Oxfam GB: Accountability Starter Pack

This guide is for those staff who would like to learn more about how to implement activities that are accountable to people and communities. It is primarily aimed at country-level staff responsible for implementing development or humanitarian projects and programmes. The pack begins with an introduction to Oxfam GB's approach to accountability. This is followed by Oxfam International's Accountability Matrix. The Matrix shows the commitments to accountability found within Oxfam International's Programme Standards, and the different levels programmes can achieve in each area. Following this is an explanation of Oxfam GB's Minimum Standards on Accountability.The rest of the pack is divided into four sections - one for each of the four Standards that Oxfam GB is focussing on. For each Standard, there is a brief explanation as to why this Standard is important, then some 'How-To' Guidelines and a Good Practice example from one of Oxfam's programmes. We have also added an extra section on how to improve greater financial transparency as we have had so many requests for guidance specifically on this

Linked data in BGS and its potential in model fusion

The British Geological Survey has been conducting a pilot project into the use of Linked Data. Linked Data is a best practice for using the web to expose, share and connect pieces of data, information and knowledge. It facilitates connections between previously unrelated data, and lowers the barriers to linking data currently linked using other methods. In essence, linked data involves publishing snippets of information as independent ‘triples’, made up of a subject, a predicate and an object. A subject is referenced by a URI and can represent any resource: a person, organisation, concept, dataset, model, application etc. A predicate is a property or relationship assigned to the subject, and is also referenced as a URI. An object is the value of the property or object of the relationship; this may be a resource referenced as a URI or a literal value such as a number or text string. Data linkages come about because anyone can publish a statement about anyone else’s resources, and resource URIs for subjects and objects can be matched up. Data linkages are also enhanced because anyone can (and should where possible) re-use anyone else’s predicates, thereby using a common language to describe information. BGS’s pilot project is about to publish three of our major vocabularies (Lexicon of Named Rock Units, Geochronological timescale, Rock Classification Scheme) and our 625k 2D geological map in linked data form. We have added links between our resources and those defined in external linked data sources where possible, including DBPedia (a linked data version of Wikipedia), the Ordnance Survey and the BBC Wildlife Finder website. Further work is necessary to improve the links to parallel vocabulary schemes defined by international organisations. The benefit of linked data is that rather than an end-user having to do investigative work to uncover the syntax and semantics of disparate datasets in order to integrate them, data published according to the Linked Data recommendations provides this information up front in an unambiguous and instantly available form. The user will have all the information at hand to integrate the data in a logical and scientifically valid way. This presentation will speculate as to how this approach may be applied to enable models to communicate and exchange information at run-time, for example using an interoperable vocabulary for physical properties, spatial and temporal dimensions and methodologies. Linked data can also be used to describe a common vocabulary for model parameters and the relationships and dependencies between them, thereby exposing feedback mechanisms between separate models or algorithms

Strategies for stable anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste

International trade and the market demand for pre-prepared agricultural produce is not only increasing the total quantity of waste agricultural biomass but also centralising its availability, making it potentially useful for energy production. The current work considers the suitability of vegetable trimmings and rejects from high-value produce air-freighted between Africa and Europe as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The physical and chemical characteristics of a typical mixed vegetable waste of this type were determined and the theoretical energy yield predicted and compared to experimentally-determined calorific values, and to the energy recovered through a batch biochemical methane potential test. A semi-continuous digestion trial was then carried out with daily feed additions at different organic loading rates (OLR). At an OLR of 2 g VS L-1 day-1 the substrate gave a methane yield of 0.345 L g-1 VS added with VS destruction 81.3%, and showed that 76.2% of the measured calorific value of the waste could be reclaimed as methane. This was in good agreement with the estimated energy recovery of 68.6% based on reaction stoichiometry, and was 99% of the biochemical methane potential (BMP). Higher loading rates reduced the specific methane yield and energy conversion efficiency, and led to a drop in digester pH which could not be effectively controlled by alkali additions. To maintain digester stability it was necessary to supplement with additional trace elements including tungsten, which allowed loading rates up to 4 g VS L-1 day-1 to be achieved. Stability was also improved by addition of yeast extract (YE), but the higher gas yield obtained was as a result of the contribution made by the YE and no synergy was shown. Co-digestion using card packaging and cattle slurry as co-substrates also proved to be an effective means of restoring and maintaining stable operating conditions.This is a revised personal version of the text of the final journal article, which is made available for scholarly purposes only, in accordance with the journal's author permissions

Co-digestion of source segregated domestic food waste to improve process stability

