Low Level Of Implementation Research Articles

Green supplier governance and firm performance: a comprehensive understanding of three governance approaches

PurposeThis study aims to develop a comprehensive green supplier governance (GSG) concept and explore whether specific GSG approaches (green supplier assessment, green supplier assistance and green strategic partnership with suppliers (GSPS)) bring environmental and economic performance. Moreover, this study aims to reveal a synergistic effect of three GSG approaches on performance improvement.Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected from 200 Chinese manufacturing firms, regression analysis was employed to reveal the relationship between specific GSG approaches and firm performance. Further, cluster analysis was used to identify groupings of firms regarding implementation levels of three GSG approaches and compare the performance of the firm groups.FindingsGreen supplier assessment (GSA) can bring environmental performance, but GSA is not associated with economic performance. Green supplier assistance is positively associated with economic performance, while green supplier assistance cannot improve environmental performance. Only GSPS leads to improvement for both environmental and economic performance. Furthermore, firms with high implementation levels of GSA and GSPS (whether with high or low implementation levels of GSAS) can achieve the best environmental and financial performance.Practical implicationsThis study provides implications for firms to more strategically and comprehensively implement GSG approaches, which can be more effective in bringing environmental and economic performance.Originality/valueThe authors' study extends the GSG concept with two approaches by subdividing the collaborative approach into green supplier assistance and GSPS based on the collaboration levels. This study also sheds light on how to improve firm performance by different GSG approaches and reveals a synergistic effect of three GSG approaches on performance.

Impact assessment of information technologies on the public administration efficiency

The article examines the assessment of the impact of information technology on the effectiveness of public administration. Recently, consideration of the issues of the impact of information technologies on the effectiveness of public administration in the Republic of Kazakhstan has become of particular importance in the context of the development of digitalization in today’s world, which is changing all the previously established mechanisms and principles of the functioning of public administration. At the same time, a number of problems have developed in the field of informatization of public administration in the Republic of Kazakhstan. In particular, “the low level of implementation of digital tools, non-systemic digitalization, the lack of information in indicators of the efficiency of goals and objectives. It is very often observed in the practice of subordinate organizations that are responsible for maintaining IT do not attach serious importance to budget expenditures and do not try to contribute to their reduction or optimize them. They also do not care about the standardization of the technologies they use, the flexibility of new products and the restructuring of infrastructure for digitalization. In this regard, the goal of the article is to identify the theoretical and applied foundations for assessing the impact of information technologies on the effectiveness of public administration in order to fill the existing gap in the science of public administration. Achieving this goal involved the use of general, general scientific and particular scientific methods of science, including methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, abstraction, induction, analogy and comparison. The results of this article, obtained in the course of the study, can be used to further improve the system for assessing the impact of information technology on the effectiveness of public administration, as well as in scientific research in the field of public administration. The results of this study include the identification of theoretical and applied foundations in the system for assessing the impact of information technology on the effectiveness of public administration.

Management of green investment of countries in terms of their technological development

In the conditions of technological development and informatization of social relations, the formation of effective organizational support for the processes of investing in green technologies is becoming more and more actualized. The object of the research is the management processes of green investment of the countries of the world by various stakeholders in the conditions of increasing movement and development of productive forces towards Industries 4.0 and 5.0. Among the problems that need to be solved, the following should be noted: – low level of management decision-making and implementation of green investment in countries with transition economies and developing countries; – high level of divergence in technological development among the countries of the world in the system of technological structures. Effective organizational and economic support for green investment at the level of the state, investor, manufacturer, and client should be included among the tools for solving these problems. A comparative analysis of green investment of the countries of the world was carried out. The factors of positive and negative impact on the green investment management process in countries with different levels of economy and technological development were formed. Modern trends in the development of green investment were investigated. The effects of the implementation of green technologies by companies of the world were noted. The benchmarking approach has been improved, with regard to the selection of constituent countries-leaders, which can be used in the management of green investments. The criterion indicators of the SWOT analysis of the green investment management system were formed on the example of the innovative project of the university. The necessary conclusions have been drawn based on the research results. The obtained results are explained by the possibility of their application in the system of implementation of projects and programs regarding investment in green technologies (solar stations, wind stations, sewage treatment system, landscaping and greening of territories, geothermal energy). Practical implementation is possible in various countries of the world under the conditions of sustainable technological development from Industry 3.0 to Industry 5.0.

