Research studies and commentaries have analyzed the formal mechanisms associated with special education conflict such as the use of mediation and impartial hearings to resolve disputes. However, specific information regarding the management of special education conflict at the school level is in shorter supply. This study addresses special education conflicts between school personnel and parents of children with disabilities to understand better how these conflicts might be managed more successfully. The purpose of this study was to develop recommendations and implications for managing special education conflicts at the school building level. Multi-vocal synthesis methods were used to collect and to analyze data in an iterative process incorporating results from a content analysis of previous research with analysis of interviews with stakeholders having a vested interest in managing special education conflict at the school level (Gersten & Baker, 2000; Ogawa & Malen, 1992). Findings suggest that providing parents with evidence that their child’s needs are being met would pave the way for successful school-based special education conflict management. In conclusion, the participants indicated that conflicts could be avoided or managed successfully if school personnel could provide parents with clear evidence (a) that their child’s IEP was being followed in the classroom; (b) that accommodations were provided; (c) that staff were knowledgeable about providing services in an inclusive environment; (d) that administrators were knowledgeable about special education compliance issues; and (e) that staff would be held accountable for providing an appropriate education and for demonstrating trustworthy behavior. / Ed. D.

With its central role in the development of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts, procurement structure has a significant influence on the economic and policy success of privately-financed toll roads throughout their lifecycle. Following a review of PPP fundamentals and the public-policy differentiation between public interest and public objectives, several approaches for establishing the key contract strategies of toll pricing, concession length, and risk mitigation are explored. These underpinnings motivate the central research question: Given specific policy objectives for road pricing, how should public owners select PPP contract strategies which support these outcomes? Through qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a recently-developed method for evaluating qualitative data quantitatively, patterns of PPP contract strategies which correspond to three common policy objectives--achieving a specific toll rate, managing congestion, and minimizing state subsidy/maximizing revenue--are identified through evaluation of 18 domestic and international projects. Three practical decision-making tools resulting from this work are illustrated through application to current PPP procurements: (1) a traffic-risk worksheet, which provides a rapid estimate of a toll-financed project's viability; (2) analytical QCA results, which offer guidance for structuring PPP contracts based on the desired pricing objectives; and (3) case-library comparisons, which enable drawing parallels between proposed procurements and established PPP projects. Additional insights explore the nature of risk in this study, which concludes with thoughts on the appropriate role of PPPs in infrastructure delivery. / Ph. D.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have unique characteristics such as a long time horizon and multiple stakeholders involved. This can lead to common transaction hazards – uncertainty, asset specificity, imperfect information and incomplete contracts, which can further promote opportunistic behavior between parties. Although contracts are designed to govern projects and curb opportunism, their efficacy is limited by these transaction hazards. Therefore, the development of strong relationships and cooperative behavior among stakeholders are often emphasized to complement contractual provisions, which can mitigate transaction hazard impacts. Relational contracting includes a set of principles such as flexibility and effective communication, which promote cooperative behavior and advance mutually beneficial outcomes for stakeholders. A relational contract can include different relational approaches such as informal resolution procedures, partnering practices and incentives to promote relational exchanges in a project. The level of presence of these relational approaches in PPP contracts is an indication of their ability to further inter-organizational relationships. Although previous studies have summarized and further investigated relational approaches in construction projects using conventional delivery methods, similar investigations for PPP projects are limited. Furthermore, relational contracting theory suggests that the contractual inclusion of approaches does not assure their implementation in the field. Stakeholders tend to form working relationships different than what is intended in the contract. Therefore, examining the implementation of these approaches is an important precursor to exploring their effectiveness and capacity to promote stronger relationships between parties. Accordingly, this research presents three complementary studies to enhance understanding of relational approaches employed in PPP projects. The first study focused on the identification of relational approaches described in the