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Purpose: This paper aims to fill gap in the literature and explore policy options for resolving the problems of accountability by framing three research questions. The research questions are (i) whether certain elements of Scott's (2014) institutional pillars attenuate (accentuate) corporate and public accountability; (ii) whether the presence of ruling party-affiliated enterprises (RPAEs) create an increase (decrease) in the degree of corporate (public) accountability; and (iii) whether there is a particular form of ownership change that transforms RPAEs into public investment companies. Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative research methodology that involves term frequency and thematic analysis of publicly available textual information, the paper examines Mechkova et al.'s (2019 forms of government accountability. The paper analyzes the gaps between the de jure and de facto accountability using the institutional pillars framework. Findings: The findings of the paper are three. First, there are gaps between de jure and de facto in all three (vertical, horizontal and diagonal) forms of government (public) accountability. Second, the study finds that more than three fourth of the parties that contested the June 2021 election did have regional focus. They did not advocate for accountability. Third, Ethiopia's RPAEs are unique. They have regional focus and are characterized by severe forms of agency and information asymmetry problems. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the paper is its exploratory nature. Extending this research by using cross-country data could provide a more complete picture of the link between corporate (public) accountability and a country's institutional pillars. Practical implications: Academic research documents that instilling modern corporate (public) governance standards in the Sub Sahara Africa (SSA) region has shown mixed results. The analysis made in this paper is likely to inform researchers and policymakers about the type of change that leads to better corporate (and public) accountability outcomes. Social implications: The institutional change proposed in the paper is likely to advance the public interest by mitigating agency and information asymmetry problems and enhancing government accountability. The changes make the enterprises investable, save scarce jobs, enhance diversity and put the assets in RPAEs to better use. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper that uses the institutional pillars analytical framework to examine an SSA country's corporate (public) accountability problem. It demonstrates that accountability is a domestic and a (novel) traveling theory. The paper identifies the complexity of resolving the interlock between political institutions and business enterprises. It theorizes that it is impossible to instill modern corporate (public) accountability standards without changing regulatory, normative and cultural cognitive pillars of institutions. The paper contributes to the change management and public interest literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the bureaucratic processes required to establish and manage a single international capacity‐development project that brought together a funding council (AHRC), UK University (SOAS University of London) and universities and other research organisations in Myanmar and Ethiopia. Drawing from ethnographic critiques of the planning and audit practices employed in international development and in the UK University sector, we track the formal certification of partnership as enacted through due diligence and contracts, budgets and timeframes, and reconciliations and reporting. These practices point to pervasive assumptions about capacity transfer and the unequal basis of international research coalitions spanning the Global North and Global South. In this article, we challenge these assumptions by documenting how the allocation of capacity is constrained in hierarchies of time and space. For equitable partnership arrangements to be achieved, we recommend that capacity development be considered a long‐term exchange that flows from mutual reflection and learning from one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007/2008, a triple crisis of food, fuel and finance sparked a global rush for agricultural land; tens of millions of hectares were acquired, primarily by foreign investors, within countries in the Global South. Amidst those transactions, intergovernmental organizations, national governments, investors, and community members envisioned what "success" of such investments entails. Although not explicitly defined, each stakeholder had different conceptualizations and measures of it, based upon the descriptions used and desired outcomes sought. Despite a large amount of literature analyzing the global rush for land, as far as we are aware no one has analyzed the diverse viewpoints about what success entails. This paper compares conceptualizations among four key stakeholder groups, based on ideal types from dominant narratives, and develops a typology of ideal stakeholder framing of success to allow comparisons of uses and thereby provide a foundation for researchers who are assessing the global land rush. This paper provides clarity about widely used, but inconsistently defined, framing providing an important foundation for clarity of meaning and comparative differences between stakeholders. The typology advances the discourse on the land rush by providing nuance to this widely used framing and makes explicit its diverse meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the issues and challenges of the current information and communication process of private sector healthcare institutions in Ethiopia. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to collect and analyze data using surveys, interviews, observation and related secondary source documents. The analysis indicated the research gaps in the current information and communication process models and the clear direction toward a solution. This study employed a mixed research design (both exploratory and applied research) and used Google Forms for a survey and interview-based fact-finding and analysis, Microsoft Visio for model designing, and Protopie for prototyping. As a final contribution, the study designed and validated a cloud-based green information and communication process model for the federated healthcare institutions in developing countries in general and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia in particular. This model can be used as an important instrument for inter or intra institutional collaboration and communications. Based on the user acceptance and demonstrated validation, the results indicate improvements in energy, efficiency, unified data repository, intra institutional collaboration, information sharing, trusted and ethical information and unified integration and share-ability. The test validated the model and its prototype as a new knowledge contribution to the domain. The research findings can be used as a basis for next-generation transformation of private sector healthcare institutions in developing countries such as Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an early assessment of India's South-South cooperation for trade and technology (SSTT) with East Africa, focusing on Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It aims to analyse the role of SSTT in providing support to targeted sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The paper examines SSTT, focusing on India and East Africa over a specific period (2000–2016) of its emergence, and extends the public sponsorship literature in international business (IB) to better understand the relationship between SSTT and value addition – applying to a particular case study of SSTT interventions in spices. Findings: The paper highlights SSTT as a pathway to support value addition in global value chains (GVCs). Trade between India and East African countries has grown, with three developments over the period of analysis in particular: shifting trade patterns, growing share of intermediate goods trade and differences in GVC insertion. However, East African exports are largely of lower value. Capacity building to support processing capability and thriving markets can encourage greater value addition. Preliminary findings suggest early gains at the margins, as SSTT interventions have been focusing on capacity boosting with buffering and bridging mechanisms for increased volume of trade. Moving up the value chain however requires that specific value-enhancing activities continue to be targeted, building on regional capacities. Our high-level case study for spices suggests that activities are starting to have a positive effect; however, more focus is needed to specifically target value creation before export and in particular higher levels of processing. Practical implications: While findings are preliminary, policy implications emerge to guide SSTT interventions. There is capacity for building higher value-added supply chains as is evident among East African countries that trade with each other – future SSTT programmes could tap into this and help build capacity in these higher-value value chains. Future SSTT programmes can take a comprehensive approach by aiming at interventions at key points of the value chain, and especially at points that facilitate higher value addition than initial processing. An example is that Ethiopia and Rwanda are likely to benefit from an expanded spice industry, but