Provincial Department Research Articles

Практика издания в Саратовской губернии в 1920-е гг. литературы для высшей школы

Against the background of an acute shortage of educational literature in support of higher education in the 1920s, dozens of famous teachers of Saratov universities acted as authors of textbooks and manuals. The provincial department of the state publishing house was responsible for their publication, and the preparation of the manuscript for publication was carried out by such organizations as: the subdivision of social security for students at Saratov State University, the general student fund for mutual assistance, the provincial departments of health and education, etc. A lot of educational literature for students of humanities were published by V. Z. Yaksanov’s private publishing house. The article examines the dynamics of educational book publishing to meet the needs of higher education in the region, its characteristic features and characteristics.

Difficulties in teaching Grade 3 learners with reading problems in full-service schools in South Africa.

BackgroundMany primary school learners in South Africa, including those in so-called full-service schools (FSSs), are reading below their grade level.ObjectivesThe authors of this article embarked on a study to find out what difficulties a group of Grade 3 teachers in full-service school faced to support their young custodians with reading problems.MethodsThe research followed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews and classroom observation.ResultsThe data showed that the reading problems experienced by some Grade 3 learners can be attributed to the multiple levels of the education system. On the macro system as set out by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory where the government and provincial departments operate, the first issue was the national department’s progression policy which allows Grade 2 learners to progress to Grade 3 without the required reading competency. The second issue was a lack of enough readers and overcrowding in classrooms. Problems on the microsystem included aspects such as the language of learning and teaching; learners’ reading skills and attitudes towards reading; teachers’ lack of knowledge about diverse learning needs and parental support.ConclusionIt is envisaged that the study will contribute to an understanding of the teachers’ difficulties in teaching reading so that the Grade 3 learners’ reading problems especially those in FSSs could be dealt with through combined efforts of all the stakeholders in the education system.

Analysing outsourced and insourced public infrastructure projects’ performance in a provincial department of public works: a grounded theory approach

PurposeAn increase in outsourcing of consultancy services has been observed during procurement and delivery of public-sector infrastructure projects. However, the incidence of project failure has continued unabated despite this shift by public-sector entities. Also, there appears to be limited literature focussed on seeking to provide the rationale governing the decision to outsource or insource consultancy services by public-sector organisations. The purpose of this study was to appraise the performance of public-sector projects in which consultancy services have been outsourced or insourced. These are the gaps which this study was undertaken to fill.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory methodology (GTM) research design was adopted based on the nature of evidence sought and gathered from a Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (PDPWI) in South Africa. Data was obtained from a mixture of semi-structured interviews and project-specific documents spanning a five-year period and was analysed according to the procedures associated with GTM. Accordingly, open coding, axial coding and pattern matching were carried out at several intervals to develop categories and themes.FindingsThe findings of the study showed the absence of a structured approach within the PDPWI for facilitating decisions pertaining to outsourcing or insourcing consultancy services within construction projects. Furthermore, the study established that both approaches yielded similar results across all performance facets of cost, time and quality. In addition, a detailed insight into the steps required for the successful application of GTM in built environment research has been provided in the study.Originality/valueLimited studies have been undertaken to compare the impact of either outsourced or insourced services on the organisational and project performance. This was the gap to which the study reported in this paper was undertaken to contribute.

Feasibility of implementing the advanced HIV disease care package as part of community-based HIV/TB activities: a mixed-methods study protocol

IntroductionAlthough the advanced HIV disease (AHD) care package reduces morbidity and mortality in people with AHD (defined in people living with HIV as WHO stage 3 or 4, CD4 count...

The Economic Impact of Healthcare Innovation Activity on the Newfoundland and Labrador Economy in 2019 and 2020.

Eastern Health (EH), the most populous region of the four Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Regional Health Authorities, has been advancing innovation to improve patient care, health outcomes and provincial economic development. This paper describes how EH engaged with the provincial Department of Finance to estimate the direct, indirect and induced economic impacts on provincial gross domestic product, employment and employment income from innovation-related activities. The modelling demonstrated significant economic benefits in both 2019 and 2020. There was a large increase in 2020 due to pandemic-related personal protective equipment manufacturing opportunities. The number of well-paying jobs created also increased. Local healthcare innovation was stimulated by EH's Living Lab, Health Innovation Team and increased coordination between vendor partners, Memorial University, the NL Centre for Health Information and government funding agencies.

