Population In Decision-making Research Articles

Social innovation initiatives of NGOs in a Hungarian disadvantaged area

The study examines social innovation endeavours initiated by non-profit organisations in the Abaúji region53. Addressing the challenges facing the region (emigration, ageing, unemployment and educational inequalities) requires the accurate identification of local needs and the involvement of the population in decision-making. One of the tools for these initiatives is social innovation and support for social innovation endeavours. The key actors in the social innovation process are non-profit organisations (NGOs), which see social innovation primarily as a mission. The aim of our study is to present social innovation solutions initiated by NGOs in the region and to explore the possibility of their adaptation as good practice. The study alsoidentifies the main sets of criteria that, in addition to providing a structured record of each case study, will help to make good practices comparable. Documentation against the identified criteria will support the process of adaptation, which is critical to the successful implementation of social innovation initiatives.

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЯ ОРГАНОВ ВЛАСТИ С НАСЕЛЕНИЕМ В УСЛОВИЯХ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ПРОЕКТОВ: АНАЛИЗ СОЦИАЛЬНЫХ СЕТЕЙ

In modern Russian society, social networks have become a significant channel of communication between authorities and the population. Thanks to the analysis of social networks, it has become possible to evaluate the reactions of residents in real time and identify the most pressing social problems. In this regard, it becomes relevant to study the direct participation of the population in the practice of making management decisions. Purpose: to determine the effectiveness of interaction between authorities and the population on social networks. Methodology and methods: the article presents the results of the second wave of data analysis of the social network “Vkontakte” in the context of the implementation of national projects. The assessment of the interaction of authorities with the population was carried out according to three main criteria: the implementation of national projects, the role of the population in decision-making, and the presence of communication elements. The results of a comparative study (2020 and 2023) indicate the presence of a number of formal changes in the organization of their interaction. However, real communication between regional authorities and the population remains ineffective.

Pathways towards sustainable and just futures with and for disabled populations: a leverage points perspective

ABSTRACT Disabled populations are disproportionally affected by the current climate and environmental crises. However, they are hardly included and their knowledge is neglected in processes addressing these challenges. To achieve the UN Agenda 2030, societies should actively engage with the values, experiences and knowledge held by people with disabilities in science and policy contexts. In this paper, we suggest that addressing ‘deep’ leverage points by 1) recognising diverse valuations of and connections to nature by different social groups (i.e. re-connecting to nature), 2) including disabled populations in decision-making and knowledge creation (i.e. re-structuring institutions), and 3) promoting inclusive education and knowledge generation (i.e. re-thinking knowledge production) can facilitate the development of inclusive transformation pathways and foster sustainable human-nature relationships.

Vaccine hesitancy among the nursing officers working in a tertiary care hospital, Puducherry – A mixed-method study

BackgroundVaccination was considered one of the vital moves in controlling the spread of highly infectious COVID-19 pandemic. But, the initial acceptance level was highly improbable among nursing professionals (57%) in India.1 Thus, it was necessary to explore the reasons behind this reluctance, as they can act as trusted advisors for general population in decision-making. ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the proportion of nursing officers with COVID- 19 vaccine hesitancy during the phase one drive (15th January to 28th February 2021) of vaccination and the various factors contributing to it. MethodsA cross-sectional analytical mixed-method study was done among 422 nursing officers working in a tertiary care hospital, Puducherry. Data was collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire along with WHO -SAGE Vaccine Hesitancy Scale for the quantitative component and an interview guide for qualitative part. ResultsMore than half of the participants were found to be COVID- 19 vaccine hesitant based on the operational definition, with fear of side effects being the most reported reason. Factors like work experience of five years or less, previous history of COVID- 19 infection, and delayed receipt of the first dose of the vaccine were significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy. ConclusionImproper flow of evidence-based information was identified as one of the major concerns related to vaccine acceptance. Measures should be taken for proper awareness generation through dependable channels and at the same time for the prevention of spread of infodemics pertaining to the new interventions for better penetration and utilization.

