies for Resource-Rich Developing Economies

A windfall of natural resource revenue (or foreign aid) faces government with choices of how to manage public debt, investment, and the distribution of funds for consumption, particularly if the windfall is both anticipated and temporary. We show that the permanent income hypothesis prescription of an ever-lasting increase in consumption financed by borrowing ahead of the windfall and then accumulating a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is not optimal for capital-scarce developing economies. Such countries should accumulate public and private capital to accelerate their development and, only if the windfall is large relative to initial foreign debt, is it optimal to build a SWF. The optimal time profile of consumption is biased towards the near future, as compared to the permanent income hypothesis. Outcomes depend on instruments available to government. We study cases where the government can make lump-sum transfers to consumers; where such transfers are impossible so optimal policy involves cutting distortionary taxation in order to raise investment and wages; and where Ricardian consumers can borrow against future revenues, in which case the policy response to possible over-consumption is a high level of investment in infrastructure.

Politics and Infrastructure Investment

What is the impact of political interference on a nation's level of infrastructure investment? Existing research on both private and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) appears to offer somewhat contradictory insights on this point. In some cases, additional constraints that limit the ability of political actors to interfere are hypothesized to increase investment levels, while in others the effect is hypothesized to be negative. We argue that these seemingly contradictory conclusions are in fact special cases of a more general phenomenon whereby the constraints that political institutions impose on political actors interact with political actors' electoral objectives, which are in turn determined by the political strength of the investing entity's interest group competitors. Thus, the probability of change in the policy regime interacts with the expected direction of a policy shift to determine the investment level. Our econometric analysis, which uses a panel data set covering the electric utilities of 78 countries during the period 1970 ? 1994, is consistent with these hypotheses and consequently points to the potential for a more general theory regarding the impact of political institutions on investment in the private and public sectors.

Agricultural Growth in China and Sub-Saharan African Countries (Distinguishedl Lecture)

Agriculture remains a dominant sector in the economies of most African and several Asian countries. However, the poor performance of agriculture in Africa stands in sharp contrast to the robust agricultural growth in many Asian countries.2 In this regard, the experience of China is perhaps as impressive as it is relevant to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. A general observation is that the productivity of land and labour has to rise through intensive agriculture, given the limited area of arable land (in China and Africa) and the high rates of growth of population (as in Africa). In many African countries, labour productivity has fallen and land productivity has not increased significantly. In China, productivities of both land and labour have increased significantly since at least the early 1980s. Agricultural output can increase in three ways: (i) get more from the same quantities of inputs through better utilisation of the existing capacity; (ii) use increased quantities of inputs; and (iii) use new techniques to raise the productivity of each input or raise the total product curve. All of these may require changes in tenurial arrangements, levels of investment in infrastructure and support services, and policies that affect the prices of outputs and inputs. A close examination of factors underlying the contrasting experiences in China and African countries reveals important differences in the institutional and policy environments affecting the individual behaviour with regard to the adoption and use of new (profitable) technologies to raise the land and labour productivities. This paper is intended to highlight the linkages between agricultural growth and the institutional, policy, and behavioural aspects, contrasting the experiences of China and African countries.

Globalisation, consumption and the learning business

Distance open learning represents both an outcome of and a primary factor in the intensification of global interconnectedness. For policy makers, for providing agencies, and allegedly for consumers, one of the major virtues of distance open learning is its spatial flexibility. It has assumed an important position in the battery of policies being developed by the European Union in its attempts to fulfil the promises of Maastricht. Yet despite enormous levels of investment in infrastructure, software and human resources, the European open learning market is overstocked with products and underwhelmed by demand. Technicist explanations of this policy failure are inadequate; it is also clear that the EU has repeatedly and persistently overestimated the degree of integration within the European labour market; moreover, its policies rest frequently upon abstract conceptions of a ‘European economic space’ which ignores the real processes of decision‐making within actual places of work and learning. Private consum...