Lifelong guidance policy and practice in the EU

A study on lifelong guidance (LLG) policy and practice in the EU focusing on trends, challenges and opportunities. Lifelong guidance aims to provide career development support for individuals of all ages, at all career stages. It includes careers information, advice, counselling, assessment of skills and mentoring

Supporting Youth Employment: A Guide for Community Groups

Although public money is available for education, job training and youth programs throughout the nation, many young people in low-income communities do not acquire the skills and credentials necessary to get high paying jobs. This Guide is a resource for parents, youth workers, educators and young people who want to take action. It details three major public funding sources that can support job-related training for youth: the WIA, TANF and State Education Assistance. The Guide also offers information on how to recognize effective programs, activities and supports, highlighting successful youth initiatives. A long list of youth-oriented resources is provided

RESEARCH REPORT ON THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

This Report attempts to examine how an institution like the NDA, which was established to meet the short-term needs of NGOs in development and the long-term need to promote partnership between government and these organisations, is assisting in creating favourable conditions for the sustainability of the non-profit sector and to what extent the legislative framework appears to have enabled or hindered the NDA in the execution of its mandate

Partnering for Impact: Government-Nonprofit Contracting Reform Task Forces Produce Results for Taxpayers

This report reviews the creation, recommendations, and implementation activities of joint government nonprofit contracting reform task forces in nine states to identify trends and insights that can be applied elsewhere. It is the latest publication in an ongoing series from the National Council of Nonprofits that identifies solutions to a national crisis: broken and antiquated contracting processes that waste limited resources and frustrate the ability of governments and charitable nonprofits to achieve their missions. This report provides proven ways for governments and nonprofits to collaborate to save money for taxpayers and donors while maintaining or even improving client-based outcomes and enhancing accountability

Science advice to governments: diverse systems, common challenges

This briefing paper formed the basis of discussions at the 'Science Advice to Governments' summit, which took place in Auckland, New Zealand from 28-29 August 2014, and was attended by science advisors and policymakers from 48 countries

Assessment of the development of aquifer management councils (COTAS) for sustainable groundwater management in Guanajuato, Mexico

Collective groundwater management by water users—self-regulation—is increasingly advocated as a complement to state regulation. This article analyzes the attempts by the Guanajuato State Water Commission (CEAG) in central Mexico to promote user self-regulation through the establishment and development of 14 Consejos Técnicos de Aguas (COTAS; Technical Water Councils). Based on a joint assessment by a former senior CEAG policy-maker and two researchers, Guanajuato’s groundwater-management policy is reviewed to understand why user self-regulation was less successful than expected. It concludes that increasing awareness and improving the knowledge base on groundwater is not enough to trigger self-regulation by groundwater users. A wider delegation of responsibilities to the COTAS is necessary, combined with: (1) functioning mechanisms for enforcing groundwater legislation, especially concerning well permits and pumped volumes, and (2) mechanisms that ensure the legitimacy and accountability of users’ representatives to both users and state agencie

Effective models of employment-based training

Evolving models of employment-based training (EBT) are responding to skill shortages and the need to develop technical skills at a level higher than a certificate III—the benchmark qualification level considered by many as the minimum for ensuring sustainable job outcomes (Stanwick 2004). This research explored a variety of current employment-based training models and proposed five enhancements for higher-level qualifications. These changes concentrate on maintaining a balance of learning experiences between educational institutions and the workplace. The project was based around case studies in process manufacturing and child care. Thirty-three individuals, representing employers, employees/apprentices, vocational education and training (VET) providers, industry bodies and training package developers were interviewed. The issues and views expressed by those interviewed from both industries were consistent with what was found in the literature review. Current models of employment-based training can usefully be grouped as: two forms of 'fast-tracking' options in a formal apprenticeship model, especially at certificate III level, to address immediate skills shortages. These are accelerated progression models (shorter durations linked to a truly competency-based approach) and intensive up-front training, followed by work-based learning to ensure immediate productivity of the learner in the workplace higher-level VET qualifications gained either through an apprenticeship or by undertaking a vocational course the design of new skill sets/qualifications at various levels of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) alternative provisions for young people. Although these models continue to make a significant contribution to the skilling of the Australian workforce, their full potential is limited by certain persistent issues. These include inconsistent regulatory arrangements, non-compliance by employers and registered training organisations, poor audit processes, variations in the interpretation and practice of competency-based training, and wages and awards. These various factors mean poor completion rates and losses for individuals, employers, governments and other stakeholders. Recent changes in policy direction are attempting to address some of these issues and simultaneously increase interest and growth in the uptake of employment-based training. Any new models of employment-based training should address existing problems, as well as take into account the emerging needs of industry for skilled labour. The design of the models must also address an ageing workforce and allow flexible entry points for all age groups. Furthermore, future employment-based training models also need to keep pace with how work is organised in an environment characterised by increased competition, outsourcing, casualisation and an emphasis on specialisation and innovation. What is becoming apparent is the need for a compendium of models, rather than a 'one size fits all' approach

Securitization in East Asia

Securitization offers a range of benefits for Asiaâs financial systems and economies as a mechanism to assist funding and investment. As a form of structured finance, reliable and efficient securitization can assist development by enabling financial systems to deepen and strengthenâthus contributing to overall economic growth and stability. It must be recognized, however, that there are both overt and more subtle risks in certain uses of securitization. The credit and liquidity crisis that began in the United States and spread to other developed financial systems in mid-2007 exposed the danger associated with securitization: excessive risk-taking or regulatory capital arbitrage rather than a tool to assist more conventional or conservative approaches to funding, risk management, or investment. Securitization has also been criticized for rendering financial markets opaque, while contributing to a growing emphasis in the global economy of credit intermediation conducted in capital markets rather than through banks. This study examines the institutional basis of these concerns by investigating the use of securitization in East Asia, questioning both the growth in regional activity since the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis, and the reasons for it remaining constrained. The paper concludes with a discussion of proposals to support proper development of securitization in the region, including institutional mechanisms that could better allow securitization to enhance development and financial stability. If East Asia begins to make fuller use of securitization, its motive will be to meet funding or investment needs in the real economy rather than balance sheet arbitrage of the kind that peaked elsewhere in 2007.Securitization; East Asia; debt markets; risk transfer

Competitiveness partnerships : building and maintaining public-private dialogue to improve the investment climate - a resource drawn from the review of 40 countries'experiences

The authors examine competitiveness partnerships, which consist of structured dialogue between the public and private sector to improve the investment climate. The paper is designed to be used as a resource by donors, governments, or businesspeople who are interested in establishing, maintaining, or improving a competitiveness partnership in their country or region. The political and economic context of a country determines the kind of partnership that is feasible and likely to succeed, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. But it is possible to distill some ideas and techniques from best practice as many public-private dialogue mechanisms face similar challenges. Drawing on the experiences of 40 countries, the authors make a positive case for building and maintaining competitiveness partnerships, and offer a selection of valuable insights into how practitioners can design them so as to avoid common pitfalls. They demonstrate that reforms that are designed through public-private dialogue are better conceived and more effectively implemented because they arise from increased mutual understanding between government and the businesscommunity. The paper has three parts. Part One outlines what competitiveness partnerships can achieve. Part Two describes how competitiveness partnerships function, presenting issues to consider when designing such partnerships and a range of ways in which they may be approached. Part Three identifies challenges that competitiveness partnerships have frequently faced and strategies that have been used to overcome them.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,National Governance,Health Economics&Finance,ICT Policy and Strategies,Economic Theory&Research