the next phase should be towards building processing for value-addition components of the value chain, such as through trade policies, incentivising exporters to add value to items before export. From a development perspective, more analysis needs to be done on the value chain itself – for instance, trade facilitation measures to help processers engage in value chains and to access investments for increasing value add activities. (iv), Future research should examine more closely the development impacts of SSTT, namely, the connection between increased trade, local job creation and sustained innovation, as it is these tangible benefits that will help countries in the Global South realise the benefits of increased trade. Originality/value: The paper underlines how the SSTT approach can contribute to the critical IB and GVCs literature using a theoretical grounded approach from public sponsorship theory, and with a unique lens of development cooperation between countries in the global south and its emerging impact on development outcomes in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-borne diseases pose a significant challenge to the sustainability of healthcare in developing countries like Ethiopia. While wireless sensor networks (WSN) address many environmental and societal issues through various applications, energy harvesting approaches extend the network's life. The paper describes a water quality monitoring system (WQM) using energy-harvesting wireless sensor networks. The paper identifies the considerations and trade-offs of various energy harvesting methods and WSNs solutions for WQM. In addition to presenting a real-time system for monitoring water quality, the paper examines the system's lifetime with a solar energy harvesting circuit. In addition, the paper discusses the problems encountered during system installation in the field. The field test is currently underway, but the prototype that has been implemented and tested shows that the system produces close to accurate values in various scenarios and can operate continuously without power outages. As a result, the energy harvesting technique ensures an indefinite lifetime for an economically viable water quality monitoring using WSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether faculties' affective professional commitment mediates the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors of university management, perceived organizational support, and faculties' institutional citizenship behavior. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from a total of 220 full-time academicians teaching in Debre Berhan University of Ethiopia. The mediating role of affective professional commitment in promoting faculties' institutional citizenship behaviors has been overlooked in the existing literature and this paper is original. Particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia, this investigation brings a paramount contribution to curtailing the resignation of academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting the inception of the 2010s, Ethiopia's relations with Egypt have been experiencing one of the deepest crises in the relationship of the two countries' history. Ethiopia, one of the upper riparian states of the Nile River not only theoretically challenged the exclusive veto power of Egypt over the Nile River but also practically start constructing one of Africa's largest hydropower dams on the Blue Nile since 2011. The challenging behavior of Ethiopia over the Nile River worried the long-standing regional hegemon, Egypt. Against this background, this paper aims to forward a new insight into how and why Ethiopia challenged the long-standing superior-subordinate Egypt-led order over the Nile River. Moreover, in its discussion, the paper tries to address key drives, challenges, and prospects of Ethiopia-Egypt water diplomacy. The paper also illustrates how and why the Ethio-Egypt water diplomacy strain becomes a cross-cut on the two nation's foreign policy matters. The paper has also attempted to understand how the superior-subordinate power duality approach works over the Nile River against the new balancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many parts of the Global South, food systems are confronted with complex sustainability challenges including high levels of poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, disempowerment, and degraded environments. Transformation is broadly discussed in research, policy, and planning as the systemic change required to address complex sustainability issues. Transformation of food systems has become a global priority for research and action. However, transformation processes are not neutral, but are associated with losses and gains that are unevenly distributed. Institutions play an important role in relation to how transformation of food systems occur and with what outcomes. Empirical understandings of how institutions can influence transformation processes in a way that avoids risks or the so-called dark side of transformation are needed. This article aims to contribute towards understanding the roles that institutions play in transformation processes in the context of Global South food systems through synthesising insights from transdisciplinary case studies. The three case studies include multi-purpose cooperative institutions in farming areas in southwest Ethiopia, fisherfolk organisations in aquatic food-producing areas in northern Philippines, and Gotong Royong for irrigation canal management for pond aquaculture in Indonesia. The article examines whether and how institutions advance inclusion and participation in food systems, and whether institutions enable or constrain food system actors in mitigating or avoiding transformation risks. The paper reflects on the role of community-level institutions and hybrid governance arrangements, and the interplay of structure and agency in transformation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of implementation of the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) of the non-Annexe I Parties registered in the NAMA Registry of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a worrying situation in the sense that it is limiting the contributions these NAMA projects would have made towards mitigating global climate change. There is however little research on the reasons behind the lack of implementation of these NAMAs projects and this is the knowledge gap that this paper seeks to fill based on a critical overview of the NAMAs of Ethiopia, Indonesia and Georgia. The source of data for this paper is mainly from the focal persons for the NAMAs of the countries under study, which was obtained via telephone and Skype interviews with the respondents. Our findings show that lack of funding, complicated financial mechanisms, lack of technical expertise, fringe conditions to donor support and policy issues according to the findings of this study are the main hindrances to the implementation of NAMAs. International organisations, donor partners, developed countries and local governments alike are therefore encouraged to channel some of the funds meant for fighting global climate change into sponsoring the NAMAs of poorer countries, as this will see to the successful implementations of these NAMAs and their subsequent impacts on mitigating global climate change. The paper is also timely considering the scarcity of literature on NAMAs related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early marriage is defined as the union of one or both partners before reaching the age of 18 for the first time. This practice is widely prevalent in underdeveloped countries, particularly in Ethiopia, and has been observed to have detrimental effects on the educational and personal development of both male and female individuals. Methods: The present study conducted a comprehensive search of the Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and PubMed databases. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel (version 14) and analyzed using STATA statistical software. To examine publication bias, a forest plot, rank test, and Egger's regression test were utilized. Heterogeneity was assessed by calculating I2 and conducting an overall estimated analysis. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed based on the study region and sample size. The pooled odds ratio was calculated. Results: Out of a total of 654 articles, 14 papers with 67,040 research participants were included in this analysis. The pooled prevalence of early marriage among women in Ethiopia was 56.34% (95% CI: 51.34–61.34), I2 = 78.3%). The Amhara region exhibited the highest prevalence of early marriage, with a rate of 59.01%, whereas the Oromia region demonstrated the lowest incidence, with a prevalence rate of 53.88%. The prevalence of early marriage was found to be 58.1% for a sample size exceeding 1000, and 50.9% for a sample size below 1000. No formal education (AOR = 5.49; 95%CI: 2.99, 10.07), primary education (AOR = 3.65; 95%CI: 2.11, 6.32), secondary education (AOR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.60, 3.87), rural residency (AOR = 4.52; 95%CI: 1.90, 10.74) and decision made by parents (AOR = 2.44; 95%CI: 1.36, 4.39) were associated factors. Conclusion and recommendation: In Ethiopia, there was a high rate of early marriage among women. The research findings indicate that early marriage is more prevalent among mothers who possess lower levels of educational attainment, reside in rural areas, and are subject to parental decision-making. Our stance is firmly in favor of expanding the availability of maternal education and promoting urban residency. Furthermore, the promotion of autonomous decision-making by clients regarding their marital affairs is of paramount importance to family leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2016 is remembered globally for the adoption of the New York Declaration and its Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) as the new global refugee response model. In this regard, Ethiopia has been one of those African countries that have adopted the Declaration, made specific CRRF pledges and has become a CRRF pilot country. Such national policy move heralded the shift of refugee policy in Ethiopia in the post-2016 era. Nonetheless, compared to the focus accorded to refugees and the role of international institutions and donors, the role of African hosting states in the governance of refugees and how they navigate internal and external demands and adopt policies have been paid little scholarly attention. This study, therefore, aims to fill in this scholarly gap and contribute to the existing debate in the academic and policy circle on state response to refugees in the era of CRRF from the Global South perspective by providing an empirical insight into the nature, dynamics and shift of refugee policies in Ethiopia and the factors that contributed to this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scaling is a ubiquitous concept in agricultural research in the global south as donors require their research grantees to prove that their results can be scaled to impact upon the livelihoods of a large number of beneficiaries. Recent studies on scaling have brought critical perspectives to the rather technocratic tendencies in the agricultural innovations scaling literature. Drawing on theoretical debates on spatial strategies and practical experience of agricultural innovation scaling in Ethiopia, this paper adds to the current debate on what constitutes scaling and how to overcome critical scaling constraints. The data for the paper came from a qualitative assessment using focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and document analysis on scaling work done in Ethiopia by a USAID-funded research for development project. The paper concludes with four broad lessons for the current understating of agricultural innovation scaling. First, scaling of agricultural innovations requires a balanced focus on technical requirements and associated social dynamics surrounding scaling targets, actors involved and their social relations. Second, appreciating the social dynamics of scaling emphasizes the fact that scaling is more complex than a linear rolling out of innovations towards diffusion. Third, scaling may not be strictly planned; instead, it might be an extension of the innovation generation process that relies heavily on both new and long-term relationships with key partners, trust, and continuous reflection and learning. Fourth, the overall implication of the above three conclusions is that scaling strategies need to be flexible, stepwise, and reflective. Despite the promises of flourishing scaling frameworks, scaling strategies it would appear from the Africa RISING experience that, if real impact is to be achieved, approaches will be required to be flexible enough to manage the social, processual and emergent nature of the practice of scaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between poverty and disability has continued to be contentious and relevant as it contributes to policies addressing the needs of disabled people. Yet, this remains complex and under-researched in the context of developing countries. The literature on disability has used isolated elements of the livelihood capitals: natural, human, physical, financial, and social capital. This article seeks to fill this gap by bringing evidence from the study undertaken in Hawassa, Ethiopia, by employing a sustainable livelihood framework holistically. By using a sustainable livelihood framework, the paper reveals that livelihood challenges resulting from disability are multifaceted and inter-related. Infrastructural inaccessibility and social discrimination compounded by structural factors limit the human, social, and financial capital of disabled people. Consequently, they depend on their family and NGOs as a source of financial capital (loan) and skill training; and engage in informal, vulnerable, and socially insecure livelihoods to survive. Different policies and practical measures are proposed to overcome this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical geographic reflection on researcher subjectivity is inadequately practised by scholars studying workplaces, especially those involving emerging powers from the global south. In the context of growing Chinese investment in Africa, this paper reflects on the negotiation of my Chineseness during multi‐sited research on capital–labour and expatriate–local relations in three Chinese companies in Ethiopia. It examines the nexus of identity, power, and place to shape my fieldwork process at three stages: seeking access to the enclosed space of companies, building credibility in front of different groups of participants, and arranging interviews in the particular socio‐spatial contexts of the workplace. Specifically, I explain the enabling and problematic nature of my Chinese identity when intersectioned with my multiple subjective positions as a US‐based female student‐researcher. I elaborate how my engagements with expatriates and locals are influenced by the existing system of power relations in Chinese companies. I demonstrate that the place of interview can generate crucial insights into management practices and work relations, and facilitate researcher autonomy and employee agency to momentarily revert the power relations in the workplace. My field experiences highlight the importance of critical reflection to assist researchers to navigate the layered complexity and unexpectancy of doing fieldwork. This paper reflects on the negotiation of my Chineseness during multi‐sited research on capital–labour and expatriate–local relations in three Chinese companies in Ethiopia. By examining how the nexus of identity, power, and place shaped my fieldwork process, I highlight the importance of critical reflection to assist the researcher to navigate the layered complexity and unexpectancy of doing workplace research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an extensive literature that links firms' access to formal financial services and trade credit. This is more relevant for firms operating in financially less developed countries. These firms could potentially face a binding bank loan constraint due to the distortions related to information asymmetry and moral hazard. Against this backcloth, this paper will explore the relationship between trade credit and financial constraints for Ethiopian firms. The main objective of this study is to explore the relationship between trade credit practice and financial constraints for Ethiopian manufacturing and service firms. We exploit the repeated cross-sectional data of 2011 and 2015 made available by the World Bank's Ethiopian Enterprise Survey. To address the endogeneity problem between financial constraint and trade credit, the paper employs an instrumental variable (IV) approach. We find a negative relationship between financial constraint and trade credit use. In particular, financially constrained firms have a trade credit use which is about 10 to 18 percentage points lower than unconstrained firms, suggesting that bank credit constrained firms are also trade credit constrained. One policy implication is that addressing constraints in formal financing is more likely to increase the availability of alternative forms of finance such as trade credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Quarterly is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sustainable buildings can save 36% of total energy use, 65% of electricity consumption, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, 30% of raw materials use, 30% of waste output, and 12% of potable water consumption. Several sustainable building assessment tools were used by both developed and developing countries. However, Ethiopia's buildings were not critically assessed and evaluated from a sustainability point of view because there was no such type of study conducted so far. This paper aims to explore the most significant and widely used tools as well as the basis for other sustainable building assessment tools, such as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE), Sustainable Building Tool (SBTool), Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (CEPAS), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB), and Green Mark and Green Star. The methodology employed is the selection of the 10 most commonly and widely utilized sustainable building assessment tools (SBATs) from the 57 SBATs based on desk review and document analysis. The results of the study identified that all 10 SBATs have their own assessment categories and criteria based on many factors, such as climatic conditions and availability of resources, plus methods employing demographic dynamics and legal aspects of the sector for assessing the sustainable/green buildings. It distinguishes the most commonly and repeatedly used assessment categories and criteria and uses a consensus-based approach with experts in the building sectors, a four-quadrant model, and a circular and helical flow model, to develop a new sustainable building assessment tool suitable for Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health management information systems (HMIS) produce large amounts of data about health service provision and population health, and provide opportunities for data-based decision-making in decentralized health systems. Yet the data are little-used locally. A well-defined approach to district-level decision-making using health data would help better meet the needs of the local population. In this second of four papers on district decision-making for health in low-income settings, our aim was to explore ways in which district administrators and health managers in low- and lower-middle-income countries use health data to make decisions, to describe the decision-making tools they used and identify challenges encountered when using these tools. A systematic literature review, following PRISMA guidelines, was undertaken. Experts were consulted about key sources of information. A search strategy was developed for 14 online databases of peer reviewed and grey literature. The resources were screened independently by two reviewers using pre-defined inclusion criteria. The 14 papers included were assessed for the quality of reported evidence and a descriptive evidence synthesis of the review findings was undertaken. We found 12 examples of tools to assist district-level decision-making, all of which included two key stages-identification of priorities, and development of an action plan to address them. Of those tools with more steps, four included steps to review or monitor the action plan agreed, suggesting the use of HMIS data. In eight papers HMIS data were used for prioritization. Challenges to decision-making processes fell into three main categories: the availability and quality of health and health facility data; human dynamics and financial constraints. Our findings suggest that evidence is available about a limited range of processes that include the use of data for decision-making at district level. Standardization and pre-testing in diverse settings would increase the potential that these tools could be used more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When foreign policies of states are examined, pride of place often goes to what are called high politics: the politics of diplomacy and war. However, for most developing nations, especially those in the region of sub-Saharan Africa, economic foreign policy, or low politics, may be as, or even more, important. In fact, the foreign policies of African nations are often seen as an extension of strategies to consolidate domestic political power. African leaders routinely place themselves in charge of foreign policy as a means of controlling these resource flows as well as to create some autonomy from competing domestic political forces. This is not to say that external state forces do not impinge on the ability of leaders to stay in power; however, in sub-Saharan Africa, this has been less of a priority, perhaps with the significant exception of Ethiopia. This paper seeks to show that the general foreign policy perspectives of Ethiopia from 1991 to the present have been an extension of the leaders and ruling elites trying to obtain significant sources of financial resources by exploring the general trends of how Ethiopia has engaged in international flows of resources. Examining Ethiopian foreign policy on three levels—international, regional, and domestic—this paper explains how, despite being a potential regional hegemon, Ethiopia has significant problems stemming from domestic issues of poverty and legitimacy. Moreover, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be highlighted as a case to explore how it affects, and is impacted by, all three levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the critical BIM adoption strategies for public construction projects in developing countries to enhance successful BIM implementation schemes in the AEC industry. Initially, an empirical study was conducted using a structured questionnaire survey which is first validated though a pilot test. Then, the study investigated the discrepancy of professional groups on the perception of critical adoption strategies using different statistical tools. Further, factor analysis was conducted to identify potential latent factors associated with public construction projects. The result indicates that the top ranked BIM adoption strategies are strategic & adequate IT infrastructure, availability of standards and guidelines for BIM adoption, and government policy. Similarly, six latent constructs were developed from the factor analysis: organization, application & tools, market, information management, project, and process. The study highlighted critical strategies that are deemed most important to various professionals and business owners, in an effort to improve BIM adoption in the developing countries. The novelty of this study is in relation to BIM implementation strategies towards infrastructure construction projects in developing countries, particularly in the east African region. This paper can also be particularly beneficial to construction firms involved in public construction projects to facilitate the implementation of BIM in their own organizational nature. Moreover, the crosscountry comparative analysis provides a global perspective to improve the gap in the understanding and adoption of BIM in the Sub-Saharan African region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, the Ethiopian government established two Science and Technology (S&T) universities with the objective to boost university-industry collaboration. Although both Addis Ababa S&T University and Adama S&T University encourage such collaboration through their offices of technology transfer (OTT), their links with local industry are weak. However, current literature on triple helix in developing countries does not explain how universities can internally stimulate interaction with external actors. This paper addresses this gap by asking how the two universities evaluate the technology development process and how the current approach can be improved to stimulate triple helix interactions. Insights from organizational control theory (OCT) and the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model are integrated into the triple helix framework in a qualitative case study design. Our findings indicate the existing approach combines outcome- and behavior-based evaluation, which constrains engagement with the industry. We recommend that a more comprehensive, people-based evaluation system, built around shared goals and involvement of industry as external stakeholders, is adopted as a pathway to triple helix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), as an example of contemporary bottom-up development practices in the global South, governs nomadic pastoralists in the peripheries. Based on fieldwork in Ethiopia's Somali region, we show that PSNP practices of client targeting, community-based public works and (international) financial resource flows, both for their own sake and because of their entanglement with the sedentary metaphysics of Ethiopian state, have advanced sedentary governmental order into pastoral peripheries more than top-down state sedentarization interventions had ever done. Finally, we argue that bottom-up development practice is an effective tool for state-building in the periphery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agglomeration effects on the workers' and firms' productivity in developed countries are widely confirmed by previous studies, while empirical evidence for developing countries is still limited. This paper sheds light on another urban productivity factor that is particularly important for developing countries: self-employment and wage jobs. The transition from the economy dominated by the former to the one by the latter is a key to economic development. This study examines how urban agglomerations are linked to the mix of self-employment and wage jobs by focusing on one of the least urbanized low-income countries: Ethiopia. Applying an instrumental variable approach to worker-level cross-sectional data, the analysis finds a negative link between town population size and the share of self-employment workers: a log increase in town population size lowers the probability of engaging in self-employment by 7.9 percentage points. Particularly female, young, and less-educated workers are more likely to work with wage jobs in larger towns. The findings suggest a crucial link between urban agglomerations and employment modes in the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How persistent are teacher effects on student outcomes? In this paper we present estimates of teacher effects on long‐run student outcomes from two low‐ and middle‐ income countries. We first estimate teacher value‐added using the Young Lives School Survey data from Ethiopia and Vietnam. We then track students taught by these teachers 2 and 5 years later and use data from the Young Lives Household Surveys to estimate the effects of teacher quality. We find no persistent effect after 2 years, but better mathematics (0.08σ) and reading (0.06σ) test scores after 5 years, from being taught by a 1σ better Grade 5 teacher. We find no persistent effects of good teachers on measures of more "generalized" cognitive ability, aspirations, well‐being, or "grit." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the Integrated Household Extension Program (IHEP) on participant households’ welfare and see the policy effectiveness. The government of Ethiopia – in contrast to the majority of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – invests heavily in agricultural extension but very little empirical evidence is available on the impact of the services on farm performance and household welfare that could justify these investments. The IHEP program is a particularly interesting case as it is an example on how agricultural extension systems in developing countries changed during the past two decades, from centralized top-down technology-transfer-orientated approaches to decentralized, participatory and more integrated approaches. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use household survey data from 730 farm households (361 treated and 369 control) in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and propensity score matching methods to estimate the impact. Findings – The authors find that the extension program had a large positive impact on household welfare – increasing income with about 10 percent – and on investment but have not impacted on income diversification. In addition to the main variable of interest (extension), household characteristics, such as household head age, gender, adult labor availability in the household, asset holdings and social capital variables were found to have an influence on income, investment and income diversification. Originality/value – The paper has tried to assess the impact of a program which claiming substantial public money using primary data. Hence, the findings will serve to inform policy makers as how the program is running. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Decision making process for Official Development Assistance (ODA) for healthcare sector in low-income and middle-income countries involves multiple agencies, each with their unique power, priorities and funding mechanisms. This process at country level has not been well studied., Methods: This paper developed and applied a new framework to analyze decision-making process for priority setting in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, and collected primary data to validate and refine the model. The framework was developed following a scoping review of published literature. Interviews were then conducted using a pre-determined interview guide developed by the research team. Transcripts were reviewed and coded based on the framework to identify what principles, players, processes, and products were considered during priority setting. Those elements were further used to identify where the potential capacity of local decision-makers could be harnessed., Results: A framework was developed based on 40 articles selected from 6860 distinct search records. Twenty-one interviews were conducted in three case countries from 12 institutions. Transcripts or meeting notes were analyzed to identify common practices and specific challenges faced by each country. We found that multiple stakeholders working around one national plan was the preferred approach used for priority setting in the countries studied., Conclusions: Priority setting process can be further strengthened through better use of analytical tools, such as the one described in our study, to enhance local ownership of priority setting for ODA and improve aid effectiveness., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

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Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate perceptions of smallholder farmers toward the cost-sharing agricultural extension service provision. Design/methodology/approach: The study used data from a cross-sectional survey, key informants interviews and focused group discussions conducted on 384 farm households from six Kebeles of Eastern Ethiopia. Findings: The authors find that flexibility and credibility, ability of development agents to address neglected aspects in agricultural production, and reaching diversified groups of farmers as the perceived advantages of the cost-sharing approach. Furthermore, improved knowledge and attitude, enhanced research–extension–farmer linkages, and improved food security and poverty reduction are found to be the three most important impact areas associated with the approach. On the contrary, poor economic status of farmers, high cost of administration and absence of a clear guideline/legislation are found to be the most important constraints. The authors find that increasing farmers' awareness about the cost-sharing approach and preparing a clear definition of the form, modalities and principles of the cost-sharing extension approach can be a part of the practical solutions to overcome the challenges. Research limitations/implications: The current research is limited to the investigation of farmers' perceptions toward paid extension services. The willingness to pay for extension services – using discrete choice experiments – is dealt with in another paper. Originality/value: The first of its kind in the country, the paper tried to assess farmers' readiness to try a new extension service delivery. The findings have important implications for policy makers and local level implementers of extension programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the contribution of North-South partnerships in conducting ethical and policy-relevant research in times of uncertainty. Using collaborative autoethnography, we critically reflect on our experience conducting two related research projects in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss how our research has adapted to take account of changing policy priorities in response to the crisis, how we implemented careful research practices, and which strategies we adopted to ensure providing timely and quality evidence for the governments, schools and parents. Importantly, we reflect on how our North-South partnerships and our close engagement with the Ethiopian government play a pivotal role in overcoming the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and adapting our research to meet the needs of key stakeholders. Grounded in our reflections, we provide a set of guidelines to establish equitable research partnerships in times of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global shift toward agricultural specialization in the 20th century led to unprecedented ecological and socioeconomic changes, both positive and negative, in rural landscapes. Economic theory describes comparative advantage and market participation as two important drivers of such changes. Landscapes in the Global South are still often characterized by subsistence agriculture and direct dependence on natural ecosystem processes. Agricultural specialization is part of the structural transformation process from subsistence to market-oriented agriculture. However, comparative advantage and market participation as major drivers for agricultural specialization remain understudied. In this paper, we assess the potential drivers of ecosystem service specialization in an Ethiopian smallholder landscape at the kebele level, the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia. We measured specialization via the concentration of production for a range of locally important provisioning ecosystem services (beef, cattle, coffee, eucalyptus, honey, maize, sorghum, and teff). We measured comparative advantage based on productivity data, and assessed spatial flows of ecosystem services to local, regional, and global markets (i.e., telecoupling). To unpack the relationships between specialization, comparative advantage, and telecoupling, we used hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and linear regression. More telecoupled kebeles (i.e., kebeles that produced more of ecosystem services that flow to broader spatial scales) were more specialized in their ecosystem service production, and the positive relationship between comparative advantage and specialization grew stronger with altitude. Wealthier kebeles and kebeles with higher population density were less specialized. Biophysical drivers, such as altitude and amount of forest cover, influenced the ecosystem services produced and the relationship between comparative advantage and specialization. Policy makers should therefore try to balance potential positive and negative consequences of specialization, and to account for fine-scale social and biophysical drivers underpinning diverse ecosystem service production profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of research on the impact of technological change over employment in least developed countries (LDCs) embarking on globalization and consequent international technological transfer. Using a panel of 1940 Ethiopian firms over the period 1996-2004 and deploying GMM-SYS estimates, this paper aims to establish the role played by trade, FDI and technology in affecting employment and skills. The results obtained lend support to a labour-augmenting effect. Moreover, the implemented two-equation dynamic framework provides evidence of a skill-bias specific to those enterprises with higher share of foreign ownership and located in the vicinity of the capital city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of using biowaste for the production of biochar and its use in agriculture depends on its environmental and economic performance. This paper quantifies environmental and economic life cycle impacts of biochar production and agricultural use in six developing and middle-income countries (Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, Vietnam, and China). Two types of production technologies typical for rural and urban areas were investigated (flame curtain kiln and gasifier, respectively), and