Enhancing aid effectiveness: The Case for stronger local government involvement in development

In 2008-2009, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Capacity and Institution Building Working Group (CIB) of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) led the development of a UCLG Position Paper on Aid Effectiveness and Local Government. The position paper was adopted unanimously by UCLG World Council members at their annual meeting in Guanghzou, China in November 2009. It seeks to give voice to the local government perspective in the continuing deliberations on aid effectiveness. The paper also provides specific policy recommendations for the international donor community, national governments and local governments themselves geared towards better incorporating local governments into the design and delivery of development programs and processes

Coalition theories: empirical evidence for dutch municipalities

The paper analyzes coalition formation in Dutch municipalities. After discussing the main features of the institutional setting, several theories are discussed, which are classified as size oriented, policy oriented and actor oriented models. A test statistic is proposed to determine the predictive power of these models. The empirical analysis shows that strategic positions as well as some of the distinguished preferences are important in the setting of Dutch municipalities. Especially, the dominant minimum number principle yields highly significant results for coalition formations in the period 1978–1986

Service user involvement in giving mental health students feedback on placement: a participatory action research study

Background Although the drive to engage service users in service delivery, research and education has mainstream acceptance, it is not easy to achieve meaningful involvement. The contribution that could potentially be made by users whilst accessing services is often overlooked. Objectives and Participants This study involved stakeholders (mentors, service users and a lecturer) working together to design, evaluate and refine a system enabling students to seek feedback from service users. The feedback concerned mental health students’ interpersonal skills and occurred whilst on practice placement. This research aimed to explore the experiences of those concerned when nine students attempted to learn from rather than about service users. Design A 2-year study, encompassing five cycles of participatory action research (PAR). Setting A small island community in the British Isles, adopting UK standards for pre-registration nurse education. Methods Data came from interviews with service users and mentors and a series of reflective group discussions with students who volunteered to try out the feedback mechanism. The deliberations of the PAR stakeholder group informed the research cycles and added to the data, which were subject to thematic analysis. Findings Findings indicated that service users volunteering to give feedback had unanimously positive experiences. Students’ experience lay on a continuum: those with a stronger sense of self were more willing and able to ask for feedback than less confident students. Cultural adjustment to the role change needed was challenging, requiring self-awareness and courage. Over time, all students achieved deep learning and, for some, learning appeared transformative. Conclusion Although contextual, the study concluded that the feedback initiative encouraged the development of more equitable relationships, in which mental health nurses respected the expertise of service users. This potentially benefits student development, recovery-orientated practice, service users and HEIs searching for meaningful ways to involve service users in learning and formative assessment

精神保健福祉法一部改正施行への対応に伴う市町村の機能強化と都道府県による支援の方策に関する研究

本研究では,平成14年4月に改正精神保健福祉法が全面施行されたことを契機として,精神保健福祉分野における市町村と都道府県による重層的効率的なサービス提供体制のあり方,市町村の機能充実方法などについて検討することを目的とした。中国5県の36ヶ所の県型保健所を対象として,県の市町村支援機能,県の専門性,県の広域的取り組みなどについて調査した。保健所が実施した市町村支援事業のうち頻度の高いものは,「研修会」34/34(100%),「市町村と家庭訪問を行う」30/34(88.2%),「事例検討会」26/34(76.5%)などであった。県型保健所が管内市町村に対し,情報提供・技術支援・研修を行っているもののうち,最も頻度の多かったのは,「対応困難ケースへの同行訪問・相談など」34/34(100%)であった。現在実施している2つ以上の市町村を対象とした広域的事業では,最も頻度の多かった項目は,「ひきこもり対策」18/34(52.9%)であった。特に人口規模の比較的小さい市町村を担当する保健所において,精神障害者の個別相談に関わる事業に対して保健所職員が出張して市町村を支援している保健所がやや多い傾向が認められ,また,調整機能に関する事項が市町村の課題としてあげられた。当面は都道府県が専門的事業を補完的に実施し,研修や都道府県と市町村との事業共同実施により市町村の機能強化を図ることが最優先課題である。都道府県に求められる役割として,関係専門機関との調整事務並びにネットワークを活用した広域的事業の展開などが求められることが明らかになった。We made investigations on measures concerning empowerment of municipalities, and wide area and technical support of municipalities by prefectures in community health services, with reference to an amendment to the Mental Health Welfare Law taking effect on April 2002. The survey was conducted by questionnaires that were mailed to 36 public health centers in the 5 prefectures in the Chugoku region of Japan. Survey specifics included the following: support of municipalities by prefectures, technical abilities, wide area commitments, leading projects of prefectures, etc. Projects run by public health centers for the shift of mental health and welfare service from prefectures to municipalities are in the following order of frequency: seminars 34/34 (100%), joint visits of municipalities and prefectures to subjects 30/34 (88.2%), study meetings 26/34 (76.5%), etc. Projects run by public health centers for municipalities are in the following order of frequency: visiting care of difficult cases by health workers in prefectures and municipalities 34/34 (100%) and seminars 28/34 (82.4%). Wide- area projects run by public health centers for municipalities include coping with "social withdrawals" 18/34 (52.9%). In particular, in public health centers serving municipalities of low populations, public health center staff support municipalities to counsel the mentally handicapped. Issues of municipalities are as follows: conjunction with medical institutions and developing plans for the handicapped. These are items concerning coordination facilities. It is a matter of highest priority that prefectures serve as a complement to municipalities for the present time and reinforce the ability to perform technical projects by means of seminars and joint projects of municipalities and prefectures. We concluded that the intrinsic roles of prefectures are conjunction with professional institutions, implementation of wide area network projects, research, and leading projects.原著Original Article国立情報学研究所で電子

Regional responses to recession:the role of the West Midlands regional taskforce

Bailey D. and Berkeley N. Regional responses to recession: the role of the West Midlands Regional Taskforce, Regional Studies. Regional taskforces were set up across the English regions in late 2008 in response to the most severe recession since the Second World War. This paper examines the role of one such body, the West Midlands Regional Taskforce, as an example of regional response to recession, and offers potential lessons for the future in dealing with such situations. In so doing it reflects on the contested concept of regional 'resilience' and its relevance for policy actions at the regional level. Understanding how the region responded in this way could help in maintaining a 'permanent capacity' to deal with shocks, especially in the context of the abolition of regional development agencies (RDAs) in England from 2012 and their replacement with local enterprise partnerships (LEPs)

Not Quite a Block Party: COVID-19 Street Reallocation Programs in Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed mobility inequities within cities. In response, cities are rapidly implementing street reallocation initiatives. These interventions provide space for walking and cycling, however, other mobility needs (e.g., essential workers, deliveries) may be impeded by these reallocation decisions. Informed by mobility justice frameworks, we examined socio-spatial differences in access to street reallocations in Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. In both cities, more interventions occurred in areas where people of color, particularly Black and Indigenous people, lived. In Seattle, more interventions occurred in areas where people with disabilities, on food stamps, and children lived. In Vancouver, more interventions occurred in areas where recent immigrants lived, or where people used public transit or cycled to work. Street reallocations could be opportunities for cities to redress inequities in mobility and access to public spaces. Going forward, it is imperative to monitor how cities use data and welcome communities to redesign these temporary spaces to be corridors for their own mobility

American municipalities.

Title from cover.Mode of access: Internet.Official bulletin of the League of American Municipalities, the League of Iowa Municipalities, the League of Nebraska Municipalities, and the League of Kansas Municipalities; Oct. 1913- also of the League of Minnesota Municipalities