Major Policy Research Articles

Are there differences in low-acuity emergency department visits between culturally and linguistically diverse migrants and people with English-speaking background: a population-based linkage study of adults over 45

BackgroundGrowing numbers of avoidable low-acuity visits to emergency departments (ED) are a major health policy concern globally and are thought to contribute to ED crowding. This study explores the differences...

Why the Construction Trades Have a Valuable Role in Meeting the Climate Challenge

The construction industry accounts for 18 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. There is extensive evidence that this can be reduced significantly by implementing aggressive net zero building practices. However, the way the industry is organized impedes this achievement because it fails to promote the development of a broadly based, highly qualified, climate-literate workforce. Successful low carbon construction requires enhancement of workers’ knowledge, skills, and competencies because it requires much higher energy performance standards than traditional construction practice. Yet the industry remains wedded to the current system of low-bid, low-quality construction to cut costs. The organization of much construction work reflects a Taylorist approach, with extensive piecework and subcontracting that relies heavily on precarious, unskilled, and semi-skilled workers. Most employers avoid investing in trades training, leaving it to governments, unions, and individual workers to fund workforce development. Committed to a deregulated market with minimal government interference in their profit-making activities, many contractors oppose tougher building and energy regulations while lobbying against higher labour standards, occupational certification requirements, and union organizing. To meet their net zero targets, governments must recognize that market forces are inadequate to create the well-trained, highly skilled workforce needed. Major policy interventions are required to force industry to make the necessary changes in vocational education and training (vet) and employment practices – changes designed to upskill the construction workforce and give workers and unions a greater voice in shaping climate-informed building practice.

The role of natural resources rent, energy efficiency and governance in reducing pollution – New evidence with MMQR method

AbstractThe question on whether natural resources are a curse or not remain with no satisfactory answer. There are two opposing school of thoughts on the role of natural resources rent in fostering sustainable development, that is, the natural resource curse and Rostow's hypothesis. The study uses the data of the 15 natural resources‐rich African countries, for the period ranging from 1990 to 2021. The Methods of Moments Quantile Regression with fixed effects, a contemporary method that gives heterogeneous results across quantiles is employed to ensure robust outcomes. Cross‐sectional dependence, dynamics and heterogeneity are catered for in the model. The major results presented in this research shows that the rule of law is fundamental in reducing pollution. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy resources is also observed to strongly lower the emission of carbon. Most importantly, the study results depict that natural resources rent exacerbates carbon emission; hence, supporting the postulations of the resources curse hypothesis that natural resources are counter‐productive. We also show that economic growth, along with non‐renewable energy worsens pollution. The major policies presented in this research are to promote renewable energy use, rule of law and efficient use of energy to attain sustainable development. This research bridges the gap in the literature by examining the effects of natural resources rent on carbon emission, a study that has not been widely covered. The present research also brings the importance of governance in reducing pollution in the natural resources‐rich African countries.

Improving diets and multimorbidity prevention.

In 2023, the UK government announced a Major Conditions Strategy, publishing 'The case for change and our strategic framework', which set out the focus on cancers, diabetes, dementia, mental ill health, musculoskeletal disorders, CVD and chronic respiratory diseases. Together, these conditions account for 60% of total disability-adjusted life years lost to early death or ill health in England, and one in four adults has at least two (multimorbidity). This review considers some of the key dietary risks for these major conditions and population policies that may improve diets and reduce risks. UK Government dietary recommendations, based on independent risk assessment and advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, are encapsulated in the national food model, the Eatwell Guide. Based on key sources of dietary data - chiefly consumption data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and consumer purchase data from Kantar - most people do not meet dietary recommendations. This review considers how science and evidence inform health improvement policy. This includes policies that encourage healthier food choices, such as labelling and public procurement standards to those that minimise the impact of the less healthy choice such as sugar and salt reduction and reformulation. The review also considers nutritional approaches to managing some non-communicable diseases. Given the role nutrition and excess weight play in the onset, prognosis and quality of life for those living with one or more of the major conditions, there are huge potential gains from even small dietary improvements across population groups.

