An evaluation of the BankSETA certificate in management development programme using Kirkpatrick's four-level model

To date, there has been little, if any, holistic evaluation of one of the BankSETA programmes that bank employees are nominated to attend, the Certificate in Management Development (CMD). The programme began in 2010 with the aim of increasing the pool of skills in entry-level management occupations in the banking and micro-finance sector (BankSETA, 2016). In order to verify whether the CMD programme has achieved the purpose for which it was instituted by the BankSETA, it is important that a programme evaluation be conducted. The main aim of this study was to undertake a holistic evaluation of the CMD programme to determine students’ perceptions, their increase in knowledge, their ability to apply on-the-job learning and the impact of the programme on the organisation. It also aimed to identify any barriers or obstacles and to provide recommendations to the BankSETA. Kirkpatrick’s (1996) four-level model of reaction, learning, behaviour and results was used as the theoretical framework for this study. A convergent parallel design was used to gather and analyse the data. The convergent design allowed the researcher to use quantitative and qualitative data-collection methods simultaneously, prioritising the methods equally and keeping each phase independent during analysis, and to then mix the results during the overall interpretation of the findings. The findings of this study highlight the importance of programme evaluation and how indispensable this practice is to the success of any programme. Even though positive results were conveyed at every phase of the study, there are certain areas that can be improved upon in order to maximise the outcomes of the CMD programme.Business ManagementM. Com. (Business Management

The interactions of human mobility and farming systems and impacts on biodiversity and soil quality in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

Population growth and the drop in the returns from the major cash crop (coffee) for small farmers are the main drivers that have influenced the farming systems and mobility of farmers in the Western Highlands of Cameroon (WHC). The main objective of this research activity was to determine the interactions between farming systems and human mobility in the WHC. A comparative study was conducted through household and field surveys in three villages and conceptualized based on the systems approach. The different types of mobility were influenced by household social factors, the quest for ‘high valued' farm plots and hired labour. Urban-rural migration contributed to occupation diversification and social mobility. The sustainability factor was a function of land use intensity, intensity of off-farm inputs, the household adjustment factor and mobility of the household. The sacred groves were rich in plant diversity of varied ecological and economic importance. Nitrogen mining was common at all levels of the farming system. These determinants and types of mobility claims are pertinent to the research area; the sustainability results of the farming systems reflect the reality on the ground; the nutrient flux evaluated at the crop and farm levels constitute a valuable database for future research.Volkswagen FoundationConservation Biolog

Rainfall Variability along the Southern Flank of the Bambouto Mountain(West-Cameroon)

This paper presents the rainfall variability along the southern flank of the Bambouto mountain. Data were collected from rain gauges, while spatial variability was estimated through daily recorded data. Monthly and annual data were used to draw isohyetes via the triangular method, with linear interpolations between observation points. Results show that rainfall is highly variable along the slope. Daily rainfall amounts range from 0.1 mm to 120 mm. Mean yearly rainfall is 1918.1 mm. Rainfall amount does not have a linear relationship with altitude. Dschang is characterised by abnormally high rainfall. Following a North-South direction, rainfall decreases from Dschang to a Melang-Loung-Djuttitsa axis. From this axis, the gradient reverses as rainfall increases rapidly towards the Mélétan mountain. The existence of the relatively dry zone within the hillside seems to be due to the influence of two air masses. The first is cold and very wet which moves from the Mamfe basin to the summit zone where it starts to warm up as it flows towards Melang and Loung where temperature increases. The second comes from the south to south-east monsoon which is also impoverished during the ascension to higher altitudes. It is also likely that a third air mass from the dry harmattan is involved depending on the position of the ITCZ

Evaluation de la pertinence des projets et programmes de développement rural au Cameroun

