Many transportation and other social problems would be eased or solved if the automobile dependency which is now so pervasive in North American cities were reduced. Many planners, transportation engineers, and other professionals and activists are advocating walking, among other things, as a viable transportation alternative. Various measures and programs are being applied in an attempt to get people out of their cars and onto their feet. This thesis discusses an addition to the pro-pedestrian tool kit: community-based social marketing. Adapted from marketing concepts which have been remarkably successful in influencing the consumption of goods and services, social marketing is a bundle of techniques intended to influence the adoption of socially desirable behaviours. A demonstration of community-based social marketing in the community of West Point Grey in Vancouver, British Columbia shows how social marketing can be used to encourage walking within neighbourhoods. The demonstration shows social marketing to be a promising new tool in the hand of those eager to promote walking, although more work needs to be done to verify this conclusion.

The dawn of democracy in South Africa saw a commitment from the African National Congress (ANC) government to address the ills of apartheid through establishing policies that would transform local government (Republic of South Africa (RSA) 1998). The transformation of local government was seen as ensuring the inclusion of citizens, and particularly communities and groups, in society that were previously excluded in policy and decision-making processes of the country (RSA 1998). The Integrated Development Plan (IDP), which is the planning tool of local government (RSA 2000) was seen as one of the ways to ensure this inclusion. This study critically analyses how some municipalities promoted public participation in the IDP process. In so doing, it critically explores the understandings and conceptualisations of public participation by municipalities. It also analyses organisational structures and institutional mechanisms used by municipalities to promote public participation in the IDP process. The study explores the nature of public participation used through these mechanisms and in these structures. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, relying mainly on secondary written sources of data, which reported on public participation and IDP processes. These sources include journal articles, books, internet sources, government legislation, IDP documents of selected municipalities, research and theses. The focus of the study was on some provinces (Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Western Cape) in South Africa. The studies of municipalities explored in the Gauteng province are the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Midvaal Local Municipality, Kungwini Municipality, West Rand District Municipality and Mogale City. In the Western Cape, the study analysed studies done in the Stellenbosch Municipality, City of Cape Town Municipality, Breede Valley Municipality and Boland Municipality. In the Eastern Cape, the study looked at studies done in Amathole District Municipality, Buffalo City District Municipality and Makana Municipality. In Kwa-Zulu Natal studies done in Msinga and Hisbicus Municipalities in the Ugu District Municipality, Ugu District Municipality, eThekwini Metro Municipality, and Sisonke Municipality were utilised. Limitations with the availability of information restricted this study to only these municipalities. To analyse the data, the study used qualitative and data analytical techniques. In particular, content analysis was used. One of the emerging conceptualisations of public participation by municipalities in this study is the commitment towards involving communities in the decision-making processes of municipalities. Another conceptualisation of public participation in the IDP process associates public participation with democracy and governance. Ward Committees were used by municipalities in this study as structures for public participation in the IDP process at local community level. These structures were faced with challenges that rendered them ineffective as structures of public participation. In this regard, Ward Committees in some municipalities were established late after the IDPs were already drafted. In others, they were either dysfunctional or by-passed as structures of participation. The IDP Representative Forums were used as the main structures for public participation in the IDP process. Like Ward Committees, these structures were faced with challenges, such as lack of decision-making powers by role-players, partial functioning of IDP Representative Forums and capacity problems for some role-players. These structures at times accentuated the socio-economic inequalities inherent in society. Municipalities in this study established mechanisms to facilitate public participation in the IDP process, such as public meetings/workshops, public hearings, Mayors‟ Listening Campaigns, road shows and ward-based meetings. While some of these mechanisms yielded benefits for communities, such as promoting access to government, some of these mechanisms were not accommodative of the marginalised groups of society, thus hindering participation of such groups in the IDP process. Municipalities in this study used low levels of participation, with limited power by citizens to influence decisions in the IDP process. Based on these findings, this study makes the following recommendations:  Municipalities must clarify their conceptualisation of who the public is to help them identify appropriate mechanisms for public participation.  Municipalities must find ways of mitigating the challenges inherent in Ward Committees to ensure that they better facilitate public participation in the IDP process.  IDP Representative Forums must accommodate the less-organised groups of society.  Municipalities must devise mechanisms for participation that are accommodative of all kinds of people and their realities.  Lastly, municipal officials are advised to move away from low levels of participation such as consultation and tokenism, to higher levels of participation that will ensure that the public have a real say in decisions that affect their lives. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

The search conference was held at Mareeba (North Queensland) to have the community identify ways to help reduce the region's unemployment. Alternative methods that could have been used are discussed and the reasons for using the search conference instead of those methods are noted. Practical and theoretical details of planning the search conference from the initial problem identification to the preparation of the final report are fully described.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Colorado State University, 1988. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 226-233).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / "Workshop report." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-130).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1994. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 261-278).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2005. / "Publication number AAT 3177028."

