The role of international community in the protection of civil rights and interests in conflict zones: the case of the Darfur region in Sudan (2003-2016)

This is a study of conflict resolution in the Darfur region of Sudan that underpins the gross human rights violations by both the government forces and militia groups.The Darfur conflict constitute one of the known 21st century civil wars which resulted in the deaths and displacements of mainly the civilian population. In light of these human rights violations by the parties to the conflict, the government of Sudan was roundly condemned by the international community for its failure to protect civilians. The researcher will use the qualitative research method while the Constructivism theory will be used as the theoratical framework in conducting the research. An incisive finding by the research is that both the government forces and the rebel groups (militia) participated in the gross human rights violations during the conflict. On the international intervention, the study found that there is an element of selectivity by superpowers regarding their attention to humanitarian crisis. Little attention was given to the Darfur crisis than both in Cambodia and Afghanistan. The researcher in this context recommends that in order for a lasting peace and stability to be attained in the Darfur, both parties to the conflict have to engage and come up with a comprehensive peace agreement which has to be signed by all.The African Union is recommended to take a leading role in bringing the parties to the negotiation table

An analysis of the application of the MESH intervention in asthma

Background: Asthma control is currently suboptimal for many individuals with asthma. A number of systematic reviews show that interventions are effective for improving asthma self-care in adults. However, the processes underpinning successful interventions remain unclear. A qualitative process evaluation of a small scale intervention targeting asthma self-care (the Managing Illness by Empowerment of Self-care and Harmonisation of Patient and Practitioner agenda) MESH intervention) was undertaken as part of my PhD. The analysis revealed three intra-patient processes (illness understanding, affective response to asthma and motivation) and two consultation processes (active patient involvement and individual tailoring) that were associated with change in self-reported asthma self-care behaviour. However, intervention deliverers (nurses) did not always deliver the intervention as intended. Aim: To explore nurses’ experiences of delivering the MESH intervention and, in particular, to identify challenges associated with their ability to deliver it as intended. Design : In-depth qualitative interviews and transcripts of consultations between nurses and patients were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants : Nine nurses with experience in the delivery of asthma care. Setting : Primary care practices in the South West of England. Results: The themes arising from the analysis were (i) experiences of training (ii) perceived usefulness of techniques and approaches (iii) patient motivation and (iv) implementing the MESH in clinical practice Conclusion: This research has identified specific issues relating to nurses’ understanding, motivations and abilities to deliver the MESH intervention. This has important implications for both future health psychology research and clinical practice. With regard to the future development of randomised trials of the MESH intervention, the process of nurse recruitment and training could be adjusted in light of these findings. This will prevent unnecessarily wasting resources and patients’ time, and increase the likely take up and effectiveness of the intervention. Further research is needed to develop theory underpinning nurses’ use of research in clinical practice

MATRIX KAPPA: A PROPOSAL FOR A CARD SORT STATISTIC FOR IS SURVEY INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT

The card sort is a key scale development tool that is frequently used in IS survey instrument development. Cohen\u27s Kappa is a recommended measure of inter-rater agreement in this process, however one of its underlying statistical assumptions is violated when it is used in open card sorts. To address this issue, Matrix Kappa is proposed as a complement to other card sort analysis techniques, reframing constructs in terms of item relationships and representing inter-rater agreement in terms of matrices. Matrix Kappa has the benefit of meeting Cohen’s Kappa assumptions for open card sorts and can be used to differentiate both open and closed card sort results that Cohen’s Kappa cannot

Determinants of Household Participation in Rural Development Projects

This paper provides evidence for determinants of households participation in rural development projects. Study findings are based on qualitative analysis and logistic estimation of a random utility model. Households with higher incomes appear less likely to participate; those with more labor are more likely. Availability of activities of interest to community members could enhance participation.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Desk Top Review on the Effectiveness of Presumptive Tax Administration on Revenue Collection by ZIMRA

This desk top research evaluated the effectiveness of Presumptive tax administration on revenue collection. The method of assessment and collection of presumptive tax were discussed as well as the challenges that are encountered by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) on presumptive tax administration on revenue collection. The challenges have negatively affected the collection of presumptive tax. The research findings revealed that the effectiveness of presumptive tax administration is affected by the high tax rates that were imposed by the ministry of finance relative to the income levels that the cottage industry earn on a monthly basis, high levels of corruption and the political interference that occur. The study recommends that authorities should implement a tax system that will provide mechanisms for the informal sector operators to graduate into the normal tax system as well as intensifying education and awareness campaigns to the informal sector operators

Exploring IT-Enabled Public Sector Innovation in U.S. States

Scholars and practitioners often assume that the public sector mirrors the private sector and that it is possible to merely port strategies between domains. However, we highlight the substantial differences between the domains and explore how IT-enabled innovation shapes and is shaped within state government. Analyzing state-level IT governance data using crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, we uncover that low state attainment is a catalyst for IT-enabled innovation. We uncover and differentiate several types of innovations and also find that successful innovation requires the collaboration of the legislature, governor and CIO