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More than 70 years after the adoption of the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention, there still exists large cross-country differences in terms of protection recognition. In this article, we argue that cross-country differences are likely due to different opportunity structures: because international protection stems from the administrative-legal procedures through which claims are examined, we investigate the institutional arrangements that make up Refugee Status Determination systems. We collect original data covering 14 European countries, Canada and South Africa over the years 2000–2020 and test the relationship between institutional arrangements and recognition rates. We find that the actors involved in the decision-making process matter: a plurality of actors likely leads to fairer outcomes, depending on which procedure or stage these actors are involved. Importantly, we report that extensive procedural rights, and guarantee of their enjoyment on the part of asylum seekers, significantly correlate with asylum seekers’ chances to see their claim recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the utilization, management structures, costs, and benefits of livestock water infrastructure in the pastoral communities of the Teso and Karamoja sub-regions. Data were collected on various water infrastructures, including boreholes, valley dams, and valley tanks. The findings suggest that investing in water infrastructure is economically viable, although functionality and usage differ across regions. Water use associations (WUAs) and community volunteers predominantly managed the water infrastructure, with local governments providing oversight. In Teso, 45%-75% of water use associations were deemed functional, compared to a lower rate of 33%-40% in Karamoja. Generally, users of water infrastructure in Teso demonstrated a higher willingness to pay for various services compared to those in Karamoja. The study also found that, under the status quo, comanagement and joint efforts between WUAs and volunteers could be more economically viable management structures for boreholes. Valley dams could be better managed by WUAs, while local governments, with community support, could effectively manage valley tanks. The major challenges in managing water facilities included free riding, failure to enforce regulations, the potential for ownership tragedy, inadequacies in managing technologies, and the effects of drought. The research and implications of these findings are further discussed in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The politics of energy provision and the governance of the electricity sector are well-studied topics. However, there is a gap in information when it comes to comprehending how violent conflict interacts with the political economy of the electricity and energy sector. This paper examines the relationship between energy provision and conflict within the context of the ongoing war in Yemen. It illustrates how developments in the conflict trajectory since the war's onset in 2015 have shaped new forms of energy politics. These developments are reflected in fragmented institutional arrangements, transformed subsidy politics, adaptive grassroots solutions, and emergent war economies, all of which highlight the changing nature of energy security beyond conventional state-centric paradigms. The Yemeni case thus demonstrates an emerging energy landscape in which the sector and war dynamics are deeply intertwined and evolving simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to determine which entrepreneurial ecosystem pillars matter most in enhancing the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Uganda. Design/methodology/approach – Descriptive cross-sectional survey of 310 SMEs in manufacturing sector were sampled. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed because of the population’s homogenous characteristics. Data was collected using a Self-Administered Questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS version 23. Findings – The results indicate both institutional arrangements and resource endowments significantly influence performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector of Uganda. However, institutional arrangements have a stronger predictive power on performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Uganda as compared to resource endowments. Research limitations/implications – The data was cross-sectional in nature thus limiting monitoring changes in the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector over a long period of time. Besides, the study concentrated on SMEs in the manufacturing sector which is just subset of the industrial sector leaving other sectors like trade and services. Originality/value – An empirical study on entrepreneurial ecosystem pillars in a strategic and important sector – SMEs manufacturing sector, at a micro-level, and being done in Uganda is a contribution to existing literature. This is because, most entrepreneurial ecosystem studies are largely conceptual and are normally done at macro and meso-levels targeting SMEs generally and mostly in developed countries which have completely different business environment compared with developing countries.

