Works Program Research Articles

How Electoral Cycles Shape the Implementation of Public Works Programs: Evidence From India

Why do public works programs in developing democracies often experience implementation failures at the local level? Building on the literature on political business cycles, our study sheds light on a key explanation. We argue that electoral cycles undermine the completion of public works projects because of incumbents’ difficulties in reaping electoral rewards for following through on projects proposed just prior to an election. Analyses based on project-level data from a nation-wide public program in India supports the argument. We find that projects proposed close to an upcoming election are less likely to be eventually completed than projects proposed at other times. We further find that incumbent turnover exacerbates the effect of electoral cycles and that this modifying effect is plausibly causal. The results suggest that new incumbents have reduced incentives to follow through on projects proposed by their predecessors due to the difficulties involved with claiming credit for such projects.

Validation of a parent report on externalizing symptoms scale: A downward extension of the behavioral health screen.

Externalizing problems are common in children ages 6-14, can have lifelong consequences, and may pose a particular risk when combined with other risk factors and symptoms (like depression and anxiety). Schools are uniquely positioned to assess and address these types of behavioral health concerns, but many school-based assessments do not focus on mental health distress (partially because they often lack the infrastructure for identification, screening, and referral). To address this gap, the Behavioral Health Works program student mental health software system has integrated teacher training, psychometrically strong assessments, feedback, and referral tools. However, this self-report tool for adolescents needed to be adapted for younger children. Thus, a parent-report version was added as well as new scales for better assessing this age group. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the new parent-report attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant/conduct scales within a sample of 440 children referred for school-based assessments. Overall, the new scales demonstrated good structural validity, measurement invariance across most demographic groups, discrimination in item response theory analyses, and evidence of convergent validity and good classification accuracy in relation to a validation battery. These externalizing scales are distinct and precise and show promise for improving the effectiveness of school-based programs for identifying at-risk children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing internalizing disorders and sleep in school‐age children: A new parent report Behavioral Health Screen

AbstractDepression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance are common among school‐age children and can impair functioning. Schools are in a unique position to assess and refer these children for intervention services, but standardized screening is underutilized. One challenge with screening is the lack of psychometrically strong mental health screening tools that can be efficiently and effectively administered in school settings. The Behavioral Health Works program provides a web‐based platform and a multidimensional screening tool (the Behavioral Health Screen [BHS]) that can help overcome implementation barriers. Because parents have unique, valuable perspectives on reporting the mental health concerns of their children, a parent report version for younger children was developed. This study examines the psychometric properties of the internalizing and sleep scales of the BHS parent report version for assessing children (BHS‐PRC). Participants included 420 parents of children ages 6–12, who completed the BHS‐PRC. Results supported evidence of good internal structure, partial measurement equivalence (across race, gender, age, and education groups), discrimination in item response theory analysis, classification accuracy, and convergent and discriminant validity. Overall, the BHS‐PRC demonstrates strong psychometric characteristics and has the potential to assist schools' mental health screening as part of a multitiered system of support.

A job trial subsidy for youth: Cheap labour or a screening device?

AbstractThis paper evaluates a 90‐day hiring subsidy designed for young jobseekers aged below 25, introduced in Hungary in 2015 as part of the Youth Guarantee programme. The subsidy covers the total wage cost with no obligation to retain the new hire when the subsidy expires. The analysis is based on linked administrative data on registered unemployment, cognitive skills measured around age 15, healthcare, and social security records. The causal impact of the subsidy on subsequent employment is identified in comparison to participants of a uniquely large public works programme, using propensity score matching with exceptionally rich controls. The estimates indicate significant positive effects: participants spent 14–20 days more in employment within 6 months after the programme ended in the whole sample. The impact is weaker on the 12‐month horizon. We find that the subsidy works well as a screening device: the programme has the highest impact on youths who have very low levels of schooling (8 years of primary school or less), but scored high on cognitive skills tests. One potential explanation is that employers tend to retain those with better cognitive skills, irrespective of their formal qualifications. We also find some indication that the subsidy is (mis)used by some employers to hire short term, seasonal workers.