Analisis Faktor-Faktor yang Menjelaskan Pengimplementasian Nilai-Nilai Utama (Corevalues) AKHLAK pada Karyawan di PT TASPEN (Persero)

The development of the global economy is currently entering the era of Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 cannot be faced only with technological development, but must involve social dynamics in it. Every company and agency must create a strategy in dealing with this era, including Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) by establishing main values that become the reference for the behavior of all human resources in BUMN. These corevalues consist of Trustworthy, Competent, Harmonious, Loyal, Adaptive, and Collaborative (AKHLAK). In practice, AKHLAK has not been implemented properly, even though the corevalues of AKHLAK need to be implemented by all human resources in BUMN. This thesis examines the significant factors explaining the implementation of AKHLAK corevalues on PT TASPEN (Persero) employees and to examine the profile of employees who have implementation corevalues high and low are based on significant factors. The factors used in this study are work motivation, work environment, employee welfare, socialization, employee commitment, religiosity, work stress, age, gender, education level, and years of service. The methods used in solving this research problem are the Partial Least Square (PLS) method and the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) method. The data used is primary data of 209 PT TASPEN (Persero) employees taken using purposive sampling. The results showed that work motivation, socialization, religiosity, and education level can significantly explain the implementation of AKHLAK. The profile of employees who have a high level of implementation of AKHLAK are employees with high level of religiosity, high work motivation, for all categories of educational levels, and work stress levels. The profile of employees who have a low level of implementation of AKHLAK are employees who have low religiosity and work motivation.

The profile of buffalo farming in Matur District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra

This research aimed to overview the buffalo farming business profile in Matur District and analyze its development problems. Data were obtained using the snowball sampling method by interviewing 148 buffalo farmers and observing their farming. The parameters measured were: 1) farmer demographics, 2) profile of buffalo farming business, and 3) buffalo farming practice. The results showed that the buffalo farming business in Matur District was 58.78% managed by farmers aged 25-54 years, and most of their education was elementary school (54.05%). The farmers were quite experienced in raising buffaloes (18.46 years), but the average ownership was low (1.80 heads or 0.81 Livestock Units). Most of the buffaloes' business system is a profit-sharing system (57.43%). The feed given to buffaloes was mostly natural grass (78.38%), the rearing system was carried out semi-intensively (69.59%) and intensively (30.41%), and only 54.73% of farmers provided buffalo houses. The main constraint in the buffalo farming business development in Matur District was poor farming practices, shown by the low level of technical aspects implementation (38.60%). Most buffalo mating system was natural system (96.39%). Stud limitation availability was the main constraint in buffalo reproductive management, which affected high mating costs (reached IDR 20,000-300,000/conception) and inbreeding cases (15%). Farmers' knowledge about diseases could have been higher, and the buffaloes never got vaccinated. In conclusion, the buffalo management system in Matur District was low, and thus improvement is necessary.

Pan-European Criteria for Sustainable Forest Management - Attitudes of Forestry Professionals in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Climate change is recognized as a global threat that negatively impacts biodiversity and forest resources. The use of existing indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM) related to biodiversity and climate change, as well as the development of new indicators, will help assess how forest management practices impact biodiversity enhancement and climate change mitigation. A Pan-European set of criteria and indicators has been developed as a policy instrument for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the progress in implementing SFM. In Bosnia and Herzegovina and Western Balkans in general, the Pan-European set of criteria and indicators is an insufficiently researched topic and there is a lack of scientific research conducted regarding their development and implementation. Through the analysis of the current situation in forestry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), regarding the compliance and importance of the Pan-European criteria for SFM, this paper aims to explain how the international process of development and application of the Pan-European criteria for SFM can contribute to the improvement of the situation in forestry and the creation of a consistent forest policy in FBiH. The survey among forestry professionals (n=360), from the public forest administration and public forest companies in FBiH, included the sets of questions related to socio-demographic characteristics, assessment of compliance and importance of six criteria of SFM. Research results revealed that forestry professionals are mainly males, on average 41 years old, with 13 years of working experience. The majority of forestry professionals in FBiH are not familiar with Pan-European criteria for SFM, and have a low level of their understanding. On average, forestry professionals indicated that the Pan-European criteria for SFM were of high importance, while compliance with current forest management activities were rated lower on average. The large differences between responses regarding the average rating of compliance and importance of the Pan-European criteria for SFM indicate their low level of implementation in FBiH forest management activities. Accordingly, the results indicate that there is a need to organize educational lifelong learning programs in FBiH forestry sector, involving forestry professionals and other interested parties, to generate knowledge related to the Pan-European criteria for SFM and the concept of SFM in general.

