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Pesticides continue to receive criticism due to their adverse impacts on the environment and human health, a food safety concern emanating from pesticide residues in food and the occupational pesticide exposure risks on farms. This usage has elicited increased attention from policymakers, consumer organizations, and the private and public sectors, pushing the authorities to strengthen pesticide governance and compliance. For instance, the East Africa Community (EAC) has borrowed heavily from the United States and European Union in revising its pesticide standards, which are currently under adoption among the six member states. The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) in Kenya is at the frontline in the domestication and adoption of the EAC standards by developing new bills and reviewing regulations guiding pesticide usage. Furthermore, with agriculture being a devolved function, counties have woken up and are exploring avenues for promoting the wise use of pesticides. Counties are leveraging partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration to efficiently strengthen the pesticide policy-practice nexus. Micro Enterprises Support Program Trust (MESPT), a development organization in Kenya, is closely partnering with and building the capacity of 21 county governments to improve food safety and increase sustainable agricultural productivity through good agricultural practices (GAP) initiatives. This paper reviews the deliberate programmatic interventions by MESPT in facilitating investments within food safety control systems by key sector players. Furthermore, the paper highlights institutional efforts to strengthen farmer organizations to comply with and adapt sustainable agricultural practices that promote the reduced and safe use of pesticides in production. Through MESPT interventions, County Governments have established a functional food safety coordination mechanism and surveillance system backed by legal infrastructure. Additionally, the private sector has been capacitated on food safety compliance, thus influencing smallholder farmers to meet market standards, especially for formal markets. Across the counties, multi-stakeholder collaborations have been strengthened, fueling timely discussions on pesticide compliance toward improved food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of the high speed railway (HSR) network has made vital contributions in improving intercity travel around the globe. Despite being promoted by governments across the globe, multiplicity of barriers has prevented the penetration of HSR services in developing economies apart from China. Many studies have emphasized on the advantages of HSR services but have failed to highlight the challenges in developing an efficient HSR network. This study aims to identify and develop interrelationships between the major inhibitors in the growth of HSR in a developing economy such as India considering the perspective of multiple stakeholders. The stakeholders considered for the present study are academic researchers, Indian railway officials and ancillary companies involved in the construction of HSR. Thirteen major inhibitors are identified after consulting all the stakeholders and a blended methodology consisting of Fuzzy theory as well as decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) is used to develop the inter-relationships. All stakeholders highlighted some common inhibitors such as financial viability of the HSR project, financial health of Indian Railways and the existing infrastructure as the major challenges in growth of HSR in India. Furthermore, strategies have been identified to mitigate these inhibitors to help the policy makers. Strategies have been proposed and a relationship (inhibitor-strategy) matrix has been developed to understand the acceptability of these strategies. The major contribution of the present study is that no study has considered different stakeholder's perspectives in identifying the inhibitors. Furthermore, the policy makers can directly use the findings of this study for HSR growth in developing economies. • Inhibitors to the growth of high-speed railway (HSR) network using multi stakeholders' perspective are identified. • A Fuzzy- DEMATEL method is proposed to reveal the causal interactive mechanisms among barriers. • A relationship mapping between the inhibitors and the strategies are developed. • Financial viability of the HSR project and the existing infrastructure should be prioritized. • The findings could help policy making by providing a priority ranking and of effective strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REDD+ aims to mitigate climate change by reducing deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries while ensuring social and environmental benefits through the involvement of diverse stakeholders. While several studies evaluate stakeholder participation in various aspects of REDD+, such as the level and type of stakeholder participation at both the project and national context level, there is a lack of research on how the government conducted the consultation meetings across all administrative levels. The objective of this study is to evaluate the participation of different stakeholders in REDD+ in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), or Laos, funded by the World Bank, with a focus on analyzing government consultation processes to identify drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. The study applied both a literature review and online interviews, conducted with government officials and representatives of CSOs, which took place from March to April 2020. The results indicate significant involvement from cross-sectoral stakeholders. However, central government agencies and development partners dominated stakeholder participation, potentially influenced by government ownership. Non-state stakeholders, though invited to the consultations, had limited participation, highlighting the need for greater emphasis on their roles to ensure the integration of diverse interests and views in the REDD+ initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides continue to receive criticism due to their adverse impacts on the environment and human health, a food safety concern emanating from pesticide residues in food and the occupational pesticide exposure risks on farms. This usage has elicited increased attention from policymakers, consumer organizations, and the private and public sectors, pushing the authorities to strengthen pesticide governance and compliance. For instance, the East Africa Community (EAC) has borrowed heavily from the United States and European Union in revising its pesticide standards, which are currently under adoption among the six member states. The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) in Kenya is at the frontline in the domestication and adoption of the EAC standards by developing new bills and reviewing regulations guiding pesticide usage. Furthermore, with agriculture being a devolved function, counties have woken up and are exploring avenues for promoting the wise use of pesticides. Counties are leveraging partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration to efficiently strengthen the pesticide policy-practice nexus. Micro Enterprises Support Program Trust (MESPT), a development organization in Kenya, is closely partnering with and building the capacity of 21 county governments to improve food safety and increase sustainable agricultural productivity through good agricultural practices (GAP) initiatives. This paper reviews the deliberate programmatic interventions by MESPT in facilitating investments within food safety control systems by key sector players. Furthermore, the paper highlights institutional efforts to strengthen farmer organizations to comply with and adapt sustainable agricultural practices that promote the reduced and safe use of pesticides in production. Through MESPT interventions, County Governments have established a functional food safety coordination mechanism and surveillance system backed by legal infrastructure. Additionally, the private sector has been capacitated on food safety compliance, thus influencing smallholder farmers to meet market standards, especially for formal markets. Across the counties, multi-stakeholder collaborations have been strengthened, fueling timely discussions on pesticide compliance toward improved food safety.

