Open Meetings Research Articles

Wdrożenie elementów Scruma w instytucji kultury

Implementation of Scrum Elements in a Cultural Institution Since March 2020, managers of cultural institutions have had to dynamically adapt their methodologies for teamwork, project management, and ongoing institutional tasks to the COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines handed down by public authorities. Following the initial downtime in the spring season and the reopening in June 2020, the Pod Atlantami Municipal Library in Wałbrzych took vigorous measures to adapt its cultural project management to the new conditions, drawing on the experience of the broadly understood business sector. These measures included the implementation of certain elements of Scrum as an agile framework for project management. The goal of the paper is to showcase the pilot implementation of Scrum elements in project management in the selected cultural institution. The analysis relied on structured questionnaires and open questions, visualisation meetings, and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis showed the applicability of backlog management, iterative planning, and iterative task execution to projects pursued by cultural institutions, along with potential for winning the employees’ approval. However, a properly executed implementation is necessary, in which regard this paper offers a set of recommendations arising from the analysis.

O atendimento escolar em classes multisseriadas no município de Buenos Aires: representação de docentes à luz da política de educação do campo

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a educação do campo e o desenvolvimento da prática pedagógica nas classes multisseriadas no município de Buenos Aires/PE. O aporte teórico está pautado na legislação que a rege e nos teóricos que tratam do tema Caldart, Molina e Hage, entre outros. A pesquisa foi realizada em 13 escolas multisseriadas localizadas na zona rural do Município. Participaram da pesquisa 13 professores efetivos que lecionam na educação infantil e anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. A coleta de dados ocorreu através da aplicação de entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados obtidos foram analisados segundo a Teoria de Análise Conteúdo de Bardin. Os resultados evidenciam que os professores procuram atender as especificidades da multisseriação e da educação do campo, buscando atrelar a sua prática docente à realidade vivida pelo aluno, mesmo na ausência de uma proposta municipal que embase a prática pedagógica nessas classes. Verificou-se, a necessidade da criação de uma proposta pedagógica e de um currículo próprio para a educação do campo e classes multisseriadas, a formação continuada específica para o professor. Além de questões referentes à organização e divisão das classes, a orientação do trabalho docente e o uso de materiais didáticos voltados à realidade do campo.
 Palavras-chave: educação do campo, políticas educacionais, classes multisseriadas.
 
 School attendance in multi-grade classes in the city of Buenos Aires: representation of teachers in the light of the rural education policy 
 ABSTRACT. This narrative talks about the education of the countryside (rural) and the development of the pedagogical practice in the multi-grade classes in the city of Buenos Aires / PE. The full-time teachers made a research through on visits (in loco), with the application of a semi-structured interview, an open quiz and meetings with the focus group. Analyzes issues regarding working conditions of teachers of multigraded classes from rural areas. The text presents reflections on the conditions of teaching profession through data collected by questionnaire applications and narrative interviews. Based on the research results we identified in our first category of analysis and the formative expectations resulting the continued formation, the political commitment, the pedagogical practices, social and educational, the positive feeling related to the formation that arouse changes and continuity of the formation. The practice of rural teachers are based on a different approach from the conception and founded on educational policy. The main contributions of the study relate to the "lessons" learned from these teachers know-hows as a possibility of the systematization and production of a powerful academic knowledge for the formulation and development of public policies consistent with the reality of schools in rural areas.
 Keywords: rural education, educational policies, multi-grades classes.
 
