Management Capacity Building Research Articles

Informing infodemic management capacity building by piloting an adaptable capability tool

Abstract Background Infodemic management competencies and indicators have been included in key WHO pandemic preparedness documents and guidance such as the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative, the Health Emergency preparedness and response (HEPR) framework and in the WHO benchmarks for strengthening health emergency capacities. Training and capacity building is needed to strengthen infodemic management skills and capacity, and a tool to define capabilities and inform training needs was needed. Objectives An adaptable tool was developed and piloted to measure infodemic management capacity to inform training and capacity building needs. The tool was informed by previous work and adapted to cover a wide set of capabilities. It was piloted in March - May 2024. Results The tool was developed to cover the breadth of infodemic management work practice and structural support and included: who is conducting infodemic management work; structures in place to support; main activities; health topics focus areas; partnerships with other organisations; social listening and infodemic insights generation; as well as challenges, opportunities and training needs. The tool can be adapted to the specific situation, with a full survey able to be disseminated via an online survey platform as well as a modified interview guide for key informants or settings where that is more appropriate. Conclusions Preliminary results show that this tool can be a useful way to measure infodemic management competencies and to inform training and capacity building needs. The ability to adapt to specific settings is important to ensure the results are as useful and tailored as possible. As further testing in different setting continues the tool will continue to be iterated upon. Key messages • Infodemic management is an important component of pandemic preparedness and resilience and across the whole emergency response cycle. • A new adaptable tool to measure capabilities can help inform infodemic management trainings and capacity building.

Wildlife in Vernacular as a Means for an Inclusive Environmental Sector and Community Engagement in South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa has contrasts between integrative environmental law and pre-democratic social exclusion in the environmental sector. Communicating wildlife in vernacular, sharing wildlife knowledge in vernacular languages and consideration of wildlife according to vernacular contexts, contributes to inclusive environmental management. This wildlife in vernacular approach is based on seven years of mixed methods research which culminates in this paper on reflections of the possibilities attendant to communicating wildlife in vernacular languages. Firstly, community-level research and knowledge-sharing sessions resulted in the creation of an IsiZulu language field guide for frogs compiled specifically for the Zululand community. Subsequently, online surveys, conversational interviews, literature reviews, and DNA barcoding were used to expand on the studies of Indigenous cultural perspectives on herptiles (frogs and reptiles). Through this work, perspectives that are generally excluded from environmental decision making are revealed and capacity building for environmental management becomes linguistically accessible. This article discusses the untapped potential of often overlooked wildlife (frogs and reptiles) in marginalized vernacular languages and ways to achieve the largely unrealized environmental policy ambitions of being inclusive of all forms of knowledge, considerate of all perceptions of wildlife and affording everyone an opportunity to participate in environmental management regardless of their socioeconomic background. KEY POLICY HIGHLIGHTS Marginalized Indigenous cultural perspectives have conservation value. South African legislation provides for inclusion of cultural practices in environmental management. Communicating wildlife in vernacular increases social inclusion and community engagement in environmental management.

Increasing the Human Resources Capacity of the LazisMu Pajangan Service Office

Along with the development of the Muhammadiyah organisation, especially the Muhammadiyah Branch Leadership in Pajangan, it was only natural for organisational management and human resource capacity building to be enhanced. Since before the pandemic, the Muhammadiyah organisation in the Pajangan area has been rapidly growing, with one of the developments being the emergence of autonomous Muhammadiyah organisations. Some autonomous organisations that had begun to emerge include the Muhammadiyah Youth, LazisMu, and Nasiyatul Aisiyah. Therefore, competent human resources were needed to develop these organisations, one of which was at the LazisMu Pajangan Office. This community service activity would utilise the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach, which involves community participation in the development process of an activity. The activities to be carried out in this regard included conducting group discussion forums, providing training for the LazisMu Service Office managers, upgrading financial management with direct guidance from the LazisMu Regional Office in Bantul, and branding the service office through social media. The activity was conducted from January to March 2023, and the training participants were approximately eight daily managers of the LazisMu service office in Pajangan. Based on the community service activity results, it could be concluded that the LazisMu service office managers in Pajangan understood how to manage administration in the service office. This was because the training provided positively impacted the office managers, especially in understanding the flow and administration bookkeeping in LazisMu services.

Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Open Government Data Initiatives in East Africa

Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives in East Africa represent a transformative approach to governance, aiming to promote transparency, accountability, citizen engagement, innovation, and economic development.These initiatives seek to make government data openly accessible to the public, empowering citizens to scrutinize government actions, monitor public spending, and participate in decision-making processes. However, the implementation of OGD initiatives faces several challenges, including infrastructure limitations, data quality and availability issues, data privacy and security concerns, and the lack of clear legal and policy frameworks. Addressing these challenges requires significant investments in technological infrastructure, data management practices, capacity building, and policy reform. Despite the challenges, OGD initiatives present numerous opportunities for driving positive change and fostering socio-economic development in East Africa. By promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen participation, OGD initiatives lay the foundation for a more inclusive, responsive, and prosperous society. Keywords: Open Government Data (OGD), East Africa, Challenges, Opportunities, Governance

Future drought risk and adaptation of pastoralism in Eurasian rangelands

Drought risk threatens pastoralism in rangelands, which are already under strain from climatic and socioeconomic changes. We examine the future drought risk (2031–2060 and 2071–2100) to rangeland productivity across Eurasia (West, Central, and East Asia) using a well-tested process-based ecosystem model and projections of five climate models under three shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios of low (SSP1−2.6), medium (SSP3−7.0), and high (SSP5−8.5) warming relative to 1985–2014. We employ a probabilistic approach, with risk defined as the expected productivity loss induced by the probability of hazardous droughts (determined by a precipitation-based index) and vulnerability (the response of rangeland productivity to hazardous droughts). Drought risk and vulnerability are projected to increase in magnitude and area across Eurasian rangelands, with greater increases in 2071–2100 under the medium and high warming scenarios than in 2031–2060. Increasing risk in West Asia is caused by longer and more intense droughts and vulnerability, whereas higher risk in Central and East Asia is mainly associated with increased vulnerability, indicating overall risk is higher where vulnerability increases. These findings suggest that future droughts may exacerbate livestock feed shortages and negatively impact pastoralism. The results have practical implications for rangeland management that should be adapted to the ecological and socioeconomic contexts of the different countries in the region. Existing traditional ecological knowledge can be promoted to adapt to drought risk and embedded in a wider set of adaptation measures involving management improvements, social transformations, capacity building, and policy reforms addressing multiple stakeholders.

The role of provincial health administration in supporting district health management teams in the Democratic Republic of Congo: eliciting an initial programme theory of a realist evaluation

BackgroundIn 2006, the Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo designed a strategy to strengthen the health system by developing health districts. This strategy included a reform of the provincial health administration to provide effective technical support to district health management teams in terms of leadership and management. The provincial health teams were set up in 2014, but few studies have been done on how, for whom, and under what circumstances their support to the districts works. We report on the development of an initial programme theory that is the first step of a realist evaluation seeking to address this knowledge gap.MethodsTo inform the initial programme theory, we collected data through a scoping review of primary studies on leadership or management capacity building of district health managers in sub-Saharan Africa, a review of policy documents and interviews with the programme designers. We then conducted a two-step data analysis: first, identification of intervention features, context, actors, mechanisms and outcomes through thematic content analysis, and second, formulation of intervention–context–actor–mechanism–outcome (ICAMO) configurations using a retroductive approach.ResultsWe identified six ICAMO configurations explaining how effective technical support (i.e. personalised, problem-solving centred and reflection-stimulating) may improve the competencies of the members of district health management teams by activating a series of mechanisms (including positive perceived relevance of the support, positive perceived credibility of provincial health administration staff, trust in provincial health administration staff, psychological safety, reflexivity, self-efficacy and perceived autonomy) under specific contextual conditions (including enabling learning environment, integration of vertical programmes, competent public health administration staff, optimal decision space, supportive work conditions, availability of resources and absence of negative political influences).ConclusionsWe identified initial ICAMO configurations that explain how provincial health administration technical support for district health management teams is expected to work, for whom and under what conditions. These ICAMO configurations will be tested in subsequent empirical studies.

From Today to Tomorrow: Leveraging Digital Health to Move toward Health for All.

