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Heritage, social values and the threat of ruination

Opportunities for new forms of public-private partnership in the Groningen earthquake zone

Sustaining historical buildings does not always align with the ambition to promote sustainability in the built environment. In this paper we explore the dynamics and strategies that spring from this basic tension, by investigating the differences and similarities between expert’s valuation and peoples’ valuation of historical buildings, as well as their views on energy efficiency. Our paper highlights mediaeval churches in Groningen, which represent an important European heritage. We cooperate closely with the SOGK, a regional organization that is taking up the challenge of maintaining these churches in a region that is depopulating, secularizing and, to all that, suffering from earthquakes.

Sustaining historical buildings does not always align with the ambition to promote sustainability in the built environment. In this paper we explore the dynamics and strategies that spring from this basic tension, by investigating the differences and similarities between expert’s valuation and peoples’ valuation of historical buildings, as well as their views on energy efficiency. Our paper highlights mediaeval churches in Groningen, which represent an important European heritage. We cooperate closely with the SOGK, a regional organization that is taking up the challenge of maintaining these churches in a region that is depopulating, secularizing and, to all that, suffering from earthquakes.

Preventing working shortages: a regional pilot in the province of Groningen In 2013 the Centre of Applied Labour Market Research (Kenniscentrum Arbeid, KCA) has developed a method for data collection to get an insight in employer’s future demand for staff. The method is developed to contribute to solve an action problem in the Eemsdelta region. Despite indications of a threat of shortage of technicians in that region, none of the regional actors undertakes action. They miss detailed information about the employers’ future demand for staff. To be able to take tailor-made measures, the actors must have a proper idea of the labour market problems which can be traced back to company level. For each job opening must be clear to which profession it is related and to which educational specialism and educational level. These information appears to be not available. For employers it is, understandable, difficult to estimate their future demand for staff, because a lot of uncertain factors influences that need. Especially SME’s who often don’t have a HR-officer are missing the knowledge and time or money to invest in making a future picture of their need for staff. And data from existing labour market information sources can’t be translated well at regional or local level, never mind at company level. Without detailed information about the future employer’s demand for staff, possible problems stay latent. There is no sense of urgency for the employers to take action and the regional policy makers are missing information to develop specific educational and labour market policy. To get the needed detailed information, it has to be obtained from the employers themselves, at company level. During a research pilot in 2013 KCA has designed a method for data collection and practiced it with nine companies in the Eemsdelta region. The results indicate that the method works. In a relatively labour-extensive way the needed information can be obtained. At company level it gives the employer insight in his actual and future staff requirements and makes him aware of possible problems. As regards to the policy makers, the pilot was too small for a complete regional picture, but it demonstrates that the anonymised data of the individual companies can be merged to one umbrella data-file. From that file analyses can be made to find trends and possible problems at the labour market, both at regional and sectoral level and to obtain input for developing effective policy. The successful results of the pilot offers good reasons for a follow-up study with much more companies and to develop the method into a complete labour market monitor, by broadening the method with data about the labour supply and data of new employers.

In 2013 the Centre of Applied Labour Market Research (Kenniscentrum Arbeid, KCA) has developed a method for data collection to get an insight in employer’s future demand for staff. The method is developed to contribute to solve an action problem in the Eemsdelta region. Despite indications of a threat of shortage of technicians in that region, none of the regional actors undertakes action. They miss detailed information about the employers’ future demand for staff. To be able to take tailor-made measures, the actors must have a proper idea of the labour market problems which can be traced back to company level. For each job opening must be clear to which profession it is related and to which educational specialism and educational level. These information appears to be not available. For employers it is, understandable, difficult to estimate their future demand for staff, because a lot of uncertain factors influence that need. Especially SME’s who often don’t have a HR-officer are missing the knowledge and time or money to invest in making a future picture of their need for staff. And data from existing labour market information sources can’t be translated well at regional or local level, never mind at company level. Without detailed information about the future employer’s demand for staff, possible problems stay latent. There is no sense of urgency for the employers to take action and the regional policy makers are missing information to develop specific educational and labour market policy. To get the needed detailed information, it has to be obtained from the employers themselves, at company level. During a research pilot in 2013 KCA has designed a method for data collection and practiced it with nine companies in the Eemsdelta region. The results indicate that the method works. In a relatively labour-extensive way the needed information can be obtained. At company level it gives the employer insight in his actual and future staff requirements and makes him aware of possible problems. As regards to the policy makers, the pilot was too small for a complete regional picture, but it demonstrates that the anonymised data of the individual companies can be merged to one umbrella data-file. From that file analyses can be made to find trends and possible problems at the labour market, both at regional and sectoral level and to obtain input for developing effective policy. The successful results of the pilot offers good reasons for a follow-up study with much more companies and to develop the method into a complete labour market monitor, by broadening the method with data about the labour supply and data of new employers.

