Collective action and property rights for poverty reduction: A review of methods and approaches

"While much attention has been given to examining various aspects of poverty, a number of studies have shown that institutional environment in which the poor exist conditions welfare outcomes, thus highlighting the inherently crucial importance of institutions for poverty reduction. The institutions of property rights and collective action are among those identified as playing a major role in the livelihood strategies of the poor. This paper highlights ways to operationalize the conceptual framework developed by Di Gregorio and colleagues (2008), which provides an analytical tool to study poverty through the institutional lens with a special focus on collective action and property rights. By emphasizing the multidimensionality of poverty, the authors advocate the importance of applying various approaches and tools to conceptualizing and measuring it. They also emphasize the crucial role that institutions of collective action and property rights play in poverty reduction and sketch out theoretical nuances and methods of examining such institutions. In addition, power relations and political context are seen to be of outmost importance in poverty-related studies; the authors provide suggestions on how to understand and operationalize various dimensions of power and institutional environment in research. Outcomes are approached from the evaluative standpoint, which moves beyond straightforward empirical measurement of certain indicators to a comprehensive analysis that would involve a range of methods and approaches to both the definition and measurement of criteria that affect the complex reality of the poor." authors' abstractCollective action, Property rights, Poverty reduction, evaluation, Vulnerability, Power, Institutions, Wellbeing,

Biting the bullet: how to secure access to drylands resources for multiple users

"Close to one billion people worldwide depend directly upon the drylands for their livelihoods. Because of their climatic conditions and political and economic marginalization drylands also have some of the highest incidents of poverty. Pastoral and sedentary production systems coexist in these areas and both very often use common property arrangements to manage access and use of natural resources. Despite their history of complementary interactions, pastoralists and sedentary farmers are increasingly faced with conflicting claims over land and other natural resources. Past policy interventions and existing regulatory frameworks have not been able to offer lasting solutions to the problems related to land tenure and resource access; problems between the multiple and differentiated drylands resource users, as part of broader concerns over resource degradation and the political and economic marginalization of the drylands. This paper discusses enduring tension in efforts to secure rights in drylands. On the one hand are researchers and practitioners who advocate for statutory law as the most effective guarantor of rights, especially of group rights. On the other side are those who underscore the complexity of customary rights and the need to account for dynamism and flexibility in drylands environments in particular. It explores innovative examples of dealing with secure access to resources and comes to the conclusion that process, rather than content, should be the focus of policy makers. Any attempt to secure access for multiple users in variable drylands environments should identify frameworks for conflict resolution, in a negotiated manner, crafting rules from the ground upwards, in addition to a more generalized or generic identification of rights. Elite capture and exclusion of women and young people continue to pose significant challenges in such decentralized processes. For rights to be meaningfully secured there is need to identify the nature and sources of threats that create insecurities " Author's AbstractProperty rights, Natural resources, Land tenure, Customary rights, Secure access, Environmental management, Devolution, Gender,

The transformation of property rights in Kenya's Maasiland: triggers and motivations

"This paper explores the puzzle of why the pastoral Maasai of Kajiado, Kenya, supported the individualization of their collectively held group ranches, an outcome that is inconsistent with theoretical expectation. Findings suggest that individuals and groups will seek to alter property rights in their anticipation of net gains from a new assignment, even as they seek to eliminate disadvantages that were present in the status quo property rights structure. Heightened perceptions of impending land scarcity, failures of collective decision making, the promise of new income opportunities and the possibility of accessing capital markets motivated individuals to support group ranch subdivision. More importantly individuals were confronted with a declining security of tenure over their lands. Their supporting a transition to individual rights also represents a rational response anticipated to secure land claims against unauthorized appropriations by both Maasai and non-Maasai elite. Given the differentiated structure of group ranch communities, the costs and benefits of property transformation were unevenly distributed. The political process yielded beneficial outcomes for those with access to decision making, while creating vulnerabilities for those with less access such as women, the youth and poor herders." Author's AbstractEast Africa, africa south of sahara, Pastoral systems, Privatization, Land tenure, Group membership, Gender, Property rights,

Subdividing the commons: the politics of property rights transformation in Kenya's Maasailand

"This paper discusses the internal processes and decisions that characterized the transition from collectively held group ranches to individualized property systems among the Maasai pastoralists of Kajiado district in Kenya. It addresses the question of why group ranch members would demand individualized property systems, but then turn against the outcome. In addressing this puzzle the paper discusses the process of land allocation and distribution during group ranch subdivision. It examines who the main actors were during subdivision, their degree of latitude in crafting and changing rules, and the interactions between Maasai and state institutions. Findings suggest that, because the process by which property rights change is so intertwined with politics, we may need to move beyond economic models of relative price changes and state enforcement in order to better understand such transitions. Models that accommodate competition by actors and the possibility that state actors may not provide the arbitration or enforcement that is often taken for granted are more useful for analyzing the complexities of shifting property rights. When the possibility for conflict and competition is factored into the property rights equation, the relative gains from privatizing/individualizing may not be as large or as obvious as anticipated." Author's AbstractProperty rights, Pastoralism, Kenya, Land tenure, Commons, Group ranches, Policies, Environmental management, Devolution,

