Local Ownership Research Articles

Dialogue for peace: the production of knowledge and norms between international practices and local ownership in Ukraine

ABSTRACT This article scrutinises an attempt by Ukrainian dialogue practitioners to produce a set of norms guiding the conduct and funding of dialogue initiatives as a means of peacebuilding in post-2014 Ukraine. Drawing on critical constructivist approaches to the study of norm creation and transfer, the article uncovers the interplay between local and international actors behind this attempt, traces the processes of knowledge and norm production, and examines the extent to which the norms advocated for by dialogue practitioners were appropriated by the affected stakeholders. The study challenges the conception of local actors as receivers of internationally promoted norms and showcases the agency of Ukrainian dialogue practitioners in norm initiation. Simultaneously, it nuances the complex interconnectedness between the multiplicity of domestic and international actors involved in this process and thus adds to the literature questioning the oversimplification embedded in the dichotomy of the local vs. the international in peace research.

Shifts in local governments’ corporatization intensity: evidence from German cities

Abstract Why do local governments create and reform public service companies, given their uncertain economic benefits and potential damage to accountability and service transparency? Taking an extended transaction cost perspective, we argue that corporatization—the provision of public services by publicly owned companies—is a function of fiscal hardship, the decision maker’s economic orientation and the level of operator transparency. Using a two-way fixed effects regression, we test this expectation on 680 investment reports of 34 German cities from 1998 to 2017, representing 11,062 year-corporatized entity combinations. We show that the drivers of corporatization are sensitive to the depth of local ownership analyzed. In doing so, we highlight the theoretical need and potential for conceptual differentiation between ownership levels along a corporation’s lineage. Exploiting the data’s panel structure, we also find that the intensity of corporatization has heightened since the late 1990s, largely due to increasingly complex corporate structures of indirect ownership.

Using CFIR framework for understanding barriers and facilitators to implementation of community tuberculosis program in Burkina Faso.

In 2020, there were nearly 9.9 million new Tuberculosis cases and 1.3 million deaths, with about 95% occurring in developing nations. Burkina Faso implemented a community Tuberculosis program, involving Civil Society Organizations, to increase screening and improve treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors influencing the implementation of community interventions involving these organizations in the fight against TB in Burkina Faso. This qualitative study conducted semi-structured key informant interviews with a purposive sample of health providers from the ministry of health and community health workers. We used framework (the consolidated framework for implementation research was used method to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation of community tuberculosis program in Burkina Faso. A total of 23 interviews were conducted. The results of this research shed light on several key factors that either contributed to or hindered the program's success. Among the facilitating factors, we identified close collaboration between national and international stakeholders, as well as remarkable program flexibility to adapt to local conditions. Furthermore, continuous training and support for community health workers proved crucial for the program's implementation. However, significant challenges were also unveiled. These challenges encompassed insufficient financial resources, difficulties related to the recruitment and management of civil society associations, and issues regarding program ownership at the peripheral level. Additionally, irregular payments to community health workers had a detrimental impact on their motivation and commitment. Our study conducted a comprehensive examination of the obstacles and facilitators encountered in the implementation of a community-based tuberculosis control program in Burkina Faso. The results of this research shed light on several key factors that either contributed to or hindered the success implementation of program. Measures should be taken to mobilize national resources, strengthen the capacities of associations, and promote local ownership of the program. Special attention should also be given to improving financial management and resolving issues related to the recruitment and compensation of community health workers. For such community-based tuberculosis programs to succeed in Burkina Faso and in similar context it is essential to address these obstacles and facilitators.

Researching two Compassionate Cities: Study protocol for a mixed-methods process and outcome evaluation.

