Reform Program Research Articles

Unpacking Duterte’s mixed legacy on economic reforms

The Duterte administration (2016–2022) rode into office on the back of the previous governments’ economic reform momentum that, in 2013, eventually culminated in the country’s first ever investment grade rating since the 1986 EDSA revolution. This paper reviews the data and evidence on the economic performance, efforts to institutionalize development, and the backdrop of economic governance that make up the Duterte administration’s economic reform legacy. The Duterte administration’s economic strategy was largely underpinned by the expansion of a public infrastructure program and funded by additional public revenues from a tax reform program intended to further accelerate the country’s growth path. Notwithstanding several key laws, several reforms were widely criticized for falling short in addressing key inequity, governance, and policy implementation issues in the country. The weakening of the rule of law under the Duterte administration also presents an ironic backdrop from which to appreciate his administration’s legislative and institutional reforms. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep weaknesses in the Philippines’ economic model. While some structural challenges preceded the Duterte administration, its pandemic handling was nevertheless criticized as exacerbating the pandemic’s social and economic costs. Taken as a whole, the Duterte administration leaves behind a very mixed economic reform legacy.

Foreign institutional investors’ certification and domestic minority shareholders’ mistrust

AbstractUsing hand‐collected data from China's split share structure reform (SSSR) program, we show that foreign institutional investors’ certification mitigates domestic minority shareholders’ mistrust of controlling shareholders’ reform plans and facilitates the implementation of the SSSR. Domestic minority shareholders cast fewer dissenting votes, complete the SSSR more quickly but with lower compensation, and achieve higher stock return reactions in reforming firms with higher foreign institutional ownership. Foreign institutional investors’ prestige is a key factor in aligning domestic minority shareholders toward seeking long‐term payoffs. Our work reveals the positive role of foreign institutional investors’ certification in a salient reform of corporate governance.

The Perceptions of Tourism Students Towards Blended Learning: A Case From a Comprehensive University in South Africa

This paper explores tourism students’ perceptions of blended learning (BL) and examines the correlations between BL statements, student academic performance (AP), and the level of satisfaction with blended courses (BCs). A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 166 randomly selected tourism students in a comprehensive University in South Africa. For data analysis, IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 (IBM Corporation, 2022) software was used. The results indicate that most tourism students had positive perceptions of BL based on their degrees of AP and satisfaction with the BC. Most tourism students claim that they are not comfortable completing assignments and taking assessments online. The results further reveal that students they are frequently disappointed with the assessment approach of online discussions. The study recommends that the university studied conduct a variety of reform programmes geared at strengthening tourism lecturers’ BL abilities (such as upgrading online assessment methodologies and lecture design). To encourage learning involvement, tourism lecturers could improve students’ perceptions of the BL platform in their instructional design. This will gradually improve tourism students’ low perceptions of BL, as identified in this study.

Stakeholder Analysis in the Implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program in East Lombok Regency

Stakeholder analysis makes it possible to map the categories of program recipients and organizations implementing agrarian reform programs. Through stakeholder analysis, it is hoped that program acceptance among beneficiary groups can increase. This article aims to examine the implementation of agrarian reform and stakeholder mapping in the case of implementing agrarian reform in Bilok Petung Village. The data for this paper was taken using qualitative methods. Data collection was carried out in two ways: interviews with 12 informants and document studies of journals, books, articles, and related regulations. The data analysis process will be carried out by separating secondary data (literature study) and primary data (field study results). The findings of this research show that there are 11 stakeholders who play an important role in the asset management program and 13 stakeholders who have a main role in the access management program. The findings were then mapped into four quadrants, namely: (1) subject, (2) key players, (3) supporters, and (4) other followers. This research also shows the role of stakeholders in the agrarian reform program, such as policymakers, facilitators, coordinators, planners, implementers, mediators, and accele­rators.

PELAKSANAAN REDISTRIBUSI TANAH DALAM RANGKA REFORMA AGRARIA DI KABUPATEN KUBU RAYA

The agrarian reform program launched by the government basically aims to improve the welfare of the people, especially landless farmers. Through Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2018 concerning Agrarian Reform, the government is trying to redistribute land for farmers, including those carried out in Kubu Raya Regency. However, in practice the land redistribution program carried out by the government isn’t in accordance with the procedures stipulated in Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2018. Of the 10 access arrangement activities as stated in Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2018, only 2 activities were carried out by Kubu Raya District Land Office. Before carrying out the implementation of land redistribution, the Land Office must first make a plan which is preceded by the preparation of operational instructions. Counseling on land redistribution activities should be carried out at the planning stage. In practice, the Kubu Raya Land Office doesn’t go through established mechanisms or procedures and directly conducts counseling at the implementation stage of activities that should have been carried out at the planning stage. In addition, the Land Office doesn’t control land whose area exceeds the maximum land ownership limit, which the government wants to control through the agrarian reform program.

