Search

The article focuses on the 10th anniversary issue of the World Water Policy Journal, which reflects on a decade of progress and challenges in water management. Topics include the evolution of the journal's goals, the need for improved water leadership and strategic vision, and a series of research papers addressing diverse water-related issues, including economic development, agricultural management, and water quality improvements.

The growing importance of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a framework for implementing inclusive education is acknowledged in the Global Education Monitoring report of 2020. There is a lack of evidence and little guidance on how to effectively implement UDL in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In this context, a scoping review of the literature was commissioned by CBM Christian Blind Mission, an international non-governmental organisation, to look for evidence of current UDL practices in LMIC. The aim was to identify existing research and current gaps, and make recommendations for capacity-development resources and materials in implementing UDL in LMIC. Twenty-one articles were included in this review, of which 13 were from the African continent. While eight of these 13 articles came from South Africa, other LMIC were represented by one or two papers each. The following themes emerged deductively: capacity building of teachers, levels of technology, diversity of target audience, role of communities and families, addressing systemic inequality, and policy supporting implementation. Inductive analysis was used to consider areas that did not fit into these predetermined themes, and additional themes emerged: disability and UDL, and challenges of implementing UDL. These themes are discussed and recommendations made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following up the research on territorial capital (TC) and urban transformative capacity (UTC), this paper puts forward a joint framework that recognizes linkages between TC and UTC. As the two research areas increasingly overlap, the overarching aims of this study are to explore how the two research fields might benefit from each other's strengths and develop mutually reinforcing forces to compensate for the existing shortcomings. After presenting the similarities and distinctions between TC and UTC, with particular focus on the notion and subject addressed, domains and key constituents, targets and purposes, as well as assessment techniques enabling empirical validation, a joint framework is proposed. It is concluded that a more powerful approach can be created by combining TC and UTC, which broadens understanding of both territorial capital formation and transformations of cities and regions while allowing to enlarge the field of discussion on existing assessment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of biodiversity conservation is in the midst of a cultural and practical transformation around evidence use, but the necessary institutional and technical support is still emerging. Over the past decade, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested in building institutional capacity for evidence use in its biodiversity conservation projects through technical assistance. We interviewed 34 technical assistance staff supporting biodiversity programming at USAID to explore how technical assistance is used to support evidence use and the extent to which technical assistance can fulfill the functions of "evidence bridges"—intermediaries who help practitioners access and use bodies of evidence for decision‐making. We found that the current technical assistance model supporting evidence employs varied strategies to support evidence use, some of which are more closely aligned with the functions of evidence bridges than others. We conclude that the current technical assistance model could strengthen support for evidence use through engagement with evidence bridges to promote uptake of synthesized evidence. We suggest that technical assistance and evidence bridges are needed to facilitate high‐quality evidence use at the scale necessary to achieve conservation impact, and more collaborative spaces at the boundary between research and practice are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the world and the agricultural sector face great challenges, and agricultural development systems are subject to increasing pressure due to the challenges of food security, climate change, climate adaptation, and market fluctuations. One of the most important of these vital systems is agricultural extension and its workers. Agricultural extension work does not rise to the level required to meet these challenges. Traditional work is no longer an appropriate option to meet these challenges and achieve an effective response to the needs of farmers and improve their livelihoods. These challenges require the presence of effective systems that help accelerate and expand the transition to sustainable and smart agricultural systems. The role of agricultural extension in the process of converting to agricultural systems is important and necessary because transformation is a process of change, and change means moving from one situation to another. This requires effective extension services, as the farmer may stop from applying some technologies or stopping the transition to sustainable systems, here the role of agricultural extension is focuses on encouraging the farmer to continue and transition to sustainable agricultural systems. The performance of agricultural extension is affected by a group of internal and external factors, and capacities are a vital factor influencing the performance and effectiveness of vital development systems in the agricultural sector, including the agricultural extension system. Therefore, developing these capacities is a basic condition for achieving effective performance of these organizations. In the past two decades, many programs and projects have emerged, and there is a growing interest by international organizations to develop agricultural extension capacities, such as the FAO, the United Nations, Tropical Agriculture Platform, and others. The current paper discusses the contemporary concept of agricultural extension, capacity and capacity development, and the reasons and global trends for its capacity development.

