Briefing: Infrastructure business models, valuation and innovation for local delivery

The UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council have launched a £3·5 million, 4-year research programme to develop innovative business models for delivering infrastructure. Richard Dawson, Claire Walsh, Phil Purnell and Chris Rogers introduce infrastructure business models, valuation and innovation for local delivery (iBUILD). A growing population, extreme weather, decarbonisation, a proliferation of new technologies and their integration with ageing, existing systems are just some of the pressures on modern infrastructure. Unfortunately, the rate of investment in infrastructure has not kept up with the pace of change, and this is further complicated by fragmented, often reactive, regulation and governance arrangements. The UK Treasury Select Committee noted that existing infrastructure business models provide poor value (HM Treasury, 2011), but few alternatives are available; a point picked up by Infrastructure UK (Infrastructure UK, 2011) who called for research centres to be founded to address this. The iBUILD Centre will address this through development of a suite of alternative infrastructure business models, ranging from reforms to existing approaches to radical new models, each enabling more effective delivery of local infrastructures

Land and water resource management in Hawaii

"Researched and compiled through the Special Analytic Studies Program sponsored by the Hawaii Institute for Management and Analysis in Government." Includes bibliographies

Working with individuals who have experienced homelessness. Stresses and Successes

Purpose Staff who work with vulnerable people with multiple needs are known to experience high levels of stress and burnout, as well as high levels of job satisfaction. This paper explores the experiences of staff working in a project with individuals experiencing long term homelessness in Lincolnshire. Design/methodology/approach An evaluation of a project working with individuals experiencing long term homelessness included a focus group set up to explore the experiences and well being of front line staff and managers. One to one interviews with staff were also held to provide more in depth data about the experiences of individual staff members. Findings Six key themes were identified from the discussions with participants. Decision latitude and the ability to follow service users on person centred journeys over long periods of time were positive aspects of the work which were highly valued and seemed to contribute to high levels of job satisfaction. Things which also made a positive contribution were elements of support provided by the employer and a number of personal coping strategies. Themes identified which had a negative impact on well-being related to high workloads and to the multiple and competing demands from service users and other agencies. Originality/value Few studies of any kind have explored the experiences and wellbeing of staff working in the frontline of homelessness services. This small scale qualitative study provides a number of suggestions for further research with this population. Findings cannot be generalised but match those of other recent studies which suggest high levels of stress but little evidence of burnout, and that carefully developed workplace support mechanisms play a key role in maintaining commitment to the role and preventing burnout

Skill competency development strategies by a contractor

Construction skills are one of the vital aspects of construction work which is growing in importance due to skill gaps and skill shortages during different economic cycles. The aim of this study was to investigate competence development strategies by a traditional construction company within its own pool of skill resources and among its supply chain members. The study was carried out via literature review, empirical studies involving a focus study, analysis of documentary evidence supported by unstructured interviews and a report of skill development/supply chain conference. The study demonstrates how long-term skill development can be achieved through: (a) strategic capacity planning which allows high retention, continuous training, and balanced construction demand and contractor’s supply capacity over the long term; (b) updating and upgrading the knowledge base of the supply chain through conferences and training schemes; (c) strategic investment in the workforce through training, vocational and higher degrees; and (d) acquaintance with different sources of finance. This study will assist small traditional firms in building competencies in skill development and improvement. It will assist an international audience who may face similar issue with their construction firm

Facilitating organisational decision making: a change risk assessment model case study

