Social Housing Allocation: A Problem Structuring approach

The demand for social housing (SH) has emerged all over Europe and it is expo-nentially increasing particularly since the 2008 global economic crisis. This growing temporary housing demand comes from a sector of the population living in the so-called “grey zone”, also known as the ‘in-work poverty’ population. The “grey zone” is composed of individuals in a situation of housing vulnerability [39]: people whose housing needs cannot be met by the market and at the same time who are not eligible to access public housing programs, such as the homeless, internal migrants, city users, single-earner families, the elderly, people subject to eviction, single parents. Typically, the process underpinning the selection of SH projects has focused on re-ducing the SH shortage by providing enough supply. Nowadays, the process of selec-tion of SH projects is no longer simply related to the lack of housing stock but also to the social, economic and cultural changes that currently affect a wide segment of the European population [7, 9, 19]. In this new scenario, the focus of SH policies is shift-ing from the building understood as a product to the people who live in the building. In fact where the human factor is fundamental to target the recipients, in order to pursue the integration of different social groups and the improvement the living con-ditions in the buildings. As the attention now being given to the topic in the interna-tional arena testifies, the scientific community and the market are looking to SH as a key area in which to test new approaches to sustainable design and implementation, taking into account not only the three “consolidated” pillars of sustainability (i. e. environment, society and economy), but also relevant additional dimensions, such as ethics, culture and technology [5]. In this scenario, SH represents a challenge that requires to be made with limited investments and at the same time designed to ensure the reduction of housing cost for users, promoters and managers in the use phase, as well as the achievement of the highest quality standards. The housing cost, including both the rental costs and those of utilities should not exceed 40% of the users income [33]. It is a given fact that sustainable design has, above all, the environmental perfor-mance in terms of building envelope as its object and purpose. Usually, alongside this, the use of renewable energy, eco-friendly materials and technological solutions for the quality of life indoors and the optimal management of water and waste are recognized as integrated quality of the intervention. An aspect that nowadays is con-sidered increasingly important is the ability of real estate transactions to generate and preserve value. Moreover, a key objective of SH is the creation of an "active commu-nity" where people can easily integrate into the urban context. Therefore, it is essen-tial to pay particular attention to the location of the project, its accessibility and prox-imity to services, to all the forms of participation and co-planning that the project can stimulate, to the mix of facilities to be offered (in the individual building and in the neighbourhood), promoting reduced economic and social inequalities and avoiding the creation of social segregation [3]. In this sense, along with the architectural design it is therefore essential to simultaneously undertake the "project of social management" of the intervention, which means predicting the set of actors and actions in the use phase that can ensure their sustainability in terms of the community. In the planning phase it a reference profile of the future community that will ensure a balanced social mix should already be established. However, in the light of recent international environmental protocols for assessing sustainability in construction, such as LEED, SB 100, BREEAM communities, CasaClima Habitat, protocol ITHACA, Lidera, AUDIS [3, 24, 25] it is clear that, if these types of assessments are applied to SH operations, the environmental dimension takes precedence, mostly linked to energy efficiency and the attention to building materials, rather than to the social and economic aspects. Little attention is given to interpersonal sphere of living, or the aptitude of the building for the implementation of specific activities of social inclusion, or to the expected interventions and targeted aid to contrast the difficulties of the future users of social housing. These "non-traditional" aspects for a conventional residence become paramount in an SH intervention. In order to tackle this social challenge, meet the user needs and foster effective means of public/private investment, this research intends to propose a new more tailored and effective approach for the decision making process related to the allocation of public (and private) resources for SH projects. Our research is articulated through an overview of the literature of the field and the analysis of the process of evaluation and selection of the SH interventions actually adopted by a banking foundation, in order to develop specific considerations and contributions on the topic. A large and consolidated amount of recent literature concerning SH problems exists in different fields. Mention can be made of the studies conducted in the spheres of the link between energy and technical aspects [16, 18, 19, 20] the relation between technical aspects and construction costs [8, 10, 11, 13, 28, 37, 40], the evaluation methods of the social retrofitting intervention [31, 2, 4, 17, 26, 32, 35, 36], the quality of life and the reduction of social exclusion [12, 14, 21, 23, 29, 30]. The above mentioned extensive literature highlights the need to understand and decide which SH projects are worth funding, based on technical and social considerations, in order to provide access to housing and related social support for those who need it [26, 38]. Therefore, a consolidated and structured evaluation method able to simultaneously consider all the aforementioned aspects in SH field is still needed. The research presented in this paper begins with the experience of an Italian bank foundation that has been involved in SH projects since 2007. This foundation developed its own assessment methodology to screen large funding requests from social agencies (cooperatives, religious bodies, public administration) wishing to implement SH projects. The methodology consists of three decision-making process stages: 1- A technical evaluation of the buildings in which the SH projects will be hosted is performed. A team according to four main criteria: (i) overall architectural consisten-cy of the building; (ii) economic correctness of the adjustment work planned; (iii) accessibility of the spaces for people with disabilities; and, (iv) flexibility/modularity of the building. These criteria are in turn divided into thirteen sub-criteria; 2- A social evaluation of how the projects intend to provide social support destined for the future beneficiaries (mainly the inhabitants but also the neighbourhood communities) of the SH units is undertaken. A team comprising psychologists, community psychologists and psychotherapists assess all the SH projects according to three main criteria: (i) overall quality of the social support project; (ii) fairness of the financial plan of the social project; and, (iii) possibility to create synergies with cooperatives and social agencies in order to perform social activities. These criteria are subsequently divided into eleven sub-criteria; 3- Criteria weights are assigned and aggregated during the technical and social assessments by a multidisciplinary group of experts in order to obtain a ranking of the projects. This study conceives the above assessment methodology as a Problem Structuring Method (PSM) [1, 15, 22, 27, 34], since it is configured as a flexible and real mechanism for addressing complex problems by representing the situation in a structured manner, as it exhibits many similarities with consolidated and recognised PSMs [27]. Moreover, the aforementioned methodology has the potential to be significantly improved in order to address complex issues characterized by the presence of multiple actors often with different perspectives or objectives and conflicting interests supporting participants’ learning about their own and others’ perspectives, as well as the problematic situation of concern [34, 6]. From this perspective, the research intends to experiment a possible improvement to the Bank foundation’s assessment methodology, exploiting a participative method, based on the use of emerging technologies. ICT could provide spontaneous and voluntary data to be incorporated into a structured method, not only to support the Decision Maker (DM) in the ex-ante phase (with portfolio problems or constructing a tender; with the definition of the architectural, technical and social characteristics of the intervention), but also in itinere and in the ex-post phases, when it will be possible to monitor if the final outcomes meet the initial objectives. The decision- making process related to the SH projects will be structured as follows: - The first level of the decision-making process will directly involve the citizens and the stakeholders with the aim of clarifying the real needs of the beneficiaries of the SH units. In this phase the data will be collected in two ways: “spontaneous data”, via the analysis of social networks data, such as tweets and Flickr data; “voluntary data”, through partially structured and partially open surveys, analysed with specific semantic theories and tools; - The second level of the decision-making process will involve the DM, experts, spe-cific stakeholders operating directly in the SH sector (i.e. the managers of the SH buildings) and the citizens, in order to structure the decision-making model through a series of workshops. In this phase the use of PSM and ICT will be strongly supported by visual representation (3D models). After a pilot test in Italy, the research will continue by performing test planning ac-tivities of the decision-making process in other European Countries

