Successful Policy Implementation Research Articles

Industrial Intellectual Property as the EU’s Innovative Development Factor

The article addresses correlation between the use of different intellectual property objects and the general goals of innovation policy of the EU. The subject of the research is industrial intellectual property along with trademarks and patents for inventions. The research period is limited to 2010‒2019. Based on the data from annual European innovation board and analysis of the dynamics of the activity of the EU member states in the field of intellectual property, the author identifies a group of EU countries that have the biggest potential in the use of the stipulated industrial property. It is show that trademark protection is mostly used in the medium and high-tech industries of the sample countries. However, there is a certain differentiation in the scale and dynamics of its application. Moreover, the author points out a high interest of the third countries such as USA, Japan and China in obtaining competitive advantages in the EU market through registration of a trademark in the European Union intellectual property office. The unified patent system in the EU is still at the preliminary stage as the most used national patent systems within the EU are the German and the French ones. The analysis demonstrates advantages of intellectual property systems in the Netherlands and Sweden. The author concludes that the successful implementation of the EU innovation policy through the creation of a system of exclusive industrial property rights is under way.

Development and implementation of a scalable and versatile test for COVID-19 diagnostics in rural communities

Rapid and widespread testing of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential for an effective public health response aimed at containing and mitigating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Successful health policy implementation relies on early identification of infected individuals and extensive contact tracing. However, rural communities, where resources for testing are sparse or simply absent, face distinctive challenges to achieving this success. Accordingly, we report the development of an academic, public land grant University laboratory-based detection assay for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 in samples from various clinical specimens that can be readily deployed in areas where access to testing is limited. The test, which is a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)-based procedure, was validated on samples provided by the state laboratory and submitted for FDA Emergency Use Authorization. Our test exhibits comparable sensitivity and exceeds specificity and inclusivity values compared to other molecular assays. Additionally, this test can be re-configured to meet supply chain shortages, modified for scale up demands, and is amenable to several clinical specimens. Test development also involved 3D engineering critical supplies and formulating a stable collection media that allowed samples to be transported for hours over a dispersed rural region without the need for a cold-chain. These two elements that were critical when shortages impacted testing and when personnel needed to reach areas that were geographically isolated from the testing center. Overall, using a robust, easy-to-adapt methodology, we show that an academic laboratory can supplement COVID-19 testing needs and help local health departments assess and manage outbreaks. This additional testing capacity is particularly germane for smaller cities and rural regions that would otherwise be unable to meet the testing demand.

Peace research meets implementation studies: The role of implementing actors

In spite of a vibrant debate about the genesis, logic and effects of peace operations, peace research remains poorly equipped to account for how policies are implemented and ‘translated into practice’ – issues that have been the focus in implementation studies for nearly five decades. In response, we propose a merger of certain strands of peace research with bottom-up implementation studies, which forefronts the role of ‘implementing actors’, namely, those actors who are granted the discretionary powers to carry out policies in their daily encounter with local counterparts on the ground. Through a case study of peace operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we show that successful policy implementation depends on that field-based implementing actors are provided with discretionary powers to use their skill, judgement and local knowledge to solve problems and ensure implementation of peace operations on the ground. There is a need for a paradigm change within peace research in order to account for these findings. Better understanding of the daily work carried out by implementing actors in the field makes it possible to avoid many of the pitfalls and shortcomings we have witnessed through several decades of flawed or even devastating peace operations such as the one in DRC.

Tobacco epidemic in Jordan: the time to act is now.

Tobacco use still represents a major threat to global public health and this calls for extensive efforts to control tobacco products and advocate harm-reduction policies. Recent global trends of prevalence rates in smoking are promising, as trajectories show a decline in all World Health Organization regions. Yet, this decline varies significantly at the national level. Jordan, as a country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, has been in a long battle against tobacco. Despite that, the country is found to have one of the highest prevalence rates of tobacco use in the region and the world. Many challenges slow down effective and successful anti-tobacco policy implementation in Jordan, most notably cultural influences on smoking and the interference of the tobacco industry in tobacco policy making. Decision makers in Jordan should consider strengthening of anti-tobacco measures to avoid a public health catastrophe if tobacco use keeps rising at the current pace.

