Spanish Municipality Research Articles

Modelling the number of olive groves in Spanish municipalities

The univariate generalized Waring distribution (UGWD) is presented as a new model to describe the goodness of fit, applicable in the context of agriculture. In this paper, it was used to model the number of olive groves recorded in Spain in the 8,091 municipalities recorded in the 2009 Agricultural Census, according to which the production of oil olives accounted for 94% of total output, while that of table olives represented 6% (with an average of 44.84 and 4.06 holdings per Spanish municipality, respectively). UGWD is suitable for fitting this type of discrete data, with strong left-sided asymmetry. This novel use of UGWD can provide the foundation for future research in agriculture, with the advantage over other discrete distributions that enables the analyst to split the variance. After defining the distribution, we analysed various methods for fitting the parameters associated with it, namely estimation by maximum likelihood, estimation by the method of moments and a variant of the latter, estimation by the method of frequencies and moments. For oil olives, the chi-square goodness of fit test gives p-values of 0.9992, 0.9967 and 0.9977, respectively. However, a poor fit was obtained for the table olive distribution. Finally, the variance was split, following Irwin, into three components related to random factors, external factors and internal differences. For the distribution of the number of olive grove holdings, this splitting showed that random and external factors only account about 0.22% and 0.05%. Therefore, internal differences within municipalities play an important role in determining total variability.

Derived importance-performance analysis and diagonal model in a Spanish municipality

This article presents and discusses empirical research into citizen satisfaction, conducted to measure the performance and management of local public policies. The object of the research is to evaluate the public safety policy of a Spanish city through a survey measuring citizen satisfaction with the local public services. Regression and ‘importance-performance analysis’ (IPA) were applied to the views expressed by a sample of citizens. One objective of the study reported is to use different derived importance values, from correlation and regression analysis, to compare the results of two ‘importance-performance analyses’. The concept of variant and invariant weights and the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction were also considered for the research. Results confirm that the ‘fire service’ is seen as a ‘dissatisfier’, a basic or flat attribute; they suggest that negative coefficient values could be associated with ‘dissatisfiers’ and that inherent discontinuity is only partly resolved in the partition importance-performance grid. The findings show that the results of the two IPAs differ using the traditional IPA grid but are similar with diagonal models of the partition IPA grid. Points for practitioners One of the main problems for political decision-makers in recent years has been the reconfiguration of the budget for the entity managed, such as a municipality, in the current situation of economic crisis. This article contributes to improving decision-making on the reallocation of money and resources in the face of restrictions and financial cuts.

The revised Temperament and Character Inventory: normative data by sex and age from a Spanish normal randomized sample.

Objectives. The psychometric properties regarding sex and age for the revised version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R) and its derived short version, the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-140), were evaluated with a randomized sample from the community.Methods. A randomized sample of 367 normal adult subjects from a Spanish municipality, who were representative of the general population based on sex and age, participated in the current study. Descriptive statistics and internal consistency according to α coefficient were obtained for all of the dimensions and facets. T-tests and univariate analyses of variance, followed by Bonferroni tests, were conducted to compare the distributions of the TCI-R dimension scores by age and sex.Results. On both the TCI-R and TCI-140, women had higher scores for Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence and Cooperativeness than men, whereas men had higher scores for Persistence. Age correlated negatively with Novelty Seeking, Reward Dependence and Cooperativeness and positively with Harm Avoidance and Self-transcendence. Young subjects between 18 and 35 years had higher scores than older subjects in NS and RD. Subjects between 51 and 77 years scored higher in both HA and ST. The alphas for the dimensions were between 0.74 and 0.87 for the TCI-R and between 0.63 and 0.83 for the TCI-140.Conclusion. Results, which were obtained with a randomized sample, suggest that there are specific distributions of personality traits by sex and age. Overall, both the TCI-R and the abbreviated TCI-140 were reliable in the ‘good-to-excellent’ range. A strength of the current study is the representativeness of the sample.

A diverse Late Triassic tetrapod fauna from Manzanera (Teruel, Spain)

Several outcrops with vertebrate tetrapod remains have been located in the Keuper levels (Carnian, Upper Triassic) of the Spanish municipality of Manzanera (Teruel Province). The Manzanera remains include ribs and vertebrae of the sauropterygian nothosauroid Simosaurus, isolated osteoderms of cyamodontoid placodonts, partial vertebral centra of ichthyosaurs, and fragmentary dermal bones of temnospondyls. Therefore, a relatively high diversity is recognized in the Late Triassic of this region. The Simosaurus identification may represent the only occurrence of this genus in the Iberian Peninsula; it is one of the youngest in the fossil record. Several morphotypes of cyamodontoid placodont osteoderms are identified. The ichthyosaur elements from Manzanera represent the first record of this clade in the Iberian Keuper, constituting the second reference to this group in the Iberian Triassic after those from the Ladinian of Catalonia.