In 2013 the Centre of Applied Labour Market Research (Kenniscentrum Arbeid, KCA) has developed a method for data collection to get an insight in employer’s future demand for staff. The method is developed to contribute to solve an action problem in the Eemsdelta region. Despite indications of a threat of shortage of technicians in that region, none of the regional actors undertakes action. They miss detailed information about the employers’ future demand for staff. To be able to take tailor-made measures, the actors must have a proper idea of the labour market problems which can be traced back to company level. For each job opening must be clear to which profession it is related and to which educational specialism and educational level. These information appears to be not available. For employers it is, understandable, difficult to estimate their future demand for staff, because a lot of uncertain factors influence that need. Especially SME’s who often don’t have a HR-officer are missing the knowledge and time or money to invest in making a future picture of their need for staff. And data from existing labour market information sources can’t be translated well at regional or local level, never mind at company level. Without detailed information about the future employer’s demand for staff, possible problems stay latent. There is no sense of urgency for the employers to take action and the regional policy makers are missing information to develop specific educational and labour market policy. To get the needed detailed information, it has to be obtained from the employers themselves, at company level. During a research pilot in 2013 KCA has designed a method for data collection and practiced it with nine companies in the Eemsdelta region. The results indicate that the method works. In a relatively labour-extensive way the needed information can be obtained. At company level it gives the employer insight in his actual and future staff requirements and makes him aware of possible problems. As regards to the policy makers, the pilot was too small for a complete regional picture, but it demonstrates that the anonymised data of the individual companies can be merged to one umbrella data-file. From that file analyses can be made to find trends and possible problems at the labour market, both at regional and sectoral level and to obtain input for developing effective policy. The successful results of the pilot offers good reasons for a follow-up study with much more companies and to develop the method into a complete labour market monitor, by broadening the method with data about the labour supply and data of new employers.

Medewerkers van provincies krijgen in hun werk veelal te maken met agressie en geweld door externen. Voor provincies is het van belang om de ervaringen met agressie en geweld te registreren zodat op organisatieniveau een beeld verkregen wordt van de aard en omvang van agressie. De verkregen inzichten kunnen worden benut bij het maken van beleid. Ondanks de bekendheid die provincies aan het melden van agressie geven, worden er weinig meldingen van agressie bij de leidinggevende gedaan en worden er weinig meldingen geregistreerd. De vraag van het A&O-fonds, die speciaal voor dit doeleinde het Provinciaal Agressie Registratiesysteem (PAR) ontwikkeld heeft, is waarom er weinig meldingen en registraties worden gedaan. Van een ideale situatie zou sprake zijn, wanneer men uit zou kunnen gaan van de vooronderstelling “geen bericht, goed bericht”. In dat geval zouden alle agressie-incidenten worden gemeld en zou een gering aantal meldingen en registraties betekenen dat er weinig agressie voorkomt. Uit eerder onderzoek blijkt dat dit uitgangspunt niet op gaat en dat er sprake is van onder-registratie als gevolg van een geringe meldingsbereidheid. Een vraag is dan ook hoe de bereidheid om incidenten te melden bevorderd kan worden. Om in kaart te brengen waarom medewerkers wel of niet melden, en om er achter te komen hoe de meldingsbereidheid bevorderd kan worden, is bij de provincie Groningen en Drenthe een internet-enquête gehouden onder medewerkers en leidinggevenden van afdelingen die in contact komen met externen. Vervolgens zijn er in beide provincies interviews met medewerkers en leidinggevenden afgenomen.

Medewerkers van provincies krijgen in hun werk veelal te maken met agressie en geweld door externen. Voor provincies is het van belang om de ervaringen met agressie en geweld te registreren zodat op organisatieniveau een beeld verkregen wordt van de aard en omvang van agressie. De verkregen inzichten kunnen worden benut bij het maken van beleid. Ondanks de bekendheid die provincies aan het melden van agressie geven, worden er weinig meldingen van agressie bij de leidinggevende gedaan en worden er weinig meldingen geregistreerd. De vraag van het A&O-fonds, die speciaal voor dit doeleinde het Provinciaal Agressie Registratiesysteem (PAR) ontwikkeld heeft, is waarom er weinig meldingen en registraties worden gedaan. Van een ideale situatie zou sprake zijn, wanneer men uit zou kunnen gaan van de vooronderstelling “geen bericht, goed bericht”. In dat geval zouden alle agressie-incidenten worden gemeld en zou een gering aantal meldingen en registraties betekenen dat er weinig agressie voorkomt. Uit eerder onderzoek blijkt dat dit uitgangspunt niet op gaat en dat er sprake is van onder-registratie als gevolg van een geringe meldingsbereidheid. Een vraag is dan ook hoe de bereidheid om incidenten te melden bevorderd kan worden. Om in kaart te brengen waarom medewerkers wel of niet melden, en om er achter te komen hoe de meldingsbereidheid bevorderd kan worden, is bij de provincie Groningen en Drenthe een internet-enquête gehouden onder medewerkers en leidinggevenden van afdelingen die in contact komen met externen. Vervolgens zijn er in beide provincies interviews met medewerkers en leidinggevenden afgenomen.