This series of papers explores the concept of essential digital health for the underserved. Several cross-cutting themes are highlighted in this paper, for example: (1) harmonizing journeys of different patient groups to understand diverse perspectives; (2) engaging health professionals in interoperability, change management and health human resource capacity building; (3) ensuring harmonization of micro, meso and macro levels of health services delivery; and (4) integrating evaluation iteratively to enable continuous improvement and learning. Adopting a learning health system (LHS) approach facilitates iterative growth and evolution, incorporating concepts from the software industry, as well as participatory processes such as failing forward, developing ecosystems for collaboration and engagement of stakeholders. The example of HealthLink BC's 811 as a digital front door is used to demonstrate how an LHS approach can enable meaningful system change. We welcome further dialogues and discussion on existing and emerging examples of health system implementation approaches that can help our Canadian health systems move continuously and progressively closer toward the ultimate goal of Health for All (WHO 2023).

Nexus Between Knowledge Management Capacity Building and Organization Productivity of Sugar Companies in Kenya

Performance of manufacturing firms has been highly influenced by macro environmental factors ranging from political instability and socio-economic factors. As a result, knowledge management has increasingly become crucial in reducing the impact on both internal and external factors. The study aimed to determine the relationship between knowledge management capacity building and productivity of sugar companies in Kenya. The study assessed the moderating effect of transformational leadership on the relationship between capacity building and the productivity of sugar companies. This was anchored on the theory of change which explains the need for knowledge management in managing business dynamic external environment. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and correlational research designs. Questionnaires were administered in a census survey to 218 managers working in 8 sugar companies in Kenya. Mean and standard deviation was utilized with frequencies as descriptive statistics. A simple regression was adopted to establish the relationship between knowledge management capacity building and productivity of firms. The finding revealed that the sugar firms shared knowledge, however, there was need to improve knowledge management system, knowledge retrieval and knowledge acquisition. There was significant relationship between innovative capacity building and productivity. The study concludes that there was statistically significant relationship between knowledge management capacity building and organization productivity. It is recommended that there is a need to improve the knowledge management system and policies to enhance productivity of organizations

Disaster Vulnerability of Farmers from Flood Damage in District Charsadda

This research examines the association between community organization and disaster vulnerability in three flood-affected Village Councils (VCs) in Charsadda district, namely Nawan Killi, Faqir Abad, and Chak Utmanzaie. Using a proportional allocation approach, 353 households were randomly selected from a total of 4,270 in the sampling frame. Data was collected through interviews, with the study's conceptual framework featuring one independent variable (Community organization) and one dependent variable (Disaster vulnerability), both measured on a three-level Likert Scale. The analysis, employing chi-square tests, revealed significant associations. Disaster vulnerability demonstrated a highly significant relationship with community organization during flood seasons (p=0.000), facilitation of social organization by NGOs, democratic election of disaster management committees, representation of all vulnerable groups in committees, and inclusion of various castes and sects in community organizations. Furthermore, disaster vulnerability exhibited a highly significant correlation with decisions made by disaster management committees, incorporating suggestions from vulnerable groups, prioritizing vulnerability groups, informing community members of committee decisions, and having women represented in committees. The study's findings underscore the importance of establishing and updating community participation guidelines for disaster management, ensuring active involvement of all stakeholders in planning and executing disaster management initiatives, promoting awareness and capacity building in participatory disaster management approaches, and fostering partnerships with NGOs, donors, and government agencies to secure financial and technical support.

How capacity building of district health managers has been designed, delivered and evaluated in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review and best fit framework analysis

ObjectivesWe aimed to understand how capacity building programmes (CBPs) of district health managers (DHMs) have been designed, delivered and evaluated in sub-Saharan Africa. We focused on identifying the underlying assumptions...

Operational Feasibility of Hospital-Based Cancer Registries in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

Cancer registration is crucial for any country's cancer surveillance and management program. However, there is a lack of systematic evidence on the operational feasibility of hospital-based cancer registries (HBCRs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We systematically reviewed and described the challenges and prospects of HBCRs in LMICs. We reported the study according to thePreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Electronic databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, and CINAHL were searched. Peer-reviewed studies published between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2021 were included. We used thematic analysis to synthesize the findings discussing barriers and enablers of HBCRs. Thirteen studies were eligible for the analysis after eliminating duplicates, screening of title and abstract, and full-text review. The determinants, registry functionality, data management and abstraction, data security, data quality, organizational readiness, and perception of registry staff influence the implementation of HBCRs. In LMICs, many registries lacked functional documentation and data management systems due to a shortage of skilled professionals. However, in many instances, physicians and patients communicated via digital media, which helped obtain accurate data. The HBCR completeness rate was high in Ethiopia, China, Thailand, and Tanzania. Qualification and capacity building of the data managers was linked to the completeness and accuracy of the registry data, which led to sustainability. In addition, a few registries implemented new worksheets to enhance documentation. This review highlights the need for additional digitalization of the cancer registry to improve its functionality, completeness, follow-up, and output. Further, physicians and data managers require regular training to address cancer registry completeness and reduce errors.