Knowledge management awareness in South African provincial government departments: The case of KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works, Pietermaritzburg

Background: Knowledge management (KM) holds a major influence on the effective delivery of services in government departments as it is tactically affiliated to the formation, composition, and sharing of information to prevent ‘reinvention of the wheel’ by staffs when performing their jobs. However, few government departments within the South African context have implemented formal KM initiatives.Objectives: This research sought to examine the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works (Pietermaritzburg) employees’ awareness of any KM initiatives, their benefits, and barriers that are preventing the successful implementation of a formal initiative.Method: A survey research approach was utilised in which structured questionnaires were administered to respondents. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS).Results: The research established that KM initiatives are being practiced informally within the Department and there is a reasonably high level of awareness of these initiatives together with the benefits associated with them. The lack of a dedicated unit for KM and KM professionals are some of the barriers to the successful implementation of formal initiatives.Conclusion: The research concluded that the Department is in dire need of a formal KM initiative to reap the potential benefits and improve service delivery.

Influence of Ethical Climate and Innovative Behavior of Administrators on Organizational Effectiveness

The primary objective of this study was to ascertain the major impact of administrators' ethical climate and innovative behavior on organizational effectiveness. The study used a correlational technique in a quantitative, non-experimental design. The responders were the 305 employees of Davao de Oro Province's Department of Public Works and Highways. The mean, Pearson-r, and regression were utilized to determine the study's findings. Additionally, questionnaires customized for ethical climate, innovative behavior, and organizational efficiency were used. The results indicate that the ethical climate is extremely high, the administrator's creative behavior is very strong, and the organizational development is overall very high. Further, the ethical climate is significantly correlated with organizational effectiveness. In the same way, innovative behavior has a significant relationship with organizational effectiveness. Meanwhile, in its singular capacity, the domain innovative behavior of administrators best influences organizational effectiveness. Moreover, ethical climate can influence organizational effectiveness but with the help of other variables. Likewise, this study has determined the importance of innovative behavior of administrators in achieving organizational effectiveness.

Assessment of the Current State of Pharmacovigilance System in Pakistan Using Indicator-Based Assessment Tool.

Objectives: Pakistan felt the need for an effective and robust pharmacovigilance (PV) system after one of the deadliest drug-related tragedies causing more than 300 deaths in 2012. The country set up its national PV center in 2015 and joined WHO’s Program for International Drug Monitoring (PIDM) in 2018 as a full member. The current study was aimed to evaluate the PV system’s functionality, identify the gaps, areas of improvement, and a strategy to lead a functional PV system in Pakistan. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by providing an interviewer-administered questionnaire of the PV system across Pakistan by utilizing the Indicator based Pharmacovigilance assessment tool (IPAT). By a convenience sampling method 36 study participants were selected from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), drug administration of provincial health departments of 4 provinces and federally affiliated areas, 5 national public health programs, and 23 public and private hospitals. The assessment includes document review, interviews of the key informants by structured open-ended questions, and a review of websites of relevant organizations. Results: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) with a national PV center received a 75% overall performance score on IPAT. To be regarded as “minimally functioning,” a country’s PV and drug safety system must meet all core indicators. DRAP scored 80.76% on the core indicators so cannot be deemed functional at this time. The only province with a regional PV center, Punjab, had scored 72.13% on relevant parameters. Despite receiving funding from the Global Fund, none of the National Public Health Programs (PHPs) have PV centers or associated activities. All hospitals except two private hospitals could not qualify the minimum requirements for functional PV. The absence of a legal framework for mandatory ADR reporting, lack of drug information center, budgetary constraints, no active surveillance activities, the nonexistence of pharmacovigilance risk assessment expert committee, and insufficient coordination among stakeholders were identified as major gaps. Conclusion: The results of the study reveal that Pakistan’s PV system is not fully functional at all levels. A two-phased strategy encompassing the non-financial and financial interventions is proposed to improve the PV systems at the national, provincial, PHPs, and hospitals levels.