Cette étude portant sur l’évaluation de la pertinence des projets et programmes de développement rural au Cameroun, a été réalisée en 2019. Son objectif global était de contribuer à l’appréciation de la pertinence des projets et programmes développement rural au Cameroun. Les données ont été collectées avec un guide d’entretien et destrames d’enquête lors des entretiens individuels et de groupes avec les différentes parties prenantes des projets et programmes de développement rural au Cameroun. Un échantillon de trois cent soixante-neuf (369) personnes ont été enquêtées avec un taux de participation de 91,86%. Les statistiques descriptives ont été utilisées pour l’analyse des données avec les logiciels SPSS.26 et Excel. Pour d'autres types de données, leur cohérence a été vérifiée par comparaison à la littérature existante. Il ressort de l’analyse que : les objectifs de ces projets et programmes de développement rural sont en cohérence (alignement à 75%) avec les objectifs stratégiques des partenaires techniques et financiers ainsi que du Gouvernement. Les objectifs des projets et programmes de développement ruralsont à 80% trop ambitieux, à 16% ambitieux et seulement à 2% peu ambitieux par rapport aux résultats de leurs mises en œuvre. Leur ciblage social est en adéquation avec les besoins d’appuis à 86%, par contre, 14% estiment que le ciblage n’est pas en adéquation. La pertinence globale moyenne des projets et programmes de développement rural au Cameroun est jugée modérément insatisfaisante. Il serait nécessaire, voir impératif, de repenser les stratégies et les approches de conception et de mise en œuvre des projets et programmes de développement rural au Cameroun.   This study on the evaluation of the relevance of rural development projects and programs in Cameroon was carried out in 2019. Its overall objective was to contribute to the assessment of the relevance of rural development projects and programs in Cameroon. The data was collected with an interview guide and survey frames during individual and group interviews with the various stakeholders of rural development projects and programs in Cameroon. A sample of three hundred and sixty-nine (369) people were surveyed with a participation rate of 91.86%. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis with SPSS.26 and Excel software. For other types of data, their consistency was checked by comparison with the existing literature. The analysis shows that: the objectives of these rural development projects and programs are consistent (75% alignment) with the strategic objectives of the technical and financial partners as well as the Government. The objectives of rural development projects and programs are 80% too ambitious, 16% ambitious and only 2% not very ambitious in relation to the results of their implementation. 86% of their social targeting is in line with support needs, on the other hand, 14% believe that the targeting is not in line. The overall average relevance of rural development projects and programs in Cameroon is rated moderately unsatisfactory. It would be necessary, if not imperative, to rethink the strategies and approaches for the design and implementation of rural development projects and programs in Cameroon

A Unified Framework for Measuring a Network's Mean Time-to-Compromise

Measuring the mean time-to-compromise provides important insights for understanding a network's weaknesses and for guiding corresponding defense approaches. Most existing network security metrics only deal with the threats of known vulnerabilities and cannot handle zero day attacks with consistent semantics. In this thesis, we propose a unified framework for measuring a network's mean time-to-compromise by considering both known, and zero day attacks. Specifically, we first devise models of the mean time for discovering and exploiting individual vulnerabilities. Unlike existing approaches, we replace the generic state transition model with a more vulnerability-specific graphical model. We then employ Bayesian networks to derive the overall mean time-to-compromise by aggregating the results of individual vulnerabilities. Finally, we demonstrate the framework's practical application to network hardening through case studies

The contribution of a private higher education institution to the South African higher education landscape

Private Higher Education (PHE) in South Africa has been perceived to deliver programmes of questionable quality in search of profit maximisation (CHE 2016, 84). To curb this perception, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) has instituted strict regulations with regard to accrediting qualifications offered by Higher Education (HE) institutions. To determine the contributions of PHE to the South African higher education landscape, this article evaluates a registered management programme, on recommendation of the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the CHE, with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) (CHE, 2013). Using Kirkpatrick’s (1996) four-level model of training programme evaluation as the theoretical framework, the management programme was evaluated to determine its contribution to higher education in South Africa. The four levels included the perception of the learners, the knowledge gained by the learners, the learners’ performance in the workplace and the return on investment. Other stakeholders, such as the sponsor and students’ line managers, were interviewed to determine whether the programme has contributed to work outputs. Overall, the results show that the programme is contributing to the development of higher education in South Africa. 