Purpose: This paper aims to take the challenge to propose a novel modelling approach named Change Risk Assessment Model (CRAM), which will contribute significantly to the missing formality of business models especially in the change risk assessment area and decision-making. Organisational change risks are assessed with the aid of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in an attempt to define the internal dynamics of organisational change management within project management eliciting also risk cause-and-effect relationships. Design/methodology/approach: The study discusses interviews/survey/AHP. Findings: The study presents the following findings. Change risk factors assessment (identification and prioritisation) recommendations (see Case Study) integration of change management; project management; risk management top four risk factors, namely, leadership, communication, project management team and culture. Research limitations/implications: As projects can be different in a variety of factors (quality, scope), an exhaustive list of risk factors cannot be identified. There is a continuous risk identification process throughout the projects’ life cycle. For example, many risks can be classified initially as unknown and can be refined after the initiation phase of the project. AHP factors limitation (eight per level) possible bias (survey analysis). Practical implications: With the aid of modelling and especially CRAM, business change risks can be assessed numerically and prioritised. Several risk factors and related attributes were identified and categorised. This empowers project managers or other stakeholders to make proper decisions about whether to take on or abandon respective organisational or project changes. Social implications: One of the values of CRAM is that it can be regarded as a global change risk assessment method that can be applied regardless of project type, size or organisation. Moreover, it has the advantage that it can be used by any kind of project, as the method is designed to be tailored to specific needs, taking significant environmental change risk factors into account. AHP has numerous uses in operational research, in project management and in general in areas where decisions (evaluation and selection) have to be made. The analysis of the case study presented, indicated that it is vital to assess the degree (impact) that each risk attribute poses to address complex organisational decisions. Originality/value: CRAM aims to bridge the gap between theoretical and applied work in the integrated research field of change management, project management and risk management. Furthermore, the approach attempts to develop a novel systematic methodology (model) for assigning probabilities in attributes (criteria) pair-wise comparison and more specifically, modelling and assessing change management risks, adding a different perspective and technique to the research area

Native Leaders Round Table

This event was a Zoom meeting, a pre-summit to start conversations that will take place at the first Native Summit set for Spring 2023. The main file is the event description, and the supplemental files include 5 pictorial summaries of the output. Long overdue, Portland State University is on a journey to becoming an Indigenous affirming institution, a place with authentic relationships and partnerships with the nations/tribes in our area and a place that invites and, is supportive of, Native students who graduate at equitable rates, equipped to advance their communities and the world. Part of the Tribal relations work and an important part of PSU’s journey involves relationship building and deep listening with tribes. To this end, we wish to host our first Native summit in the Spring of 2023. In advance of this process, we would like to start the conversation with critical leaders from the Native Community at a virtual roundtable that will inform the summit and our work by dreaming of a thriving future, helping design the summit, and sharing insights into their current priorities in the areas of education, workforce, and economic development. These initial insights will be shared at the MACRO Convening of BIPOC communities, funders, civic, and governmental agencies in November, and will form the basis of the summit agenda. These efforts include the Indigenous Traditional and Ecological Knowledge work led by Judy Bluehorse Skelton, the Indigenous Nations studies program, the Native American student and community center, which is celebrating its 20 year anniversary and strong student organizations who put on the annual pow wow. As a regional serving institute, the Institute for Tribal Government at PSU has deep expertise, connections and experience and is well positioned to support Portland State University in its efforts. ITG is currently leading a process that will provide recommendations to support the establishment of a tribal relations program, and provides capacity building opportunities such as the certificate for tribal relations to assist PSU and other leaders in engaging meaningfully and respectfully with tribes and understanding an indigenous worldview. Related Materials: Five affinity-based convenings: Latiné Futures Convening Convening on the Future of Black Thriving & Joy Convening for a Thriving Future for Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Asian American Communities (PIAA) Convening for a Prosperous Future for Middle East, North African and South Asian Community (MENASA) Native Leaders Roundtable Time to Act Events:The Future and Thriving of BIPOC Communities: A Time to Act Macroconvening(Affinity groups met in-person November 2022)Time 2 Act: Continuing Action for a Just and Equitable PSU(Video - Winter Symposium 2021) Time to Act: Envisioning and Creating a Just and Equitable PSU(Video - Virtual Equity Summit, October 30, 2020) Equity Plan: Time to Act: Plan for Equity & Racial Justice 2021 - 2024 (PDF - Report, 2021