Reducing Delay in Payments in Welfare Programs: Experimental Evidence from an Information Dissemination Intervention

Abstract This paper assesses the impact of an information dissemination intervention on the local-level implementation of the rural public works program in India. One key feature of the intervention is to provide information to workers once their wages get credited into their accounts. Using administrative and survey data, its impact on delays in wage payments and days of work along with the awareness levels of the entitlements is evaluated. The findings indicate a substantial reduction in payment delays and in trips made for wage withdrawal, in addition to improvements in awareness. The decrease in the payment delays in the treated villages persists even beyond the intervention period. While a limited impact on work days is observed during the intervention, a significant increase in the post-intervention period is found. The findings substantiated through qualitative evidence provide a platform for an innovative and cost-effective intervention to improve the implementation of social protection programs.

Effectiveness of pro-poor interventions on wealth accumulation and household engagement in income generation in Malawi

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pro poor interventions with a special focus on wealth accumulation and diversity in income generating programs. The study used a Recursive Bivariate Probit model. The study used secondary data gathered by the Local Development Fund (LDF) in 2020 which drew a sample of 1396 households (868 beneficiaries, 528 non-beneficiaries). The study finds that participation in Livelihoods and Skills Development (LSD) programs significantly improved household asset accumulation by 14.8% and petty trading by 31.8%. Participation in Public Works Program (PWP) significantly improved asset accumulation by 17.7%. The study therefore concludes that the LSD program is more effective in helping households accumulate assets and engage in trade activities that result in improvement of income. Since the study demonstrates that the LSD program is more successful in assisting households to accumulate assets and participate in trade activities, the government should consider implementing a graduation model that extends the LSD's financial trainings to PWP and Social Cash Transfer (SCT) groups.

Public works programmes and agricultural risk: Evidence from India

AbstractThe agricultural sectors in many low‐ and middle‐income countries remain highly vulnerable to weather risk, a vulnerability that will only intensify under climate change. The globally trending public works programmes have the potential to impact weather‐related agricultural risk. I explore the impact of India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) on weather‐related agricultural risk. My empirical strategy explores the staggered roll‐out of NREGA and random weather fluctuations. Using a nationwide panel of data, I find that NREGA makes crop yields more sensitive to low rainfall shocks. I posit that these results are consistent with a labour market channel, by which NREGA increases nonfarm labour supply in low rainfall years, and an income channel, by which NREGA leads to riskier agricultural practices. These results highlight the importance of understanding how social protection programmes shape agricultural risk.

The 1908 earthquake of Messina: An accounting perspective on the city's reconstruction between faith and Fascism

This article focuses on the 1923–1937 period when the rise of Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime drove public works programmes. The 1908 earthquake almost destroyed Messina and, in the Fascist period Angelo Paino, the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Messina, fostered the reconstruction of the ecclesiastical heritage of the city and surrounding villages. Primary and secondary sources were collected and analysed to investigate the role of accounting and calculation practices in interpreting the urban reconstruction programme that the Fascist government actively supported. This research contributes to accounting history research adding the new reading of accounting, disasters and urban reconstruction, and highlighting the relations between the Fascist regime and the Catholic Church within an urban reconstruction programme following one of history's major catastrophes. We obtained several findings, including an interpretation of the Fascist regime's reconstruction of the city's churches and key public buildings as an instrument of consensus among the Catholic electorate.