The urgent need for climate action and sustainable development has elevated the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in climate finance. While PPPs are crucial for mobilizing resources for climate finance, the factors influencing the willingness of different stakeholders to participate in these partnerships are not well understood. This study employs a multifaceted analytical approach, integrating theoretical insights from Stakeholder Theory, Transaction Cost Economics, and Agency Theory. We conduct a Tobit regression analysis to investigate the determinants of willingness to participate in climate finance PPPs among three key stakeholder groups: Governors, Firms, and the Public. Using survey data collected from over 1600 participants in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, this research examines the influence of perceived benefits, perceptions of PPPs, the importance of climate finance, trust and transparency, and multilateral support on stakeholders' willingness to participate in PPPs for climate finance. The analysis reveals that the perceived benefits of PPPs and trust and transparency universally enhance the willingness to participate across all groups of stakeholders. However, the impact of positive perceptions of PPPs varies, playing a crucial role for firms and the public but not for governors. The study also highlights the significance of understanding and emphasizing the importance of climate finance, particularly when combined with trust and transparency, in encouraging stakeholder participation. Furthermore, by revealing the varied impacts of determinants across stakeholder groups, this research points to the necessity of adopting differentiated approaches to maximize participation in PPPs for climate finance, thereby supporting sustainable development and climate action goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the structure and operations of the MicroVeg Vegetable Operational Innovation Platforms (IPs) in Southwestern Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select eleven MicroVeg IPs. Data were collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews with IP stakeholders. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti 8. The results reveal that MicroVeg IP structure was in three levels – State, Local Government and Community with the community IPs being the operational IPs while the district IPs were the strategic IPs. Farmers, marketers, input dealers/seed producers, and microfinance bankers were identified as the main stakeholders involved in the IPs. Roles performed by Farmers were raising emerging issues around vegetable production, in-house training, and assistance of one another to resolve emerging issues. The marketers gave farmers market situational reports and counselled farmers on prevailing consumers’ preferences and how to increase profit and reduce wastage. The IP operations utilised collective knowledge, expertise, and resources to improve the efficiency of the vegetable value chain. The study concluded that IPs were successful in joint diagnostic, validation of technologies and access to services, co-creation of innovations, experience sharing, learning and capacity building. The study recommended the sustenance of the IPs.