Every year about thirty billion dollars are spent on aid across Africa, yet recurrent crises followed by a blame game amongst different actors, and a poor understanding of the failures encountered, result in ambiguous assessments and unclear paths for reforms. Through the extended case study of the village of Lojom, this article examines the historical unfolding of a failing aid system in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda. The article traces a nexus between the agrarian crisis, the protracted humanitarian regime and social protection, in a regional context of structural underdevelopment. It argues that at the core of failing aid in Karamoja lies a manufactured agrarian crisis that dates back to colonial times. The article concludes that if aid policies and programmes remain inscribed in an enduring agrarian crisis, they will only continue to exacerbate exploitative dynamics of patronage, clientelism and subversion that characterize what is called here "the failing aid complex". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of market-based reforms, the issue of "risk" has always been a part of the public–private partnership (PPP) debate, and the way in which risks are managed determines the sustainability of market-based reforms. This study systematically examines how the institutional environment and institutional arrangements affect the effectiveness of PPP risk identification and allocation. The study aims to establish a multi-source database of all publicized PPP projects in 31 provinces during the period of 2017–2021 in China, and it incorporates different levels of influencing factors, such as the institutional environment and institutional arrangements, into a framework. Through the application of a multilevel model, the impact of the political–institutional structure at the provincial level and institutional arrangements at the social capital and project levels on PPP risk identification and allocation is judged hierarchically. It is found that only social capital at the institutional environment level can directly and positively contribute to the effective identification and allocation of PPP risks, while both the degree of potential market competition and the degree of integration at the project level have a positive effect on its risk profile. In addition, there are cross-level moderating effects, with social capital, government transparency, and government–business relations positively improving risk allocation and identification through the degree of market competition, with no significant coordinating effect on the degree of contractual integration. This study goes beyond the existing one-dimensional risk profile analysis and risk typology to dismantle the "black box" of risk identification and allocation, which is a process of continuous negotiation, and to provide a sustainable governance mechanism for the market-oriented reform of public services in the institutional arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the utilization, management structures, costs, and benefits of livestock water infrastructure in the pastoral communities of the Teso and Karamoja sub-regions. Data were collected on various water infrastructures, including boreholes, valley dams, and valley tanks. The findings suggest that investing in water infrastructure is economically viable, although functionality and usage differ across regions. Water use associations (WUAs) and community volunteers predominantly managed the water infrastructure, with local governments providing oversight. In Teso, 45%–75% of water use associations were deemed functional, compared to a lower rate of 33%–40% in Karamoja. Generally, users of water infrastructure in Teso demonstrated a higher willingness to pay for various services compared to those in Karamoja. The study also found that, under the status quo, co-management and joint efforts between WUAs and volunteers could be more economically viable management structures for boreholes. Valley dams could be better managed by WUAs, while local governments, with community support, could effectively manage valley tanks. The major challenges in managing water facilities included free riding, failure to enforce regulations, the potential for ownership tragedy, inadequacies in managing technologies, and the effects of drought. The research and implications of these findings are further discussed in the study.

This paper presents a holistic examination of the interaction between the institutional framework and entrepreneurship to achieve the objective of sustainable development. This paper aims to explore the relationship between institutional arrangements, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, with a particular focus on the member states of the European Union. The research is conducted in response to the global imperative for sustainable development, analyzing the inclusiveextractive institutional dichotomy as a starting point in understanding the complexity of the interaction between entrepreneurship and the promotion of sustainable development. The analysis is based on established theories of institutional economics, essential to capture the manner in which inclusive and extractive institutional arrangements shape the incentives or constraints within which entrepreneurial initiatives unfold. Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in stimulating sustainable development by encouraging innovation, and the institutional framework is decisive for entrepreneurial behavior. Institutional arrangements that encourage business development, through stability, predictability, and promotion of competition, support sustainable development. The study aims to highlight the negative consequences of an institutional framework affected by corruption and bureaucratic obstacles, which hinder innovation and limit the potential for sustainable development. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the nuanced dimensions of sustainable entrepreneurship, highlighting the emergence of socially and environmentally responsible business models, as well as the institutional framework that favors them. In conclusion, this paper addresses the relationship between institutional arrangements and entrepreneurship in achieving sustainable development, and it aims at contributing to the progress of theory and practice in the field of entrepreneurship and sustainability, thus facilitating the transition to more efficient and prosperous societies.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of inflation dynamics in Burundi, a country facing long-standing political and economic challenges. Through exploratory review of literature, it examines inflation trends, policy measures, and challenges, while offering potential solutions to combat high inflation in Burundi. Findings reveal periods of high and low inflation influenced by economic and political factors. Despite policy efforts, the country continues to experience volatile and high inflation levels, impacting the economy and citizens negatively. Key challenges include political instability, weak institutions, and external shocks. The study recommends sustained implementation and monitoring of policies promoting financial sector development, enhancing access to finance, and addressing corruption. These measures are vital for achieving stability and prosperity. The study also emphasizes the importance of evidence-based approaches to inflation control. In addition, the study underscores the significance of ongoing policy efforts in achieving economic stability and prosperity in Burundi amidst inflation challenges.