 Asistencia escolar en clases de varios grados en la ciudad de Buenos Aires: representación de docentes a la luz de la política de educación rural
 RESUMEN. Artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la educación en el campo y el desarrollo de la práctica pedagógica en clases multiseriales en la ciudad de Buenos Aires / PE. El aporte teórico se basa en la legislación que lo rige y en los teóricos que tratan el tema Caldart, Molina y Hage, entre otros. La investigación ocurrió en 13 escuelas multigrado ubicadas en el área rural del municipio. Trece profesores efectivos que enseñan en la educación de la primera infancia y en los primeros años de la escuela primaria participaron de la investigación. La recogida de datos se produjo mediante la aplicación de entrevistas semiestructuradas. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados de acuerdo con la teoría de análisis de contenido de Bardin. Los resultados muestran que los docentes buscan satisfacer las especificidades de la multisección y la educación rural, buscando vincular su práctica docente con la realidad experimentada por el estudiante, incluso en ausencia de una propuesta municipal que respalde la práctica pedagógica en estas clases. Se constató la necesidad de la creación de una propuesta pedagógica y de un curriculum adecuado para la Educación del Campo y las clases multiseriales; Educación continua específica para el profesor. Además de las preguntas sobre la organización y división de las clases, la orientación del trabajo docente y el uso de materiales didácticos dirigidos a la realidad del campo.
 Palabras clave: educación rural, políticas educativas, clases de multiseriales.

Models for meeting activities in a public workplace - qualitative study in municipalities

The purpose of this study is to discover how employees in municipality sectors experience the implementation and use of whole person process facilitation meetings and open space technology meetings in their change and development processes. This is a qualitative intervention study, with an exploratory design. Municipalities use this model in different meetings. We have completed three focus group interviews. The informants emphasised that the meeting models could support change processes. The views of managers on value, collaborative ability and management are also important and positive. The informants gained knowledge of communication and collaboration and everyone wished to use the methodology in their future work. The discussion/conclusion in this study emphasises that all the informants experienced the meeting models as down-to-earth and interactive. The most innovative thing in this study was that a sector used the models in employee-interviews, which they conducted in relatively large groups.

Open Budgetary Meetings Amid a Pandemic: Assessing Connecticut’s Various Pathways to Public Engagement During COVID-19

This qualitative analysis of public participation in Connecticut open meetings highlights how Connecticut communities adjusted when the state’s open meeting law was temporarily revised under emergency order during COVID-19. A survey of officials in 95 municipalities found a majority had the same or more participation in budget deliberations during that time. Only about a quarter saw decreased public participation. A closer look at four communities highlights specific challenges and successes during the sudden shift in public meetings. Connecticut’s varied forms of government give multiple perspectives, which can provide insight for other communities looking to expand virtual access to open meetings.

The Organization of Distance Teaching a Foreign Language on the Training Online Platform OpenMeetings at a Technical University

In this article the author pays attention to major aspects related to the transition from the traditional form of education to distance teaching in a pandemic, with the organization of distance teaching a foreign language for students at a technical university, with the development and application of language and speech tasks that are the most suitable for conducting distance teaching in a foreign language. The paper analyzes the problems of teaching a foreign language at a technical university, which consist of a small quantity of hours for learning a foreign language and a low motivation of students to learn foreign languages at a technical University; it considers the organization of distance teaching a foreign language at a technical university in a pandemic, presents the possibilities of using the training online platform Open Meetings for organizing distance teaching a foreign language. The article’s author has developed language and speech tasks which can promote to achievement of a general aim of learning a foreign language at a technical University – attainment of the communicative competence by students and its level will allow them to use a foreign language largely in various spheres of life-activity. The study used the methods of didactic, linguistic and discourse analysis, a descriptive method with methods of observation and generalization, the method of oral questioning. As a result of the study it was found that thanks to the use of language and speech tasks on the training online platform it is possible to organize an effective process of teaching a foreign language at a technical university

“Trikala Quits Smoking”: A Citizen Co-Creation Program Design to Enforce the Ban on Smoking in Enclosed Public Spaces in Greece