literature for specification in PPP contracts to enhance cooperative behavior. A comprehensive literature review process identified relational approaches that were grouped into six categories – communication/nature of negotiations, partnering, conflict resolution methods, monitoring, changes process and risk allocation. The second study examined the extent that the relational approaches identified in the first study were specified in 22 PPP transportation project contracts in the United States. This investigation characterized how relational these contracts are, which is indicative of the capacity of these contracts to promote relational exchanges in a project. For instance, different partnering practices were either included in contracts or not, while the inclusion of conflict resolution methods in contracts was selective. The third study investigated the implementation of relational approaches in practice. Semi-structured interviews of 13 subject matter experts were conducted to obtain perspectives regarding the implementation of different relational approaches. For example, all the interviewees emphasized handling conflicts through informal resolution methods to save the time and effort required in third party methods such as mediation, arbitration and dispute review boards. A framework intended to promote proactive management of stakeholder relationships is proposed based on the findings. Collectively, these three complementary studies shed light on the current state of contractual inclusion and implementation of relational approaches in PPP projects in the United States. Overall, this research contributes towards the growing literature concerning the complementarity between contractual and relational governance, which is needed for improved project performance. These studies have advanced understanding of relational approaches in PPPs by establishing a baseline for their current contractual specification in PPP projects and identifying factors influencing their implementation in the field. Future research can explore their impact on project performance and counterparty relations. / Doctor of Philosophy / Different life cycle phases and stakeholders involved are some of the unique characteristics of Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. This can lead to presence of transaction hazards such as uncertainty, asset specificity, incomplete contracts and imperfect information which makes contracts less effective in governing projects. Therefore, developing strong relationships between the stakeholders is necessary to complement contracts which can lead to improved project performance. Relational contracting includes a set of principles which aim at developing cooperative behavior between the stakeholders through improved communication and flexibility. A contract that includes such principles is called a relational contract. Although projects with traditional delivery methods such as design bid build and design build have been investigated regarding relational approaches in contracts, a similar review for PPP contracts has not been found. On the other hand, relational contracting theory suggests that the working relationships between the stakeholders can turn out to be completely different than what is intended in the contract. Therefore, it is important to investigate the actual implementation of relational approaches in PPP projects which has not been performed till now. Based on the arguments above, three complementary studies have been performed in this research to overcome the limitations mentioned and to have a better understanding of relational approaches in PPP projects. The first study aims at identifying a comprehensive list of relational approaches from the literature which can be included in PPP contracts to enhance cooperative behavior. A robust literature review process was followed to identify relational approaches which were further grouped into six categories – communication/nature of negotiations, partnering, conflict resolution methods, monitoring, changes process and risk allocation. The second study further investigates the contracts of PPP transportation projects in the United States regarding the level of relational approaches identified in the first study. Contracts from 22 PPP projects were investigated and compared. The findings provided insights into the ability of these contracts to promote relational exchanges in a project. For instance, the inclusion of partnering practices was either all-inclusive or not, whereas inclusion of conflict resolution methods was selective. The third study investigated the implementation of relational approaches in practice. Semi-structured interviews of 13 subject matter experts were conducted to gather insights into the implementation of different relational approaches. For example, all the interviewees emphasized the need to resolve conflicts through informal resolution methods to save time and effort required in third party methods such as mediation, arbitration and dispute review boards. A framework with the objective of promoting proactive management of stakeholder relationships was proposed based on the findings. Collectively, these three studies provide insights into the current state of contractual inclusion and implementation of relational approaches in PPP projects. This research contributes towards the growing literature concerning the complementarity between contractual and relational governance in PPP projects which is needed for improved project performance.

