Organization Project Research Articles

Community organizing as critical component to planning for natural disasters: The New Jersey Organizing Project story

For Superstorm Sandy, there was no guideline as to how to deal with insurance companies, starting to rebuild, or getting grants to move or stay. While many organizations are established to help with the immediate impacts of natural disasters, there is a gap in information on how to deal with the long-term effects of recovery and also how to prepare for future disasters. With these needs in mind, the New Jersey Organizing Project (NJOP) was initiated in 2014 to help build power within these affected communities to be able to participate in the decision-making process on aspects of the recovery program that ultimately affected their daily lives. NJOP is a grassroots, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that was founded on the premise that navigating myriad programs and complex rules of disaster recovery was exceedingly difficult for individuals. The organization facilitates communication and collaboration in order to build citizen capacity to coordinate a response to secure policy changes, to develop new programs, and advocate for improvements to existing ones in order to improve the recovery process. A key objective is to provide people with a space to receive dignity and respect by building power within the citizens and provide training to community members to participate in the decision-making processes that affect their daily lives. Over the past nine years, the organization has continued to respond to the current conditions in regards to health care, the opioid crisis, and resiliency planning for future storms in order to provide citizens a voice at the table in the decision-making process.

Theoretical approaches to Media and Information Literacy in Foreign Aid Projects (Model for Central Asian countries)

This article is devoted to the analysis of different theoretical approaches to the field of MIL. It provides theoretical insights and definitions put forward by various experts in the field of ML and MIL. The author analyses the role of these approaches in develop the MIL level of the population, as well as the to increase the effectiveness of grants and projects of foreign donor organizations in Central Asian countries in the field of MIL. Using the main sources concepts, theories and approaches in different books about ML and MIL, manuals of international organizations, such as UNESCO, DW Akademie etc., the materials of the journal publications and archives, the author tries to give his own approaches to develop MIL in Central Asian countries. The article analyzes the sociological surveys that substantiate the results of the projects implemented in the field of MIL by various donor organizations in recent years. It was emphasized that in Central Asian countries, it is necessary to pay attention to regional, political and cultural peculiarities in increasing the level of MIL of the population. Keywords: media literacy (ML), media and information literacy (MIL), theoretical approaches to ML and MIL, protectionism, critical thinking, empowerment approach, foreign aid international MIL projects, implementation, and efficiency.

Landscape research: from paradigm through GIS technology to monitoring (on the example of the territory of the Slobozhansky National Nature Park)

For 10 years, a group of specialists from the department of physical geography and cartography has been exploring the territories of national parks consistently using information technology tools, improving their use in combination with ground test landscape surveys. This article reflects the experience of such scientific and applied development in relation to the territory of Slobozhansky National Nature Park. The purpose of this development is to improve the existing technologies of complex interpretation of geodata for the design and monitoring of the territory in their systematic combination with the methods of online mapping and in-depth meaningful interpretation for the scientific support of the organization of the territory and the administration of the national parks. This article covers currently known and possible scientific approaches and measures that rely on scientific and applied measures used by the national parks administration in management processes. The most recent issues highlighted in this article compared to the previous published works of the authors are the formulation of the trinity paradigm of the process of creating a landscape model of the territory. A set of individual tasks is defined, the consistent implementation of which ensures the achievement of the goal: selection of appropriate types, scales and optical ranges of remote sensing, taking into account the landscape conditions inherent in the location of the territory of the national park; development, on these grounds, of the technology of thematic landscape mapping, geoecological assessment and control of results on test areas of the terrain; peculiarities of drawing legends of applied landscape maps using GIS technologies; making corrections and additions to the existing defining documents of projects of the national park organization and developing recommendations for their improvement; design of the monitoring system of Slobozhansky National Nature Park. In the paradigm of applied landscape research, the national park should be designed based on the trinity of remote sensing and human intelligence: a) the technical level of providing remote sensing; b) taking into account the ambiguity of the optical image of the area depending on the purpose of geodata interpretation; c) tasks that are also solved ambiguously: the selection of certain ranges and scales of soundings, the selection of test areas and even the compilation of legends of a large-scale landscape map. The specified ambiguity is manifested in the variability of constructions and creates the subjectivity of applied landscape research. Methodological basis. The system-structural approach is manifested in the identification and identification of those spatial connections between visually significant and hidden from direct observation properties (mainly water-heat balance indicators) of the landscape, which change in an ambiguous dependence on regional background indicators, therefore must be taken into account in design and monitoring. Scientific results. In addition to theoretical generalizations, the article briefly presents the implementation of the highlighted approach in the study of landscapes of the Slobozhansky National Nature Park.