Background: Tolerance and acceptance of smoking indoors by consumers is common in Greece, and for the most part, authorities turn the other cheek in enforcing long-standing legislation banning smoking in enclosed public places. Focus of the Article: This case study describes the “Trikala Quits Smoking” initiative, which was designed to enforce smoking legislation in Trikala, creating a new social norm to counter the national indifference to enforcing the law regarding smoking indoors. Declared a smart city three times since 2009 and considered one of the most digitally progressive cities in the country, Trikala presents a good example of how to achieve behavior change in a high-context culture. This article outlines the processes used and the lessons learned to achieve the long-term goal of protecting adults and children from the effects of indoor second-hand smoking (SHS) by changing perception and acceptance of indoor smoking by the community, business owners, and local government. Program Design/Approach: A citizen co-creation approach was used to design the program to attain community buy-in and change existing social norms. The Socio-Ecological Model guided this process. It engaged upstream, midstream, and downstream stakeholders, including medical professionals, commercial business owners, the municipal leadership, and citizens to initiate the change. The deCIDES framework was used to guide project implementation. Planning for the initiative started in January 2017, with implementation commencing September 2017 and the project ending June 2019. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: This case study is the first documentation of social marketing in Greece. Implementation of this initiative shows the value of social marketing in changing social norms for high-context cultures. Methods: Primary data were gathered using a citizen-orientated information gathering process consisting of open community meetings, closed group stakeholder meetings, and project member meetings. Data from the city council regarding the number of fines issued to businesses provided evidence of the intervention’s success. Results: Before the start of the intervention, less than five percent of businesses were compliant with the law; after implementation, 90% of the businesses were compliant. Over 1,200 inspections took place, and only 50 fines for lack of compliance were issued over 18 months. The initiative was deemed successful in banning smoking in enclosed public spaces and shifting social norms about SHS. In late 2019, a national ban on smoking in enclosed public places was enforced by the newly elected parliament.

Using Open Public Meetings and Elections to Promote Inward Transparency and Accountability: Lessons From Zambia.

Background: Community-led governance can ensure that leaders are accountable to the populations they serve and strengthen health systems for maternal care. A key aspect of democratic accountability is electing respective governance bodies, in this case community boards, and holding public meetings to inform community members about actions taken on their behalf. After helping build and open 10 maternity waiting homes (MWHs) in rural Zambia as part of a randomized controlled trial, we assisted community governance committees to plan and execute annual meetings to present performance results and, where needed, to elect new board members. Methods: We applied a principally qualitative design using observation and analysis of written documentation of public meetings to answer our research question: how do governance committees enact inward transparency and demonstrate accountability to their communities. The analysis measured participation and stakeholder representation at public meetings, the types and purposes of accountability sought by community members as evidenced by questions asked of the governance committee, and responsiveness of the governance committee to issues raised at public meetings. Results: Public meetings were attended by 6 out of 7 possible stakeholder groups, and reports were generally transparent. Stakeholders asked probing questions focused mainly on financial performance. Governance committee members were responsive to questions raised by participants, with 59% of answers rated as fully or mostly responsive (showing understanding of and answering the question). Six of the 10 sites held elections to re-elect or replace governance committee members. Only 2 sites reached the target set by local stakeholder committees of 50% female membership, down from 3 at formation. To further improve transparency and accountability, community governance committees need to engage in advance preparation of reports, and should consult with stakeholders on broader measures for performance assessment. Despite receiving training, community-level governance committees lacked understanding of the strategic purpose of open public meetings and elections, and how these relate to democratic accountability. They were therefore not motivated to engage in tactics to manage stakeholders effectively. Conclusion: While open meetings and elections have potential to enhance good governance at the community level, continuous training and mentoring are needed to build capacity and enhance sustainability.

Community Involvement and Compensation Money Utilization in Ethiopia: Case Studies from Bahir Dar and Debre Markos Peri-Urban Areas

In this study the involvement of the community during expropriation and the utilization of the compensation money of the expropriated farmers are investigated taking Bahir Dar and Debre Markos peri-urban areas as case studies. Survey research methods were applied for data collection. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. According to the results, there is high land tenure transformation in both study areas. Even though the majority of the expropriated farmers got compensation payments, most farmers did not use their compensation money to found alternative income generating businesses. Just payment of compensation shall not be an end by itself. Technical and administrative supports for farmers are essential for the proper utilization of the compensation money. Communities affected by expropriation should participate effectively in the processes of expropriation and compensation in order to reduce the externalities of the process. For this to happen, the public authorities should prepare open public consultation meetings prior to expropriation and must exercise smart democracy during the whole period of the process.

"Y, what do you think about what X just said?" Conversation analysis of stance-eliciting questions in open dialogue network meetings.