This work centered on the Creating Creators Cinema Project (CCCP), a for-profit organization that works with K-12 school districts in California to integrate student filmmaking into core subjects. The qualitative case study documented the experiences of CCCP’s founders, the teaching artists who mentor filmmaking youth, and the students participating in year-long projects, providing a “thick description” of the creation, implementation, and impact of the program in a high school setting. The research addressed the dearth of arts programs in urban schools and their connection to representation in arts fields, particularly filmmaking. The study utilized three frameworks: Critical Pedagogy, Constructivism, and Situated Learning Theory to analyze data about pedagogical approaches and impact in the personal and professional lives of those involved in the project. Findings revealed participants in CCCP challenge traditional schooling practices and create a professional identity for students in the program. This study affirmed the importance of arts education in student lives and identifies how arts is a transformative vehicle for students and educators.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the instructional and organizational needs of educators were fully met in school buildings constructed through the provision of a public/private partnership and the degree of satisfaction in the completed facility. This study examined the implementation of the Public/Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia to construct public school facilities. School divisions that entered into a school construction project using the provisions of a public/private partnership between 2002 and 2013 were identified by the Virginia Department of Education. An electronic survey was created to solicit feedback from participants regarding their level of input and engagement during the planning and design stages of development and teacher and principal satisfaction with the completed school facility. The survey instrument had 33 items. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The frequency and percentage from each category, mean, and mode were also reported for each quantitative survey item. Qualitative data were examined by response categories according to the experiences teachers and principals. The Public/Private Partnership Survey was sent to the administrators and teachers of 14 public schools throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. There were 131 participants from 14 schools that completed and returned the survey. The findings indicated that while some participants had an ideal experience throughout the construction project, the majority of the participants did not feel that they had significant engagement or input during the planning stages prior to the public/private partnership school construction project. Additionally, while thankful for an improved school facility, teachers and principals consistently responded that if their feedback had been valued, they would be working in a completed school facility better suited to meet the needs of all stakeholders. Principals and teachers who were the most satisfied with their school facility had high levels of engagement during the planning stages, the input they provided was valued, and translated into the educational specification documents and into the completed school facility. / Ed. D.

While government contracting out its work continues to proliferate and studies about this phenomenon have increased during the past two decades, still little is known about how effective government sponsored networks are at managing broad and complex networks of primarily non-governmental entities. This dissertation reports the results of one such investigation, which examined a U.S. federal agency's contracting experiences in evidence-based health care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a unit of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other tasks, AHRQ supports the development and dissemination of evidence about current best practices in health services delivery through its Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) programs that contract out its work and operate in broad and complex network. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which AHRQ's EPC Program I was effective in supporting the translation of evidence reports and disseminating the products to the public by contracting with public and non-profit entities to do the work. This dissertation also sought to examine the extent to which the evidence reports and derivative products were publicly accessible by operationalizing the objectives articulated in AHRQ's authorizing legislation in a manner consistent with theories of representative democracy and exploring Program I's effectiveness using William T. Gormley's ideas (1989; Gormley & Balla 2003) of bureaucratic control. The results from this dissertation suggest that a decentralized network was related to overall higher translation and dissemination network effectiveness. Specifically, the findings from this study suggest that a decentralized network was related to overall higher translation and dissemination network effectiveness. Also, weak ties among the network actors when transferring complex knowledge was associated with higher translation and dissemination network effectiveness on the whole. The findings from this dissertation also contribute to network theory by extending Gormley's bureaucratic control typology (1989; Gormley & Balla 2003) to the network level, and also to the type of control that was available to the Agency over the network. Finally, the results contribute to better understanding of the dynamics that can be associated with the effectiveness of similar programs. / Ph. D.

Yes / The central aim of the paper is to examine the nature and function of higher education in Africa, and to explore the potential for partnerships between institutions in the Global North and South to assist in meeting the current capacity challenge. The paper starts with a critical exploration of the contemporary shifts taking place in higher education around the world and how this is transforming academic and professional identities. Following this is an analysis of the rationales that drive the process of ¿internationalisation¿ of higher education. We argue that internationalisation and globalisation present both a challenge and an opportunity for the rapidly expanding systems of higher education in Africa. We then go on to consider how international partnerships might support the development of Higher Education institutions in Africa and we present a critical analysis of the pitfalls and potentials of such collaborations. We also reflect on a long-term collaborative relationship between the Universities of Bradford (UK) and Mzumbe (Tanzania). From this we take the view that robust and strategic long-term partnerships can avoid neo-colonial relationships and offer potential for both partners, but this requires institutional commitment at all levels. This literature review serves as a foundational study, which will feed into further papers reflecting on the evolution and practice of the partnerships in place between JEFCAS (University of Bradford) and HE institutions in Africa.

