Methodological design and comparative evaluation of a MAS providing AmI

Researches on Ambient Intelligent and Ubiquitous Computing using wireless technologies have increased in the last years. In this work, we review several scenarios to define a multi-agent architecture that support the information needs of these new technologies, for heterogeneous domain. Our contribution consists of designing in a methodological way a Context Aware System (involving location services) using agents that can be used in very different domains. We describe all the steps followed in the design of the agent system. We apply a hybridizing methodology between GAIA and AUML. Additionally we propose a way to compare different agent architectures for Context Aware System using agent interactions. So, in this paper, we describe the assignment of weight values to agents interaction in two different MAS architectures for Context Aware problems solving different scenarios inspired in FIPA standard negotiation protocols.Publicad

Veto Players, Fickle Institutions and Low-Quality Policies: The Policymaking Process in Ecuador

This paper seeks to understand why political actors, institutions and legal reforms have systematically failed to produce cooperation in the Ecuadorian policymaking process. From a comparative and historical standpoint, Ecuador has been trapped in a cycle of low-quality public policies that fail to adjust to environmental conditions, that fluctuate according to political whims and that tend to favor well-organized lobbies rather than pursuing optimal social outcomes. The paper identifies two alternative policymaking paths leading to poor policy outcomes. In the first one, the executive agenda is eclipsed by the short-term clientelistic demands of multiple veto players in the legislature, thus contributing to policy deadlock or rigidity. In the second, executive power is delegated to a decisive, often technical bureaucracy isolated from political pressures, but the lack of institutional stability of such bodies leads to a pattern of policy volatility. Lastly, the paper discusses the formal and informal roles of "last-ditch" veto players to stall or revert unwanted policies. The paper also features two case studies on fiscal and monetary policies, and derives empirical implications to improve the formation of durable intertemporal agreements in the legislature and ensure stable policy implementation and enforcement through a technical bureaucracy and independent judiciary.

An Enabling Arab Civic Space for Resilience, Growth and Sustainability

This report aims to shed light on these issues by mapping changes in the enabling environment in a pandemic context and their effects on organizational-level practices through a lens of resilience, growth and sustainability of civil society by focusing on four Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. It does not cover the full range of civil society, but focuses on non-governmental organisations, including associations, community-based organisations, charitable and faith-based organisations and foundations. It departs from existing studies by taking a prescriptive approach that highlights and analyses key changes in policies, laws and infrastructure influencing CSOs, to identify sector gaps, priorities and areas of action for collective advocacy by the sector for an enabling environment

Reforming the investment climate : lessons for practitioners

Most people agree that a good investment climate is essential for growth and poverty reduction. Less clear is how to achieve it. Many reforms are complex, involving more than technical design and content. They are both political, facing opposition from organized and powerful groups-and institutionally demanding, cutting across different departments and levels of government. Reform thus requires paying as much attention to understanding the politics and institutional dimensions as to policy substance, which is the goal of this paper. Drawing from more than 25 case studies, it shows that there is no single recipe or"manual"for reform, given diverse contexts and serendipity in any reform effort. But three broad lessons emerge. The first is to recognize and seize opportunities for reform. Crisis and new governments are important catalysts, but so is the competition generated by trade integration and new benchmarking information. The second is to invest early in the politics of reform. Central to this process is using education and persuasion strategies to gain wider acceptance and neutralize opponents. Pilot programs can be valuable for demonstrating the benefits and feasibility of change. And the third is to pay greater attention to implementation and monitoring. This does not require full scale public management reforms. Reformers can draw on private sector change management techniques to revitalize public institutions responsible for implementation. Given the cross-cutting nature of reform, new oversight mechanisms may be needed to monitor and sustain reform. The paper concludes with an emerging checklist for reformers and identifies areas for future work.Enterprise Development&Reform,Children and Youth,Economic Theory&Research,Population Policies,Markets and Market Access

Policy innovation in the Italian labour market: the influence of institutions

Gegenstand der Analyse dieses Papiers ist der Umfang von Policy-Innovationen innerhalb des italienischen Arbeitsmarkts angesichts der wachsenden Arbeitslosigkeit. Dabei geht es um die Art, wie öffentliche und private Akteure ihr Routinehandeln zu verändern und neue Programme zu entwickeln versuchen, umgegen die alarmierenden Veränderungen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt anzugehen.Im Vordergrund stehen dabei die in der jüngsten Zeit geschlossenen Solidaritäts-Abmachungen (bei denen es um Verträge mit flexibler und verkürzter Arbeitszeitgeht), die sehr bewußt von Entscheidungsträgern eingeführt wurden, um Entlassungen zu vermeiden und neue Einstellungen zu ermöglichen. Ein detaillierter Vergleich zwischen den mehrheitlich praktizierten Standardansätzen in derArbeitsmarktpolitik und den neuen Arbeitsprogrammen der 90er Jahre zeigt deutlichein anhaltendes Setzen auf alte Policy-Muster und ein niedriges Innovationsniveauin neue Policy-Ansätze. Die Arbeitgeber halten an den alten Programmen fest, da sieden Verlust von deren Anreizstrukturen befürchten. Ebenso sind öffentlicheMaßnahmen pfadabhängig vor dem Hintergrund des bestehenden Institutionengefüges von Anreizen und Einschränkungen, eine Abhängigkeit, dieinnovative Erfolge verhindert. --

Staying on Track from Paris: Advancing the Key Elements of the Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015 provides essential building blocks for universal action to address climate change. Now, much work is needed to breathe life into the provisions and commitments of the Agreement in order to realize the globally agreed vision to limit temperature rise, build the ability to adapt to climate impacts, and align financial flows toward zerocarbon and climate-resilient development. The Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) must continue to cooperate effectively to unpack and clarify the key tasks and activities outlined in the Agreement in order to provide a well-defined pathway to implementation. This paper takes an in-depth look at the Paris Agreement, highlighting important outcomes and the tasks and activities that now need to be undertaken to elaborate and develop the critical rules and processes under the Agreement. Ensuring that these rules and processes are strong and effective will be essential to promoting ambitious climate action and accelerating it in the coming years