Open dialogue is a resource-oriented approach to mental health, which aims to help those involved in a crisis situation support each other and engage in dialogue. While language use in open dialogue is generally characterized as being open-ended, nondirective, and nonevaluating on the professionals' side, little is known about the specific conversational features. The aim of this study was to analyze the interactional functions of a stance-eliciting question of the form: "Y, what do you think about what X just said?" We used conversation analysis (CA) to examine this in eight video-recorded Danish open dialogue network meetings. In CA, stance involves expressions of attitude, affect, or judgments about people or events. We describe the interactional functions of these stance-eliciting questions and discuss how clinicians used them as a tool for accomplishing neutrality. The findings can be used to gain a more nuanced understanding of open dialogue psychotherapeutic practices.

A WTO Safe Harbour for the Dolphins: The Second Compliance Proceedings in the US–Tuna II (Mexico) case

AbstractSubsequent to the 2016 modifications concerning the strengthening of the administrative requirements on dolphin-safety outside the ETP fishery zone, the second WTO compliance proceedings have finally found the US Dolphin-Safe labelling scheme compatible with the multilateral trade system. We provide an overview of the long-running US–Mexico dispute and assess the final findings of the WTO adjudicators attempting to determine the effects of the multilateral litigation on the involved non-trade values and the real winners of the case. We find an improvement in dolphin protection, though more could be achieved through a qualification of the US measure under the principle of sustainable development also contemplated in the Preamble of the WTO Agreement, as well as an enhancement on consumer information, since declaration of dolphin-safety may now be better monitored and enforced through the new discipline for non-Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean tuna products. However, we also observe that with no change to the appearance of the label or an informational campaign, the improved credibility of the label may hardly be passed-through to the average consumer. Furthermore, despite an increase in the stringency of the regulation for their competitors, Mexican producers do not gain greater access to the US and instead have been diversifying towards other markets. We then highlight that the Appellate Body missed an opportunity to reinforce the transparency of the system by supporting the first-ever decision to grant partially open panel meetings.

Participatory Deliberative Democracy for Peace in El Salvador

Postconflict societies such as El Salvador, surpassing 25 years of relative peace since signing the 1992 Chapultepec Peace Accords, have employed many mechanisms to rebuild and establish lasting peace. This study explores the impacts of four types of deliberative democracy mechanisms employed in this postconflict context to build grassroots participation in public policy-making: cabildos abiertos (open town hall meetings), asociaciones de desarrollo comunitario (community development associations), presupuestos participativos (participatory budgeting), and planes estratégicos participativos (participatory strategic plans). Findings suggest that individual participation in these forms of deliberative democracy implemented in postconflict El Salvador is associated with increased trust in local government. However, participation is also associated with higher levels of direct experience with personal violence and decreased satisfaction with one’s community. Findings suggest that implementing participatory deliberative democracy mechanisms in postconflict contexts is not alone enough to address the critiques of top-down liberal peacebuilding. Participatory forums for policy-making in postwar contexts should be designed and employed with conflict dynamics in mind to foster possible positive effects of deliberative democracy while mitigating potential negative effects on peacebuilding.

The Affair of the Sible Hedingham Baptist Chapel 1857–67

ABSTRACT The appointment, by an apparently unanimous decision, in December 1857 of a new minister to the Particular Baptist Chapel in the Essex village of Sible Hedingham, was followed within months by an accusation against the new pastor of attempted rape, which split the congregation, led to a forcible sit-in in the chapel, followed by an injunction preventing the minister and his followers from having access to the chapel, open air meetings at which the excluded minister preached, attended by thousands of his supporters, and eventually the establishment of a break-away chapel. The dispute seems to have been between the chapel trustees, made up of respectable tradesmen, and the mainly labouring class who supported the minister. As such, the dispute reveals a fault-line within the imagined mid-Victorian consensus between the working and middle classes, the former resorting to collective action reminiscent of crowd behaviour in an earlier era.