THEORETICAL OVERVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT IN INSTITUTIONS OF GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION

The article, based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, reflects the experience of implementing electronic document management in institutions of general secondary education. It is shown that the state of electronic document management in educational institutions is unsatisfactory and is at a low level of implementation.
 The global spread of information technologies and the development of information relations have made it possible to use technological and telecommunication resources and the Internet in the workplace and in the field of health care. Such a situation requires constant development, improvement and updating of the regulatory and legal framework of Ukraine and the creation of specialized norms and rules in this sphere Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine "On electronic devices. Documents and electronic document flow, electronic digital signature, telecommunications, mandatory copy of documents, National informatization program, communication system with state secrets, protection of information in the information and communication system, etc. The Law of Ukraine "On Electronic Documents and Electronic Document Management" establishes the basic organizational and legal principles of electronic document management and the use of electronic documents. Accordingly, the Law gives the following definitions of electronic documents: e-document - a document in which information is recorded in the form of electronic data and the main details of the document, including electronic digital signature. The legal validity of an electronic document (e-document) cannot be denied solely on the grounds that it is in electronic form. However, there are certain legal restrictions on the use of electronic documents as originals. In particular, the original certificate of the right to inheritance cannot be produced in electronic form; the document can only be produced as a copy in accordance with the law, until a centralized place is created to store the original electronic document. Electronic document management in institutions of general secondary education is an element of a high-tech, promising approach that can significantly increase the efficiency of the institution.

Human Capital in Territories with Different Level of Socio-Economic Well-Being: Assessment and Influence

Introduction. In modern foreign policy problems of Russia’s development, the need to implement the formation and preservation of the human capital of the population is increasing. Formation and effective use of human capital influences the creation of new technologies and products. At the same time, for many less developed regions – the so-called depressed territories – their socio-economic condition is associated with a low level of reproduction and implementation of the human capital of the population. The accumulation of human capital can have a beneficial effect on the development of depressed territories. The purpose of the article is to assess the human capital of municipalities with different levels of socio-economic status. Materials and Methods. The study has used a database of statistical indicators of municipalities of the Perm region. To assess the human capital of the population, we have used the index method, in which statistical indicators are combined into blocks: demography, education, health and sports, economics, culture. Results. A correlation between the values of the educational and demographic indices has been revealed. We have found a relationship between the level of socio-economic status of the territory and the educational index. Territories develop most rapidly in the presence of not only the necessary infrastructure for the formation of human capital, but also a developed economy. None of the development indices of the quality of human capital (education, health and sports, culture) have a direct impact on the economic growth of territories. In some depressed municipalities, there is a high birth rate of the population in the presence of social infrastructure and the quality of human resources necessary for the development of human capital. Discussion and Conclusion. The practical significance of the study is determined by the need to influence the regional policy of human capital management in peripheral and depressed territories. It is proposed to adopt at the legislative level mechanisms for identifying depressed areas and measures to support them. This article can be used in public administration to create a strategy for the spatial development of the country.