Catch Me If You Can: Technological Constraints/Affordances and Mindfulness during Collaborative Police Emergency Response

Nowadays, mobile technology plays an essential role during police emergency response duties. This article presents the result of an ethnographic research in progress. Police officers were shadowed during their shifts (70 hours of observation) in cases of time-pressured incidents. We analyze the entanglement between the material and human agencies while the police officers were responding to two incidents (a holdup and a burglary). We assess the effect of technological constraints and affordances on human mindfulness. Mindfulness is important to achieve a successful collaborative response to an emergency where multiple High Reliability Teams are involved. When technology is not used to its full potential, our results show that it hinders collaboration between teams. Additionally, the results show the amount of time pressure affects the level of mindfulness among police officers

Hybrid fuzzy analytical hierarchy process with fuzzy inference system on ranking stem approach towards blended learning in mathematics

In the era of Education 4.0, blended learning has been selected as one of the transformational pedagogies for the teaching and learning process that integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), a new norm that needs to be adopted by Malaysia. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue has been highlighted at most levels of study in the education field. However, limited knowledge of the implementation of 21st Century learning skills with Web 2.0 among teachers has made the students demotivated for their mathematics classroom. Moreover, dynamic changes in the standard curriculum have made the situation more challenging for teachers in selecting the appropriate STEM approach to ensure students are fully engaged. Inspired by the problem, this research used fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) concepts. A hybrid fuzzy MCDM model proposes a four stages process to rank and find the best implementation STEM approach in the mathematics classroom. The model is constructed by integrating the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to determine the weights of STEM criteria and sub-criteria and the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) to compute the best STEM approach in the mathematics classroom. The procedure involves exploring the issue associated with the selection problems, deriving decision criteria important weights, and ranking various alternatives with applied intuitive multiple centroids as a defuzzification method. The results showed hands-on activities as the best STEM approach while requisite knowledge is the important criterion with the greatest value of weights. Thus, the proposed model helps provide a clear picture for teachers in the implementation of STEM approach in Mathematics based on a comprehensive view and also lay a new foundation knowledge in fuzzy MCDM view, particularly in STEM education. Also, it helps the Ministry of Education (MoE) to achieve one of the initiatives in Wave 3 of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2021-2025), which is to share the best practice in the classroom to cultivate a peer-led culture of professional excellence among teachers as the basis for improving the implementation and achievement of STEM at the national level