Appraisal of biomedical waste management practice in India and associated human health and environmental risk

Biomedical waste management is an essential aspect of human and environmental safety. The healthcare industries and the unfortunate pandemic have increased the generation of biomedical waste. If biomedical waste is not managed safely, it poses human health and ecological risks. Hence, the study aims to appraise the scenario of biomedical waste management in India and to identify its effect on human health and the environment. The study used a systematic approach to review all the rules and regulations related to biomedical waste management issued by the Government of India from time to time. Further, the study explored the strengths and weaknesses of the current BMW management rules using the SWOT analysis model. All recent and relevant literature was critically examined using scoping review approaches to better understand the health and environmental risks associated with poor biomedical waste management to propose the best practices and future direction. It was found that needle stick injury is a major hazard to human health during segregation. Poor segregation practices can lead to the mixing of biomedical waste with municipal solid waste. Hence, there is a need for proper training about the current biomedical waste rules with a specific focus on biomedical waste segregation at the time of generation. Each process involved in biomedical waste management can adversely impact the environment and human health if not managed well. The impact and gaps of poor biomedical waste management from generation to disposal have been identified. The study recommends routine awareness programs and capacity building for proper biomedical waste management and to minimize the associated environmental and human health risks. These risks could be minimized further through implementing scientific and systematic approaches in biomedical waste treatment and management, including regulatory compliance.

Capacity building of district health management teams in the era of provincial health administration reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a realist evaluation protocol

IntroductionIn 2006, the Congolese Ministry of Health developed a health system strengthening strategy focusing on health district development. This strategy called for reforming the provincial health administration in order to...

Management of Laboratory Facilities in Improving Students’ Learning Achievement of SMP Negeri 4 Kayuagung

This study aims to analyze the Management of Laboratory Facilities in Improving Student Achievement at SMP Negeri 4 Kayuagung OKI Regency. This type of research is descriptive qualitative research. Data collection tools use interviews, observation, documentation and literature review. Data analysis techniques using descriptive qualitative analysis techniques. The results of the study stated that the management of laboratory facilities in improving student achievement at SMP Negeri 4 Kayuagung OKI Regency was by improving the quality of laboratory management through improving the quality of laboratory services, increasing the role of laboratory human resources and maximizing laboratory infrastructure facilities at SMP Negeri 4 Kayuagung. Obstacles that are procedural in nature fulfill laboratory facilities for public schools which must follow the provisions of the regional government through the RKAS. School financial problems, laboratory administration systems and laboratory management capacity building training. The solution adopted is to involve all school members and school committees to take an active role in efforts to improve the quality of laboratory services. Then provide laboratory management training at SMP Negeri 4 Kayuagung.

Project Material Management and Performance of Construction Projects: A Case of Pitrad Ibamba Ltd in Kigali City, Rwanda

The study aimed to determines the role of material management in the performance of construction projects in Rwanda. The study used two theories, the theory of constraints and the theory of change. The study found that accurate material planning is important for the performance of construction projects. The study also found that the cost of storing materials and the standard of transport mechanisms have a significant impact on the performance of construction projects. The study recommends that contractors adopt best management practices, such as giving enough and professional figures of labor and materials, using detailed cost estimation, and using adequate bidding documents. The study also concluded that contractors focus on issues that impact cost management, involve experts in cost estimation, and renew staff members through in-service training, refresher courses, and workshops on cost management systems. The study recommends that there is a need for in-service training and capacity building for construction management of material in Rwanda. Further studies are needed to establish the efficiency of these mechanisms for managing construction projects. Keywords: Project Material Management, Performance, Construction Projects, Pitrad Ibamba Ltd, Kigali City &nbsp

A Qualitative Cross-Sectional Study on Gender Issues in the Schools Division of Marikina: Basis for GAD Policy Recommendations

This study aims to analyze the gender issues in selected public schools in Marikina based on the experiences of various stakeholders to serve as basis for GAD policy recommendations toward contextualizing Gender-Responsive Basic Education (GRBE) policy. This study employed a qualitative cross-sectional research design and used focus group discussion (FGD) to capture the experiences and practices among students, teachers, and parents, and utilized the stakeholders' analysis framework. Bullying and microaggressions from classmates and teachers were identified. Teachers' gender biases and gender blindness in instruction and inadequate school facility to support a gender-responsive school environment also surfaced. The contextualized GRBE policy of schools in Marikina is recommended to have a clear communication program on GAD. Committees that promote GAD and deter gender-based violence should be strengthened. Capacity building of teachers, school personnel, and school managers were recommended and to strengthen partnership among education stakeholders to effectively address gender issues.