Institutional Change in the Governance of Chinese Football: The Era of ‘Top-Level Design’ Under the Leadership of Xi Jinping

This article explores the dynamics of institutional change in the governance of Chinese football in the Xi Jinping era, focusing on the concept of ‘top-level design’. Since Xi Jinping took over as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, Chinese football has been at the centre of a series of far-reaching policy reform programmes, driven by Xi’s vision to promote the sport and improve China’s position in world football. To date, no study has examined whether institutional change has occurred in Chinese football from the theoretical perspective of actor-centred institutionalism. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there has been an institutional shift towards ‘top-level design’ in Chinese football governance under the leadership of Xi Jinping and, if so, what key aspects can be identified. Given the post-hoc character of the theoretical approach of actor-centred institutionalism, the qualitative method of process tracing was chosen to reconstruct and explain possible institutional changes. The data are based on extensive document analysis and complementary interviews with 22 experts. The findings suggest that under Xi Jinping’s leadership, institutional changes towards ‘top-level design’ have taken place in Chinese football in the form of anti-corruption campaigns and the emergence of new actors.

Accountable Care Organization Leader Perspectives on the Medicare Shared Savings Program

The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) includes more than 400 accountable care organizations (ACOs) and is among the largest and longest running value-based payment efforts in the US. However, given recent program reforms and other changes in the health care system, the experiences and perspectives of ACO leaders remain incompletely characterized. To understand the priorities, strategies, and challenges of ACO leaders in MSSP. In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with leaders of 49 ACOs of differing sizes, leadership structures, and geographies from MSSP between September 29 and December 29, 2022. Participants were asked about their clinical and care management efforts; how they engaged frontline clinicians; the process by which they distributed shared savings and added or removed practices; and other factors that they believed influenced their success or failure in the program. Leader perspectives on major themes related to ACO initiatives, performance improvement, and the recruitment, engagement, and retention of clinicians. Of the 49 ACOs interviewed, 34 were hospital-associated ACOs (69%), 35 were medium or large (>10 000 attributed beneficiaries) (71%), and 17 were rural (35%). The ACOs had a mean (SD) tenure of 8.1 (2.1) years in MSSP. Five major themes emerged: (1) ACO leaders reported a focus on annual wellness visits, coding practices, and care transitions; (2) leaders used both relationship-based and metrics-based strategies to promote clinician engagement; (3) ACOs generally distributed half or more of shared savings to participating practices; (4) ACO recruitment and retention efforts were increasingly influenced by market competition; and (5) some hospital-associated ACOs faced misaligned incentives. In this study, the ACO leaders reported varied approaches to promoting clinician alignment with ACO goals, an emphasis on increasing annual wellness visits, and new pressures related to growth of other care models. Policymakers hoping to modify or expand the program may wish to incorporate these perspectives into future reforms.

TRENDS AND PROSPECTS OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN KAZAKHSTAN AND ITALY

The article discusses the main directions of strategic cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Italian Republic in the trade and economic fields. It is emphasized that the strategic partnership between the two countries is based on a solid foundation, and mutually beneficial relations with the Italian Republic, which is the third largest economy in the eurozone, has become a priority of the foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In August 1992, an agreement was signed between the Italian Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan to establish diplomatic relations. In 2007 the Business Council of Kazakhstan and Italy was created, the Intergovernmental Working Group on Industrial and Economic Cooperation and Exchange also operates.During this period the two states were able to raise the level of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, went through formation, development and transformation and are looking for reserves to continue effective multilateral cooperation. The need for research is due to a number of factors. Firstly, for Italy, as a country with an open economy, the market of Kazakhstan and Central Asia is an important platform for promoting its goods and services. Secondly, establishing multilateral relations between the two countries is in the interests o f both the European Union and the Eurasian integration. Thirdly, the participation of Italy and Kazakhstan in achieving common goals on the world stage within the UN and the OSCE contributes to an understanding of the goals of foreign policy and constructive dialogue. Kazakhstan is interested in Italy’s experience in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises; we are talking about combining efforts in creating new enterprises in various fields.The relevance of the article lies in the fact that Kazakhstan and Italy build their relations on alliance and respect for national interests and understand the importance of strategic interaction, which will only increase in connection with the integration processes taking place in Europe and the Eurasian space. Today large-scale political transformations are being carried out in Kazakhstan. The Head of our state has proposed a program of reforms aimed at modernizing the political system, improving mechanisms for protecting human rights, and building a New Kazakhstan. In this context the dynamic relationship with the Italian Republic makes an important contribution to the implementation and promotion of the reforms carried out in our country.Kazakhstan intends to continue to pursue a foreign policy aimed at comprehensively strengthening and developing the strategic partnership with Italy.

