Participation In Development Process Research Articles

How can we measure labour exploitation and develop interventions to protect migrant workers’ health? Insights from intervention-focused research on cattle ranching in Brazil and child domestic work in Liberia and Nigeria

Abstract Much of our food and services rely on the work of migrants, which is often carried out under exploitative terms. Exploitative work results in work-related injuries and illnesses and mental ill-health. Yet, the global health community has been negligent in detecting migrant workers in the general population, and in measuring the effects of their work terms on their health. For instance, the International Labour Organization’s global labour force and forced labour surveys capture few health data. Conversely, health surveys, such as the Demographics and Health Survey (DHS), include few questions on exploitative and hazardous work conditions or aspects of migration status. Studies are even more remiss when it comes to developing evidence for work-related health interventions. This presentation will draw on two recent mixed-methods studies - on cattle ranching in the Amazon region of Brazil (Pará State) (n = 1,241), and on child domestic work in Liberia (n = 1,088) and Nigeria (n = 1,088). Findings suggest some necessary improvements to the measurement of migrant labour exploitation and its health effects, and approaches to gathering intervention-focused evidence. Each study highlights the value of re-thinking data collection beyond disciplinary silos and narrow dichotomous measures (e.g., forced/unforced labour), towards generating a more specific understanding of the different dimensions of labour exploitation (e.g., pay conditions, hours, occupational health and safety training and PPE), various types of associated harm, and how they compare across sectors and contexts. Further, each study demonstrates the benefits of intervention-focused research methods that are designed to feed directly into participatory intervention development processes. On this basis, we will suggest shifts in measurement and research designs to foster operationalizable evidence on migrant workers’ working conditions, health, and worker-informed interventions.

Influence of modes of communication on public participation in Laikipia County, Kenya

This study investigates the impact of communication modes on enhancing public participation in Laikipia County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to examine how different communication channels affect citizen involvement in government-led development processes. Public participation is crucial for fostering democratic governance and equitable development. However, in Kenya, achieving substantial public engagement has been challenging, partly due to the use of ineffective communication channels. This study hypothesizes that such channels hinder meaningful public participation. To explore this, a hybrid analytics method was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, to assess how various communication modes influence public engagement. The research utilized a dataset comprising 384 respondents collected between June and July 2024. Data analysis, completed in July 2024, revealed several that different modes of communication significantly affect the level of public participation, influencing how well citizens receive and comprehend information about development initiatives. Channels that facilitate clearer, more direct communication leads to higher levels of understanding and engagement among the public. Effective communication channels are essential for fostering meaningful public involvement, as they impact citizens' responses and behaviours towards development activities. These findings underscore the importance of utilizing effective communication strategies to enhance public participation in development processes. The study contributes to a better understanding of how communication methods can be optimized to support democratic engagement and improve development outcomes in Kenya.

Managing a Double-Edged Sword: The Paradoxical Dynamics of Participative Development of Pricing Control

ABSTRACT This study presents a field investigation into the dynamics of developing pricing control designs between the global headquarters of a large multinational company and its most important sales subsidiary. The paper employs a paradox theoretical lens to analyze the development of pricing control designs through employee participation. We report two key findings. First, we outline contradictions between a decentralized, subjective approach and a centralized, financial approach to pricing, conceptualizing the tensions underlying this dilemma. Second, we conceptualize the paradoxical features of the centralization–decentralization dilemma, focusing on how processes switch between virtuous and vicious cycles. We find that employee participation in development processes paradoxically advances and undermines the development of centralized pricing control designs. JEL Classifications: M41; M42; C990.