We examine de facto autonomy across regulatory agencies and policy sectors. Yet not much is known whether, how and why de facto autonomy could vary across policy areas within the same policy sector. This article demonstrates the existence of such variation and suggests that this variation depends on the interplay between stakeholders' diverging (or overlapping) policy preferences, deficient (or superior) organizational policy capacity, and institutional arrangements leading to enabled (or constrained) de facto autonomy. Relying on elite interviews and secondary resources, this study builds on an illustrative study on bank regulation in Turkey in the post‐GFC period and presents a nuanced understanding of de facto autonomy: a multi‐policy area approach to de facto autonomy that allows us to examine variation in de facto autonomy across policy areas, the determinants of the variation, and whether de facto autonomy is constrained or enabled, which structures the regulatory policy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on a policy and practice review of existing institutional arrangements within the beef and dairy cattle production sectors in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche. Acknowledging the critical role of robust governance frameworks in transitioning towards sustainable livestock agriculture, a collaborative governance approach is employed to holistically address environmental and production challenges. This approach underscores the importance of active participation, stakeholder collaboration, and contextual adaptation in decision-making processes. Classified as explanatory research, the study is grounded in a qualitative approach, covering a synchronous period from 2017 to 2022. Secondary sources such as public policies, international climate commitment reports, sector-specific reports, and databases were utilized to provide context and data regarding the analyzed institutional arrangements. Additionally, semi-structured information-gathering protocols were developed and, in conjunction with participant observation, administered to approximately 30 key stakeholders from public, private, academic, research centers, international cooperation, and civil society sectors involved in institutional arrangements in the aforementioned states. The findings highlight the significance of collaborative governance as a valuable alternative for addressing governance challenges in the livestock sector, particularly when hierarchical or market-oriented approaches are less effective. The diversity of identified institutional arrangements, ranging from hierarchical to polyarchic, emphasizes the need to acknowledge the specificities of the context in which they operate and adapt strategies accordingly. This analysis contributes to the growing discussion on sustainable livestock farming and the fundamental role of institutional arrangements in promoting responsible practices and mitigating environmental impacts. As demands for natural resources and environmental awareness increase, understanding and strengthening these arrangements become essential to balance livestock production and environmental conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) and Jones and Baumgartner’s Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) are public policy frameworks that have existed for many years. Given their long-term popularity, it is important for readers to have a strong working knowledge on how said frameworks function, and be able to compare and contrast them. It has also been put forth that PET only serves as an updated version of MSA, but this paper argues that said assertion is inaccurate, as PET is a useful framework in its own right. By inspecting this paper, readers will learn about MSA, PET, how they are similar and different, how they can be operationalized or used in real life circumstances, how they have been tested, and it is ultimately concluded that PET is not just a reworking of MSA.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of inflation dynamics in Burundi, a country facing long-standing political and economic challenges. Through exploratory review of literature, it examines inflation trends, policy measures, and challenges, while offering potential solutions to combat high inflation in Burundi. Findings reveal periods of high and low inflation influenced by economic and political factors. Despite policy efforts, the country continues to experience volatile and high inflation levels, impacting the economy and citizens negatively. Key challenges include political instability, weak institutions, and external shocks. The study recommends sustained implementation and monitoring of policies promoting financial sector development, enhancing access to finance, and addressing corruption. These measures are vital for achieving stability and prosperity. The study also emphasizes the importance of evidence-based approaches to inflation control. In addition, the study underscores the significance of ongoing policy efforts in achieving economic stability and prosperity in Burundi amidst inflation challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista do Serviço Público (Civil Service Review) is the property of Revista do Servico Publico 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.)