Exploring farmers' perceptions and lessons learned from the 2015–2018 drought in the Western Cape, South Africa

The agricultural sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors to the impacts of climate change. Between 2015 and 2018, the Western Cape Province of South Africa experienced a multi-year severe drought. Projections show that the Western Cape is likely to experience hotter and drier conditions, with more frequent droughts. Without appropriate adaptation actions, climate change is likely to increasingly constrain agricultural activities in the province. Commercial farmers represent a considerable population of decision-makers, which are fundamental to climate change adaptation. Understanding farmers' perceptions is important to develop effective policy, support structures, and communications. This study aimed to understand wheat farmers' and apple producers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation in the Western Cape, South Africa, and establish whether the recent drought offered lessons for adaptation. Study methods included the use of an online questionnaire as well as several in-depth interviews with farmers and producers. Results showed that most farmers and producers agree that climate change is real and is caused by human activities. Most farmers and producers in the region are already actively (or intend to start) preparing for climate change (69%). In response to climate change, apple producers view on-farm water management (such as irrigation management and water recycling) as the most important strategy. Wheat farmers strategies are focused on crop management (including cultivar selection and conservation agriculture). Many farmers and producers further agreed that they had learnt from the past 2015–2018 drought. Notably, results showed that farmers and producers who rely a great deal on weather forecasts were more likely to feel that their farm's response was effective. Furthermore, it was found that farmers and producers who felt they learned from the drought were also more likely to be actively preparing for climate risks. It is recommended that investments into climate change adaptation focus on research and development, particularly with regard to cultivar development, irrigation management, tailored weather forecasting, and localised risk assessments. Policy should prioritise the more vulnerable farmers and producers while focusing on integrated risk reduction measures which account for multiple stressors.

On the History of the Restoration of a Multi-Party Political System in Kenya

On the eve of the declaration of independence in 1963, the specifics of the alignment of political forces in Kenya consisted in the struggle for future power between two large nationalist unions – Kenya African National Union (KANU) and Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU). The outcome of this struggle brought victory to KANU and largely determined the vector of the future political history of this country. Under its first President, Jomo Kenyatta (and Chairman of KANU), multiparty Kenya became a de facto one-party state after KADU was dissolved in 1964 and the activities of the opposition Kenya People Union (was emerged in 1965) was banned in 1966. Kenya became officially the one-party state under Kenyatta’s successor D. аrap Moi in 1982. In the process of further establishing the authoritarian regime, he used KANU to extend state-party control to all forms of socio-political life of the country (parliament, judiciary, trade unions, public organizations, etc.). The main guarantor of ensuring order was repressive measures against any forms of dissidence. After the adoption in 1991 of the amendment to the Constitution on the liberalization of the political system, Moi managed to remain as president twice more (after the 1991 and 1997 elections), thanks to the disunity of the opposition represented by parties created on ethnic grounds. Only in 2002, the opposition managed to create a multi-ethnic short-term alliance National Rainbow Coalition led by M. Kibaki. As a result, the first president was elected in Kenya, who was not a member of the party that had been in power for 39 years before. It also put an end to the 24-year «Moi era», which was characterized by the flourishing of corruption, the crisis in the economy, political repression and tribal strife. But the same challenges, and the unresolved land issue among them, again led to the unrest during the next presidential campaign of 2007–2008. The culmination was the largest ethnopolitical crisis in the history of Kenya, which was stopped only thanks to the efforts of international mediators. In 2010 a new constitution was adopted, in which an attempt was made to reform the political system in order to prevent the aggravation of interethnic conflicts in the future during presidential election campaigns in multiparty Kenya. The purpose of the main provisions of the Constitution is to make politics more inclusive, to expand the participation of the population in decision-making, to overcome of the population distrust to their results of a presidential elections.

Marine Protected Areas Management in the Mediterranean Sea—The Case of Croatia

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely used tools to conserve marine ecosystems and their services. They are complex socio-ecological systems where human activities and nature interact. Croatia has 409 protected areas, of which 19 are coastal-marine. The aim of this paper is to analyze the management model of MPAs in Croatia and to identify their strengths and weaknesses. For this purpose, three MPAs have been chosen: Brijuni National Park, Telašćica Nature Park, and Pakleni Islands Significant Landscape. The methodology used assesses 26 specific indicators to analyze the status of 4 key factors: management body, planning subprocess, public participation, and implementation subprocess. The results of this evaluation are 5 possible scenarios: proactive (1), learning (2), interactive (3), centralized (4), and formal (5) management. The results show that Brijuni presents a proactive scenario (1), Telašćica an interactive scenario (3), and Pakleni Islands a centralized scenario (4). A series of measures are presented, which can improve the score. In general, MPA management in Croatia tends towards a proactive model, where the management body is its greatest strength. There is a shift from a top-down to a bottom-up approach, which implies a greater involvement of the population in decision-making. However, public participation is not yet fully consolidated.

