Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This research report sets up a model of policy development at Traditional Authority level in Namibia that is then used in examining the Ovambanderu constitutional case. Reference to the Generic Model, as used by de Coning (2000) and the Moore (1995) Strategic Triangle is not new or original to this thesis. These models have been used elsewhere and were considered as appropriate for this case study due to the complexity of the issues under consideration. This study attempts to demonstrate the importance of applying public policy models and theories to policy making in Namibia. Firstly, the author has applied the generic model to the Ovambanderu case to elicit information pertaining to the process followed in drafting the constitution. Secondly, the Moore Strategic Triangle was used in furthering discussion on the importance of considering phases and stages in the public policy process, which touch on such aspects as political feasibility, substantive value and administrative feasibility (Moore, 1995). The emphasis here was on the importance of dynamism in the policy-making process, not as a once off event but as an ongoing process. This research report shows that public policy/constitution making needs specialised skills in order for it to be a success. Capacity needs to be sourced and used appropriately, while objectives of the policy/constitution are communicated clearly to the stakeholders. Again the fear amongst the community that once a policy/constitution is implemented it becomes binding and difficult to change needs to be addressed by clearly informing people that a policy remains a statement of intent until it is put to use and once it is implemented there is always room for improvement on issues that may create problems for the affected parties. Another important lesson is the fact that public policy making has been and remains a process as it involves bargaining, issue prioritisation, issue filtration, advocacy, reporting and consultation before decisions are made. The Ovambanderu constitutional problem has now set a scene for better policy planning at Traditional Authority level and the government needs to consider this as a serious phenomenon that can lead to major problems if ignored

This study examines the variations in the practice of implementation in different implementation structures using the case of police education reforms that were undertaken by the Turkish National Police (TNP) in 2001 and 2003. Differentiations and similarities in the top-down and bottom-up structures while practicing the process of implementation were investigated in this study. First, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the process of implementation and structure of implementation. Second, the study introduces TNP education reforms and explains the reasons for the reform. Third, a quantitative approach is used to measure the success of the TNP educational reforms. Specifically, multiple regression analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc tests are used to clarify if police performance in the TNP has improved since the reforms. Fourth, the study uses a qualitative approach to find out how features associated with top-down or bottom up approaches were involved in the process of implementation of the educational reforms. Finally, based upon the views of the participants in the qualitative analysis, the study examines the variations in the practice of implementation between decision makers and the street level bureaucrats.

This thesis analyses Germany's commitment to multilateral military operations. Following the research question why Germany participates in some multilateral military operations but not in others, Germany's respective decision-making process regarding troop deployment in the DR Congo in 2006 on one hand and military non-engagement in Libya 2011 on the other hand is traced. By contrasting the concept of strategic culture with a purely rational assessment of the factors of alliance politics, risk-analysis and military feasibility of the operations, the decisiveness of taking into account Germany's strategic culture to explain deployment decisions is stressed. Neither is there a lack of external pressure for German military participation in the case of Libya, nor is the military operation in the DR Congo decisively less risky or militarily more feasible. Rather, Germany's multilateral and anti- militaristic strategic cultural strands affect its decision-making. Next to demanding a thorough justification and legitimization of any military engagement, two red lines for military deployment can be identified. First, Germany refuses to act unilaterally and displays a high reluctance towards military engagement outside the multilateral framework of the UN, NATO or EU. Secondly, Germany rejects to engage in...

Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) es un enfoque de saneamiento basado en la facilitación participativa para que las comunidades rurales analicen su situación sanitaria y los riesgos de la defecación al aire libre. Así, se genera un deseo por parte de la comunidad de pasar a la acción y convertirse en un lugar libre de defecación al aire libre (ODF - open defecation free). El enfoque CLTS ha demostrado ser más efectivo que enfoques pasados y se ha expandido rápidamente por todo el mundo. En la India, donde se concentran más de la mitad de los defecadores al aire libre del mundo, el CLTS se enfrenta a ciertas dificultades, principalmente debido a la incompatibilidad con la campaña de saneamiento del gobierno indio, pero existen algunas áreas dónde sí ha podido ser introducido con cierto éxito. Por otro lado, existen evidencias de comunidades ¿tanto en India como en otros lugares¿ que vuelven a defecar al aire libre después de haber sido declaradas ODF. Esto plantea preguntas importantes en relación a la sostenibilidad de los resultados del CLTS. Para arrojar luz sobre estas cuestiones, esta tesis pretende explorar cómo contribuyó la introducción del CLTS en Madhya Pradesh (MP) y Himachal Pradesh (HP) al saneamiento sostenible, teniendo en cuenta tanto el proceso político que determinó la intervención en lo local, como losmecanismos a través de los que dicha intervención contribuyó al saneamiento sostenible. Para ello, utilizo un marco analítico inspirado en el Pathways Approach, donde la sostenibilidad es entendida desde una perspectiva dinámica y nomativa (que se mantenga el estatus ODF con mayor justicia social) y donde se da relevancia a los procesos políticos entorno a la sostenibilidad, incluyendo narrativas, agentes e intereses políticos. Utilizo tres casos de estudio: Khandwa district (MP), Mandi district (HP) y Budni block (MP). La metodología es predominantemente cualitativa, basada en entrevistas a todos los niveles administrativos y en trabajo de campo intensivo, incluyendo visitas cortas a múltiples comunidades y estudios en profundidad en una comunidad en cada caso de estudio. Las evidencias varían para cada caso. En Khandwa district, el CLTS fue introducido en 2007. Pero debido a la presión por parte del estado (MP) para conseguir premios de saneamiento y los intereses creados a nivel local, se acabó utilizando un enfoque mixto, con herramientas participativas del CLTS, pero basado en la construcción de letrinas subsidiadas. El desigual progreso inicial no se mantuvo, y muchas familias volvieron a defecar al aire libre al cabo de un tiempo. Las principales causas fueron la falta de apropiación, la baja calidad de construcción y la falta de interés tras la obtención de los premios y el traslado administrativo de quienes lideraron la introducción del CLTS. En Mandi district, con una política estatal (HP) favorable y el apoyo de una ONG local, autoridades motivadas con el saneamiento iniciaron en 2006 una campaña inspirada en los principios del CLTS, pero usando teatro comunitario y visitas puerta a puerta en lugar de las herramientas del CLTS. El uso de letrinas creció radicalmente y se ha mantenido, cambiando la percepción social sobre el saneamiento. En Budni block (MP), un impulsor del CLTS se convirtió en máxima autoridad administrativa del bloque. Su experiencia y el apoyo de UNICEF contrarrestaron intereses opuestos y permitieron la puesta en marcha a finales de 2010 de una campaña coherente con el CLTS. Se realizaron facilitaciones en numerosas comunidades, que formaron comités de saneamiento para hacer sus comunidades ODF. Aunque aún en una fase inicial, se pudo observar que la campaña estaba contribuyendo al cambio de comportamiento colectivo en una parte considerable de las comunidades. Cabe extraer una serie de conclusiones a partir de estas evidencias. En primer lugar, la campaña de saneamiento de la India se implementa de forma vertical y sin tener en cuenta la demanda local, en contra de las directrices oficiales. Esto se debe a intereses de distintos actores: clientelismo político, inercia tecnocrática o rendición de cuentas mal orientada. Todo ello afecta también al CLTS, haciendo complicada su introducción a escala: los intereses opuestos pueden dar lugar a enfoques mixtos y resultados pobres. Pero cuando los agentes que impulsan el CLTS tienen el poder y el compromiso suficientes, son capaces de lograr intervenciones coherentes, con sobresalientes resultados. Lo que hace que las intervenciones sean exitosas es que las comunidades se apropien del problema del saneamiento, trabajen en comités para acabar con la defecación al aire libre y logren hacer prevalecer la perspectiva colectiva sobre el saneamiento. La facilitación mediante CLTS ¿pero también otras herramientas basadas en las emociones, como el teatro comunitario¿ pueden movilizar a un grupo de personas para formar un comité. Sin embargo, se trata solo de un primer paso dentro del largo y difícil proceso de cambiar la perspectiva social de saneamiento, por lo que dicho comité necesitará un apoyo adecuado. Además, las comunidades suelen presentar diversidad y fuertes brechas sociales, faltando pues un sentimiento de unidad. Así, la inclusión de todos los grupos en la facilitación y en los comités se convierte en un elemento crucial para alcanzar a toda la comunidad. De la misma manera, no se puede dar por descontado que las familias más necesitadas vayan a recibir ayuda de otras familias, sino que se deberá promover. Finalmente, se ha observado que por falta de apoyo técnico existen de diseños de letrina ineficientes que afectan a la sostenibilidad y pueden provocar riesgos sanitarios. En cualquier caso, cuando la perspectiva colectiva de saneamiento se asienta en una comunidad, muchos de los desafíos que aparecen reciben una respuesta adecuada. / Hueso González, A. (2013). Pathways to Sustainability in Community-Led Total Sanitation. Experiences from Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh [Tesis doctoral]. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/31520 / Alfresco

