In order to maintain a sustainable development and biological balance of the territory, the government defines several kinds of restricted areas for land development in National Comprehensive Development Plan. The classification of restricted areas is defined according to the environmental, biological and cultural sensitivities of land, and areas with such restrictions should limit the land use and development. However, owing to the high density of population and finite area of territory, the extension of economical activities to restricted areas such as the commercial activities in a national park is hard to avoid. Besides, during recent years, the fairness of the defining the boundary of restricted areas is often challenged and sometimes causes resistance of local inhabitants. As a result, such problems worsen under the pressure of economical development and thus lead to the malfunction of the land use regulation. To avoid this situation, the establishment of a system of a social compensation for restricted areas is vital to land management. Although some strategies such as impact fee have been made in order to deal with the environmental external effects caused by land development and modification, such strategies mostly focus on the compensation for people whose rights were damaged. However, there has not been a fair social compensation system dealing with the internalization of external advantages made by the beneficiaries by such land use regulations. Moreover, the traditional compensation strategies mostly deal with the standard of solatium calculation and the law base. Such strategies lack of a positive motivation to the sustainability and symbiosis of the environment. To achieve the circulation of environmental resources, urging the users to manage and use limited resources in an effective way is vital to the sustainable resource management. The study adopts the concepts of resource-based theory, environmental partnerships and non-profit enterprises, effectively integrates the public spirit of the government, the management knowledge of private sectors and the mobilization energy of local communities, and establishes a new cooperation model named ¡§social enterprise¡¨ based on communities. Based on a case study of Kenting National Park, this thesis first proceeds a survey of evaluation for environmental resources and attitude of local inhabitants and tourists towards the resource management in the restricted area using contingent valuation method (CVM). Through the result of the case study and the practical experiences of environmental partnerships carried in other countries, the thesis then discusses about the present problems of the compensation system in Taiwan and suggests possible strategies for the establishment of future social compensation system based on the concepts of local innovation and environmental partnerships.

The purpose of the study is to identify the perceived successful practices that led to improved teacher recruitment, preparation and retention efforts within the nine universities of The Texas A&M University System brought about by the Regents' Initiative for Excellence in Education. The data for this study, gathered through interviews, document reviews and observation, revealed that the Regents' Initiative was considered by project directors to be a challenging but rewarding educational reform initiative. The lessons learned through the experience reflect the general findings common to the research literature on school-university partnerships. Research findings of this study revealed that the successful implementation of the Regents' Initiative involved strategies to overcome challenges and develop processes for recruiting, improving teacher preparation and teacher retention. Selecting the right person as the teacher recruiter was paramount to the successful attainment of A&M System university teacher recruitment goals. Operationalizing teacher recruiting included developing recruiting targets, organizing data management, tracking student recruits in the teacher preparation pipeline and periodically reporting progress to stakeholders. Quality improvement of teacher preparation involved recruiting higher achieving high school and community college students, setting higher standards for teacher candidate performance and aligning course curriculum within the college of education and with community college partners to the state standards. Institutional leadership was required to promote and build meaningful partnerships combining efforts to recruit, prepare and retain quality teachers in the profession. A&M System institutions developed a communications campaign to build legislative, institutional and public awareness and support of the Initiative. Institutional involvement was broadened by providing opportunities for interaction between arts and sciences faculty and college of education faculty through collaborative research grants, presentation conferences and symposia. Finally, the successes were celebrated with all stakeholders, and rewards were provided to those who made significant contributions to the effort.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Kongsberg Automotive (KA), a first- and second-tier supplier to some of the largest</p><p>automotive manufactures, has acknowledged the need to enhance their competitiveness</p><p>and to collaborate within the supply chain. In order to do this, KA must improve the</p><p>current business processes by establishing long term relationships with their suppliers.</p><p>Today, KA face a high level of inventory, which has resulted substantial amount of tied</p><p>up capital and inefficient processes. Therefore, this study will evaluate KA’s and three</p><p>chosen suppliers’ possibilities and the effects that a vendor managed inventory (VMI)</p><p>partnership will imply.</p><p>VMI is a concept within supply chain management, where the supplier is fully responsible</p><p>for managing the customer’s inventory level. To achieve this, the supplier is given</p><p>access to sensitive information of the customer’s inventory level and demand and can,</p><p>thereby, replenish the customer’s stock when needed. Although, some firms have embraced</p><p>the concept with success, others have retreated forcefully.</p><p>To fulfil the purpose of this study, we have done a broad literature review regarding</p><p>VMI and performance measurements, as well as, organisational structures and information</p><p>sharing in collaborative partnerships. Further, to better understand the implementation</p><p>and effects of VMI, a benchmarking study was made at Volvo Powertrain in</p><p>Skövde, an early VMI pioneer. In addition to the thorough study of KA’s processes,</p><p>field visits were made at the suppliers’ to visualize their material and information flow in</p><p>order to examine in what areas VMI would have an impact.</p><p>The conclusion of this study is that a VMI strategy, in supplement with a consignment</p><p>stock policy, is possible for KA. However, issues concerning responsibilities and ownership</p><p>have become apparent throughout the study that needs to be agreed upon. Further,</p><p>the study indicates that the benefits from a VMI implementation will be greater for KA,</p><p>than for the suppliers. Specifically, a reduction in inventory value can be attained by KA,</p><p>while the suppliers only can obtain minor improvements within the areas of inventory,</p><p>production, and order processing. On the other hand, the suppliers will face drawbacks,</p><p>mainly in their order processing, which will result in increased costs. However, we advice</p><p>KA to further discuss and test the VMI and consignment stock strategy in a pilot</p><p>project in order to find the right solution for the company and the suppliers.</p>