Exploring perceptions and operational considerations for use of a smartphone application to self-monitor blood pressure in pregnancy in Lombok, Indonesia: protocol for a qualitative study

IntroductionHypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of maternal deaths globally and require close monitoring of blood pressure (BP) to mitigate potential adverse effects. Despite the recognised need...

Influence of Monitoring Systems on The Performance of Non-Governmental Organization Projects: A Case Study of Plan International Health Projects, Kenya

Influence of Monitoring Systems on The Performance of Non-Governmental Organization Projects: A Case Study of Plan International Health Projects, Kenya

School and child participation rates in COSI-Ireland, pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) is a World Health Organisation (WHO) project established in 2008 to routinely measure trends in overweight and obesity among primary school children in over 40 European countries. This study compares school and child participation rates for COSI-Ireland Round 6 (R6), conducted October 2022 - March 2023, to Round 5 (R5), conducted in 2018, pre-COVID-19. Methods Sentinel schools (n = 187) invited to partake in all previous Irish COSI rounds were again invited by letter and follow-up telephone calls to participate in R6. These schools remain a representative sample of all primary schools in Ireland, including DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools. Consent was obtained at three levels: school, parent, and child. Parents of children in one randomly selected class of 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th classes of each consenting school were invited to participate by letter. Verbal assent was obtained from each child with parental consent before being measured. Results School participation in R6 decreased slightly compared to R5; 65% (n = 121/187) and 73% (n = 135/185), respectively. In total, 79% (n = 33/42) of DEIS schools consented to partake in R6, substantially higher than non-DEIS school participation of 61% (n = 88/145). The R6 DEIS school response rate was also similar to R5 (81%; n = 21/26), despite an increase in the number of DEIS schools following reclassification in 2022. The examination rate of the total cohort in R6 was 55.5% (n = 5,180/9,337), in line with R5 (57.6%). The number of children examined was similar across classes, with slightly more girls (54%) than boys (46%). Conclusions Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 in conducting this research, COSI-Ireland R6 school participation was well preserved, notably in DEIS schools, demonstrating their commitment to equity in obesity trends. Child examination rates were also remarkably well-maintained relative to the preceding pre-pandemic round. Key messages • COSI-Ireland R6 findings will allow for continued monitoring of obesity in primary school children and inter-European country comparison. • COSI-Ireland R6 findings will inform programme planning and evaluation to address childhood overweight and obesity.

LEPIDOPTERA OF THE MYKHAILIVSKA TSILYNA NATURE RESERVE

This work presents the results of the analysis of literature sources and the results of own research on the Lepidoptera of the Nature Reserve “Mykhailivska tsilyna”. In total, during 2019-2023, about 800 specimens of lepidopterans were collected on the reserve territory. The work presents a generalized list of lepidopteran species documented on the territory of the reserve which is supplemented by the results of research over the past three years. Since the Nature Reserve foundation in 2009, livestock grazing has been banned and haying areas have been limited, which has led to significant overgrowth and forestation of reserve’s territory. In some places the crown closure of the new stands reaches more than 70%. The data obtained by us on the group of pyralid butterflies of the reserve indicate a small proportion of the steppe component in their fauna. Unfortunately, we are not able to compare the data over a long period of time - before 2015, even if there were any studies on this group, they were of a non-systematic nature. Currently, the fauna of the lepidoptera registered by us in the Nature Reserve “Mykhailivska tsilyna”, as well as those reported in the literature, includes 340 species from 18 family groups.
 The work planned in the territory organization project to reduce tree growth and remove forest strips are likely to reduce biodiversity in this area. At the same time, further overgrowth of the steppe will reduce the number or loss of butterfly species whose development is associated with steppe vegetation. In our opinion, it is necessary to stop and prevent further forestation of the reserved area. This can be done by applying one of the following methods: periodic mowing of the steppe areas that are still preserved; moderate cattle grazing; release of a wild population of large ungulates into the territory and ensuring their living conditions; periodic controlled burning of certain areas in the fall. However the current environmental legislation prohibits the use of all of the above methods on the territory of nature reserves.

