Local government is an important level of participatory democracy, where communities play an active role not only as the electorate, but also as end-users and consumers, and thereby holding their municipal councils accountable for their actions. Given the above statement, the interim Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011, entrusts local government with the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. It also provides for the promotion of social and economic development and the promotion of a safe and healthy environment. This also entails the need for a commitment to service delivery hence, public representatives and public officials must take seriously their obligation to render services to the people that could be in the form of ensuring that refuse gets collected, electricity being supplied and other services rendered which better the general welfare of citizens. There are several definitions of public participation, but it can be defined as a process of empowering citizens by involving them in making decisions on all issues that concern them, which can be political, social or economic. The main aim of this study was to, investigate and identify the nature and extent of integrated participatory planning in Yei River County and the extent to which opportunities for public participation are accessible to the communities. The study sought to investigate: How different stakeholders in the community in Yei River County make use of public participation opportunities during the integrated participatory planning process? As such, the main objectives of the study were to; to assess the existing integrated participatory planning practices in Yei River County, to examine and evaluate how the existing integrated participatory planning practices influence service delivery in Yei River County and lastly to identify the barriers to effective integrated participatory planning in YRC and advance recommendations for improvement. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used and data was collected from a sample of two hundred and twenty-six (226) public officials, comprising of Local Government officials, County councillors and members of the public. Results from the data collected using open and close-ended questionnaires, showed that public participation is very important in local government planning as it leads to incorporation of public suggestions and interests in the development strategies. The results further showed that public meetings and workshops were the only public participation mechanisms being used by Yei River County. The study therefore recommended among other things that, Yei River County should strengthen public participation in integrated participatory planning by providing adequate skilled human resources and establishing structures, as well as public participation mechanisms at the Payam and Boma levels. It was also recommended that the communities needed to utilise all available mechanisms of participation to ensure maximum participation during the integrated participatory planning processes.

The September 11 terrorist attacks pointed out the lack of information sharing between law enforcement agencies as a potential threat to sound law enforcement in the United States. Therefore, many law enforcement agencies as well as the federal government have been initiating information sharing systems among law enforcement agencies to eradicate the information sharing problem. One of the systems established by Homeland Security is the North Central Texas Fusion Center (NCTFC). This study evaluates the NCTFC by utilizing user acceptance methodology. The unified theory of acceptance and the use of technology is used as a theoretical framework for this study. Within the study, user acceptance literature is examined and various models and theories are discussed. Furthermore, a brief information regarding the intelligence work done by law enforcement agencies are explained. In addition to the NCTFC, several major law enforcement information systems are introduced. The data for this study comes from the users of the NCTFC across the north central Texas region. Surveys and interviews are used to triangulate data. It is found in this study that performance expectancy and effort expectancy are important indicators of system use. Furthermore, outreach and needs assessment are important factors in establishing systems. The results of the study offer valuable input for NCTFC administrators, law enforcement officials, and future researchers.

Modellen för röstmaximerande politiska partier i ett proportionerligt valsystem presenterad av Lindbeck och Weibull (1987) respektive Dixit och Londregan (1996) används för att testa svenska regeringens taktiska användning av de allmänna statsbidragen till kommunerna under åren 2007–2010. Resultaten tyder på att statsbidragen använts taktiskt vilket korroborerar teorin. Liknande analys för åren 2015–2018 kunde inte replikera resultaten. Svensk valundersökning används för att identifiera väljarnas ideologiska preferens för regeringen under tiden för riksdagsvalet 2006 varefter mätmodellen presenterad av Johansson (2003) och Dahlberg och Johansson (2002) används för att skatta poängen mot den latenta faktorn "ideologisk bias". Dessa poäng delas upp efter valkrets och används för att skatta den ideologiska biasens täthetsfördelning i respektive valkrets. Valresultatet används för att identifiera indifferenspunkterna där väljarna i respektive valkrets är indifferenta mellan båda politiska blocken. Täthetsfunktionerna utvärderas vid dessa punkter varefter betydelsen av tätheterna som determinant för mängden allmänna statsbidrag en kommun erhåller testas genom linjär regression. / A version of the model for voter share maximizing political parties in a proportional electoral system developed by Lindbeck and Weibull (1987) and Dixit and Londregan (1996) respectively is presented. This model is used to test if there is evidence for the tactical use of intergovernmental grants from the central incumbent government to the local governments at the municipal level during the first term of office 2007-2010 of the conservative Reinfeldt government in Sweden. The results show that such tactical use did occur, and which corroborates the theoretical framework for competing parties. Similar results were obtained for the periods 2011-2014 (conservative government) and 2015-2018 (socialist government). Data from the Swedish election studies are used to identify the voter’s ideological preferences for the incumbent central government during the time of the 2006 general election to the Swedish parliament. The theory behind the model presented by Johansson (2003) and Dahlberg and Johansson (2002) respectively was the guideline to estimate the factor scores against the latent factor “ideological bias”. The Gaussian kernel density function is used to estimate the ideological bias in each constituency: The actual election results are used to approximate the indifference cutpoint where the voters are indifferent between both political alternatives. The probability distribution functions were evaluated at these cutpoints after which the importance of these densities for the amount of intergovernmental grants a municipality receives is tested using linear regression.