Enhancing mechanical characteristics by adding nanoparticles and employing lasers in heat treatment

With the development of laser technology in various fields of engineering and manufacturing in terms of many uses in these areas and in the field of improving the mechanical properties of different metals for their ability to withstand different thermal and mechanical stresses and stresses. Wherein this research paper the addition of nanomaterials and laser heat shedding on them and knowing their ability to improve. The design process of the simple model that complies with the requirements of the simulation process was in the solid works program. The investigated dimensions were (100×100×10) mm3 in height, split up in the form of two portions. The partition itself is the path of the laser used. It is necessary to check the reliability of the mesh to form an appropriate mesh that can give accurate results. The nanoparticles where Al2O3 and TIC were used in different proportions with the base material. Which is steel, where these ratios were (0.3, 0.6, 1) wt %, where the results proved the process of adding nanomaterials has positive effects in terms of the materials' tolerance to heat, mechanical stress, and the surrounding conditions. Seen through the results with the increase in the concentration values of adding nanoparticles, get a significant effect on the results and the values of thermal and mechanical properties. The TIG (Tungsten inert gas) nanomaterial led to an increase in temperatures in the solid by 1 wt % compared to the rest of the concentrations and nanomaterials. The addition of nanomaterials in heat treatments has a positive effect on the amount of deformation, as the lowest value of deformation was obtained in nanomaterials at tic1 wt % compared to the rest of the concentrations. As for the stresses, the largest stress obtained is 10.502 Gpa

Analysis of Issues on Micro Credit—The Case of Two Villages in Punjab

The phenomenon of poverty was felt and observed more during the decade of 1990s, as the overall growth slowed down. While the slowed economic growth and recessionary trends contributed to poverty, the trickle “down effect” once thought, to improve living conditions, did not reach the lowest level owing largely to lack of accessibility of institutions, unjust and non-poor policies. For these reasons, in Pakistan during the decades of 60s and 80s, when the country experienced high growth rates of 6-7 percent, 34 percent of people still lived below the poverty line. Socio-economic development, improving the quality of life in general and of rural poor in particular, welfare have been the prime stated goals of government. Therefore, rural development programmes, such as, Village-Aid, Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Peoples Works Programme, Tameer-e-watan Programme, Prime Minister’s Five Points Programme etc. were introduced to improve farm productivity, which would consequently improve incomes and quality of life of rural poor. This was done through the Department of Local Government and Rural Development. Little impact on the life of the rural poor, however, was observed partly because these were administered through closed, immutable and cloistered institutions of government which are not accessible and responsive to the needs of poor. Also, the lack of focus on community participation and need for it was evident. As these programmes were managed through government departments these lacked flexibility and out-reach. The approach of administering was fixed, rigid and lacked professionalism.

Public Works as A Safety Net: Evidence and implementation in South African municipalities

This article analyses the coordination processes, challenges, and outcomes of the South African Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) as the social safety net related to poverty and unemployment, drawing on the Cape Town and Mangaung Metropolitan Municipalities case studies. The article draws from a qualitative desktop approach based on an extensive literature review. The study findings reveal similar institutional challenges as a deterrent to the effectiveness of the EPWP in addressing poverty and unemployment. These include political interference, lack of reporting, human resources training, administrative capacity, adequate funding, and the absence of an EPWP structure. To remedy these challenges, South African municipalities should improve monitoring, evaluation, talent management, and foster public-private partnership synergies.

Kontrol Lensa Pelanggan Re-Branding: Kontrol Konstruksi Real-time yang Dipersonalisasi, Proaktif, Bertujuan, dan Penuh Warna

This paper presents an analysis of the Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP), one of the ‘Driven Controls’ Re-Branding Customer key policy initiatives intended to ease the burden of poverty or unemployment on the poor and unskilled. Historically, such programs have been used as assistance during short-term crises. Lately, many ‘Driven Controls’ Customers have adopted it for long-term structural challenges. This program study in the G-20 government is intended to protect women and youth. This paper uses a mixed methodological approach to determine the active participation of women and youth in EPWP and their opportunities to transition to the labour marketplaces. This study also solicits the views of EPWP participants (see also, active and former) and officials to obtain information that is not included in the program's official report. Analytical procedures involve document analysis, focusing on EPWP reports from phases One (1) to Three (3) of the programs. This study proposes two propositions: the need for public-private partnerships to address the challenges of unemployment in the country because independent policies for the government or marketplace are inadequate; new program design that separates job seekers from social protection beneficiaries. In its current form, the EPWP is designed as a grassroots poverty trap.