Modeling Communication Between the Public and the Authorities while Implementing Innovative Projects in the Context of E-Democracy and Public Administration

Introduction. E-democracy and e-government become an increasingly common attribute of people's lives, since they give is an opportunity to attract population masses to the discussion of both economic and social, as well as managerial innovations. The society urgently requires innovation in the organization of public and regional administration. Problem Statement. Adjemoglu and Robinson have shown that the necessary factor for the success of public or region development is the presence of inclusive political and economic institutions. Inclusive institutions involve the widest possible population in decision-making. Moreover, namely the political institutions (which are crucial for involving as much as possible the public to making decision) determine successful development of society. Innovative projects are the driver of economic development, so the involvement of the general public in their discussion, decision-making, implementation and analysis of the results is an extremely important factor. Many authors have emphasized that the digitalization of information is an important factor for the formation and development of a developed society. Purpose. The purpose of this research is to develop approaches to modeling the communication channels of the public and authorities under the conditions of innovation project implementing in the context of e-democracy and public administration. Materials and Methods. The research uses the methods of system analysis, game theory, structural, functional, and logical analysis. Results. Innovative projects are supported primarily by the middle class, as evidenced by the Hotelling model (the median voter model). The analysis of existing in Ukraine functional model of communication between the public and the authorities while implementing innovation projects has revealed a number of its shortcomings. To correct them, a scheme for optimizing the communication between the authorities and the public by means of e-democracy while implementing an innovation project has been proposed. The necessity of attracting media, experts, and analysts at each stage of the implementation of the innovation project has been justified. Conclusions. The described communication channel includes electronic media and the community of experts and analysts as compulsory components. It enables the creation an effective system of feedbacks between the authorities and the public which allows making optimal decisions and monitoring the socio-economic development of society.

Modeling Communication Between the Public and the Authorities while Implementing Innovative Projects in the Context of E-Democracy and Public Administration

Introduction. E-democracy and e-government become an increasingly common attribute of people's lives, since they give is an opportunity to attract population masses to the discussion of both economic and social, as well as managerial innovations. The society urgently requires innovation in the organization of public and regional administration. Problem Statement. Adjemoglu and Robinson have shown that the necessary factor for the success of public or region development is the presence of inclusive political and economic institutions. Inclusive institutions involve the widest possible population in decision-making. Moreover, namely the political institutions (which are crucial for involving as much as possible the public to making decision) determine successful development of society. Innovative projects are the driver of economic development, so the involvement of the general public in their discussion, decision-making, implementation and analysis of the results is an extremely important factor. Many authors have emphasized that the digitalization of information is an important factor for the formation and development of a developed society. Purpose. The purpose of this research is to develop approaches to modeling the communication channels of the public and authorities under the conditions of innovation project implementing in the context of e-democracy and public administration. Materials and Methods. The research uses the methods of system analysis, game theory, structural, functional, and logical analysis. Results. Innovative projects are supported primarily by the middle class, as evidenced by the Hotelling model (the median voter model). The analysis of existing in Ukraine functional model of communication between the public and the authorities while implementing innovation projects has revealed a number of its shortcomings. To correct them, a scheme for optimizing the communication between the authorities and the public by means of e-democracy while implementing an innovation project has been proposed. The necessity of attracting media, experts, and analysts at each stage of the implementation of the innovation project has been justified. Conclusions. The described communication channel includes electronic media and the community of experts and analysts as compulsory components. It enables the creation an effective system of feedbacks between the authorities and the public which allows making optimal decisions and monitoring the socio-economic development of society.

Initiative budgeting: experience of Russian regions

Experience of participatory budgeting in municipalities of Russian regions is reviewed in the paper. Forms of participation of the population in decision-making, as well as in the selection, realization and co-financing of public projects have been investigated. The analysis of the practices made it possible to identify the features and prospects of the Russian model of initiative budgeting.