Vom Verein zum Unternehmen?

Abstract Using the example of the German Mechanical and Plant Engineering Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, VDMA), this paper examines the viability of corporate history approaches in the history of the associations. The VDMA, one of the largest trade associations in the Federal Republic of Germany, faced increasing criticism from its member companies in the late 60s. The complex organisation, which had to reconcile the interests of some three dozen branches of industry and various regional groups, was considered inefficient and lacking in profile. The reaction was to launch a reform programme with rationalisation measures, a modern image policy and an expansion of the range of services on offer that showed certain traits of entrepreneurial behaviour. At the same time, the dues system was reformed, but the introduction of a splitting of the dues to the association’s headquarters and the branches was dispensed in order not to endanger the cohesion of interests. Both areas of reform thus demonstrate the imits of entrepreneurial logic in the organisation of an association.

Stenhouse in Scotland and England: Context and culture in curriculum development

AbstractThis paper uses biographical, historical and comparative perspectives to examine some of the work of Lawrence Stenhouse, widely regarded as one of the leading curriculum theorists of the twentieth century. Although his best‐known work was carried out in England, he had strong Scottish connections and some of the influences on his output can be traced to his higher education in Scotland, his teaching experience in Glasgow and Fife, and his time as Principal Lecturer in Education at Jordanhill College of Education. Particular attention is given to Culture and Education (1967), written during Stenhouse's time in Scotland, and An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development (1975), the product of his experience as Director of the Humanities Curriculum Project and subsequently as Director of the Centre for Applied Research in Education at the University of East Anglia. Stenhouse's personal intellectual journey is related to policy developments in Scotland and England and, in particular, to the different approaches to curriculum development in the two countries. His early death in 1982 meant that he did not live to see the assault on his creative, teacher‐centred approach to curriculum development mounted by the political right in the 1980s and 1990s, but his ideas were kept alive by members of the team he had built up. The paper ends by summarising the reasons for Stenhouse's continuing importance. It is noted, however, that the many tributes to Stenhouse's achievements in England have not been matched by similar recognition in Scotland. Arguably, his ideas could have enabled Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence reform programme, launched in 2004, to have avoided some of the problems it encountered in the transition from conception to implementation.

A snapshot on a journey from frustration to readiness-A qualitative pre-implementation exploration of readiness for technology adoption in Public Health Protection in Ireland.

In an era of emergent infectious disease, the timely and efficient management of disease outbreaks is critical to public health protection. Integrated technologies for case and incident management (CIM) collect real-time health intelligence for decision making in Public Health. In Ireland, a Public Health reform program is preparing for implementation of a health information system for health protection. Project implementers seek to document and understand the readiness and willingness of future users to adopt the new system, prior to system procurement and implementation. Qualitative key informant interviews were conducted (n = 8) with Public Health personnel from a single regional department of Public Health representing medical, nursing, disease surveillance and administrative roles, at managerial and staff levels. A qualitative thematic analysis was performed. Participants were frustrated by weaknesses in the current practice of CIM and were ready and willing to adopt a digital CIM system if it met their needs. However, they were frustrated by lack of clear timelines. We identified 7 enablers and 3 barriers to readiness and willingness to adopt a CIM system. 'Newness of the workforce' was the main enabler of readiness and willingness, while 'lack of knowledge and familiarity with system' was the main barrier to readiness and willingness. Experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic gave a clear understanding of the problems and need for a digital CIM system and the reform program facilitated a culture of change, readying the workforce for the new health information system. New members of the Public Health departments are a likely ready and eager cohort for adoption of a modern, 'fit for purpose' CIM system and the execution of implementation will likely determine how ready and willing the wider network of departments will be to adopt a national CIMS.