Eye health promotion-oriented policy statements in various national and provincial health policy documents in South Africa

Background: There are many fragmented public health policies that give directives towards various aspects of healthcare needs and implementation. However, none of these policies make specific reference to eye health promotion (EHP) as an enabler for individuals to take control of the determinants of their eye health (EH) needs.Aim: The current study sought to identify EHP messages in the various available policy documents at both national and provincial health department levels with a view to assessing awareness on the available gaps for the development of an integrated EHP policy in South Africa.Setting: The study used documents provided by the National Department of Health and those that were available online from various other provincial Departments of Health in the country.Methods: Content analysis of EH policies requested from the Directorate of Chronic Diseases, Disabilities and Geriatrics was conducted. Various other health policies that were enacted post-1994 and endorsed by the National and Provincial Departments of Health were also considered for analysis.Results: Twenty-four documents were considered for content analysis. The national guidelines on eye healthcare made reference to EH activities such as immunisation of children, vision screening of the elderly, vitamin A supplementation and maternal services to detect sexually transmitted diseases, amongst others. Of the 20 national and provincial health documents analysed, only four made reference to EH. None of these documents made any specific reference to EHP.Conclusion: Although four national guidelines contain content related to EHP, the fragmentation and lack of integration with other health policy documents may lead to eye healthcare messages not being prioritised for dissemination even where they are highly required. Also, public eye healthcare services in general will continue to lag behind as is the case in most provinces in South Africa.

The Interplay Between Technology Performativity and Health Care Professionals in Hospital Settings: Service Design Approach.

BackgroundThe unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive measures of physical distancing have further necessitated the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance the efficiency of work activities in health care. Although the interplay between human agency and technology performativity is critical to the success or failure of ICTs use in routine practice, it is rarely explored when designing health ICTs for hospital settings within the sub-Saharan Africa context.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to explore how the service delivery quality is being influenced by the technology-enabled activities of health care professionals at points of care using a service design strategy.MethodsAn interpretivist stance was assumed to understand the socially constructed realities of health care professionals at points of care in a hospital setting. A service design strategy was identified as suitable for engaging health care professionals in co-design sessions to collect data. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify the participants. Open-ended questions were administered to gain insights into the work activities of physicians and nurses at points of care. Qualitative (textual) data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Ethical concerns about the safety and privacy of participants’ data were addressed as per the university ethics review committee and provincial department of health.ResultsThe findings show that the attributes of human agency and technology features that drive technology performativity result in an interplay between social concepts and technical features that influence the transformation of human-machine interactions. In addition, the interplay of the double dance of agency model can be divided into 2 successive phases: intermediate and advanced. Intermediate interplay results in the perceived suitability or discomfort of health ICTs as experienced by health care professionals at initial interactions during the execution of work activities. Subsequently, the advanced interplay determines the usefulness and effectiveness of health ICTs in aiding task performance, which ultimately leads to either the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of health care professionals in the completion of their work activities at points of care.ConclusionsThe adopted service design strategy revealed that the interaction moments of the tasks performed by health care professionals during the execution of their work activities at point of care determine the features of health ICTs relevant to work activities. Consequently, the ensuing experience of health care professionals at the completion of their work activities influences the use or discontinuation of health ICTs. Health care professionals consider the value-added benefits from the automation of their work activities to ultimately influence the quality of service delivery. The major knowledge contribution of this study is the awareness drawn to both the intermediate and advanced interplay of human-machine interaction when designing health ICTs.

Study on the Construction Mode of Characteristic TCM Culture in the Yellow River Delta -- Taking Binzhou TCM Hospital as an Example

According to the relevant policy documents on the construction of TCM Culture issued by national, provincial and municipal departments at all levels and Chapter 6 of the TCM law, the relevant contents of "traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance and cultural communication" are explained: all departments at all levels are required to firmly inherit and develop the cultural confidence of TCM and speed up the construction of TCM culture. Binzhou is located in the Yellow River Delta Basin and adjacent to Bohai Bay in the north. Animal and plant medicinal materials and marine biological medicinal materials are widely distributed. Binzhou has made great efforts to develop TCM, continuously expanded the construction direction of TCM culture with the characteristics of the Yellow River Delta, and made great achievements, promoting Binzhou to gradually build into a central city, ecological city and TCM characteristic city in the Yellow River Delta.