Management of sustainable development projects of non-profit organizations in a risk environment

This work is devoted to the study of the management of sustainable development projects of non-profit organizations in a risky environment. In today's world, non-profit organizations play an important role in solving social problems and achieving sustainable development, but they often face dangers and challenges. Management of sustainable development projects is an effective tool for achieving the goal and mission of non-profit organizations in conditions of risk and instability. It includes planning, implementation and control of projects aimed at achieving social goals and ensuring sustainability of results. This paper will consider models and methods of management of sustainable development projects, which help to reduce risks and maximize the positive impact of projects of non-profit organizations. Risk management strategies, use of innovative practices and stakeholder engagement will also be considered. A review and analysis of the main principles of sustainable development, such as interconnectedness, long-termism, satisfaction of needs, preservation of ecosystems, preventive approach, participation and cooperation, was carried out. Defining and understanding these principles allows organizations to implement sustainable practices, ensuring balanced development and taking into account the needs of future generations. Understanding these principles also helps organizations avoid negative impacts on the environment and society, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous environment for all. The results of this work will help to expand the understanding of project management in the context of nonprofit organizations, as well as to provide recommendations for the effective implementation of sustainable development project management in a risky environment.

Programmatic Strategies to Engage and Support Undergraduate Women in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science

This paper describes the implementation of a STEM scholarship program which utilized a holistic approach to providing a multi-dimensional student support system. The program has been successful in encouraging and supporting women in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science by offering a diverse suite of extracurricular opportunities, actively engaging them in organized events, research projects, and participation in STEM communities, and helping them achieve higher GPAs and shorter times to graduation. The supported women also benefitted from close mentoring relationships with the faculty mentors. The program emphasized the development of empowering settings for women’s engagement and achievement, which act to sustain and expand interest in mathematics and computing, and thereby help them to see themselves as future professionals in the field.

What Mediate Cognitive Capital & Organization Projects Performance in International Partner Projects

What Mediate Cognitive Capital & Organization Projects Performance in International Partner Projects

Practical aspects of exhibition organization project management

Practical aspects of exhibition organization project management

Structural Model of Indicators for IT Specialists’ Qualification Assessment Based on Data Mining of Information Systems

The key factors for the success of an IT organization project are its people and professional quality. To meet the need for professional growth, management adheres to the constant assessment of the employee’s qualification. However, the low level of reliability and accuracy of the assessment results associated with the subjective opinion of the management may lead to the negative consequences of decisions. For fast results and high accuracy of proficiency testing, assessment models and software testers have been developed to support decision-making based on a large number of results obtained using data mining of information systems in the work of IT specialists. In the present work, a factor analysis was carried out to identify detection of such cases. The results of measurements, which are determined when evaluating the qualifications of IT specialists, cause factors associated with the occurrence of technical problems, the effectiveness and efficiency of testing as well as communication skills.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Cloud for Software Development: A Case from Turkey