Welfare impacts of public works in fragile and conflict affected economies: The Londö public works in the Central African Republic

Workfare programs are a widely used but costly means through which many developing countries provide income generating opportunities for the poor and mitigate adverse impacts from shocks, including conflict and violence. We evaluate the Londö public works program in the Central African Republic, where more than 70 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and armed groups control large parts of the territory. Our evaluation design leverages the random assignment of eligibility to participate in the program through publicly held lotteries. Comparing those who are eligible with those who are not 2 to 18 months after the intervention using cross-sectional data from more than 6,000 respondents, we find that the program led to a lasting increase of around 10 percent in post-intervention monthly earnings and a small increase on number of days worked. The response to the program was highly gendered. Female beneficiaries diversified income sources and engaged more often in trading whereas men intensified agricultural production. We also document an increase in certain asset categories that mirror the gendered impacts on economic activity, as well as higher levels of happiness and satisfaction among beneficiaries. We do not find a strong link between program participation and variables that are proxies for social cohesion.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Regenerator

The aim of this study is to simulate a Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Regenerator, of a local refinery, using the Fluent Ansys.13 program and subsequently to investigate the impact of the change in geometry on the unit’s performance. Three different geometrical models of FCC Regenerator were simulated. The Solid Works program was used to build up the computational domain and the commercial CFD code Ansys-Fluent 13 was used for meshing, models setup and solving. Three cases were examined: base case with a single air inlet, case one with five air inlets, and case two with five air inlets, however with the catalyst inlet axis raised by 100%. The results showed that the carbon solid mass content (used to represent the coke) decreases from 0.39 to 0.23 in the base case and to 0.12 in case one and to 0.19 in case two for the regenerated catalyst. Case one resulted in a decrease in carbon content by 100%, with a carbon monoxide emission of 10ppm (the base case at a value of 200ppm) which increased in case two to 100ppm. Furthermore the impact of air mass flow rate in case one (best case) was investigated starting with a mass flow rate of 29.5kg/s. The flow rate was further increased by 100% and 200% which resulted in a carbon mass content of 0.092 and 0.08 respectively.

Briefing: UK public sector infrastructure and construction strategy, policies and vision

This briefing outlines the UK public sector infrastructure and construction strategy, policies and vision. The UK government is committed to modern methods of construction. The National Infrastructure Strategy sets out plans to transform UK infrastructure. The Construction Playbook details key policies and guidance for how public works projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered. The Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030 is a vision for innovation and reform in infrastructure delivery. The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline sets out future planned procurements. Civil engineers should keep up to date with public sector infrastructure and construction initiatives.

SOUTH AFRICA’S STRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND YOUTH: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME MODEL

This paper presents an analysis of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), one of the key South African government policy initiatives that are meant to ease the burden of poverty or unemployment on the poor and unskilled. Historically, such programmes have been used as a relief during short-term crises. Of late, countries have adopted them for long-term structural challenges. In South Africa the programme is meant to protect women and youth. This paper uses a mixed methodology approach to determine the active participation of women and youth in the EPWP and their chances of transitioning into the labour market. The study also solicited the views of the EPWP participants (active and former) and officials to get information which is not captured in the programme’s official reports. The analytical procedure involved document analysis, focusing on EPWP reports from phases One (1) to Three (3) of the programme. The study makes two propositions: the need for public private partnerships to solve the country’s unemployment challenge because independent policies for government or markets are inadequate; a new programme design which separates job seekers from social protection beneficiaries. In its current form, the EPWP is designed as a lower tier poverty trap.

