Provincial Policy Research Articles

Scanning and synthesizing Canadian policies that address the school-to-work transition of youth and young adults with disabilities

BackgroundDisability faced by a young person can impact the school-to-work transition and shape health and well-being over the life course. Unique barriers to entry and advancement within the labor market that are relevant to young people with disabilities underscore the need for tailored policy-level supports. ObjectivesTo examine and describe policies that support the school-to-work transition of young people with disabilities in Canada. MethodsA scan of policies which focused on the school-to-work transition of young people with disabilities across Canada was conducted between June 2019 and January 2020. Searches were completed within federal, provincial and territorial policy portals. Each policy relating to employment participation of people with disabilities was summarized. Policies that focused on the school-to-work-specific were synthesized using Bemelmans-Vidic, Rist and Vedung's policy tool framework. ResultsA total of 36 policies were identified by our scan that focused on the employment of people with disabilities. Only five policies explicitly addressed the school-to-work transition. All existing policies were implemented at the provincial level and aimed to promote entry into employment. The synthesis of policies revealed that financial policy tools were primarily used to incentivize employment, provision of workplace accommodations, or the development and implementation of job readiness programs. ConclusionOur analysis of federal, provincial and territorial policies in Canada uncovered a limited number of policies that specifically support the school-to-work transition. Addressing these policy gaps can increase the inclusion of young people with disabilities in the labor market.

The Role of Volunteers in Enhancing Resident Quality of Life in Long-Term Care: Analyzing Policies that May Enable or Limit this Role.

Research has shown that long-term care (LTC) volunteers play important roles in enhancing the quality of life (QoL) of older LTC residents, often through providing unique forms of relational care. Guided by Kane's QoL domains, we used a modified objective hermeneutics method to analyze how unique volunteer roles are represented and supported in provincial policies in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. We found that policies define volunteer roles narrowly, which may limit residents' QoL. This happens through (1) omitting volunteers from most regulatory policy, (2) likening volunteers to supplementary staff rather than to caregivers with unique roles, and (3) overemphasizing residents' safety, security, and order. We offer insights into promising provincial policy directions for LTC volunteers, yet we argue that further regulating volunteers may be an inadequate or ill-suited approach to addressing the cultural, social, and structural changes required for volunteers to enhance LTC residents' QoL effectively.

Approaching four decades of forest watershed research at Upper Penticton Creek, British Columbia: A synthesis

AbstractOver the past 35 years, the Upper Penticton Creek (UPC) Watershed Experiment has supported forest hydrology research in south‐central British Columbia (BC), Canada. This paper provides a synthesis of research results, highlights the challenges facing UPC and identifies new research directions. Clearcutting approximately 50% of two small, snow‐dominated (Dfb Koppen classification) watersheds advanced the timing of snowmelt‐generated high flows and decreased late‐summer low flows, relative to predictions based on pre‐treatment regressions. Changes in high flows did not have a significant effect on stream channels due to low stream power, coarse substrate, and limited riparian disturbance. Changes in summer low flows reduced modelled useable fish habitat by 20%–50%. Evaporation averaged 52% of the annual precipitation in the mature forest, was reduced to 30% in a clearcut, and recovered to 40% and 47% in a 10 and 25 year‐old stand, respectively. Groundwater recharge to the bedrock was estimated at 19% of annual precipitation, indicating that, even with the large uncertainty associated with this estimate, deep groundwater should not be ignored in the water balance. Suspended sediment, turbidity, and colour increased post‐logging; however, chemical surface water quality did not change. Aquatic community structure changed post‐logging; and although this affected the processing of organic matter, the effects on habitat quality were considered minimal. The information gained at UPC has supported provincial policies, management guidelines, forest stewardship plans and watershed risk assessments. The undisturbed control watershed, re‐growing treatment watersheds and ongoing long‐term hydrometric monitoring continue to provide opportunities for future research addressing issues such as the effects of young forests on streamflow and hydrologic recovery, and the influence of climate change on the hydrologic regime.

Mind the Gap

New public management demands data-based decision-making. However, persistent data gaps for adults with developmental disabilities invisibilize this population in the policy process. This research identifies persistent data gaps in this sector as a result of decentralization, jurisdictional inconsistency and transinstitutionalization. To understand these gaps, I consider the role of neoliberalism in the process of the deinstitutionalization of large-scale residential institutions for persons with disabilities in Ontario. Austere provincial budgets have resulted in a waitlist of more than 15,700 adults with developmental disabilities who require residential services and supports. This waitlist results in the transinstitutionalization of persons with developmental disabilities, displacing them across ministerial borders. This research traces the provincial policy legacy of data collection regarding people with developmental disabilities to identify persistent data gaps and their impacts.

