Qualitative Evaluation of Flying Start (research document)

"This report presents the findings from the qualitative evaluation of Flying Start, which examines the user experience and outcomes of Flying Start for families. Through interviews with providers and users of Flying Start entitlements, the report explores the extent to which Flying Start provision is available and accessible. It also investigates the experience of service engagement and any impacts on families as a result of Flying Start." - overview

‘I Don’t Trust the Phone; It Always Lies’:Trust and Information and Communication Technologies in Tanzanian Micro- and Small Enterprises

Despite its importance in African enterprise, the issue of ¿trust¿ is absent in information and communication technology for development scholarship. This article examines three case study subsectors of the Tanzanian economy to shed light on some of the complexities surrounding the sudden interface between traditional, established communication, and the increasing use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). It seems from the case studies that, whereas mobile phones are indeed creating new forms of network in the twenty-first century, they are still far from being Africa's dominant form of network as Støvring (2004, 22) contends. The case studies reveal the overlap between social interaction and business in an African economy. Trust emerges as a common theme, and I discuss how important an issue it is in relation to the new form of communication that ICT provides for entrepreneurs in Africa. I suggest that, in relation to ICT in developing countries, trust might at this stage be separated from the more slippery concept of social capital that it is frequently associated with elsewhere. I then reflect on the implications of this for future research into ICT and its business and nonbusiness applications in developing countries. I conclude by suggesting that the need for direct, personal interaction through face-to-face contact¿a traditional pre-ICT aspect of African business culture¿is unlikely to change for some tim

2016 Menino Survey of Mayors Final Report

Report on research findings.The 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the third scientifically rigorous and nationally representative survey of American mayors released by the Boston University Initiatives on Cities. The Menino Survey, based on interviews with 102 sitting mayors conducted in 2016, provides insight into mayoral priorities, policy views and relationships with their key partners, including other levels of government. This year's research was largely focused on Mayors' "people priorities" on subjects like poverty, immigration, inclusion, and city image. Mayors also discussed the impact of the 2016 presidential election on their cities and their hopes for the Trump administration.Cit