Crowdsourced online dispute resolution

Solving disputes often takes a considerable amount of time and money. That holds for everyone involved. A new type of dispute resolution called Crowdsourced Online Dispute Resolution (CODR) seems to have the potential to offer a cheap, fast, and democratic dispute resolution procedure. Since it is currently not clear whether CODR procedures comply with the requirements of procedural fairness, the attractiveness and the acceptance of CODR procedures may be in discussion. This thesis aims to establish whether CODR can fairly resolve disputes. First, it provides a framework of CODR, analyses the differences between CODR and other dispute resolution schemes, and constructs interpretation of procedural fairness that merges objective and subjective procedural fairness. Second, the research investigates whether the current CODR procedures are fair and proposes a model of a CODR procedure that complies with the interpretation of procedural fairness. The findings of the research indicate that CODR can be designed to fairly resolve disputes.Exploring the Frontiers of International La

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

This open access book discusses current thinking and presents the main issues and challenges associated with climate change in Africa. It introduces evidences from studies and projects which show how climate change adaptation is being - and may continue to be successfully implemented in African countries. Thanks to its scope and wide range of themes surrounding climate change, the ambition is that this book will be a lead publication on the topic, which may be regularly updated and hence capture further works. Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more severly affected than others. One of these regions is the African continent. Due to a combination of unfavourable socio-economic and meteorological conditions, African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. The recently released IPCC special report "Global Warming of 1.5º C" outlines the fact that keeping global warming by the level of 1.5º C is possible, but also suggested that an increase by 2º C could lead to crises with crops (agriculture fed by rain could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020) and livestock production, could damage water supplies and pose an additonal threat to coastal areas. The 5th Assessment Report produced by IPCC predicts that wheat may disappear from Africa by 2080, and that maize— a staple—will fall significantly in southern Africa. Also, arid and semi-arid lands are likely to increase by up to 8%, with severe ramifications for livelihoods, poverty eradication and meeting the SDGs. Pursuing appropriate adaptation strategies is thus vital, in order to address the current and future challenges posed by a changing climate. It is against this background that the "African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation" is being published. It contains papers prepared by scholars, representatives from social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects in Africa, and working with communities across the African continent. Encompassing over 100 contribtions from across Africa, it is the most comprehensive publication on climate change adaptation in Africa ever produced

Triple Helix as a Strategic Tool to Fast-Track Climate Change Adaptation in Rural Kenya: Case Study of Marsabit County

AbstractThe lack of affordable, clean, and reliable energy in Africa's rural areas forces people to resort to poor quality energy source, which is detrimental to the people's health and prevents the economic development of communities. Moreover, access to safe water and food security are concerns closely linked to health issues and children malnourishment. Recent climate change due to global warming has worsened the already critical situation.Electricity is well known to be an enabler of development as it allows the use of modern devices thus enabling the development of not only income-generating activities but also water pumping and food processing and conservation that can promote socioeconomic growth. However, all of this is difficult to achieve due to the lack of investors, local skills, awareness by the community, and often also government regulations.All the above mentioned barriers to the uptake of electricity in rural Kenya could be solved by the coordinated effort of government, private sector, and academia, also referred to as Triple Helix, in which each entity may partially take the other's role. This chapter discretizes the above and shows how a specific county (Marsabit) has benefited from this triple intervention. Existing government policies and actions and programs led by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international agencies are reviewed, highlighting the current interconnection and gaps in promoting integrated actions toward climate change adaptation and energy access

Plants and Plant Products in Local Markets Within Benin City and Environs

AbstractThe vulnerability of agriculture systems in Africa to climate change is directly and indirectly affecting the availability and diversity of plants and plant products available in local markets. In this chapter, markets in Benin City and environs were assessed to document the availability of plants and plant products. Markets were grouped into urban, suburban, and rural with each group having four markets. Majority of the plant and plant product vendors were women and 88 plant species belonging to 42 families were found. Their scientific and common names were documented as well as the parts of the plant and associated products available in the markets. Most of the plant and plant products found in local markets belong to major plant families. Urban markets had the highest diversity of plants and plant products. Three categories of plants and plant products were documented. Around 67% of the plants and plant products were categorized as whole plant/plant parts, 28% as processed plant parts, while 5% as reprocessed plant/plant parts. It was revealed that 86% of these plants are used as foods, 11% are for medicinal purposes, while 3% is used for other purposes. About 35% of plants and plant products across the markets were fruits, which is an indication that city and environs are a rich source of fruits. The local knowledge and practices associated with the plants and plant products can contribute towards formulating a strategic response for climate change impacts on agriculture, gender, poverty, food security, and plant diversity