Principles and mechanisms of personnel selection of employees of provincial gendarmerie departments in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries. (on the example of the Ufa provincial gendarmerie department)

Principles and mechanisms of personnel selection of employees of provincial gendarmerie departments in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries. (on the example of the Ufa provincial gendarmerie department)

Local Government and the Conundrum of Constitutional Competencies in South Africa: The Tussle Between City of Tshwane Municipality and the Gauteng Health Department Over Ambulance Services

Local government’s autonomy in post-apartheid South Africa is constitutionally guaranteed. A reading of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 shows that local government, made up of 257 municipalities, has a wide range of powers and functions. However, confusion over the scope of constitutional distribution of powers and functions vis-à-vis other spheres of government often constrains the ability of municipalities to take action over a function not expressly assigned to local government in Schedules 4B and 5B of the Constitution. The squabbles between the City of Tshwane and the Gauteng Health Department over the power to provide ambulance services in March 2021 show how some municipalities may be hamstrung from taking action that seeks to operationalise and deliver a function that is not expressly conferred on local government in terms of Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution. This article discusses why and how municipalities with the requisite capacity should be able to provide ambulance services, although this is listed in Schedule 5A of the Constitution as a functional area of exclusive provincial legislative competence. I argue that three features in the Constitution give the power to provide ambulance services to municipalities that have the requisite capacity: the framing of health rights and concomitant obligations; the incidental powers of municipalities; and the principle of allocative subsidiarity. It is argued that, given the mandatory wording of the principle of allocative subsidiarity in sections 156(4) of the Constitution and 32(2) of the National Health Act 61 of 2003, where a provincial health department is averse to assigning the provision of ambulance services to a municipality that has the requisite capacity, such a municipality can approach the High Court for an order compelling the department to assign this function.

Health Technology Assessment in Support of National Health Insurance in South Africa.

South Africa has embarked on major health policy reform to deliver universal health coverage through the establishment of National Health Insurance (NHI). The aim is to improve access, remove financial barriers to care, and enhance care quality. Health technology assessment (HTA) is explicitly identified in the proposed NHI legislation and will have a prominent role in informing decisions about adoption and access to health interventions and technologies. The specific arrangements and approach to HTA in support of this legislation are yet to be determined. Although there is currently no formal national HTA institution in South Africa, there are several processes in both the public and private healthcare sectors that use elements of HTA to varying extents to inform access and resource allocation decisions. Institutions performing HTAs or related activities in South Africa include the National and Provincial Departments of Health, National Treasury, National Health Laboratory Service, Council for Medical Schemes, medical scheme administrators, managed care organizations, academic or research institutions, clinical societies and associations, pharmaceutical and devices companies, private consultancies, and private sector hospital groups. Existing fragmented HTA processes should coordinate and conform to a standardized, fit-for-purpose process and structure that can usefully inform priority setting under NHI and for other decision makers. This transformation will require comprehensive and inclusive planning with dedicated funding and regulation, and provision of strong oversight mechanisms and leadership.