comparisons were made with composting (either home composting or windrow composting) as alternative biowaste management systems. The results showed that both pyrolysis systems performed better than composting and both were expected to bring environmental benefits. The largest environmental benefits were observed for the gasifier systems, mainly due to the substitution of electricity production from the grid. Damage to ecosystems and human health ranged from -1 × 10 -7 to -2 × 10 -8 species×yr and from -1 × 10 -5 to -5 × 10 -6 DALY per kg of biowaste treated, respectively (negative scores indicating environmental benefits). However, net economic benefits were only achieved when low-cost simple kilns were used in countries with low labor cost, like Ethiopia, Kenya and Vietnam (net profit from 0.01 to 0.08 USD per kg of biowaste treated). Further, high investment and operating costs and relatively small electricity revenue from substituting the grid electricity resulted in gasifier scenarios being economically unsustainable (net loss from 0.29 to 1.58 USD per kg of biowaste treated). Thus, there are trade-offs between positive environmental impacts for society and net market loss for the individual decision-maker (company or individual farmer) that should be considered when making decisions regarding the implementation of biochar technology in developing and middle-income countries. The use of simple kilns in countries with relatively low labor costs appears to be favorable., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As previous research in international development has clearly demonstrated (see Banerjee and Prasad, 2008 for an overview), cultural values have an impact on the conceptualization of empowerment. In this paper we explore the implications of Power Distance as a cultural dimension for the use of participatory methodologies toward achieving women empowerment in rural areas in the Global South. Our critical analysis of cultural differences between the intervention facilitator (a Western-based NGO) and a rural community in SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Regions) in Ethiopia reveals how discrepancies in the perception of cultural values impacted the different stages of the intervention. These discrepancies ranged from the principles of facilitation (facilitation from the back and its paradoxical effects in such hierarchical contexts) to the focus on tools (on equality between individuals rather than focus on the family as the smallest unit). Discrepancies also surfaced from the selection criteria of participants (highly vulnerable groups; one spouse per family; number of participants from one community all of which prevented the impact of the intervention to be more powerful in the long run) and from how the participants are organized during trainings (the ratio of mixed vs. segregated groups and the criteria of group segregation – this can play a large role in regard to the potential openness of conversations and the creation of safe spaces to explore new identities which are the key to empowerment). Through all the stages of the intervention, we make suggestions on how to better implement such methodologies in the future, in a context-sensitive manner, by considering the cultural differences in assumptions and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on our participatory multi‐faceted community‐wide intervention to change gender perceptions and encourage support for girls' education to improve their school attendance and performance. The intervention involved community and education stakeholders in implementing a context‐specific multi‐faceted intervention to improve opportunities for girls in 123 primary schools in the rural Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia. We implemented a repeated‐measures quasi‐experimental design in a sample of 30 schools (15 project and 15 control schools) to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness. Over 3 years we assessed gender perceptions of a cohort of 750 Grade 6 girls, their parents and teachers in project and control schools. In addition, participative group discussions were conducted with various stakeholders. In project schools, we recorded significant changes (e.g., provision of sanitary pads, counselling, tutorial classes and community involvement). Teachers and parents reported improved gender attitudes and support for girls' education; while girls' self‐esteem scores and educational aspirations increased. The findings showed a change in community perceptions of the value of girls' education and some evidence of increased equality in gender perceptions. We concluded that these systemic changes marked the start of a long‐term change process. This intervention showed the value of a participatory approach in a systemic community intervention. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving universal electricity access is a challenging goal for the governments of developing countries such as Ethiopia. Extending the national grid to the remotely located, scattered, and island populations demands a huge investment. This paper aims to show the techno-economic feasibility of minigrid renewable energy system to electrify Kibran Gabriel island in Ethiopia, through the execution of simulation, optimization and sensitivity analysis using Hybrid Optimization Models for Energy Resources (HOMER Pro) software. The minigrid systems were compared with both diesel generation (DG) and grid extension systems. The hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/DG/battery system is more economically feasible compared with other minigrid systems, and the best cost-effective option is the one including load flow (LF) strategy with 25 kW of PV, 10 kW of DG, 40 kWh of battery, and 5 kW of bi-directional convertor. The optimal PV/DG/Battery system, having levelized cost of energy (COE) of USD 0.175/kWh, net present cost (NPC) of USD 119,139 and renewable fraction (RF) of 86.4%, reduces the pollutant emissions by 33,102 kg/yr compared with the stand-alone DG system. The optimal minigrid sensitivity to the variations in global horizontal irradiance (GHI), diesel price and load consumption were considered in the sensitivity analysis, and the result shows that the system will operate reasonably well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: This paper presents a case study, which examined the effect of organizational culture (clan culture, adhocracy culture, market culture, and hierarchy culture) on employees' performance in a developing country context taking the case of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). Design / Methodology / Approach: Using survey questionnaire and convenience sampling techniques, 302 complete questionnaires were returned after being filled by respondents (employees) and considered for descriptive and inferential analysis. Based on their willingness to participate in the study, four research centers within Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) were included in the study. Results: This study found out that all organizational culture types (clan culture, adhocracy culture, market culture, and hierarchy culture) have statistically significant results and have positive relationship with employees' performance. And, of all, the regression analysis result showed that the clan culture is the most dominant culture type. Limitations of the investigation: The findings of the study depended on a single case study, and this limitation could be taken as an avenue for future researchers to examine other research institutes in similar contexts. Practical implications: The presented result sheds light regarding the effect of organizational culture on employees' performance in agricultural research institutes; the research's outcome provides a useful input for agricultural research institutes and policy makers in the study setting concerning the effect of organizational culture on employees' performance. Originality/value: this study adds to the current body of knowledge in the area of organizational culture and its effect on employees' performance. Besides, not much earlier studies have been done on the subject of the study in the context of agricultural institutes in the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education has been assigned new global importance. It is now the vehicle of choice for nations seeking to increase their competitiveness in an expanding knowledge economy. In developing nations, higher education has also been linked to goals to reduce poverty, under the influence of transnational aid agencies such as the World Bank and its knowledge-driven poverty reduction strategies. Drawing on Amartya Sen's capability approach to development, this paper argues that this instrumentalization of higher education produces narrow conceptions of development, poverty and knowledge, and an unfounded optimism in ‘knowledge for skills'. The site for this analysis is the development and rapid expansion of Ethiopia's higher education system, with its antecedents in a centuries-old religious education system but with more recent beginnings in the 1950s and, since the 1990s, under the influence of the World Bank. At stake are opportunity and process freedoms and the deprivation of capability (i.e. poverty) resulting from the constraint of these, evident in the nation's higher education system. The paper concludes that without concerted efforts to redress injustices and to protect and expand people's freedom, Ethiopian higher education has little to contribute to national socio-economic transformation agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose This article reports on quantitative analysis of students' perceptions on dimensions of augmented face-to-face support. It is built upon the findings from a larger research project that was undertaken to evaluate postgraduate support offered to Ethiopian doctoral students. Background Student support is critical for the delivery of any quality Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system. This is because there are numerous challenges that students enrolled especially in global South ODL institutions are faced with, which can impact negatively on their progress and throughput. Methodology In this article, the data from a quantitative questionnaire that was collected from a larger research project was used. The questionnaire asked students to respond to questions about their perceptions of the inclusion of face-to-face workshops. The responses were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS), version 8.4 statistical package. Contribution This research exposes the benefits of supplementing distance postgraduate supervision with face-to-face tutorials. Findings The results show that the student-respondents, in general, experienced all five dimensions ('supervision', 'student needs', 'facilitators', 'environment', and 'institutional support/access') of face-to-face student support very positive. Recommendations for Practitioners As this inclusion of face-to-face workshops was found beneficial to the students who are geographically distant and at risk of digitally exclusion, the paper concludes by recommending that such approach should not be discarded but strengthened to supplement distance postgraduate supervision. Recommendations for Researchers Replication of this study but focusing on the qualitative aspects of the five dimensions identified. Impact on Society Although this study is limited in scope to the Ethiopia project, implications for geographically distant education and support are relevant to Unisa and other ODL institutions in the global South. This may ultimately help inform distance learning efforts globally through augmented face-to-face supports. Future Research The study results revealed potential concerns regarding student age and registration timelines. Therefore, more specific research that explores age and registration is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-resource settings often have limited use of local data for health system planning and decision-making. To promote local data use for decision-making and priority setting, we propose an adapted framework: a data-informed platform for health (DIPH) aimed at guiding coordination, bringing together key data from the public and private sectors on inputs and processes. In working to transform this framework from a concept to a health systems initiative, we undertook a series of implementation research activities including background assessment, testing and scaling up of the intervention. This first paper of four reports the feasibility of the approach in a district health systems context in five districts of India, Nigeria and Ethiopia. We selected five districts using predefined criteria and in collaboration with governments. After scoping visits, an in-depth field visit included interviews with key health stakeholders, focus group discussions with service-delivery staff and record review. For analysis, we used five dimensions of feasibility research based on the TELOS framework: technology and systems, economic, legal and political, operational and scheduling feasibility. We found no standardized process for data-based district level decision-making, and substantial obstacles in all three countries. Compared with study areas in Ethiopia and Nigeria, the health system in Uttar Pradesh is relatively amenable to the DIPH, having relative strengths in infrastructure, technological and technical expertise, and financial resources, as well as a district-level stakeholder forum. However, a key challenge is the absence of an effective legal framework for engagement with India's extensive private health sector. While priority-setting may depend on factors beyond better use of local data, we conclude that a formative phase of intervention development and pilot-testing is warranted as a next step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the post-Green Revolution era, numerous improved wheat varieties were released and disseminated to enhance tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and increase productivity. Still, in the wheat-based farming systems of the Global South, gender-based and other social inequalities continue to undermine equitable access to improved varieties, especially for women, poor, and marginalized farmers. Here, we present a case for gender-sensitive technology development, dissemination, and evaluation as part of wheat varietal improvement programs. We take stock of the various challenges that persist in the uptake of modern wheat varieties by male and female smallholders. We focus on Ethiopia and India, two geographies with substantive wheat economies, widespread poverty, and gender inequalities. The socio-economic literature on wheat is relatively thin with limited and dated gender-sensitive evaluation studies on varietal technologies in these countries. Varietal technology evaluations could ideally cover gender differences in relation to wheat varietal trait preferences, technology adoption, and associated decision-making and labor-use changes related to new varieties and complementary technologies, as well as nutritional and economic benefits. The paper calls for a need to change the institutional arrangements in wheat research-and-development (R&D) programs to understand and pursue better paths for wheat improvement to proactively contribute toward gender equity and inclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethiopia has been expanding maternity waiting homes to bridge geographical gaps between health facilities and communities in order to improve access to skilled care. In 2015, the Ministry of Health revised its national guidelines to standardize the rapid expansion of waiting homes. Little has been done to document their distribution, service availability and readiness. This paper addresses these gaps as well as their association with perinatal mortality and obstetric complication rates., Methods: We utilized data from the 2016 national Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care assessment, a census of 3804 public and private health facilities. Data were collected between May and December 2016 through interviews with health care workers, record reviews, and observation of infrastructure. Descriptive statistics describe the distribution and characteristics of waiting homes and linear regression models examined the correlation between independent variables and institutional perinatal and peripartum outcomes., Results: Nationally, about half of facilities had a waiting home. More than two-thirds of facilities in Amhara and half of the facilities in SNNP and Oromia had a home while the region of Gambella had none. Highly urbanized regions had few homes. Conditions were better among homes at hospitals than at health centers. Finished floors, electricity, water, toilets, and beds with mattresses were available at three (or more) out of four hospital homes. Waiting homes in pastoralist regions were often at a disadvantage. Health facilities with waiting homes had similar or lower rates of perinatal death and direct obstetric complication rates than facilities without a home. The perinatal mortality was 47% lower in hospitals with a home than those without. Similarly, the direct obstetric complication rate was 49% lower at hospitals with a home compared to hospitals without., Conclusions: The findings should inform regional maternal and newborn improvement strategies, indicating gaps in the distribution and conditions, especially in the pastoralist regions. The impact of waiting homes on maternal and perinatal outcomes appear promising and as homes continue to expand, so should efforts to regularly monitor, refine and document their impact.

Introduction: Child malnutrition continues to be a significant global public health concern. Nutrition-related interventions have changed and diversified over the last two decades, with increasing emphasis on nutrition-sensitive programmes that address underlying determinants of child malnutrition. Cash transfer programmes (CTPs) are used with increasing popularity in lower-income and middle-income countries to improve both food/nutrition insecurity and resilience. Available studies, however, provide mixed findings on the outcomes of CTPs for child nutritional status. This review is the first stage of a research project to develop evidence-informed theories of how CTPs affect child malnutrition. These will be empirically tested in the field and contribute to a better understanding of how, why, for whom and in what circumstances CTPs can be implemented to optimise impacts on child nutritional status., Methods and Analysis: This realist review is informed by available standards for realist reviews and follows a five-step process. In step 1, an initial scoping of literature identified potential contextual factors and underlying mechanisms that influence nutritional outcomes, and potential theories developed to address our research question. In step 2, a systematic literature search using multiple databases will be undertaken with papers screened using defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. In step 3, included studies will be