Background/Targeted community: Compassionate Cities are social ecology approaches that apply a set of actions, targeting a broad range of stakeholders, with the intention of renormalising caring, dying and grieving in everyday life. While several initiatives have been described in the literature, a rigorous evaluation of their processes and outcomes is lacking. This paper describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study to evaluate the development process and the outcomes of two Compassionate Cities in Flanders, Belgium. 
 Involved stakeholders: While the concept of Compassionate Cities is introduced by the researcher to the cities of Bruges and Herzele, the development is realised through the input from involved local stakeholders and the local project leaders. The project leaders are appointed by the cities of Bruges and Herzele. Their primary task revolves around coordinating the project and guarding its cocreational character. The stakeholders can be anyone with an interest in developing the Compassionate Cities. A community facilitator with expertise in change projects guides, with respect to local ownership, the development of both Compassionate Cities.
 Methods and analysis, planning: We will use a convergent multi-phase mixed-methods design, in which a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will be triangulated in the data analysis stage to capture both development processes and outcomes. Our design includes a quasi-experimental component of a quantitative outcome evaluation in both Compassionate Cities and two comparable control cities with no formal Compassionate City programme. A critical realism lens will be applied to understand how and why certain processes manifest themselves.
 Discussion: The creation of Compassionate Cities implies high levels of complexity, adaptivity, unpredictability and uncertainty. This requires various data collection methods that can be applied flexibly. A researcher taking on the role of active participant in the project’s development has several advantages, such as access to scholarly information. Reflexivity in this role is paramount to questioning where the ownership of the project lies. By applying a critical realism lens, we remain cautious about our interpretations, and we test the homogeneity of our findings through other forms of data collection.
 Learning for the international audience: This is the first published study protocol to describe both a process and outcome evaluation of a Compassionate City project. By transparently describing our aims and data collection methods, we try to maximise information exchange among researchers and to inform others who desire to implement and evaluate their own initiatives.

A new dawn or false hope? Exploring the early implementation of curriculum for Wales

ABSTRACT This discussion paper explores the evolution of Wales’ new national curriculum. Launched in 2022 and reflective of a new international trend in curriculum reform, Curriculum for Wales is founded on the idea that key decisions related to teaching and learning are best made in schools and at the site of practice. The principle of subsidiarity is championed as a way of empowering teachers and encouraging local ownership within the confines of a much broader national framework. But implementation of such curricula is not without difficulty. This paper reflects on early implementation and explores a number of familiar challenges, like how to ensure equity of experience in a system that actively promotes difference. It considers the strengths and weaknesses of decentralisation, and ponders the implications of curriculum reform, and its associated teacher freedoms, for both policymakers and the profession itself. A scarcity of resource that endangers not only curriculum realisation, but also the motivation of those responsible for making it work, is also contemplated. The paper concludes by plotting a possible way forward, and presents the case for a national professional learning programme to give teachers the confidence needed to make Wales’ curriculum vision a reality.

Developing and testing a PM2.5 low-cost sensor in Ethiopia under ambient and indoor air pollution conditions

PM2.5 low-cost sensors are a promising trend for low-income countries, where the PM2.5 associated burden of disease is high and few measurement instruments are available. Commercially available Sensor Systems (SSys) are relatively affordable and easy to use. They are, however, not designed for or evaluated in contexts characterized by much biomass burning, regular power interruptions and/or low internet coverage, typical for low-income countries. Alternatively, local teams can build a sensor system with PM2.5 sensors from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). Existing African OEM projects depend on international partners and funding. This puts the affordability for local teams without funding into question. Furthermore, field comparisons of such sensors for ambient concentrations and indoor settings are rarely conducted in low-income contexts. In Arba Minch, Ethiopia, we developed a sensor system (SPSA) with the OEM Sensirion SPS30 and other components, together with an Arduino microprocessor, with LoRaWAN data transmission. We used the hardware and software in multiple configurations. The SPSA was used in 14 contexts typical for Ethiopia. During these tests we encountered problems that were easily solved by maintenance on location. On seven locations we collocated the SPSA with itself, gravimetric instruments and/or SSys. Amongst SPSA we found coefficients of determination (R2) of at least 0.98 for three ambient and one indoor location. The accuracy in comparison with the gravimetric method was 16% under ambient and 13% under indoor circumstances. This is lower than the internationally required 25%. The R2 in comparison to two SSys was 0.91-0.98 under ambient and 0.88-1.00 under indoor circumstances. The SPSA is a versatile sensor system that can be used in both ambient and indoor air pollution circumstances. Local development without international partners and funding resulted in local experience gaining, low costs, local ownership, and the possibility of tailoring the system to local needs regarding power and connectivity.