长江中游城市群水-碳-生态足迹变化特征及其平衡性分析

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 长江中游城市群水-碳-生态足迹变化特征及其平衡性分析 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202010182654 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金委重大项目（41890824）；河北省自然科学基金（E2020202117）；河北省普通高等学校青年拔尖人才计划项目（BJ2020019） Water-carbon-ecological footprint change characteristics and its balance analysis in the Triangle of Central China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41890824), Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (E2020202117), Youth Top Talent Program of Hebei Provincial Department of Education (BJ2020019). 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:长江中游城市群是长江经济带三大跨区域城市群支撑之一，实现该区域高效协同发展对于打造全国重要增长极具有重要意义。基于水-碳-生态足迹评估长江中游城市群资源环境压力，引入基尼系数分析城市群水-碳-生态足迹与经济、人口、水资源的平衡性，并构建深度神经网络模型预测水-碳-生态足迹的未来变化趋势。结果表明：长江中游城市群2000-2015年的人均生态足迹由1.98hm2增至4.06hm2，人均碳足迹由0.27hm2增至0.56hm2，年平均增幅分别为6.56%和6.5%；人均水资源生态足迹整体呈先下降后上升，最后趋于平衡的变化趋势；大部分城市的水资源超载指数为正值，总体水资源状况良好，湖南和江西水资源状况优于湖北。长江中游城市群面临巨大资源环境压力，且大部分来自于碳排放压力。研究期内，江西省资源环境压力由中上等级升至较高等级；湖南省资源环境压力基本处于高等级；湖北省资源环境压力均处于很高等级。城市群人口分布、经济发展、水资源分布与水-碳-生态足迹的匹配关系较差。从生态足迹角度来看，综合基尼系数均值为0.456，处于"一般不匹配"范围，研究期内呈现缓慢下降趋势，表明区域间整体协调性增强；从碳足迹角度来看，人口、GDP和水资源基尼系数均有逐年增加的趋势；综合水资源生态足迹基尼系数达到了0.421，处于"一般不匹配"范围；从资源环境压力角度来看，水资源基尼系数年均值达到0.774，处于"严重不匹配"范围；综合基尼系数逐年上升，处于"严重不匹配"范围。而足迹预测结果显示长江中游城市群未来的人均水-碳-生态足迹变化幅度较小，均值分别为1.01、0.74、5.04hm2，湖北的整体生态环境仍不理想。通过分析区域水-碳-生态足迹变化特征和发展平衡性，以期为长江中游城市群经济、环境和资源之间的协调发展提供科学依据。 Abstract:Triangle of Central China (TOCC) is one of the three cross regional urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River economic belt. It is significant to realize the regional efficient coordinated development for enhancing important national growth. This study applies footprint family (water, carbon, and ecological footprints) for evaluating the regional resource-environment pressure (REP) in the TOCC. The balance association with water, carbon, and ecological footprints can be measured through Gini coefficient from different perspectives of economy, populations, and resources. Future trend of water, carbon, and ecological footprints can be forecasted by a deep neural networks model. Results showed that the regional per capita ecological and carbon footprints kept rising from 1.98hm2 to 4.06 hm2 and from 0.27hm2 to 0.56hm2 during the periods, with average annual growth rates of 6.56% and 6.50%, respectively. From 2000 to 2015, the per capita water resources ecological footprint first declined, then increased, finally tended to balance. The water resources performance in most cities was satisfied due to their positive values of water resources overload index, especially in Hunan and Jiangxi. High REP can be observed in the TOCC, which mainly originated from the pressure of carbon emission. The REP in Jiangxi increased from the middle to higher level, and that in Hunan and Hubei was basically at a high level. There existed a poor relationship among water-carbon-ecological footprint and the social-economic performances. From the perspective of ecological footprint, its average comprehensive gini coefficient reached 0.456 with a general mismatch state and a slow downward trend, which indicated an improved overall coordination among regions. In terms of carbon footprint, its population, GDP, and water resource gini coefficients kept rising, which implied that the matching among carbon footprint, economic development, and population size was gradually weakening. The comprehensive gini coefficient reached 0.421 with a general mismatch state when it came to water resources ecological footprint. With respect to REP, its annual average gini coefficient of water resources reached 0.774 that was in the range of serious mismatch, and the comprehensive gini coefficient increased with a serious mismatch state. A steady trend of the per capita water-carbon-ecological footprint in the TOCC can be found according to the outputs from the deep neural networks model, with the averages of 1.01hm2, 0.74hm2 and 5.04hm2, respectively; but the overall ecological environment quality in Hubei is still unsatisfied. These findings can be expected to provide a scientific basis for achieving the coordinate development among economic activities, environment, and resources in the TOCC. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Using the PESTEL Model to Analyze the Impact of the Normalized Epidemic on Enshi's Tourism Industry

Since the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, with the joint efforts of various departments at all levels, the overall situation of epidemic prevention and control in Enshi has been stable. In May 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a "circuit breaker" mechanism for inter-provincial tourism; in June 2022, the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism issued documents related to the resumption of inter-provincial tourism, bringing hope for the recovery of Enshi's tourism industry. In this context, this paper will use the PESTEL model to analyze the macro environment of Enshi's tourism industry from the six aspects of politics, economy, social culture, technology, environment and law, explore the current situation of Enshi's tourism development, and put forward feasible development suggestions.

Status of malaria and its implications for elimination in an endemic province of South Africa: retrospective analysis

South Africa set a target to eliminate malaria by 2018. Kwa-Zulu-Natal (KZN) province was earmarked to reach the elimination goal first. However, recent evidence suggests that the province has not yet achieved the elimination goal. This study set out to assess the status of malaria in KZN province of South Africa and its implications for elimination. Using retrospective analysis, the study quantified and described 5 787 cases of malaria for the years 2010-2019 in KZN province of South Africa. Data on reported malaria cases were obtained from the Malaria Information System of the KZN Provincial Department of Health. More than 65% of the cases came from male patients aged 16 years and above. A high number of cases were reported in the years 2014, 2017 and 2018. More than 40% of the cases were imported from countries outside of South Africa. The study confirms an increase in malaria cases, especially during the elimination year. The imported malaria cases and other related factors pose a threat to achieving the elimination goal. The KZN province needs to strengthen elimination efforts, including strategies to prevent imported malaria cases to achieve the new elimination goal.