Organizations differ in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation, the effects of which manifest themselves in organizational outcomes. Drawing on the institutional logics perspective, the current study explains the underlying dynamics of these differences. The current study aims at revealing how organizations can achieve combined CSR benefits for both society and business by exploring the ways of how social and commercial logic function differently in the context of CSR and shape organizations' CSR together with some mediators. Based on the developed typology by the current study for CSR, a research model is created for the analysis. A survey was conducted with 192 companies operating in various sectors. The findings confirm the dichotomy, which is theoretically proposed by the developed typology of the current study between institutional logics and perceived CSR benefits: commercial logic mostly increases CSR benefits for business while social logic increases CSR benefits for society. Furthermore, the current study finds out that it is possible for commercial logic to provide CSR benefits for society and social logic to provide CSR benefits for business, thanks to some organizational capabilities that allow overcoming the complexity arising from the different organizational prescriptions of competing institutional logics. Thus, paradox mindset and multi-stakeholders can enable combined CSR benefits by mediating between incompatible structures of multiple logics. Given the importance of approaching strategically in today's turbulent business environment, both academics and practitioners can use this model to achieve CSR benefits simultaneously for both business and society by managing multiple goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the integration of large-scale renewable energy generation, some new problems and challenges are brought for the operation and planning of power systems with the aim of mitigating the adverse effects of integrating photovoltaic plants into the grid and safeguarding the interests of diverse stakeholders. In this paper, a methodology for allotting capacity is introduced, which takes into account the active involvement of multiple stakeholders in the energy storage system. The objective model for maximizing the financial proceeds of the PV plant, the system for the storage of energy, and a power grid company is studied. Then, in order to maximize the benefit of three stakeholders, a modified particle swarm optimization algorithm is devised, employing the prevailing typical allocation strategy. Finally, a case study is provided based on the modified IEEE 14-bus and the actual power grid from South Xinjiang, China. The simulation results and findings of the case study conclusively illustrate that the proposed methodology adeptly ensures the maximization of interests for the triad of stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to Europe and the United States, where the development of pediatric oncology drugs is mandated by law, Japan hosts fewer clinical trials. This can lead to a significant drug lag, especially in the case of treatments for pediatric solid tumors. Notably, regulatory authorities and the government have initiated discussions on strategies to mitigate Japan’s drug lag problem in pediatric oncology. Over the past decade, we have actively sought opportunities to participate in international collaborative clinical trials through Japan’s involvement in ACCELERATE and its predecessor organizations. This approach has aimed to address the issue above, coinciding with the ongoing centralization of medical care and advancements in genomic medicine, among other systems that support pediatric cancer care in Japan. Inspired by the ACCELERATE initiatives and in response to patient advocacy groups’ requests for new pediatric oncology drugs, Japan established its inaugural pediatric oncology support platform in 2021, the National Childhood Cancer Consortium (N3C). N3C comprises patient advocacy groups, industries, and academia. This work outlines the current status of pediatric drug development in Japan and highlights the initial successful experience of NCCH’s participation in a global clinical trial through ACCELERATE resulting in rapid preparation and patient recruitment. Participation of Asian countries including Japan in global collaborative clinical trials may benefit both pharmaceutical companies and the participating countries partnering to advance the development of pediatric oncology drugs.

This article elucidates the significance of collaboration between the Local Government (LG) and the Local Government Association (LGA) in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation within Sawahlunto City Geopark, Indonesia that aims to explore the role of diverse stakeholders in shaping policy implementation in Indonesia, particularly in the context of Geopark tourism in Sawahlunto. The central issue at hand concerns how LGA can assist in surmounting challenges and bolstering Sawahlunto City's aspiration to elevate its status from a National Geopark to a UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG). This research employs theoretical frameworks and adopts a qualitative approach using the quadruple helix investigator model. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews and the acquisition of information from primary and secondary sources, including Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD), Geopark documentation, Project Documents, and more. The research findings underscore the pivotal role played by UCLG ASPAC, as an LGA, in collaborating with LG to optimize the involvement of other stakeholders in advancing RPJMD, particularly in the realm of tourism aligned with SDG 11.4. Furthermore, this collaboration is crucial for aiding LG in realizing its aspiration to attain UGG status. Additionally, it emphasizes the imperative for regional governments with geopark potential to develop their regional assets.

An internship programme is a great way to connect what is learnt in class with actual work experience. Existing research has underscored the positive contribution of internship to the educational process and career outcomes among students. The internship programme for students of Faculty of Art, KNUST is a requirement or considered as a compulsory 15 credit hour course for the award of undergraduate degree. As such it is a vital component of the curriculum. Nonetheless, empirical literature on the dynamics of the internship programme at the university is sparse. Without insight into these dynamics however, there will be lack of information that could inform policy and continuous improvement of the programme. To bridge this gap, this paper seeks to analyze the internship experiences of students to determine what factors seem to create the greatest perceived value. The study employed the descriptive exploratory study design approach. Data was obtained from a total of 376 students of the Faculty of Art through the use of questionnaire designed in open and close ended patterns and focus discussions. The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) computer package was used for data analysis, while descriptive statistical tools such as frequency and percentage were used to analyze the facts sought from the questionnaire. The students described a variety of skills learned during the internship including mastering the use of some equipment, software, and report writing. About 80% of the participants indicated that the internship programme was important and linked the classroom work to real work environment. All the students regardless of their experiences indicated they had value for the internship which they believe will play a role in their future career objectives. On the other hand, some of the students had some unfavourable experiences including inadequate work space, provision of inadequate PPEs, boring and difficult tasks. Others were engaged in other duties that were not related to their field of studies, all of which could potentially influence the perception of students.

Personal health data sharing can facilitate value co-creation between multiple stakeholders, including individuals, public organisations, private companies, research institutes, and policymakers. Yet, when companies are involved in sharing health data to develop health-related solutions, it can lead to conflicts and contradictions between stakeholders. We apply a qualitative research approach over two cases in the Finnish healthcare sector to explore the tensions and contradictions in sharing personal health data that companies can utilise in the development of new products/or services in the healthcare sector. We identify the tensions and paradoxes from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives and provide management approaches on three levels: (I) The micro-level focusing on individuals as users, (II) The meso-level concerns businesses operating within the digital health ecosystem. (III) The macro-level addresses broader societal impact and policies governing the secondary use of health data.