Jeux Et Enjeux De Pouvoir Autour De L’installation Des Instances Communautaires De Gestion Des Conflits

The creation of community conflict mediation bodies is part of a logic of self-management of land and participation of the population in decisionmaking. However, the installation and functioning of these local mediation bodies highlights the specific struggles between communities and the polarized character of the village social space. The different actors each mobilize a set of strategies either to reorient the functioning of the organ to its profit or by disorganizing it to mark its will to participate in the decisionmaking or to better control it. Based on qualitative surveys conducted in 3 villages of the sub-prefecture of Sakassou, this article highlights the games and stakes of power based on local antagonisms and the symbolic domination exercised by the local administration on village communities

Co-processing of hazardous waste: The perception of workers regarding sustainability and health issues in a Brazilian cement company

Abstract The practise of co-processing has been growing and is used to address socioeconomic, environmental, and energy issues. However, the uncertainties related to potential negative impacts on public health and the environment represent one of the major concerns of the competent authorities and scientific community. This research aims to assess the perception of workers in a cement plant in Brazil about sustainability (environmental, economic, social) and health issues related to the practise of co-processing, such as: pollution, conditions and safety of work, the environment, individual and collective health, employment opportunities, capacity building and training offered by the company, waste co-processing, public transparency, and active participation of the population in decision-making. A survey was conducted in a cement plant in Brazil using a questionnaire distributed to 50 workers, representing about 17% of a medium sized industry. The unit was chosen for its accessibility, as well as the fact that it is one of the 37 Brazilian industries that performs the task of co-processing and is not yet well known. Purposive sampling was used to include all workers whose work activities are directly linked to co-processing (16 workers), along with 34 representing all other plant sectors; in addition, seniority must be at least two years, and the worker must live in local communities or in surrounding cities. The results indicate positive perspectives toward most questions, except in the aspects related to the local population's knowledge about the practise of co-processing and those related to the population's participation in the decision-making processes: these aspects were both viewed negatively. The findings show that the perceptions of internal stakeholders (workers) of the cement industry are valuable in assessing the aspects related to co-processing, health risks, and environmental protection. The state environmental agencies must have the technical capacity to ensure that cement companies practise co-processing without endangering the health of workers and populations living near the industries as well as while preserving environmental conditions. The cement industry will be able to further reduce the environmental footprint of its operations and products in their final application and guarantee the safety of the workers and populations living near the industry through expertise and know-how. Sustainable cement production relies on well-educated and well-trained workers with highly efficient training programs and the creation of a supportive environment for workers; integrated pollution prevention and control with environmental management is a necessity in order to mitigate the negative effects. Populations living near the cement plant should have access to information on the environment and activities which pose danger, as well as the opportunity to participate in decision-making.

Stochastic Choice over Menus

Models of choice over menus aim at capturing the effect of some behavioral or non-standard element of decision-making on the behavior of a single decision-maker. These models are usually compared with the standard model of choice over menus, in which the decision-maker chooses a menu whose best item is better than that of all other available ones. However, in many empirical settings such as experimental studies, choice data come from a population of decision-makers with possibly heterogeneous attitudes and tastes. This heterogeneity can make the observed choices over menus stochastic. This fact calls for a stochastic characterization of models of choice over menus to be able to better compare and contrast different models empirically. In this paper, I do this task for the standard model, which would be an extension of the random utility model to the realm of choice over menus. In particular, I provide the necessary and sufficient conditions, i.e., axioms on (stochastic) choice data over menus for it to be consistent with a population of decision-makers each of whom behaves according to the standard model. The axioms that characterize the model are the axiom of revealed stochastic preferences over singletons and three rationality axioms.

Part II: Multisystemic Therapy: Addressing Racial Disparity and Its Effectiveness With Families From Diverse Racial and Ethnic Backgrounds

Disparities in health and mental health care delivered to racial and ethnic minorities became a focus of national policy following reports of the Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2002) and the Surgeon General (USDHHS, 2001). The Surgeon General (USDHHS, 2001) reported racial and ethnic minorities experience disparities in availability and quality of mental health services compared to whites. Two challenges that intersect and compound each other are the disproportionately high numbers of African American children in child welfare with unmet mental health needs remaining in their homes or placed in relative's homes after a substantiation of child maltreatment (USDHHS, 2002) and the lack of culturally appropriate, effective home-based treatments available to them. This study compared outcomes for the youth who received Multisystemic Therapy (MST) controlling for the impact of race and ethnicity. The findings provide further evidence for child welfare practitioners to consider when working with children and families from diverse populations in decision-making.