The Protection of Human Rights in South Africa: Unpacking the Duty of the State to Realise the Right to Development

The 1986 United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development (DRTD) presents a multifaceted framework that blends political aspirations with principles from international human rights treaties. Advocating "people-centered development" places individuals at the forefront, empowering them as principal beneficiaries of development efforts. According to Article 2 of the DRTD, both state and non-state actors are responsible for formulating inclusive national development policies to continually enhance the well-being of the entire populace. This involves ensuring active, accessible, and meaningful participation in development processes and fair distribution of the resulting benefits. South Africa's duty to realise the right to development comes under scrutiny in this context. Despite its obligations under international instruments like the African Charter, challenges persist in effectively implementing developmental advancements. This includes fields critical for sustainable progress, such as renewable energy, biotechnology and information technology. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing obstacles, straining resources and threatening to reverse recent developmental gains. Budget constraints, particularly in the research and development sectors, hinder progress towards meeting development objectives. Therefore, while the DRTD and other international instruments emphasise the importance of the right to development, critical debates regarding its scope and implementation persist. Addressing these issues requires a nuanced understanding of development dynamics, balancing global aspirations with practical considerations. It necessitates collaborative efforts to refine and operationalise the right to development, ensuring equitable progress and sustainable development for all.

Adaptive methodology and intellectual activism: teaching gender in Indonesian universities

ABSTRACT University systems in Indonesia are transforming, with implications for teaching and learning processes. These changes have influenced how gender and women’s knowledge production have evolved, especially within development conditions that have affected women and men differently. This research is derived from Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with women lecturers on how they translate gender and women’s knowledge production into teaching gender. It aims to analyse the settings and challenges of teaching gender in Indonesia’s universities, with the background of inequality and Indonesia’s political-socio-cultural context. Methods of teaching and the intellectual activism of women lecturers in promoting, advocating, and sustaining gender equality have provided relevance while minimising the potential of widening the gender gap. The findings make key contributions to the literature on gender and development, signifying that teaching gender is a method of empowering students to achieve education equality, and especially to improve women’s participation in development processes.

Enabling Data Discovery with the Astrobiology Resource Metadata Standard.

As scientific investigations increasingly adopt Open Science practices, reuse of data becomes paramount. However, despite decades of progress in internet search tools, finding relevant astrobiology datasets for an envisioned investigation remains challenging due to the precise and atypical needs of the astrobiology researcher. In response, we have developed the Astrobiology Resource Metadata Standard (ARMS), a metadata standard designed to uniformly describe astrobiology "resources," that is, virtually any product of astrobiology research. Those resources include datasets, physical samples, software (modeling codes and scripts), publications, websites, images, videos, presentations, and so on. ARMS has been formulated to describe astrobiology resources generated by individual scientists or smaller scientific teams, rather than larger mission teams who may be required to use more complex archival metadata schemes. In the following, we discuss the participatory development process, give an overview of the metadata standard, describe its current use in practice, and close with a discussion of additional possible uses and extensions.

Scenarios of sustainable fodder production in the conflict-affected Kerio Valley of Kenya

Communities that keep livestock depend on forages. Understanding the potential futures of livestock forages in regions affected by climate change and resource conflict is critical for climate security and peace. However, often there is limited data on future fodder developments and their drivers. This article presents the results of a scenario development process to identify livestock forage options against conflict scenarios in the Kerio Valley in Kenya. The Valley is of interest because of ongoing communal conflicts, whereby one of the triggers is disputes over pasture during drought emergencies. Given the absence of data, we underwent a participatory scenario development process to co-design fodder futures with representatives of warring communities, market players, the local administration and researchers from Egerton University who worked in the region to mitigate drought risks in the area. Through this process, the representatives developed six strategic fodder scenarios and examined them against four likely stability contexts. The findings from the scenario workshops identify strategies to support the most promising scenarios. Kerio Valley actors could adopt those fodder scenarios that mitigate the risk of resource conflicts, especially in preparation for reoccurring droughts emergencies. Finally, our research suggests that where conflict parties jointly search for fodder solutions, scenario planning could contribute to peace-building.

