Gender relations under the impact of transportation revolution in northern Mozambican Province of Nampula, (1913-1961)

Paper presented at the Wits History Workshop: Democracy, Popular Precedents, Practice and Culture, 13-15 July, 1994

An assessment instrument for the emerging needs of human resources professionals in a global economy

The increasing incidence of globalization in today\u27s business world brings about fierce competition and increased pressure to perform at increasingly higher levels. This has lead organizations to the realization that if they are to achieve and maintain sustainable competitive advantage in this business environment, they will have to review the role of their Human Resources (HR) function in their organizations. This has, in turn, lead to the realization that in order to achieve and maintain corporate success in this changing business environment, the HR function will need to assume the role of business partner. The purpose of this thesis was to design an instrument that assesses those competencies that will allow HR professionals to effectively perform as business partner. The design of the instrument was based on the assumption that in order for HR professionals to perform effectively as business partner, they will have to be able to play multiple roles including those of strategic partner, administrative expert, change agent, and employee developer and advocate. Thus, the instrument assesses HR professionals\u27 competence levels in terms of the skills required to assume each of these roles. The multiple role proposition for the HR function is reflected in current HR literature. Following the design of the instrument a Board of Experts (BOE) composed of four HR professionals was selected to validate the instrument. The ultimate goal of the instrument is to help determine the types of competencies that HR professionals will need to develop in order to help their organizations achieve higher corporate success. It is also the purpose of this assessment to help shed light on what might constitute areas for improvement in terms of strengthening higher level educational programs of HR

Analysing the quality of routine malaria data in Mozambique

BACKGROUND: In Mozambique, malaria is the principal cause of morbidity and mortality. Efforts are being made to increase control activities within communities. These activities require management decisions based on evidence of malaria incidence. Although some data generated are of poor quality, there is little research towards improving the reporting systems. METHODS: An analysis of the quality of routine malaria data was performed in selected districts in Southern Mozambique from August to September 2003. The aim was to assess the quality of the source data in terms of completeness, correctness and consistency across management levels. RESULTS: Analysis revealed primary data to be of poor quality. The diversity of reporting systems with limited coordination give rise to redundancies and wastage of resources. There was evidence of "invention" of data in health facilities contributing to an incorrect representation of malaria incidence. Large, "non-clinical", time-based variations of malaria cases due to reporting delays were also noted, contributing to false alerts of outbreaks. Furthermore, targets established in the national strategic plan for malaria cannot be calculated through the existing systems; this is the case, for example, for data related to pregnant women and children under-five years. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The existing reporting system for malaria is currently not satisfying the information needs of managers. It is suggested that one standardized system, including the creation of one form to include the essential variables required for the calculation of key indicators by age, gender and pregnancy status, and to establish a national database that maps malaria by location

Effects of irrigation and fertilizer management on water and nitrogen use efficiency in maize on a semi-arid loamy sandy soil

Understanding water and nitrogen redistribution in the soil profile is important to improve water and nitrogen use efficiency for sustainable agriculture. This thesis evaluates the interactions between water and fertiliser management factors affecting water and nitrogen use efficiency, based on field experiments on a semi-arid loamy sandy soil. The impact on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and other crop properties was also assessed. Cropping periods in two hot-wet seasons and two cold-dry seasons were compared. The treatments involved two irrigation methods (furrow and drip), two irrigation levels (full and reduced) and two top dressing nitrogen fertiliser types (quick-release and slow-release). Overall, there were trends for better nitrogen uptake, water and nitrogen use efficiency and grain yield in the cold-dry than in the hot-wet season, especially under reduced irrigation. Furrow irrigation with reduced irrigation level tended to give higher grain and dry matter nitrogen use efficiency in both hot-wet and cold-dry cropping periods. Soil moisture distribution, water flow direction and deep percolation were primarily affected by irrigation method and irrigation level in the cold-dry season and by a combined effect of irrigation level and rainfall events in the hot-wet season. In both seasons, full irrigation level with quick-release nitrogen fertiliser was found to induce more net downward redistribution of water and nitrogen in the soil profile, irrespective of irrigation method. Reduced irrigation, particularly in the hot-wet season, resulted in less deep percolation. In the cold-dry cropping period, reduced irrigation combined with slow-release nitrogen fertiliser, resulted in longer nitrogen residence time at 30 and 60 cm depth, irrespective of irrigation method. Drip irrigation resulted in a moister soil profile overall in both seasons, and thus allowed better growth and elongation of coarse and fine roots, which were denser in the uppermost 56 cm of soil and reached a maximum depth of 80 cm. These results indicate that reduced irrigation should be considered as a potential irrigation management option for semi-arid loamy sandy soil in both hot-wet and cold-dry seasons. Drip irrigation and slow-release nitrogen fertiliser may be suitable options for the cold-dry season