Analysis for policy to overcome barriers to reducing the prevalence of vitamin a deficiency among children (15\u201323\u2009months) in Iran

BackgroundAbout 30% of children < 5 years old are estimated to experience vitamin A deficiency worldwide. Globally, vitamin A deficiency can be reduced by five major interventions: supplementation, dietary modification, fortification, promotion of both public health, and breastfeeding. This prospective policy analysis (Prospective policy analysis focuses on the future outcomes of a proposed policy. Adapted from Patton, CV, and Sawicki DS. Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning, Prentice-Hall, Inc. New Jersey,1993). (Patton A, Carl V, and David S. Basic methods of policy analysis and planning, prentice-hall, 3th ed. 2012) aimed to identify evidence-based policy options to minimize prevalence (VAD) among 15–23 months-children in Iran.MethodsThirty-eight semi-structured face-to-face interviews were held with experts at high, middle, and low managerial levels in Iran’s health system, as well as at Schools of Nutrition Sciences and dietetics, using purposive and snowball sampling. All interviews were recorded by a digital voice recorder and then transcribed, codified, and eventually analyzed using a mixed approach (inductive-deductive) by MAXQDA software version 10.ResultsMost policies related to VAD reduction in this age group are supplementation, expansion of education, and awareness. Three main factors affecting VAD reduction policies emerged from the analysis: basic factors (governance, infrastructure, and organization), underlying factors (social factors, economy), and immediate factors (services). Due to its cross-sectoral nature, evaluating the results of the implementation of this policy requires strong and coherent inter-sectoral cooperation. The existing primary healthcare network (PHC) is a crucial means for successful implementation of policies to address VAD in Iran.ConclusionsIn addition to supplementation and assistance in this age group, other policies should be also planned to reduce VAD in various regions. In addition to the Ministry of Health & Medical Education (MoHME), other actors need to be involved, we advocate, throughout the entire policymaking process of policy-making to reduce VAD in Iran.

PUBLIC DEBT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH – THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Establishing and maintaining macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline on the one hand, and stimulating economic activity, by enhancing the quality of public finances, increasing capital expenditures, and enhancing competitiveness in the Macedonian economy, on the other hand, are two opposing objectives that should be pursued by policymakers. Government borrowing, especially foreign borrowing, is an important source of fixed assets to cover public expenditure. However, the sustainability of public debt depends not only on the level of public debt, but also on the structure and successful implementation of policies to boost economic growth. Borrowing for a country with low economic potential and a constant shortage of capital is inevitable, especially external borrowing. However, the structure, purpose of the assets and their multiplier effect on the overall economy are the main criteria for assessing the impact of public debt on the economy. This paper attempts to apply the econometric VAR analysis to examine the correlation and causal relationship between public debt and economic growth rate of the case of the Republic of North Macedonia for the period 2002 - 2017. The variables to be analyzed are: GDP growth per capita, Public debt as a proportion of GDP, Gross Domestic Investment, Interest Rate and Government Spending. For the purpose of this analysis, a Granger causality test has been conducted. The test results indicate that the impact of public debt growth in North Macedonia does not have a significant impact on GDP growth per capita. The other test that is being conducted is a Vector Error Correction Model which shows that public debt is negatively correlated with short run and long run economic growth.

BOARDING SCHOOL HEALTHY EATING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION OPINIONS OF SCHOOL TEACHERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

The collaboration between the Malaysian education and health ministry introduced a school healthy eating policy, where there was a requirement for food and drinks provided within the boarding schools to conform to standards based on macronutrients and energy content. The aim of the present study was to explore the experience of implementing a school healthy eating policy to inform the compliance of such policies being implemented into practices in the boarding school foodservice setting. A qualitative approach was used, with in-depth interviews exploring informants' involvement in, experiences of, factors affecting, and perceived outcomes of policy implementation. Interviews were conducted with fifteen teachers involves in administering the implementation of the school's healthy eating policy. Results were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Perceived challenges to implementation of school healthy eating policy included: students’ eating preferences, students’ eating style, unchanged menu cycle selections, and unhealthy choices of canteen menu. Teachers’ recommendations for successful implementation of policy to be well-practiced in real situations included: enhancement in nutritional education, revise menu, create a conducive healthy eating environment and limit the hours to the canteen. Participants identified that successful policy implementation hinged on the provision of resources and support by the government to the school stakeholders. Implementing a healthy eating policy within the boarding school setting benefits from dedicated resourcing, investment in relationship building with various stakeholders, and introducing changes gradually with a long-term approach.

State Implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (FC Act) has been in place for over 10 years. However, children in kinship care continue to receive fewer benefits, supports, and access to resources due to challenges with fully integrating kinship care into the child welfare system. The current study explored the state implementation of the FC Act with a focus on kinship care. Representatives from 15 states across the U.S. completed an online survey focused on their state’s response to the FC Act, and 14 participated in a follow-up survey on their states’ plan for kinship navigator programs with the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 (FFPSA). The findings show that the most common change after the FC Act was observed in the Act’s mandatory requirement to identify and search for kinship caregivers. States were less likely to implement non-mandated services or programs despite their potential benefits. In response to the FFPSA, states were looking for opportunities to learn from other states implementing kinship navigator programs. More support and oversight from the federal government are needed to promote successful policy implementation at the state level. In addition, social work practitioners need to be aware of programs and legislation on kinship care in order to advocate for and ensure the well-being of children and caregivers who provide kinship care.

ТУРИСТИЧНА ПОЛІТИКА В УМОВАХ ГЛОБАЛЬНИХ ВИКЛИКІВ: ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКИЙ ДОСВІД

The article provides the analysis of tourism policy under global challenges. The authors consider the main aspects of the implementation of tourism policy in European countries in modern conditions proceeding from the fact that Europe has been one of the centers of tourism for a long time due to a number of factors, among them are: geographical position, level of life, accessibility (railway and air connections) and other factors that facilitate the development of tourism. Moreover, there is a large number of historical and cultural artifacts in most of the European countries – the fact that in combination with their long and successful experience of tourism policy facilitates the attraction of tourists. It has been proved that an important prerequisite for an effective tourism policy is the carefully shaped tourist image of a country. Some countries have formed it relatively recently (France, Italy, the Netherlands), while others are developing it now (Latvia, Romania). Some of the post-Socialist countries have demonstrated considerable progress in forming their images and tourism policies. The article analyses certain country-specific types of tourism: recreation tourism in Croatia with its picturesque seashore and favourable ecological situation; cultural tourism in Germany and Finland – famous for their ancient and modern artifacts (e.g., the Berlin Wall or Raatteen Porti); event tourism in some countries where annual events are held, e.g., Oktoberfest in Germany or Koningsdag in the Netherlands. Other types of tourism, such as educational, medical, religious, etc., are also specified in their connection with certain European locations. As to the tourism policies of European countries – they have much in common bearing some differences. Eloquent example of successful implementation of state tourism policy are given in the article with the accent on the experience of France, Italy, Latvia, Romania and other countries. In most of them tourism policy is run by ministries or departments responsible for culture and sports. The role of the European Union and the World Tourism Organization is also specified in the article. Some dramatic consequences of COVID-19 for the development of world tourism industry, which changed this sphere radically, are also mentioned in the article as well as a certain shift in tourists’ preferences and motivations – from extremal to safe practices. Recognizing and realizing new reality many countries keep on supporting tourism business through modification of their plans, strategies and policies

CIVIL SERVANTS AWARENESS GUIDELINE TOWARDS COMPUTER SECURITY POLICY: A CASE STUDY AT THE MANPOWER DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES

ICT Security Policy includes information security-related policies, guidelines and best practices that are enforced in the Malaysian public sector. These policies are priority areas that contain guidelines for implementing ICT infrastructure in the public sector. However, there is a significant gap between these policies and awareness towards computer security policy among government servants in the public sector. Therefore a study involving government servants in the Manpower Department, Ministry of Human Resources was carried out to identify the critical success factor of these policies. The study was conducted through quantitative and qualitative methods. A survey was conducted to measure the level of awareness among government servants in agencies against computer security policies. Flaw factors in computer security policy implementation were discussed to obtain strategies to ensure the successful implementation of computer security policies in an agency. The significant factors leading to a successful implementation of computer security policy at the governmental agencies were validated by experts. As a result, a guideline has been prepared to be applied as an improvement proposal to increase the awareness of government servants on ICT security policy in the agencies.

Компаративистский анализ моделей борьбы с COVID-19 (на примере Швеции и Китая)

The study aims to identify the best possible model for combating COVID-19. The authors compare Sweden’s “herd immunity” model with China’s model of strict isolation. The work finds out why implementation of various models failed. The article also examines the main factors that formed the Chinese mindset, which, according to the authors, contributed to successful implementation of the state anti-epidemic policy. Scientific novelty of the study lies in conducting a comparative analysis of statistical data during the pandemic. Models of combating the pandemic and their sociocultural foundations are identified: mental ones (the Chinese model) and sociopolitical ones (the Swedish model). Basing on a comparison of models for combating COVID-19, the authors have identified the best possible model. As a result, an effective model for dealing with an emergency situation is presented, possible reasons for failure of Sweden’s “herd immunity” model are determined; the main aspects of success of China’s anti-epidemic policy are formulated.

IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN PENGELOLAAN PASAR RAKYAT PADA PASAR BUDURAN KABUPATEN SIDOARJO

The existence of a market is one indicator of the economic activities of the people in an area. This research is motivated by the lack of optimal management of the Buduran Market by the Industry and Trade Office of Sidoarjo Regency. It can be seen from the supporting facilities and infrastructure in the Buduran Markets which are still inadequate and poorly maintained. This study aims to determine how the implementation of community market management policies in Buduran Market, Sidoarjo Regency. The research method used in this article is a descriptive research method with a qualitative approach by using a qualitative approach. The results show that the implementation of the people's market management policy has been implemented, but there are still problems in its implementation. The conclusion of this research is the implementation of the people's market management policy in its implementation is still not optimal, this can be seen from the indicators of the success of policy implementation.

Framing Illegal Logging and Its Governance Responses in Brazil – A Structured Review of Diagnosis and Prognosis

In 2012, the new, revised Forest Code was established as the legal and regulatory framework for Brazilian forests. Though illegal logging has continued, frames about Brazil's forest policy and management have changed since that time. While until 2010 the successful implementation of forest policies and the resulting decline in deforestation rates were there for all to see and appreciate, the increase in the deforestation rate since then has become the focus of international criticism. With the help of a structured review of international scientific literature, newspaper articles, and programmes initiated by non-governmental organizations' (NGO) and international organizations' (IO), this paper aims to analyse the frames of illegal logging and its governance responses in Brazil since 2012. The review is guided by the framework of diagnostic (What is the problem? Who is to blame?) and prognostic framing (proposed policy and governance solutions). The main findings revealed a master frame of environmental justice that combines injustice toward indigenous people with the victimization of forest and environment at large. Embedded in this master frame, specific frames that follow the institutional logic of the single policy discourses have been identified. Finally, the results show a strong national focus of governance with continued emphasis on command and control instruments.

Introduction to "Subnational COVID-19 Politics and Policy".

Introduction to "Subnational COVID-19 Politics and Policy".

Cross-Societal Analysis of Climate Change Awareness and Its Relation to SDG 13: A Knowledge Synthesis from Text Mining

The awareness and the engagement of various stakeholders play a crucial role in the successful implementation of climate policy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 13, which refers to climate action, has three targets for combating climate change and its impact. Among the three targets, SDG 13.3 aims to “improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning”. This target should be implemented based on the understanding of climate change awareness among various groups of societies. Furthermore, the indicator related to awareness-raising is absent in SDG 13.3. Hence, this study aims to explore the differences in climate change awareness among various social groups within a country from a text mining technique. By collecting and analyzing a large volume of text data from various sources, climate change awareness was investigated from a multilateral perspective. Two text analyses were utilized for this purpose: Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and term co-occurrence network analysis. In order to integrate and comparatively analyze the awareness differences among diverse groups, extracted topics were compared by classifying them into four indicators derived from the detailed targets in SDG 13.3: mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning. The results show that the Korean public exhibited a relatively high awareness of early warning compared to the other four groups, and the media dealt with climate change issues with the widest perspective. The Korean government and academia notably had a high awareness of both climate change mitigation and adaptation. In addition, corporations based in Korea were observed to have substantially focused awareness on climate change mitigation for greenhouse gas reduction. This research successfully explored the disproportion and lack of climate change awareness formed in different societies of public, social, government, industry, and academic groups. Consequently, these results could be utilized as a decision criterion for society-tailored policy formulation and promoting climate action. Our results suggest that this methodology could be utilized as a new SDG indicator and to measure the differences in awareness.

Reducing Nitrogen Input in Barley Crops While Maintaining Yields Using an Engineered Biostimulant Derived From Ascophyllum nodosum to Enhance Nitrogen Use Efficiency.

