The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the administrative officials work with assessments in home studies of adoption. To answer the purpose, we chose to focus on the guidelines for administrative official’s assessments in home studies of adoption and what assessment areas that is fundamental to the administrative official’s assessments. The study is structured on the basis of a qualitative approach where we have used semi-structured interviews. We interviewed seven administrative officials in the social services which conducted home studies of adoption. The interviews were conducted in different municipalities in order to demonstrate that the result does not depend on local circumstances. We can however say that administrative officials in the various municipalities had close cooperation among themselves, which resulted in that the local factor could have some impact on the result. We have analysed the results based on theories of discretion and the street-level bureaucracy. We have in this study concluded that all administrative officials used the same guidelines and almost all of the administrative officials used the same investigation method. Even though all the administrative officials emanated from the same guidelines and though almost all of the seven administrative officials also used the same investigating method, we discovered in the results and analysis section that the implementation in home studies of adoption may differ between administrative officials in the various municipalities. We have interpreted this result as a consequence based on how each administrative official uses their discretion. Furthermore we found that the administrative officials did not think that there was one assessment area that was more important. There are a number of areas that are important to consider which depends on the applicant's background.

This thesis contributes to developing an evidence-based toolkit for designers when designing products based on theoretical inputs from human-factors study. Theoretical and developmental knowledge, relevant to the design of warning and risk communications and the area of design for child safety, is translated into support for reflections to practitioners. The risk management framework derived from this study aims to increase awareness of the implications of the aspects involved and as a reference point for groups involved in design for child safety. The thesis covers a shift from risk communications with children to information about children (including physical dimensions etc.) for designers. The final output is a collation of this knowledge base and some conceptual tools that can be applied to a specific design context whether that context be in risk communications or the area of general safety design considerations. Designers with little experience in managing design for children can benefit from this study when deciding on their design strategies. This reflective support is the result of a study of risk communication as a complex and unique activity in which various groups and domains are involved. The process of building an understanding started with an analysis of the literature in the field and with the direct experience of the researcher, who worked directly within ergonomics as part of a design-innovation team. The framework presented in this thesis follows a more structured approach to risk communications. It is conceived as an aid to help practitioners reflect on the implications each stage of the development process has on the experience of developing appropriate risk communications and appropriate products. In this way, it is thought of as a dynamic and flexible reference that can be adapted by design researchers when planning and coordinating design to suit different design situations. The use of this tool in the childsafety, design, and study communities would provide validation of the effectiveness of the framework and its continuous improvement. The purpose of this study is twofold: to contribute to study and practice with the aim of providing fundamental guidance to designers. The research detailed in this thesis brings readers up-to-date with the current literature on theories of risk communications. It then highlights methodologies, tools, guidelines and requirements for risk communication advances in study and practice. A framework for risk communication for young children has been developed out of a resource review based on previous work in the area by McLaughlin and Mayhorn, (2014). The information accumulated in this study has been used to develop initial prototype tools for designers who are considering young children. The developed platform supports practitioners from two different angles: theoretical and practical. Designers engaged in the core activity of design for child safety need methods that support the consideration of ergonomics and other product requirements, such as risk communications. This study contributes to developing methods and tools that can be used by designers and other relevant groups when designing risk communications for young children. Available knowledge is collated and integrated into the framework with the intention that it will be developed further throughout the thesis to consider effective use within the design cycle. This study aims to contribute to child safety by providing the first development of tools/decision supports aimed at designers who are designing for young children and are accordingly evaluating human-factors methods in design for child safety. The aim of this study is to gather the requirements of a collaborative design tool for use by industrial designers, engineers and other groups involved in design for child safety. This thesis aims to address these needs. When considering the needs, limitations and capabilities, ( mental model ) of the intended users (i.e., children), important aspects such as safety have been considered. The general need for support methods are addressed through a review of the safety, design and ergonomics literature. After this, empirical study through interviews and observations is used to outline some problem areas: the development and implementation of human-factors methods in design, lack of available resources and inaccessibility of data. Three empirical studies were conducted to meet the requirements of this study: Study 1 in Chapter 4 involves documentary analysis of existing models and methods, Study 2 in Chapter 5 involves formal interviews with designers (N = 30), and Study 3 in Chapter 7 involves an online survey for initial feedback about the prototype-persona (N = 50) respondents. The first section outlines the study questions. It discusses the outputs of the three main studies contained within this thesis.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for an HIV/AIDS support programme for teachers. In order to achieve this goal, Intervention Research: Design and Development model by Rothman and Thomas (1994) was adopted to guide the research process. Intervention research is a form of applied qualitative research utilized by researchers to design and develop interventions to ameliorate social problems. Intervention research: design and development model has six phases and unique operational steps to follow in each phase. The researcher adopted the first three phases to facilitate the design of the guidelines to assist with development of a programme to support teachers. Problem analysis and project planning is the first phase. In this phase, the aim was to understand the experiences of HIV/AIDS among teachers and in schools. Information was gathered from HIV/AIDS coordinators, principals, teachers living with HIV. / South Africa