The governance model established in Chilean water law delegates responsibility for groundwater management to private water rights owners. The Copiapó aquifer in the Atacama Region, Chile, has problems of overexploitation resulting from intensive use of the resource. This is explained by the limited information on the water availability in the aquifer and the existence of legally granted water rights whose flows exceed the rate of natural recharge. In this context, water users formed Chile's first groundwater users' community in the Copiapó basin for the collective administration of the aquifer. Although this organization is regulated by Chilean water law, the way in which its members participate in decision-making processes and some self-management mechanisms that they have implemented are local institutional arrangements that go beyond the rules established in the Water Code, showing this organization to be an empirical case of institutional adaptation to the overdepletion of an aquifer. The local institutional arrangements include incorporating environmental protection objectives for aquifers and wetlands, establishing an institutional arrangement that guarantees the participation in the decision-making processes of different water uses and users, developing an internal management model that promotes temporary transfers of partial volumes of a water right and carrying out studies to improve water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the transnational flow of industrial heritage conservation, urban China has adopted a cultural strategy – adaptive reuse of industrial heritage – for the transformation of the inner-city industrial landscape. However, a wide gap exists between the concepts and outcomes of conservation practices in most urban regeneration projects. Taking Shanghai and Chongqing as cases, this study traces the origin, process, and outcomes of industrial heritage reuse ideas. The analysis unravels the rationale for the making of discourse on heritage in local urban policies or projects. The territorialization of an idea of adaptively reusing heritage for urban regeneration merely commenced on a poetic imagination but closed on a real estate dimension, which responds to local institutional contextual constraints. This study relates the relationality – territoriality approach to heritage studies, reveals industrial heritage reuse ideas on the move in China, and argues that the reshaping of industrial heritage reuse ideas entails territoriality and relationality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of the impact of institutional arrangements on the nature of goods is insufficiently addressed in the literature. By the nature of goods, we refer to the economic taxonomy of goods, meaning their privateness is defined according to their degrees of excludability and subtractability. This paper aims to fill this research gap by examining whether institutional arrangements developed for the management of private goods can reduce the degrees of excludability of these goods. To this end, we analyse four collective farmland management projects in the Isère department in France. We adapt the tool of property as a bundle of rights in order to characterize the impact of these projects on the nature of farmland. Our results show that the distribution of land rights, as well as the rules designed to define land rights, influence the degree of excludability of farmland. We discuss the impact of these findings on public policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on a policy and practice review of existing institutional arrangements within the beef and dairy cattle production sectors in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche. Acknowledging the critical role of robust governance frameworks in transitioning towards sustainable livestock agriculture, a collaborative governance approach is employed to holistically address environmental and production challenges. This approach underscores the importance of active participation, stakeholder collaboration, and contextual adaptation in decision-making processes. Classified as explanatory research, the study is grounded in a qualitative approach, covering a synchronous period from 2017 to 2022. Secondary sources such as public policies, international climate commitment reports, sector-specific reports, and databases were utilized to provide context and data regarding the analyzed institutional arrangements. Additionally, semi-structured information-gathering protocols were developed and, in conjunction with participant observation, administered to approximately 30 key stakeholders from public, private, academic, research centers, international cooperation, and civil society sectors involved in institutional arrangements in the aforementioned states. The findings highlight the significance of collaborative governance as a valuable alternative for addressing governance challenges in the livestock sector, particularly when hierarchical or market-oriented approaches are less effective. The diversity of identified institutional arrangements, ranging from hierarchical to polyarchic, emphasizes the need to acknowledge the specificities of the context in which they operate and adapt strategies accordingly. This analysis contributes to the growing discussion on sustainable livestock farming and the fundamental role of institutional arrangements in promoting responsible practices and mitigating environmental impacts. As demands for natural resources and environmental awareness increase, understanding and strengthening these arrangements become essential to balance livestock production and environmental conservation.