Building Sustainable Peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh: The role of Inclusive Development in Addressing Armed Group Rivalry

This study investigates the effect of inclusive development policies and initiatives in reducing armed group rivalry and fostering long-term peace in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, utilizing data from key stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. According to the study's findings, inclusive development policies and programs have the ability to address the underlying reasons of armed group rivalry, boost socioeconomic growth, and generate more social cohesion and reconciliation in the region. Inclusive development techniques that prioritize local communities' needs and ambitions can foster trust and legitimacy among them, increase their feeling of ownership and participation in development processes, and provide an enabling climate for long-term peace. The study also identifies barriers to implementing inclusive development policies and initiatives in the CHT region, such as a lack of political will and commitment, insufficient fund, and low ability and coordination among government agencies and civil society organizations. More political will, coordination, capacity-building, and community participation are required to implement successful development policies and programs that address the core causes of conflict and generate long-term peace in the CHT region.

Design and evaluation of a Mobile-Based decision support system to enhance lung transplant candidate assessment and management: knowledge translation integrated with clinical workflow

BackgroundAccurate and timely decision-making in lung transplantation (LTx) programs is critical. The main objective of this study was to develop a mobile-based evidence-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) to enhance the management of lung transplant candidates.MethodAn iterative participatory software development process was employed to develop the ImamLTx CDSS. This study was accomplished in three phases. First, required data and standard clinical workflow were identified according to the literature review and expert consensus. Second, a rule-based knowledge-based CDSS application was developed. In the third phase, this CDSS was evaluated. The evaluation was done using the standard Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ 18.3) and ten usability heuristics factors for user interface design.ResultsAccording to expert consensus, fifty-five data items were identified as essential data sets using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) formula. By integrating information flow in clinical practices with clinical protocols, more than 450 rules and 500 knowledge statements were extracted. This CDSS provides clinical decision support on an Android platform regarding inclusion and exclusion referral criteria, optimum transplant time based on the type of lung disease, findings of initial assessment, and the overall evaluation of lung transplant candidates. Evaluation results showed high usability ratings due to the fact provided accuracy and sensitivity of this lung transplant CDSS with the information quality domain receiving the highest score (6.305 from 7).ConclusionThrough a stepwise approach, the ImamLTx CDSS was developed to provide LTx programs with timely patient data access via a mobile platform. Our results suggest integration with existing workflow to support clinical decision-making and provide patient-specific recommendations.

Women's Career Challenges and Opportunities (A Study of Career and Job Satisfaction among Bangladeshi Women)

The purpose of this research is to learn more about women in Bangladesh and their perceptions of career options and job satisfaction. Women's labor force participation has increased dramatically in Bangladesh, as it has in many other developing countries. But despite these improvements, women still face several roadblocks in the workplace. Women's professional development and job happiness can be aided by policies and environments that take into account the unique obstacles they confront. The study uses a Univariate, Bivariate, and multivariate method, collecting information through both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. Participants are professional women from a wide range of fields in Bangladesh. Quantitative surveys analyze issues including work-life balance, gender bias, education status, women's violence in the job sector, support from family members, promotion prospects, and job satisfaction. The qualitative interviews dive more deeply into the women's lived experiences, shedding light on the difficulties they face and the strategies they use to overcome them. The study has both theoretical and practical significance. For practical purposes, this research will improve our understanding of the most significant obstacles to women's careers and participation in development processes and the most effective ways to overcome them. This paper will also be useful as a source of information for feminist groups and other organizations with the goal to advance women's rights and equality.

Manajemen Kurikulum Merdeka untuk PIAUD

This article discusses independent curriculum management in the context of early childhood Islamic education (PIAUD). The purpose of this research is to identify the concepts and principles of independent curriculum management and their implementation in PIAUD. The methodology used is a literature study with a descriptive-analytical approach. Based on the results of the research, the independent curriculum management concept emphasizes student empowerment as learning subjects and curriculum development that is tailored to the needs and potential of students. The principles of independent curriculum management include student participation in decision making, curriculum linkages with real life, flexibility in implementation, and competency development. The implementation of the independent curriculum in PIAUD requires a participatory curriculum development process that involves stakeholders, the use of active learning methods, and periodic evaluations to optimize the learning process. In conclusion, independent curriculum management can be an alternative for developing a student-centred PIAUD curriculum and developing their potential in a holistic and integrated manner.