City parks can improve the quality of life as well as the physical and mental health of its citizens, and they can lead to increases in property values and hence higher property tax revenues. However, parks can also be costly to cities, especially medium-sized cities that lack the necessary access to financing to acquire and maintain city parks. In the case of Lafayette, Louisiana, the city is struggling to acquire the University of Louisiana Horse Farm and incorporate it into its park system. This professional report reviews financing strategies for cities that are seeking to acquire land or open space, and also provides specific recommendations for the Horse Farm. Through this literature review and analysis of the Lafayette case, this professional report contributes to the literature on public financing of land for green space development, a subject of particular importance considering the important role parks play in urban life. / text

The goal of this study is to provide a better understanding of the impact of outreach programs designed to impart technology skills to middle-school students from underserved communities, on both participants and their families. An outreach program, called Hi-Tec CompNow, was chosen for this study. This program was conducted as an after-school program for middle-school students from underserved communities in central Texas wherein participants learn computer hardware and software skills during a ten-week period. The study utilized (a) an interpretive analysis of the data generated from a questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the program to obtain participants‟ computer beliefs, (b) program observations recorded by the researcher during program sessions, and (c) interviews conducted by the researcher with participants and their families after program completion. Results of the study showed that the majority of participants experienced some increase in their CSE beliefs at the end of the program, but the changes were not statistically significant. The study further illustrated that participants interviewed by the researcher expressed increased confidence in computers, spent more time on home computers, and were able to resolve computer issues in their homes. Parents were pleased with the program as well and generally expressed increased confidence in their children‟s computer skills. The study identified some of the program attributes which seemed to have led to enhanced CSE beliefs in most participants. These included hands-on experiences and teacher demonstrations of computer skills. In addition, the study found that student encouragement through family support and commitment had a positive impact on participants‟ CSE beliefs, while negative family input had a negative impact. Lack of culturally-responsive learning content, participants‟ lack of use of the dial-up Internet service provided cost-free for a year, and perceptions that the computers provided by the program were outdated and thus not fully functional were factors which seemed to have undermined the program‟s impact on digital equity. Additionally, the program provided software which focused on document creation, spreadsheet-based analysis, and presentations. However, the study also revealed that most participants utilized home computers for more “recreational” purposes, e.g. playing games, and playing and/or editing music, games, and videos. The study suggests that well-intentioned outreach programs such as Hi-Tec CompNow are making laudable efforts to bridge the digital divide. However, they need to reinvent themselves to ensure underserved populations do not get left behind in a digital world that has moved beyond the desktop computer. To enhance the digital literacy of the underserved, digital equity programs must provide opportunities to build their skills in multimedia, mobile media and online participation in addition to fostering access to newer computers of good quality with high-speed and wireless Internet. / text

This study documents an experience in which a small group of cognitively and developmentally disabled adults expressed their personal goals and views related to art museum visits. A review of literature related to disability studies, museum access and inclusive programs, art therapy, and person-centered thinking provide background and context. Case study and qualitative interviews are used as methodologies to support an investigation of the use of person-centered thinking in the implementation of art museum programming for the study participants. Person-centered thinking is considered and assessed as an approach to structuring meaningful collaborations between visitors with disabilities and art museums. Data collected in the forms of visual and written response, observation, and documentation of interviews inform the findings, discussion, and analysis of the study's research goals. The resulting case study may be used by museums to structure visits with similar groups. This study contributes to a growing body of knowledge pertaining to how museums can best collaborate with disabled populations to create inclusive programs.

Increasingly, colleges and universities are partnering with private, non-profit, and government organizations in order to generate revenue, develop academic programs, transfer research to market, and gain legitimacy (Anderson, 2001; Etzkowitz & Lvdesdorff, 1997; Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004). While research exploring this phenomenon in universities has produced several important works, fewer studies have examined partnerships centered on the community college. Instead, the bulk of articles written about community college partnerships merely serve as how-to guides for college leaders, providing the benefits of and lessons learned from specific partnerships between colleges and industry (Erwin, 2005; Sundberg, 2002). The purpose of this case study is to provide an in-depth, critical analysis of a complex partnership involving many organizations in a unique geographic setting. The study focuses on the community college at the center of a regional STEM education coalition, exploring why the college entered into the partnership and how it was affected. Findings demonstrate that several factors at the state and national level, or "streams," combined to form a powerful "current" of influence uniquely tailored to the community in which the college was located. Further, the loose and informal structure of the coalition, coupled with a myopic and hegemonic institutional narrative, allowed individuals outside the college to guide and direct the activities of the institution with relatively little dissent. Because of the lack of orchestrated inter-organizational coordination and agreement, the objective of the coalition, to develop a pipeline of STEM education programs from high school through the university, suffered from challenges and breakdowns at every level. The study concludes by discussing implications for college leaders regarding building relationships with external organizations, effectively serving the local citizenry, and responding to constituents and incentives of various kinds.

