Using results based financing and adaptive programming to improve water service delivery in rural Tanzania

The Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and with financial support from DFID Tanzania established a ‘Payment by Results’ scheme (PbR) to create a performance based incentive program to engage local and national government actors to improve water service delivery and sustainability across rural Tanzania. The programme combined a frequently challenged results based financing model with an innovative adaptive programming approach to drive improvements in data and information management systems, updating and reporting mechanisms and operations and maintenance approaches. The PbR has just completed its second year and has already had a significant impact on update reporting rates, data integrity and quality, levels of local government engagement and inter-ministerial co-operation

High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) and competitions: How motives differ by length of participation

High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) is a unique fitness method that promotes an active lifestyle and has seen exponential and continual growth over the last two decades. Motivation to exercise is likely to change over time as individuals’ motives to initiate exercise may be different than those which motivate them to maintain an exercise program. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivational factors reported by individuals who actively engage in HIFT with varying length of participation and competition levels. 737 adults (32.4 ± 8.2 years) with more than three-months of HIFT experience completed an online version of the Exercise Motivation Inventory (EMI-2) survey. Those who had greater length of participation reported more motives associated with relatedness (i.e., affiliation, competition) and enjoyment, while those with less HIFT participation were more motivated by body-related variables (i.e., weight management). Further, motivational variables (e.g., social recognition, affiliation, challenge) varied depending on whether or not individuals had competed in an online qualifier. Understanding these differences in motivation may aid in exercise promotion, initiation, and adherence, and moreover promote long-term physical and mental health benefits

Data_Sheet_1_Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools.pdf

IntroductionAcross the globe, many national, state, and district level governments are increasingly seeking to bring about school “self improvement” via the fostering of change, which, at best, is based on or informed by research, evidence, and data. According to the conceptualization of research-informed education as inquiry cycle, it is reasoned that there is value in combining the approaches of data-based decision-making and evidence-informed education. The originality of this paper lies in challenging common claims that teachers’ engagement with research supports development processes at schools and pupil performance.MethodsTo put this assumption to test, a data-set based on 1,457 staff members from 73 English primary schools (school year 2014/2015) was (re-)analyzed in this paper. Not only survey information about trust among colleagues, organizational learning and the research use climate was used (cf. Brown et al., 2016), but also the results from the most recent school inspections and the results from standardized assessment at the end of primary school. Of particular interest was, as to whether the perceived research use climate mediates the association between organizational learning and trust at school on the one hand and the average pupil performance on the other, and whether schools that were rated as “outstanding,” “good,” or “requires improvement” in their most recent school inspection differ in that regard. Data was analyzed based on multi-level structural equation modelling.ResultsOur findings indicate that schools with a higher average value of trust among colleagues report more organizational and research informed activities, but also demonstrate better results in the average pupil performance assessment at the end of the school year. This was particularly true for schools rated as “good” in previous school inspections. In contrast, both “outstanding” schools and schools that “require improvement” appeared to engage more with research evidence, even though the former seemed not to profit from it.DiscussionThe conclusion is drawn that a comprehensive model of research-informed education can contribute to more conceptual clarity in future research, and based on that, to theoretical development.</p

Presentation_1_Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools.pdf

IntroductionAcross the globe, many national, state, and district level governments are increasingly seeking to bring about school “self improvement” via the fostering of change, which, at best, is based on or informed by research, evidence, and data. According to the conceptualization of research-informed education as inquiry cycle, it is reasoned that there is value in combining the approaches of data-based decision-making and evidence-informed education. The originality of this paper lies in challenging common claims that teachers’ engagement with research supports development processes at schools and pupil performance.MethodsTo put this assumption to test, a data-set based on 1,457 staff members from 73 English primary schools (school year 2014/2015) was (re-)analyzed in this paper. Not only survey information about trust among colleagues, organizational learning and the research use climate was used (cf. Brown et al., 2016), but also the results from the most recent school inspections and the results from standardized assessment at the end of primary school. Of particular interest was, as to whether the perceived research use climate mediates the association between organizational learning and trust at school on the one hand and the average pupil performance on the other, and whether schools that were rated as “outstanding,” “good,” or “requires improvement” in their most recent school inspection differ in that regard. Data was analyzed based on multi-level structural equation modelling.ResultsOur findings indicate that schools with a higher average value of trust among colleagues report more organizational and research informed activities, but also demonstrate better results in the average pupil performance assessment at the end of the school year. This was particularly true for schools rated as “good” in previous school inspections. In contrast, both “outstanding” schools and schools that “require improvement” appeared to engage more with research evidence, even though the former seemed not to profit from it.DiscussionThe conclusion is drawn that a comprehensive model of research-informed education can contribute to more conceptual clarity in future research, and based on that, to theoretical development.</p

Additional file 1: of CRISPRDetect: A flexible algorithm to define CRISPR arrays

CRISPRDetect Additional files 1–10. (PDF 1633 kb

A study of critical ranges of cutting parameters for the optimization of surface quality in ultra-precision raster milling

2015-2016 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference pape

Self-reported side effects—First report of any grade of side effect during treatment.

<p>Self-reported side effects—First report of any grade of side effect during treatment.</p

Self-reported side effects—Worst grade reported during Elements of Cancer Care study period.

<p>Self-reported side effects—Worst grade reported during Elements of Cancer Care study period.</p

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the Elements of Cancer Care cohort.

