Policy Purposes Research Articles

Bluer Than Blue: Exit from Policy Support for Clean Marine Energy

The amendment or removal of superfluous government support policies is typically difficult, yet in the ever more important debate on low-carbon (i.e., clean) marine energy policy under the international law of climate action, the law of the sea, and international investment protection, there are additional dimensions of legal or economic peril. Coastal states enact policies subsidising clean energy investments, such as offshore wind energy generation, in their exclusive economic zones or continental shelves. Investors are attracted to the prospect that policies granting subsidies for ostensibly new industries are sufficiently durable. Are such subsidy policies salient or stale? In principle, the purpose of regulatory policy is the promotion of social welfare, and hence, there is an optimal incidence, magnitude, and duration of the subsidy, in essence, an ideal strategy for starting, altering, or exiting such policy. We aim to introduce the concept of optimisation to the design and implementation of regulatory policy in this context. Our contribution is to offer three maxims of optimal clean marine energy law and policy: the efficiency and equity of alternative regulatory arrangements; the continuous optimisation of such arrangements; and the recognition of linguistic entanglements in the law. We test these maxims against the case of clean marine energy policy on offshore wind energy generation. One legal implication for international investment protection is that coastal states should establish a policy exit clause in their investment contracts. Our analysis of policy optimisation is generalisable across policies supporting the transition to sustainable energy forms.

TOD in regional urban growth boundaries (UGBs): A case of transit adjacent development or a strategic housing solution?

The Green Belt in England is probably the most longstanding and internationally recognised Urban Growth Boundary (UBG). However, developers, think tanks and academics often accuse UGB's of being the leading cause of the housing affordability problems around the world and articulate an alternative vision of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). This paper, based upon a regional case study of the West Midlands and 74 interviews with planners and planning stakeholders, argues that the debate around TOD in the Green Belt needs to be more cognisant of regional geographical variation in public transport provision. Moreover, drawing upon the views of planners who play a key a role in allocating land for development, the paper underlines that decisions regarding TOD need to made strategically as reflecting the policy's purpose as a regional growth management policy. Reflecting on the broader academic literature, it highlights the need for greater strategic integration of transport and land-use planning alongside reviving strategic planning to evaluate various spatial blueprints for urban growth management. The paper has broader relevance to international debates about the feasibility and potential of TOD, especially in addressing housing affordability problems around the world.

Willingness to Pay for Conservation in Moyo Satonda National Park, Indonesia: Sumbawa & Dompu Regencies

Moyo Satonda National Park (MSNP) is one of the attractions in NTB, Indonesia that needs attention for conservation. A contingent valuation method of survey was conducted to estimate the conservation value of MSNP and to elicit the willingness to pay among respondents. Through the random survey, the estimated mean of willingness to pay for conservation fee per respondent was IDR 7.81. With the number of visitors of 4000 in year 2022, it is estimated that there is an additional IDR 31,240 (2.03 USD) that could be used for the improvement in environmental conservation. This study shows that contingent valuation method (CVM) is a useful tool to guide decision makers in policy purposes of natural resources management of protected area in developing countries.

델파이 분석을 통한 A대학의 유연한 학기 제도 운영 방안 탐색 연구

Objectives This study examined the purpose, direction, and implementation strategies for operating on a flexible
 academic calendar.
 Methods We reviewed the literature on the policy of flexible academic calendars for universities by analyzing the
 background, purpose, and operation of such policies. Also, we investigated domestic and international cases of
 semester system operation. In addition, we used Delphi survey targeting professors with experience in the field
 to explore operational directions.
 Results The results of the Delphi survey are as follows. First, the purpose of the flexible academic system was
 to increase the effectiveness of learning by improving the quality of education. Second, the educational outcomes
 of operating a flexible academic calendar were different from students, faculty, each department and college.
 Third, issues related to the operation of the flexible academic calendar were various with regulations, the scope
 of expansion, and tuition fees. Fourth, academic and administrative issues related to the flexible semester system
 included credit recognition and graduation, faculty participation, and academic calendar.
 Conclusions Based on the findings of this study, we suggest the following implications. First, the purpose of a
 flexible academic calendar should focus on enriching students' educational experiences. Second, it is necessary
 to establish educational outcomes for students, professors, departments, and universities, and to find ways to
 support them to achieve their goals. Third, before the introduction of the flexible semester system, it is necessary
 to revise the regulations related to the system to ensure that the system operates properly. Finally, flexibility in
 the academic calendar can be conflicting with the current semester system, so expanding the system should be
 cautious and take its own time.