From ‘poor parenting’ to micro-management:coalition governance and the sponsorship of arm’s-length bodies in the United Kingdom, 2010–13

The delegation of public tasks to arm’s-length bodies remains a central feature of contemporary reform agendas within both developed and developing countries. The role and capacity of political and administrative principals (i.e. ministers and departments of state) to control the vast network of arm’s-length bodies for which they are formally responsible is therefore a critical issue within and beyond academe. In the run-up to the 2010 General Election in the United Kingdom, the ‘quango conundrum’ emerged as an important theme and all three major parties committed themselves to shift the balance of power back towards ministers and sponsor departments. This article presents the results of the first major research project to track and examine the subsequent reform process. It reveals a stark shift in internal control relationships from the pre-election ‘poor parenting’ model to a far tighter internal situation that is now the focus of complaints by arm’s-length bodies of micro-management. This shift in the balance of power and how it was achieved offers new insights into the interplay between different forms of governance and has significant theoretical and comparative relevance. Points for practitioners: For professionals working in the field of arm’s-length governance, the article offers three key insights. First, that a well-resourced core executive is critical to directing reform given the challenges of implementing reform in a context of austerity. Second, that those implementing reform will also need to take into account the diverse consequences of centrally imposed reform likely to result in different departments with different approaches to arm’s-length governance. Third, that reforming arm’s-length governance can affect the quality of relationships, and those working in the field will need to mitigate these less tangible challenges to ensure success

A service evaluation of the “Open Wide and Step Inside” school oral health programme

Abstract Introduction To present a service evaluation of the “Open Wide and Step Inside” oral health programme delivered in Plymouth, UK. Aim To develop an oral health programme supporting Key Stage One of the National Curriculum for delivery to children aged 4–6 years in targeted schools. Methods The programme was designed and developed in partnership with stakeholders from a range of sectors using a community engagement approach. The programme has been delivered in schools in targeted areas of the city since 2014/15. Outcome (participation of schools and children) and process evaluations were carried out using a range of methods to collect feedback from children, teachers and parents. Results School adoption and engagement in the programme has been high exceeding the targets set for implementation. So far over 4000 children have participated in the programme and schools have welcomed support in delivering oral health as part of the national curriculum. Conclusion A community engagement approach can be highly valuable in developing oral health programmes that meet community needs through collaborative design and a participatory approach

Local status and power in area-based health improvement partnerships

This is the authors' PDF version of an article published in Health© 2014. The definitive version is available at http://hea.sagepub.comArea-based initiatives (ABIs) have formed an important part of public policy towards more socio-economically deprived areas in many countries. Co-ordinating service provision within and across sectors has been a common feature of these initiatives. Despite sustained policy interest in ABIs, little empirical work has explored relations between ABI providers and partnership development within this context remains under-theorised. This paper addresses both of these gaps by exploring partnerships as a social and developmental process, drawing on concepts from figurational sociology to explain how provider relations develop within an ABI. Qualitative methods were used to explore, prospectively, the development of an ABI targeted at a town in the north west of England. A central finding was that, although effective delivery of ABIs is premised on a high level of coordination between service providers, the pattern of interdependencies between providers limits the frequency and effectiveness of cooperation. In particular, the interdependency of ABI providers with others in their organisation (what is termed here ‘organisational pull’) constrained the ways in which they worked with providers outside of their own organisations. ‘Local’ status, which could be earned over time, enabled some providers to exert greater control over the way in which provider relations developed during the course of the initiative. These findings demonstrate how historically constituted social networks, within which all providers are embedded, shape partnership development. The theoretical insight developed here suggests a need for more realistic expectations among policy makers about how and to what extent provider partnerships can be managed. Keywords: partnership, collaboration, community services, area-based initiatives, organisational pull, figurational sociologyNational Health Service (NHS