NGO provision of basic education: alternative or complementary service delivery to support access to the excluded?

While access to state schooling has grown in many countries in recent years, a hardcore of marginalised children continue to be excluded from this. Some of these children are able to gain access to education through non-state provision. The focus of this paper is on primaryschool aged children who find access through (international) non-government organisations (NGOs). Based on a review of the available literature, the paper shows that there have been fluctuations in attention paid to NGO provision by education researchers since the 1970s. Changes are due in part to the prevailing political and economic environment, as well as to pressure placed on international agencies and national governments to reach education targets. The paper also shows that there has been a shift in the priorities of these providers over this period, from seeing themselves as supporting a parallel, alternative system of education independent of the state system, towards one aimed at being complementary to the state system, with the intention of ultimately supporting children’s access to a state-provided education. The paper highlights that much of the available literature suggests that NGO provision often intends to bring benefits in terms of the alternative forms of pedagogy and accountability it aims to offer. However, as the paper indicates, there is very little systematic, critical analysis of who is gaining access to education offered by alternative providers, or what they are actually getting access to. As such, there is a need for analysis of educational access to pay greater attention to diverse forms of access – both in terms of who provides, and what is provided. Moreover, changes in priorities associated with the effects of the international economic and political agenda, along with the intention of integrating multiple providers of education into a system-wide approach, give rise to the need for an analysis of the implications for NGO-government collaboration to ensure sustainability of educational access to those who would otherwise be excluded

The impact of financial incentive mechanisms on motivation in Australian government large non-residential building projects

The use of financial incentives mechanisms (FIMs) in Australian government large nonresidential building projects is seen as a way to improve project motivation and outcomes and reinforce long-term commitment between participants. Yet very little empirical research has been conducted into how FIMs should be applied in the context of construction projects and what determines their impact on motivation. The primary aim of this research was to identify the motivation drivers impacting on the achievement of FIM goals. This allowed for the formulation of recommendations to improve Australian government building procurement strategies, creating the potential for better project outcomes. The research involved four major case studies of large construction projects. Analysis of motivation drivers on each project was based on interviews with senior project participants, secondary documentation and site visits. Once the motivation drivers were identified, they were ranked by the weighted number of motivation indicators impacted, to give an indication of their relative importance. The results provide Australian government clients with key areas for policy direction. The findings indicate that the following motivation drivers (in order of impact) were more important than FIM design in achieving FIM goals: equitable contract risk allocation and management scope for future project opportunities with the client harmonious project relationships early contractor involvement in design stages value-driven tender selection processes. A consequence of ignoring these key procurement initiatives can be a less than ideal FIM goal performance, despite the nature of FIM design, including the strength of the reward on offer. FIMs have the potential to be a valuable addition to any project procurement strategy. Yet, the main message of this thesis is: If clients rely solely on financial incentives as the driver of motivation it will likely result in failure

Romans, Roads, and Romantic Creators: Traditions of Public Property in the Information Age

The medialibrary is included within an overall development plan. This plan has been drawn up by the communal office and aims to finish in 2030. The aim of this design is to promote unification and comunication, especially in the central area of Sollentuna. The challenge that faces the municipality is to eliminate the division that has been forming since the time gave impetus to the rail.Today is not only the railway passing through the sector but also the commuter train.The two sectors clearly formed because of this communication system were even more sharply divided during the construcction of the so called million housing program.I have proposed a subway train. The media library has the purpose to contain several features that appeal to the publicon both sides of the line and thus generate a social contact that can develop good communication and cooperation. It was considered the young generation and their needs without leaving aside elderly.The design, the differens spaces and rooms, the buliding facilities, are intended to generate communication and unification among the users.Den Mediateket ingår i en övergripande plan för utveckling i centrala Sollentuna. Kommunen har en plan som de syftar till att avsluta år 2030. Syftet med denna konstruktion är att främia enande och kommunikation i den centrala delen av Sollentuna. Uttmaningen som  kommunenär har i framtiden är att eliminera den klyfta som har bildas efter järnvägskonstruktion. Järnvägen (och pendeltåget)passera genom området. De två sektorerna, tydligt utformade på grund av detta kommunikationssytem, var ännu kraftig isäer under byggande av den så kallade milljonprogramm. Skillnaden i både ekonomisk och social karakter blev tydligt markerade.Den mediabiblioteken har till syfte att innehålla flera funktioner som tilltalar allmänheten på båda sidor on linjen och därmed generera en social kontakt som kan utveckla en god kommunication och samarbete. Jag har övervägt den yngre generationen och deras behov utan all lämna åt sidan den äldre generationen. Anläggninggar, med den nya designen, är avsedda att generera kummunikation och enande bland användarna av alla åldrar