4차 평생교육진흥 기본계획의 중요도와 실행도 요구분석

This study analyzes the differences in importance and implementation level for the detailed tasks of the fourth(2018-2022) basic plan for lifelong education promotion. To this end, a needs analysis has been conducted targeting 19 persons involved in lifelong education for 44 detailed tasks within the basic plan. For the analysis, the t-test, Borich need assessment model, and Hershkowitz's criticality function were used. As a result of the analysis, 13 policy tasks had high levels of both importance and implementation (e.g. support for career-interrupted women, expansion of support for literacy education to all citizens who wish). Eight policy tasks were recognized as highly important, but the actual implementation is low (e.g., support for career planning consulting during the transition period of life, securing investment in lifelong education at the national level), while 13 tasks rated low at the important level, but the level of implementation is high (e.g. the elderly customized learning support, expansion of learning support for multi-cultural families) with 10 tasks with low levels of importance and implementation (e.g. expansion of paid study leave system, development and utilization of learning ability diagnosis tools for adults). Based on this, we identified policies that should be given more attention in terms of implementation in the 5th Basic Plan, and discussed tasks that should be considered when establishing the future 6th Basic Plan. We also provided implications for the future.

Quadro della digitalizzazione del sistema istituzionale forestale nazionale. Il punto al 2020

Digitization is a priority objective on the Italian government’s agenda, yet international indicators recognise a low level of implementation in Italy. The delegation of jurisdiction on forestry to the various Regions and Autonomous Provinces (R&PA), the involvement of numerous institutions with indirect authority and the absence of a national coordination structure may explain the backwardness that characterizes the Italian forestry system today. In this study, an initiative was undertaken to investigate the computerization and digitization in the forestry sector. Basic information was collected by conducting interviews and scrutinizing the websites of the R&PA, with the aim of defining the degree and level of digitization of each R&PA, and thus of the national forestry system. Few R&PAs have a high degree of digitization, while none reach an advanced level, with a decreasing gradient along the North-South axis. The national digital forestry system is characterized by a degree of 0.74 and a level of 2.24.

Eye Care Behaviors among Adults in Poland: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey.

Implementation of eye care behaviors may reduce the risk of eye symptoms and diseases. This study aimed to assess eye care behaviors and identify factors associated with eye care practices among adults in Poland. This cross-sectional survey was carried out between 9 and 12 December 2022 on a nationwide random quota sample of adults in Poland. The study questionnaire included a set of questions on 10 different eye care behaviors. The study population included 1076 participants with a mean age of 45.7 ± 16.2 years, and 54.2% of participants were females. The most common (30.2%) eye care behavior was the use of good lighting indoors, and 27.3% used sunglasses with a UV filter. More than one-fifth of participants declared taking regular screen breaks and limiting screen time. Less than one-tenth of participants used dietary supplements with lutein, beta-carotene, or zinc. Out of 12 factors assessed in this study, self-reported knowledge of eye diseases was the most important factor associated (p < 0.05) with eye care behaviors. There were no economic or educational gaps (p > 0.05) in the implementation of most of the eye care behaviors among adults in Poland. This study revealed a low level of implementation of eye care behaviors among adults in Poland.

A Holistic Review of Home-Grown School Feeding Programme for Primary School Pupils’ in Africa

School feeding programme is an important aspect of child’s cognitive development. Home-grown school feeding is an intervention programme designed for school aged children in order to eradicate hunger, increase enrolment, improve pupils’ nutritional value and pupils’ cognitive development whereas these objectives have not be achieved. Therefore, aim of the study is to holistically review the challenges faced in the implementation of home-grown school feeding programme among primary school pupils in Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Mali) and ways of solving these challenges. The paper also reviewed the concept of home-grown school feeding and its challenges. A qualitative research design of systematic search strategy type was used to gathered information in different databases and journals. In the course of the study, the researchers discovered that the programme is faced with the issues of corruption due non- remittance of regular fund to the school vendors and underfunding of the programmes. Other penitent issues include: low and inadequate storage facilities, political interferences, inadequate nutritional meals and low level of implementation. The researchers recommended that caterers should be trained by dieticians on the type of food to prepare for pupils’ and also government should set up a monitoring team to supervise the home-grown school feeding programme for proper implementation in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mali and other Sub-Sahara Africa Countries.

