Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-114).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-114). Also available in print.

Consulting the public in policy making is a statutory obligation for Scottish local authorities but ‘traditional’ forms of public participation such as public meetings are not considered to be effective for engaging a representative range of citizens. Developments in ICT have led to speculation about the impact of technology on citizen involvement in political participation with some arguing that eParticipation could attract a wider range of participants than ‘offline’ mechanisms. This thesis presents the findings of an exploratory study examining eParticipation initiatives in Scottish Local Authorities. The focus of the research has been to identify the extent to which eParticipation is being used and the benefits and drawbacks of these methods. In addition, the research investigated the enablers and barriers to the development of eParticipation in local authorities. Rather than examining eParticipation as a discrete phenomenon, the research examined the broader consultation strategies of local authorities and what role, if any, eParticipation plays within it. A grounded theory approach was adopted which utilised a combination of qualitative methods. Further, an analytical framework was developed based on Dahl’s criteria for ideal democracy to develop a conceptual understanding of how eParticipation is being used in Scottish local authorities. While it was found that Scottish local authorities were using eParticipation tools, their use was rather limited and the vast majority of tools identified and analysed were electronic questionnaires. Respondents reported that they foresaw eParticipation tools being used more extensively in future but in combination with ‘offline’ forms of participation and most did not report positive opinions on dialogic forms of eParticipation such as online discussions. The research findings show that eParticipation does not overcome many of the problems that lead to lack of public participation in policy making although some members of the public may to prefer to participate electronically for reasons of convenience.

As part of an effort to be a world leader in international efforts in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, the UK Government has set itself ambitious targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% relative to 1990 levels by 2050. To meet this target, there is a strong emphasis in reducing carbon emissions from the domestic sector through the reduction of energy consumption in UK households by improving the energy efficiency of the housing stock, and the behaviours of the occupants. The Department of Energy and Climate Change have indicated that Local Authorities in England are potentially to work in partnership with businesses and community organizations to facilitate delivery; and as a promoter of domestic energy efficiency policies. Consultation with 11 Local Authorities across England confirmed that they are lacking a reliable mechanism that can detect areas within their administrative boundaries that are most in need of intervention to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. For the year 2008 the regression models demonstrate that geographical variations in the size of the house, median household income, and air temperature account for 64% of the variation in English domestic gas consumption, and that variations in the size of the house, median household income, and proportion of households connected to the national gas grid account for 73% of the variation in domestic electricity consumption. The predicted values from these regression models serve as benchmarks of domestic gas and electricity consumption in England having accounted for household income, house size, house type, tenure, and climatic differences and could be used to identify areas within Local Authorities with higher than expected energy consumption for energy efficiency interventions. These results contribute to the wider academic debate over how best to achieve the overall aims of household CO2 reductions by moving beyond a purely technical or behavioural-based approach to reducing domestic energy consumption.

In 1924 a new law stated that every Swedish municipality had to create one authority containing al the boards that handled child issues. Before 1924 children often was put into fostercare without supervision or auctioned out to the lowest bidders and was used as farmworkers or for housekeeping.This essay will adress the fact that the authorities diden´t always know how well or unwell the children was being treated in fostercare. Many times people with good social and economic status could demand having a fosterchild without the authorities asking to many questions. With the material from Ljungbys local archives containing documents from the early 20th century, newspaper articales and other research this essay will compare and discuss how the authorities acted in different cases based on gender and social class. In this discussion we will focus manly on the children but also on the biologicalparents, the fosterparents and the members of the childrensboard. We will discuss if the authorities really did treat people different in mather of the fact that they are male, female, poor or rich. / Nej