Supporting non-state providers in basic education service delivery

Basic education is commonly regarded as a state responsibility. However, in reality, non-state providers (NSPs) have always been involved in basic education service delivery, and there is often a blurring of boundaries between state and non-state roles with respect to financing, ownership, management, and regulation. In recent years, the focus on the role of non-state providers (NSPs) has intensified within the context of the move towards achieving Education for All (EFA). The paper considers this shift, with particular attention towards service delivery to 'underserved groups', defined as those for whom access to affordable government services of appropriate quality is most problematic. In some cases, this refers to particular sub-groups of a population within a country. In other cases (notably fragile states), it can refer to large sections of the country’s population. The paper indicates the wide range of NSPs that exist to serve different underserved groups. It notes that NSPs are commonly viewed as having a comparative advantage over state provision - in terms of quality, cost-effectiveness, choice, accountability to citizens etc. However, in reality there is very limited robust analysis to support some of these claims. The paper then considers the ways in which non-state providers engage with the state in education service delivery, including with respect to contracting, policy dialogue, and regulation - and the role that donors play in this relationship. The paper concludes that relations between NSPs and the state are not straightforward given the range of different providers involved in education service delivery, with those serving the better-off tending to dominate engagement with government. This can be at the expense of smaller-scale, informal providers aiming to support those otherwise under-served by government provision. As such, the paper argues that there is a need for ‘real’ on-going dialogue which recognises the diversity amongst NSPs, to ensure collaboration between NSPs and government benefits the underserved and so assists in moving towards the achievement of EFA goals

Evolution of flowering strategies in Oenothera glazioviana: an integral projection model approach

The timing of reproduction is a key determinant of fitness. Here, we develop parameterized integral projection models of size-related flowering for the monocarpic perennial Oenothera glazioviana and use these to predict the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) for flowering. For the most part there is excellent agreement between the model predictions and the results of quantitative field studies. However, the model predicts a much steeper relationship between plant size and the probability of flowering than observed in the field, indicating selection for a 'threshold size' flowering function. Elasticity and sensitivity analysis of population growth rate u and net reproductive rate R0 are used to identify the critical traits that determine fitness and control the ESS for flowering. Using the fitted model we calculate the fitness landscape for invading genotypes and show that this is characterized by a ridge of approximately equal fitness. The implications of these results for the maintenance of genetic variation are discussed

Hypervelocity impact effects on solar cells

One of the space hazards of concern is the problem of natural matter and space debris impacting spacecraft. This phenomena has been studied since the early sixties and a methodology has been established to determine the relative abundance of meteoroids as a function of mass. As the mass decreases, the probability of suffering collisions increases, resulting in a constant bombardment from particles in the sub-micron range. The composition of this 'cosmic dust' is primarily Fe, Ni, Al, Mg, Na, Ca, Cr, H, O, and Mn. In addition to mechanical damage, impact velocities greater than 5 k m/sec can produce shock induced ionization effects with resultant surface charging and complex chemical interactions. The upper limit of the velocity distribution for these particles is on the order of 70 km/sec. The purpose of this work was to subject samples from solar power arrays to debris flux typical of what would be encountered in space, and measure the degradation of the panels after impact

A compact finite element method for elastic bodies

A nonconforming finite method is described for treating linear equilibrium problems, and a convergence proof showing second order accuracy is given. The close relationship to a related compact finite difference scheme due to Phillips and Rose is examined. A condensation technique is shown to preserve the compactness property and suggests an approach to a certain type of homogenization

Space Station Freedom as an engineering experiment station: An overview

In this presentation, the premise that Space Station Freedom has great utility as an engineering experiment station will be explored. There are several modes in which it can be used for this purpose. The most obvious are space qualification, process development, in space satellite repair, and materials engineering. The range of engineering experiments which can be done at Space Station Freedom run the gamut from small process oriented experiments to full exploratory development models. A sampling of typical engineering experiments are discussed in this session. First and foremost, Space Station Freedom is an elaborate experiment itself, which, if properly instrumented, will provide engineering guidelines for even larger structures which must surely be built if humankind is truly 'outward bound.' Secondly, there is the test, evaluation and space qualification of advanced electric thruster concepts, advanced power technology and protective coatings which must of necessity be tested in the vacuum of space. The current approach to testing these technologies is to do exhaustive laboratory simulation followed by shuttle or unmanned flights. Third, the advanced development models of life support systems intended for future space stations, manned mars missions, and lunar colonies can be tested for operation in a low gravity environment. Fourth, it will be necessary to develop new protective coatings, establish construction techniques, evaluate new materials to be used in the upgrading and repair of Space Station Freedom. Finally, the industrial sector, if it is ever to build facilities for the production of commercial products, must have all the engineering aspects of the process evaluated in space prior to a commitment to such a facility

Dielectrophoresis in the microgravity environment

Microgravity and vacuum, singly or combined, are uniquely advantageous media for the use of dielectrophoresis as a mmaterial s separation technology. In order to assess these advantages, a free-fall vacuum dielectrophoretic separator was designed and constructed for use at the earth's surface

Intraportfolio Litigation Essay

The modern trend is for investors to diversify. Shareholders who own one S&P 500 firm tend to own many of the others as well. This trend casts doubt on the traditional compensation and deterrence rationales for legal rules that hold corporations liable for the acts of their agents. Today, when A Corp sues B Corp (for breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, or any other legal wrong), many of the same shareholders own both the plaintiff and the defendant. For these shareholders, damages just shift money from one pocket to another, minus of course lawyer fees. We offer here a new rationale for corporate liability in such cases of “intraportfolio litigation.” Although corporae managers are typically rewarded for maximizing firm profits, what shareholders really care about is overall portfolio value. Firm-on-firm lawsuits can reduce principal-agent conflict by assigning intraportfolio costs to the managers responsible for them. Firm-specific financial data thus become a better tool for diversified shareholders to use in motivating and evaluating managers. Not all intraportfolio litigation can be justified on informational grounds, however. For example, securities fraud class actions against corporations lack informational value because the damages awards overstate the intraportfolio harm. Our theory thus provides lawmakers with a framework for distinguishing between value-creating and value-destroying lawsuits among diversified shareholders