Governance and Institutional Innovation: The need for strategic management

Within a comparatively short time there has emerged in Ireland an ad hoc ensemble of initiatives, funds and organisations pursuing aspects of rural development. As a result development policy is faced with a series of institutional and organisational questions (NESC, 1994: 115). These questions concern central-local relationships, possible overlap between agencies, the appropriate spatial units for different programmes, the choice between territorially-based organisations versus sectoral agencies, and accountability in regard to the use of public funds. This paper presents some results from a prospective model designed to facilitate analysis of the policy and institutional environment pertaining to rural development in Ireland. It identifies weaknesses in the institutional fabric: the high degree of centralisation of power and responsibility within agencies; related to this, the sharp compartmentalisation among agencies which act independently of each other, in singularly focusing on separately defined areas of administration; the proliferation of agencies and programmes, this partly reflects the influence of EU funded programmes which have promoted ?bottom up? approaches; the lack of an adequate sub-national spatial focus in policy implementation, and a ?democratic deficit? to the extent that emerging new partnerships are not inclusive of local representative democratic structures. Policy instruments are evaluated and issues for future policy emphasis explored. The paper concludes that organisational structures are vitally important to successful policy intervention in lagging regions. Within the Irish system institutional change is urgently needed.

Child Headed Households, The Emerging Phenomenon in Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya

This study is centred on the phenomenon of the child headed household in urban informal settlements in Kenya. Such households have become an increasingly common occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa, as a result, in particular, of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This has caused millions of children to become orphaned, and has brought about new coping mechanisms. There has been considerable interest in Kenya’s progress with regard to the emergence of child headed families and this can be seen by way of the number of NGOs interested in this subject. This work considers the challenges to livelihood survival and the non-material needs of those in child headed households in Kenya within the realities of daily life. Despite living under very pathetic and harsh conditions, orphans in CHHs have been known to develop unique resilience when their lives are changed radically.  They develop a continuum of coping strategies, which also include adopting ‘de facto’ adult roles.  Children take on new roles, acting as household heads, making household decisions even when parents are still living, and supporting their young brothers and sisters, at times suffering loss and peril themselves. Because of the overwhelming stress on the conventional orphan support systems, increasingly, CHHs are slowly becoming an accepted alternative form of orphan care and are thus attracting support from communities, women self-help groups (WSHGs), CBOs, Churches and NGOs. The livelihood needs of CHHs are particularly challenged by the lack of opportunities for income generation, access to land rights and changes in household life, including revisions in programmes and policies. Furthermore the non-material needs of the children in these households are often unacknowledged; their stories frequently portray a lack of family and community support, marginalisation and isolation, which contests widely held and historic understandings of family and community. The area of study was Kibera slum of Nairobi Kenya and the researcher employed purposive sampling to select the respondents who participated in the study. A total of 50 children living in child headed household were identified through the chief’s office and the support organisations for orphans operating in the above villages. Ten key informants including social workers from organisation supporting these children, chiefs, teachers and children’s officers were also interviewed to give an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Findings of the study revealed that HIV and AIDS coupled with the breakdown or weakening of the extended family network has led to the emergence of Child headed households. Children in these households were found to face challenges such as lack of parent’s love and affection, protection and care, Lack of basic necessities like food shelter and health care, social exclusion and stigmatization, disinheritance, exploitation abuse. Keywords: Child Headed Households, Emerging Phenomenon, Urban Informal Settlemen

‘Hot bubbly poo’: navigating children’s scatological humour at school

This paper examines children’s use of scatological language, encountered during an ethnography in a primary school. The humour and emotion of such language conveys something of the power and hierarchy in schools, including my own research practices. Scatological language offers children a trope for achieving shared moments of humour with the researcher, and a way to navigate the research relationship and the emotions of their participation. The paper illustrates how attending to these practices and affects can support children to renegotiate what they can do and be within school research contexts

Child-Headed Households and Educational Problems in Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya

The present study investigates the educational problems faced by child-headed households in Urban settlements in Kenya. These households are a result of challenges such as parental deaths (mainly due to HIV and AIDS). Such households have become an increasingly common occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa, as a result, in particular, of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This has caused millions of children to become orphaned, and has brought about new coping mechanisms. There has been considerable interest in Kenya’s progress with regard to the emergence of child headed families and this can be seen by way of the number of NGOs interested in this subject. Despite living under very pathetic and harsh conditions, orphans in CHHs have been known to develop unique resilience when their lives are changed radically.  They develop a continuum of coping strategies, which also include adopting ‘de facto’ adult roles.  Children take on new roles, acting as household heads, making household decisions even when parents are still living, and supporting their young brothers and sisters, at times suffering loss and peril themselves. Since Kenyan families are traditionally extended, the increase in the number of orphans puts pressure on relatives who have to fend for additional children. Child-headed household arrangements seem to represent a new coping mechanism for orphans in urban settlements in Kenya. Community-based organizations (CBOs) also help extended families to carry the burden of orphans. Using a qualitative research methodology and a case study design, the paper investigates the c educational problems faced by child-headed households in Kibera Slums, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 50 children living in child headed household were identified through the chief’s office and the support organisations for orphans operating in the above villages. Ten key informants including social workers from organisation supporting these children, chiefs, teachers and children’s officers were also interviewed to give an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Findings of the study revealed that HIV and AIDS coupled with the breakdown or weakening of the extended family network has led to the emergence of Child headed households. Children in these households were found to face challenges such as lack of parent’s love and affection, protection and care, Lack of basic necessities like food shelter and health care, social exclusion and stigmatization, disinheritance, exploitation abuse. Keywords: Child Headed Households, Emerging Phenomenon, Urban Informal Settlemen

