Making sense of assets: Community asset mapping and related approaches for cultivating capacities

This working paper critically reviews some main aspects from asset based approaches highlights key strengths and weaknesses for future research/development. Drawing on a large body of reports and relevant literature we draw on different theoretical traditions and critiques, as well as practices and processes embedded within a broad range of approaches including, widely acknowledged frameworks such Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), Appreciative Inquiry (AI), Sustainable Livelihood Approaches (SLA) and Community Capitals Framework (CCF). Although these are presented as distinct approaches, there is a sense of evolution through them and many of them overlap (in terms of both theories and methodologies). We also include emerging frameworks, including geographical, socio-spatial, visual and creative approaches, stemming from a number of projects within AHRC’s Connected Communities programme and additional collaborations

Research on Safety and Integrated Disaster Prevention System Based on Big Data Technology

Safety integrated disaster prevention system, as a guarantee of national safety, especially to reduce the serious consequences of disasters, promote the steady development of the economic and social level, has important practical value for the comprehensive study of safety and disaster prevention system. However, the current application and update of such systems by relevant government agencies and the social level cannot effectively follow the development needs of the society and the industry, and there is an urgent need for effective reform. Based on this, this paper first analyzes the problems existing in the research and construction system of big data technology in the security and integrated disaster prevention system, and then gives the construction strategy of the research system of safety and disaster prevention in view of these problems

OECD reviews of higher education in regional and city development, State of Victoria, Australia

With more than 5.3 million inhabitants Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Once a manufacturing economy, Victoria is now transforming itself into a service and innovation-based economy. Currently, the largest sectors are education services and tourism. In terms of social structure, Victoria is characterised by a large migrant population, 24% of population were born overseas and 44% were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. About 70% of the population resides in Melbourne. Victoria faces a number of challenges, ranging from an ageing population and skills shortages to drought and climate change and increased risk of natural disasters. Rapid population growth, 2% annually, has implications for service delivery and uneven development as well as regional disparities. There are barriers to connectivity in terms of transport and infrastructure, and a high degree of inter-institutional competition in tertiary education sector. The business structure in Victoria includes some highly innovative activities such as in biotechnology, but other sectors, especially those with high number of small and medium-sized enterprises, are lagging behind. Most of the larger manufacturing enterprises are externally controlled and there is uncertainty over the long term investments they will make in the state, as well as the place of Victoria in the global production networks

Nordic small countries in the global high-tech value chains: the case of telecommunications systems production in Estonia

In this paper we focus on the electronics industry, and more specifically on the production of telecommunications systems, which is characterised both by very rapid growth of the global trade and very high ratio of R&D investments in the sales revenues (Moncada-Paternoo-Castello et al 2010). More specifically, we analyse the distinctly different development paths of the three major telecommunications systems producers in the Nordic countries: Ericsson, Elcoteq and Skype. Ericsson was established in 1876, and has been a well-known brand name for decades. By contrast, Elcoteq grew from a small company into a global multinational corporation in less than a decade only in the 1990s. As a global company, Skype is still less than ten years old, but it facilitates today more international calls than any other telecommunications operator on the planet.

New Outlooks on Reshaping and Revitalizing Post-Conflict Regions: Strategies, Principles and Models of Reconstruction

Within societies recently recovering from war, people operating at the community or national levels are pressed to deal with reconciliation, development, reintegration and security. Changes and advancements are already at our front door in political philosophy, technology, communications, infrastructure, and shifts in attitudes and behavior of people. All of this will affect regions and communities, and basically alter the requisites for future planning and roles of professionals. Planning in the new millennium is needed to assist people and communities to manage change by all the techniques and skills that it possesses. In progressive crisis situations there is a need for progressive methods and new approaches, especially if the systems in use are not producing necessary results and changes. The situation where the primary objective is the rebuilding of livelihoods and rebuilding a community in a traumatized setting, a holistic way of looking at the ''big picture'' is a condicio sine qua non for any sustainable development effort. The paper draws attention to situations, which require interdisciplinary approaches and the collaboration of different professional actors. In order to structure the complex question of post-conflict reconstruction in a more systematic way, a conceptual interdisciplinary model called Sustainable Communities in Post-Conflict Environments (SCOPE) could be developed for rebuilding communities. This presentation looks at how such a model, applied to places like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, can effectively conceptualize and design policies, programs and projects that efficiently address the above-mentioned issues, giving at the same time a new strategic and innovative approach.

Security implications of digitalization: The dangers of data colonialism and the way towards sustainable and sovereign management of environmental data

Digitalization opens up new opportunities in the collection, analysis, and presentation of data which can contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, the access to and control of environmental and geospatial data is fundamental to identify and understand global issues and trends. Also immediate crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate the importance of accurate health data such as infection statistics and the relevance of digital tools like video conferencing platforms. However, today much of the data is collected and processed by private actors. Thus, governments and researchers depend on data platforms and proprietary systems of big tech companies such as Google or Microsoft. The market capitalization of the seven largest US and Chinese big tech companies has grown to 8.7tn USD in recent years, about twice the size of Germany's gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, their market power is enormous, allowing them to dictate many rules of the digital space and even interfere with legislations. Based on a literature review and nine expert interviews this study presents a framework that identifies the risks and consequences along the workflow of collecting, processing, storing, using of data. It also includes solutions that governmental and multilateral actors can strive for to alleviate the risks. Fundamental to this framework is the novel concept of "data colonialism" which describes today's trend of private companies appropriating the digital sphere. Historically, colonial nations used to grab indigenous land and exploit the cheap labor of slave workers. In a similar way, today's big tech corporations use cheap data of their users to produce valuable services and thus create enormous market power.Comment: This study was prepared under contract to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The authors bear responsibility for the conten

Urban food strategies in Central and Eastern Europe: what's specific and what's at stake?

Integrating a larger set of instruments into Rural Development Programmes implied an increasing focus on monitoring and evaluation. Against the highly diversified experience with regard to implementation of policy instruments the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework has been set up by the EU Commission as a strategic and streamlined method of evaluating programmes’ impacts. Its indicator-based approach mainly reflects the concept of a linear, measure-based intervention logic that falls short of the true nature of RDP operation and impact capacity on rural changes. Besides the different phases of the policy process, i.e. policy design, delivery and evaluation, the regional context with its specific set of challenges and opportunities seems critical to the understanding and improvement of programme performance. In particular the role of local actors can hardly be grasped by quantitative indicators alone, but has to be addressed by assessing processes of social innovation. This shift in the evaluation focus underpins the need to take account of regional implementation specificities and processes of social innovation as decisive elements for programme performance.

City of Ideas: Reinventing Boston's Innovation Economy: The Boston Indicators Report 2012

Analyzes indicators of the city's economic, social, and technological progress; potential for creating innovative solutions to global and national challenges; and complexities, disparities, and weaknesses in the indicators and innovation economy paradigm