Accountability: Understanding the effect of governance structures on land ambulance services in Ontario, connected by Consolidated Municipal Services Management (CMSM) agreements

Ontario has seen significant changes across the municipal landscape, including the realignment of service responsibilities. One of the products of this realignment was the introduction of the CMSM program in 1998, which saw local municipalities take on the responsibilities for many services, including land ambulance. Land ambulance is an important life-saving service (Aringhieri et al. 2017). Decision-makers must ensure that such services must be delivered with optimal performance. As a public service in Ontario, this includes democratic performance. Crucial to the anchorage of democratic performance is accountability. Accountability is a transaction of information, dialogue, and rewards/sanctions (Brandsma and Schillemans 2012). It is an important component of democracy. While much attention has been paid to accountability at the provincial and federal levels, there is a growing body of research into accountability at the local level (Spicer 2017; Arnbuckle 2018). This study aims to contribute to this growing body of literature by considering the vital service of land ambulance and the unique institutions of city-county separation along with the imposed CMSM program. By asking the question “In areas where city-county institutions are established, to what extent is the accountability gap in land ambulance services agreements effected by the governance model of the service provider”, this study contributes to the empirical data around accountability, inter-municipal agreements, and SPBs. Through a quantitative test and description, this paper first quantifies the extent of accountability in 13 city-county services, confirming that while land-ambulance services generally perform well, governance structures do correlate with improved performance. Additionally, using a comparative case study, this study qualitatively describes the findings in two similar municipalities with different governance structures, supporting the GAT findings and describing how municipalities can improve their accountability. In sum, this paper finds that in the 13 agreements/services studied, SPB governance structures have superior performance to direct and contract delivery. However, partnerships that have or can produce annual reports, create clear complaints processes, establish joint committees (or boards) with representation from all partner municipalities, do correlate with a strong performance in accountability

Servant Leadership Strengthening Modeling

Principals as school leaders are a contributing factor to success in efforts to strengthen governance, accountability, and public image. This success cannot be separated from competence and ability in their duties, roles and functions. Providing excellent service to all school members, optimizing the empowerment and development of school residents, focusing on performance and growth and impact for school progress and for the community, this leadership is called servant leadership. This study aims to produce a model of strengthening service leadership in the form of a constellation model of influence between variables and their mathematical model. From this model, a research hypothesis is derived which will then be tested using path analysis at the quantitative research stage. The research begins by interviewing informants who are considered competent in providing the expected answers. Furthermore, data reduction, data codification, data display, data analysis, and conclusion drawing were carried out. The research was carried out at the Bogor Regency Private Vocational School in the period October to December 2020. From the research conducted, several variables are thought to have positive and dominant influence on service leadership, namely adversity intelligence, proactive personality, teamwork as exogenous variables, organizational commitment, and work motivation as intervening variables

Comparing economic development corporation and internal department models: Service delivery in Southern Ontario

An increasing number of communities are investing in formal economic development departments or organizations, leading to debate over where the effort should be housed. The purpose of this study is to undertake a systematic investigation of two models of economic development service delivery: internal municipal department model and external corporation model. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used, including in-depth interviews with economic development practitioners and empirical analysis.The findings show that senior economic development professionals generally believe that the service delivery model matters, but there is disagreement on what operational areas are affected and how. Empirical analysis of the program areas and financial and staffing resources shows substantial overlap between internal and external organizations. However, comparing experiences in partnerships, governance, decision-making, and accountability indicates that there are differences between the two models.The research also indicates that there are factors beyond the model that may be more influential: the size of the organization or where the decision-making power lies for the given situation may influence the speed of decision-making more than the model. Participants also identified the important role of leadership and people in creating a successful economic development organization.Key words: Economic development organizations, corporations, departments, service delivery model

Priorities for the Distribution of Interbudgetary Transfers Under the Conditions of Fiscal Decentralization in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the problem of the distribution of intergovernmental transfers in Ukraine, taking into account fiscal decentralization trends. To perform the delegated functions, local governments need to have sufficient funding. However, the revenues of local budgets are insufficient to cover all necessary expenses. Therefore, inter-budget transfers, which in Ukraine are the main instrument of financial equalization, play an important role in ensuring the implementation of delegated powers by local governments. The aim of the article is determination of the priorities for the distribution of intergovernmental transfers in Ukraine in the context of fiscal decentralization. The research methodology combines quantitative and qualitative methods. Using quantitative methods, the principles of fiscal decentralization in Ukraine are observed through the mechanism of distribution of intergovernmental transfers. Using high-quality methods and based on the analysis, the priorities of the distribution of inter-budget transfers in the context of fiscal decentralization are formulated. An analysis of foreign publications on fiscal decentralization has shown that the uncertainty of priorities in this area reduces the effectiveness of fiscal decentralization and inhibits the economic development of regions. Prioritization of the distribution of intergovernmental transfers is preceded by the definition of principles for the distribution of intergovernmental transfers. Based on the results of a quantitative analysis, namely, the identified dynamics of fiscal decentralization indicators and the impact of the distribution of intergovernmental transfers on economic development, the following priorities for the distribution of intergovernmental transfers in fiscal decentralization are identified: supporting the prevalence of targeted transfers over non-targeted transfers, increasing the share of capital transfers, increasing the accountability of local authorities self-government regarding the use of funds received in the form of intergovernmental budget transfers

