Application of ICT in Strengthening Health Information Systems in Developing Countries in the Wake of Globalisation.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) revolution brought opportunities and challenges to developing countries in their efforts to strengthen the Health Management Information Systems (HMIS). In the wake of globalisation, developing countries have no choice but to take advantage of the opportunities and face the challenges. The last decades saw developing countries taking action to strengthen and modernise their HMIS using the existing ICT. Due to poor economic and communication infrastructure, the process has been limited to national and provincial/region levels leaving behind majority of health workers living in remote/rural areas. Even those with access do not get maximum benefit from ICT advancements due to inadequacies in data quality and lack of data utilisation. Therefore, developing countries need to make deliberate efforts to address constraints threatening to increase technology gap between urban minority and rural majority by setting up favourable policies and appropriate strategies. Concurrently, strategies to improve data quality and utilisation should be instituted to ensure that HMIS has positive impact on people's health. Potential strength from private sector and opportunities for sharing experiences among developing countries should be utilised. Short of this, advancement in ICT will continue to marginalise health workers in developing countries especially those living in remote areas

Student Self-Responsibility in the Indonesian Distance Education System

An ongoing concern in the distance education system in Indonesia is students’ lack of commitment to ‘independent study’. The purpose of this paper is to review conceptual frameworks that could empower Indonesian students to accept responsibility for their learning at a level to address the learning challenges of distance education.  The review shows that to meet quality and equity expectations in online distance education, independent study modes should promote students’ self-responsibility based primarily on both autonomy and capability.  The findings have the potential to add new perspective to education through supporting teaching and learning approaches in an online distance education class to enhance self-responsibility.  The paper suggests that students would take more control of independent learning if they accepted primary responsibility to determine their learning needs, resources, activities and outcomes.  To do this they need to view themselves as active agents with power to take independent choices that can result in creating their own approaches to resolve their learning limitation

Crowdsourcing vegetables for farmers’ livelihood improvement: a novel collaborative pilot in Uganda. Resilient seed systems for climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods in the East Africa sub-region project progress report

The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT is implementing a Dutch-supported project entitled: Resilient seed systems for climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods in the East Africa sub-region. This work aims to boost timely and affordable access to good-quality seed for a portfolio of crops / varieties for millions of women and men farmers’ and their communities across East Africa. East West Seed (EWS) and the Alliance, in collaboration with the Wageningen Center for Development Innovation, the World Vegetable Centre and National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO)-Uganda, are combining the EWS farmer training approach and the Alliance’s crowdsourcing methodology in a small pilot initiative on vegetables in Uganda. The targeted portfolio of vegetables include traditional (e.g. green leafy vegetables) and modern ones (e.g. tomato, onion, sweet pepper, cabbage, pumpkin) based on farmers’ interests and marketing opportunities, sourced from EWS, the World Vegetable Centre and farmers’ own gardens. The main objective is to strengthen farmers’ capacity to make better use of crop (vegetable) diversity for multiple livelihood purposes. Based on a situational analysis in the Hoima area, 13 farmers were selected to take part in the pilot. They received training in the various aspects of vegetable management from the EWS Knowledge Transfer team in Uganda. The ultimate aim is scale the pilot to about 1,000 farmers. The main research questions for this initiative are: • What are the promising vegetable varieties that smallholder farmers could integrate in their production system? • How do social and gender variables influence crop/variety selection? • What organizational form can best support the testing and adoption of vegetable new species and varieties

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS IN TANZANIA

This study researched on Human Resources Development (HRD) in Multinational Corporations (MNCs) that are operating in Tanzania. The study focused on HRD needs, methods and their implementation, evaluation systems used in MNCs, and factors influencing HRD practices. In addition, the types of strategies used in implementing HRD functions in subsidiaries located in Tanzania were explored. The methodology that was applied to carry out the study was qualitative research. The theoretical background was drawn from previous researches on MNC practices and strategies, Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human Resource Development (HRD) together with institutional theory. Research data was gathered by conducting interviews in 8 MNCs operating in Tanzania. The study revealed that HRD needs for many MNCs that are operating in Tanzania are largely determined by both employees and management. However, decision as to which needs are to be implemented is left to either the department responsible for HRD or the management depending on the structure of the organization. The results further indicated that HRD needs identification is done in all levels i.e. strategically, tactically, and operationally. HRD methods and programmes that are used by MNCs in Tanzania were found to include induction courses and the use of expatriates. Inpatriates are also used. Factors that were found to influence MNCs’ HRD practices in Tanzania include: culture; willingness to learn; nature of business; country labour policy; regulations and laws including country’s education system. The study concluded that since time has been identified to be among factors, which hinder the HRD practices for MNCs, flexible methods such as distance learning could be used especially for busy employees. This can increase the chances to employees to be able to enhance their career path. If the HR is well developed the MNCs operating in Tanzania also benefit by achieving better performance and increase competitive advantage. Local corporations too will be able to learn from MNCs and improve their performance.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Fishermen Willingness to Participate in an Insurance Program in Oman

