“Show me, how does it look now”: Remote Help-giving in Collaborative Design

This paper examines the role of visual information in a remote help-giving situation involving the collaborative physical task of designing a prototype remote control. We analyze a set of video recordings captured within an experimental setting. Our analysis shows that using gestures and relevant artefacts and by projecting activities on the camera, participants were able to discuss several design-related issues. The results indicate that with a limited camera view (mainly faces and shoulders), participants’ conversations were centered at the physical prototype that they were designing. The socially organized use of our experimental setting provides some key implications for designing future remote collaborative systems

Responding to Cross Border Child Trafficking in South Asia: An Analysis of the Feasibility of a Technologically Enabled Missing Child Alert System

This report examines the feasibility of a technologically enabled system to help respond to the phenomenon of cross-border child trafficking in South Asia, and makes recommendations on how to proceed with a pilot project in the selected areas of Bangladesh, Nepal and India. The study was commissioned by the Missing Child Alert (MCA) programme which is an initiative led by Plan. MCA is an initiative to address cross-border child trafficking in South Asia, led by Plan. The aim of the programme is to link existing institutions, mechanisms and resources in order to tackle the phenomenon from a regional perspective. To achieve this, Plan propose to implement a technologically equipped, institutionalised system of alert that can assist in the rescue, rehabilitation, repatriation and reintegration of children who are at risk of, or are victims of, cross-border trafficking

Paving the Road to Better Income Options: Case Study on Promoting Women’s Livelihood and Employment Opportunities in Viet Nam

[Excerpt] Infrastructure projects and road networks have he potential to catalyze socioeconomic change. hey yield economic prospects for neighboring communities, enhance higher-value agricultural and industrial investment, and improve access to markets as well as health and social services. Unfortunately, such projects also entail risks. Residents are often excluded from the benefits either because they lack awareness of the opportunities or they lack the skills that could make them direct beneficiaries. Additionally, as is frequently observed, residents can become vulnerable to unforeseen risks, such as human trafficking and the spread of HIV, which can result from the increased physical connectivity. Bearing in mind both the rewards and risks of large-scale infrastructure projects, the 16-month project “Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment— Strengthening Capacity of Women Along the Central Mekong Delta Connectivity Project Phase II” was designed to prepare local communities for both income opportunities and potential adverse impacts with the forthcoming road construction in Dong Thap Province, in southern Viet Nam. With a total budget of $400,000, the project began in June 2012 targeting women, both those who are married and younger single women who might out-migrate for employment. The project set out to improve income-generating opportunities for women, promote gender equality, and enhance awareness of the risks related to human trafficking and HIV in eight communes located in two districts (Cao Lanh and Thap Muoi). Specifically, women from low-income households were targeted with vocational skills training and access to credit and employment placements. Simultaneously, the project emphasized building up institutional capacities for improving livelihood opportunities for women that would endure beyond the project

A human factors approach to analysing military command and control

This paper applies the Event Analysis for Systemic Teamwork (EAST) method to an example of military command and control. EAST offers a way to describe system level 'emergent properties' that arise from the complex interactions of system components (human and technical). These are described using an integrated methods approach and modelled using Task, Social and Knowledge networks. The current article is divided into three parts: a brief description of the military command and control context, a brief description of the EAST method, and a more in depth presentation of the analysis outcomes. Numerous findings emerge from the application of the method. These findings are compared with similar analyses undertaken in civilian domains, where Network Enabled Capability (NEC) is already in place. The emergent properties of the military scenario relate to the degree of system reconfigurability, systems level Situational Awareness (SA), team-working and the role of mediating technology. It is argued that the EAST method can be used to offer several interesting perspectives on designing and specifying NEC capability in military context

A programme management approach for ensuring coherence in IS (higher) education

This paper examines IS higher education, concentrating on issues of ‘coherence’ in IS curricula. While curriculum coherence can be jeopardized by poor curriculum design, misalignment between module content and/or misalignment between module or course aims can cause serious coherence issues over time. Misalignment of this type is exacerbated by the traditional processes of curriculum (re)design, which rely heavily on the (singular) interpretation of highly abstract documents, such as module syllabi and course specifications – often produced by curriculum designers in isolation. To improve curriculum coherence, this paper examines the use of a programme management framework as a means of (a) ‘humanizing’ the abstract aims and goals of curricula schemes and (b) managing the delivery and evolution of curricula in relation to the stakeholders in the process of delivery. The practical use of the framework is examined in the context of a Masters-level course in ‘Information Systems Management’. An action research approach is used to demonstrate the practical utility of the framework in terms of (a) improving communication of curricula, (b) improving the coherence between modules and between modules and course and (c) removing content redundancy. Guidelines are presented that generalize the findings in order that key practices may be adopted by others

MOSAIC vision and scenarios for mobile collaborative work related to health and wellbeing

The main objective of the MOSAIC project is to accelerate innovation in Mobile Worker Support Environments by shaping future research and innovation activities in Europe. The modus operandi of MOSAIC is to develop visions and illustrative scenarios for future collaborative workspaces involving mobile and location-aware working. Analysis of the scenarios is input to the process of road mapping with the purpose of developing strategies for R&D leading to deployment of innovative mobile work technologies and applications across different domains. This paper relates to one specific domain, that of Health and Wellbeing. The focus is therefore is on mobile working environments which enable mobile collaborative working related to the domain of healthcare and wellbeing services for citizens. This paper reports the work of MOSAIC T2.2 on the vision and scenarios for mobile collaborative work related to this domain. This work was also an input to the activity of developing the MOSAIC roadmap for future research and development targeted at realization of the future Health and Wellbeing vision. The MOSAIC validation process for the Health and Wellbeing scenarios is described and one scenario – the Major Incident Scenario - is presented in detail

Review of local alcohol harm reduction strategies in Cheshire and Merseyside

This report reviews local alcohol strategies in Cheshire and Merseyside.ChaMPs Public Health Networ

Scoping study brief - Potential for adaptation and mitigation

This brief presents the findings of a scoping study on potential for adaptation and mitigation in East Africa, conducted as a requirement for the Climate Resilient Agribusiness for Tomorrow (CRAFT) Project, under Work Stream 3 on Enabling Environment for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). The purpose was to ascertain the potential for adaptation and mitigation under CRAFT