The Formation of American Historiography of the New Deal (1930s – early 1960s)

The article analyzes the formation of American historiography of the New Deal based on a comprehensive study of scientific and journalistic literature. The initial assessments of the New Deal date back to the presidential campaign of 1932 when it was still a preliminary theoretical reform program. During the political debates of the 1930s, opponents of F. Roosevelt criticized the New Deal because, in their opinion, it did not align with American traditions, operated with un-American approaches to public administration, etc. These assessments were significantly influenced by the international situation related to the crisis of capitalism and democratic governance in Europe. Political opponents, referring to experience overseas, unjustly regarded the New Deal as a manifestation of one of the European radical “isms”. The author of the article found that such assessments did not find a wide response in society, and the scientific works of researchers who defended similar theses were on the margins of historical debates around the New Deal.
 The publication of their memoirs by most members of F. Roosevelt’s cabinet and his advisers, as well as the opening of access to the President’s library in Hyde Park, contributed to the formation of the first scientific assessments of the New Deal in the late 1940s. The historiography of the New Course had its “founding fathers”, to whom the author of this article includes – Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., B. Rauch, R. Hofstadter, F. Freidel, J. Burns, and W. Leuchtenburg. These researchers established a scientific basis that remains valid to this day, despite various attempts to revise it. They established certain historiographical trends and approaches to research and interpretation of this period in the 1950s. The author determined that the 1950s were marked by a debate between two schools of historical thought – Progressive and Consensus, regarding what the New Deal was – a continuation of the reform movement of previous decades, a turning point, or a revolution in American life and politics. In the research, the author considered and analyzed the main arguments and counterarguments of each of the schools.

The Road to the Development of Teacher s Professional Autonomy

Teachers professional autonomy is the ultimate goal pursued by the current teacher professionalization, but teachers professional autonomy cannot be spontaneously realized in the process of teachers professionalization. Due to the infuence of professionalism, externally imposed doctrinal reform programs, the ever-increasing pressure for reform, and the indifference to teachers practical knowledge, teachers professional autonomy is obviously insuffcient. Starting from the internal and external conditions necessary for teachers professional au-tonomy, exploring the paths of professional autonomy is far-reaching to promote the process of teacher professionalism. From the internal and external conditions required for teachers professional autonomy, exploring the path of autonomous professional development of o teachers is of profound signifcance to the process of promoting teachers professionalization.

Characteristics of the health districts in Italy and their implication in primary health care policies: an analysis of socio-demographic trends.

The Health District (HD) is a critical component of Italy's National Health Service, responsible for ensuring Primary Health Care (PHC) services in response to community health needs. The Italian government established a national strategic reform program, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), starting in 2022, with a series of health interventions to reorganize the PHC setting, the main reform being the Ministerial Decree 77/2022 (DM77). Our study aimed to provide a description of socio-demographic data and to assess the correlation between HDs, in order to suggest health intervention priorities in PHC reforms. We conducted our analysis using a cross-sectional record linkage of data from multiple sources to compare organizational and socio-demographic variables. A dataset was created with each of the 21 Italian Regions' HDs data of population, land area, mean age, ageing index, old-age dependency ratio, birth rate and death rate. The Inland Areas Project data was integrated for a socio-economic perspective. Our study identified comparable groups of HDs, considering demographical, socio-economic and geographical aspects. The study provides a baseline understanding of the Italian situation prior to the implementation of DM77. It also highlights that inhabitants number cannot be the only variable to take into account for the definition of Italian HDs organisation and PHC reform, providing intercorrelated variables that take into account geographic location, demographic data, and socio-economic aspects. By acknowledging the interplay of demographic, socio-economic, and geographic factors, policymakers can tailor interventions to address diverse community needs, ensuring a more effective and equitable PHC system.

Study on the Problems and Countermeasures of High School Students' Subject Selection under the New College Entrance Examination Reform in Hubei Province

In 2014, China implemented a comprehensive reform of the college entrance examination. Since then, Hubei Province has implemented the "New College Entrance Examination", which adopts the "3+1+2" subject selection program, students independently choose subjects on the basis of language, mathematics and foreign languages. Students are required to choose one subject from History and Physics, and then two subjects from Ideology and Politics, Geography, Chemistry and Biology to form their own examination subjects. This new teaching mode breaks through the shortcomings of the traditional division of arts and sciences, which cannot fully respect students' individual differences and independent choices, and allows students to choose suitable subjects according to their own interests and needs, so as to achieve the goal of comprehensive and individual development. Since the implementation of the new college entrance examination reform program, the new round of college entrance examination reform has attracted extensive attention from experts and scholars about the new college entrance examination reform. These researches are mainly concentrated in Zhejiang and Shanghai, and most of them are researches on students' curriculum and curriculum reform. By combing the relevant literature, this paper finds that the current situation of curriculum selection in China's general high schools is not optimistic, and there are many problems that need to be discovered and solved by us. In addition, there are fewer studies on the "3+1+2" college entrance examination reform program in Hubei Province. In view of the different curricula in different provinces, we must study the curriculum of general high schools in Hubei Province in depth and analyze the problems, so as to put forward corresponding countermeasures for the curriculum of general high schools in Hubei Province.