Determinants of Microfinance Demand (Evidence from Chiredzi Smallholder Resettled Sugarcane Farmers in Zimbabwe)

Despite the MFI insurgency, agricultural financing remains critically low, even though microcredit is widely accepted as both a substitute and compliment to formal credit. Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy and very little is known about the determinants of microcredit demand and microcredit size in smallholder resettled sugarcane farmers. Research is concentrated in short-term agriculture activities. Thus, this study aims to fill the unattended gap in lagged returns agriculture activities such as sugarcane production which takes at least a year to mature, hence, the greater need for agriculture financing alternatives such as microfinance. The study examined the determinants of both microcredit demand and loan size (magnitude of microcredit participation) by smallholder resettled A2 sugarcane farmers in Chiredzi. Primary data from 370 smallholder resettled sugarcane farmers (214 borrower participants and 156 non-borrower participants) were used. Probit and Tobit regression models were used for data analysis in STATA. Operational costs, interest rate, grace period, and land size significantly affect both the demand for microcredit and microcredit size, while education, household farming assets, extension services, and payback period significantly affect microfinance demand, and risk attitude/perception additionally determine microcredit size. Special microfinance schemes best suitable for the agriculture sector and crop/plant-specific agriculture financing schemes, currency, and macroeconomic stability are the major policy recommendations.

Quantifying the economic value of a national hydrometric network for households

This study reports the results of a Choice Experiment to quantify households’ willingness-to-pay for river gauging programmes in Scotland. The hydrometric network is operated and maintained by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scotland’s principal environment regulator, a non-department public body of the Scottish Government. Results from mixed logit and latent class modelling show that most households (‘Hydrometric Maximisers’ − around 70 %) have significant, positive willingness-to-pay values for river gauging programmes, but a minority (‘Hydrometric Satisficers’ − around 30 %) do not view this as a major public policy priority. On average, hydrometric data collection delivers non-market benefits worth £84,625,562 to the Scottish economy, with a minimum economic Benefit-to-Cost ratio of 25:1. This is in addition to the infrastructure value and any private returns made by commercial users of the data. The findings demonstrate that traditional approaches to assessing the benefits of hydrometric networks often underestimate their value. The research also highlights the importance of public information campaigns and household engagement initiatives to increase awareness of hydro-meteorological services, and to develop the business case more fully for public investment in environmental observation networks.

Addressing energy poverty through education: How does gender matter?

Energy poverty (EPT) has emerged as a major policy concern in developed, transition, and developing economies. In China, energy has been a key enabler of economic and social development in recent decades. However, EPT can reduce the positive effects of this development. This paper studies the relationship between the nexus of key social-economic-geographic factors and EPT in the country, and further discusses the heterogeneity of various aspects and the mechanism roles of income inequality and gender educational inequality by using panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2021. The main findings are: (1) An increase in per capita education reduces EPT; (2) the negative effect of education on EPT is stronger in the midwestern provinces; (3) the contribution of female education in alleviating urban EPT is substantially greater than that of male education; (4) in towns and villages, the impact of male education on EPT is greater than that of female education; and (5) income inequality and gender educational inequality are valid mechanisms in the education-EPT nexus. We put forward policy recommendations for improving the education level, narrowing education and gender inequality, and decreasing income gaps to alleviate EPT.

Evaluating Policy Shifts on Perceived Greenspace Quality: Applying Regression Discontinuity During the COVID-19 Reopening Period

Abstract: Urban greenspaces have been essential in supporting residents’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly under strict lockdown measures. However, the impact of changing containment policies on residents’ perceived greenspace quality remains insufficiently explored. This study utilized online survey data collected between 11 October and 29 December 2022, in Shanghai, coinciding with the major policy shift on 5 December 2022. A probability proportionate to size sampling was adopted to survey residents aged 18 and above who had lived in the city for at least six months, yielding a total of 577 valid responses. We assessed residents’ perceived greenspace quality using 20 park- and community-level variables, focusing on both overall quality and specific features of greenspaces. A regression discontinuity design (RDD) was applied to evaluate how the lifting of the COVID-19 policies influenced residents’ perceptions of parks and community greenspaces. Our RDD estimation indicates no statistically significant change in residents’ overall perceived quality of parks after the policy shift, except for increased satisfaction with specific features such as plant diversity, maintenance, seating areas, trails, and large open spaces. In contrast, residents who responded after the policy shift reported a significantly higher perceived quality of community greenspaces compared to those who completed the survey before the shift (0.609 score difference, p < 0.01), with notable increases in satisfaction regarding plant diversity, maintenance, and seating areas. Perception of plant quantity remained unchanged in both types of greenspaces. Residents expressed greater satisfaction with sports facilities in parks, while community greenspaces were preferred for their water features and esthetic qualities. By adopting an RDD with a unique dataset, this study contributes empirical evidence to the current ongoing debate on the role of urban greenspace during the later stages of COVID-19. Specifically, it examines how changes in public health policy and the resulting increase in mobility might affect residents’ perceived greenspace quality. The findings can assist decision-makers and urban planners in developing more adaptive strategies to address the diverse needs of residents for greenspaces during the transitional period of a public health crisis.