The global infrastructure gap has continually widened over the last few decades. Industry reports and academic publications suggest that, in terms of road infrastructure, both advanced and developing economies have not paid sufficient attention to modernize their infrastructure assets. A wider road infrastructure gap signifies that highway conditions have declined because governments have not had enough resources for maintenance and rehabilitation. In the same way, it also indicates that congestion levels have grown and the level of service in most road networks has dropped because public agencies have not had sufficient funds to generate new highways and expand existing corridors. This dissertation, therefore, provided insights into the difficulties associated with improving the existing highway assets and the barriers related to expanding the current roadway capacity through public-private partnerships (PPPs). The research involved three interdependent studies. In the first study, I examined the continuous deterioration of the US highway system through a system dynamics model, which focused on the dynamics of capital investments and maintenance expenditures in the US road infrastructure. The results confirmed that the American highway system is currently stuck in a capability trap. This makes it difficult for the system to improve at the rates required by the country's economic growth. In my second investigation, my attention shifted toward the governance challenges related to building new roads and expanding highway capacity through PPPs. I developed a systems map of governance variables informed by past-published evidence from actual projects. By specifically examining the shaping phase of public-private initiatives, the work uncovered the effects of feedback relationships and interdependencies on PPP feasibility. This offered insights about the relationship between governance mechanisms and successful PPP development. In the third study, I utilized variables and relationships identified in my second investigation to develop a management flight simulator in order to better explain governance difficulties in the procurement phase of PPP projects. The simulator was implemented during an educational exercise with graduate students of civil engineering. By doing so, I confirmed that the simulator has the potential to increase our understanding of PPP procurement processes. Results indicated that the simulation tool was a suitable instrument to explain how government capacity, project uncertainty, and technical complexity influence PPP tendering. Overall, my findings across the three studies illustrate different means to understand why closing the global road infrastructure gap is challenging. Together, the three inquiries indicate that examining the road infrastructure sector as a socio-technical system contributes to improve our understanding of the expenditure dynamics related to existing assets and to enhance our comprehension of the governance challenges associated with developing new roads. / Ph. D. / Over the last decades, the global infrastructure gap has continually expanded. In the road infrastructure sector, governments around the world have failed to meet the growing societal and economic demands for additional infrastructure investments. This suggests that highway conditions have declined because there are not enough resources to improve the existing roads and develop new highways. As a result, the size and quality of global road network keep deteriorating annually. This dissertation provided insights into the difficulties related to enhancing the quality conditions of the existing road network and the problems associated with increasing roadway capacity through public-private partnerships (PPPs). The research was conducted through three interdependent studies. In the first study, I developed a simulation model in order to understand the continuous deterioration of the US highway system. I concluded that the US government has been unable to achieve sustained improvements in the system because of prioritizing rehabilitation over preventive maintenance. In my second investigation, I conducted a literature review focused on analyzing governance-related concepts in PPP projects. I created a systems map that helps to understand how governance variables influence failure and success in the shaping phase of public-private agreements. In the third study, I developed an educational tool focused on explaining some of the challenges of conducting procurement processes in PPPs. This tool proved to be effective in terms of illustrating how government capacity, project uncertainty, and technical complexity influence PPP tendering. Overall, the three studies offer a socio-technical perspective of why closing the global road infrastructure gap is challenging. Together, they contribute to improve our understanding of the difficulties associated with enhancing the conditions of the current road network and developing new roads through PPPs.