Cattle slurry and card packaging were used to improve the operational stability of food waste digestion, with the aim of reducing digestate total ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations compared to food waste only. Use of cattle slurry could have major environmental benefits through reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with current management practices; whilst card packaging is closely linked to food waste and could be co-collected as a source segregated material. Both options increase the renewable energy potential whilst retaining organic matter and nutrients for soil replenishment. Co-digestion allowed higher organic loadings and gave a more stable process. A high ammonia inoculum acclimated more readily to cattle slurry than card packaging, probably through supplementation by trace elements and micro-organisms. Long-term operation at a 75-litre scale showed a characteristic pattern of volatile fatty acid accumulation in mono-digestion of food waste, and allowed performance parameters to be determined for the co-digestion substrates.<br/

Anaerobic digestion of two biodegradable municipal waste streams

Landfill avoidance for organic wastes is now a high priority worldwide. Two fractions of the municipal waste stream were considered with respect to their potential for diversion through controlled anaerobic digestion. The physical and chemical properties of source segregated domestic food waste (ss-FW) and of the mechanically-recovered organic fraction of municipal solid waste (mr-OFMSW) were analysed, and their methane yields determined in both batch and semi-continuous digestion. Methane potentials were compared with predicted values based on biochemical composition, elemental analysis and carbon mass balance, and the differences explained by compositional analysis of feedstocks and digestates. The ss-FW had a higher percentage biodegradability and higher energy potential on a dry weight basis due to the high proportion of proteins and fats in this waste, although the energy potential of the mr-OFMSW was slightly higher on a wet weight (WW) basis. The mr-OFMSW showed very stable digestion characteristics, whereas the ss-FW had a high digestate ammoniacal-N concentration and volatile fatty acid accumulation leading to some process instability. Digestates from semi-continuous trials with mr-OFMSW had high concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and a lower nutrient content than ss-FW digestate, making the former unsuitable for application to land used in food productio

Seasonally loaded waste stabilisation ponds: a novel application for intermittent discharge

This research examined the use of a single facultative pond for treatment of an intermittent discharge from a UK campsite. The system was monitored over an 11-month period to determine the optimum time for discharge in terms of quality standards. The results showed that based on organic strength, discharge was possible in winter between November and March but February was the optimum to meet nutrient and suspended solids requirements. The pond showed rapid acclimatisation to the influent wastewater, with biochemical oxygen demand removal rates during the filling period of around 60 kg ha?1 day?1 and removal efficiencies of ?95% after maturation. The system proved simple to operate. A major design factor is the requirement for storage of net incoming precipitation, which may provide dilution of residual pollutants but requires additional system capacity.<br/

Operation and recovery of a seasonally-loaded UK waste stabilisation pond system

An intermittent discharge waste stabilisation pond system was trialled for treatment of a seasonal wastewater load from a campsite. The system showed rapid acclimatisation to incoming load, with chlorophyll-a exceeding 700 mg l?1 within 2 weeks and filtered and unfiltered effluent biochemical oxygen demand below 20 and 30 mg l?1 respectively. Good performance continued for some weeks, after which photosynthetic oxygenation capacity in the first pond was seriously impaired by a shock loading believed to include fatty material. Inflow to the system was suspended and a surface film was broken up, after which the pond recovered within an 8-day period. Laboratory experiments indicated that interventions such as artificial aeration and dilution with effluent had no beneficial effect although mixing may have increased the rate of recovery

Ammonia removal in anaerobic digestion by biogas stripping: an evaluation of process alternatives using a first order rate model based on experimental findings

The feasibility of biogas stripping to remove ammonia in the anaerobic digestion of source segregated food waste was investigated. It was found in batch experiments that ammonia could be removed from digestate and that the removal followed 1st order kinetics with respect to total ammonia nitrogen concentration. Increasing temperature, biogas flow rate and initial pH all increased removal rates. Using kinetic data gathered in these experiments allowed the integration of ammonia stripping with an anaerobic digestion plant to be modelled for different configurations. Four scenarios were identified: post digestion, in situ, side-stream and pre-digestion ammonia removal relating to where in the process the ammonia stripping was performed. The modelling showed that in situ ammonia removal may be best able to reduce in-digester ammonia concentrations over a wide range of organic loading rates whereas pre-digestion showed most promise in terms of application due to the flexibility to control each part of the process separately. Further experimental work is required into these scenarios to confirm their viability

Introduction:Europe - fortress or refuge?

The theme articles in this FMR challenge Europe’s leaders to ensure that development of a common European asylum policy focuses on tackling the root causes of forced migration and on providing protection and integration and not simply keeping asylum seekers out of Europe