Das herkömmliche völkerrechtliche Institut des diplomatischen Schutzes ist im Verhältnis zwischen Staaten (als originären Völkerrechtssubjekten) entstanden. Aber auch intergouvernmentale Organisationen sind in der Lage, Maßnahmen mit unmittelbarer Rechtswirkung gegenüber Einzelpersonen zu treffen, so daß auch hier die Frage aufzuwerfen ist, wann und mit welchen Mitteln der jeweilige Heimatstaat die (Grund-)Rechte seiner Staatsangehörigen gegenüber einer solchen Organisation geltend machen kann.

Background: Studies situated in an institutional care environment point to the fact that addiction issues in institutional care are a topic that deserves special attention, even with regard to the fact that the children of these institutions are considered vulnerable to risky behavior. The Ústí nad Labem Region has long been in the first places in the prevalence of substance use and is also specific in the occurrence of a number of negative social factors. In the whole region there is 1 addiction treatment outpatient clinic focused on the target group of children and adolescents, which during its operation registered repeated demand for specialized help that originates from children's homes. Aim: The main aim of the study is to identify the opportunity of applying an addiction specialist in the children's home in the Ústí nad Labem region. The partial aims of the study are to map the current state of addiction issues in these children's homes and to describe the possible form of cooperation of these facilities and addiction specialist with regard to the identification of barriers to this cooperation. Methods: The research is based on a qualitative approach. The research sample was obtained by a combination of selective sampling method and self-selection method. All 17 children's homes in the Ústí...

Presented diploma thesis is disciplined interpretative case study, which examines bilateral relations in energy field between the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany in between 2004 - 2014. The thesis analyses intergovernmental relationship between the two actors using Andrew Moravcsik's Liberal Intergovernmentalist Approach theory. The aim of the diploma thesis is to define the character of such a relationship and its development throughout the defined period. To this goal, three hypotheses have been set. They focus on the asymmetry of mutual relations, impact of economic interests on their formation and on possible transfer of unsolved issues to the EU level. National interest is being defined throughout the strategic documents analysis. First chapter defines actors, who represent the state in mutual relations and advocate national preferences. Second chapter analyses bilateral contacts, the frequency of energy connected issues at the bilateral meetings and the shifts in the relationship. Third chapter examines the area of unplanned power flows from Germany to the Czech Republic as they represent the most pressing issue in bilateral energy relations. Mutual cooperation is assessed in the last part of the second and third chapter. In its conclusions, the diploma thesis verifies all presented...