Інтеграція ризик-менеджменту в систему управління якістю торговельного підприємства

The article is aimed at studying the features of the risk-oriented approach in the context of the development of quality management systems as an instrument for management of trading enterprises to solve the problems of increasing their competitiveness, ensuring risk resistance and risk protection. The economic essence of risk as an integral element of the economic and financial activity of the enterprise, which in its manifestation poses a threat to the achievement of the established goals of this activity in conditions of uncertainty and lack of complete information at the time of making decisions on planning, management, coordination, control of the enterprise’s activities, is covered. The list of risks inherent in the activities of commercial enterprises is considered. The classification of risks depending on the type of trade object, group of goods, functional divisions of the trading enterprise and the subsystems has been improved, which allows to deepen research in this direction and objectively determine the areas in which the degree of risk corresponds to the characteristics of the activity. The content and sequence of the main stages of risk management in a trading enterprise are characterized. The article considers features of various approaches to risk management: adaptive, functional, system, process-oriented. It is argued that the lack of an integrated risk management policy of a trading enterprise aimed at implementing strategic development goals leads to: insufficient coordination of individual managerial decisions in this area of various functional services; low level of implementation and use of modern methods and tools for identification and assessment of risks; insufficient substantiation of risk management models in various operations of the trade and technological process; use of inefficient forms of control over the result of the chosen risk solution. A conception of implementing the risk management in the quality management system of a trading enterprise, implemented in accordance with ISO 9001: 2015, is proposed. This conception will provide integrated management of material, financial, information, service flows in business processes between the functional areas of procurement, transportation, warehousing, production, implementation in the performance of management functions of analysis, planning, organization, coordination, motivation, control in compliance with the principles of consistency, efficiency, continuity, cyclicality, variateness, adaptability, mutual consistency, as well as the completeness of the functions of such management and the use of a unified approach to the mechanism of enterprise management. The normative-methodological base of risk management within the documented quality management system of the enterprise is considered.

РЕСУРСНО-ОРІЄНТОВАНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ФОРМУВАННЯ СТРАТЕГІЇ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА

A feature of the modern period is the change in the conditions of economic activity, the turbulence of the environment, the rapid variability of economic conditions in the production of goods and services. These changes affect the financial and economic situation of companies, and, as a result, force them to use theoretical and practical experience of project management. The conditions and principles of orga-nizations’ functioning depend on the company's strategy. Also, strategy determines the results of companies’ activities and its competitiveness on the market. Low level of project management methodology implementation in companies’ development leads to irrational using of resources and reducing its efficiency. Currently, Ukrainian companies are forced to make certain adjustments to their development strategies, operating under the pressure of constantly changing external conditions. The success of each enterprise is determined by how adequately, quickly and effectively it is able to adapt to changing conditions and to a turbulent environment.As world experience shows, in a period of crisis the only way to normalization is the creation of project-managed organizations, because in the conditions of competition and a dynamic environment, the enterprises’ management must focus attention not only on current problems. Every company has to develop a strategic line of behavior. As practice shows, it is impossible without project management methodology application.Especially today, in Ukraine, when we have a very hard market situation, strategic line of behavior should be based on a resource-oriented approach and project manage-ment methodology. This kind of approach plays a huge role in the structure of market relations and in the mechanism of its regulation. And such a strategy that is based on principles of project management is an integral part of the organization's activity, which aim is to achieve profit with optimal use of available resources. So, in this hard for Ukraine time, in these conditions, the managers of organiza-tions need serious methodical assistance in making managerial decisions and, above all, in choosing the strategic directions of the organization's activities, taking into account all the features of the economic, administrative, and regulatory environment in which the organization operates.Keywords:project management, strategy, resources, competitiveness, strategic directions, efficiency, resource-oriented approach.

PRIVATE HOUSEHOLD HEAT PUMP-BASED HEATING SYSTEM WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT

Heat supply is the most energy-consuming industry in Ukraine. The reason for this is a large number of buildings built with a low level of thermal insulation, outdated thermal energy equipment and infrastructure, as well as a low level of implementation of heating systems based on renewable energy sources. Heat pumps are one of the alternatives to fossil fuel boilers for use in household heating systems. The problem of optimizing the operation of heating systems based on heat pumps is of practical importance, since its solution will potentially allow achieving several energy effects, including: reducing operating costs, as well as increasing the level of autonomy of the heating system in the case of providing electricity from an autonomous photovoltaic plant. The article presents the results of mathematical modeling of the heating system of a private house based on a heat pump, a thermal energy accumulator and a photovoltaic plant in the MATLAB/SIMULINK software environment. The model was created for the research purpose of the heating system of a private house with renewable energy sources through structural simulation modeling and conducting a comparative analysis of its management methods for three options (methods): "reactive", "economic" and "autonomous". It was found that the average annual operating costs with the "economic" method of management decreased by 22 % compared to the "reactive" method of management. When using the "autonomous" method of control, the annual maintenance cost of the system due to photogeneration increased by 48 %.