The role of provincial social policies and economic environments in shaping food insecurity among Canadian families with children

Food insecurity, inadequate access to food due to financial constraints, affects 17.3% of Canadian children, with serious health repercussions. Capitalizing on the geo-temporal variation in social policies and economic environments across Canadian provinces between 2005 and 2018, we examined the association between provincial policies and economic environments and likelihood of experiencing food insecurity among households with children. Drawn from 13 years of the Canadian Community Health Survey, our sample comprised 123,300 households with below-median income with children under 18 in the ten provinces. We applied generalized ordered logit models on the overall sample and subsamples stratified by Low-Income Measure (LIM). Higher minimum wage, lower income tax, and lower unemployment rate were associated with lower odds of food insecurity in the overall sample. A hypothetical one-dollar increase in minimum wage was associated with 0.8 to 1.0-percentage-point decrease in probability of food insecurity. The probability of food security increased by 1.2 to 1.6 percentage points following a one-percentage-point drop in bottom-bracket income tax rate. One-percentage-point lower unemployment rate corresponded to 0.6 to 0.8-percentage-point higher probability of food security. Higher welfare income and lower housing price predicted lower likelihood of severe food insecurity in the below-LIM subsample. Higher sales tax and median wage predicted higher likelihood of food insecurity among above-LIM households. Income support policies, favorable labor market conditions, and affordable living costs were all related to reduced food insecurity among Canadian households with children. Policies that increase minimum wage, reduce taxes, and create jobs may help alleviate food insecurity.

Municipal Capacity: A Greenbelt Focus

This session will reflect on the importance of rural and agri-food communities and provide key insights on the capacity of municipal governments to support the agriculture and agri-food sector and respond to rural issues. In Ontario, where the most agriculturally-viable land in Canada is located, municipalities are the most local level of government and are responsible for implementing provincial and federal policies and directives. However, little is known about the structure, knowledge base, and capacity of municipal governments to respond to agricultural and agri-food priorities and issues. A review of existing literature and municipal websites reveals that municipal planning departments are extremely varied and inconsistently staffed. This appears to be the surface of a much larger inconsistency related to financial resources, staff expertise, and council’s knowledge about agriculture and agri-food. Our team has completed the research related to this project and the findings of this study are informed by data collected via survey and semi-structured interviews from 66 municipalities in the Greenbelt. Findings indicate that there is an increasing knowledge gap related to agricultural planning and agri-food issues, and that fewer elected officials/planners have agricultural backgrounds, expertise, or training. This presents a threat to rural and agri-food communities as their livelihoods depend on the ability of council (and staff) to understand critical issues, protect farmland, and make agriculturally-supportive decisions. Agri-food communities are important and it is critical that our governance systems not only recognise that but also have the capacity to support, protect, and respond to the agri-food sector.

Provincial Government Policies in Improving the Quality of Madrasah Diniyah Teachers in East Java

This article aims to determine the background and objectives of provincial government policies in improving the quality of Madrasah Diniyah teachers in East Java, Indonesia. The management of Islamic Education institutions is the authority and responsibility of the Ministry of Religion, however, the East Java provincial government has a moral responsibility to participate in developing Islamic education institutions, namely Madrasah Diniyah through policies to improve the quality of Madrasah diniyah teachers. This research method uses qualitative research with a case study approach and research design using descriptive-analytic. The research findings are: 1) The reality of Diniyah Madrasah teachers in East Java, there are still many who have not met the qualifications as mandated in the Teacher and Lecturer Law. 2) The Provincial Government of East Java made a policy to improve the quality of madrasah diniyah teachers due to social and political factors.

Secondary School Nutrition Policy Compliance in Ontario and Alberta, Canada: A Follow-Up Study Examining Vending Machine Data from the COMPASS Study.