appraised, data extracted into a bespoke data extraction tool and used to test and further refine our explanatory framework. The fourth step will synthesise, using a mix of inductive and deductive analytical processes to identify patterns, link chains of inference and tracking and linking of articles. The final step involves dissemination of a preliminary theory for feedback prior to empirically testing it in Kenya and Ethiopia where large-scale CTPs are being implemented., Ethics and Dissemination: This review will not involve primary data collection. Findings will be presented in accordance with Realist and Meta-Narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards guidelines and published in a peer-reviewed journal., Trial Registration Number: CRD42018110735., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The papers making up this Special Section reveal important findings and begin to fill gaps in existing literature about children's and young people's understanding and developing beliefs about socio-economic inequality and poverty. We draw on our research experience with children growing up in poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam (Young Lives) from the perspective of sociology of childhood and social anthropology. The commentary discusses the papers in the Special Section and calls for policies and practices that argue for social justice for children and young people in political and economic terms and emphasizes the importance of including children's views and descriptions of their experiences in research about poverty and inequality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

To ensure continual improvement in the construction industry's performance, its challenges must be identified so that integrated solutions that suit the context can be provided. The Ethiopian construction industry, like that in most developing countries, faces challenges that impede its development. This paper assesses four categories of challenges facing the industry, based on their sources: variables emanating from role of government, resource related variables, those related to the nature of the industry and variables emanating from the vision of the industry itself for its own development. Data for the study were collected through a questionnaire survey. Professionals from different background, such as contractors, consultants, clients, regulatory authority and academics were engaged in the survey. Mean score was used to identify the perceived impact level of the variables. Significant variables were identified and factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying dimensions of the different sources. The major challenges are identified as: (i) delay in construction industry development (CID) policy implementation and corruption; (ii) weak capacity of contractors and consultants; (iii) lack of collaboration and professionalism; and (iv) lack of benchmarking CID practice from role of government, resource related variables, nature of the industry and industry's vision for its own development, respectively. Findings provide information that stakeholders can use to make informed decisions and critical interventions for the effective development of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of unskilled women from least developed countries engage in international migration as domestic workers. Although the transnational migration experiences of these women could potentially be empowering, women migrants are vulnerable to exploitation. This paper explores the migration experiences of Ethiopian women who migrate to Arabian Gulf countries as domestic workers under the kafala labor sponsorship system and how they cope with their traumtic experiences upon return to Ethiopia. Forty-eight women Ethiopian former domestic workers who had returned from Arabian Gulf countries participated in this study. The study found that both women migrants who live with their sponsor/employer and those who run away from their sponsor/employer are exposed to various forms of racialized, gendered and economic exploitation at different stages of the migration process. The study also found that upon returning to Ethiopia, these women use sense-making and benefit-finding strategies to cope with their multiple exploitation experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous improvement strategies are the way of making small incremental improvements in the organization processes. These organizations are in a constant need to maintain a low cost of quality, reduce waste, trim production lines, and speed up manufacturing to achieve a maintain competitiveness. Companies both from developed and developing countries are striving to acquire the habit of improvement using Kaizen, as well as to focus on a customer-driven strategy to improve productivity. The quality of products and services are continuously amassing marginal improvements over time. Kaizen, a Japanese concept that calls for continuous improvement has introduced in Ethiopia to strengthen organization performance through productivity and quality improvement. Even though, the interest in Kaizen implementation has been elapsed twenty years officially, the fruits of implementation rarely observed. This paper examines the acceptability and feasibility of Kaizen among organization in Southern Nation sand Nationality and People Regional State. A survey of 71 stakeholders and 24 pilot enterprises conducted out using questionnaire, interview, and observation in Region. The study revealed that participants demonstrated willingness to implement Kaizen. However, the study revealed some challenges confronting the feasibility of Kaizen practices. The results of the study have shown that Kaizen is acceptable and suitable among organizations under the study though its feasibility is very challenging. The study also found that the executives of the enterprises did not seem to be committed to the Kaizen teamwork. Though vital for continuous improvement, the front line workers are rarely invited to participate in teamworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite a global recognition from all stakeholders of the gravity and urgency of health worker shortage in Africa, little progress has been achieved to improve health worker coverage in many of the African human resources for health (HRH) crisis countries. The problem consists in how policy is made, how leaders are accountable, how the World Health Organization (WHO) and foreign donors encourage (or distort) health policy, and how development objectives are prioritized in these countries.Methods: This paper uses political economy analysis, which stems from a recognition that the solution to the shortage of health workers across Africa involves more than a technical response. A number of institutional arrangements dampen investments in HRH, including a mismatch between officials' tenure in office and program results, the vertical nature of health programming, the modalities of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in health, the structures of the global health community, and the weak capacity in HRH units within Ministries of Health. A major change in policymaking would only occur with a disruption to the political or institutional order.Results/conclusions: The case study of Ethiopia, who has increased its health workforce dramatically over the last 20 years, disrupted previous institutional arrangements through the power of ideas-HRH as a key intermediate development objective. The framing of HRH created the rationale for the political commitment to HRH investment. Ethiopia demonstrates that political will coupled with strong state capacity and adequate resource mobilization can overcome the institutional hurdles above. Donors will follow the lead of a country with long-term political commitment to HRH, as they did in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resource degradation poses a major challenge to the sustainable livelihoods of farmers in developing countries, hindering progress toward achieving sustainable rural development. Watershed development and management practices (WDMPs) are powerful tools for enhancing sustainable rural development in developing countries. These practices have been shown to significantly improve livelihoods and food security. This research examined how WDM programs help achieve sustainable development in rural areas, focusing on examples from Ethiopia. This study used a systematic literature review (SLR) approach following a PRISMA review protocol. The research question was formulated using the CIMO (context, intervention, mechanisms, and outcomes) approach: "Does the watershed development and management (WDM) initiative lead to sustainable rural livelihoods?" Considering this research question, the findings indicated that WDM contributes to the socioeconomic and environmental sustainability of rural communities. It does this by enhancing households' livelihood in terms of income generation, employment opportunities, agricultural productivity, and improvements in social services and infrastructure, as evidenced by numerous studies, thereby leading to better livelihoods and food security. This research also emphasizes the importance of community participation and supportive policies and legal frameworks for successful WDM. Overall, the systematic literature review highlights the potential of WDMPs in promoting sustainable rural development in developing countries such as Ethiopia while also highlighting the need for a supportive policy and institutional environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]