Autism Spectrum Disorders Registry in Hamadan, Iran: A Study Protocol

: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins in early childhood and has short-term and long-term effects in later life. Deficits in social communication, social interaction, and limited and repetitive behaviors characterize this disorder. We aimed to develop and design a registration system for ASD patients in Hamadan Province to have comprehensive and valuable epidemiological data for researchers about the frequency, distribution, and causes of ASD. This epidemiological information can help target prevention measures and plan care. By designing and developing a patient registry system for ASD, valuable uniform epidemiological information about the web of causes and consequences of ASD is available. The next step is to utilize valid and reliable information for public health, clinical, or policy purposes.

Life years lost for users of specialized mental healthcare.

Mental disorders are burdensome and are associated with increased mortality. Mortality has been researched for various mental disorders, especially in countries with national registries, including the Nordic countries. Yet, knowledge gaps exist around national differences, while also relatively less studies compare mortality of those seeking help for mental disorders in specialized mental healthcare (SMH) by diagnosis. Additional insight into such mortality distributions for SMH users would be beneficial for both policy and research purposes. We aim to describe and compare the mortality in a population of SMH users with the mortality of the general population. Additionally, we aim to investigate mortality differences between sexes and major diagnosis categories: anxiety, depression, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, and bipolar disorder. Mortality and basic demographics were available for a population of N = 10,914 SMH users in the north of The Netherlands from 2010 until 2017. To estimate mortality over the adult lifespan, parametric Gompertz distributions were fitted on observed mortality using interval regression. Life years lost were computed by calculating the difference between integrals of the survival functions for the general population and the study sample, thus correcting for age. Survival for the general population was obtained from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). SMH users were estimated to lose 9.5 life years (95% CI: 9.4-9.6). Every major diagnosis category was associated with a significant loss of life years, ranging from 7.2 (95% CI: 6.4-7.9) years for anxiety patients to 11.7 (95% CI: 11.0-12.5) years for bipolar disorder patients. Significant differences in mortality were observed between male SMH users and female SMH users, with men losing relatively more life years: 11.0 (95% CI: 10.9-11.2) versus 8.3 (95% CI: 8.2-8.4) respectively. This difference was also observed between sexes within every diagnosis, although the difference was insignificant for bipolar disorder. There were significant differences in mortality between SMH users and the general population. Substantial differences were observed between sexes and between diagnoses. Additional attention is required, and possibly specific interventions are needed to reduce the amount of life years lost by SMH users.

Is Using Trade Policy for Foreign Policy a ‘SNO Job’? On Linkage, Friend-Shoring, and the Challenges for Multilateralism

AbstractUsing trade policy to achieve foreign policy objectives, such as stable international relations, has a long history, from Kant to the founders of the GATT. Punishing enemies and rewarding ‘friends’ by granting or withholding market access is also not new, and sanctions or blockades are a venerable form of trade policy used as foreign policy. A more recent form is influencing the domestic policy of another country with non-commercial provisions in trade agreements. All these tools are based on linkage, on the assumption that a desired outcome can be achieved by interventions that would increase or decrease trade. The latest instance is so-called ‘friend-shoring’, which would in principle isolate enemies, although it will be difficult in practice and risks undermining multilateralism. The cost of these interventions is susceptible to economic analysis, even if the conclusion is that it is worth paying. Influenced by Alan Winters who referred to national security as a motivation for agriculture protection as a ‘so-called non-economic objective’ or SNO, I argue that using a trade policy tool for a foreign policy purpose as if there is no cost is a SNO job, an attempt to justify an intervention aimed at one objective by framing it as being valuable for another.

