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In southern Illinois, multiple state, federal, and private ownerships are implementing various management tactics in the Cache River watershed. Although some aspects are coordinated under the Cache River Joint Venture Partnership (CRJVP), individual agencies and entities retain specific ownership priorities and approaches to management. This case study explores how agency/organizational characteristics and interrelations affect land management decision-making among land managers employed by federal agencies, state agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five participants, including land managers, staff members who maintain active participation with on-the-ground activities, and individuals who have worked closely with CRJVP. Triangulation of interview transcriptions, meeting observations, management plans, and other relevant agency/organization documents revealed emerging themes and patterns within the data. Grounded theory was applied to better understand how differences in institutional cultures, missions, and resources impact management practices across the landscape. Results suggest that administrative processes, funding sources, policy and regulations, mission statements, specified objectives, and management goals within and between agencies/organizations determine how institutional priorities and capacity impact management decisions and on-the-ground activities. Institutional structures influence decision-making power and field-level capabilities. Management decisions follow mandates and internal orders within their respective institutions. While overarching goals remain compatible, each institution exhibits their own perspective of managing resources. Combined with unclear management criteria, these discrepancies create a shift in institutional interests. Current economic conditions influence institutions to work internally and re-assess values, shifting focus from partnership actions to individual institutional goals. Despite diminishing budgets and lessening capacity, partnerships are able to pool resources and encourage collaborative on-the-ground actions. More resources indicate greater management capabilities, collective thinking to solve problems, and bridging resource gaps. Partners stand together in a unifying force, bringing strength to each institution and backing up decisions with collective efforts. For successful collaborative management, partners must focus on fundamental common goals as well as respect differences in institutional cultures. Partnership flaws must be acknowledged and accepted for constituents to continue to move forward in collaborative natural resource management. While addressing individual site needs, large scale management is still an effective management unit for natural resource institutions. Additionally, adaptive management is the key to addressing ecosystem dynamics. Natural resources are dynamic and resource managers must adjust management tactics to suit environmental changes over spatial and temporal scales.

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A thesis submitted to the Faculty Of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Community Work in the Department of Communication Science at the University Of Zululand, 2018 / The intention of this research is to define and bring about an integrated role between the triple society components into sustainable education development, and in respect to producing learners who are self-disciplined, self-dependent, skilled, employable and qualifying for higher education. The study investigates communication impact, attitudes and, teaching and learning space between teachers and parents’ involvement from a shared role and a shared partnership necessarily to advance learners basic needs. Hence, this cooperative role is the extension of communication between parents and teachers. Reystek (1999: 111) in Mpofana (2004) observed that parents in black communities disregard their mission of being part of the education of their children. However, the South African Schools Act (Act. No. 84 of 1996) (SASA) suggests that parents must accept the co-responsibility of their involvement. It is on this premise that this research work is designed to investigate into the state of the unknown. The study depicts the understandings and perceptions of Mandlenkosi Secondary School learners at eThekwini North district; a district predominantly black people. The District proves to be associated with an area called Lindelani, an informal settlement which is challenged by socioeconomic transformation. This is in consonance with what Legotlo (2002) who posits that poor and uneducated parents have a tendency to be unenthusiastic towards getting involved in their children school activities because they feel inferior to the highly educated, knowledgeable and rich teachers. In any case this is true. This evidently demonstrates a potential lack of parental involvement in school matters, in as much as teachers are adequately present but there is a vulnerable gap as far as morals and attitude are concern. The theory of overlapping spheres of influence that discusses the mutual interests and influence, policies and practices of all stakeholders’ interaction, family creation and schools can help the learners to become more successful in education by Epstein (2001:15) was employed by the researcher to account for this phenomenon. In order to accomplish the objectives of the study, a mixed research method was used and the main data collection instruments used, were interviews and questionnaires. From a quantitative process, a descriptive research method was applied, of which the study focused on a group of 30 learners studying at Mandlenkosi Secondary School, 10 parents of learners that study at Mandlenkosi Secondary School; and 10 teachers that teach as Mandlenkosi. The present study also made use of a qualitative design to describe the attitudes of the learners, parents and teachers. On a qualitative process, an in-depth interview was done, by the researcher through putting to gather, organizing and interpreting information. In addition, a dominant language like the mother tongue, that is, isiZulu was used to interpret questionnaires as they were written in English. The study findings revealed that there is lack of effective communication from school to parents, and as a result, communication needs to be disseminated in a more proficient and receptive manner. The study also indicated that the performance level between a child with both parents and child with single parents is not the same. In conclusion, the study revealed that there needs to be a social worker or rather an educational psychologist that is always available on the school premises, whose role is to address learner’s behaviour modification, as well as addressing the issues of poverty and entry level [Grade 8] career guidance to learners. In summary, this study concludes that it is appropriate to reward and acknowledge teachers and learner’s performance by using annual awarding programs in order for learners and teachers to be kept motivated, appreciated and recognized.

