Critical insights from conducting a social return on investment study in maternal and newborn health

Compared with traditional approaches such as cost-effectiveness, cost–utility, and cost–benefit analyses, the social return on investment methodology has the unique capacity to account for the broader social value and value for money of interventions while capturing perspectives of multiple stakeholders and relating this to the cost of implementing the intervention in a singular ratio. This case study describes the comprehensive assessment of and assesses the social impact and value for money of an emergency obstetric care training intervention for health care providers implemented in Kenya. Critical insights are shared into the practicalities of using the methodology within the maternal and newborn health area. Insights will be relevant to any other researcher who is keen to apply the methodology in any area of health

What can the state do? Creating social capital in civil society

The purpose of this thesis is to give suggestions on how states can generate social capital in civil society. This is done by comparing the established literature on the topic with the unconventional approach implemented by Antanas Mockus, former mayor of Bogotá. Three influential political scientists are here selected to portray central aspects of the established literature. Their writings are compared with the approach underlying Antanas Mockus work and his attempts on creating social capital in civil society. We find that Mockus’ approach in many aspects is similar to the established literature but also that certain dimensions are yet to be explored. Mockus provides us with an alternative method to change civic expectations and perceptions in order to reach social change. Further, unexplored pedagogical and educational interventions combining art and theatre with social change and the creation of social trust is something we find when reviewing the case of Mockus. We acknowledge that further research can be conducted on this topic, especially when it comes to the role of leadership and its impact on the creation of social capital

PRA (Probabilistic Risk Assessments) Participation versus Validation

Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRAs) are performed for projects or programs where the consequences of failure are highly undesirable. PRAs primarily address the level of risk those projects or programs posed during operations. PRAs are often developed after the design has been completed. Design and operational details used to develop models include approved and accepted design information regarding equipment, components, systems and failure data. This methodology basically validates the risk parameters of the project or system design. For high risk or high dollar projects, using PRA methodologies during the design process provides new opportunities to influence the design early in the project life cycle to identify, eliminate or mitigate potential risks. Identifying risk drivers before the design has been set allows the design engineers to understand the inherent risk of their current design and consider potential risk mitigation changes. This can become an iterative process where the PRA model can be used to determine if the mitigation technique is effective in reducing risk. This can result in more efficient and cost effective design changes. PRA methodology can be used to assess the risk of design alternatives and can demonstrate how major design changes or program modifications impact the overall program or project risk. PRA has been used for the last two decades to validate risk predictions and acceptability. Providing risk information which can positively influence final system and equipment design the PRA tool can also participate in design development, providing a safe and cost effective product

Unemployment and Underemployment as Indices of Nigerian Youths’ Mental Health and the Place of Agricultural Revolution as a Panacea: Implications for Counselling

Nigeria has a population of about 166.2 million as recorded in 2012 and 113 recognized universities apart from poly-techniques and colleges of education. These higher institutions of learning  are churning out graduates in their thousands who have nothing to engage them from year to year in their thousands. The focus of this is to examine the psychological impacts of unemployment and underemployment on the mental health of Nigeria youths and the place of good governance and agricultural revolution as  panacea. Research hypotheses were raised to guide the study. A self-constructed 25 item questionnaire was used to elicit information from the 167 subjects for the study. The content validity was determined while its reliability was as carried out through a test- retest method with a coefficient of 0.75. The data collected were subjected to appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that the perceived level of stress due to unemployment among both male female were not significantly different. The results further indicate that irrespective of how long youths have remained unemployed and their level of education, the preserved level of stress are not significantly different. Recommendations were made on designing initiatives to improve the citizen’s wellbeing through good governance and intensive development and revolutionisation of the agricultural sectors. Keywords: Unemployment, Adolescents, Agriculture, Mental health, Counselling implication

I guess we have to treat them, but...: health care provider perspectives on management of women presenting with unsafe abortion in Botswana

Maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion and its complications stands among the three leading causes of maternal death in Botswana. Health care providers (HCPs) including doctors and nurses are at the frontline of providing care to women who have had an unsafe abortion. This qualitative study explored the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of HCPs towards unsafe abortion in Botswana. We purposively sampled 18 HCPs and used a semi-structured topic guide to engage them in in-depth interviews, which were audio-recorded. These interviews were transcribed and analysed to identify emerging themes. We found that HCPs were knowledgeable about unsafe abortion, local inducers, and its management. However, their religious and moral biases as well as concern for the safety of women biased their view on the subject-matter and of the women themselves. These biases also affected their willingness to provide care, including provision of analgesics. Notwithstanding these biases and the reported lack of clarity on their legal role in managing unsafe abortion, many HCPs recognised their duty-of-care to patients. The continued strengthening of post-abortion services should be implemented in conjunction with engagements with providers to clarify their values and the roles they would be willing to play in abortion and post-abortion care services

ESG ratings in the corporate reporting of DAX40 companies in Germany: effects on market participants

This study identifies to what extent DAX40 companies integrate ESG rating information into their reporting and whether the disclosure of ESG ratings results has a positive impact on professional and non-professional stakeholders, and thus represents a benefit for the reporting company. Our study shows that 82.5% of DAX40 companies report ESG rating results and we find that the disclosure of ESG rating results is a useful method for reporting companies (compared to non-reporters), as it leads to higher stock prices and better reputations. Considering that ESG rating results can differ substantially among different agencies, therefore, even companies with mixed ESG rating results benefit from reporting. In addition, our results support the literature that non-professional stakeholders use low-threshold information offers as an information channel. We show that companies that additionally report their ESG rating results on company websites generate higher reputation scores compared to companies that do not report their rating results on their websites

Social Return on Investment (SROI): an innovative approach to Sustainable Development Goals for sexual and reproductive health programming in sub-Saharan Africa

Despite efforts, sub-Saharan Africa did not achieve many key Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) targets under the Millennium Development Goals. In the post 2015 era, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will frame decisions on donor priorities and resource allocations. Successfully addressing SRH challenges in sub-Saharan Africa have been blunted due to fragmentation of SRH interventions in planning and implementation, lack of coherence between policies and program implementation, resulting in poor program performance and lack of accountability. We suggest the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework offers a strategic approach for sub-Saharan Africa in support of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SRH programs given its capacity to capture social and economic impacts, stakeholder participation, and sensitivity towards key human rights concerns relevant to SRH. SROI disrupts a ―business as usual‖ approach for one that is systematic, participatory, and supportive of economic and human rights needs for success in the SDG era.Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals; Social Return on Investment; SROI; Sexual and Reproductive Health; sub-Saharan Africa; Human Right

Beyond the science: advancing the “art and craft” of implementation in the training and practice of global health

Interesting debates are ongoing on how to develop practical implementation science competencies that can bridge the “know-do” gap in global health. We advance these debates by arguing that apprenticeship and mentorship models drawn from “art and craft” used in industry is the missing piece of the puzzle that will bridge the persisting gap between academics and real-world practitioners. We propose examples of such models and how they can be applied to improve existing capacity building programs, as well as implementation in practice