The Centre for Resource Solutions (“CRS”) in the USA has performed a study on tax incentives for renewable energy. The CRS has found that tax incentives are effective, powerful and highly flexible instruments to encourage the development of renewable energy. They have further identified various types of tax incentives and various guidelines for effective tax incentives. The research question was whether the tax incentives and guidelines as identified by the CRS are internationally acceptable and whether South-Africa can consider these tax incentives and guidelines to design and implement a renewable energy tax incentive policy of an international standard in South-Africa. Chapter 1 contains the background, research question, objectives and methodology of this study. In Chapter 2 the advantages and disadvantages of each type of tax incentive, as identified by the CRS, were analysed through a literature study of international views on these tax incentives. In Chapter 3 the guidelines for effective renewable energy tax incentives, as identified by the CRS, were analysed through a literature study of international views on these tax incentives. Chapter 4 contains the conclusion that the tax incentives and guidelines as identified by the CRS are internationally acceptable and that South-Africa can consider these tax incentives and guidelines to design and implement a renewable energy tax incentive policy of an international standard in South-Africa. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Taxation / unrestricted

Serious games show promise as an effective training method, but such games are complex and few guidelines exist for their effective evaluation. We draw on the design science literature to develop a serious game evaluation framework that emphasizes grounding evaluation in each of four key areas-theoretical, technical, empirical, and external. We further recommend that serious game developers assume an iterative, adaptive approach to grounding an evaluation effort in these four areas, emphasizing some areas more than others at different stages of the development cycle. We illustrate our framework using a case study of a large-scale serious game development project. The case study illustrates a holistic approach to serious game evaluation that is valuable to both researchers and practitioners.

Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour have been independently associated with a wide range of negative health indicators including obesity, poor cardio-metabolic health, and poor psychosocial health. The overarching objective of this research was to gain a better understanding as to why children are sedentary, and where we need to focus public health messages and interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour. Specifically, I aimed to provide insight on current awareness of sedentary behaviour guidelines; determine important correlates of total sedentary time (SED), and screen time (ST) in Canadian children; and understand correlates of SED and ST in a global context. The primary dataset used for this project was the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE). Background work was completed to review current literature on knowledge and awareness of Canadian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines (in all age groups), and to understand the representativeness of the ISCOLE dataset. In addition to the two background papers, this dissertation includes three manuscripts, all prepared for submission in scientific, peer-reviewed journals: 1. Manuscript 1: Canadian physical activity and screen time guidelines: do children know? 2. Manuscript 2: Correlates of objectively measured sedentary time and self-reported screen time in Canadian children 3. Manuscript 3: Correlates of total sedentary time and screen time in 9-11 year-old children around the world: The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment Overall, this work showed the majority of children around the world are accumulating large amounts of sedentary time, and exceeded current screen time guidelines. We found that the large majority of Canadian children are not aware of screen time guidelines; however, a greater proportion of children could identify physical activity guidelines. We also identified a number of correlates of SED, and ST in Canadian children, and in children around the world. The most common correlates included weight status, and access to electronics in the house. Taken together, this work suggests that public health messaging should focus on increasing awareness of screen time guidelines. While increasing awareness of the guidelines, messaging can be tailored to promoting healthy weight status, and reducing (or removing) children’s access to electronic devices in hopes of reducing overall time spent sedentary.