Despite the many models of American federalism in the literature, the principal model of American federalism is one of relationships between two distinct sovereigns - the federal and state governments. Yet, a third sovereign exists, the many Alaska Native and American Indian tribes in this nation. Tribes are sovereigns, having their own governance structures, and are dealt with on a government-to-government relationship by the United States. At the nexus or intersection where federalism and tribal governance meet, numerous relationships often occur between these sovereigns and other entities, some of which may be cooperative or conflicting in scope. Under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, the issue of solid waste management in what is known as Indian country is used as a lens to examine the multiple relationships among these multiple sovereigns. Interviews were conducted with forty-five key informants from tribes, tribal organizations, federal/state/local agencies, and universities. Specific information about tribal solid waste management programs was obtained from thirty-five tribes, tribal organizations and other sources. Analysis of the research data revealed three patterns of relationships that emerged: (1) uncooperative, (2) cooperative formal, and (3) cooperative informal. These patterns of relationships point to tribal sovereignty as an embedded theme for solid waste management by Indian tribes because of its emphasis on the rights and responsibilities of their members to participate in decisions affecting the community as a whole. Finally, the study advocates better relationships among all sovereigns not only in solid waste management but also for public policy in general. / Ph. D.

In 1880, the 46th US Congress requested the first federal study of the state of arts education. A two-volume report, of almost 2,000 pages, was written by Issac Edwards Clarke and submitted in 1885. Titled Art and Industry: Education in the Industrial and Fine Arts in the United States, it stated, "The wide spread interest and activity [of the arts] gives promise of an important development in the art productions of the United States." Now, over a century later, the expansion of arts continues. A most recent development is the growth of arts education programs within professional producing/presenting organizations. The purpose of this study is to understand the motivations, benefits and realities of educational programs from the perspective of a professional producing/presenting arts organization. More specifically, what has enticed these organizations to create and sustain educational programs? Are these programs viewed as an extension of outreach, or as a program to serve their mission, or for reasons unstated? Research was collected in Charlotte, NC, a community with diverse arts organizations, many of whom support educational programs. The school district also has a strong arts education programming. Nine arts organizations and three supporting organizations were selected for direct interviews. Each interview was conducted in the same manner, based on five questions. This research reveals that arts organizations are proactive and have created valuable educational experiences for their community, but many organizations are doing a disservice to their core beliefs by not defining the value the educational program provides for the organization. / Master of Fine Arts

A community coalition is a formal alliance of organisations, groups and agencies that have come together for a common goal. Collaborative partnerships between the health professionals and the communities they serve have received attention as a strategy for achieving health gain and are spreading globally. This partnership approach has a potential for a synergistic maximization of impact and has been advocated as a means to increase citizen participation and ownership among under-privileged groups. Despite the popular appeal and theoretical promise of this approach, the precise domains that need to be fostered by the stakeholders to implement this complex model remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the characteristics and perceptions of the CPs' stakeholders as regards the structural characteristics and operational parameters of the partnerships, as well as the correlates of effectiveness and impact for each participant group. Of particular interest was to identify the characteristics which enable partnerships to fulfill their organizational tasks and goals, regardless of the scope or complexity of purpose. The five CPs were located across South Africa and aimed at Health Professions Education reforms. Quantitative data was collected from 668 coalition members and qualitative data from 46 strategic participants. The partnerships' documents were also scrutinized and ample participant observations were undertaken. The data was then pooled and the comparison groups were constructed: the professionals, comprising of staff from the academic institutions and the health service providers, the community members and the full-time paid employees of the partnerships, the core staff. The analyses of the partner's opinions and views as well as the predictors of accomplishment of diverse stakeholders hold lessons for managers concerned with health coalitions. Generally, training and development seem to be the main thrust of the partnerships' missions. The observation is that clarity of roles, procedures and responsibilities is imperative. Clarity requires transparency to each others agendas. Although there was an under-representation of the youth, there seemed to exist a mixture of various levels of satisfaction in the partnerships, with the community members in need for more sense of ownership. The findings also point to that consultation in decision making seem to be lacking with unilateral decision making taking place. This might lead to power struggles and hidden agendas between the partners that could hamper the advancement of the partnerships. Explanation of why stakeholders are satisfied or committed or what explains their views on effectiveness and activity levels of their partnerships may inform efforts in other settings. With diverse partners, it is important to be somewhat cautious in the consideration of the stakeholders engaged in these collaborative efforts. Partners working together need not be considered homogenous entities. The groups come from different backgrounds, organizations and cultures. The attitude to be created in collaborative interventions is one of a clear understanding that embraces the different origins and aspirations of the stakeholders and recognises the mutual roles, responsibilities, resources and limits. Only by paying due attention to their individual values and weaving it into a common vision can the partnership process be taken forward.

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