Examining employee performance through knowledge management practices, organisational commitment and capacity building in the Malaysian hotel industry

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of knowledge management practices, organisational commitment and capacity building on employee performance in the hotel industry. This study also investigated the mediating role of organisational commitment and capacity building between knowledge management practices and employee performance. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach and questionnaire survey were used to collect data from hotel employees from Malaysia. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to collect data from 291 participants, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the hypotheses. Findings The results of this study confirm that knowledge management practices positively and significantly affect knowledge-employee performance. Employees achieve this performance through the mediating influence of organisational commitment and capacity building culture. Practical implications This study offers several implications for Malaysian practitioners and policymakers regarding learning and knowledge management practices in the hospitality industry. The results suggest that organisations can manage knowledge assets and key processes of the organisational environment to create and use knowledge to improve sustainable employee performance through knowledge management practices. Originality/value This study sheds light on the knowledge management literature by examining the effect of knowledge management practices on organisational commitment, particularly in the hospitality industry in Malaysia.

Anticipation, coping and adaptation practices for teaching and learning continuity of higher education institutions

The massive disruptions created by the pandemic forced higher education institutions to reconfigure their operations to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning. This study identified the anticipation, coping and adaptation practices of public higher education institutions in response to the challenges during the health crisis. It was the purpose of the study to identify the anticipation, coping and adaptation practices of public higher education institutions in response to the challenges during the health crisis. The study employed the mixed method using the survey and interview. Thirty-seven (37) informants who were involved in managing five (5) government funded public higher education institutions in the Philippines expressed willingness to participate in the study. It was revealed that higher education institutions had low organizational capacity to anticipate crisis. To cope with disruptions, institutional strategies were implemented like a shift to flexible teaching and learning modality, provision for training, psychological and technological support and enhancement of student services. Adaptation initiatives included preparation of continuity plans, development of learning management system, technology enhancement and capacity building activities. Effective planning, leadership and readiness for change were the emerging themes across the resiliency stages of anticipation, coping and adaptation. It is recommended that public higher education institutions should prioritize the crafting of data driven and context based strategic plan to include technology support and budget allocation in order to ensure teaching learning continuity during disasters of any kind. Collaborative leadership and readiness for change also need to be cultivated to foster resilient academic institutions amidst and beyond the pandemic.

Library books as environmental management capacity building opportunities exclude most South African languages

Social inclusion in South Africa’s environmental management remains a concern regardless of equality being enshrined in the country’s environmental management policy. This policy makes provisions for citizens to be afforded equal opportunities to learn about the environment and develop capacity to participate in environmental management. As South Africa is a multilingual country where most of the population does not use English as their primary language, environmental capacity development opportunities should ideally be linguistically accessible to all citizens to avoid perpetuating the pre-democratic exclusion of the languages spoken by most of the population of African descent. Given that public libraries play a role in promoting democracy, the books they catalogue are assumed to provide environmental management capacity development opportunities. Here we use the language of publication of public library books as an indicator for assessing the role of native South African languages in promoting environmental management opportunities. The books from South African public libraries considered in this study’s sample were found to provide environmental management capacity development opportunities in mostly English. Dominance of English in these capacity development opportunities excludes many citizens as most South Africans do not use English as their primary language. This study argues that such exclusion is at odds with South Africa’s inclusive environmental management policy and decreasing exclusion will require actions that support policy by encouraging publishing in Indigenous languages and elevating the status of marginalised languages.

Integrated fire management in tropical forests and open landscapes

This article provides a basis for understanding fireinduced processes, and for the need to develop adequate fire management concepts and implementation strategies, highlighting basic processes, phenomena and solutions. These are challenges for decision makers, while the complexity of interactions between land use and other human activities, tropical vegetation characteristics, climate and climate change may also mean that decision makers require expert assistance in capacity building for fire management at local and national levels.