La démonopolisation des compétences régaliennes est généralement étudiée sous l’angle de l’Union Européenne avec le processus de partage de la souveraineté ou en matière de sécurité avec les acteurs privés. L’idée d’une participation des collectivités territoriales à cette démonopolisation n’est pas évidente. En principe, les collectivités territoriales et les compétences régaliennes s’excluent mutuellement. Ces compétences connaissent une relation forte avec la souveraineté et sont à ce titre monopolisées par l’Etat. En tant qu’unique titulaire de la souveraineté en France, il est le seul à pouvoir les mettre en œuvre. A l’inverse, les collectivités territoriales ne peuvent s’immiscer dans ces compétences parce qu’elles ne disposent d’aucune parcelle de la souveraineté. Cette exclusion est assurée par le fait que l’Etat organise les collectivités territoriales. A priori donc, les deux notions sont antinomiques.Pourtant, chacune de leurs côtés, ces deux notions connaissent des évolutions importantes dans la période contemporaine. La monopolisation des compétences régaliennes par l’Etat est traversée par des inflexions et des aménagements toujours plus nombreux. D’autres personnes que lui œuvrent désormais dans ses compétences régaliennes, faisant émerger l’idée d’une démonopolisation du régalien. De leur côté, les collectivités territoriales ont connu une subite montée en puissance depuis l’accélération de la décentralisation en 1982-1983. L’augmentation de leurs moyens, de leur influence et de leurs champs de compétences a tendu à les rendre incontournable dans l’action publique. Par ailleurs, l’attraction dans les territoires de l’action publique ainsi que la recherche de transversalité de cette dernière favorisent la participation des collectivités territoriales aux compétences régaliennes.En dépit des apparences de la théorie, les collectivités territoriales n’ont jamais été totalement exclues des compétences régaliennes, des formes historiques de participation, sous le contrôle de l’Etat persistent. La décentralisation a augmenté le nombre de points de contact des collectivités avec les compétences régaliennes considérées comme la frontière infranchissable. Désormais, leur participation à l’exercice de ces compétences va en s’accroissant dans le cadre de la relation aux territoires du régalien. Sous la forme de l’autorisation de la loi ou l’invitation par le contrat, les collectivités participent de différentes manières et sous le regard de l’Etat. Dans certains cas, elles s’émancipent des règles qu’il fixe pour agir dans le domaine d’une compétence régalienne.Le temps de l’exclusion mutuelle semble consommé. Depuis 1982, la décentralisation a favorisé l’émergence d’une situation d’association des collectivités. Le rôle de l’Etat a donc évolué, il n’a plus à gérer une exclusion inconditionnelle des collectivités mais aménager une ouverture partielle du monopole aux compétences régaliennes. Désormais, la relation entre les collectivités territoriales et le régalien chemine vers un point d’équilibre garantissant la prééminence de la souveraineté de l’Etat tout en assurant l’autonomie de chaque collectivité avec l’égalité de l’ensemble. / The demonopolization of the regalian functions is mainly studied from the perspective of both European Union with the process of shared soverignty, and the presence of private contractors in public security. The idea of local authorities’ involvment in this demonopolization process isn’t obvious at first sight. In theory, local authorities and regalian functions are mutually exclusive. Those functions are intimately linked with the sovereignty and are entitled to be monopolized by the State. As the unique titular of the sovereignty, he is the only one able to enforce them. On the contrary, local authorities can’t interfere in those functions because they don’t posses any part of the sovereignty. This exclusion if guaranteed by the fact that the rules of local authorities originate of the State. Normally, those two concepts are opposed.However, they both go through important evolutions in the recent period. The monopolization of regalian functions by the State knows an increasing numbers of exceptions. Other entities than him are enforcing in his regalian functons as the acknwoledgement of their demonopolization arise. From their end, local authorities are continually strenghten by the decentralization process, especially since 1982-1983. The growth of their means, their jurisdiction and their influence have made them inevitable in the enforcement of public policies. Furthermore, those policies are drawned by the local areas and the comprehensive approach they seek favor the presence of local authorities in the regalian functionDespite theoritical apparences, those authorities have never beean totally excluded of the regalian functions, some historical forms of participation, under State’s control, are persistant. The decentralization process have increased interactions between regalian functions and local authorities, although it is still considered to be a borderline. Nowadays, their participation to their enforcement is growing under various forms with the State authorization. But, in certains cases, they go beyond State’s rules in order to act in a regalian function.The era of their mutual exclusion seems to be over. Since 1982, the decentralization process have favored the appearance of an association of the local authorities. The purpose of the State has evolved. He doesn’t seek an inconditionnal exclusion of local authorities but he is seeking a controled opening of his regalian’s monopoly. Now, the relation between local authorities and the regalian progress to a balanced point which respects the soverignty and in the mean time assures the autonomy of local authorities and equality among them.

<p>The Swedish government decided in 1996 that the governmental authorities are to implemement</p><p>environmental management systems. Each year, the Swedish Environmental Protection</p><p>Agency compiles the authorities’ reports on their environmental management systems. The</p><p>compilation shows that not more than 20 % of the authorities perform environmental audits.</p><p>This study aims to investigate the authorities’ view of internal environmental audits, the incentives</p><p>of performing them. It also investigates if the environmental audits contribute to continuous</p><p>improvements. The study is a case study of nine participating authorities that all reported</p><p>to have performed environmental audits in 2005. The interviews were analysed based</p><p>on the extent of the internal environmental audits. The result shows that three of the nine participating</p><p>authorities did not perform any environmental audit at all. The results suggest that</p><p>the incentives of the greatest importance for internal environmental audits in the other six</p><p>authorities are external requirements, mainly requirements in ISO 14001, as well as commitment</p><p>in environmental issues among the employees and the organisational management. The</p><p>study also suggests that continuous improvement is a result of the internal environmental audit.</p><p>This is mainly due to the increased environmental awareness within the administration</p><p>and because of the continuous improvement of the environmental management system.</p>

The Swedish government decided in 1996 that the governmental authorities are to implemement environmental management systems. Each year, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency compiles the authorities’ reports on their environmental management systems. The compilation shows that not more than 20 % of the authorities perform environmental audits. This study aims to investigate the authorities’ view of internal environmental audits, the incentives of performing them. It also investigates if the environmental audits contribute to continuous improvements. The study is a case study of nine participating authorities that all reported to have performed environmental audits in 2005. The interviews were analysed based on the extent of the internal environmental audits. The result shows that three of the nine participating authorities did not perform any environmental audit at all. The results suggest that the incentives of the greatest importance for internal environmental audits in the other six authorities are external requirements, mainly requirements in ISO 14001, as well as commitment in environmental issues among the employees and the organisational management. The study also suggests that continuous improvement is a result of the internal environmental audit. This is mainly due to the increased environmental awareness within the administration and because of the continuous improvement of the environmental management system.

The government serves must keep pace with the times, can draw close to populace's idea, meets populace's need. This study, which aims to investigate the satisfaction level of fishermen towards the public service of the Southern Coastal Patrol Office of the Coast Guard Administration on the five dimensions of PZB Gaps Model of service quality. Six suggestions based on the aforementioned results are proposed in the study as references for Coast Guard authorities to carry out an overall review,enabling the advantage coastal patrol services to create a bigger public interest, and the fisherman feel the coastal patrol institution's innovation and the progress.

published_or_final_version / Urban Studies / Master / Master of Social Sciences