Projeto de desenvolvimento do sistema de contas nacionais financeiras em Moçambique

As Contas Nacionais ocupam uma posição de destaque no conjunto de todas as estatísticas económicas produzidas por um determinado país ou região, pois o sistema no qual assenta a sua produção, estabelece um padrão internacionalmente aceite em termos de conceitos, definições, classificações e metodologias permitindo a comparabilidade entre as várias estatísticas produzidas ao nível nacional e internacional, assim como a adaptação a qualquer país e a harmonização entre os diferentes sistemas estatísticos. No seu cerne está a medição do nível de crescimento e desempenho de uma economia, assim como a determinação da capacidade (+) / necessidade (‐) de financiamento de uma economia A produção das contas nacionais baseia‐se no Sistema de Contas Nacionais das Nações Unidas, cujo objetivo é a medição do nível de atividade económica (produto interno bruto), através do registo dos fluxos e stocks gerados entre os agentes económicos de uma economia, e entre estes e o resto do mundo, com base em padrões e recomendações internacionalmente aceites. O presente trabalho apresenta uma proposta de modelo de produção das estatísticas de contas nacionais financeiras em Moçambique, com vista a completar o modelo atualmente existente que comporta apenas a produção das contas não financeiras. Os resultados apresentados pelo modelo estão organizados em matrizes que resumem as operações financeiras realizadas entre os agentes económicos, onde se cruzam os instrumentos financeiros com os diversos setores institucionais residentes e o resto do mundo enquanto intervenientes nas operações realizadas. Nesse sentido, são apresentados, (i) quadros de património que apresentam o stock de ativos financeiros e passivos existentes num dado momento, assim como o saldo que representa o património líquido, (ii) a matriz “quem a quem” que resume as operações em forma de matriz tridimensional, onde aparecem os instrumentos financeiros e as duas partes intervenientes na operação na qualidade de credor e devedor, e (iii) a matriz de variação de stocks que, para efeitos deste trabalho, é apresentado como proxy da matriz de transações em ativos financeiros e passivos realizados num determinado momento, assim como a poupança financeira

Exploring multiple job holding practices of academics in public health training institutions from three sub-Saharan Africa countries: drivers, impact, and regulation

BACKGROUND: The paper examines external multiple job holding practices in public health training institutions based in prominent public universities in three sub-Saharan Africa countries (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique). OBJECTIVE: The study aims to contribute to broadening understanding about multiple job holding (nature and scale, drivers and reasons, impact, and efforts to regulate) in public health training schools in public universities. METHODS: A qualitative multiple case study approach was used. Data were collected through document reviews and in-depth interviews with 18 key informants. Data were then triangulated and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: External multiple job holding practices among faculty of the three public health training institutions were widely prevalent. Different factors at individual, institutional, and national levels were reported to underlie and mediate the practice. While it evidently contributes to increasing income of academics, which many described as enabling their continuing employment in the public sector, many pointed to the negative effects as well. Similarities were found regarding the nature and drivers of the practice across the institutions, but differences exist with respect to mechanisms for and extent of regulation. Regulatory mechanisms were often not clear or enforced, and academics are often left to self-regulate their engagement. Lack of regulation has been cited as allowing excessive engagement in multiple job holding practice among academics at the expense of their core institutional responsibility. This could further weaken institutional capacity and performance, and quality of training and support to students. CONCLUSION: The research describes the complexity of external multiple job holding practice, which is characterized by a cluster of drivers, multiple processes and actors, and lack of consensus about its implication for individual and institutional capacity. In the absence of a strong accountability mechanism, the practice could perpetuate and aggravate the fledgling capacity of public health training institutions