Perceptions and preferences of the local population in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace National Park in Greece

In order to achieve socially acceptable management solutions, a survey of the local population of the National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in Greece was carried out. With the use of an appropriate questionnaire, face-to-face interviews were performed. The survey aimed to: (1) involve the local population in decision-making by classifying the issues to be studied according to the importance they have for the ecosystem inhabitants, e.g., regarding people's income, and landscape aesthetics and ecological value; and (2) contribute to an appropriate and representative future management scheme. The investigation concerned local people's socio-economic status, their knowledge about the ecosystem area, their activities in the park area and their opinion about the ecosystem assets and services. Among the outcomes, biological factors such as flora and fauna and landscape aesthetics emerged as the most valuable ecosystem assets. Furthermore, the majority of those surveyed were willing to pay for the protection and the proper management of the park area.

Policy development in the rural sector: a personal perspective.

This paper presents an opinion of policy development in rural Australia. It holds that, in spite of encouraging steps that seek to involve the rural population in the development of relevant policy, centralised decision-making remains the norm. Although international developments around the issue of meeting the needs of target groups have been achieved—and are available to policy makers—an element of maintaining the familiar practice and efficiency of systems has limited the potential for the greater involvement of rural populations in decision-making.

Genetic adaptive identification and control

Genetic algorithms are computer programs that are developed to crudely emulate the evolution of biological populations according to Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the concept of inheritance from genetics put forward by Mendel. Suppose that a controller for a plant is viewed as an individual decision-maker that has been chosen from a population of possible decision-makers to generate a control input to the plant. Suppose that in real-time a population of such decision-makers evolves. The “best” decision-maker from the evolving population is chosen at each step to control the plant, and using the principles of inheritance and survival of the fittest, good decision-makers will be more likely to propagate through the population as it evolves. Generally, as the population evolves and the best decision-maker is chosen at each time step, it adapts to its environment (i.e. the controller adapts to the plant and anything that influences it) and enhanced closed-loop system performance can be obtained. Also, even if there are plant parameter variations or disturbances, the population of decision-makers (controllers) will continually adapt to its environment to try to maintain good performance. This paper discusses a variety of such genetic adaptive control methods, and gives an extensive comparative analysis of their performance relative to conventional adaptive control techniques for an illustrative control application.

Community participation in formal decision-making mechanisms

This article deals with the formal mechanisms of population participation: with any sort of institutional form of participation aimed at decision-making concerning health in the community. A case study concerning Community Health Councils (England and Wales) and the fluoridation of the water supply illustrates the following points: (i) the defensive or protester role of the population in decision-making: the population may want to share power without changing the rules of the game or may wish to change the norms and values put forward by the authorities; (ii) the lay versus the expert approaches of those professionals mandated to represent the population; (iii) the democratic representation of a heterogeneous population within a health service. Results show that a health committee may participate effectively, even in an advisory capacity, and that conflicts may be seen as an indicator of the reality of participation. Implications for the development of population participation include the distinction between expertise and decision-making, the need for the community to develop networking of sub-groups and organizations, and the shift from a democratic representation of the population to a polyarchy system (the rule of minorities).

Evaluating random choice models using multivariate correlation analysis

Researchers often use specific models to predict the vector of selection probabilities , for some population of decision makers. We assume that the i-th decision maker's vector of selection probabilities follows some prior cross-sectional distribution ,. (v being the parameter vector of F.) To assess the predictive power of random choice models we use two data sets: , the model-based estimates, and r i, the sample-based relative frequency vectors. We suggest the use of the correlation coefficient between . Estimates of the latter are given for an arbitrary F(π,v) and when F is the Dirichlet distribution. In the latter case we show that . We use a distribution free estimation method, the method of moments and the maximum likelihood estimation method to estimate . These estimation methods are tested and evaluated in a Monte Carlo study that simulates a six-brand product class. The third method is found superior to the other two.