(1) Objective: To longitudinally assess food and beverages sold in vending machines in secondary schools (grades 9–12) participating in the COMPASS study (2015/2016 and 2018/2019) and (2) to examine if patterns and trends observed in previous years (2012/2013 to 2014/2015) are consistent with lack of policy compliance in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. (2) Methods: Policy compliance was assessed through comparing nutritional information on drink (e.g., sports drinks) and snack (e.g., chocolate bars) products in vending machines to Policy and Program Memorandum (P/PM) 150 in Ontario (required policy) and the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (recommended policy). Longitudinal results and descriptive statistics were calculated. (3) Results: Longitudinal results indicate that between Y4 (2015/2016) and Y7 (2018/2019), snack and drink vending machines remained mostly non-compliant in Ontario and Alberta, with a small proportion of Ontario drink machines changing from non-compliant to compliant. At the school level, descriptive results indicate the proportion of Ontario schools with policy-compliant snack and drink machines decreased between Y4 and Y7. Alberta schools were non-compliant for drink and snack machines. (4) Conclusions: Secondary schools continue to be non-compliant with provincial policies. School nutrition policies need to be simplified in order to make it easier for schools to be compliant. Enforcement of compliancy is also an area that deserves consideration.

Does industrial policy suppress corporate tax avoidance? —— a study on the perspective of provincial industrial policy

ABSTRACT Will industrial policy affect corporate tax avoidance? Based on China’s listed corporations which are in the current stage of industrial transformation and upgrading, this paper investigates how the provincial industrial policy impact corporate tax avoidance. The results show that provincial industrial policy can suppress corporate’s incentive to avoid tax and this relationship is stronger in non-SOE group. Further study finds that the release of provincial policy enhances the prospect of influenced industries, leading the improvement of firm performance, helping firms obtain more government subsidies and bank loans and finally suppress corporate tax avoidance. On the other hand, industrial policy is a crucial channel through which listed firms can build political connections with local government. To maintain the relationship with local government, the affected firms are willing to suppress corporate tax avoidance.

Household Waste Management towards a New Normal Era (Study at Suzuki Residents, Watutumou III Village, Kalawat District)

This research was conducted to (1) analyze the household waste management system, and (2) develop a strategy for household waste management in Suzuki Resident, Watutumou III Village, Kalawat District, getting in the era of "New Normal". This research uses quantitative methods with SWOT and AHP ((Analytical Hierarchy Process) techniques. The results show that the Waste Management system has Strength, such as the efforts to apply the 3R concept (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), waste management fees, and improvement, facilities and infrastructure, strengthening public understanding, support from local government and APBD (Local Government Budget) of North Minahasa Regency. The waste management system has several weaknesses, such as (1) lack of facilities and infrastructure for trash bins, the absence of 3R Landfill in residential areas, and limited human resource capacity toward waste management Opportunities which is faced by the waste management system including support for provincial government policies, facilitating the marketing of waste management products that are economically valuable. Threats which are faced are the increasing volume of waste, not optimal waste management and sorting, people behavior of littering. Based on these conditions, the priority of the Household Waste Management Strategy is to improve facilities and infrastructure to support waste management. The current strategy for developing a household waste management system is in quadrant IV that is diversifying the use of force and creating more opportunities. Strategic steps in managing household waste in Suzuki Resident, Watutumou III Village, Kalawat District, getting in the era of "New Normal, are improving existing facilities and infrastructure and adding to those that do not exist, optimizing waste retribution to support waste management costs, gathering support from stakeholders who related, strengthening public understanding of household waste management, and promoting efforts to apply the 3R concept in household waste management.

International Education and the Internationalization of Public Schooling in Canada: Approaches and Conceptualizations

While there is now an extensive literature related to the internationalization of post-secondary education in Canada, developments within K-12 public schooling have received much less attention. This article explores recent developments in international education in Canadian public school systems, with specific attention to developments in Manitoba. In doing so it argues that these developments incorporate three distinct policy interests – trade, immigration and education – resulting in strong federal influences on provincial education policies and practices. The article examines two major international education initiatives: the recruitment of international students; and, the establishment of affiliate school agreements overseas. It argues that these recent developments reflect a particular notion of “the internationalization of public schooling” where a historical notion of “international education” as a learning-focused concept has been supplanted by an economic and market-driven notion that has trade and immigration considerations as its primary interests.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of School-Based Behavioural Policies: Reconceptualizing Understandings of Responses to Student (Mis)Behaviours

Students who have been labeled as having “behaviour problems” in the school system have some of the worst academic and social outcomes of any student group. In most Canadian provinces, responses to students who misbehave are legislated through Safe Schools policies intended to guide districts and individual schools in responding to student misbehaviour. In this research project, we conducted a critical discourse analysis of Manitoba’s Safe and Caring Schools documentation in order to analyze the ways in which provincial policies construct school-based responses to behaviours. Based on our analysis, recommendations for policy-makers to better support studentsinclude revising policies to reflect reconceptualized views of children, non-deficit understandings of behaviour, and ethical responses to student behaviour.