Combined clerking – streamlining emergency admissions

Conventional clerking by the emergency department (ED) followed by specialty clerking involves duplication of information. Having multiple documentation lengthens clerking time, slows patient flow and takes longer to review during the admission. The Royal Bournemouth Hospital is a district general hospital on the south coast. The trust sought to improve the efficiency by reducing duplication as part of a quality improvement (QI) team focusing on the first 24 hours of the patient journey. Our group was formed by open invitation. The QI team organised weekly open meetings and included consultant representatives from the ED, surgery, acute medicine, elderly care, stroke and cardiology. It also consisted of a …

Knowledge Towards Immunizations among Traditional Birth Attendants in Wassit Governorate

Objective:  This study aimed to assess the knowledge of traditional birth attendants regarding Immunization.                                                                                                                Methodology: This study  was a cross sectional study conducted at wassit government , for a period of 4 months  extending  from  1st of  March  2015  to the 1St  June 2015. The study sample included 64 traditional birth attendants whose ages were 21 years and above. Data collection was obtained by direct interview ( using the questionnaire form) . The Research objectives are explained to TBAs and an emphasis on the confidentiality of information.     Results:  forty-sixty  (64) TBAs were included in this study, Significantly over 75% (48) found in age >40 years.  21  (32.81%)  had read and write level . They were predominantly married,  67.19  %. In addition, They were residing in an urban area. Relative to length of experience, the highest frequency of TBAs were in the length of experience of  TBAs (15 < ) years was 53.13 %. nearly half of them (57.81%) were trained in the sectors of health. High  knowledge towards Immunizations was observed among (93.75 %) of TBAs Recommendations: Depending on the high rate of TBAs’ knowledge concerning  Immunization recommend to train TBAs and utilize of them in the provision of advice on Immunization, especially in rural areas. Consolidation of relations between TBAs and health sectors, because of the significant impact on the high level of disease prevention, through seminars, lectures and open meetings.                                                                                                  &nbsp

International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and related organisms. Minutes of closed and open meetings, 3 September 2018, Berlin, Germany.

The meeting of International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes, Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Bifidobacterium,Lactobacillus and related organisms was held within the frame of the FoodMicro 2018 Congress (FoodMicro 2018, 3-6 September 2018, Berlin, Germany). The meeting comprised an open session with a workshop entitled 'Modern approaches of LAB identification and conservation' and a closed session on issues related to ICSP Subcommittee activities.

A WTO Safe Harbour for the Dolphins: The Second Compliance Proceedings in the US – Tuna II (Mexico) Case

Subsequent to the 2016 modifications, concerning the strengthening of the administrative requirements on dolphin-safety outside the ETP fishery zone, the US Dolphin-Safe labelling scheme has finally been considered compatible with the multilateral trade system by the second WTO compliance proceedings. In the present work, we provide an overview of the long running US-Mexico dispute, and assess the final findings of the WTO adjudicators attempting to determine the effects of the multilateral litigation on the involved non-trade values and the real winners of the case. We find an improvement in dolphin protection, though more could be achieved through a qualification of the US measure under the principle of sustainable development also contemplated in the Preamble of the WTO Agreement, as well as an enhancement on consumer information, since declaration of dolphin-safety may now be better monitored and enforced through the new discipline for non-ETP tuna products. However, we also observe that with no change to the appearance of the label or an informational campaign, the improved credibility of the label may hardly be passed-through to the average consumer. Furthermore, it is underlined that, despite an increase in the stringency of the regulation for their competitors, Mexican producers do not gain greater access to the US and instead have been diversifying towards other markets. We then highlight that the Appellate Body missed an opportunity to reinforce the transparency of the system by supporting the first-ever decision to grant partially open panel meetings.

Public sector’s perspective on implementing public – private partnership (PPP) policy in Ghana and Hong Kong

PurposeThe public sector plays a critical role in the successful implementation of public–private partnership (PPP) projects. Thus, there is a need to holistically explore the public sector’s view on the implementation practices of PPP. This paper aims to explore and compare the public sector’s views on PPP practices in Ghana and Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with PPP practitioners of senior authority in public institutions in both Ghana and Hong Kong. The interviews covered critical issues of PPP implementation practices such as motivations for engaging in PPP, success criteria/indicators, critical success factors (CSFs), external stakeholder management and training and education in PPPs.FindingsThe findings show that quick delivery of public projects and private sector efficiency are the reasons considered by both groups of interviewees. On the success criteria, interviewees from both jurisdictions mentioned user satisfaction, budget, time and quality. The CSFs mentioned by both groups include capacity building and training, project viability, proper planning and good feasibility studies. Sensitization programs, including open forums and community meetings, were mentioned by both groups as measures for managing external stakeholders. On the training and education, both groups mentioned international study tours and organizing courses and seminars.Originality/valueThe outputs of this study offer strategies that are very useful to international private developers who are interested in PPP practices in Africa and Asia. Further, the findings contribute to the knowledge on the international best practices for PPP.