This package was prepared by the ANC Department of Economic Policy to assist branches to discuss the discussion document on economic policy. It serves as a guide to discussion and is not a replacement for the document. The package contains ideas for inputs, illustrations and guide questions for discussions. The illustrations can be made into WALL CHARTS or TRANSPARENCIES and used with an overhead projector. We suggest that a group of people (the political education committee) come together to plan a workshop for branch members. Read both the package and the discussion document before planning. The ANC is in the process of setting up ANC Economic Associations in each region. If you need help, contact members of the Association through the regional office.

A gestão pública tem intensificado esforços em implantar políticas públicas de desenvolvimento social, surgindo a necessidade urgente e essencial do desenvolvimento de sistemas de informação, conforme definido na Política Nacional de Assistência Social – PNAS/2004. Estudos apontam que uma parcela expressiva das dificuldades enfrentadas nas atividades de gestão, planejamento, monitoramento e avaliação das ações da política de proteção social, tem relação direta com as deficiências de produção, tratamento, armazenamento e disseminação de informações e geração de conhecimento. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo geral analisar a utilização de sistemas de informação na execução de programas e projetos, no município de Curitiba, no contexto da percepção de técnicos, operadores e gestores de assistência social. Utiliza abordagem metodológica qualitativa, tem como base pesquisa de campo e análise de textos. Quanto aos objetivos, é exploratória, visa proporcionar maior familiaridade com o problema. Um questionário foi utilizado como instrumento para coletar informações, elaborado com predominância de questões fechadas. A escolha dos participantes da investigação se deu de forma espontânea, contou com a participação de técnicos, educadores e gestores que atuam na execução de programas sociais. A pesquisa bibliográfica mostra que sistemas de informação encontram-se permeados por paradigmas, conceitos e linhas de pensamento que trazem falhas, resistências dos usuários, entre outros problemas que podem ser minimizados pelo conhecimento de alternativas, em especial: o paradigma interpretativista, flexível e social; o pensamento sistêmico, onde as interações são os elementos responsáveis em atribuir as características gerais do sistema, e não suas partes isoladas; abordagens “ecologia da informação” e “sistema sociotécnico”, que consideram o papel fundamental desempenhado pelas pessoas e seu relacionamento com a informação; o Design Centrado no Usuário, “aquele realizado a partir do ponto de vista do usuário, conferindo assim maior ênfase nas pessoas do que nas tecnologias”; o Desenho Participativo (DP) no desenvolvimento de softwares, que enfatiza o design “com” o usuário, em vez de “para” o usuário; as organizações enquanto redes de conversações, em que computadores são dispositivos essencialmente voltados para a comunicação ao invés da computação, sendo o “coração” das atividades gerenciais o uso da linguagem para coordenar ações. Resultados do questionário apontam que sistemas de informação do governo federal são os mais utilizados, sendo que estados e municípios tentam desenvolver, integrar / interconectar sistemas para reduzir dificuldades, relacionadas ao desenho dos sistemas, capacitação, participação, questões políticas. As finalidades observadas tem a ver com melhoria na qualidade dos serviços, tomada de decisão, exigências da legislação, mas há o risco dos sistemas de informação serem absorvidos na burocracia institucional de forma desconectado com seus propósitos, remetendo a um necessário trabalho de capacitação / conscientização e mais pesquisas sobre o tema. / Public management has intensified efforts in implementing public policies for social development, emerging urgent and essential need of development of information systems, as defined in the National Social Assistance Policy. Studies indicate that a significant portion of the difficulties faced in the activities of management, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the actions of social protection policy, is directly related to the shortcomings of production, processing, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge generation. This research has the general objective of analyzing the use of information systems in the execution of programs and projects, in Curitiba, in the context of the perception of technicians, operators and managers of social assistance. It uses a qualitative methodological approach, is based on field research and analysis of texts. It is exploratory, aimed at providing greater familiarity with the problem. A questionnaire was used as a tool to gather information, prepared with predominantly closed questions. The choice of research participants occurred spontaneously, with the participation of technicians, educators and managers who work in the implementation of social programs. The literature shows that information systems are permeated by paradigms, concepts and lines of thought that bring failures, resistance from users, and other problems that can be minimized by the knowledge of alternatives, in particular: the interpretive paradigm, flexible and social; systems thinking, where interactions are the elements responsible for assigning the general characteristics of the system, and not its isolated parts; approaches "information ecology" and "socio-technical system", considering the fundamental role played by people and their relationship with information; the user Centered Design, "held that from the point of view of the user, thereby giving more emphasis on people than on technologies"; the Participatory Design (PD) software development, which emphasizes the design "with" the user, rather than "for" the user; organizations as networks of conversations, in which computers are essentially devices meant for communication instead of computation, and the "heart" of managerial activities is the use of language to coordinate actions. Questionnaire results indicate that information systems of the federal government are the most used, and states and municipalities try to develop, integrate / interconnect systems to reduce problems related to the design of the systems, training, involvement, political issues. The purposes observed is related to the improving the quality of services, decision making, legislation requirements, but there is a risk of information systems being absorbed in institutional bureaucracy, so disconnected with their purpose, suggesting a necessary work in capacity building / awareness and more research on the topic.