Gender, institutions and sustainability in the context of forest decentralization reforms in Latin America and East Africa

Women’s participation in decision making at the user-group level and in forest committees has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on forest sustainability. For example, women’s participation enhances forest regeneration and reduces illegal harvesting through improved monitoring. Their presence in forest user groups increases the groups’ capacity to manage and resolve conflict, which in turn increases the likelihood that resource users will comply with and respect harvesting and use rules. These insights have been especially useful in informing policy and project interventions designed to strength and amplify women’s participation. This paper adopts a cross-national approach and employs quantitative techniques to analyze the relative performance of groups with different male-female composition (female-dominated, mixed-gender, and male dominated user groups) in forest management. The study was conducted in Bolivia, Mexico, Kenya and Uganda. Although all four of these countries have decentralized their forestry sectors during the past 15 years, their relevant institutions differ in their design. Also, the conditions leading to the governance reforms in these four countries are diverse. Whereas the East African countries have a long history of protectionist objectives, the Latin American countries have a long history of community forestry enterprises and of the struggle for more inclusive forestry practice and equitable distribution of benefits from forestry enterprises. Data were collected using the methodology of the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) research program. Participatory focus groups among community members were used to explore institutions and local perceptions of forest conditions and their demographics, while key informant interviews (with forestry officials for example) were used to obtain official perceptions of forest condition, the nature of conservation measures adopted by user groups. Key informant interviews with local authorities were also conducted to establish the number and nature of activities conducted by community based organizations, private organizations and other government organizations with mandates and/or activities that have implications for local forest management. Data were collected for 39 forests in Bolivia, Mexico, Kenya and Uganda, during two separate visits to each forest between 1993 and 2008. The analysis is conducted at two levels—the forest and the user group, this allows us to incorporate the perceptions of forestry authorities as well as that of user groups themselves with regard to forest condition. In total, 290 user groups were divided into three categories based on the proportion of women in each group. These categories were: male dominated (women comprising one-third or less of the group), mixed (women comprising between one-third and two-thirds of the group) and female dominated (women comprising two-thirds or more of the group). These three categories accounted for 40%, 37% and 23% of the 290 user groups, respectively. The research presented in this paper advances our knowledge of how women may influence forest management. The research adopts a comparative approach, which is intended to identify synergies within regions and to create a learning environment that may lead to improved forest management. The study investigates different gender composition group’s property rights to forest resources, harvesting preferences, participation in rule making, relative investments in forest management and the outcomes of these activities. Our empirical analysis offers three important findings. First, gender composition is important. Female-dominated groups tend to have more property rights to trees and bushes, and collect more fuel wood and less timber than do male-dominated or mixed groups. Mixed-gender groups participate more in forestry decision making and are more likely to exclude other groups from harvesting from the forest. Female-dominated groups invest less, sanction less and exclude less. The finding that female-dominated groups are less likely than other groups to participate in decision making or invest in forest improvements is not controversial. Time constraints, male bias in the delivery of extension services, and a lack of information can depress investments and participation. Moreover, a huge literature has shown that due to social and cultural norms that limit their roles to the private sphere, women often lack experience, confidence and skills to engage in the public sphere. Mixed groups on the other hand, perform consistently better in all forestry functions, including in exclusion. An earlier study has suggested that mixed groups exploit the complementary advantages of men and women and have better access to information and services from external agents. Second, the implementation of decentralization reforms strengthens user groups’ property rights to forest products and has reduced actual user groups’ actual harvest levels. Also, decentralization has encouraged user groups to participate in forest management activities, including participation in decision making and sanctioning. These gains sit well with the normative expectations of decentralization reforms. By expanding and/or strengthening property rights and management responsibilities, they were intended to create incentives for sustainable use and management. However, such incentives are even more effective when users have full rights to resource benefits as well. Third, there exists regional difference. User groups in the Latin America tend to invest more, than the ones in Africa. While the exact reasons driving this outcome is not immediately evident, we hypothesize that a longer history and experience of community involvement (the outcome of longstanding struggles in broad policy reforms) in forest management may have also influenced the magnitude of benefits accrued to community actors.gender, forest management, forest user groups, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q01, Q23, J16,

Macroeconomic Determinants of Non-Performing Loans in Kenya: 1998-2015

The study examined the Macroeconomic determinants of non-performing loans in Kenya. Time series data for periods 1998 to 2015 was analyzed using a linear regression model. The dependent variable was the ratio of non-performing loans to total loans. The independent variables were GDP growth rate, inflation rate, interest rate, exchange rate, remittances, unemployment rate and public debt. The empirical results indicated that inflation rate, interest rate, GDP growth rate, public debt, and exchange rate were not statistically significant while unemployment rate and remittances were statistically significant at 0.05 level of confidence. The study concludes that the significant macroeconomic determinants of non-performing loans in Kenya for periods 1998 to 2015 were remittances and the unemployment rate. Keywords: Non-Performing Loans, Macroeconomic determinants, Inflation rate, Interest rate, GDP growth rate, Public Debt, Exchange rate, Unemployment Rate, Remittance

