Innovations in Compassion - The Faith-Based and Community Initiative: A Final Report to the Armies of Compassion

[Excerpt] This Final Report to the Armies of Compassion prepared by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives offers an account of President Bush’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI or Initiative) to the dedicated faith-based and other community organizations (FBCOs) that have joined in the battles against poverty, disease, and other social ills. The report emphasizes what matters most about the FBCI: measurable results achieved for millions in need across America and around the world through vibrant partnerships with the “armies of compassion” – the thousands of FBCOs that have partnered with government to serve their neighbors in need. It also offers a look at key government reforms and innovations that made these results possible. The report finishes with a glimpse toward the future of the FBCI and the foundation upon which the next generation of government and community leaders can build to achieve even greater good in the decades to come. Changing Lives highlights twelve areas of critical human need that have been particularly affected through expanded Federal partnerships with faith-based and other frontline nonprofits. The chapter highlights key results across these wide-ranging areas of need and stories revealing the deeper impact of the FBCI for individual organizations and the people they serve. Transforming Government explains how reforms led by the FBCI have secured a level playing field for faith-based organizations and reduced barriers to help small FBCOs or those new to partnering with government compete for Federal funds. The chapter also highlights some of the innovative funding models advanced by the FBCI that enable more effective partnerships between government and grassroots nonprofits, such as vouchers, mini-grants, and intermediary model grants. Strengthening Partners describes the Initiative’s diverse methods for building the capabilities of nonprofit organizations and the social entrepreneurs who lead them. These efforts range from technology-based instruction and in-person training events to the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in capacity- building and technical assistance grants. Volunteerism and Private Giving highlights President Bush’s efforts to expand volunteer service and private financial support for America’s FBCOs. Taking Root in States and Cities reveals how the principles of the FBCI are being replicated outside of Washington. Governors and mayors across America are embracing the vision championed by the FBCI as a practical way to engage the toughest challenges faced by their communities. These “laboratories of innovation” will play a key role in the future of the FBCI

Problem-based leadership: nurturing managers during turbulent times

Purpose – The paper explores problem-based learning (PBL) as a useful methodology in leadership development during turbulent times. It identifies several pertinent action points for managers to lead through problems while understanding their capacity to empower themselves and others to face challenges at work. Design/methodology/approach – Broad concepts of PBL are used to distil the characteristics of this methodology and how they might be applicable to leadership development. An actual case of PBL in leadership education and training is employed to illustrate the processes of problem solving and reflective action-taking. Findings – When confronted by problems, managers should adopt a learning-oriented mindset and draw on the strengths of others to generate immediate solutions for experimentation. In doing so, they need to accept failure as a prerequisite for creative tensions to be generated and applied in messy circumstances. Until they think out of the box, they will continue to solve problems in tried-and-tested ways obstructing the emergence of revolutionary solutions. Practical implications – In order for managers to make an impact on organizational process and improvement, they need to focus on the action and learn components of PBL. They should be given the space to listen to their own “voice” and internalize the “voice” of others through reflection and dialogue. They should also be recognized for their courage and boldness in confronting problems even if more problems are generated in the process. It is facing the goliath that managers truly grow to become real leaders. Originality/value – Although the concept of PBL has been around for a long while, its applicability to leadership development has not been sufficiently explored in both theory and practice. This paper brings another dimension to the common idea of problem solving where solution seeking is not an end it itself. At best, it is a means to discovering the potential of true leadership in those whose mindset is focused on learning and reflective decision-making

Rule-based system to detect energy efficiency anomalies in smart buildings, a data mining approach

The rapidly growing world energy use already has concerns over the exhaustion of energy resources andheavy environmental impacts. As a result of these concerns, a trend of green and smart cities has beenincreasing. To respond to this increasing trend of smart cities with buildings every time more complex,in this paper we have proposed a new method to solve energy inefficiencies detection problem in smartbuildings. This solution is based on a rule-based system developed through data mining techniques andapplying the knowledge of energy efficiency experts. A set of useful energy efficiency indicators is alsoproposed to detect anomalies. The data mining system is developed through the knowledge extracted bya full set of building sensors. So, the results of this process provide a set of rules that are used as a partof a decision support system for the optimisation of energy consumption and the detection of anomaliesin smart buildings.Comisión Europea FP7-28522

A protocol paper on the preservation of identity: understanding the technology adoption patterns of older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL)

There are a growing number of older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL) for whom technology holds promise in supporting their engagement in daily activities. Despite the growing presence of technologies intended to support older adults with ARVL, there remains high rates of abandonment. This phenomenon of technology abandonment may be partly explained by the concept of self-image, meaning that older adults with ARVL avoid the use of particular technologies due to an underlying fear that use of such technologies may mark them as objects of pity, ridicule, and/or stigmatization. In response to this, the proposed study aims to understand how the decision-making processes of older adults with ARVL, as it relates to technology adoption, is influenced by the negotiation of identity. The study protocol will justify the need for this critical ethnographic study, unpack the theoretical underpinnings of this work, detail the sampling/recruitment strategy, describe the methods which included a home tour, go-along, and semi-structured in-depth interview, as well as the collective approach taken to analyze the data. The protocol concludes by examining the ethical tensions associated with this study, including a focus on the methods adopted as well as the ethical challenges inherent when working with an older adult population experiencing vision loss