Unstable residential and inadequate academic environments lead to poor educational outcomes for low-income students in urban areas. In 2011, Ohio enacted a law to create a college preparatory boarding school (CPBS) for low-income students by 2013. However, Ohio's CPBS has not yet been established, thereby denying these students an opportunity to attain skills needed to enter college. Using the policy feedback theory (PFT) and Fredrickson's theory of social equity (SET) as foundations, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the nature of implementation barriers and propose solutions by exploring 2 successful CPBS programs in Maryland and Washington, D.C. The research questions focused on identifying implementation practices from the successful CPBS programs with the aim to propose options to implement Ohio's law. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 14 participants which included 2 Ohio legislators; public administrators, Ohio (7), Maryland (1), Washington, D.C (3); and 1 Ohio union leader, and a review of relevant public and official records. All data were deductively coded and subjected to a constant comparison analysis. Results showed that Ohio's public education administrators were excluded from the CPBS policy's design, unlike their peers. Further, Ohio's CPBS law favored a particular stakeholder involved in its design and was not executed when Ohio's education administrators and the entity disagreed over public assets ownership. The findings affirmed SET's condition for an open and inclusive policy process and PFT's claim that current policies affect resources and the paradigm for new policies. Positive social change implications from this study include recommendations to Ohio's policymakers to create a more inclusive process involving parties willing to provide an effective learning environment for economically marginalized children.

Parliamentary research services provide parliamentarians with qualified and politically neutral knowledge on day-to-day basis. Because this is an understudied phenomenon, the aim of the study is to investigate how parliamentarians use research services from the perspective of evidence based policy making. The study was conducted with semi-structured interviews with Swedish parliamentarians and party employees of the Social Democrats, the Green Party, and the Swedish Democrats. An interview was also conducted with a representative from the Swedish Research Service. The results show that the Swedish Research Service, as an incremental knowledge producer, is used by parliamentarians to reduce insecurity, get cues and assessments and to appear legitimate. It has also been shown that there is a difference between the parties regarding search activities. The study contributes to the policy sciences by introducing an ideal type on how parliamentarians use parliamentary research services in the policy process.

In 1996, the New Orleans Police Department implemented the COMSTAT management and accountability style of policing. Within three years of that implementation, murder was cut by over fifty percent and violent crime fell by nearly the same amount; overall crime was cut by over one-third compared to just three years ago. This dissertation seeks to explore the reasons crime declined so rapidly in New Orleans post-COMSTAT implementation, compared to crime in the rest of the country. Drawing on political and criminological theories of policing as well as sociological theories, variables unique to each set of theories were identified and tested alone and against competing explanations. Utilizing higher-ordered time series methodology, two analyses were conducted. The first utilized interrupted time-series analysis to identify the nature of COMSTAT's impact on New Orleans' crime trends, measured as changes in the current quarter compared to the same quarter of the preceding year. The results show that while COMSTAT had a significant impact on the crime trends, the effects were short-lived. The second analysis utilized traditional time series methodology to examine the impacts of the individual variables on the overall crime trends. The results show that while policing variables and sociological variables have little effect on the overall crime trends both individually and when tested together, the findings indicate policing variables play a larger role than sociological variables when included together. As another independent test of the effects of crime, public opinion data obtained via the University of New Orleans' Survey Research Center from 1986-2004 show that the public was very positive towards the NOPD's efforts in dramatically reducing crime and fear of crime in New Orleans during this period. The overall results for policy makers then indicates that reductions in crime resonate positively with city residents and future policy decisions should be made with that goal in mind.