Starting Points for Promoting Disaster Resilience in Home Nursing Care in Germany–A Participatory Development Process

Introduction:In Germany, more than 3.3 million people in need of long-term care are receiving home care. Although not all of them use professional home care providers, their services are essential especially to those who need skilled nursing care and medical-technical assistance in addition to everyday support–such as approximately 30,000 people who receive home mechanical ventilation. Little is known about the disaster resilience of home care infrastructures and ways to strengthen them. A research consortium called AUPIK, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research from 2020-2023, sought to close this gap.Method:A participatory process was initiated as part of the AUPIK project based on results of a multi-perspective empirical baseline analysis which resulted in a first draft text about measures to promote disaster resilience in home care. 37 representatives of home nursing care providers and community health-care services, professional boards, scientific and education institutions participated in a web-based survey on the draft text, followed by two digital group discussions. Finally, the gradually revised, condensed and consented starting points were published and distributed.Results:Eight starting points were defined. Among others, there is an urgent need to strengthen risk awareness and resource management among home care providers, to promote individual disaster competence and preparedness among all parties involved and, not least, to strengthen community-based networking initiatives between home care providers, emergency and disaster organizations and local authorities. Institutions or persons who should take responsibility for implementation at different levels are addressed directly.Conclusion:The final version of the starting points represents a consensus on urgently needed initiatives to promote disaster resilience in home nursing care in Germany. The participatory development process should support commitment on the part of all stakeholders and thus promote effective implementation of disaster resilience initiatives in home nursing care.

Socio-Managerial Framework of Health Governance: Empirical Evidence from India’s National Sanitation Program (SBM-G)

Given that citizen participation is considered the main pillar of ‘Development’, the political economy behind its practice (behaviour and utilisation) remains a question. To disentangle the complex web of relationships that the governance shares with the citizens’ interface, it would be worthwhile to examine the whole phenomenon at the grass root level. A review of issues surrounding democracy has led different schools of thought to realise the need for adopting a holistic development approach for ensuring citizens’ participation in development processes. One such school believes that it is only through addressing governance bottlenecks and ensuring spaces for participation in policy design, programme formulation and implementation supplemented with proper monitoring, that ‘real’ development can be achieved. It is also universally accepted that governance is an enabler for socio-economic transformation and this can help in the improvement of lives through the eradication of structural inequality. Hence, strengthening the local governments is critical for ensuring citizen empowerment, civic participation and better service delivery. Furthermore, governance is measurable and can be monitored; thus can ensure a measurable implementation, accountability and monitoring framework (Global Thematic Consultation on Governance and the Post-2015 Development Framework, 2013). Against these backdrops, the current study endeavours to unearth plausible factors influencing the health behaviour of rural people examining a case of India’s National Sanitation Program—Swachh Bharat Mission in Odisha villages. Analysis of primary data collected from six districts across different regions of the Odisha state shows that various managerial, governance and social factors have a significant effect on the health behaviour of people and present more insightful results.

Current topics of interdisciplinary cooperation between engineering and human sciences

In this article, we highlight current research directions in the Technikpsychologie research area, using the example of the interdisciplinary research work of FAI (Work and Engineering Psychology Research Group at the Technical University of Darmstadt) and the articles included in this special issue. To this end, we relate the articles in this special issue from the research areas of road traffic planning (Hupfer et al.), usable IT security and privacy solutions (Renaud), social aspects of technically mediated communication (Diefenbach), human-centered interface design (Mucha et al.), aviation safety (Santel), human-centered design of autonomous vehicles (Lindner & Stoll), and perceptual psychology-oriented product design (Zandi & Khanh) to current research projects at FAI.Practical RelevanceTechnical products only offer added value by efficiently supporting users in achieving their goals if they have been developed appropriately for the context of use and the individual characteristics of the users. The human-centered design of—especially technical—products reflects this through an iterative and participatory development process. In this article, we describe nine examples of such human-centered design of technology products. The research results and the methods presented provide insights for developers and decision-makers in the fields of transportation, IT, vehicle development and general product design.

An Iterative, Participatory Approach to Developing a Neighborhood-Level Indicator System of Health and Wellbeing.