The Impact of European Union’s Economic and Political Policies Towards Somalia

This study focuses on the impact of European Union’s economic and political policies towards Somalia. The main objectives of the study were to analyse the EU’s economic and political policies towards Somalia, the implementation of the EU’s economic and political policies towards Somalia, the impact of European Union’s economic and political policies towards Somalia and the challenges hindering the implementation of the EU’s economic and political policies in Somalia. The study employed qualitative analysis and conducted an extensive documentary review to gather existing knowledge on the impact of European Union’s economic and political policies towards Somalia. The findings of the study on the overview of the EU’s political and economic policies towards Somalia includes: establishment of transitional governments, supporting the constitutional reform process, promoting human rights and the rule of law, financial assistance to support development programs, trade and economic integration in Somalia, private sector development; the implementation of the EU’s economic and political policies towards Somalia includes: political dialogue and reconciliation processes in Somalia, financial and technical assistance, security and stability in Somalia, financial assistance to Somalia to support development programs, trade and economic integration in Somalia, private sector development in Somalia; the challenges hindering the implementation of EU’s economic and political policies towards Somalia include: political instability, lack of institutional capacity, corruption and governance issues, limited infrastructure, informal economy and trade barriers; the impact of European Union’s economic and political policies towards Somalia includes: trade and development, development aid, fisheries partnership agreement, governance and state building, democracy and human rights and migration and security. The study recommends that to improve the implementation of the European Union's economic and political policies on Somalia there should be more efforts in strengthening local ownership and capacity building, addressing of corruption and improvement in governance, promotion of inclusive economic development, supporting conflict resolution and peacebuilding and enhancing monitoring and evaluation.

Motivating school communities towards behavior change and local ownership: a gamification intervention to prevent trachoma at primary schools in southern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia alone carries 49% of the global burden of trachoma, associated with a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and poor health practices. The aim of this study was to examine whether gamification among schoolchildren and promotion of local ownership of school WASH is associated with healthy behaviors and WASH infrastructure improvements. Application of the Accelerate gamification intervention for elimination of trachoma, with an emphasis on gamification among schoolchildren and community involvement in motivating face-washing, handwashing and functional use of latrines, was undertaken. The study was conducted over 9 mo in 223 rural schools from six districts within the intervention area, reaching 93 518 schoolchildren. At baseline, students were observed washing their hands after using latrines in 23 (10.3%) schools. This increased to 132 (59%) schools (p≤0.001) at follow-up. The number of latrines increased from 585 at baseline to 594 at follow-up (p=0.031). The availability of handwashing stations in schools increased from 31 (13.9%) with water access (8%) and soap (5%) to 155 (69.5%) schools with handwashing stations with water access in 153 (98.7%) (p<0.001) and soap in 121 (78%) (p<0.001). Motivational strategies such as gamification among schoolchildren and promotion of local ownership of school WASH may be associated with healthy behaviors and WASH infrastructure improvements.