Assessment, maintenance, and implementation of environmental flow (hereafter e-flow) in rivers and wetlands have been recognized as a vital tool for sustaining freshwater ecosystems in several countries including India. In this view, the paper intends to review the current understanding of e-flow concept in India. This can be accomplished by reviewing case studies reported for different river basins across India and documented literature, legislative and water policy reports, minutes of meetings, workshops, and conferences. with the aim, On the other hand, its aims to briefly trace the history of e-flow assessment studies as well as the progress that has been achieved so far since 1998s. Role of enabling factors and constraints for e-flow implementation in India at a macro scale is also highlighted, which shows e-flow understanding has received considerable attention over the past two decades for the conservation of freshwater ecosystems and is still evolving. This paper also concludes with identifying a range of actions and gives some directions for future research that requires for e-flow implementation in a river basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates which combination of institutional and infrastructural arrangements positively impact research data sharing and reuse in a specific case. We conducted a qualitative case study of the institutional and infrastructural arrangements implemented at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. In the examined case, it was fundamental to change the mindset of researchers and to make them aware of the benefits of sharing data. Therefore, arrangements should be designed bottom-up and used as a "carrot" rather than as a "stick." Moreover, support offered to researchers should cover at least legal, financial, administrative, and practical issues of research data management and should be informal in nature. Previous research describes generic institutional and infrastructural instruments that can stimulate open research data sharing and reuse. This study is among the first to analyze what and how infrastructural and institutional arrangements work in a particular context. It provides the basis for other scholars to study such arrangements in different contexts. Open data policymakers, universities, and open data infrastructure providers can use our findings to stimulate data sharing and reuse in practice, adapted to the contextual situation. Our study focused on a single case and a particular part of the university. We recommend repeating this research in other contexts, that is, at other universities, faculties, and involving other research data infrastructure providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government employees, municipal officials, and communities in South Africa have grappled with post-apartheid environmental challenges, such as floods, droughts, severe storms, and wildfires. These disasters are a result of both natural and human activities. The government implemented different policies and strategies after 1994 to address these issues. While acknowledging some success in managing these disasters with the current adaptive measures, the frequency and intensity of disasters have increased, causing significant damage to life and property, particularly among the vulnerable population. This paper uses qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches to explore possible systematic and structural weaknesses in addressing post-disaster situations in South Africa. Floods appear to be the most frequent natural disaster in South Africa. The paper uncovered the fact that disaster management is a multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary field. Although various institutional arrangements exist, they do not seem appropriate for assisting vulnerable groups. While officials have made some progress in implementing post-disaster projects, challenges still hinder sustainability. Furthermore, regrettably, despite the level of success in addressing disasters, most measures have failed to achieve the intended results for a variety of reasons. The consolidated long-term measures suggested by the participants yielded a proposed 'South African Floods Post-Disaster Checklist or Model', which was non-existent in South Africa. By implementing more effective and efficient post-disaster measures, the proposed tool can help policymakers and strategic partners standardise post-disaster resilience and adaptive capacity in various sectors' sustainability contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity and security drive attention to water reuse in policy and business. However, water reuse may generate new water loops and challenge water governance with new and different types of water, risks, involved actors, and responsibilities. These challenges demand robust institutional arrangements related to water governance. This article assesses the institutional arrangements associated with four case studies in Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Israel. The findings reveal that the more diverse the water uses and users, the more challenges and risks, particularly those associated with institutional arrangements such as quality standards, sanctions, and conflict prevention, are likely to emerge. The weaknesses of governance models and regulations to deal with changes, uncertainties, and public resistance call for special attention to the design of the institutional arrangements before the adoption. Independent of the type of technology adopted, governance may be improved by ensuring internal and external water monitoring; integrating water management with spatial concerns; improving training, expert engagement, and civil society awareness; and reducing water reuse costs. In addition, alternative models that guarantee the efficiency of governance in attaining objectives and assuring the participation of new water users in the management of water reuse loops may also improve governance. HIGHLIGHTS Water recycling and reuse need robust institutional arrangements and legal measures.; Institutional arrangements hinder or drive the transition to water circular economy.; The more diverse the water uses and users, the more the risks, particularly those associated with institutional arrangements, are likely to emerge.; The analytical framework in this study contributed to a better understanding of the robustness of institutional arrangements.;

