Policy and Service Satisfaction Survey

The Policy and Service Satisfaction Survey (PSSS) investigates public knowledge and perceptions of the Government of Tanzania’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) and other policy initiatives. PSSS also documents people’s views on the availability, quality and cost of basic social and economic services under PRS. PSSS surveyed 3,002 households in seven Tanzanian mainland regions. In total, 665 households were sampled in Dar es Salaam urban wards, 467 in urban wards in the other six regions, and 1,870 households in rural wards. The survey took place in August-September 2003. Regions were sampled using the poverty profiles from the Poverty and Human Development Report 2002. Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Mbeya Regions were chosen from the top of the rankings, Singida and Mara from the middle, and Rukwa and Lindi from the bottom. This report summarises the main PSSS results from the household survey and focus groups held in these research sites. The information presented is disaggregated by locality - Dar es Salaam, other towns and rural areas – and by the sex of head of household. The report is descriptive. Further analysis will try to explain the perceptions and opinions of respondents on the basis of the distribution of welfare and poverty levels between households

Impact of cultural, religious and legal factors on women’s empowerment through conditional cash transfers

Evidence from this study indicates that women tend to suffer more from poverty than men because of prevailing cultural and religious beliefs, legal systems and household leadership structures. Cash transfers are important and crucial in improving the economic and social condition of women, but they are not enough on their own to change women’s position in society. Poverty in Tanzania is more prevalent in rural areas and among women. The summary of findings on the impact of culture on women covers four sub-themes: culture in general, legal systems, religious beliefs and practices and household structures (monogamous, polygamous and female headed households)

Assessing women empowerment in Tanzania : the case of the productive social safety net (PSSN)

The study adapts the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) approach, using panel data sets to carry out an assessment of the Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) programme implemented by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF). Although the PSSN Programme is not primarily designed as a programme for promoting gender equality, findings indicate positive influences on livelihoods of female recipients and on improving gender relations. Social norms/patriarchy still limit the role that such interventions can play to enhance women’s leadership in communities. The PSSN programme includes conditional cash transfers, public works, and livelihood enhancement

"Workhood"-a useful concept for the analysis of health workers' resources? an evaluation from Tanzania

International debates on improving health system performance and quality of care are strongly coined by systems thinking. There is a surprising lack of attention to the human (worker) elements. Although the central role of health workers within the health system has increasingly been acknowledged, there are hardly studies that analyze performance and quality of care from an individual perspective. Drawing on livelihood studies in health and sociological theory of capitals, this study develops and evaluates the new concept of workhood. As an analytical device the concept aims at understanding health workers' capacities to access resources (human, financial, physical, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and transfer them to the community from an individual perspective. Case studies were conducted in four Reproductive-and-Child-Health (RCH) clinics in the Kilombero Valley, south-eastern Tanzania, using different qualitative methods such as participant observation, informal discussions and in-depth interviews to explore the relevance of the different types of workhood resources for effective health service delivery. Health workers' ability to access these resources were investigated and factors facilitating or constraining access identified. The study showed that lack of physical, human, cultural and financial capital constrained health workers' capacity to act. In particular, weak health infrastructure and health system failures led to the lack of sufficient drug and supply stocks and chronic staff shortages at the health facilities. However, health workers' capacity to mobilize social, cultural and symbolic capital played a significant role in their ability to overcome work related problems. Professional and non-professional social relationships were activated in order to access drug stocks and other supplies, transport and knowledge. By evaluating the workhood concept this study highlights the importance of understanding health worker performance by looking at their resources and capacities. Rather than blaming health workers for health system failures, applying a strength-based approach offers new insights into health workers' capacities and identifies entry points for target actions

Phase 2 institutional support - Tanzania : final technical report

Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) includes poverty reduction through economic growth and socio-economic transformation. This report focuses on organizational, institutional and research capacity improvements supported by the Think Tank Initiative (TTI). Overall, the support has provided positive benefits, helping expand its reach to policymakers. While TTI has improved REPOA capacity to write quality technical proposals, financial proposals have remained a challenge. One critical element of effective financial proposals is the full costing for projects. However, many project funders are reluctant to meet certain costs, such as institutional overheads, at the same demanding lower rates charged for staff time

Empirical Analysis of Tax Revenue Performance in Tanzania: 1973-1999

No Abstract Available African Journal of Finance and Management Vol.12(1) 2003: 1-2

Removal of cobalt ions from aqueous solutions by using poly( N

In this study, N,N-dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide (DMAPMAm) homopolymer and DMAPMAm/itaconic acid (DMAPMAm/IA) copolymers were obtained from Co-60- radiation polymerization. Gel fraction and percentage of swelling values were calculated through gravimetrical calculations. In order to increase the swelling of the hydrogel, the amount of IA in initial copolymer composition was gradually increased, but it was observed that gelation values were low. The structural and morphological assessments of homopolymer and copolymers were made by means of several techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). The cobalt ion (Co2+) removal capacities of hydrogel were investigated by taking into account of the initial metal ion concentration and pH of aqueous medium. When it came to the maximum capacity of values obtained from adsorption experiments by using Co2+ solutions at pH 5, they changed between 220 and 245 mg Co2+/g dry hydrogel. FT-IR, SEM, EDS, and XRD analyses were carried out for enlightening the mechanism of Co2+ removal by hydrogels after the completion of adsorption. Also, desorption studies were conducted using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Finally, within approximately 5 days, all adsorbed Co2+ ions were released from hydrogels at pH 5 using 0.1M EDTA solution. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39569