9.X.1. Protecting the mental health of healthcare workers: evidence, policy and implementation challenges

Abstract Background There is growing evidence that highlights increasing stress levels and declining mental health among the global healthcare workforce, exacerbated by challenges within workplace environments, labour market and policy frameworks. These conditions place additional strain on an already vulnerable healthcare workforce and consequently threaten the stability of health systems as a whole, given the escalating challenges in retaining, recruiting and reactivating healthcare workers. Although the problems are evident, awareness is increasing and international organisations such as the WHO have advanced policy recommendations, comprehensive and context-specific interventions effectively addressing these problems at varying levels are missing. Objectives This innovative workshop offers a platform for bridging the gap between research evidence and policy interventions, stimulating policy learning and knowledge exchange across countries. The session provides an overview of existing knowledge and engages representatives of academia as well as national policymaking, and international organisations to critically discuss challenges as well as good practice experiences with a focus on implementation and problem-solving. The following major questions will be explored: What evidence is available regarding the mental health and wellbeing needs of the healthcare workforce? How are different countries responding to these needs and supporting healthcare workers more effectively? What are some best practice cases focusing on improving mental health support for healthcare workers across various groups, considering diverse needs, gender-inclusiveness, and minority groups? Finally, how can evidence-based policymaking be improved, and how can the implementation of these policies be advanced in a more effective manner? Thesession will encourage critical debate and identify major policy recommendations, focusing on governance and implementation strategies. In the second half of the session, the panel will engage the audience in an interactive discussion to explore novel solutions that prioritise the wellbeing of healthcare workers and effectively address the healthcare workforce crisis in a more person-centred and ‘humanised’ manner. The workshop supports cross-country learning and networking opportunities. Key messages • Mental health and wellbeing of the healthcare workforce is crucial for health system resilience and needs stronger advocacy for coordinated multi-level governance action. • Establish a health system and governance approach together with comprehensive monitoring and qualitative comparative workforce studies to identify transformational policies in contextual settings.

Problematizing street vending: The uncanniness of a disembodied urban policy

ABSTRACT Street vending is an important source of livelihood for many urban dwellers in Africa but remains a challenge for urban policy and planning. This paper uses Ghana as a case study to examine how street vending is treated in urban policy frameworks. We use qualitative content analysis to critically review four major urban policies that shape the planning, development, and management of Ghanaian cities. Our findings reveal a misalignment of local urban policies with national policy on the regulation of street vending. The regulation of street vending is unclear, contradictory, and ineffective, failing to provide a clear policy direction and adequate planning tools for integrating street vending into urban spaces. We argue that these policy inconsistencies persist due to power imbalances and governance challenges, with local authorities maintaining ambiguous policies that benefit powerful stakeholders while keeping street vendors in a state of insecurity. We call for more coherent and inclusive policies that recognize the socioeconomic value of street vending and foster more inclusive urban spaces. We also highlight the need for reformed urban governance that empowers marginalized voices and builds cross-scale alliances to address the complexities of urban informality and support the informal economy.

Climate policy shocks and crowdfunding success of renewable technology campaigns

AbstractThis study uses Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Accord as an exogenous policy shock and investigates its impact on crowdfunding outcomes. We find that this major policy change negatively affects the funding success of renewable technology campaigns. Mechanism tests suggest that social trust and availability bias transmit the influence of climate policy shock on crowd backers' decisions. Further analyses indicate that Biden's consequential policy reversal recovers the investors' support towards renewable technology. Overall, the Trump administration's climate policy shock induces significant shifts in the consumption preferences of small investors and incurs negative externalities upon renewable technology in crowdfunding markets.

Major air pollution and climate policies in NYC and trends in NYC air quality 1998-2021.