Linking governance and ecosystem services: The case of Isla Mayor (Andalusia, Spain)

The widespread use of the Ecosystem Services (ESs) Framework in research studies has highlighted the fundamental role ecosystems play in the provision of human well-being. However, the long-term maintenance of healthy and resilient ecosystems requires more attention to the role played by human systems and their management practices on ecosystem functions. In this paper, we aim at advancing the understanding of how governance configurations relate to ESs. We focus on identifying institutions and rules that have triggered transformation in the supply and demand of ESs. For our case study, we have chosen Isla Mayor's social–ecological system, a small southern Spanish municipality with an intensive rice cultivation tradition, territorially linked (adjacent) to the bigger marshland National Park in the EU: “Doñana”. Our empirical analysis points to an enhancement of, and increased interaction among different ESs: (1) paddies as suitable living and feeding space for birds, (2) provision of quality rice, (3) local-based tourism principally aimed at bird watching in paddies and gastronomy. These improvements come with a co-managed multi-level governance system facilitating within and cross-scale interactions and the development of bridging institutions. Particularly, the way in which local actors adapt to new governance structures and rules, developing their own paths, becomes an essential explanation for the development of – apparently – more sustainable practices.

Consumer behaviour and environmental education in the field of waste electrical and electronic toys: A Spanish case study

This paper reports on a project focused on obtaining the current consumption and disposal habits of electrical and electronic toys from a survey aimed at parents of children of nine pre- and primary schools. In addition, it is also focused on identifying the most effective way of transmitting environmental information to parents and children to promote the collection of electrical and electronic toys at their end-of-life. The study was implemented in a Spanish municipality. With regard to the consumption habits, aspects related to the amount of toys that children receive annually and percentage of those which are electrical and electronic toys have been obtained and classified according to the family size. Results from Chi-squared analysis and Ordinal Logistic Regression show that there is a statistically significance relationship among these variables. Regarding disposal habits, aspects related to the reasons and way for discarding electrical and electronic toys, time that toys are kept at home or the willingness to rent or buy second hand e-toys have been obtained. What really attracts attention is that, apart from consumers who donate the toy to family or social associations, 67.1% of consumers discard them along with other waste fractions in domestic bins, whereas only 32.9% do so at recycling points, as Directive 2012/19/EU requires. To increase this percentage, three environmental education actions (distinguishing from each other by the way used to transmit the environmental information: paper, audiovisual or personal communication) have been designed, applied and evaluated their efficiency according to the amount of waste toys collected.

Attitude towards the incorporation of the selective collection of biowaste in a municipal solid waste management system. A case study

European waste legislation has been encouraging for years the incorporation of selective collection systems for the biowaste fraction. European countries are therefore incorporating it into their current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems. However, this incorporation involves changes in the current waste management habits of households. In this paper, the attitude of the public towards the incorporation of selective collection of biowaste into an existing MSWM system in a Spanish municipality is analysed. A semi-structured telephone interview was used to obtain information regarding aspects such as: level of participation in current waste collection systems, willingness to participate in selective collection of biowaste, reasons and barriers that affect participation, willingness to pay for the incorporation of the selective collection of biowaste and the socioeconomic characteristics of citizens who are willing to participate and pay for selective collection of biowaste. The results showed that approximately 81% of the respondents were willing to participate in selective collection of biowaste. This percentage would increase until 89% if the Town Council provided specific waste bins and bags, since the main barrier to participate in the new selective collection system is the need to use specific waste bin and bags for the separation of biowaste. A logit response model was applied to estimate the average willingness to pay, obtaining an estimated mean of 7.5% on top of the current waste management annual tax. The relationship of willingness to participate and willingness to pay for the implementation of this new selective collection with the socioeconomic variables (age, gender, size of the household, work, education and income) was analysed. Chi-square independence tests and binary logistic regression was used for willingness to participate, not being obtained any significant relationship. Chi-square independence tests, ordinal logistic regression and ordinary linear regression was applied for willingness to pay, obtaining statistically significant relationship for most of the socioeconomic variables.

