How to hold elections safely and democratically during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic poses major challenges for those charged with overseeing electoral processes, but the innovative ways in which practitioners are addressing these challenges indicate that elections can be safely held even under pandemic conditions. These innovations also represent opportunities for strengthening electoral practices and making them more resilient to a variety of other risks. This briefing draws on existing experience of elections held during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous health crises to address five areas of vulnerability: inclusive and accountable electoral management, poll worker safeguarding, interinstitutional collaboration, feasible and effective election observation, and the risk of electoral violence. The analyses indicate that there are a large number of things that electoral practitioners can do to hold elections safely under pandemic conditions. Most of these are techniques that have been employed previously in some form, and we caution against the introduction of entirely new and untested approaches at the current time. The most useful innovations are those such as widening poll-worker recruitment, inter-institutional coordination and hybrid election observation that build on existing practice. The analyses also highlight the importance of not losing track of the need to bolster the transparency, accountability and security of electoral practices. Far from there being a trade-off between making elections safe in pandemic conditions and achieving these other aims, we argue that efforts to maximise electoral integrity and to preserve electoral peace will also help to ensure that democratic elections can be safeguarded from the risks associated with COVID-19. Our principal recommendations fall into three categories: those targeted at electoral administrators, those aimed at election observation organisations, and general recommendations that are relevant to administrators, observers and electoral assistance providers

Distriktssköterskors upplevelse av vad som främjar deras ledarskap av hemtjänstpersonal

Hemsjukvården utvecklas i takt med ett ökat vårdbehov i samhället och blir en alltmer komplex verksamhet. I hemsjukvården har distriktssköterskan ett ansvar i att leda, undervisa och stödja hemtjänstpersonal så att en kvalitativ vård bedrivs i hemmet. Detta är en stor utmaning då personalen i hemtjänsten ofta har olika mycket utbildning och arbetslivserfarenhet. Dessutom är ofta omsättningen av personal stor vilket kan försvåra distriktssköterskans ledarskap. Tidigare forskning visar att distriktssköterskans ledarskap är viktigt i omvårdnadsarbetet och det ställer krav på att rätt kompetens finns för att kunna ta svåra beslut och bedömningar varje dag. Distriktssköterskan delegerar omvårdnadsinsatser till hemtjänstpersonalen, därför krävs det att distriktssköterskan kan bedöma deras förmågor och färdigheter samt är trygg i sin yrkes- och ledarroll. Syftet med studien var att belysa distriktssköterskors upplevelse av vad som främjar deras ledarskap av hemtjänstpersonal. Metoden är kvalitativ med induktiv ansats. Åtta intervjuer genomfördes med distriktssköterskor inom hemsjukvård och intervjuerna analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att ledarskapet främjas av att distriktssköterskan tar det ansvar som åligger professionen. En god relation med hemtjänstpersonalen var främjande i distriktssköterskans ledarroll och ska präglas av ömsesidig tillit, gott samarbete och delaktighet. Personliga egenskaper, både hos distriktssköterskan och hemtjänstpersonalen som att vara trygg i sig själv och vara ansvarstagande var främjande för ledarskapet. I diskussionen lyfts distriktssköterskans syn på sin ledarroll och vad som främjar den och varför. Studiens resultat indikerar att en god relation mellan distriktssköterskan och hemtjänstpersonalen var främjande för ledarskapet. Övergripande kan ses att distriktssköterskans dagliga arbete underlättas av att ha goda kunskaper om vad som främjar ledarskapet av hemtjänstpersonal

Den nekande operationskonsten i Bosnien och Kosovo

The two operations in Bosnia and Kosovo named Deliberate Force and Allied Force took place in 1995 and 1999. Both operations show clear signs that the use of air power was the main contributor to the outcome of the operations. Earlier research states that there are signs of coercive air power in both of these operations but fail to explain in what way. The purpose of this essay is to examine if Robert A. Papes theory about denial strategy in air operations can explain the different outcomes of the operations as the operation in Bosnia took 21 days and the operation in Kosovo took 78 days to reach its designated goals. This essay will also test Papes Theory on what constitutes a successful air campaign by comparing the two operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. The result supports Papes theory and shows that operation Deliberate Force acted according to Papes theory on denial in five out of six parts, excluding the strategic interdiction. Whereas operation Allied Force acted according to the theory as well but in a smaller extent. It can be argued that there are other background factors that also contributed to the outcome of the operations but by looking at the usage of the air power in both operations it shows that by acting accordingly to Papes theory the outcome was a success. By supporting Papes theory this essay adds to the earlier research a wider knowledge about coercive air power in military interventions.Uppsatsen skriven VT 2017 under Termin 4 Officersprogrammet 15-18 med inriktning mot flyg. Examen genomförs VT 2018.</p

Distriktssköterskors upplevelse av vad som främjar deras ledarskap av hemtjänstpersonal