Where parties are married in community of property, debts are incurred by the parties and not by the joint estate. Each spouse is liable for debt incurred by either spouse. A creditor is, therefore, entitled to claim from joint estate of both spouses (as co debtors). Such an estate includes not only the spouse's undivided interest in the joint estate but also any and all separate property that falls outside the joint estate. Once the joint estate is sequestrated, both spouses become "insolvent debtors" and consequently the property (including separate property) of both spouses is available to creditors. The lnsolvency Act, as opposed to the Matrimonial Property Act, makes no provision for the recognition or sequestration of 'separate property". Although an estate is sequestrated, it is the debtor who is insolvent. A debtor (married in community of property) who possesses "separate property" is on sequestration of the joint estate insolvent in relation to both his or her undivided interest in the joint estate as well as any "separate property". But is this correct? Ample provision is made by various statutes for the exclusion of certain property from an insolvent estate. Does this not mean that a debtor might be insolvent in relation to one estate and not insolvent in relation to the other? The estate of a partnership is, for purposes of sequestration, deemed to be a separate entity from the partners' private estates. Where the partnership fails, creditors first have recourse against the estate of the partnership where after any shortfall may be claimed from the private estates of the partners. Although the estates of partners are sequestrated simultaneously with the estate of the partnership, creditors of the partnership may not proof their claims against the estate of a partner and vice versa. Is it just and equitable that a spouse who owns separate property is treated differently from a partner who does not possess a separate estate in law from the partnership estate? A partner only has one estate - a private estate that includes his or her interest in the partnership. It is concluded that despite the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Du Plessis v Pienaar, a sense of dissatisfaction still prevails regarding the status of separate property. It is furthermore suggested that in view of the lack of provisions in the insolvency Act regarding separately owned property, the said Act be amended to provide for the specific exclusion of separate property from an insolvent joint estate. It is more advisable to provide for the exclusion of separate property from the insolvent joint estate than to provide for the simultaneous sequestration thereof. / Thesis (LL.M. (Estate Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Cross-sector  social-oriented  partnerships  which  address  social  or  environmental challenges are increasing in practice and in the literature. Although this is expected to continue  in the  future, management responsibilities are  largely unclear  in this type of cross-sector  collaboration.  Project  management  was  found  to  be  a  relevant  area  for investigation  because  cross-sector  collaborations  and  projects  have  similar characteristics and projects are mentioned separately in the two literature fields.   By joining them in a novel theoretical framework and by collecting empirical data, this thesis aims to explore, describe and analyse the context and use of project management in  the  formation  phase  of  cross-sector  social-oriented  partnerships.  The  study  was undertaken in the belief that project management can be enriched by being researched in collaborative settings and that cross-sector collaborations are interesting to investigate from a managerial perspective. In fact, they offer great potential for knowledge creation and sharing which has been addressed mainly by management research.   This  thesis  study  was  structured  according  to  three  research  objectives.  Firstly,  we analysed the role of contextual elements in cross-sector social-oriented partnerships by comparing cases in different European country contexts, which were selected based on established criteria. Secondly, we conceptualised the formation phase as  it was  found that  the  literature  lacked  an  overarching  understanding  of  this  phase.  Thirdly,  we identified  management  responsibilities  with  a  focus  on  project  and  knowledge management concepts in the formation of cross-sector social-oriented partnerships.    We  investigated  both  partners  in  a  multi-method  qualitative  study  to  get  a  holistic understanding  of  the  research  context.  Primary  data  was  collected  in  semi-structured interviews and supplemented with secondary data. The data was analysed on two levels which allowed for the triangulation of findings. Given the mainly inductive approach, template  analysis  was  deployed  allowing  for  flexibility  to  take  account  of  emerging aspects.   The  empirical  data  shows  that  project  management  is  deployed  differently  in  the formation  of  cross-sector  social-oriented  partnerships,  depending  on  contextual elements  and  the  intention  with  which  they  were  formed.  This  is  reflected  in  the interaction of partners, the level of trust between them, the way knowledge is shared and ultimately in the level of formality in which project management is deployed. In light of the generated findings, the extension of a collaboration continuum from the literature is proposed  by  integrating  project  management  as  a  parameter.  The  findings  and  this proposition have implications on practitioners and for further research in the field.

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