This study is based on a survey of 210 fishermen in Oman to investigate their willingness to pay (WTP) for and enroll in an insurance scheme. The survey was designed to evaluate fishermen’s willingness to adopt a safety measures program. Most fishermen showed a low level of prudence except for community controlled measures. Actually, 82% of fishermen fish in groups rather than individually, 98% inform their families about the site where they are going to fish, and 76% listen to the weather forecast before leaving. A linear and a Logit model were used in this study. Results from the linear model show that virtually all the socioeconomic, boat characteristics, attitudinal, and wealth variables are important in explaining the amount of the insurance premium the fishermen are willing to pay for; however, only a few variables were significant in the Logit model. Overall, 52% of the respondents indicated WTP for insurance, which is a clear indication that the demand for insurance is substantial. The estimated annual insurance premium varies between Rials Omani (RO) 23.13 and RO 29.25, depending on whether it is a voluntary or legally required. WTP is estimated at RO 18.7.Small-scale fishery, safety equipment, econometric modeling, insurance premium, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Development, Risk and Uncertainty, Q22, H41,

The role and place of women in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania--Mbulu Synod in the light of the New Testament

As noted at the outset, the main purpose of this research is to relieve the confusion in the ELCT—Mbulu Synod about the role and place of women. However, in order to give a broad overview of the place of, it is important that materials on women be presented both in their positive and negative details, because the ELCT Mbulu Synod has emphasized negative examples and passages from the Bible concerning women rather than positive examples which do exist. It is accepted that the Bible is the written Word of God worthy of the closest attention and which demands our obedience. Therefore, it is important to draw out the truth which the Bible reveals rather than pouring into the Bible one*s own opinion

An exploration of the Relevance of the Pedagogy and Academic Content Knowledge that are Offered to Prospective Science and Mathematics Teachers in Tanzania Teachers’ colleges

This paper explored the Relevance of the Pedagogy and Academic Content Knowledge that are offered to Prospective Science and Mathematics Teachers in Tanzania Teachers’ colleges. Morogoro Teachers’ College and Kleruu Teachers’ college were used as a case study. The performance in science and mathematics subjects in form four National examinations for four years consecutively are poor.There is doubt whether the pedagogy and academic contents offered to prospective science and mathematics which are stated in curriculum framework of teacher education and subjects syllabuses in secondary school are relevance. The study employed qualitative approach with a case study design. Key informant interview, focus group discussion and documentary review were the main methods of data collection whereby 32 respondents were involved in data collection. Content analysis was used to analyze data thematically. The study found that the academic content knowledge that is offered is of minimal relevance as most of the topics are too advanced and they do not reflect what is taught in secondary schools. Unfamiliarity and complex topics to college tutors such as computer packages in mathematics were also revealed. Keywords: Academic Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teachers’ college, Prospective science and Mathematics teachers, student teachers, syllabu

Pigment and fatty acid profiling reveal differences in epiphytic microphytes among tropical Thalassodendron ciliatum meadows

Tropical seagrasses support abundant and diverse epiphytic microalgae that form the base of seagrass food webs. To help better understand the influence of structural variability of tropical seagrass meadows on associated microalgal epiphytes, we quantified the relative abundance and distribution of epiphytic microphytes in subtidal meadows of Thalassodendron ciliatum with varying seagrass canopy structure, using pigments and fatty acid (FA) profiling. We observed significant differences in microalgal epiphytic communities (diatoms and Rhodophyta) among four seagrass meadows, which was best explained by seagrass leaf surface area. Contrary to expectations, seagrass meadows with lower leaf surface area supported higher relative epiphytic microphyte abundance than those with higher leaf surface area. These results increase understanding of how spatial variability of structural components in seagrass meadows can influence their functional components, with implications on the availability to primary consumers

The impact and influence of global socio-economy on the clerical ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT)

Master's thesis in global studies. School of Mission and Theology, May 200