Cloud-based solutions for software development activities have been emerging in the last decade. This study aims to develop a hybrid technology adoption model for cloud use in software development activities. It is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, and the proposed extension Personal–Organization–Project (POP) structure. The methodology selected is a questionnaire-based survey and data are collected through personally administered questionnaire sessions with developers and managers, resulting in 268 responses regarding 84 software development projects from 30 organizations in Turkey, selected by considering company and project sizes and geographical proximity to allow face-to-face response collection. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used for statistical evaluation and hypothesis testing. The final model was reached upon modifications and it was found to explain the intention to adopt and use the cloud for software development meaningfully. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify and understand factors that affect the intention of developing software on the cloud. The developed hybrid model was validated to be used in further technology adoption studies. Upon modifying the conceptual model and discovering new relations, a novel model is proposed to draw the relationships between the identified factors and the actual use, intention to use and perceived suitability. Practical and social implications are drawn from the results to help organizations and individuals make decisions on cloud adoption for software development.

Modeling integrated service to support the work of an educational organization: An expert perspective

The functioning of the business processes of an educational organization is difficult to imagine without the use of appropriate digital tools. Today they must comply with the needs of the national educational system, taking into account external sanctions. Relevant for the education system is the creation of an integrated service that would not only eliminate the problem of “patchwork” automation, but also provide the most friendly format for interaction between the staff of an educational organization, students and customers of the educational service at all stages — from the moment of forming interest in training to maintaining communication with the graduate.That is why the aim of the work was to formalize a number of requirements due to the peculiarities of the process of providing educational services. According to the results of expert evaluation (194 experts were involved for the analysis), the author conducted clustering of evaluation results, and then identified and grouped the wishes of administrators and teachers to create the mentioned integrated service. The most significant result should be considered the revealed inconsistency of interests of the main actors of educational organization business-processes, since 80 % of experts’ assessments fell into clusters with opposite wishes. This can be used in the automation projects of educational organizations. It was noted that in the educational sphere it is important to have not only effective business processes, but also the involvement of all employees in achieving positive educational results for students.

Sustainable, decentralized water treatment system fabricated from domestic waste materials and ultrafast-reduced graphene oxide

The demand for fresh water will increase in the coming decades as the world population grows. While large-scale water purification plants will serve highly populated areas, the demand of fresh water will continue to grow even in remote and potentially under-developed locations. In this work, it has been shown that fresh water can be produced from seawater or polluted water using waste paper and direct solar exposure, without the need of electricity during water purification. The highly efficient solar evaporation system proposed here, which is based on graphene/cellulose aerogels, can be fabricated quickly without highly technical skills, requiring only a microwave oven, graphene oxide samples, and cellulose fibers obtained from packaging (i.e., waste paper and polyethylene foams). The produced aerogels show high photo-thermal conversion, excellent hydrophilicity and low thermal conductivity, properties that are conducive to evaporation rates as high as 1.83 kg m−2 h−1, photo-thermal efficiency of 92%, and stability for more than 40 operation cycles. Despite using waste materials, these performance metrics are superior to those reported for most materials to date, and are a consequence of the manufacturing process described here. Field tests confirmed that 1 m2 of the as-prepared aerogels can produce between 6.44 and 11.27 kg of fresh water from seawater or polluted water in a 12-hour period, which is the daily amount of drinking water required for three adults based on World Health Organization projections.

Религиозный компонент в социальных проектах этнокультурных организаций

The article presents the results of a study that examined the religious com- ponent in the social projects of ethno-cultural organizations. The purpose of the study was to analyze the available opportunities and resources of socially oriented organiza- tions (SONCOs) in these projects. The scientific component attaches particular im- portance to social projects, in particular, the analysis of applications submitted for the competition to the Presidential Grants Fund shows the interest of public organizations in the scientific and methodological substantiation of social projects when preparing applications. The novelty lies in the fact that in the context of resource support for the activities of socially oriented non-profit organizations, studies of this kind were not carried out, religious aspects of the activities of public organizations of the ethno-cul- tural sector were not the subject of studying the development of multilateral relations of intersectoral interaction. The in-depth interview method was used as the main method. The target group consisted of leaders, specialists and activists of ethno-cul- tural SO NCOs with at least three years of experience in the organization. As an addi- tional method, secondary data from sociological surveys were analyzed. The purpose of the analysis presented in the article is to assess the opinions of the leaders of the ethnocultural community regarding the significance of the ethnocultural processes tak- ing place in the region and the influence of the religious component in the implemen- tation of social projects. The main results of the study showed that the resource base of ethno-cultural organizations is the basis on which all their activities rest, and the religious component is a significant part of social projects.