Air pollution poses serious health risks to humans, with particular harm to children. To address the gap in understanding the efficacy of policies to reduce exposure to air pollution, we sought to assess the temporal relationship between the enactment of major air pollution and climate policies in NYC and trends in air quality during the period 1998-2021. We used previously available data from citywide monitoring and new data from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) longitudinal cohort studies of mothers and children living in communities in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. We utilized publicly available citywide air monitoring data for particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from 2009 to 2021 from the New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS) database and CCCEH cohort data on residential exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 and personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancies occurring from 1998-2016 and 1998-2021, respectively. We compared annual and overall reductions in PM2.5 and NO2 citywide and reductions in PAH concentrations in the cohort studies. As previously reported, annual average concentrations of pollutants in NYC dropped significantly over time. Between 1998 and 2021, PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were reduced citywide by 37 and 31%, respectively. In our CCCEH cohorts, between 1998 and 2016, the annual average PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations also decreased significantly by 51 and 48%, respectively. Between 1998 and 2020, PAH concentrations decreased significantly by 66%. While it is not possible to link improved air quality to a single policy, our analysis provides evidence of a cumulative beneficial effect of clean air and climate policies enacted between 1998 and 2021 both city-wide and in our cohorts residing in communities that have been disproportionately affected by air pollution. There are important implications for health benefits, particularly for children, who are known to be especially vulnerable to these exposures. The results support further environmental and social policy changes to prevent the serious health impacts of air pollution from fossil fuel emissions.

Policy risks in the biogas sector – the case of Sweden

Policy is decisive to stimulate biogas expansion; but policy-related factors may also inhibit the development. This study explores policy risks in the Swedish biogas sector and identifies strategies to mitigate these risks. The study is based on three workshops and a survey with participation of biogas stakeholders. The findings reveal that two major policy risks significantly impact the Swedish biogas sector: the ‘lack of long-term strategies’ and the ‘long and complicated permitting processes.’ ‘Limitations of permitted feedstocks’ and ‘limited system perspective—benefits of circular economy and sustainable food system’ are also among the most probable risks. More clearly defined roles for authorities at different administrative levels and the promotion of life cycle perspectives are critical to mitigate these risks. The research emphasizes that both EU and national governments play vital roles in reducing policy risks through predictable and long-term biogas strategies. Without these interventions, the potential of the Swedish biogas sector may remain underutilized.

Features of contemporary state upskilling policies of India

Purpose: is to reveal features of contemporary State’s upskilling policies of India that are focused on improving the competitiveness of Indian labour.Methods: the article uses the methods of multiple comparative analysis, generalization, comparison and SWOT analysis of upskilling policies adopted by the government to upgrade the skills of the future workforce of India.Results: the article examines the major government policies on skill development in India, provides a comparative analysis of their role, importance and effectiveness, and conducts a SWOT analysis to better understand these policies. It summarizes the properties, features and functions of the contemporary Government policies on skill development to highlight the relevance and importance of developing new tools to enhance their effectiveness. The comparative analysis of various factors has shown that the current Government policies on skill development in India require a holistic and realistic approach to revise the objectives of the Government strategy in this area and set reasonable targets.Conclusions and Relevance: contemporary State upskilling policies such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, skill India etc. didn’t reach set target. Not so many young labor force is enrolling in the courses provided by the State due to lack of promotion activities and reach to the target audience. The Government has less statistics of the Indian labor market which could clearly define the on-time status of all the State initiatives. There is a need to develop an online platform of staffing to have clear and actual data of the labor market. The online platform of staffing can connect all the stakeholders of the labor market which would help the government to use the holistic approach for developing the Indian labor market together with the stakeholder of the market.

Navigating the path for economic resilience and sustainable economic growth: Empirical insight from G-20 nations

The global demand for sustainability has captured the attention of governments, policymakers, and academics, emphasizing the need to meet the current needs of the population while preserving resources for future generations. However, there is vast scarcity of studies to explore the determinants of sustainable economic growth at the international level. Therefore, to assist the policymakers, academicians, government and international bodies, this study aims to examine the determinants of sustainable economic growth across G-20 nations. The current analysis has used the panel regression modeling by covering the time frame from 1974 to 2022 for G-20 nations. The findings exhibit that GDP per capita, human capital stock, rent from natural resources, FDI and mild inflation rate have a favorable impact on sustainable economic growth of G-20 nations. Conversely, the results affirm that CO2 emission, agriculture sector and trade openness have adverse effect on sustainable economic growth. The findings have major policy implications for the government, policymakers and the international bodies for ensuring the sustainable economic growth around the world. The findings assert that this goal requires substantial initiatives from international bodies, public authorities and NGOs to raise awareness and enhance economic literacy among the general public.