Господарські суди України в системі органів судової влади

During the proclamation of independence, Ukraine chose a model for the organization and implementation of state power according to the standards of modern developed European states, which in turn caused a rapid development of entrepreneurship and the economy. The core of protecting the interests of business entities was the system of economic courts, which, in their economic component, have a high economic value. Today, economic justice, in spite of constant pressure, is the most effective branch of the judicial system for resolving commercial disputes. The economic process differs from other processes: the timeliness of the proceedings; the quality of the decision; the calmness of the trial, since even open meetings are held in a separate room without the presence of the participants in the next process, which increases the attention of the court and the parties to the substance of the dispute; the ability of judges not only to solve the “in-law” case, but also to apply all democratic procedures for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. At the same time, it is necessary to draw the attention of the legislator to the fact that in spite of the impeccability of a certain mechanism of economic court proceedings, the courts act in full compliance with the current legislation, and modern legislation should not lag behind the realities of the world economy and justice, which are in constant dynamics and be one step ahead. Exploring the experience of the Anglo-Saxon legal system, the issue of adversarialism in the trial is widely discussed, which is perceived as an element of effective resolution of the dispute. According to our convictions, the court can not act as a passive role as an instrument for the abuse of experienced lawyers on the one hand and less experienced on the other, and should take an active part in obtaining comprehensive, complete and objective evidence for the correct application of the law. Of course, in the economic process, more backlash compared with other processes for competition. At the same time, the legislator needs to develop a framework for admissibility, as an ideologue of a modern, developed democratic legal state stands - effective and just justice.

Influence of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation on Performance of Public Secondary Schools Projects in Mutomo Sub-County, Kenya

In schools, participatory monitoring and evaluation is a tool for enhancing performance of projects and improving overall efficiency of project planning, management and implementation. PM&E offers new way for involving the stakeholders in planning and implementation of projects in public schools environment. The purpose of the study was to establish influence of participatory monitoring and evaluation on performance of public schools projects in Mutomo Sub-County, Kenya. The population involves 33 public secondary schools which forms the target population of the study. Sampling design which was used in the study is non probability (purposeful sampling). The study collected data by use of questionnaires then descriptive analysis and inferential analysis was used for quantitative data. Data was presented by use of tables, percentages and frequencies, pie charts mean and standard deviations by statistical package (SPSS V17). The study established that stakeholders are not involved in the process of management of school projects. Moreover, established that institutional strengthening can be improved by open forums, meetings and seminars which should involve stakeholders air their views and negotiate their perspectives. The study concluded the following: institutional strengthening has influence on the performance since the stakeholders had little knowledge on participatory monitoring and evaluation and if the objectives will be achieved efforts can be made by the appointing authority to train the selected stakeholders .Negotiations perspectives of shareholders has influence on performance of public schools in the sub county, Public accountability still has influence on the performance of public secondary schools projects, Project planning has influence on performance of public school projects and lastly TSC policy has influence on the performance of public school projects. The study recommends that public secondary should involve the stakeholders in the process of projects management by creating meeting, forums and seminars that will allow them to air their views, needs and opinions which make them negotiate their perspectives and make critical decisions.

Introduction to the Technical Committee on Physical Acoustics

The Technical Committee on Physical Acoustics (TCPA) of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is home to scientists and engineers with an interest in the underlying physics of acoustical phenomena and/or use acoustic waves to study the physical properties of matter. It is one of the broader communities within the Acoustical Society, as the research areas and methods cover the entire frequency range from infrasound to ultrasound, while studying the interaction of these sound waves in all three states of matter: liquids, solids, and gasses. TCPA currently has about 575 members with a primary interest in physical acoustics with 75–125 typically attending open TCPA meetings.