Agriculture biologique : Nécessité d’appropriation par les producteurs et attitudes des consommateurs au Moungo-Cameroun

L’agriculture biologique (AB) est l’un des moyens qui contribue à répondre à certains enjeux et défis du moment en termes de sécurité alimentaire et de protection de la biodiversité, de la santé du producteur et celle du consommateur, contrairement à l’agriculture conventionnelle (AC). L’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser le comportement qu’affichent les producteurs d’ananas et les consommateurs vis-à-vis de l’appropriation de l’AB et la consommation de ses produits en vue de préserver la biodiversité. Une enquête réalisée par le biais de trois types de questionnaires différents a permis de toucher les producteurs d’ananas biologiques et conventionnels (111) et les consommateurs (318). Cette enquête a été suivied’un guide d’entretien (7). Elle a été menée dans le département du Moungo au Cameroun (N = 436 soit: 301 hommes et, 135 femmes; âgés entre 25 à 64 ans) plus précisément à Loum, Njombé-Penja et Mbanga. Pour mesurer l’attitude, l’étude a eu recours au modèle de Likert (1932) sous 5 échelles. La Variance et le Test de corrélation ont permis de conclure que, la protection de la biodiversité dépend majoritairement du comportement des producteurs et des consommateurs. Mots clés : Agriculture biologique, consommateurs, attitudes, producteur

Response of Congo Grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis L. Germain and Evard) to Nitrogen Fertilization on an Oxisol in Western Highlands Agro-ecological Zone of Cameroon

In the context of climate change, sustainable fertilization management can be achieved by the use of minimum external agricultural inputs capable of generating both economic and environmental benefits. In this regard, a study conducted in western highlands agro-ecological zone of Cameroon revealed the response of Brachiaria ruziziensis (an important cover crop and forage) to a range of nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kgN.ha-1) combined with a constant level of P2O5 (100 kgN.ha-1) and K2O (50 kg%252Fha) evaluated using a randomized complete block design. The findings showed that in a regularly cultivated soil, Congo grass is capable of meeting its mineral needs by searching for them in strata of the soil below the cultural profile (0-25 cm). As a result, in comparison to non-fertilized units (27.75 t.ha-1), fertilized units did not provide a significant dry matter yield (P gt%253B 0.05). Despite the lack of a significant difference, the yield increased with the addition of nitrogen until it reached 100 kg%252Fha, and then decreased until it reached 200 kg N.ha-1. As a result, Congo grass should be used as a biological pump, bringing lixiviated minerals to the surface to favor soil fertility replenishment and shorten fallow period

SUMOylation of DISC1: a potential role in neural progenitor proliferation in the developing cortex

DISC1 is a multifunctional, intracellular scaffold protein. At the cellular level, DISC1 plays a pivotal role in neural progenitor proliferation, migration, and synaptic maturation. Perturbation of the biological pathways involving DISC1 is known to lead to behavioral changes in rodents, which supports a clinical report of a Scottish pedigree in which the majority of family members with disruption of the DISC1 gene manifest depression, schizophrenia, and related mental conditions. The discrepancy between modest evidence in genetics and strong biological support for the role of DISC1 in mental conditions suggests a working hypothesis that regulation of DISC1 at the protein level, such as posttranslational modification, may play a role in the pathology of mental conditions. In this study, we report on the SUMOylation of DISC1. This posttranslational modification occurs on lysine residues where the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) and its homologs are conjugated to a large number of cellular proteins, which in turn regulates their subcellular distribution and protein stability. By using in silico, biochemical, and cell-biological approaches, we now demonstrate that human DISC1 is SUMOylated at one specific lysine 643 (K643). We also show that this residue is crucial for proper neural progenitor proliferation in the developing cortex