E-Cognocracy and the design of public policies

Designing public policies using information technology as a communication support system is one of the most important current issues in the public policy making field. This work presents a methodology for the design and selection of public policies based on the cognitive democratic model known as e-Cognocracy. In addition to facilitating debate between representatives and the represented (deliberative democracy), this model allows for co-decision making between citizens and politicians. Furthermore, and of even greater importance, e-Cognocracy generates a process of continuing education that is concordant to the lifelong process of living systems (cognitive process). The methodology contemplates multiple rounds (usually two) when incorporating the preferences of the actors implicated in decision making and takes advantage of the creative capacity of human beings when solving complex problems. At the same time, the methodology permits the evaluation of both the individual and social learning that is derived from the scientific resolution of the problem and the democratisation of the knowledge that is extracted. This methodology was applied to a real-life experience in the Spanish municipality of Cadrete.

Sistema de indicadores para políticas municipales culturales: una herramienta de evaluación · Indicators system for municipal cultural policies: an assessment tool

The evaluation of public policies and social and cultural policies in particular, continues to be an objective in the modernization of local government. Theaim of this paper is to provide a tool for applying in evaluation process. The toolis a system of indicators to cultural empowerment policies. A proposal thatallows us not only to obtain information regarding the management of local governments, but one which also contributes to producing change and high lighting possible intervention strategies for said governments. Our proposal is based on areview of the literature and a process of expert validation, the results of whichare applied to a Spanish municipality by means of a case study. The research wehave conducted provides evidence of a lack of evaluative instruments in thedomain of public policies. It also proposes and describes a system of indicatorsaimed at municipal managers and politicians interested in evaluating the actionsand strategies they implement in this domain of local empowerment policies. Atthe same time, this instrument should also make it possible to identify requirementsand orientate future lines of action with a view to improving such policies,thus encouraging the development of municipal policies in this domain

Analysing Local Political Management in Spain

This article examines the strong mayor form of local political management in Spain. Drawing on empirical research conducted with members and officers in a Spanish municipality, the system is analysed according to leadership, representation and responsiveness, accountability, scrutiny, and decision-making. It finds that the model underpins concentrated individualised leadership exercised by the mayor. Representativeness and responsiveness in the system are hampered by the absence of electoral divisions within the municipality, meaning citizens do not have their own councillor, and by there being no institutionalised system of citizen participation or decentralisation. Elections every four years serve to hold incumbent mayors to account, and the full council has the power to recall the mayor, though such a recall is unlikely. There is little detailed scrutiny of the performance of the municipal government. It is argued that the security of tenure enjoyed by Spanish mayors is unlikely to be replicated in England, and that there is some concurrence in Spain with reform trends observed elsewhere.

Derived Importance-Performance Analysis in a Spanish Municipality

Derived Importance-Performance Analysis in a Spanish Municipality

Local Political Leadership in Urban Governance and Public Administration Modernisation: The Role of the Mayor and Councillors in a Spanish Municipality (1979-2007)

Implementing urban governance strategies to improve local democracy and to regulate local economic growth is an important determinant of effective local administrative change and performance. The underlying hypothesis adopted here is the assumption that the adoption of urban governance processes requires political leadership. It inevitably results in the introduction of innovations within the administrative apparatus in order to improve its performance. Indeed, understanding the interaction between these three aspects (political leadership, urban governance, and administrative modernisation) is of fundamental importance for the effectiveness of most, if not all, policy interventions directed at the introduction of democratic innovations and public administration modernisation initiatives in local governments. To bring out the importance of those interactions, case study1 research is used.
 
 KEYWORDS: • local government • urban governance • administrative modernisation • public policy • political leadership • Spain

Hypertension in the very old; prevalence, awareness, treatment and control: a cross-sectional population-based study in a Spanish municipality