РОЗВИТОК ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ БУДІВЕЛЬНОЇ ГАЛУЗІ В УМОВАХ ЦИФРОВІЗАЦІЇ

The article determines that the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its large-scale pressure on the population and healthcare system, resources and economies of all countries without exception, has become a unique driver that has set the impetus for the implementation of grand transformations. Digitalization of the construction industry takes place both through the introduction of digital tools and through the automation of business processes and the transition to digital means of communication. It is argued that the domestic construction industry lags far behind global digitalization trends. Currently, most domestic construction companies are in a difficult financial and economic situation caused by a sharp drop in demand for construction services as a result of the war, which limits their potential for digital transformation. Given the global trends in digitalization, the article reveals the content of digital technologies and their capabilities in the field of ensuring the development of the potential of construction industry enterprises, which made it possible to identify the advantages and disadvantages of their use. The article reveals the obstacles that hinder the digital development of the domestic construction industry, the key ones being irrational and inefficient use of resources, primarily technological, material and human resources; high turnover and systematic shortage of personnel; low level of implementation of digital construction tools; lack of definition of national strategic priorities for the development of the construction industry, which leads to isolation of construction companies and delay of their own digital transformation processes. The concept of developing the potential of construction industry enterprises through the introduction of digital technologies has been formed, which defines the purpose, principles, tasks, and digital transformation tools in the following areas: creating an effective management decision support system; optimizing project activities and business processes; forming a competent team of employees and a favorable corporate culture. The key goal of this concept is to ensure the development of the potential of construction companies through the implementation of digital transformations.

Use of the consolidated framework for implementation research in a mixed methods evaluation of the EQUIPPED medication safety program in four academic health system emergency departments.

Enhancing Quality of Prescribing Practices for Older Adults Discharged from the Emergency Department (EQUIPPED) is an effective quality improvement program initially designed in the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system to reduce potentially inappropriate medication prescribing for adults aged 65 years and older. This study examined factors that influence implementation of EQUIPPED in EDs from four distinct, non-VA academic health systems using a convergent mixed methods design that operationalized the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Fidelity of delivery served as the primary implementation outcome. Four EDs implemented EQUIPPED sequentially from 2017 to 2021. Using program records, we scored each ED on a 12-point fidelity index calculated by adding the scores (1-3) for each of four components of the EQUIPPED program: provider receipt of didactic education, one-on-one academic detailing, monthly provider feedback reports, and use of order sets. We comparatively analyzed qualitative data from focus groups with each of the four implementation teams (n = 22) and data from CFIR-based surveys of ED providers (108/234, response rate of 46.2%) to identify CFIR constructs that distinguished EDs with higher vs. lower levels of implementation. Overall, three sites demonstrated higher levels of implementation (scoring 8-9 of 12) and one ED exhibited a lower level (scoring 5 of 12). Two constructs distinguished between levels of implementation as measured through both quantitative and qualitative approaches: patient needs and resources, and organizational culture. Implementation climate distinguished level of implementation in the qualitative analysis only. Networks and communication, and leadership engagement distinguished level of implementation in the quantitative analysis only. Using CFIR, we demonstrate how a range of factors influence a critical implementation outcome and build an evidence-based approach on how to prime an organizational setting, such as an academic health system ED, for successful implementation. This study provides insights into implementation of evidence-informed programs targeting medication safety in ED settings and serves as a potential model for how to integrate theory-based qualitative and quantitative methods in implementation studies.