Developing rural communication through digital innovation for village tourism

This study examines how digital information facilitates communication in the tourism industry to spur innovation in rural communities. Digital platforms have helped Pentingsari Village improve its tourism economy and document its development. This study used content analysis on social media and online reviews to examine Pentingsari Village's change from the New Regime era to the present day. Our research reveals minor alterations in popular perceptions towards village tourism and its effects on local culture and land ownership - effective use of Internet platforms has changed negative perceptions about the tourism industry's exploitation of indigenous land and culture. This approach is viewed as an innovative means of achieving sustainable development while preserving the cultural heritage of local communities and bolstering their economies. This study is a blueprint for how other rural communities can harness similar insights to enhance their well-being. It demonstrates how rural towns can draw inspiration from Pentingsari's utilisation of digital communication to stimulate creativity, showcase their unique attractions, and monitor their progress via digital platforms, which is instrumental in attracting tourists and investors to these areas.

A roadmap for starting, growing and sustaining a comprehensive pediatric surgery service in a low resource area

The Tanzania-Oxford Children's Surgery Partnership is a longstanding capacity building and research collaboration. Over a 21-year period, this non-hierarchical partnership has worked to develop from service delivery to children surgical system strengthening in Tanzania. This has directly impacted the children's surgery and workforce by increasing the number of pediatric surgeons in the country and upskilling nurses, anesthetists, and pediatricians. Clinical skills acquisition has been complemented by the development of leadership, mentorship, and research acumen. The partnership has also delivered critical upgrading of infrastructure which has significantly increased operative volume and allowed for the provision of minimally invasive children's surgery. A children's research network has been established, with a focus on research equity and local data ownership adhering to local ethics, leading to prolific academic output. At the core of this partnership has been the recognition that achieving sustainable change requires local leadership, long-term commitment, and ‘bottom-up’ change. We described the historical events and steps taken by our partners to achieve the universal provision of children's surgery in Tanzania.

Improving Access to Safe Water in Rural Schools of Kenya: Qualitative Multisectoral Insights.

Comprehensive strategies in water, sanitation, and appropriate hygiene behaviors can improve school enrolment and improve gender parity disparities. Lack of safe drinking water negatively impacts the social capital of people, especially school-going children in rural areas. In this study, we systematically evaluated and documented evidence on the barriers and facilitators in the access and adoption of safe water practices in rural schools in Laikipia County, Kenya. An ethnographic formative, collaborative implementation research design was used in an iterative and participatory process to evaluate community, socio-economic, and health system-related factors affecting water, hygiene, and sanitation strategies. Qualitative data was collected using key informant interviews (n=5) and focus groups (n=3) from various multisectoral participants. Directed content analysis was used to develop codes, categories, and themes from textual data. Data was organized according to the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. The findings were classified and described under three key elements: context, evidence, and facilitation. Contextual elements showed an association of diarrhea outbreaks with unsafe hygiene practices compounded by water scarcity. The evidence elements were indicative of the applicability of water backpacks in strengthening handwashing, storage, and transport of water. Facilitation elements indicated evidence of gaps in synergy between the school health and public health systems, necessitating multisectoral collaboration and social capital capacity building. The national and county governments play an imperative role in ensuring access and continuous supply of safe drinking water in schools. This is fundamental in efforts towards reducing social inequalities of health among school-going children and building their social capital. Participatory, collaborative, multisectoral interventions and decision-making are crucial, leveraging on creating local ownership, in meeting the water consumption needs of children and communities in water-scarce regions.

The Complementarity Paradigm: Tracing the Transitional Justice Blueprint in the Inter-American System of Human Rights

ABSTRACT∞ The promotion of ‘home-grown’ approaches to transitional justice is a powerful trope animating the field, encouraging local ownership of transitional justice processes, and refusing ‘one size fits all’ formulas. I challenge this account by exploring how the obligations resulting from anti-impunity’s advent yield only one particular institutional design that seems compatible with obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights. This means that the state’s autonomy to institutionally design a transition is increasingly narrowed in the Inter-American System of Human Rights. I develop this argument by exploring how the right to truth is enforced, showing that the interaction between regional obligations and truth as a right yields a specific transitional institutional blueprint. In doing so, I unpack legal techniques that assist in framing as necessary a transitional justice model that is a contingent, and reckon with its implications.