Intensive agricultural production utilizes large amounts of nitrogen (N) mineral fertilizers that are applied to the soil to secure high crop yields. Unfortunately, up to 65% of this N fertilizer is not taken up by crops and is lost to the environment. To compensate these issues, growers usually apply more fertilizer than crops actually need, contributing significantly to N pollution and to GHG emissions. In order to combat the need for such large N inputs, a better understanding of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and agronomic solutions that increase NUE within crops is required. The application of biostimulants derived from extracts of the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum has long been accepted by growers as a sustainable crop production input. However, little is known on how Ascophyllum nodosum extracts (ANEs) can influence mechanisms of N uptake and assimilation in crops to allow reduced N application. In this work, a significant increase in nitrate accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana 6 days after applying the novel proprietary biostimulant PSI-362 was observed. Follow-up studies in barley crops revealed that PSI-362 increases NUE by 29.85–60.26% under 75% N input in multi-year field trials. When PSI-362 was incorporated as a coating to the granular N fertilizer calcium ammonium nitrate and applied to barley crop, a coordinated stimulation of N uptake and assimilation markers was observed. A key indicator of biostimulant performance was increased nitrate content in barley shoot tissue 22 days after N fertilizer application (+17.9–72.2%), that was associated with gene upregulation of root nitrate transporters (NRT1.1, NRT2.1, and NRT1.5). Simultaneously, PSI-362 coated fertilizer enhanced nitrate reductase and glutamine synthase activities, while higher content of free amino acids, soluble protein and photosynthetic pigments was measured. These biological changes at stem elongation stage were later translated into enhanced NUE traits in harvested grain. Overall, our results support the agronomic use of this engineered ANE that allowed a reduction in N fertilizer usage while maintaining or increasing crop yield. The data suggests that it can be part of the solution for the successful implementation of mitigation policies for water quality and GHG emissions from N fertilizer usage.

Implementasi kebijakan pengelolaan keuangan desa

The purpose of this article is to analyze and describe the implementation of village financial management policies (ADD, DD and DBH), as well as the supporting and inhibiting factors in the implementation of village community financial management policies (ADD, DD and DBH) intended to improve welfare and good governance. The implimentation of the management of village finances (ADD DD and DBH) creates negative phenomena or phenomena that is not on target. The research method is a qualitative descriptive approach. The results of the analysis, based on the van Meter and van Horn policy implementation model, indicates that five of the six variables affect the successful implementation of village financial management policies while one variable, namely the external environment, does not affect the successful implementation of village financial policies. The supporting factors are the existence of regulations, community participation, internal and external cooperation, while the obstacles are the regulations that often change and the delay in distribution to the RKD. Keywords: implementation, policy, village financial, prosperity, good governance

Navigating implementation dilemmas in technology-forcing policies: A comparative analysis of accelerated smart meter diffusion in the Netherlands, UK, Norway, and Portugal (2000-2019)

This paper addresses the implementation of technology-forcing policies in open-ended diffusion processes that involve companies and regulators as well as consumers and civil society actors. Mobilising insights from the societal embedding of technology framework and policy steering theories, we investigate two implementation dilemmas that relate to an overarching tension between flexibility (to enable technological learning and stakeholder engagement) and coordinated push (to focus actors and drive deployment): a) early or late formulation of initial targets, and b) technocratic or emergent-adaptive implementation styles. We investigate these dilemmas with four comparative case studies of smart electricity meters between 2000 to 2019, which diffused rapidly in the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal, but decelerated in the UK. We relate these differences to policy choices, and identify two patterns for successful implementation of technology-forcing policies: a) start with early targets and a technocratic style, but make adjustments if there are substantial protests or technical problems, and b) start with an emergent-adaptive style and formulate and enforce targets later, once technical and social stabilisation has occurred.

Implementation of Marine and Fisheries Business Actor Card Policy (KUSUKA) in West Aceh Region

This study discusses about implementation of the KUSUKA card policy in West Aceh Regency. KUSUKA Card is one of the mainstay service programs of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to provide effective, efficient and targeted services to all members of the community who work in the marine and fisheries sector. This research uses qualitative method with a descriptive approach. The theory used in this research is the theory of the successful implementation of policy by Edward III. The result showed that the implementation of the KUSUKA card policy in West Aceh Regency was still not good because each indicator: Resources, Communication, Bureaucratic Structure and Disposition had not been fulfilled had not been fulfilled.

Assessing Organizational Role and Perceptions of Programmatic Success in Policy Implementation

This study utilizes the Strategic Action Field (SAF) framework as a lens to study implementation effectiveness of Ohio START, a multiactor and multilevel implementation process. We examine the extent to which perceptions of successes and challenges vary across organizational roles in county-level child welfare agencies during Ohio START implementation. Preliminary findings reveal that perceptions of implementation effectiveness differ based on organizational role.