DIGITAL METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES OF FORMING AN INNOVATIVE LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION SUPPORT SYSTEM IN UKRAINE

Digitalization processes bring about radical transformations in the content and nature of work, leading to shifts in the demand for certain skills and abilities and the emergence of new occupations. Traditional survey-based sources of information about the labour market prove insufficient to track these changes for employment policy purposes. In this article, the authors reveal alternative data sources on the labour market, made possible due to the development of new digital technologies, and delineate their respective advantages and drawbacks. Additionally, the authors systematize international experiences in leveraging digital technologies and Big Data for statistical and information-analytical research on the labour market. Having analysed the leading research-analytical projects in the USA, Great Britain, and EU countries, the authors found them to be focused on constructing functional intellectual and analytical systems for the labour market. These projects aim to develop methodologies and promote widespread adoption of digital tools for working with Big Data, significantly expanding the capabilities of labour market information and analytical systems. The authors examined specific projects that used Big Data from online job vacancies to assess the demand and supply of jobs, as well as to analyse and forecast the requirements for skills and competences that would be feasible for adoption in Ukraine. Big Data from specialized online portals, servers and services were found to serve as powerful resources to supplement and enrich the existing conventional system of labour market statistics and analytics. Finally, the authors substantiate the need and expediency of creating a fundamentally new Labour Market Information and Analytical System (LMIAS) in Ukraine and coordinating it with labour market platforms in EU countries. They also identify a range of problematic issues that require in-depth research and resolution in Ukraine, such as ensuring the representativeness of online job vacancy data, improving the classifiers of occupations, abilities and skills, and introducing methods for integrating statistical, administrative, and Big Data on the labour market.

Bureaucracy at the Border: The Fragmentation of United States Foreign Aid

Foreign policy scholars often assume that leaders pursue a national interest. However, states often spread their foreign policy authority thinly across bureaucracies and programs with overlapping or conflicting interests. This is especially pronounced in foreign aid, which serves a clear foreign policy purpose but is often mired in bureaucracy. Why is foreign aid often so fragmented? Focusing on the United States, I explain foreign aid fragmentation as a byproduct of domestic politics. When moderate legislators are ideologically diffuse, leadership must persuade them to support a foreign aid agenda by offering pet projects. This increases aid’s fragmentation. In contrast, when moderates are relatively homogeneous, leaders can gather support through more traditional compromise, decreasing the need for fragmented pet projects. I test this theory using a mixed-methods approach, employing a novel agency-level dataset of US foreign aid appropriations and a case study of a 1992 act delivering aid to the former Soviet Union.

Regulating the banking sector to support credit access: Evidence from small business

AbstractThis study investigated the effectiveness of regulatory interventions in mitigating the harmful effects of financial crises on small firms. We examine the impact of a support factor implemented by European policymakers on Italian micro‐, small‐, and medium‐sized enterprises (MSMEs) between 2007 and 2017. The analysis uses a difference‐in‐differences approach to assess the credit conditions of these firms. Contrary to expectations, our results show that MSMEs in Italy continue to face credit constraints even after the introduction of the support factor. In contrast, we find that structural factors and portfolio effects play a more important role in promoting favorable credit conditions for small firms. Our results highlight the importance of considering these factors in conjunction with regulatory interventions to achieve better outcomes. This study has implications for policymakers and stakeholders, particularly in assessing the appropriateness of extending support factors for different policy purposes.

Potential policy coordination: Can energy intensity targets affect energy poverty?

China's central government began setting mandatory energy intensity targets for provincial governments in the first year of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. In addition to ensuring China's sustainable reduction of energy intensity, energy intensity targets may also have the policy coordination effect of alleviating energy poverty. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020, this paper empirically studies the impact of energy intensity targets on energy poverty. Asymmetric analysis is also conducted in this paper, as well as an exploration of the potential mechanisms through which energy intensity targets affect energy poverty. The research conclusions are as follows: (1) Energy intensity targets have a significant policy coordination effect of alleviating energy poverty, even though that is not the intended policy purpose. (2) In regions with better energy infrastructure, industrial structure distortions can enlarge the impact of energy intensity targets on alleviating energy poverty. However, in disadvantaged areas, industrial structure distortions do not moderate the impact of energy intensity targets on energy poverty. (3) There is a heterogeneous relationship between energy intensity targets and energy poverty at different quantiles. The energy poverty alleviation effect of energy intensity targets is stronger in regions with more severe energy poverty. But in regions where energy poverty is not severe, energy intensity targets have no significant impact on energy poverty. (4) Energy poverty exhibits a clear spatial correlation. Energy intensity targets not only affect local energy poverty, but also affect energy poverty in adjacent areas, indicating that the impact of energy intensity targets on energy poverty has significant spatial correlation characteristics. We also make suggestions for policy coordination in the energy sector.