The state of South Africa’s public–private partnership practices in transport projects: Problems and potential

Background: Despite growing calls for public–private partnerships (PPPs) to supplement diminishing investment in South Africa’s transport sector, the uptake of transport PPPs in the country was low over the past 15 years compared with Brazil, Russia, India and China which performed well in this regard. This low uptake poses several consequences in light of the positive correlation between transport capital investment and economic growth. Objectives: The study aimed to describe the problems faced in the South African PPP process, firstly by comparing and contrasting PPP practices of South Africa to its counterparts in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) multilateral forum in view of understanding the reasons for the low uptake of transport PPPs in the country and, secondly, by interviewing transport PPP experts on their opinions on constraints and possible solutions for PPPs in the country. Method: In light of the limited research on transport PPPs in South Africa, as well as the low level of PPP implementation, secondary data analysis was followed by an exploratory qualitative research design used to obtain rich data from subject experts on the topic at hand. Results: The main findings reveal that the politicisation of infrastructure through party politics, political risk and domination of the state in the delivery of strategic infrastructure contributes to the low uptake of PPPs. Conclusion: A need exists to strengthen political commitment for PPPs by centralising and coordinating planning across different tiers of government, while easing the regulatory burden, making them simpler to implement and more attractive to investors and promoting inclusivity. Policymakers can utilise these findings to improve areas of practice requiring intervention.

Assessment of the implementation of safe medication practices in Intensive Medicine Units.

To assess the level of implementation of medication safety practices in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and to identify opportunities for improvement. A descriptive multicenter study was carried out. Intensive Care Units. A total of 40 ICUs voluntarily completed the "Medication use-system safety self-assessment for Intensive Care Units" between March and September 2020. The survey comprised 147 items for evaluation grouped into 10 key elements. Calculation was made of the mean scores and mean percentages based on the maximum possible values for the overall survey, for the key elements and for each individual item for evaluation. The mean score of the overall questionnaire among the participating ICUs was 436.8 (49.2% of the maximum possible score). No differences were found according to functional dependence, size of the hospital or type of ICU. The key elements referred to the incorporation of clinical pharmacists in these units, as well as the competence and training of the professionals in safety practices yielded the lowest values (31.2% and 33.2%, respectively). Three other key elements related to accessibility to information about patients and medicines; to the standardization, storage and distribution of medicines; and to the quality and risk management programs, yielded percentages below 50%. Numerous effective safety medication practices have been identified with a low level of implementation in ICUs. This situation must be addressed in order to reduce medication errors in critically ill patients.

Scientific justification of the need for balanced development of medicinal plant growing

Medicinal plant growth plays a significant role in the development of the national economy as a component of the processing industry, agriculture and forestry nowadays. Its resource base is a valuable natural resource, an indispensable functional part of the biosphere, and the basis for maintaining the potential of human health. An important aspect of balanced development is the preservation of medicinal plant resources in the natural conditions of their growth to preserve the species composition of commodity products and the biological diversity of the ecosystem. The global trend, including Ukrainian, testifies to the rapid increase in the importance of preserving the species diversity of the natural fauna and wild herbs in particular. There are two directions of medicinal plant cultivation: the use of natural plant resources (the collection of wild species) and the cultivation of medicinal plants. The specificity of the development of this industry directly depends on the way of its management for the production of medicinal plant material, about 160 species of wild plants and about 60 species of cultivated medicinal plants are currently used. That is, over 70% of medicinal plants are wildlife, and they constitute the fund of comprehensive renewable resources of the state that are harvested in Ukraine, ad this, in turn, attaches great importance to this area of harvesting of medicinal plants, since it is predominant. The following research methods were used to perform the tasks set in the work: economic-statistical, abstract-logical, system-structural and comparative, graphic and design-constructive, and others like that. The current state of medicinal plant growing shows a significant gap in production processes, logistics, environmental management, certification, and other financial and organizational aspects. Solving of these issues will contribute to the development of the greening agriculture, the development of rural areas, the stabilization of the volume of cultivation of medicinal plants, and the regulation of market relations for the production of medicinal plants. Additional attention needs to be paid to the systematization of priorities, and search for ways to optimize the direction of development of medicinal plant growth in order to balance. In particular, taking into account the ecological, economic, and social features of the development of this industry involves solving the problems of preserving the natural resources of medicinal plants, the instability of the volumes of their harvesting and growing, the low weight of environmentally clean (from chemical and radiation pollution) quality of products that meet the quality requirements for its certification, as well as the low level of innovation implementation in the development of Ukrainian industry.