Hemsjukvården utvecklas i takt med ett ökat vårdbehov i samhället och blir en alltmer komplex verksamhet. I hemsjukvården har distriktssköterskan ett ansvar i att leda, undervisa och stödja hemtjänstpersonal så att en kvalitativ vård bedrivs i hemmet. Detta är en stor utmaning då personalen i hemtjänsten ofta har olika mycket utbildning och arbetslivserfarenhet. Dessutom är ofta omsättningen av personal stor vilket kan försvåra distriktssköterskans ledarskap. Tidigare forskning visar att distriktssköterskans ledarskap är viktigt i omvårdnadsarbetet och det ställer krav på att rätt kompetens finns för att kunna ta svåra beslut och bedömningar varje dag. Distriktssköterskan delegerar omvårdnadsinsatser till hemtjänstpersonalen, därför krävs det att distriktssköterskan kan bedöma deras förmågor och färdigheter samt är trygg i sin yrkes- och ledarroll. Syftet med studien var att belysa distriktssköterskors upplevelse av vad som främjar deras ledarskap av hemtjänstpersonal. Metoden är kvalitativ med induktiv ansats. Åtta intervjuer genomfördes med distriktssköterskor inom hemsjukvård och intervjuerna analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att ledarskapet främjas av att distriktssköterskan tar det ansvar som åligger professionen. En god relation med hemtjänstpersonalen var främjande i distriktssköterskans ledarroll och ska präglas av ömsesidig tillit, gott samarbete och delaktighet. Personliga egenskaper, både hos distriktssköterskan och hemtjänstpersonalen som att vara trygg i sig själv och vara ansvarstagande var främjande för ledarskapet. I diskussionen lyfts distriktssköterskans syn på sin ledarroll och vad som främjar den och varför. Studiens resultat indikerar att en god relation mellan distriktssköterskan och hemtjänstpersonalen var främjande för ledarskapet. Övergripande kan ses att distriktssköterskans dagliga arbete underlättas av att ha goda kunskaper om vad som främjar ledarskapet av hemtjänstpersonal

Kan vår tids nya företag vara med och rädda världen?

Title: Can new companies be in a position to save the world? A qualitative study in how small, newly started companies, with an expressed focus on sustainability, work operatively in their supply chain. Seminar date: 31st of May 2018 Course: FEKH99, Degree Project Undergraduate level, Business Administration, Undergraduate level, 15 University Credits Points (UPC) or ECTS Authors: Alexandra Karaszi, Ebba Schollin, Moa Darnolf Lindskog Advisor: Tommy Shih Key words: Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Supply Chains, Triple Bottom Line, Vision Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to investigate how the vision of smaller, newly started companies with a stated focus on sustainability, is expressed and embodied in the operational work of the supply chain. By studying the operational work, the paper aims at investigating the impact on companies' economic, environmental and social sustainability, as well as the integration between them. Integration in this case means that more than one of the aspects is met, at the same time. As a result of this paper, the intention is to expand the understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship. Methodology: The essay is based on a qualitative case study, and apply an abductive reasoning. We have conducted two in-depth, semistructured interviews, in Swedish, where the interviewees hold the role of both CEO and owner of each company. The interviews have taken place in Helsingborg in April 2018. Theoretical perspective: The theoretical perspective is based on Elkington's (1998) theory, Triple Bottom Line. The purpose of this theory is to encourage and contribute to corporate responsibility and sustainability. Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line was combined with Cetinkaya et al's (2011) framework, focusing on three different parts of the supply chain; procurement, production and distribution. In addition, the collected literature involved subjects such as entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship, the vision of the company, sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability indicators. The theories and literature were chosen to create an understanding of how the vision of smaller, newly started companies is expressed and embodied in the operational work in the supply chain. Empirical foundation: The empirical material underlying this paper has been collected during an interview with two smaller, start-up companies in the food industry with an expressed focus on sustainability. The interviewees were asked to answer questions about their own and the company's vision, as well as its operational work in the supply chain and its commitment to sustainability. The interviews, together with selected theories and literature, form a solid foundation for the analysis and results. Conclusions: The results of this paper show that the company's vision, which incorporates sustainability, to some extent is reflected in the investigative companies' operational work within the supply chain. Economic, environmental and social sustainability has been incorporated into the core business and in its daily operations, both in procurement, production and distribution. This has been done through active choices by the company, concerning suppliers, raw materials, production methods and distributors. The results also show that by integrating sustainability in the supply chain, the company experiences both positive effects and challenges

From "Project" to "Context": Community Based Natural Resource Management in Botswana

Community based natural resource management (CBNRM) programs presently proliferate across the Global South. In Southern Africa, CBNRM overwhelmingly focuses on wildlife conservation in areas adjacent to national parks and game reserves. The objects of these development activities are remote communities that exhibit the highest levels of poverty in the region, the consequences of which are sometimes resource degradation. CBNRM seeks to empower and enrich the lives of these communities through the active co-management of their natural resource base. Almost without exception, however, CBNRM projects have had disappointing results. Common explanations lay blame at the feet of local people who are seen to lack capacity and will, among other things. This paper contests this explanation by subjecting the particular case of Botswana to a deeper, critical political ecology analysis. Drawing on insights from Homer-Dixon regarding resource capture and ecological marginalization, and from Acharya regarding the localization of global norms, the paper argues that CBNRM is better understood as a discursive site wherein diverse actors bring unequal power/knowledge to bear in the pursuit of particular interests. In Botswana this manifests at a local level as an on-going struggle over access to land and related resources. However, given that CBNRM is supported by a wide array of international actors, forming perhaps the thin edge of a wider wedge in support of democratization, good governance and biodiversity preservation, locally empowered actors are forced to adapt their interests to the strictures of emergent structures of global governance. The outcome is a complex interplay of activities whereby CBNRM is realized but not in a form anticipated by its primary supporters. Copyright (c) 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.