Listy mistrza do uczniów pośród łąk pasterskich. Reminiscencje ze średniowiecza


 
 
 
 Presented here is a translation of four poems by the Northumbrian monk Alcuin, advisor to Charlemagne, forming a mini-corpus which depicts the author as a teacher and creator of the educational and moral reform program of the reborn Roman Empire. The commentary points to the reception of Greco-Roman antiquity — especially the topics — and the attempts at remolding the material in the Christian spirit.
 
 
 

Informal land leasing and social relations: Insights from Zimbabwe’s small scale farms

This article examines the role of social relations in enabling informal land leasing in Zimbabwe's small scale (A1 villagised) settlements after the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). After Fast Track Land Reform (FTLRP) in Zimbabwe, although some studies have explored informal land leasing, limited attention has been provided to the increasing informal subdivision in A1 villagised plots. The paper uses social relations as a basis for understanding the nature of informal land subdivisions, drawing insights from Zimbabwe’s small-scale farms in Zvimba District, Mashonaland West Province. Using qualitative insights, the article argues that in cases where land is provided through land reform, policy formulators should acknowledge the existence of these subdivisions for people with limited access to land. This article concludes that social relations enable people to access land through informal channels in resettlement areas enabling people to bypass legal policy directives through land subdivisions.

Research Into the Concept of Long-term Tariff Regulation for Freight Rail Transportation in Modern Conditions

Russian Railways JSC faces unresolved problems in the field of pricing and tariff regulation. The current regulatory framework for determining tariffs was established in 2003. Over the past 20 years, significant changes have occurred in Price List 10-01, which was periodically adapted to the current conditions of the freight transportation market by introducing additional coefficients, and almost all possibilities for adjusting it have been exhausted. The Government of the Russian Federation has given instructions to departments to develop a new Price List by January 1, 2026. It is necessary to improve the tariff policy, adapted to the conditions of a market economy, in accordance with the Reform Program of Russian Railways JSC adopted by the Government of the Russian Federation and the Strategy for the Development of Railway Transport in the Russian Federation until 2030. Existing problems in the field of pricing and directions for further development are considered.

Legal Analysis of Non-Litigious Settlement of Waqf Land Disputes by the Land Office of Bima Regency

This study aims to analyze what factors influence the process of resolving waqf land disputes and their resolution solutions. This is empirical legal research with the approach of legislation, conceptual, case, and legal sociology. The influencing factors are the status of the land that is the object of the dispute, the land rights attached to the parties, the legal position of the land rights of the parties, and the identified maladministration carried out by the Land Office of Bima Regency. Furthermore, the solutions provided by the Head of the Land Office of Bima Regency issued a Decree to cancel the certificate of ownership of Madawau Village community members obtained from the National Agrarian Reform Program (PRONA) in 2015 because there were administrative and legal defects in the subjects and objects of land, restoring property rights to land and providing protection and legal certainty to the Bima Islamic Foundation.

The Challenges faced by the Iraqi electricity sector: Reform program and proposed solutions

The electricity crisis in Iraq presents a complicated challenge that extends beyond technical, administrative, and strategic dimensions, impacting the nation's economic and political landscapes. This research explores the roots of the crisis, emphasizing the need for comprehensive planning, enhanced leadership, and coordinated efforts within the state administration. This study proposes two alternative sources of financial support to revitalize the electricity sector. Firstly, the utilization of loans from local banks provides a viable economic and political solution, reducing costs associated with importing energy and alleviating the energy deficit. The second proposal suggests establishing a development investment fund, attracting local capital investments with competitive interest rates. These funds, reinvested in high-return projects, promise to augment the Ministry's revenues, and contribute to economic growth. To illustrate the viability of the proposals presented in this paper, a 1400 MW thermal power station is examined, comparing the cost of production (kWh) when financed by local banks against the cost of importing energy or purchasing from investors. Additionally, the study advocates for a rehabilitation program to increase unforeseen capabilities through maintenance campaigns, project acceleration, and a focus on the electric power transmission sector's development. In conclusion, the implementation of these proposals offers a transformative approach to address the electricity crisis in Iraq. Beyond immediate financial benefits, these initiatives contribute to economic growth, energy sustainability, and improved GDP income. The study emphasizes the necessity of a coordinated rehabilitation program and enhanced infrastructure development to realize a more resilient and efficient electrical system.