In the Colorado River, hydrologic and legal conditions create difficulty in sharing water effectively and equitably during a deep 22-year drought. Demand outstrips supply, water entitlements are over-appropriated, and institutional arrangements are nearly gridlocked. The crisis poses challenges not experienced before, and these may worsen with climate change and warming. It threatens the water supplies of major cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as critical agricultural regions in the U.S. The background began to unfold more than 100 years ago, prior to signing of the Colorado River Compact in 1922. The decade prior to 1922 was relatively wet, and the Compact made water allocations that are not sustainable. Institutional challenges are caused by the rigidity of the rules governing river operations and the complex array of stakeholder organizations and management authorities. Although a wet 2022-3 winter provided temporary and only incremental relief, without a hydrologic reversal and/or effective regulatory controls, water levels in Lakes Powell and Mead will decline further and no storage water will be available to satisfy downstream interests. To avoid that scenario, it is likely that drastic curtailments will occur but forecasting them involves uncertainties and speculation. Achieving effective river basin management during the drought will likely require involuntary cuts, voluntary cuts, and possibly litigation, which will be expensive and long-lasting. Federal funding may help on a temporary basis. Involuntary cuts will require a forceful mechanism to push ahead with solutions despite lack of consensus. Lessons include the challenges in creating equity and sustainable conditions in the dry regions with water right systems based on prior appropriation and how to manage transboundary water conflicts within a federal system of government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale male outmigration has placed new pressures on both men and women, especially regarding labour division in farm households and involvement in Water Users Associations (WUAs). This paper illustrates how the interplay between existing gender norms, male migration, remittances, and alternative sources of male labour influence women’s agency and WUA decision-making processes in Nepal. Despite official quotas aimed at promoting women’s participation in WUAs, some women prefer to monetise membership contributions rather than actively engage with the organisation. Others pursue strategic interests through changing WUA rules and, in the process, bringing about an adjustment of cultural norms. Women’s agency is derived not only from their knowledge of irrigation systems features and their ability to manage them; it is also related to their ability to learn new organisational skills and to apply them in the WUA context to negotiate and mobilise rules and resources. Women (re)shape their WUA involvement in conjunction with their farming strategies, their view of the WUA’s functionality, and whether they perceive the involvement as either an opportunity for productive engagement or as merely an increase in their already heavy workload.

Establishing institutional arrangements for regulating gas markets toward price convergence is one of the crucial integrational factors. The strategy of the firm and economic development management depends on it. The paper aims to assess the characteristics of price convergence on the natural gas markets of the Eastern European region. This region is relevant for Ukraine in a number of parameters. The assessment was made based on Eurostat data for different groups of consumers, excluding taxes, using the standard deviation detection method of price convergence for 15 countries in 2007–2020. Despite the revealed generally positive price convergence on the natural gas markets in the considered countries after 2014, obtained results showed three points that highlight the heterogeneous structure of the process. First, an even movement toward a single price is detected in groups of large households (the standard price deviation of the price decreased in 2014–2020 from 2.7 to 1.9 euro per Giga Joule or 1.5 times) and medium industrial enterprises (the standard deviation decreased from 1.0-1.7 to 0.6-1.1 or 1.5-1.8 times). Second, the prices for the largest industrial enterprises in considered countries approached the fastest (the deviation decreased from 2.0 to 0.5). Third, in the segment of small enterprises, the deviation even increased from 2.1 to 2.2 (1.05 times). This result highlights the gap in the institutional mechanisms of European integration and sources of uncertainty for the small firms’ management. AcknowledgmentThe paper was funded as a part of the “Determination of institutional conditions for the development of the exchange segment of the gas market” research project (No. 0122U002205), conducted at the State Institution Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine.