Planting a seed: Sustainable education for students with Additional Support Needs

Realities of climate change make meeting Sustainable Development Goals even more urgent, not least in terms of education. In Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) these goals are promoted in the Learning for Sustainability initiative which aims to embed sustainability in education. While inclusion is claimed to be a non-negotiable aspect of CfE, the reality is that for many students with Additional Support Needs (ASN) (in Scottish education this term has superseded Special Educational Needs), access to a high-quality education is limited. This paper looks at a case study where urban gardening is used as a teaching tool for students with ASN. The City Works programme has grown out of nearly twenty years of work with ASN students, using urban gardening as a vehicle for developing citizenship, groupwork skills and a greater understanding of sustainability. Staff, students, and community gardeners were interviewed to ascertain their experience of the project and the value of a sustainable and inclusive education are discussed. Finally, it is argued that this educational approach should be developed further, in coordination with other educational professionals.

Fifteen Years of India's NREGA: Employer of the Last Resort?

For the last decade, India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA, 2005) has been the world’s largest public works programme. This legal entitlement provided employment to 28 per cent of rural Indian households in 2019–2020. After the COVID-19 pandemic, NREGA is increasingly emerging as an invaluable employer of the last resort. However, longitudinal data of implementation in its first fifteen years reveal distinctive trends. On the one hand, since inception, NREGA has rendered greater benefits to women and marginalised communities. But on the other, since 2014 till before the pandemic, the present National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime has reduced NREGA coverage compared to its implementation during the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government which had enacted the legislation. Nevertheless, in light of the pandemic and based on international experiences in public work programmes, there is an urgent need for the expansion of the employment guarantee.

Healthier Construction: Conceptualising Transformation of Mental Health Outcomes through an Integrated Supply Chain Model

The construction industry is undoubtedly one of the most significant global sectors that contributes to sustainable development across physical, social, environmental and economic objectives. Globally the value of the construction industry is USD 10 trillion annually. The robustness of the sector is in serious question with a crisis in mental health. The rebuilding of economies is often led by significant capital works programs and therefore in response to the global pandemic, it is anticipated that this problem will only be exacerbated. The construction sector has a unique project-based structure of numerous intersecting subsectors, which influence the behaviours and culminate in highly demanding work environments on a project-by-project basis. We propose that to institute transformational change to the mental health problem, we need to challenge current problematisations towards presenting a new conceptual framework. The aim of this paper is to analyse the industrial organisation and the structural and behavioural context of the industry and propose a new approach to understanding interactions at multiple levels in relation to root causes of the mental health problem. Aligned to the UN SDG that we are to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, this paper responds to high rates of depression, anxiety and suicide in the construction industry. There is a need to generate new knowledge about the interactions between multi project supply chain, construction project supply chain environment and construction supply chain performance in relation to mental health outcomes. Literature indicates that there is a wealth of research on stressors, coping and interventions at an individual level, however very little from an ‘insider’ construction management perspective which contextualise mental health outcomes with the environmental stressors. Coupled with this, past research designs predominantly utilised quantitative approaches reliant on questionnaires. We critique past problematisations of the mental health problem and show how it has been represented to enable the development of a reframed conceptualisation. There is a need to identify contextual evidence-based stressors throughout the construction project supply chain. We present a transformational change model integrating construction industry specific context knowledge with psychosocial expertise to improve workers’ mental health. Future research could lead to outcomes including recommendations and guidelines to engage management actors who can influence positive change through preventative strategies leading to effective and measurable mental health and project performance improvements.

Characteristics and features of NEET youth in the context of country analysis

Object: To identify measures to reduce NEET youth based on the study of international experience.Methods: Methods of system, dynamic, structural and correlation analysis.Results: Youth is a special socio-demographic group that has a complex internal structure. Today, the increase in the number of young people not involved in the labor and educational spheres (NEET – Not in Education, Employment, or Training) requires certain measures to minimize this group.Conclusions: Analysis of the obtained material allowed us to conclude that the indicators of NEET youth and youth unemployment have a strong relationship for many countries. Based on the study of the structure of NEET-youth in the context of country analysis, measures to minimize the segment of NEET-youth are determined. Analysis of the world experience in minimizing the NEET youth allowed us to identify the following areas: Wage subsidy programs; public works programs; development of flexible forms of employment; development of youth entrepreneurship; educational programs for young people.