BackgroundInformation on hypertension in the very elderly is sparse. Until recently evidence of benefits from pharmacological treatment was inconclusive. We estimated the prevalence of hypertension in subjects aged 80 or more, the proportion of awareness, treatment and control. Explanatory variables associated with good control were also studied.MethodsCross sectional, population-based study, conducted in Martorell, an urban Spanish municipality, in 2005. By simple random sampling from the census, 323 subjects aged 80 or more were included. Patients were visited at home or in the geriatric institution and after giving informed consent, the study variables were collected. These included: supine and standing blood pressure and information about diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. The estimation and 95% confidence interval were obtained and a logistic regression model was used to study explanatory variables associated with blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg.ResultsThe prevalence of hypertension was 72.8% (95%CI: 69.5 – 76.6%) and 93% of the patients were aware of this condition, of whom 96.3% (95%CI: 93.65 – 97.9%) had been prescribed pharmacological treatment and 30.7% (95%CI: 25.8 – 36.1%) had blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg. Some of the patients (43%) had one antihypertensive drug and 39.5% had two in combination. Explanatory variables associated with blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg included prescription of a diuretic, OR: 0.31 (95%CI: 0.14 – 0.66), and history of ischemic heart disease, OR: 0.21 (95%CI: 0.1 – 0.47).ConclusionThe prevalence of hypertension in population aged 80 or more was over 70%. Most patients were aware of this condition and they had antihypertensive medication prescribed. Approximately one third of treated patients had blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg. Patients with heart disease and with diuretics had more frequently blood pressure below this value.

Kaizen within Kaizen Teams: Continuous and Process Improvements in a Spanish municipality

PurposeAs organizations become more team oriented, research on teams continues to increase especially involving how teams contribute to organizational performance and effectiveness. Although there has been existing research on Kaizen teams in the private sector, very little research has included Kaizen teams in the public sector. In this paper, we present a method to study Kaizen teams in a local Spanish government that have been using Kaizen teams for more than ten years.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research was adopted for this study. Twenty teams participated in the study by filling out the Team Learning and Development Inventory (TLI) proposed by Lingham (2004). In addition, we interviewed members of the teams in order to clarify and assure our quantitative results.FindingsBased on the findings, we propose that Kaizen teams should practice both Continuous (CI) and Process Improvements (PI) in their projects. We also propose that Kaizen teams should not be teams skilled only at developing better improvement processes (both CI and PI) for the organization but that such teams should also be skilled at engaging in team development using both CI and PI processes internally – a Kaizen within Kaizen teams approach.Research limitationsIts based in one case study. However, it is working paper and the research project still is developing.Practical ImplicationsServe as a guide to practitioners (Public managers) who desire to understand how their Kaizen teams involves both internal (conversational spaces) and external (methodology) perspectives that would contribute to both team and organizational effectiveness. In this paper, we focus on the Internal Processes (both CI and PI) using the TLI as an effective method for Kaizen teams to engage in the Kaizen process.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to look at team’s performance using Team Learning and Development Inventory in Spain’s public sector. It is also the first to mention about the relationship of the team’s performance and the implementation of process improvement methodologies in Spain local government environment.

Efficiency and Equity in Natural Resources Pricing: A Proposal for Urban Water Distribution Service

This paper focuses on the design of optimal prices for urban water distribution service. In this context, pricing should be aimed at achieving efficiency, equity, financial aspects, and/or public acceptability and transparency. The proposed tariffs are based on the theoretical frameworks suggested by Ramsey (1927) and Feldstein (1972). As a prior step, estimations of urban water demands and water costs are carried out for the Spanish municipality of Seville. Finally, an empirical comparison, in welfare terms, is conducted between the proposed tariffs and those applicable in the year 2000.

Urban Planning Characteristics In 16th Century Yucatan: “Regular” Grids For Idealized Repúblicas”

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico was formally founded in 1542 as a república, or Spanish municipality, with a series of acts and ceremonies. Its site was the extensive, ruined Maya city of Tiho. Spaniards believed that ordered urban planning was instrumental in implementing the material common good and social well being of the Spanish citizens in the initially ethnically divided urban area. Some characteristics were impacted by the underlying Maya city. The plan was also associated with the assessment of ecology as means to sustain hispanic civilization in the challenging ecology of the Yucatan.

Piotr z Alkantary i popularyzacja w Polsce jego programu życia wewnętrznego w XVII i XVIII wieku

Piotr z Alkantary pochodził z miasta hiszpańskiego Alkantara, położonego w prowincji Estremadura, które było znane, jako siedziba zakonu rycerskiego pod tą samą nazwą („Alcantara”), założonego w XII w. Urodził się w 1499 r. w rodzinie burmistrza Alkantary, Piotra Garavita i matki Marii Vilela. W wieku szesnastu lat wstąpił do obserwanckiego zakonu Braci Mniejszych w miejscowości Los Majaretes (1515) w prowincji zakonnej św. Gabriela. W swojej działalności na rzecz reformy zakonu Piotr poparł zdecydowanie kierunek odnowy, zwany później od jego miejsca pochodzenia, alkantariańskim.