Using social network analysis to track the evolution of Pacific food system research collaborations over time

Climate change undermines the foundations of food and nutrition security, making it crucial to understand and improve the current research collaborations striving to fill knowledge gaps about the impacts on food systems. This study focuses on the network of research actors working on food systems and climate change in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), a region particularly vulnerable to climate change, and actively integrating knowledge about climate impacts to inform adaptation planning. Specifically, this study looks at co-publication as a form of research collaboration and co-production, using network analysis to understand who are the prominent organizational actors driving knowledge development in the region. Overall, we found a distinct core of these organizations engaged in the research space, dominated in number by academic institutions largely based in Australia, the USA, and New Zealand, but knit together through the interactions of the regional government agencies of the Pacific Islands. Over time, the network of research collaboration on climate change and food systems in the region has grown and diversified. While regional Pacific institutions have remained central actors throughout, national and subnational actors are still in the minority, raising questions about efforts to decolonize research in the region. Furthermore, greater interaction between peripheral actors and the core (especially Pacific actors) could help integrate new research into Pacific knowledge bases and decision-making. Ultimately, when facing the novel conditions that climate change brings, combining the infusion of new knowledge and innovation with local expertise and ownership is critical.

Citizen participation gaps and challenges in the heating transition: Learning from Dutch community initiatives

The European Union has recognized the significance of community energy initiatives in the energy transition and introduced legislation to promote active consumer participation and renewable energy communities. The Netherlands, with its transition away from natural gas, serves as a valuable case study for understanding the challenges and processes of local ownership and participation in community energy initiatives. The research aims to address the dual challenge of defining local ownership and participation and exploring case-specific applications of these concepts. To achieve this, the study employs the Socio-Ecological Systems Framework and literature on participation, providing a theoretical foundation for analyzing citizen engagement. A mixed-methods approach, including interviews and data collection, is used to examine five Dutch community heating initiatives. The analysis highlights the importance of an enabling participatory environment, inclusive participation, information sharing, and the presence of energy cooperatives for successful citizen engagement. The findings have practical implications for EU energy policy, emphasizing the need for clear definitions, inclusive decision-making processes, and tailored engagement strategies.

Return and volatility connectedness and net directional patterns in spillover transmissions: East and Southeast Asian equity markets

AbstractIn this article, we investigate the pattern and dynamics of return and volatility connectedness across East and Southeast Asian markets (referred to as the ASEAN5 + 5 group) by utilizing forecast‐error variance decompositions in a generalized VAR framework in conjunction with the Bai‐Perron procedure to control for structural breaks. Our analysis of the dynamics of return spillovers in static and time‐varying settings identifies that the stock markets of Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea act as constant and largest net transmitters of shocks throughout the period from January 2003 to July 2021. The Chinese stock market is found to have the lowest return connectedness with other regional markets, which could be due to the local foreign ownership regulations. Visualization of the net pairwise return spillover network shows that Singapore is the sole net transmitter of shocks to all other markets in the ASEAN5 + 5 group, whereas, China, despite its market size is the sole net recipient. Two other markets in the regional group are identified as the net receivers, Japan and the Philippines, with the former becoming a net recipient from 2007. Our analysis of structural breaks shows that return spillovers across the markets intensify during periods of economic turmoil, financial shocks and the health crisis (COVID‐19), however, return to the pre‐shock levels during stable market periods. Further analysis of time‐varying patterns revealed that the dynamic connectedness across the region is not symmetrical and the influence of negative returns is more pronounced. The investigation of volatility spillovers shows no substantial differences. The stock markets generally retain their roles. Importantly, the time‐varying volatility connectedness exhibits similar patterns and tends to reach peak levels during turbulent episodes.