Boundary of ecosystem services: Guiding future development and application of the ecosystem service concepts

Ecosystem Services (ESs) are either material or non-material benefits humans receive from ecosystems. Definitions, classifications, and typologies of ESs can vary to address different research and policy purposes. However, a boundary that distinguishes ESs from other ecosystem-related benefits (e.g., industrial products that consume raw materials, fossil fuels that used to be a part of ecosystems) is needed to avoid the risk of using ESs as an all-encompassing metaphor that captures any benefit. The boundary also maintains a common ground for communication and comparison of ESs across studies. To guide future development and application of the ES concepts, we suggest five criteria. ESs are (1) primary contributions of ecosystems, (2) flows assessed during a period or per time unit (not stock existing at a time point), (3) renewable (having the potential to be reproduced with a conceivable timeframe relevant to human use), (4) affected by biotic parts of ecosystems to occur. ESs include both biotic and some abiotic flows (e.g., water provisioning) but exclude abiotic flows (e.g., wind and solar energy) whose occurrence is unaffected by ecosystem functions, processes, or characteristics; and (5) inclusive to the benefits humans actually and potentially receive from ecosystems. These criteria link ESs with conservation of life-supporting and culturally important ecosystems, recognize use, option, and non-use values of ESs, and highlight ESs’ sustainability.

Umayyad Settlement Policy and Its Consequences: The Case of Khorāsān

Settlement is the activity of voluntary or compulsory mass relocation from one place to another, the material of which is human beings. In the history of humanity, factors such as religious, political, military, and economic factors have been effective in the voluntary or forced settlement of human communities from one place to another. Our paper focuses on the reasons, nature, and consequences of the settlement policy of the Umayyad State, which constituted a breaking point in Islamic history in many respects, reached the widest borders of the Muslims during its period, and at the same time, positively or negatively affected the Islamization process of the Turks in particular. There is no study that specifically deals with the settlement policy of the period in question. Our aim with this study is to reveal the primary purpose, structure, and functioning of the settlement policy, which was an essential part of the conquests in the Umayyad period, as well as its consequences in Central Asia. A correct understanding of the settlement policy in question will serve the important purpose of understanding the purpose and results of the conquest policy in the Umayyad period and taking lessons from it. The methodology of the study is based on the sources of siyar, mughazi, general Islamic history, and futuh written in the first period of Islamic history, as well as modern studies in this field. In the context of the subject, the following main observations are made: The increase in conquest movements during the Umayyad period enabled the intensification of settlement activities. This process coincides with the period of powerful caliphs such as Mu'awiya b. Abū Sufyan, 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan and al-Walīd b. 'Abd al-Malik. In the caliphates of the other caliphs, conquests and, thus settlement policies were not on the agenda due to reasons such as political turmoil, throne fights, and economic crises. The settlement policies put into practice differed in terms of their objectives. Foremost among these objectives was to ensure the permanence of the cities created as a result of the conquests by settling troops in them, to ensure the security of the country, to prepare the ground for the spread of Islam, and to maintain order in the country. The settlement policy of the Umayyads was mostly military in character. The primary purpose of the settlement policy in this period was to prepare the ground for the conquests that would develop later and to acquire land. The results of the aforementioned policy had different outcomes according to regions or geographies. In the caliphate of Mu'awiya, Zīyad b. Abīh, the governor of Basra, settled more than 50,000 people from the people of Kufa and Basra-who were likely to be from the tribes of Kinde and Yazd-as well as soldiers and their families in Khorasan. During the reign of 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, during the governorship of Qutayba b. Muslim in Khorasan, expeditions were organized to Bukhara. Arab immigrants were settled in this peacefully conquered city. The city of Samarkand was also conquered by war and opened for settlement to Muslims. In Khorasan, under Umayyad rule, rebellion movements were observed when there was a change of caliph, a weakness of authority - Abdullah b. Zubayr's struggle for power. In this framework, it is possible to say that the Umayyads implemented a settlement policy with military characteristics in this region. Within the framework of this policy, the fact that Khorasan was a military base for the conquests of the Māwarā al-Nahr region, where the Turks lived, prevented the settlement activity from producing permanent and positive results. In particular, territorial dominance, the desire to obtain booty, and the negative policy towards the mawālīs prevented the Turks here from converting to Islam in masses. The settlement policy in Africa and Andalusia, on the other hand, was effective in the conquest of nearby geographies.