N. Gonorrhoeae is a major public health concern due to its capacity to develop antibiotic resistance and its potential complications including pelvic inflammatory disease, epididymitis, infertility, and disseminated infection. In order to keep up with resistance trends, the treatment recommendations for gonorrhea have changed frequently. In other areas of medicine, guideline adherence has been shown to be limited, even without frequent guideline changes. In the case of gonorrhea, inappropriate treatment can have serious individual and public health implications, making the quality of and compliance with clinical guidelines critical. This thesis is a three-part mixed methods research project assessing the development and uptake of gonorrhea treatment guidelines. We conducted a systematic review of current gonorrhea treatment guidelines and used the AGREE II tool to assess the quality of guideline development (Chapter 2). We observed that guideline quality varied greatly with many guidelines having weaknesses in their use of existing evidence to develop recommendations, their reporting of potential conflicts of interest and how they were addressed, and their consideration of barriers to the implementation of their recommendations. We then assessed physician adherence to first-line treatment recommendations in Ontario by conducting a segmented time series analysis of Ontario gonorrhea treatment data from iPHIS, the province’s reportable disease database (Chapter 3). Following the introduction of new guidelines that recommended substantial changes from current practice, we found very dramatic drops in guidelines adherence that then improved slowly over time. We then explored the use of process mapping as a tool to look at the local management of cases in the City of Ottawa by following them across the various possible treatment pathways (Chapter 4). Here, we noted differences in practice between the management of cases at Ottawa Public Health’s Sexual Health Clinic and the management of cases elsewhere in the community.

This article develops guidelines for improving cooperation between public libraries and school libraries in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A literature review contextualizes recent developments in the library and information services (LIS) sector, as well as cooperation initiatives abroad and in some of the country’s provinces. Data was collected through questionnaires distributed to public and school librarians, interviews with senior managers in the public library and school library sub-sectors of the Eastern Cape Province, and from official records and policy documents. Analysis and interpretation of this data provided a platform for developing guidelines for cooperation, and indicating what conditions as well as what roles and responsibilities at national, provincial, and local levels are necessary for their successful implementation. The guidelines, while specifically informed by data relevant to the Eastern Cape Province, follow the broader pattern set out in the recent Strategic Guidelines for Collaboration between Community Libraries and Schools 2013-2015 document crafted by the National Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the National Department of Arts and Culture (DAC). / Dissertation (MIS)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Information Science / MIS / Unrestricted

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Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Prevention and early detection of lung cancer are imperative in decreasing lung cancer mortality. Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) decreases lung cancer by 20%. Several organizations introduced lung cancer screening (LCS) guidelines in 2013, including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force. However, LCS participation for eligible patients remains low, due in part to the complexity of the LCS process. The goal of this practice improvement project was to increase the knowledge of rural primary care providers regarding LCS guidelines and the related CMS requirements and to increase their confidence in initiating shared decision-making (SDM) discussions. An educational intervention consisting of a LCS educational session and a toolkit was implemented in two rural clinics. Providers at both clinics reported a benefit to the educational intervention. Pre-, immediate post-, and two-month post-education surveys were collected to evaluate the impact of the educational intervention, including provider knowledge of LCS guidelines and CMS requirements, and confidence in SDM. Project results demonstrated an increased knowledge of LCS guidelines and CMS requirements with the greatest knowledge at immediate post-education and a high level of knowledge remaining at two months post-education. A small, nonsignificant, increase in provider confidence in initiating SDM discussions occurred. At both clinics, data collected through chart audit demonstrated an improvement in documentation needed to determine LCS eligibility and increased the percentage of patients identified at high risk for lung cancer and thus, eligible for LCS. At one clinic these changes were significant. The data were further examined for SDM discussions and referrals for LDCT or to specialist for LCS with one clinic increasing SDM documentation and LDCT referrals post-education. In conclusion, although further research is needed in implementation processes of LCS, specifically in consistent documentation to improve determination of LCS eligibility of patients, this practice improvement project found education increased provider knowledge and ability to complete requirements needed to improve LDCT screenings for lung cancer.