Local Ownership of the Theological Task

Local Ownership of the Theological Task

Kajian Etnosains Membuat Jeruk Maman Sebagai Sumber Pembelajaran IPA

The identity of local cultural ownership in Indonesia needs to be improved as a source of learning in science education. The development of the current 2013 curriculum in science education pays attention to local cultural wisdom (ethnoscience) national identity, character and local cultural customs. This study uses a descriptive descriptive approach that tries to observe and conduct a comprehensive study of the implementation of meaningful learning which can be done by associating science concepts with community activities around students, especially activities related to culture, customs of the surrounding community which are one of the one identity of the Indonesian nation.

The role of NGOs in the domestic implementation of the African Union Transitional Justice Policy Framework: perspectives from Uganda

This article explores the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the domestic implementation of the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP). It uses Uganda as a prism through which to examine the implementation of two key constitutive elements of the AUTJP: criminal prosecutions and traditional justice. Besides reflections based on theauthor’s experience in Uganda, the analysis rests on an extensive study and review of literature and qualitative interviews. The article argues that NGOs have the potential to sequence the constitutive TJ elements of the AUTJP, where there are competing narratives of peace versus justice. While local NGOs are pivotal in fostering local ownership of TJ, the findings reveal thecritical role of NGO networks in the domestic implementation of TJ. The article concludes that there is a compelling case to be made for the continued involvement of NGOs in the domestic implementation of TJ

Reimagining the Food System: Kropotkin, Food Sovereignty and OrganicLea

This paper explores the similarities between Kropotkin's vision of a just food system and the food sovereignty movement, with the concrete example of the work of OrganicLea. It will begin with an analysis of the deepening problems of our food system through food insecurity and its negative impact upon the environment. The second part will introduce the idea of food sovereignty and show how it intersects with Kropotkin's work, with it being argued that a just food system is one that recognises central aspects of both; alongside local and collective ownership, the well-being of all, regenerative agriculture and a commitment to wider social and environmental justice. I will then show how such principles are being put into practice through the work and direct action of OrganicLea. This will reveal how Kropotkin's thought is still relevant today and how it can be used to address contemporary concerns such as food insecurity and climate change. The paper will also consider the limitations of Kropotkin, including his time-restricted ideas, and the need for new perspectives such as those found in OrganicLea and the food sovereignty movement.

Accessible satellite data decision support systems for Yurok Tribe forest management

Local decisionmakers managing forests for sequestering carbon and mitigating disturbance face increasing pressures from climate change, while needing to derive revenue from forests resources and balance diverse stakeholder concerns. Decision support systems (DSS) that use freely available satellite data are effective tools for forest management decision-making, due to the broad spatial coverage and temporal consistency of this data. However, the literature demonstrates that many DSS developed by researchers incorporating satellite data are often not utilized by decision makers. This is in part due to a lack of stakeholder engagement in DSS development. Here, we employ an intentional stakeholder engagement process to develop an accessible DSS incorporating satellite data. This process is applied with the Yurok Tribe – an Indigenous community in California – towards the goal of managing forests for carbon sequestration. We use system architecture framework (SAF) to translate stakeholder objectives into targeted analyses and the environment-vulnerability-decision-technology (EVDT) integrated modeling framework to incorporate contextual local infrastructure and land ownership information alongside satellite data analyses. Satellite data analyses classify tree cover and track Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) over time. We compare and show that trends in our analysis agree with independent global tree cover and biomass datasets. These analyses meet the Tribe's objective for tracking forest trends in Yurok carbon sequestration projects, while also detecting undesirable conifer encroachment on culturally-important prairies traditionally managed as open landscapes. Additionally, integration of community infrastructure data alongside satellite-derived drought, forest fire, and smoke density information via EVDT meets another Yurok Tribe objective of identifying negatively impacted Tribal areas for aid allocation. User feedback sessions with participating Yurok Tribe employees assess the prototype DSS and show 80% of users providing high ratings (≥75%) for information accuracy, relevancy, and sufficiency, demonstrating that our DSS development process overcomes previous gaps to DSS use and satellite data accessibility to augment Yurok Tribe forest management decision making.