Role of School Leadership in Context of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

The study reveals concept of school leadership in context of major education policies of Indiaincluding NEP 2020. It explores brief introduction, achievements and failures of nationaleducation policies of India like National Policy on Education (1968), National EducationPolicy (1986) and NEP 2020. The study also reveals some basic tenets of NEP 2020 whichincludes an equitable and inclusive education, continuous professional development andcareer management and progression, efficient resourcing and effective governance, standardsetting and accreditation. The main part of study deals with role and performance of schoolleaders in context of, transparency, effectiveness and accountability type of indicators. It alsoassesses vision and mission of NEP 2020 in school leadership perspective.

Early Childhood Intervention under the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme: Characteristics and Recruitment Practices of Service Providers

AbstractThe National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) constitutes a major policy reform for Australian people with disabilities. Despite its ten-year implementation, little is known about the characteristics of the workforce delivering Australia’s NDIS early childhood intervention services (ECI). The present study sought to identify the range of skills, knowledge, and experience of ECI professionals as listed in recruitment advertisements, and their alignment with best practice guidelines. Provider data were extracted from 246 advertisements for ECI roles over a 5-month period and assigned into various categories. Interrater reliability was determined by randomly selecting 65 of the 246 of the advertisements, which were coded independently by two researchers and assigned to service provider categories. Significant changes have occurred in the qualities of professionals providing ECI services under the NDIS, and their adherence to best practice guidelines. The limited emphasis on best practice in the recruitment process may result in an ECI workforce that is not well equipped to deliver specialised and inclusive support to young children with disabilities and their families.

Abe’s incrementalism: an institutionalist analysis of immigration policy reform during the second Abe administration

The late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s second stint in power 2012 to 2020 oversaw numerous ambitious reforms to Japan’s immigration regime whilst still maintaining the country’s status quo of ‘no immigration policy’. This status quo was established through the 1990 system and denies both the admittance of unskilled foreign labor and formal immigration policy, instead relying on ‘side-door’ policies to recruit most foreign workers. The goal of this article is to evaluate the policy outcomes of Abe’s reforms by taking a macro-level approach and using a historical institutionalist methodological framework. Through classifying Abe’s major policy initiatives utilizing the mechanisms of institutional change, I analyze whether despite Abe’s own insistence, he has changed the immigration status quo in a fundamental way. In the conclusion, I argue that in combination with recent reforms by his successors, the potential for a fundamental change in Japan’s immigration policy trajectory is present – even though this change has not taken place yet.

The ACA Medicaid expansions and the supply of substance use disorder treatment services in Spanish

BackgroundGiven persistent disparities in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for Spanish speakers, it is important to understand whether major health policy changes may improve access to linguistically competent services. We estimate changes in the supply of SUD treatment facilities that both accept Medicaid as payment and offer services in Spanish after the Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act. MethodsWe use data from the Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Tracking Repository for years 2010–2020 to calculate the number of facilities per 100 that offered both services in Spanish and accepted Medicaid as payment, facilities per 100 that accepted Medicaid as a form of payment overall, and facilities per 100 that offered Spanish language services overall. We use a difference-in-differences strategy exploiting variation in the timing of the Medicaid expansions across states, and county-level variation in the share of Spanish speaking Latinos across and within states. ResultsWe find that treatment facilities that both accepted Medicaid as a form of payment and offered Spanish language services increased by roughly 2–3 per 100, on average, in counties with the highest shares of Spanish speakers compared to counties with low to medium shares. This increase may be explained by more facilities accepting Medicaid as a form of payment. ConclusionThe Medicaid expansions under the ACA produced a modest increase in the supply of SUD treatment facilities that both accepted Medicaid as payment and provided services in Spanish in areas with highest shares of Spanish speakers.

Availability Problem of Drinking Water in an Urban Area - Effects of Family Size and Monthly Income: An Empirical Study

The availability of water is a major problem faced by the urban masses and policy makers. Bridging the gap between the demand for and supply of water is a major policy decision confronted by the urban authorities. The ever-increasing urban population and shift in occupational structure results in the increased demand which confronts with lagging supply of water which needs immediate policy attention. The present study is based on the survey of households in urban areas who have piped water connections in their homes. 600 households were selected at random from the total connections available. The data is analysed using the x2 test. The present study aims at examining the relation between size of the family and income of the respondents with that of severity of availability problem of water and comes to the conclusion that severity problem is not connected with the size of the family size but it is connected with the family income of the consumers.