Does drainage pay? Quantifying agricultural profitability associated with wetland drainage practices and canola production in Alberta

Conversion of wetlands in cultivated agricultural landscapes is one of the primary drivers of wetland loss in Alberta, Canada, despite a provincial wetland policy that prioritizes wetland avoidance. While other sectors of the agricultural industry have established initiatives to maintain wetlands, a common narrative within the conventional cropping sector is that wetland retention leads to lost acreage and overlap of crop inputs, and that there are financial benefits associated with wetland drainage. The objective of this research was to explicitly quantify crop productivity within drained wetland basins, in an effort to better understand the extent to which producers financially benefit from drainage practices. Working collaboratively with canola producers in central Alberta over the 2019 growing season, wetland basins within four quarter sections were mapped using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, and wetland basins with clear evidence of surface drainage were identified. Agricultural input and yield data provided by producers was then used to quantify profitability within each drained basin. Average profit for drained basins for each producer ranged between − $145/acre and $76/acre, with an average of $55/acre across all operations. This is compared to an average profit of $203/acre for non-wetland areas across all operations. The results suggest that the financial benefits of drainage are highly variable, and for many drained basins, producers may experience financial losses that may be overlooked when profits are examined only at the field- or operation-level. While this study included a small number of operations, and was limited to one type of crop over a single growing season, the results still provide important insight into the extent to which producers benefit financially from the practice of wetland drainage.

Community responses to international trade policy: A Newfoundland case study

Fisheries in Atlantic Canada are going through a period of transition due to environmental, economic, and policy changes that are impacting resource sustainability and community viability. One change is the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which came into effect in December 2017, offering increased market access for fishery-reliant provinces such as Newfoundland and Labrador. How CETA is locally perceived, how it plays out on the ground, and the effect it may have on the sustainability of the province's fisheries and communities is not yet known. Through interviews with key informants, including representatives of the fishing industry and government officials, this paper examines stakeholders' perceptions and initial responses to CETA in the Great Northern Peninsula (GNP) region, Newfoundland and Labrador. Our research shows that while tariff reductions for seafood products into the EU are considered a positive change, there are concerns that the phasing-out of a provincial policy that protects local employment may enhance vulnerabilities of coastal communities. Further, domestic funding support created to bolster the fishery sector is inadequate in addressing long-term issues. Considering that the coastal communities of the GNP are facing both market pressures and a lack of adequate resource access, it is unclear the extent to which CETA influences the existing situation or induces further change effecting local viability. A principled governance of seafood trade policy is imperative to elevate local protections over the homogenizing effect of free trade.

시･도체육회 법정법인화 국민체육진흥법 개정 분석 및 정책 제언

시･도체육회 법정법인화 국민체육진흥법 개정 분석 및 정책 제언

THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN INDIAN ECONOMY- A NEW CENTURY

This article talks about the economic status of provincial India. It centers on the present status of provincial regions and the emerging powers that will change life in rustic territories through the mid twenty- first century. During the twentieth century, innovation disintegrated the business base of most country networks, discouraged earnings, and made out-relocation the main plan of action for millions. The fortunes of rustic networks are peripatetic. Some are proceeding to meet financial decrease. Others are attempting to adapt to quick development in the populace, land use clashes, and developing interest for open administrations. The twenty-first century could rather support provincial networks. Monetary and segment patterns are diminishing the expense of separation and expanding the estimation of the opportunity. Innovation is lessening the requirement for proximate workers. Interest in the provincial network way of life is developing. With viable provincial policy, rural networks could contribute considerably more to the national economy.

Understanding the accountability issues of the immunization workforce for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in Balochistan: An exploratory study.