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become a significant global phenomenon and governments are utilizing them more frequently to deliver projects that satisfy increasing societal demands in infrastructure sectors such as highways. Compared to traditional project delivery approaches, PPPs are long-term contracts between the public and the private sectors, where the private sector is engaged in more project tasks and accepts more risks. However, due to their long-term and complex nature, PPP contracts face many issues. Consequently, each project's contract becomes vital to project success because it: allocates risks, governs project relationships, and can align parties' interests. This dissertation examined 21 project contracts in the US highway PPP market to investigate risk allocation; contract designs and risk sharing mechanisms; and revenue risk guarantees. Using a content analysis framework, the allocation of 31 risks associated with highway PPPs was determined. These risks were mostly transferred to the private sector or shared between public and private parties, and project context had a significant influence on risk allocation. Assessment of contract designs indicated that the public sector imposes extensive monitoring and retains a majority of the decision rights to preclude opportunistic actions by the private sector; further, risk sharing mechanisms were complex and largely dependent on resolution during project implementation, which likely increases ex post transaction costs. Finally, revenue guarantees, commonly structured as standard options to mitigate revenue risk, were redesigned to incorporate exotic option features; quantitative analysis revealed that exotic structures can better serve chief PPP stakeholders' interests through increased robustness and flexibility. / Ph. D. / Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become a significant global phenomenon and governments are utilizing them more frequently to deliver projects that satisfy increasing societal demands in infrastructure sectors such as highways. Compared to traditional project delivery approaches, PPPs are long-term contracts between the public and the private sectors, where the private sector is engaged in more project tasks and accepts more risks. However, due to their long-term and complex nature, PPP contracts face many issues. Consequently, each project’s contract becomes vital to project success because it: allocates risks, governs project relationships, and can align parties’ interests. This dissertation examined 21 project contracts in the US highway PPP market to investigate risk allocation; contract designs and risk sharing mechanisms; and revenue risk guarantees. Using a content analysis framework, the allocation of 31 risks associated with highway PPPs was determined. These risks were mostly transferred to the private sector or shared between public and private parties, and project context had a significant influence on risk allocation. Assessment of contract designs indicated that the public sector imposes extensive monitoring and retains a majority of the decision rights to preclude opportunistic actions by the private sector; further, risk sharing mechanisms were complex and largely dependent on resolution during project implementation, which likely increases ex post transaction costs. Finally, revenue guarantees, commonly structured as standard options to mitigate revenue risk, were redesigned to incorporate exotic option features; quantitative analysis revealed that exotic structures can better serve chief PPP stakeholders’ interests through increased robustness and flexibility.

At the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, an agreement was made between some of thelargest international humanitarian organizations and donors to implement measures toenhance partnerships between international and local humanitarian organizations, in an effortto localize humanitarian responses. Since then, criticism has been raised that there exists agap between policy and practice in relation to localization and partnerships, arguing that nosubstantial effort is being placed to address uneven power dynamics or decision-makingpower within these local/international partnerships. This thesis utilized a case-study approachon Christian Aid´s Rohingya Crisis Response in Bangladesh, conducted in collaboration withlocal partners to examine barriers in creating equitable partnerships between international andlocal humanitarian organizations, as well as possible actions to facilitate partnership equity.A theoretical framework on equitable partnership is constructed based on the components ofequality, mutuality and transparency, informed by partnership practices of thee humanitarianpartnerships, and analyzed in relation to practices by Christian Aid in their partnership. The findings show that primary barriers to facilitating partnerships that are equitable includethe exclusion of the local partner in key processes, such as operational planning anddecision-making, lack of mutual understanding of differences in skills and capacity, resultingin responsibilities that are not clearly defined and limited opportunities for complementarity.This amounts to the conclusion that Christian Aid´s partnership lacked any actual transfer ofpower to the local partner, thus facilitating a partnership that remains hierarchical in practice.Possible actions identified to mitigate this is to jointly define support needs and capacity,create space for negotiation and flexibility, and actively include the local partner indecision-making. The findings underline that the theoretical components of equitablepartnership can be translated into practice, with the aim of creating partnerships that are inline with international localization commitments.