The policy of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) has been promoted at the global level as an innovative approach to reduce forest loss that contributes to about one-fifth of global climate change. My dissertation brings together theories of policy processes and political ecology to examine REDD+ at three levels: global, national and local. It focuses on how this global climate policy is translated from one geographical scale to another and from policy into practice. The analysis of how REDD+ is transformed through this process provides insights into the extent to which REDD+ is likely to achieve its aims of reducing forest loss and mitigating global climate change. The national and local cases are drawn from Ghana, West Africa. The study is mainly qualitative, and employs semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, oral histories, participatory activities, and document analysis, as methodologies. At the global scale, I explore how REDD+ became a global climate policy and the range of global expectations that supported its rise to prominence. I argue that REDD+ became prominent because of three main strategies employed by its proponents: first, the re-introduction of the role of forest-sector emissions to climate change negotiations; second, the setting-up of financial schemes to attract and mobilise support for REDD+; and third, the establishment of safeguards mechanisms to address criticisms raised by stakeholders that opposed REDD+. At the national level, I examine how the policy processes related to REDD+ were translated from the global scale to the national context of Ghana. I critically examine the narratives around how deforestation was understood and the range of actions that were subsequently identified as options for achieving REDD+ outcomes. I show that REDD+ has created opportunities for promising reforms and structures on forest management in Ghana; yet it is unlikely to achieve its intended objectives because of (i) problems with the way the narrative has framed the causes of deforestation; (ii) a failure to fully address long-standing problems with tenure and benefit-sharing frameworks; and (iii) the centralisation of revenue generation that is limiting local-level implementation of plans. At the local levels, I focus on how two REDD+ pilot projects were unfolding. Similar to the national level, my analysis reveals that the projects have employed questionable narratives about the ways deforestation is produced in both cases. In addition, the solutions designed to address deforestation were found to contain misplaced assumptions that undermine the prospects of both projects to achieve their intended objectives. The research highlights the messy processes of translation of global climate policies such as REDD+ as they move from one scale to another, and from policy to practice. The study contributes to understanding how problematic narratives, misguided assumptions, and diverse interests, create gaps between the policy ideas and their implementation as global climate policy is translated from one geographical scale to another.

<p>Approaches to conserving biodiversity have traditionally left humans out of the picture. However, to separate between humans and protected areas has become increasingly criticized for being ethically problematic and ineffective. As a result, the political landscape for how biodiversity should be conserved has changed during the last 30 years. Instead of exclusive conservation practices, there is a request for so-called people-centered practices that tackle development and conservation jointly. However, several studies show a gap between public policies with people-centered ambitions and what is happening on areas assigned for biodiversity conservation. This study aims to understand if people-centered ideas are converted into conservation practices at four nature reserves in Cape Town, South Africa. The study also hopes to explain if the public-civil partnership Cape Flats Nature (CFN) is a useful arrangement in order to convert people-centered ambitions into practices. Using an ideal type analysis, conducting informant interviews and gathering documents, the findings suggest that people-centered practices are found at all four nature reserves. However, there are significant differences and the two nature reserves partnering with CFN have the most people-centered practices. In these cases, human well being is, for example, viewed to be an integral part of the objectives at nature reserves and fences that tend to keep people out are focused on to a lesser extent than in the other nature reserves that are not partnering with CFN. Even though there are no blueprint solutions, instruments such as CFN can be a useful arrangement for narrowing the gap between people-centered ambitions and conservation practices. However, further studies on for example social network analysis focusing on the role of bridging organizations would perhaps strengthen such claims.</p>

<p>One of the problems challenging the knowledge society is to understand the chang-ing prerequisites for publicly governed knowledge production. Several attempts have been made amongst which perhaps the most debated is the concept of changing mo-des of knowledge production proposed by Gibbons et al. The aim of this thesis is to empirically explore whether this concept can be used to identify and explain research policy developments during the period 1980–2000. A two-layered comparative study was undertaken, in which Swedish research poli-cy developments were studied in depth. The main result from the in-depth study was that there is insufficient evidence to fully support Gibbons et al.’s claims. In analysing this result from a comparative perspective the main conclusion was that neither the changing modes of knowledge production nor the two-track concept that was deri-ved from the in-depth study could explain the developments in research policy. The research policy developments in Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland were re-examined from an institutional perspective, in which the major ide-as that had influenced the policy process during the period 1980–2000 were used to identify and explain developments in these countries. The main conclusion of this thesis is that all the countries studied are using the public research system as a source of strategic opportunity. However, the analysis also shows that both embedded ideas of how public knowledge should be produced, and the nature of the policy process contribute to explaining the different strategies employed the governments of these countries to make publicly funded research a tool for economic and societal development.</p>