Municipal benchmarking:organisational learning and network performance in the public sector

The main purpose of this dissertation is to assess the relation between municipal benchmarking and organisational learning with a specific emphasis on benchlearning and performance within municipalities and between groups of municipalities in the building and housing sector in the Netherlands. The first and main conclusion is that this relation exists, but that the relative success of different approaches to dimensions of change and organisational learning are a key explanatory factor for differences in the success of benchlearning. Seven other important conclusions could be derived from the empirical research. First, a combination of interpretative approaches at the group level with a mixture of hierarchical and network strategies, positively influences benchlearning. Second, interaction among professionals at the inter-organisational level strengthens benchlearning. Third, stimulating supporting factors can be seen as a more important strategy to strengthen benchlearning than pulling down barriers. Fourth, in order to facilitate benchlearning, intrinsic motivation and communication skills matter, and are supported by a high level of cooperation (i.e., team work), a flat organisational structure and interactions between individuals. Fifth, benchlearning is facilitated by a strategy that is based on a balanced use of episodic (emergent) and systemic (deliberate) forms of power. Sixth, high levels of benchlearning will be facilitated by an analyser or prospector strategic stance. Prospectors and analysers reach a different learning outcome than defenders and reactors. Whereas analysers and prospectors are willing to change policies when it is perceived as necessary, the strategic stances of defenders and reactors result in narrow process improvements (i.e., single-loop learning). Seventh, performance improvement is influenced by functional perceptions towards performance, and these perceptions ultimately influence the elements adopted. This research shows that efforts aimed at benchlearning and ultimately improved service delivery, should be directed to a multi-level and multi-dimensional approach addressing the context, content and process of dimensions of change and organisational learning

Entorno Institucional de la Desentralización Estatal en los Países Bajos el papel de las organizaciones de apoyo

A partir de 1998, el IHS se vinculó al SINPA (Programa de apoyo para la implementación de planes nacionales de acción – Support for Implementation of National Plans of Action) financiado por la Dirección general de cooperación al desarrollo de los Países Bajos, junto con la ciudades de Tangail, Santa Cruz y Kitwe y los gobiernos correspondientes de Bangladesh, Bolivia y Zambia. La meta general del Programa SINPA es ayudar a implementar los planes de acción nacionales y la Agenda Hábitat, fortaleciendo la construcción de capacidad local sustentable para la planeación y gestión efectivas del desarrollo urbano. En términos más concretos, el programa busca ayudar al gobierno local y a sus contrapartes a construir capacidad de acción en las áreas más amplias relacionadas con la buena gobernabilidad, la planificación participativa, el alivio de la pobreza, la vivienda y los servicios básicos, y la gestión local ambiental. SINPA se concentra principalmente en la relación entre las organizaciones dedicadas a construir capacidad local (universidades, organizaciones profesionales, organizaciones no gubernamentales u ONG), por una parte, y entre el gobierno local y las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, por otra, con el fin de mejorar sus capacidades de tal forma que sus esfuerzos sean sustentables localmente

Institutional setting of decentralised government in The Netherlands: The role of support organisations

The aim of this research is to facilitate the country programmes (Zambia, Bolivia and Bangladesh) of SINPA in the process of improving urban management capacity in a manner that will be sustainable locally. The three countries initiated this process by bringing together existing local development partners and capacity building institutions so as to improve capacity. With this research new ideas and lessons learned can be taken into consideration for lightening the heavy tasks put on municipal shoulders, by providing ideas in creating new institutions in SINPA countries helpful in assisting local government with urban management issues. This specific research will be a case study on the role of capacity building and advisory organisations for urban management in The Netherlands. The emphasis will be on policy formulation and planning related issues rather than on implementation of policies

A Protective Role of FAM13A in Human Airway Epithelial Cells Upon Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Extract

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease characterized by chronic inflammation upon inhalation of noxious particles, e.g., cigarette smoke. FAM13A is one of the genes often found to be associated with COPD, however its function in the pathophysiology of COPD is incompletely understood. We studied its role in airway epithelial barrier integrity and cigarette smoke-induced epithelial responses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Protein level and localization of FAM13A was assessed with immunohistochemistry in lung tissue from COPD patients and non-COPD controls. In vitro, FAM13A expression was determined in the absence or presence of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) in primary airway epithelial cells (AECs) from COPD patients and controls by western blotting. FAM13A was overexpressed in cell line 16HBE14o- and its effect on barrier function was monitored real-time by electrical resistance. Expression of junctional protein E-cadherin and β-catenin was assessed by western blotting. The secretion of neutrophil attractant CXCL8 upon CSE exposure was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: FAM13A was strongly expressed in airway epithelium, but significantly weaker in airways of COPD patients compared to non-COPD controls. In COPD-derived AECs, but not those of controls, FAM13A was significantly downregulated by CSE. 16HBE14o- cells overexpressing FAM13A built up epithelial resistance significantly more rapidly, which was accompanied by higher E-cadherin expression and reduced CSE-induced CXCL8 levels. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the expression of FAM13A is lower in airway epithelium of COPD patients compared to non-COPD controls. In addition, cigarette smoking selectively downregulates airway epithelial expression of FAM13A in COPD patients. This may have important consequences for the pathophysiology of COPD, as the more rapid build-up of epithelial resistance upon FAM13A overexpression suggests improved (re)constitution of barrier function. The reduced epithelial secretion of CXCL8 upon CSE-induced damage suggests that lower FAM13A expression upon cigarette smoking may facilitate epithelial-driven neutrophilia