Influencing culture related risks to improve project success

Advances in technologies have resulted in significant interest, projects and investment in associated infrastructure to transform how public and private organisations engage and interact with their stakeholders. However, the success of such projects is far from certain. Projects continue to fail in higher numbers than they succeed across multiple industries, no matter the type of project management methodology adopted. Project success is often focused on time, cost and quality. However, there is growing recognition that the dynamic interaction of multiple actors from diverse networks influences project success. Current project management methodologies may not sufficiently reflect the complex and dynamic nature of projects. This paper explores how actions to influence culture can contribute to project success. We explore this concept through the lens of actor-network theory (ANT) which was used to guide the collection of data and the data analysis

'Nowhere to be found’: disabled refugees and asylum seekers within the Australian resettlement landscape

Australia has long placed restrictions on the immigration of people with disabilities. While recent civil society mobilisation has forced some shift in policy, it is far from clear whether this will result in people with disabilities being accepted as immigrants. The issue is complicated further for people defined as ‘refugees’ and ‘asylum seekers’ who have encountered the migration restrictions on disability. As a result of this policy landscape, there is limited rigorous research that seeks to understand the social inclusion and participation of disabled refugees and asylum seekers within the resettlement process. An extensive review reveals that refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities remain largely absent from both resettlement literature and disability research. This paper summarises the limited available research in the area around the following themes: processes of offshore migration and the way that disability is assessed under Australia’s refugee legislation; the uncertainty of the prevalence of disability within refugee and asylum seeker communities; the provision of resettlement services, both mainstream and disability-specific, through the transitional period and beyond; and the invisibility of asylum seekers with disabilities in Australia’s immigration detention centres, community-based arrangements and offshore processing centres. To conclude, the paper outlines implications for further research, policy and practice in the Australian context

Rural Communities in Transition and Sustainable Regional Development

Mining and farming have been important industries to the Australian economy since colonial times but the industries have generally operated in separate regions with limited overlaps. Over the last decade mining activity has surpassed agriculture in both return on investment and contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) and farming has continued to lose its share of economic contribution. To date, most mining activity has been in remote and regional areas of Australia where the deposits are richest, but sophisticated extractive processes and high returns are now making deposits viable which hither to have been considered marginal, many of which are in communities where farming has been the main industry. This paper will consider case study sites where mining is increasingly encroaching on what has been traditionally productive farming land. For some communities, mining is welcomed as an important off-farm income, for others, mining is viewed as an environmental and social threat to the agricultural industry. The stresses and strains as well as the opportunities presented by transitional rural economies will be considered

The Indigenous digital divide: COVID-19 and its impacts on educational delivery to First Nation university students

The global COVID 19 pandemic highlighted that the delivery of online education inadvertently disadvantaged Indigenous Australian university students. This situation was particularly critical for Indigenous students from rural and remote locations. Australian universities increased the use of digital technologies to engage, support and teach due to students’ inability to access campuses. This presented universities with challenges in supporting Indigenous students living in and returning to non-urban settings. Often not recognised is the need for better strategies and plans for Indigenous students returning to their rural or remote community to continue their studies due to COVID. These communities often lack suitable infrastructure that would allow access to pedagogical and learning support opportunities. This paper explores how the business decision made by Australian universities to increase reliance on teaching online during COVID impacted the education of Indigenous students. This paper will then canvas ways this ongoing dilemma can be addressed by considering risks, measuring and monitoring performance to guide transformation, including universities’ more inclusive and respectful use of digital technologies involving First Nations people and culture

The Indigenous Digital Divide: COVID-19 and Its Impacts on Educational Delivery to First Nation University Students

The global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that the delivery of online education inadvertently disadvantaged Indigenous Australian university students. This situation was particularly critical for Indigenous students from rural and remote locations. Australian universities increased the use of digital technologies to engage, support and teach due to students’ inability to access campuses. This presented universities with challenges in supporting Indigenous students living in and returning to non-urban settings. Due to COVID, the need for better strategies and plans for Indigenous students returning to their rural or remote community to continue their studies is often not recognized. These communities often lack suitable infrastructure to access pedagogical and learning support opportunities. This paper explores how the business decision made by Australian universities to increase reliance on teaching online during COVID impacted the education of Indigenous students. This paper will then canvas ways this ongoing dilemma can be addressed by considering risks, measuring and monitoring performance to guide transformation, including universities’ more inclusive and respectful use of digital technologies involving First Nations people and cultures

The Indigenous Digital Divide: COVID-19 and its impacts on education delivery to First Nations university students

The global COVID 19 pandemic highlighted that the delivery of online education inadvertently disadvantaged Indigenous Australian university students. This situation was particularly critical for Indigenous students from rural and remote locations. Australian universities increased the use of digital technologies to engage, support and teach due to students’ inability to access campuses. This presented universities with challenges in supporting Indigenous students living in and returning to non-urban settings. Often not recognised is the need for better strategies and plans for Indigenous students returning to their rural or remote community to continue their studies due to COVID. These communities often lack suitable infrastructure that would allow access to pedagogical and learning support opportunities. This paper explores how the business decision made by Australian universities to increase reliance on teaching online during COVID impacted the education of Indigenous students. This paper will then canvas ways this ongoing dilemma can be addressed by considering risks, measuring and monitoring performance to guide transformation, including universities’ more inclusive and respectful use of digital technologies involving First Nations people and cultures