<p>Demographic and clinical characteristics of the Elements of Cancer Care cohort.</p

Post-basic technical and vocational education and training (TVET) interventions to improve employability and employment of TVET graduates in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

BACKGROUND The increase of low-income, low-skilled youth in the labour market, particularly in developing countries, is a major concern internationally. In some regions of the world, young people are nearly three times as likely as adults to be unemployed. They are also more likely to work in the informal labour market than adults, in low quality jobs that offer limited socio-economic security, training opportunities, and working conditions. This enormous unlocked potential represents a substantial loss of opportunity for both individuals and society. With increasing emphasis being given to work- and skills-based solutions to economic competition and poverty in the developing world, comes a renewed focus on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a means to expand opportunities for marginalised youth. Although several reviews have attempted to summarise the existing research in this area, there are a number of limitations to these reviews. There is a need to systematically examine the evidence base to provide a picture of the types of TVET interventions being used to raise employment, to identify those that are effective and ineffective, and to identify areas in which more research needs to be conducted. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this systematic review was to summarise the available evidence on the effects of TVET interventions for young people in developing countries to inform policy, practice, and research. The questions guiding this study were: - What are the effects of different models of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) interventions on the employment and employability outcomes of young people, aged 15-24 years, in low- and middle-income countries? - What do the findings suggest about moderating effects? SEARCH STRATEGY A systematic and comprehensive search was used to locate both published and unpublished studies. A wide range of major bibliographic databases were electronically searched, along with specialist and grey literature databases, and websites of relevant organisations. Reference lists of previous reviews and included studies were examined. In addition, we conducted forward citation checking exercises and attempted contact with authors and other relevant stakeholders. SELECTION CRITERIA Studies eligible for inclusion in the review were required to meet several eligibility criteria. First, studies must have evaluated a TVET intervention. Second, studies must have investigated outcomes for young people aged 15-24 years. Third, the geographical location of the studies must have been a low-or middle-income country. Fourth, studies must have utilised an experimental or quasi-experimental research design, including random assignment, quasi-random assignment (and groups generated were shown to be equivalent, or there was sufficient information to permit calculation of pre-treatment group equivalence), non-random assignment with matching, or non-random assignment with statistical controls. Fifth, studies must have reported at least one eligible outcome variable measuring employment (e.g., gaining paid employment) or employability (e.g., changing attitudes to work, or gaining job search skills). Finally, the date of publication or reporting of the study must have been between 2000 and 2011. No language restrictions were applied. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS The electronic literature search yielded a total of 8072 potentially relevant reports, 145 of which were retrieved for full-text screening and nine were judged relevant. Handsearching identified a further 46 eligible reports. A total of 30 studies, reported in 55 publications, met the eligibility criteria. However, due to resources limitations, four of the eight eligible Spanish language papers we identified were not included in the review. Of the 26 studies included in the review, 3 utilised a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, and 23 utilised a quasi-experimental design. The studies were coded independently by pairs of reviewers using a structured coding tool. Descriptive analysis was undertaken to examine and describe data related to the characteristics of the included studies and interventions. Ten of the 26 studies had data that allowed calculation of effects sizes. The findings from these 10 studies were statistically combined using meta-analytic techniques. The effect sizes were calculated using the standardised mean difference, corrected for small sample bias (i.e., Hedges' g). Analysis of the mean effect size, the heterogeneity of effect sizes, and the relationship between effect size and characteristics of the studies, participants and interventions was conducted. RESULTS The 26 included studies assessed the effectiveness of 20 different TVET interventions from various countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, East Asia, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Publication dates ranged between 2001 and 2011. Study settings included ten upper-middle income countries (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Latvia, Mexico, Panama and Peru); two lower-middle income countries (India and Bhutan); and one low-income country (Kenya). The following summary of evidence focuses on the results of the statistical analyses of 10 studies included in the review. Employment - The overall mean effect of TVET on paid employment was positive and significant; however, significant heterogeneity was observed (Q = 23.8; df = 7; p = 0.00124; I2 = 70.6%; tau2 = 0.0153). - Four variables were tested for moderating effects. - Evidence of a statistically significant relationship between study quality and effect size was observed (Qb = 6.49; p = 0.0108). It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the overall mean effect may be inflated and that our conclusions about treatment effect on paid employment should be based only on those studies rated medium quality (g=0.06; 95% CI [-0.01, 0.12]). - No significant differences in mean effects were observed between studies according to type of TVET intervention (Qb = 1.43; p = 0.231), length of follow-up period (Qb = 0.273; p = 0.601), or gender (Qb = 2.1; p = 0.147). Formal employment The overall mean effect of TVET on formal employment was positive and significant; however, significant heterogeneity was observed (Q = 11.1; df = 4; p = 0.0256; I2 = 63.9%; tau2 = 0.0131). - One variable was tested for moderating effects. - Evidence of a statistically significant relationship between study quality and effect size was observed (Qb = 10.6; p = 0.00116). It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the overall mean effect may be inflated and that our conclusions about treatment effect on formal employment should be based only on those studies rated medium quality (g=0.12; 95% CI [0.05, 0.19]). Monthly earnings - The overall mean effect of TVET on earnings was positive and significant; however, significant heterogeneity was observed (Q = 25.5; df = 8; p = 0.00128; I2 = 68.6%; tau2 = 0.00815). - Four variables were tested for moderating effects. - No evidence of a statistically significant relationship between study quality and effect size was observed (Qb = 0.204; p = 0.652. It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the overall mean effect is not inflated and that our conclusions about treatment effect on monthly earnings should be based on all studies in the analysis (g=0.127; 95% CI [0.043, 0.21]). - No statistically significant differences in mean effects were observed between studies according to type of TVET intervention (Qb = 0.397; p = 0.529), length of follow-up period (Qb = 0.186; p = 0.666), or gender (Qb = 1.26; p = 0.262). Self-employment earnings - The overall mean effect of TVET on self-employment earnings was negative and non-significant (g=-0.025, 95% CI [-0.11, 0.061]). No significant heterogeneity was observed (Q = 0.206; df = 1; p = 0.65; I2 = 0%; tau2 = 0). This analysis was based on two