SWOT analysis of national nature parks

In Ukraine 56 national nature parks (NNP) have been created, which are powerful centers for the preservation of natural complexes, recreation, conducting scientific nature conservation research and ecological educational work. The work of the NPP is regulated by the park territory organization project. It is based on a 10-year development strategy of the environmental protection institution. A comprehensive analysis of the organization’s work is the basis for developing a strategy for its development. Today, various tools are used to conduct such an analysis, including SWOT analysis. We have proposed approaches to conducting such an analysis in national natural parks. The factors affecting the formation of the strengths and weaknesses of the NNP work, its opportunities for development and threats have been determined. It is proposed to conduct a SWOT/TOWS analysis of the work of national nature parks in order to determine the strategic goals of the nature protection institution. For this, it is proposed to consider the interrelationships of factors in the sectors of comparative advantages, challenges and risks. Based on the proposed approach, an analysis of the work of the Nobel National Natural Park was carried out, which made it possible to determine the park’s development prospects.

Project Management Practices and Implementation of Non-Governmental Organization Projects in Kakamega County, Kenya

Project Management Practices and Implementation of Non-Governmental Organization Projects in Kakamega County, Kenya

Beneficiaries Empowerment and Sustainability of Non-Governmental Organization Projects in Rwanda: A Case of Send a Cow Rwanda Jyambere Project

This research analyzed how beneficiary empowerment affects the sustainability of NGO projects in Rwanda. The key characteristics that significantly help communities to empower themselves and promote sustainable development were discussed in detail and finally validated. More specifically, the study evaluated the impact of capacity building, material resources and partnerships on the sustainability of the Send a Cow Jyambere project in Rwanda. The study used descriptive research design with both quantitative and qualitative methods. The population of this study consisted of 5 technical project staff, 120 peer farmers and para-veterinaries and 1520 direct project beneficiaries. Thus, the total population was1645 individuals.  Stratified random sampling was used to select 322 respondents as sample size. The survey used questionnaires and interviews to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analyses such as frequencies, percentages, correlations and regressions were used to present the quantitative data in tabular and graphical form using SPSS version 23. This study targeted to be of utmost importance to the researcher, future researchers, Mount Kenya University, the Jyambere project and the Rwandan society at large. The Pearson correlation analysis between capacity building (r=0.772, p=0.000), material resource (r=0.613, p=0.000) and partnership (r=0.631, p=0.000) against project sustainability showed that capacity building was found to have a positive and statistically significant correlation. The analysis of regression coefficients showed that capacity building (β1=0.511, p=0.000) material resource (β2=0.374 p=0.000) and partnership (β1=0.201, p=0.000) all have positive and statistically significant effect on project sustainability since the p-values are less than 5%. This study has empirically demonstrated that beneficiaries’ empowerment plays a significant role in ensuring that projects are sustainable. Therefore, the researcher recommends that project managers should embrace best practices that enhance beneficiaries’ empowerment such as incorporating capacity building, provide necessary material resources that equip beneficiaries ready to work by themselves as well as partnership with other parties. The government and the regulatory bodies should be keen to promote such projects which are community-based. Keywords: Beneficiaries Empowerment, Sustainability, Capacity Building, Material Resource, Partnerships &nbsp

Contribution of Faith-Based Organization Project Support on Improving Livelihood of Vulnerable Children in Rwanda: A Case of Christian Life Assembly Project, Kigali City

Contribution of Faith-Based Organization Project Support on Improving Livelihood of Vulnerable Children in Rwanda: A Case of Christian Life Assembly Project, Kigali City