Counting Is Not Enough: Investing in Qualitative Case Reviews for Practice Improvement in Child Welfare

Outlines the value of quality case service reviews in child welfare systems, requirements for building and sustaining a robust process and adapting it under limited state budgets, and recommendations for jurisdictions, initiators, and national leadership

The implementation of good corporate governance (GCG) to improve service quality : the case of state-owned electricity company in Indonesia

This study analyses and empirically explores the effects of the implementation of Good Corporate Governance (GCG) on the service quality of the state-owned electricity company, PT. PLN of Aceh Regional Office, Indonesia. This study also attempts to evaluate factors supporting and inhibiting the implementation of GCG to improve the quality of service of the company. To collect the data, questionnaires were distributed to all 167 employees of the company, as the study using the census technique. This study uses a mixed method, comprising qualitative and quantitative approaches. The data was analysed descriptively and quantitatively by using the multiple regression model. The study found that the company has well-implemented principles of GCG in providing services to their customers. This study also documented that, with the exception of the GCG’s principle of independency, the implementation of all other principles of GCG, i.e., transparency, accountability, responsibility and fairness were found to positively and significantly affect the service quality of the state-owned electricity company in Indonesia. These findings implied that to continue providing a good service quality for the customers, the company should further enhance the implementation of the principles of GCG in all aspects of company’s activities.peer-reviewe

Scorecards and social accountability for improved maternal and newborn health services: a pilot in the Ashanti and Volta regions of Ghana

Background: With the limited availability of quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in Ghana, and a lack of dialogue on the issue at district level, the Evidence for Action (E4A) program (2011-2015) initiated a pilot intervention using a social accountability approach in two regions of Ghana. Objective: Using scorecards to assess and improve maternal and newborn health services, the intervention study evaluated the effectiveness of engaging multiple, health and non-health sector stakeholders at district level to improve the enabling environment for quality EmONC. Methods: The quantitative study component comprised two rounds of assessments in 37 health facilities. The qualitative component is based on an independent prospective policy study. Results: Results show a marked growth in a culture of accountability, with heightened levels of community participation, transparency, and improved clarity of lines of accountability among decision-makers. The breadth and type of quality of care improvements were dependent on the strength of community and government engagement in the process, especially in regard to more complex systemic changes. Conclusion: Engaging a broad network of stakeholders to support MNH services has great potential if implemented in ways that are context-appropriate and that build around full collaboration with government and civil society stakeholders

A call for conceptual clarity: a soft systems view of performance measurement in public service delivery

Performance measurement systems and the publication of performance data are fundamental to the New Public Management, with its emphasis on decentralised service provision through a variety of agencies. There seem to be four reasons for this performance measurement: to see what works, to identify competences, to support public accountability and to allow control of decentralised service provision. Each of these is examined, using the root definitions that form part of soft systems methodology, which highlights the importance of different worldviews that provide justifications for different approaches to this measurement. If performance measurement systems are to be beneficial, their design should be based on a conceptualisations that recognises these different worldviews and purposes

The Effect of Dividend Policy, Liquidity, Profitability and Firm Size on Firm Value in Financial Service Sector Industries Listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange 2015-2018 Period

Firms that go public have a target to increase the value of their firm, because the value of the firm is an attractive factor for investors to call their capital. Firm value is a financial indicator because high corporate value can prove prosperity for shareholders. This study attempts to analyze the dividend, liquidity, profitability and size of the firm policy on the value of the firm. This research was conducted on financial services companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2015-2018, including 12 companies that met the sample requirements by using purposive sampling from 99 financial service companies for the 2015-2018 period. This study uses multiple linear regression data analysis received with the SPSS program which contains the classic assumption test, partial test (t-test). The results of this study indicate that dividend policy has a negative and significant effect on firm value, liquidity and firm size partially influence positively and significantly on firm value while profitability is not appropriate and not significant to firm value

Public Accountability: Performance Measurement, The Extended State, And The Search For Trust

In an Academy partnership with the Kettering Foundation, National Academy of Pubic Administration Fellows Melvin J. Dubnick and H. George Frederickson have completed a study of accountability. The study, Public Accountability: Performance Measurement, The Extended State, and the Search for Trust, is a treatment of the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary applications of accountability to public affairs. The working title of the study was Public Accountability: From Ambulance Chasing to Accident Prevention, but that title was thought to lack the dignity such an important subject deserves. Dubnick and Frederickson challenge the often assumed relationship between performance measurement and accountability. They give special attention to accountability challenges associated with the outsourcing of government work, what they call the Extended State. And, they provide examples of effective public accountability in the context of high trust public-private partnerships