Globalisation and the Paradox of Participatory Governance in Southern Africa: The Case of the New South Africa

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it will explore the tensions and contradictions of participatory governance in the context of globalisation in the new South Africa. Second, the paper will interrogate the links between neo-liberal economicreforms and participatory governance in South Africa. In particular, it will explore the question of whether or not participatory governance is inherently democratic and development enhancing. On the basis of the analysis, the paper will explore analternative scenario that will be relevant for policy and academic purposes for South Africa and other developing countries.

Fighting Corruption in Kazakhstan by Force of Criminal Law

The anti-corruption component of Kazakhstan's state development has been elevated to the rank of state policy. Despite the comprehensive fight against corruption, Kazakhstan, having achieved progressive and radical changes in legislation during the years of independence, has not yet managed to achieve significant results in the fight against corruption. The current increase in the number of corruption-related criminal offences, including those committed by high-ranking officials and directors of a number of Kazakh companies, is due to a stronger political will on the part of the head of state to decisively confront corruption. This intention allows attention to be given to criminal law measures, which occupy an important place in the complex of measures to combat the systemic vice of the state, which threatens national security. This study focuses on assessing possible adjustments to Kazakhstan's criminal law to strengthen the fight against corruption through criminal law measures. The potential of criminal law in anti-corruption policy has not been exhausted. In the author's opinion, the proposed changes allow us to hope that they will ultimately serve the useful purpose of Kazakhstan's anti-corruption policy as well as open the ground for an informed discussion on the further fight against corruption.

Trends Of Adult Height in India Using National Family Health Survey Data: A Systematic Review

The national family health survey (NFHS) is a multi-round, large scale, survey conducted throughout India in a customary sample of households. It was first conducted in 1992-93, till then five surveys have been conducted. The survey was done using four types of questionnaires namely Men’s, Women’s, Biomarker, and household. The survey was funded by many international Funding agencies likeUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) etc. In India department of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has delegated the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai as a nodal agency for mutual support in the survey. Each survey of NFHS has two definite goalsi.ei) to anticipate data on family welfare and health for program and policy purposes and ii) to contribute an information on important family welfare and emerging health issues. Systematic review was conducted as per PRISMA guidelines, we carried out an extensive electronic search of PubMed, Google and Google Scholar to identify published studies on trends in adult height using NFHS India data. Out of a total 43 potential studies 38 were excluded and 5 relevant studies were used for final review. There is a decrease in average adult height in India. Despite of genetic, non-genetic factors like social, nutritional, and environmental plays a very important role in adult height.

Are sharia bank financings in Indonesia procyclical?

Purpose – The study aims to determine whether Islamic banks' debt financing and equity financing are procyclical or counter-cyclical.Methodology – The data used in this study cover eight Islamic commercial banks and span from 2008 to 2020, thereby including 72 observations. The analysis employs the dynamic panel data model estimated using the GMM method (Generalized Method of Moments).Findings –The debt-based financing, under murabahah, salam, istishna, and ijarah contracts, did not display clear procyclical or counter-cyclical behavior. In contrast, equity financing based on mudharabah and musyarakah contracts demonstrated procyclical characteristics concerning economic fluctuation.Implications – Policymakers need to pay more attention to Islamic banks with a greater proportion of equity financing for both micro and macroprudential policy purposes since procyclicality is likely to be associated with higher risks. Similarly, Islamic banks with greater proportion of equity financing need to watch carefully the behavior of their equity financing concerning its effect on risks for the purpose of their risk management and prudential policy. Originality – This research paper fills in the absence of studies that examine which category of Islamic bank financing – debt-based or equity-based financing - is more procyclical.