Many States refer to the territory to renew their public action, particularly in Brazil between 2003 and 2016. Territorial governance mechanisms play an important role in organising collective action between multiple actors, but their implementation is encountered problems and raises questions. The article analyses how territorial governance arrangements that mobilise the notion of common and companion methodologies largely respond to these difficulties. Action research carried out in Brazil over a period of fifteen years has analysed the key elements of the companion processes of territorial governance arrangements that have made it possible to construct these arrangements as commons. These include the co-construction of a mission and rules shared for the use of the common, emotional intelligence and conflict, the role of the gatekeepers in multi-level governance, social experimentation and progressive institutionalisation. From these experiences, perspectives for renewing public action are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the governance arrangements of collectives of producers who pool their logistics ressources in order to improve the distribution of their products in short food supply chains. The aim is to understand the extent to which these collectives, by designing their own rules and going beyond their own objectives, foster a territorial food governance. Our analysis is based on a study of 3 logistics collectives in Hauts-de-France. We consider them as forms of coordination alternative to the market: the cooperation of the stakeholders aims to achieve a double goal of logistical profitability and territorial development. We choose to define this double goal as a search for territorial performance. While the literature questions the links between food and territorial development, these collectives present themselves as experimental laboratories for territorial development and governance from two points of view. On the one hand, the process of designing institutional arrangements is also, for the collectives, a learning process likely to provide useful feedbacks on how to foster multiactors and multi-scale cooperation in a territory. On the other hand, their ability to cooperate in a territory can provide a starting point for identifying the relevant scale of territorial food governance. Thus, the analysis of these collective allow us to discuss, in the final section, the relevant scale of food systems in transition and to outline a framework for measuring the territorial performance of short food supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, sustainability concerns have gained increasing attention among countries and stakeholders worldwide. Towards the transition to sustainable rural development, the rural web framework (RWF) has become a consistent tool. Indicators from the RWF have been used to explore sustainable rural development for decision-making tasks, which improves the social, economic, and environmental performance of rural regions. However, the application of the RWF in studies is on the decline. Furthermore, there is a lack of literature reviews on the importance of the RWF and its relationship with different facets of sustainable development. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) (a) to explore how studies have used the RWF in the context of sustainable development and (b) to identify areas for further research. This study found that the RWF has mostly been used in developed countries, with fewer applications in developing countries. We suggest that there should be increased application of the RWF, particularly in developing countries, to broaden the rural web–sustainable development discourse and its relevance. This paper presents several areas where the indicators of the RWF can be applied to illustrate their relevance for policy decisions towards the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A project commissioned in 2017 to upgrade agribusiness value chains in southern Myanmar required functional producer groups to manage and sustain its transactional and value-adding interventions. This practical note describes the action research processes used to design, initiate, and develop these groups. It highlights key lessons and offers practitioners evidence-based guidelines to consider when collective action is required to link smallholders with preferred markets. Training and mentoring are important, but more effective if preceded by negotiation and acceptance of a constitution embedding good governance practices and investor-friendly institutional arrangements that groups can customise to support their business strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weak and inefficient institutional arrangements have been identified as a major cause of the slow pace of agricultural growth in developing countries. Institutions – the humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction – play a significant role in Sustainable Crop Intensification (SCI) in Uganda. This study uses farmers' perceptions to assess institutions and their roles in SCI. We collected data from 135 rice and potato-producing households in Eastern and Southwestern regions of Uganda between January and February 2017. We used Focus Group Discussions to identify and categorize institutional typologies following which we asked households to evaluate several institutional aspects. Overall, institutional contributions to SCI were highly valued by farmers. Based on functional, organizational, and managerial obstacles, farmers perceived formal institutions to be ineffective while they perceived informal farmer's institutions to be the most relevant institutions as they provided financial resources that alleviated constraints to agricultural production and met livelihood needs. We found a lack of coordination between the micro, meso, and macro-level institutions, which then affected their institutional functionality to execute SCI. There is a need for innovation within existing institutions, and a status quo of institutional arrangements that would better respond to smallholders' needs. • The manuscript investigates institutional arrangements in the potato and rice sectors of Ugandaand determines locally efficient ways of coping with risk and transaction costs. • Farmers' perception reveal that both formal and informal institutions contribute towards sustainable crop intensification. • Informal institutions are more widely appreciated amongst actors than formal institutions. • Agents within informal institutions found innovative ways to transform them by providing a multiplicity of services within an organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Réseau national des Maisons des sciences de l'homme (Rn-MSH), set up in 22 French universities, launched a reflection on interdisciplinarity practices and policies. Two stages were defined. The first, the 'Interdisciplinarity/ies' conference, took place in September 2021. During the workshops, experiences and projects carried out within the MSH were examined and discussed with the focus on interdisciplinarity in action. Then, in January 2022, reflections were broadened to assess the contribution of interdisciplinary dynamics to the redefinition of the knowledge regime. Non-academic forms of knowledge and the involvement of science in social issues were taken into consideration. We refer here in particular to the organisational arrangements that allow to reach a subtle balance between lowering the limitations imposed on scientific discipline structures while preserving the intellectual resources of disciplinary communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]