Axioms and Ideologies

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different variables on the contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product of the Philippines. Moreover, an optimum model was developed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and partial least square regression analysis. With regard to the trend of investments to the different variables included in the study, it was found that most of them had a fluctuating trend. Only investments on human capital and electrification have increasing trends. Correlation analysis shows the strong influence of the different variables. The top 5 factors are productivity of labor (0.992), credit (0.909), production subsidy (0.624), seaport (0.549), and bridges (0.530). There are 12 variables that significantly affects the contribution of agriculture to GDP: physical connectivity in the form of infrastructure such as (1) roads and (2) bridges; (3) airport; (4) electrification; innovation and technology in terms of (5) research and (6) extension; (7) irrigation; (8) human development; (9) distribution of land through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP); (10) production subsidy; (11) credit; and (12) human capital. From this result, the optimum model was developed. Contribution of Agriculture to GDP = 3.5 + 220*Roads – 468.30*Bridges + 513.52*Applied and basic research budget + 136.32*Extension budget + 2.47*Land distribution CARP + 625.23*Irrigated area – 121.67*Barangays with electricity + 5.2*Airport + 120.74*Production subsidy + 23.74*Credit + 30.34*Human development budget + 345.84*Human capital. With the above result, it is highly recommended that budget for the different variables should be increased to effect growth in agriculture and eventually result in the modernization of the sector

Silencing the Nigerian Masses through Occult Practices: A Leeway in Entrenching Corruption by the New Elites in Nigerian Democracy

The Nigerian has bedevilled with corrupt practices that those involved in this hydra-headed monster act are often celebrated honoured with national merit awards rewarded with electoral victories and political appointments This irresponsible act on the part of the governance and the governed goes to show how corrupt practices have been institutionalised and accepted by many as a norm This has been the bane of Nigeria s economic and technological advancement By the country s scenario been captured the paper attempted to uncover the reality of occult practices as the cause of the docility of Nigerians in the manipulation of elections and the consolidation of political offices by the Nigerian elites in the present democratic era Using the historical and library methods the research situated belief in African supernatural being practiced by the Nigerian elites in the various ethnic groups in Nigeria as the cause of docility among Nigerians in the face of corruption The paper was divided into several segments with an introduction as the first and the clarification of key concepts as the second The third segment looked at African and Nigerian democracy while the fourth presents the emergence of the new elites in Nigerian democracy from 1999 to date The silencing of the Nigerian masses through occult practices is the focus of the fifth segment while the sixth unveiled the effect of occult practices on the masses in Nigerian democracy The paper recommended public education on corruption and legislative enforcement achieved through sanctified and proactive judiciary for a way forward The final word of the paper is that as long as personal gain remains the motive for political activity Nigerian democracy and the masses will continue to suffe

African Myths on Climate Change and Environmental Degradation and Challenges of Development in Africa

African religion is a collection of the belief systems of Africans It is one of the oldest religions of the world practiced in both rural and urban centres in Africa The religion is known to possess many myths which play profound roles and strongly influence the understanding of the African environment history geography religious ideas medicine and their social organisations This paper unearths some African myths that have led to climate change and environmental degradation The research employed extensive library study in collecting data on African myths especially of West African peoples which relate to climate The paper relied on the anthropological and comparative methods of data analysis The article is organised into segments The first section is the introduction while the second locates the concepts of climate change and environmental degradation The third segment identified African myths that promote climate change and environmental degradation along with their effects on the development of Africa The research found that African religion besides its principal function of helping humans to live in harmony with God the deities and with nature possesses a certain measure of mythological dispositions leading to practices that result in bush burning smoke emissions earthquakes landslides desertification drought excessive rainfall and flooding greenhouse effect and locust invasion among other things These undermine the unity of the universe leading to climate change and environmental degradation The paper thus recommends that Africans in pre-literate and or modernising societies should lay aside all myths and habits that threaten life in the ecosystem The paper concludes that as long as many Africans particularly Nigerians continue to hold tenaciously to these traditional beliefs the cries of climate change and global warming as well as all efforts towards environmental preservation will be a mirage not just in Africa but in the w

Educational Leadership Practices that Sustains School Improvement in selected Secondary Schools in Tanzania

This paper explores educational leadership practices that can sustain school improvement in selected Secondary Schools Tanzanian. This study employed a qualitative research approach in collecting and analyzing data. The paper is focused on understanding the ability of school heads to set direction, foster professional development and restructuring the school organisation to contribute to school improvement. Data were collected through Interviews, focus group discussions, documentary review and observations. The data were later subjected to content analysis. Results indicate that in best-performing schools, leaders demonstrate ability to set direction by articulating the school vision although like in worst performing schools, the school visions were developed when schools were established thus the current leaders were not involved in their development. Leaders in best-performing schools gave teachers opportunities to attend trainings, seminars and workshops though the schools lack plans for professional development. These leaders demonstrated ability to make collective decisions, to engage school communities and instill teamwork spirit, as well as ability to delegate responsibilities with empowerment, support and trust. Such practices were rarely demonstrated by leaders in worst performing schools. It is seen that school heads needs more skills on management and leadership to enable them analyse their environment and lead schools in a positive direction for school improvement. Key words: Effective leadership, leadership practices, successful leaders, school Performance, visionary leaders. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-15-14 Publication date:May 31st 202