Despite increased awareness of the essential role of neighborhood characteristics for residents' health and wellbeing, the development of neighborhood-level indicator systems has received relatively little attention to date. To address this gap, we describe the participatory development process of a small-area indicator system that includes information on local health needs in a pilot neighborhood in the German city of Mannheim. To identify relevant indicators, we partnered with representatives of the city's public health department and used an iterative approach that included multiple Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles with ongoing feedback from local key stakeholders. The described process resulted in a web-based indicator system with a total of 86 indicators. Additionally, 123 indicators were perceived as relevant by stakeholders but could not be included due to data unavailability. Overall, stakeholders evaluated the participatory approach as useful. Even though the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of some data elements hindered instrument development, close collaboration with public health partners facilitated the process. To identify and target sub-national health inequalities, we encourage local public health stakeholders to develop meaningful and useful neighborhood-level indicator systems, building on our experiences from the applied development process and considering identified barriers and facilitators.

Communication Empowerment Of Aceh East Coastal Communities In Maintaining Manggrove Ecosystems (Study Of Meunasah Asan Village, Madat District, East Aceh Regency)

Empowerment communication as a new approach in community empowerment with the spirit of voicing the voiceless, building the empowered, placing humans as subjects not objects. Contribute to the development process in the context of the diffusion of innovation as a means of modernization with the presence of information technology to make it easier. Powerlessness is a reflection of the failure of the human-centered development process. This study aims to identify and describe the communication of coastal community empowerment in Meunasah Asan East Aceh Village in increasing active participation in maintaining the mangrove ecosystem. Revealing socio-economic changes in the participatory development process as an illustration of the empowerment of coastal communities in maintaining mangrove ecosystems with an empowerment communication approach, communication actions based on local wisdom, social welfare and strengthening social capital. Data were collected through observation, interviews, focus group discussions and documentation. The results showed; when the community's mindset changes at the Gampong level in utilizing, maintaining the mangrove ecosystem is able to bring it to a different pattern of behavior than before. This change can be seen in the process of helping themselves to get out of the stigma as poor marginalized coastal communities by utilizing and maintaining the potential of mangroves and other coastal areas. Active participation shows the community's empowerment in communicating which drives a living condition based on the existence of religious values, norms, customs, culture as local wisdom that is mutually agreed to strengthen social welfare and social capital. Social capital works internally in the Meunasah Asan community in forming exclusive social ties as a social bridge with external parties who have relatively different characteristics. The pattern of relationships that occur is bound by trust, mutual understanding and shared values ​​that bind the community in acting together efficiently and effectively. The role of the community caring for mangroves is to create a public space for coastal communities to communicate, express, so as to foster mutual concern. Social groups as the most effective forum for empowerment enable individuals to organize themselves in groups so that a dialogical process occurs that fosters and strengthens mutual awareness.

Providing Accessible ReCreation Outdoors-User-Driven Research on Standards: Protocol for Mobile and Web-Based Interviews for Winter Assessments.

BackgroundAlthough there have been recent efforts to improve access to Canadian national parks, many remain not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Winter conditions, in particular, present challenges that limit their participation in outdoor activities.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a novel method to assess park access during winter, which will inform recommendations for national park standards to meet the needs of all park visitors (regardless of ability) during winter conditions.MethodsA larger participatory mixed methods research project exploring park access was adapted. A 3-phase approach has already been proposed to achieve the study objectives. In the first phase, a scoping review of the existing accessibility standards will be conducted. In the second phase, objective audits of trails and features in 6 parks, 3 in western Canada and 3 in eastern Canada, will be conducted, as well as mobile interviews with 24 various participants in each region regarding their experiences of and recommendations for improving the park’s accessibility. In the final phase, a Delphi participatory consensus development process will be used, based on the data gathered in the first 2 phases, to prioritize recommendations for standards. This paper will focus on the second phase of the study, specifically on whether the in-person winter mobile interviews (ie, walking and wheeling interviews) with people who have a wide range of disabilities while visiting 3 parks in 2 provinces were modified. Changes were made to accommodate the extreme winter weather conditions in Quebec while using safe and informative data collection methods.ResultsIn Quebec, one park, where winter conditions are safer, has been assessed in person (n=4). Web-based interviews were used to facilitate the assessment of other winter and summer conditions in two other parks (n=8). Winter and web-based interviews were completed in April 2022. Data are currently being collected and analyzed, and results will be completed by December 2022.ConclusionsWe expect that adapting the protocol to gather further information on winter conditions and access to parks will provide high-quality and rich data to better inform park access standards. This participatory mixed methods research will inform the development of park standards that consider the accessibility needs of all people.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/38715