The curriculum tracker: A tool to improve curriculum coverage or just a tick-box exercise?

Research on teacher professional development generally states that teachers do not take new innovations on board easily. The study reported on here focused on the uptake of a curriculum tracker tool designed to improve curriculum coverage by mathematics teachers. The tool formed part of the Jika iMfundo (JiM) programme launched by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and a partner organisation. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which secondary mathematics teachers and heads of department (HoDs) used the tools for their intended purposes. The study was carried out with teachers and department heads from 14 schools located in 2 districts of KwaZulu-Natal. Data were generated by 21 interviews, supplemented by secondary data sourced from responses to previous surveys conducted by JiM. The findings show that most teachers considered the tool as a tick-box activity, instead of using it to guide their planning in a meaningful manner. Furthermore, there was misalignment between planning undertaken by the provincial education department and JiM. It is crucial that teachers on the ground are consulted first in order to jointly identify how certain problems can be addressed before any professional development activity is implemented.

Provincial variations in radiotherapy utilization as a measure of access: A pan-Canadian study

Background and purposeAccess to radiotherapy (RT) is a key component of a cancer control strategy. However, radiotherapy utilization (RTU) rates fall short of desired benchmarks in certain Canadian provinces. We aimed to describe provincial variations in RTU across Canada. Materials and methodsWe calculated radiotherapy utilization ratios (RTUR) for each Canadian province from 2016 (RT case counts divided by incidence counts), by cancer type (all cancers, lung, breast, rectal, prostate) and treatment intent (curative, palliative) where data were available. Data were extracted from each provincial RT data repository, cancer registry and/or RT department. We compared RTURs descriptively across provinces and to Ontario benchmarks, and calculated an estimated national RTUR. In provinces with capacity for data linkage, RTURs were compared to a linked (patient-specific) method of calculating utilization, by linking each incident case to whether RT was received within 1 year of diagnosis (RTU-1 yr). ResultsExcluding three provinces that included re-treatments, all-cancer RTURs ranged from 0.31 in Manitoba to 0.40 in Nova Scotia. The national all-cancer RTUR was 0.35, which was comparable to Ontario benchmarks (0.34). Larger variations were seen by cancer type, with an absolute difference in RTURs of 28% for lung cancers, 27% for breast cancers, 21% for rectal cancers, and 18% for prostate cancers. RTURs for nearly all provinces were below established Ontario benchmarks for each cancer type, except prostate cancer. RTURs over-estimated RTU-1 yr by at most 5%, except for prostate cancers where they over-estimated RTU-1 yr by up to 15%. ConclusionsRTU varies by province in Canada, and most notably by cancer subsite. More granular data at the regional level and by healthcare facility is required to further tailor strategies aimed at improving RT access. RTURs also serve as a reasonable surrogate for linked RTU, and both methods can contribute meaningfully to measure RTU depending on the context and data availability.

Knowledge management awareness in South African provincial government departments: The case of KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works, Pietermaritzburg

Background: Knowledge management (KM) holds a major influence on the effective delivery of services in government departments as it is tactically affiliated to the formation, composition, and sharing of information to prevent ‘reinvention of the wheel’ by staffs when performing their jobs. However, few government departments within the South African context have implemented formal KM initiatives. Objectives: This research sought to examine the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works (Pietermaritzburg) employees’ awareness of any KM initiatives, their benefits, and barriers that are preventing the successful implementation of a formal initiative. Method: A survey research approach was utilised in which structured questionnaires were administered to respondents. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). Results: The research established that KM initiatives are being practiced informally within the Department and there is a reasonably high level of awareness of these initiatives together with the benefits associated with them. The lack of a dedicated unit for KM and KM professionals are some of the barriers to the successful implementation of formal initiatives. Conclusion: The research concluded that the Department is in dire need of a formal KM initiative to reap the potential benefits and improve service delivery.