Integration of Monitoring for Parasitologic Status for Schistosomiasis and Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis Control Programs with Nutritional Status of Pre-school and School Age Children in Selected Municipalities in Northern Leyte, the Philippines

The periodic collection of parasitologic and morbidity indicators is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) control programs. In 2017, the DOH-CHD VIII (Department of Health–Center for Health Development Region 8 Office) – in collaboration with UP-NTDSG (the University of the Philippines Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group) – conducted a monitoring activity aimed at determining [1] the prevalence and intensity of SCH and STH; [2] seroprevalence of SCH; and [3] prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, and anemia in pre-school-age children (PSAC) and school-age children (SAC) in selected municipalities in the province of Northern Leyte, the Philippines as part of monitoring the local implementation of SCH and STH control programs. Stool samples were collected, processed using the Kato-Katz technique, and examined through microscopy. Blood specimens collected from SAC were tested for the presence of Schistosoma japonicum antibody using the IgG ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kit. Data on anthropometric measurements and hemoglobin levels were collected with adherence to WHO guidelines. Secondary analysis of the gathered data showed that SCH prevalence in SAC was 3.1%, but SCH seroprevalence was 83.1%. Although STH prevalence met the national target of < 50%, heavy-intensity STH prevalence remained higher than the global target of < 2%. The overall prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting were 19.2, 38.0, and 10.6%, respectively. STH was significantly associated with stunting in PSAC (p = 0.030) and anemia in SAC (p = 0.033). The monitoring activity demonstrated the utility of an integrated monitoring scheme for SCH and STH control programs and nutrition programs at the local level. This model can be adopted for optimization and utilization by national programs for monitoring and may likewise benefit local government units for purposes of policy and planning.

Identifying and assessing intensive and extensive technologies in European dairy farming

Abstract In order to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, the European Union (EU) promotes extensive farming. However, identifying such farms across countries and assessing their performance for policy purposes remains challenging. This paper combines a latent class stochastic frontier model (LCSFM) with a novel nested metafrontier approach. The resulting model enables the identification of intensive and extensive farms across countries, estimation of farm efficiency and identification of different technology gaps. Based on Farm Accountancy Data Network data of French, Irish and Austrian dairy farms,we find poorer environmental but better economic performance of intensive farms, compared to extensive farms. The largest productivity differences stem from technology gaps and not from inefficiency. The approach enables a more nuanced analysis of sources of inefficiency to assist policy design for future green payments in the EU.

한국 서울특별시와 중국 북경시의 교원업무경감정책 비교 분석

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to analyze the teacher workload reduction policies in Seoul and Beijing, the capital cities of Korea and China, respectively, from a comparative perspective. [Method] The analysis criteria for this study are the purpose of the teacher workload reduction policy and the three main measures (reduction of official documents, school human resource management, and work restructuring). A comparative methodology was used to identify the similarities and differences between the policies of the two cities by collecting and analyzing data such as policy documents, newspaper articles, and cases in addition to references such as articles and books. [Results] Although there are some differences in the contents and aspects of the policies in Seoul and Beijing, due to their different resources and policy priorities, they share a common goal of reducing the administrative workload of teachers in order to make their work easier. Regulations to reduce official documents, reallocation of human resources, and designation of dedicated administrative departments were attempted as a means of reducing teacher workload. However, it was found that both cities were unable to overcome practices of administrative dominance that are deeply rooted in bureaucratic traditions. [Conclusion] It was found that both cities are promoting administrative work reduction policies to create an environment where teachers can focus on teaching, although the specific measures are different. Nevertheless, teachers in both cities do not feel that their workloads have been reduced, and policy implications for improvement have been drawn and presented.