BackgroundAmong all provinces of Pakistan, immunization coverage is poorest in Balochistan. There is no provincial immunization policy for Balochistan including a lack of human resource management policy. Maladministration and lack of accountability leading to health workforce demotivation and poor performance can be a crucial reason behind an inefficient and ineffective immunization program in Balochistan. The objective of this study was to better understand the accountability issues of EPI workforce at provincial and district level leading to poor program performance and to identify governance strategies for management of inefficiency, demotivation and absenteeism.MethodsAn exploratory qualitative study was carried out to explore issues related to human resource (HR) accountability within immunization program of Balochistan for developing strategies to improve performance of the program. Five districts were selected using purposive sampling based on the comparative poor and good routine immunization coverages and Human Development Index (HDI). Interviews were conducted with EPI Staff and District Health Officers (DHOs) in each district including provincial EPI Staff. A semi-structured and open-ended questionnaire was used. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data.ResultsMajor barriers to HR accountability included lack of a written HR policy, proper service structure including promotions and benefits and understanding of accurate job description coupled with inadequate HR development budget and activities. Most important demotivating factors were inadequate number of vaccinators, deficient budget with delayed wage and salary disbursements resulting in poor immunization coverage and a lack of appreciation/feedback from senior management for the frontline workers. Key challenge for vaccinators was poor community orientation and mobilization. Although, the participants proposed some solutions based on their perspective, none were elaborate or precise.ConclusionsAdaptation of National Immunization Policy tailored to the provincial context and proper implementation is much needed. Review of current allocations of vaccinators and need based relocation along with recruitment of new vaccinators with clear job description and terms of reference is desirable. Review of current incentive structure is required. Finally, trust building between community and the vaccination program and social mobilization about the benefits of vaccinations through community influential is vital.

Impacts of supply-sided and demand-sided policies on innovation in green building technologies: A case study of China

It is universal that the government widely adopts policy incentives to promote green building innovation. Comprehensively evaluating the effect of green building innovation policies is of great significance to green buildings’ development. But there seem to be no studies developing quantitative models to explain the effects of different types of policies on green building innovation. This research sorts out the Chinese provincial green building policies and divides these policies into supply-sided and demand-sided to fill this gap. The difference-in-differences method is constructed to explore the innovative effects of different policies using China’s provincial panel data from 2010 to 2018. This study found that: (1) supply-sided policies can promote the innovation and development of green building technology; (2) demand-sided policies have not significantly stimulated innovation; and (3) infrastructure fee and priority in building award boost technology innovation hugely. This study verifies the difference in the impact of supply-sided and demand-sided green building policies on technological innovation and points out the two most significant supply-sided policies with the best incentive effects. These findings can help the government choose effective incentive policies and promote green buildings and sustainability in the construction industry.

The Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project: Findings from a review of provincial and territorial alcohol policies.

Effective alcohol control measures can prevent and reduce alcohol-related harms at the population level. This study aims to evaluate implementation of alcohol policies across 11 evidence-based domains in Canada's 13 jurisdictions. The Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project assessed all provinces and territories on 11 evidence-based domains weighted for scope and effectiveness. A scoring rubric was developed with policy and practice indicators and peer-reviewed by international experts. The 2017 data were collected from publicly-available regulatory documents, validated by government officials, and independently scored by team members. The average score for alcohol policy implementation across Canadian provinces and territories was 43.8%; Ontario had the highest (63.9%) and Northwest Territories the lowest (38.4%) jurisdictional scores. Only six of 11 policy domains had average scores above 50% with Monitoring and Reporting scoring the highest (62.8%) and Health and Safety Messaging the lowest (25.7%). A 2017 provincial/territorial current best practice score of 86.6% was calculated taking account of the highest scores for any individual policy indicators implemented in at least one jurisdiction across the country. Most of the evidence-based alcohol policies assessed by the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project were not implemented across Canadian provinces and territories as of 2017, and many provinces showed declining scores since 2012. However, the majority of policies assessed have been implemented in at least one jurisdiction. Improved alcohol policies to reduce related harm are therefore achievable and could be implemented consistently across Canada.

Management and Control Platform of Auxiliary Drugs Based on Big Data

In recent years, with the introduction of national, provincial and municipal policies, rules and regulations, and the introduction of big data technology, drug control personnel have further increased their awareness of data. However, in practice, how to carefully control drugs and make full use of big data technology to improve the level of control has become a new confusion for drug control personnel. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study the platform of auxiliary drug control based on big data. Based on the actual situation of drug use, this paper analyzes the main problems in the process of drug control, and designs an auxiliary drug control platform based on big data. The auxiliary drug management and control platform based on big data proposed in this paper can collect data in real time, comprehensively analyze all kinds of information, and realize intelligent management and improve the efficiency of each specific application scenario. In this paper, through the research of drug use management and control platform, doctors can get scientific guidance in formulating drug use plan, and the efficiency of drug query is improved by about 80% compared with the traditional plan. At the same time, the drug use plan can be improved in time according to the patient’s illness development in the process of drug use, which promotes the rational and standardized clinical application of drugs.