Background: Poverty-related diseases (PRD) remain amongst the leading causes of death in children under-5 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) based on the best available evidence are key to strengthening health systems and helping to enhance equitable health access for children under five. However, the CPG development process is complex and resource-intensive, with substantial scope for improving the process in SSA, which is the goal of the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project. The impact of research on PRD will be maximized through enhancing researchers and decision makers' capacity to use global research to develop locally relevant CPGs in the field of newborn and child health. The project will be implemented in three SSA countries, Malawi, South Africa and Nigeria, over a 3-year period. This research protocol is for the monitoring and evaluation work package of the project. The aim of this work package is to monitor the various GELA project activities and evaluate the influence these may have on evidence-informed decision-making and guideline adaptation capacities and processes. The specific project activities we will monitor include (1) our ongoing engagement with local stakeholders, (2) their capacity needs and development, (3) their understanding and use of evidence from reviews of qualitative research and, (4) their overall views and experiences of the project. Methods: We will use a longitudinal, mixed-methods study design, informed by an overarching project Theory of Change. A series of interconnected qualitative and quantitative data collections methods will be used, including knowledge translation tracking sheets and case studies, capacity assessment online surveys, user testing and in-depth interviews, and non-participant observations of project activities. Participants will comprise of project staff, members of the CPG panels and steering committees in Malawi, South Africa and Nigeria, as well as other local stakeholders in these three African countries. Discussion: Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will help ensure the relationship between researchers and stakeholders is supported from the project start. This can facilitate achievement of common goals and enable researchers in South Africa, Malawi and Nigeria to make adjustments to project activities to maximize stakeholder engagement and research utilization. Ethical approval has been provided by South African Medical Research Council Human Research Ethics Committee (EC015-7/2022); The College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee, Malawi (P.07/22/3687); National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria (01/01/2007). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative engagement between international and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has recently been promoted as an effective strategy to enhance internal process strengths but less as a strategy to localize humanitarian aid programs; a grand strategy that aims to strengthen local capacity, develop local capabilities, and boost regional humanitarian project performance. While stakeholders deem to play an important role in leveraging the efficiencies of such collaborative engagements between international and local actors, there is limited empirical knowledge about how stakeholder pressure affects the association between the collaboration–performance association within international and local NGOs. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we propose a model to examine the role of donors, media, and governments, three major stakeholders noteworthy because of their power and legitimacy to moderate the collaboration–performance association in this NGO context. We test our hypotheses across a series of samples collected at both international and local NGOs in 2015 and 2020. From a practical perspective, we discuss how the traditional role of NGOs as implementers of aid programs is shifting toward a new role as conveners and capability builders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Faculty development programs can bring about both individual and organizational capacity development by enhancing individuals' attitudes, values, and skillsto enable them to implement organizational change. Understanding how faculty development programs produce capacity development, and the influencing factors, requires further understanding. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of the participants of a faculty development program about the capacity development features of the program and the influencing factors. Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used. Faculty members were surveyed about their perspectives on capacity development of faculty development. Subsequently, 22 interviews were conducted with the respondents to deepem understanding of the survey results. Interview transcripts underwent conventional content analysis. Results: A total of 203 completed the questionnaire. Most of the faculty highly agreed that the faculty development programs had produced capacity development. The combined data identified (a) "quality of faculty development programs", underscoring the significance of robust and comprehensive initiatives, (b) "development in instruction", emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement in pedagogical approaches (c) "development in professionalism", highlighting the necessity for cultivating a culture of professionalism among faculty members, (d) "development in attitude towards education", emphasizing the role of mindset in fostering effective teaching practices, and (e) "supporting faculty development programs", with fostering organizational growth and innovation. Important barriers and facilitators of the capacity development process included several organizational, interpersonal, and individual factors. Conclusion: The study identified specific features of the capacity development process in the context of a faculty development program and highlighted the importance of these programs in producing changes in both individuals and within the wider organizational system. Several factors that enabled and constrained the capacity development process were also identified. The findings of the study can inform future implementation of faculty development programs for capacity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of international audit organizations is crucial for enhancing accountability, transparency, and integration of public sector financial management globally. In Southeast Asia, the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) is significant for fostering regional cooperation in financial auditing. The Supreme Audit Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK RI) plays a pivotal role as the ASEANSAI Secretariat, supporting and developing the organization's performance. As ASEANSAI matures, organizational capacity development becomes a key challenge. This study aims to analyze BPK RI's role in enhancing ASEANSAI's organizational capacity during the 2018-2023 period, utilizing Dillen et al.'s (2019) theory of transition from managerial roles to strategic experts and Walters' (2019) theory of organizational capacity development. Employing a qualitative methodology and conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 individuals from both internal and external ASEANSAI, the study identified several suboptimal aspects in the Secretariat's role and ASEANSAI's capacity development, including human resource management, financial management, and organizational performance stability. The findings suggest that these issues stem from inadequate strategic human resource development, limited financial resources, and external environmental changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and regional socio-humanitarian issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how farmers from the Common Interest Group (CIG) have changed their capacity levels due to participating in Bangladesh's National Agricultural Technology Program (NATP). A mixed-method design was used to collect data from 120 rice and vegetable farmers. Results show that most respondents (above 75 per cent) agree that NATP initiatives, particularly group-based extension services, developed their capacity in different cultivation techniques, resource utilisation, farm inputs, communication behaviour, market access, and involvement in farmer organisations (FOs)/community-based organisations (CBOs). This study concludes that the concept of CIGs should be incorporated into the existing extension system following the termination of donor support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship is an embedded research training program that aims to prepare doctoral trainees and postdoctoral fellows for stronger career readiness and greater impact as emerging leaders within and beyond the academy, including in learning health systems (LHS). The program supports fellows to develop 10 leadership and research competencies that comprise the Enriched Core Competency Framework in Health Services and Policy Research through a combination of experiential learning, mentorship, and professional development training. This study tracks competency development of HSI fellows over time and examines fellows' perspectives on which program design elements support their competency development. Methods: A competency assessment tool developed for the program was independently completed by 95 postdoctoral and 36 doctoral fellows (self-assessments) and their respective 203 dyad (academic and health system) supervisors in the 2017 to 2019 program cohorts, who independently rated the strength of fellows' 10 competencies at baseline and several points thereafter. Competency strength ratings were analyzed to understand change over time and differences in ratings across groups (between fellows' sex, supervisor type, and supervisor vs. fellow). Program design element ratings were examined to understand perspectives on their contribution toward fellows' competency development. Results: Fellows' competency strength significantly improved in all 10 domains over time, based on independent assessments by the fellows and their dyad supervisors. Supervisors tended to rate the fellows' competency strength higher than the fellows did. Differences in competency ratings between male and female fellows (self-assessments) and between academic and health system supervisors were either negligble or not significant. Fellows identified all nine program design elements as enriching their competency development. Conclusion: The HSI Fellowship provides an opportunity for fellows to develop the full suite of enriched core competencies and to prepare a cadre of emerging leaders with the skills and experience to contribute to the advancement of LHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust, relevant, comprehensive, and up-to-date evidence syntheses are the cornerstone for evidence-informed healthcare decisions. When considering multiple treatment options, network meta-analysis (NMA) systematic reviews play a key role in informing impactful decisions and clinical practice guidelines. However, the capacity and literacy to conduct NMA systematic reviews and interpret its results remains out of reach for many clinicians and review authors, especially in low-to-middle-income countries. Despite ample resources and guides, NMA capacity and training opportunities remain limited to non-existent in Sub-Saharan Africa. Towards solutions and strengthening evidence synthesis and NMA capacity in the Sub-Saharan African region, we describe and reflect on two courses that build NMA capacity and aim to address NMA literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Primer in NMA systematic reviews aimed for participants to be able to find, appraise, interpret, and consider the use of NMA SRs of intervention effects. It is a 6-week online course for clinicians, policy-makers, and researchers wanting to learn more about using NMA systematic reviews. The Global NMA Masterclass workshop aimed for participants to be able to understand and apply pairwise and NMA in STATA and R, evaluate NMA assumptions and confidence in NMA results, and appropriately report NMA results. This course was offered over 5 weeks to clinicians, biostatisticians, and researchers with basic knowledge of epidemiology and biostatics. Although the bulk of learning occurred through self-study, we had weekly, synchronous question-and-answer sessions for both courses. Using relevant examples throughout the courses helped to enable an authentic learning environment. This was the first NMA training developed in Africa for Africa. Development of the courses was a collaborative effort from a multi-disciplinary team. Both NMA courses were well received and attended by a diverse group of participants spread across Sub-Saharan African countries. Participants felt the courses were applicable to their setting. Although most participants appreciated the benefits of online learning, we also experienced some challenges. There is great potential to conduct NMA systematic reviews in Sub-Saharan Africa. The NMA Primer and NMA workshop can play an essential role in expanding and developing NMA SR capacity and literacy in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable tourism is an important element in the policies of many developing countries today. In contrast to mass tourism, it provides a holistic perspective, recognising the synergies between economic, social, and environmental development and protecting the existing natural, human and organisational resources upon which tourism depends. Community-based tourism (CBT) is a participatory approach to implementing sustainable tourism that also promotes community development from a bottom-up perspective and with a focus on local knowledge and existing resources. Based on comprehensive research and analysis of the existing body of literature, the aim of this paper is to research the transition from sustainable tourism towards community based-tourism, to identify the relevant actors that should be involved in the planning, implementation and management of such projects and to propose a capacity development approach that facilitates community development through a community-based tourism approach.

If you want to run faster, don’t just buy a new pair of shoes; also consider your training methods and where you run. This supplement examines six countries that have run faster than others in reducing under-fve mortality, taking an implementation research approach, with country case studies done with local researchers and local institutions. Key generalizable learnings are to choose and adapt implementation strategies to context, design strategies to target the most vulnerable, systematically learn from implementation experience, and to leverage non-health-sector contributions. Embedding implementation research in programming has the potential to greatly improve and accelerate the contextualization and implementation of evidence-based child survival interventions to improve equity in coverage and overall efectiveness in reducing under-fve mortality. It is now time to build such capacity in local institutions at scale, and incentives for concerned stakeholders to make this the new normal. Regional institutions should now take the lead in making this happen, not just in individual institutions and countries, but across entire regions, supported by global partners [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]