This habilitation thesis consists of seven published journal articles and one published book chapter. Part I, consisting of chapter 1, introduces the overarching theme of environmental policy instruments and discusses the current use of and prospects for economic instruments in conservation policies. A number of research gaps are identified which are addressed in the subsequent chapters. Part II, consisting of chapters 2–5, encompasses four papers focused on a single type of policy instrument: intergovernmental fiscal transfers. Although well documented in public finance literature, intergovernmental fiscal transfers remain a somewhat neglected instrument in environmental policy. Despite being well suited to address the spillover benefits that often accrue with conservation policies, there is scant research literature on ecological fiscal transfers compared to other economic instruments such as environmental taxes or tradable permits. In fact, very few countries make practical use of them to achieve conservation objectives. Thus intergovernmental fiscal transfers are an innovative instrument in conservation policies in particular, so that advances in both theory and applied research may prove especially beneficial here. Part III, consisting of chapters 6–9, combines a number of articles in integrative biodiversity research and applied biodiversity governance, themes that are often neglected in the economic analysis of environmental policy instruments. However, when implementing policy instruments in societal settings, interdisciplinary research bridging the natural and social sciences is as much a prerequisite as policy-relevant research that responds to the needs of decision makers and other stakeholders. Both policy design and policy evaluation yield the best outcomes when they involve ecologists, economists, legal and other social scientists, as this ensures that consideration is given to ecological effectiveness, economic efficiency, administrative feasibility, social acceptance, and perception by stakeholders. Policy-relevant research also responds to current societal developments and prospective changes in legislation which may provide windows of opportunity to propose new instruments. Meanwhile, sound empirical research and case study design are indispensable in making concrete policy recommendations, taking into account existing formal and informal institutions.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / This study is about an investigation into the provisioning of water and sanitation services in Ga-Kgapane Township in the Limpopo Province. Since the year 2002, the residents of Ga-Kgapane Township live without sufficient water supply services. Residents receive tap water once a week and they depend on supply from water tankers for the rest of the week. This township has a water borne sewage system and most of the households have indoor toilets. The study used a mixed method because it had incorporated both elements of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in its approaches. The research instruments such as semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, documentary data extraction and observations were used to collect information. The study’s sample size comprised of 77 key participants and informants from Mopani District Municipality (Water Services Authority); Lepelle-Northern Water Board (implementing agency and bulk water supplier); Greater Letaba Municipality (Water Service Provider); Ward Councillors and community members (endusers). The research findings revealed that Ga-Kgapane Township’s water and sanitation provision challenges are due to insufficient or lack of water, poor water management and poor governance. It was also discovered that the MDM and GLM have failed to translate the rights to water and sanitation into law, policy, budget and service provision for the Ga-Kgapane Township residents. The insufficient water supply challenge resulted in some community members migrating to other areas where there is better basic service provision. The residents failed to exploit the economic development opportunities which resulted in health risks as they were exposed to danger due to burst sewer pipes which spewed raw sewerage water on the streets. The sewage contaminated the township’s natural streams. This study’s findings could form a basis for future research on the effectiveness of the MDM’s Water Services Provision Agreement which was signed with the district’s local municipalities. The Mopani District Municipality has for many years v received undesired audit opinions ranging from ‘Adverse to Disclaimer’ notices. This affects the local municipalities too as they are all qualified-on water transactions. As part of the recommendations, the study proposed that the Greater Letaba Municipality should utilise the Intergovernmental Relations Forum to address the plight of the provision of water and sanitation services in Ga-Kgapane Township.

A culture of accommodation and tolerance is a necessary part of establishing and preserving a functional multi-national and multi-ethnic European Union. Civil society organizations and their associated social capital have been shown to foster civic capacity and achievement of public policy goals. However, social capital that is based on group identity can also contribute to a sense of intolerance towards out-groups, undermining the stated tolerance objectives of the social pillar of the European Union. States with a strong presence alongside civil society are expected to be curb the development of the exclusionary bonding form of social capital in favor of bridging social capital which will improve progress toward policy goals. This study tests the link between government capacity, social capital and tolerance using data from the 1990-2009 waves of the World Values Survey and European Values Study. Using path analysis and multi-level models of the relationships between political capacity, social capital and intolerance, the model establishes that government capacity enhances bridging social capital and which increases social tolerance. The study fills a gap in understanding how government capacity and policy can result in improved social capital even with greater diversity. A proposed relationship between political capacity and bonding forms of social capital was not supported.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges currectly facing humanity. Its impacts lead to the displacement of people through sea level rise, desertification, drought, flood and other ecological disaster. The global imbalance of power results in people being unequally affected by climate change. This power imbalance affects the policy-making of intergovernmental institutions and knowledge production in policy processes. This thesis conducts a policy analysis to elaborate colonial continuities that influence knowledge production on migration and climate change. Therefore, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) is examined. The theoretical framework of the thesis draws on knowledge and power, modernity/coloniality, and racial capitalism. Findings suggest that the influences of colonial continuities on knowledge production about climate change and migration are reflected in underlying colonial epistemological and ontological assumptions, power structures and the hegemonic discourse. Alternative knowledges, such as those contributed by civil society actors are side-lined during the process and not included in the final document. The GCM does not consider the link between environmental change and racial capitalism or colonial power imbalance, but looks at only one of the adaptation strategies and presents it as a problem: human migration. Instead of addressing the root of the problem and holding polluting countries accountable for their inaction, the GCM focuses on migration control.