A gestão pública tem intensificado esforços em implantar políticas públicas de desenvolvimento social, surgindo a necessidade urgente e essencial do desenvolvimento de sistemas de informação, conforme definido na Política Nacional de Assistência Social – PNAS/2004. Estudos apontam que uma parcela expressiva das dificuldades enfrentadas nas atividades de gestão, planejamento, monitoramento e avaliação das ações da política de proteção social, tem relação direta com as deficiências de produção, tratamento, armazenamento e disseminação de informações e geração de conhecimento. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo geral analisar a utilização de sistemas de informação na execução de programas e projetos, no município de Curitiba, no contexto da percepção de técnicos, operadores e gestores de assistência social. Utiliza abordagem metodológica qualitativa, tem como base pesquisa de campo e análise de textos. Quanto aos objetivos, é exploratória, visa proporcionar maior familiaridade com o problema. Um questionário foi utilizado como instrumento para coletar informações, elaborado com predominância de questões fechadas. A escolha dos participantes da investigação se deu de forma espontânea, contou com a participação de técnicos, educadores e gestores que atuam na execução de programas sociais. A pesquisa bibliográfica mostra que sistemas de informação encontram-se permeados por paradigmas, conceitos e linhas de pensamento que trazem falhas, resistências dos usuários, entre outros problemas que podem ser minimizados pelo conhecimento de alternativas, em especial: o paradigma interpretativista, flexível e social; o pensamento sistêmico, onde as interações são os elementos responsáveis em atribuir as características gerais do sistema, e não suas partes isoladas; abordagens “ecologia da informação” e “sistema sociotécnico”, que consideram o papel fundamental desempenhado pelas pessoas e seu relacionamento com a informação; o Design Centrado no Usuário, “aquele realizado a partir do ponto de vista do usuário, conferindo assim maior ênfase nas pessoas do que nas tecnologias”; o Desenho Participativo (DP) no desenvolvimento de softwares, que enfatiza o design “com” o usuário, em vez de “para” o usuário; as organizações enquanto redes de conversações, em que computadores são dispositivos essencialmente voltados para a comunicação ao invés da computação, sendo o “coração” das atividades gerenciais o uso da linguagem para coordenar ações. Resultados do questionário apontam que sistemas de informação do governo federal são os mais utilizados, sendo que estados e municípios tentam desenvolver, integrar / interconectar sistemas para reduzir dificuldades, relacionadas ao desenho dos sistemas, capacitação, participação, questões políticas. As finalidades observadas tem a ver com melhoria na qualidade dos serviços, tomada de decisão, exigências da legislação, mas há o risco dos sistemas de informação serem absorvidos na burocracia institucional de forma desconectado com seus propósitos, remetendo a um necessário trabalho de capacitação / conscientização e mais pesquisas sobre o tema. / Public management has intensified efforts in implementing public policies for social development, emerging urgent and essential need of development of information systems, as defined in the National Social Assistance Policy. Studies indicate that a significant portion of the difficulties faced in the activities of management, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the actions of social protection policy, is directly related to the shortcomings of production, processing, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge generation. This research has the general objective of analyzing the use of information systems in the execution of programs and projects, in Curitiba, in the context of the perception of technicians, operators and managers of social assistance. It uses a qualitative methodological approach, is based on field research and analysis of texts. It is exploratory, aimed at providing greater familiarity with the problem. A questionnaire was used as a tool to gather information, prepared with predominantly closed questions. The choice of research participants occurred spontaneously, with the participation of technicians, educators and managers who work in the implementation of social programs. The literature shows that information systems are permeated by paradigms, concepts and lines of thought that bring failures, resistance from users, and other problems that can be minimized by the knowledge of alternatives, in particular: the interpretive paradigm, flexible and social; systems thinking, where interactions are the elements responsible for assigning the general characteristics of the system, and not its isolated parts; approaches "information ecology" and "socio-technical system", considering the fundamental role played by people and their relationship with information; the user Centered Design, "held that from the point of view of the user, thereby giving more emphasis on people than on technologies"; the Participatory Design (PD) software development, which emphasizes the design "with" the user, rather than "for" the user; organizations as networks of conversations, in which computers are essentially devices meant for communication instead of computation, and the "heart" of managerial activities is the use of language to coordinate actions. Questionnaire results indicate that information systems of the federal government are the most used, and states and municipalities try to develop, integrate / interconnect systems to reduce problems related to the design of the systems, training, involvement, political issues. The purposes observed is related to the improving the quality of services, decision making, legislation requirements, but there is a risk of information systems being absorbed in institutional bureaucracy, so disconnected with their purpose, suggesting a necessary work in capacity building / awareness and more research on the topic.