Challenges Facing Implementation of Inclusive Education in Public Primary Schools in Nyeri Town, Nyeri County, Kenya

The thrust of this study was to examine the challenges facing the implementation of inclusive education programme in public primary schools in Nyeri town, Nyeri County. The study had three fold objectives, namely(i) to find out the status of implementation of inclusive education in Nyeri town, Nyeri county;(ii)To analyze the factors hindering the implementation of the inclusion process for all the school-going-age children and, (iii) to establish the plausible  solutions to the challenges facing  implementation  of special needs education curriculum. It was premised on the classical liberal theory of equal opportunities advanced by Sherman and Wood (1982). A descriptive survey research design was utilized in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study employed a stratified random sampling technique to draw 80 respondents comprising 12 headteachers, 60 teachers, and 8 education officials in the study locale. The main research instruments used were questionnaires and observation checklists. The major findings were that, first, physical and critical teaching learning resources were either inadequate or were quite dilapidated. Secondly, there were inadequate specialized teachers to handle the special needs education curriculum. Third, there were several socio-economic and cultural variables that constraints effective teaching and learning in most sampled schools .It was  recommended  that since  the named constraints were negatively affecting access and quality of education Nyeri County, the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of education should put in place adequate and appropriate physical and human resources to enhance the implementation of SNE not only in the  in the study locale but all other areas experiencing  similar  constraints.[252  words]. Keywords: Physical resources, teaching learning resources, special needs education, Nyeri County, Keny

Governance and net-import dependency on food and agricultural products in Sub-Saharan Africa: does any causality exist?

Though most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are agricultural-based, the region is a net importer of food and agricultural products and experiences the highest level of food insecurity globally. The government have a joint goal of achieving a favourable balance of trade and food security; hence this study examines the causal relationship between quality of governance and net-import dependency on food and agricultural products for 25 SSA countries during the period 1995-2015. Principal component analysis is employed to develop a governance index based on the six worldwide governance indicators and a multivariate panel vector error correction framework applied to infer causality in the short and long run. The results reveal that a higher governance index is correlated with a lower net-import dependency ratio and the relationship is statistically significant. Evidence of unidirectional causality running from governance to net-import dependency is reported in 14 SSA countries, mainly in the long run. In conclusion, improving governance quality could support reduced food and agricultural net-import dependency through promoting agriculture production, exports and consequently reduced trade deficits in the long run. Hence, governance reforms in the region should be placed at the heart of the agricultural development agenda

Introducing continous quality improvement initiatives: a case study of St Francis community Hospital in Nairobi Kenya

The purpose of this study was to explore in-depth the experiences within the St Francis Community hospital (STFCH) in its short Quality Improvement (QI) journey; and to identify both the facilitating and hindering factors encountered in the establishment of Continuous QI initiatives for policy analysis through examining policy actors, content, context and policy process involved in the introduction of QI initiatives.The study was informed by the Theoretical frame work of the Donabedian model while the conceptual framework was based on the Policy analysis triangle which identifies four pillars of policy analysis namely; the policy actors, policy context, policy context and policy process. These four interact in such a synchronised way that jointly influences any establishment of Quality Improvement initiatives in the healthcare sector. The study employed Qualitative approaches by use of the Case study design. A sample size of 32 was scientifically identified through a purposeful sampling. A total of 22 (68.75%) respondents were interviewed as follows. Key informants were 7 for the in-depth interview and 2 FGD. The first FGD targeting HMT had 7 respondents while the second FGD targeting QIT comprised of 8 respondents.The study found out that the STFCH has tried to introduce minimal QI initiatives in an informal manner without measurable objectives. Most staff does not understand their specific roles in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) hence confusing them with their job descriptions. Even if there was very good will to embrace QI Initiatives due to its positive impact in healthcare delivery, there was a general knowledge gap on the understanding of QI models, QI policy and other accreditation requirements. Efforts on QI were only anchored on the motivation of having the hospital get ISO certified by the year 2019 outside which QI initiatives would not be considered for any resource allocation. The study also revealed that the implementation has been haphazard, uncoordinated and lacking in structural systems, QI Policy manual and professionalism which continuously affected delivery of effective, efficient, safe, timely and satisfactory healthcare services. This was evidenced by absence of measurable outcomes, documented evidence of quality improvement practices and an official adoption of a specific QI model to guide the intended initiatives.The study therefore made five recommendations namely; First there is need for a training of all actors on their different roles and responsibilities as well as form vibrant Work Improvement Teams in every department (WIT) in regards to QI initiatives; Secondly the hospital should adopt a QI model to scientifically guide and support QI initiatives in the facility; thirdly HMT should be fully involved in the development of a QI policy manual and all the other aspects of CQI so as to promote ownership and support of the processes as well as address issues emanating from quality assurance initiatives. Fourthly QI Budgetary allocation should be considered to ensure a serious commitment to the QI activities in the health facility. Finally, a culture of Continuous Quality Improvement should be promoted by establishing a research centre or innovative research initiatives that can continuously decision on QI initiatives