How digital fabrication technologies within digitalized innovation environments lead to participative aid development

PurposeFacilities such as FabLabs and Makerspaces are characterized by the facilities' wide range of digital fabrication technologies as well as facilities' interdisciplinary user base and collaborative problem solving and product development. These possibilities can also hold great potential for people with disabilities who have a specific need for assistive technology. Since there are no established models of such participatory development processes (PDP) within digitalized innovation environments (DIE), this study intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of these processes along with the influencing factors.Design/methodology/approachThrough a cooperation with a Thalidomide Association, various PDPs were accompanied within a DIE and interviews were conducted with 16 stakeholders involved. Hereby, the perspective of thalidomide-affected people (5) as well as the supporting makers (6) and experts (5) were taken into account. Through a subsequent structured analysis, various dimensions as well as relevant influencing factors could be identified.FindingsIn total, 33 paraphrases could be formed in 8 categories and four dimensions concerning the PDPs investigated. In addition, 17 paraphrases on potentials and challenges could be extracted through generalization.Originality/valueDue to findings' holistic approach, the findings form an empirical basis for further research into this still very young research topic and represent a first step toward theory building. By the applicability of the identified influencing factors an important contribution can be made to the supply of aids and the inclusion of people with disabilities.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon 10.1108/JET-01-2022-0013

The Implementation of a Participatory Technology Development Process in a Clinical Setting.

The implementation of a participatory technology development process has been realized within the development of an anti-decubitus system. Nurses as the user group are involved in that process. Beside results, the methodical background and the specific conditions for the realization are presented and discussed.

Assessment of functioning in Dutch primary care: Development study of a consultation tool for patients with chronic conditions and multimorbidity.

BackgroundIn primary care, a shift from a disease‐oriented approach for patients with multimorbidity towards a more person‐centred approach is needed.AimTo transform a self‐report questionnaire for patients with chronic conditions in primary care, the Primary Care Functioning Scale (PCFS), into an understandable, visually attractive and feasible consultation tool for patients and health care providers. The consultation tool consists of a web‐based version of the PCFS, which is filled in by the patient and is processed to a feedback report that summarizes and visualizes the main findings. The feedback report can be discussed with the patient to facilitate a more person‐centred conversation for patients with chronic conditions and multimorbidity in general practice.Design and SettingIn this qualitative study, we developed the consultation tool by using design thinking in a participatory developmental process.MethodsIn the first phase, we constructed five different feedback report templates to summarize and display the results of a completed PCFS questionnaire in a series of two expert meetings with patients and general practitioners (GPs). In the second phase, we performed an exploratory qualitative interview study involving dyads of patients with chronic conditions and their practice nurses. In an iterative process, we explored their experiences with the consultation tool.ResultsPatients, as well as GPs, preferred a clear manner of presenting the results of the questionnaire in a feedback report. In 18 interviews with patients and practice nurses during three different interview rounds, we adjusted the feedback report and consultation tool based on the input from patients and practice nurses. After the final interview round, patients and practice nurses consented that the consultation tool was useful for having a more in‐depth consultation about functioning and patients' preferences when integrated into the regularly scheduled consultations.ConclusionWe were able to develop an understandable and feasible consultation tool that is applicable in already existing chronic disease management programmes in general practice in the Netherlands.Patient or Public ContributionTo increase the understandability and feasibility of the consultation tool, we collaborated with end‐users and actively involved patients, GPs and practice nurses in a participatory development process.