Walking the Talk: A Guide to Assessment Using the CAPRA Community Problem Solving Model

CAPRA is a community problem-solving model with five stages: C = Clients, A = Analysis, P = Partnership, R = Response, and A = Assessment. CAPRA was the problem-solving method used by the Alaska Native and Technical Resource Center (ANTARC). This guide describes the final stage of the CAPRA model—assessment—including the reasons for conducing an assessment, the documentation needed and why it is needed, and methods for evaluation. Discussion is with a particular focus on assessment methods for community problem-solvers in rural Alaska Native villages. Some background about CAPRA is assumed.What is Assessment? / Why do we do Assessment? / Assessment = Documentation + Evaluation / Documentation / Evaluation / How Do We Deal With those Who Object to Assessment? / What DO We Do With Our Assessment? / Conclusio

Alaska Native Technical Assistance and Resource Center: Final Report

Too often, federal and state justice programs directed at rural, predominately Alaska Native villages do not sufficiently coordinate planning and funding, and are not tailored to fit local cultures and needs. The language and institutional contexts of granting agencies and requests for proposals for grants frame justice problems and their solutions in ways that may or may not relate to the experiences of Alaska Native villages. The Alaska Native Technical Resource Center (ANTARC) was designed as a three-year project to improve village capacity to identify problems and educate the university and granting agencies about the nature of their justice problems and the resources needed to implement solutions. The initial group involved the Justice Center and four rural communities — Gulkana, Kotlik, Wainwright, and Yakutat — with representatives from the communities chosen by village leaders. This report examines ANTARC's evolution, considers its implementation, evaluates the results, and presents recommendations for promoting effective change in Alaska Native villages.Bureau of Justice Assistance, United States Department of Justice Award No. 1999-LB-VX-002Introduction / The Evolution of Antarc / Structure of the Project / Implementation / Evaluating Results / Concluding Recommendations / References / Appendix 1: Proceedings of the March 1999 Antarc Workshop / Appendix 2: Proceedings of the November 1999 Antarc Workshop / Appendix 3: Capra Training Materials / Appendix 4: Evaluation Training Workshop Material

Conceptualising decadent technology:a case study of path dependence in radiotherapy

Large-scale investments in health technologies often have limited evidence for effectiveness when first introduced. Nevertheless, professional and public discourses often present the advantages of such investments, with unknown risks, as necessary and entailing significant improvement. Such discourses are evident with the introduction of the Linac Adapted Conebeam Imager (LACI), introduced to improve the accuracy of radiotherapy treatments. From one perspective, the introduction of such technologies can be considered to be decadent since there is limited, if any, evidence of improvement of current standards and procedures, yet they are promoted as the latest and best technologies for solving societal problems. Connecting the concepts of decadence to those of path dependence, through the case of the LACI, enables the exploration of the ‘technical interrelatedness’ of technological changes. Building on the concept of path dependence, it is possible to demonstrate how introducing a closely related technology does not only become a low-risk course of action. Rather change is demanded (but not determined) as well as potential alternative systems being obscured. With decadent technologies, any future changes are not only dependent upon past introductions; but also they create a need for future changes. Such a view demonstrates how these technologies may not necessarily offer any improvements, but rather contribute to the creation of ongoing demand for unproven technologies. As a result they may encourage the introduction of increasingly complex technologies

Evaluating Rice Straw as a Substitute for Barley Straw in Inhibiting Algal Growth in Farm Ponds

Algal blooms disrupt aquatic ecosystems and are more common in lakes, ponds, and rivers during the summer months due to nutrient pollution. Livestock production can contribute increased quantities of nutrients to water bodies from runoff of manure. Commonly used mechanical and chemical control methods may have limited success because algae are small and propagate quickly. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) straw has been shown to inhibit the growth of algae as the straw decomposes aerobically in ponds. Therefore, barley represents a natural option for algal biomass control. However, the small amount of barley production in Arkansas limits the availability of barley straw as a solution to control algal blooms locally. Other cereal grain straws may produce similar inhibitory effects during decomposition. Rice (Oryza sativa) is produced in large quantities in Arkansas, making rice straw a locally sourced straw product. The objective of this research was to determine the efficacy of using rice compared to barley straw to inhibit algal growth in freshwater ponds. Data were collected from nine farm ponds, three treated with rice straw, three treated with barley straw, and three without amendment to serve as the experimental control. Dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N), dissolved phosphorus (P), temperature, and turbidity were measured for 14 weeks from June 12 to September 17, 2018. Algal biomass was measured as chlorophyll-a concentration to evaluate treatment effectiveness over time. Dissolved oxygen was significantly influenced by treatment and time. The NO3--N concentration in ponds treated with rice straw was significantly greater than the control and barley treatment. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were variable, and there were no consistent trends through time within a treatment. More research under controlled conditions to understand impacts of abiotic conditions, microbial and algal community compositions, and mode of action of algal inhibition is required before cereal straw can be a reliable, locally sourced method of algal control in farm ponds

Unintended consequences of legislation : an inquiry into the constitutionality of Section 194 of the Labour Relations Act

A fundamental adjustment to our perspectives on the systemic inequalities that exist in South Africa is necessary. Our seemingly neutral laws need to be reassessed to fully understand their practical impact. Section 194 of the Labour Relations Act provides an overtly neutral law in the form of a limitation on the compensation awardable in employment matters. The limitation is the equivalent of either 12 or 24 month's remuneration. The text expresses that compensation must be 'just and equitable', but subject to the limitation. The judges and commissioners that have heard such employment matters have taken this concept of 'just and equitable' and interpreted it to either mean recovering loss suffered, or fairness on a sliding scale of 1 to 12 or 1 to 24 months' remuneration, depending on the case. This dissertation will argue that any text or interpretation of section 194 that utilises remuneration as its sole measurement, is constitutionally invalid. This is because systemic racial and gender inequality in South Africa prevent a free market of opportunity concerning the salaries available to a statistically significant number of women and black persons. The provision in question may not directly intend to differentiate between races and genders, but the indirect effect of the text and interpretation of section 194 is to cause disproportionate disadvantage to certain groups of persons. This dissertation will use case law to bring the unjust impact of section 194 to light; it will then suggest that any use of remuneration as a standard or measure will always create a prima facie case of unfair discrimination on the grounds of race and gender - at least in our country's current economic circumstances. The essential point is that differentiation on the ground of remuneration is inherently indirectly discriminatory, and will, therefore, always require justification for its use. This dissertation will then go on to inquire into the constitutionality within the context of section 194 - ultimately, the conclusion is that the current interpretation which quantifies compensation solely in terms of remuneration, as well as the text of the limitation on compensation that limits in terms of remuneration, cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny. This is followed by recommendations on how to move forward within the bounds of the Constitution. Racial and Gender inequality are embedded within the fabric of South Africa. It is imperative that we reassess the unintended effects of our laws if we are to achieve one of the fundamental goals of the Constitution: equality

Class of 2009 Commencement

Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia will deliver the keynote address at the University of Georgia School of Law\u27s commencement ceremony on May 16. Wood served as a judicial clerk for Judge Anthony A. Alaimo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia before joining the Brunswick law firm Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin in 1991. She became a partner in the firm during 1995. Nine years later, she was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Then, in 2007, she was appointed to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court. Wood earned her undergraduate degree from UGA, where she was a first honor graduate. Her law degree is also from UGA, where she graduated summa cum laude and was the managing editor of the Georgia Law Review and the recipient of the Isaac Meinhard Award for maintaining the highest academic average throughout all three years of law school