This article presents an innovative methodological approach for the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) based on the model 'Working with People' (WWP). This WWPmodel is proposed for the application of the VGGT in Colombia and Guatemala, based on four phases. The results show that the WWPmodel turned out to be a useful tool for implementation of the VGGT. The generation of trust and dialogue through multi-stakeholder platforms proposed a new look on how to resolve the issue of land tenure in areas affected by armed conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REDD+ aims to mitigate climate change by reducing deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries while ensuring social and environmental benefits through the involvement of diverse stakeholders. While several studies evaluate stakeholder participation in various aspects of REDD+, such as the level and type of stakeholder participation at both the project and national context level, there is a lack of research on how the government conducted the consultation meetings across all administrative levels. The objective of this study is to evaluate the participation of different stakeholders in REDD+ in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), or Laos, funded by the World Bank, with a focus on analyzing government consultation processes to identify drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. The study applied both a literature review and online interviews, conducted with government officials and representatives of CSOs, which took place from March to April 2020. The results indicate significant involvement from cross-sectoral stakeholders. However, central government agencies and development partners dominated stakeholder participation, potentially influenced by government ownership. Non-state stakeholders, though invited to the consultations, had limited participation, highlighting the need for greater emphasis on their roles to ensure the integration of diverse interests and views in the REDD+ initiative.

This paper discusses how innovations in public sector AI-based services must comply with the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) regulatory frameworks while enabling experimentation and participation of diverse stakeholders throughout the Artificial Intelligence (AI) lifecycle. The paper examines the implications of the emerging regulation, AI regulatory sandboxes and Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) as tools that facilitate compliance while enabling co-learning and active participation of multiple stakeholders. We propose a framework that fosters experimentation with automation pipelines and continuous monitoring for the deployment of future public sector AI-based services in a regulatory-compliant and technically innovative manner. AI regulatory sandboxes can be beneficial as a space for contained experimentation that goes beyond regulatory considerations to specific experimentation with the implementation of ML frameworks. While the paper presents a framework based on emerging regulations, tools and practices pertaining to the responsible use of AI, this must be validated through pilot experimentation with public and private stakeholders and regulators in different areas of high-risk AI-based services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi Stakeholders collaboration becomes imperative when a single agency such as the NNPC or the Oil Companies alone cannot adequately address a recurring menace such as oil pipeline disasters. Thus, agencies such as National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), NOSDRA, FMHDSD, Fire Service, Oil Companies, Health and Security agencies, the Media and Academia, as well the Community must seek to promote cooperation in order to achieve successful oil pipeline disaster policy implementation. To achieve this goal efficiently and effectively, a framework for stakeholders* collaboration in the management and mitigation of oil pipeline disasters in Nigeria was developed in this study, following a logical path and adopting the use of interviews conducted among the main stakeholders and with industry experts. In a bid to achieve an un-biased opinion, questionnaires and document analysis of data obtained from secondary sources was carried out. A framework for the mitigation of oil pipeline disasters before, during and after disaster occurrence was developed. The framework captures the relevant stakeholders as well as their roles in disaster mitigation.

With the proposal of global energy conservation and emission reduction policies, the scale of grid connection of Integrated Energy System (IES) is gradually increasing. How to formulate a carbon trading mechanism to guide the system’s carbon emissions and realize the operation of the system’s low-carbon economy has become the main problem to be solved urgently. Based on this background, this paper proposes a multi-stakeholders energy management and control method of IES considering carbon trading scheme. First, a dynamic multi-energy coupling energy flow model of electricity, heat and gas in IES is established. Second, carbon emissions are limited by introducing the carbon trading scheme with a punishment mechanism into the IES control mode. Finally, a hierarchical model is established based on the system trading framework, and energy flow management and the control model of IES under multi-stakeholders is established by quoting mixed game theory. A simulation example is given to verify that the proposed control method can make IES run in a low-carbon economy.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing can complement other energy management strategies needed in the energy transition to clean energy such as renewables. The recent advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning and internet of things can provide cutting-edge solutions to dynamic information interaction and power exchange, enabling efficient P2P energy sharing and trading schemes. However, the current electricity market fails to comprehensively consider devices degradation costs and transmission losses, fairness distribution and allocation on cost-benefit model, synergistic collaborations and operations for different stakeholders. Here, a comprehensive review on P2P energy sharing and trading is presented covering novel system configurations, energy sharing and marginal/trading price mechanisms, and decision-making in dynamic P2P energy trading combined with synergistic collaboration and operation among key stakeholders. Significances of this review include comprehensive consideration on internal trading pricing, fairness distribution and allocation with active participation in P2P energy sharing, synergistic collaborations and operations with mutual economic benefits. Modelling tools for P2P energy trading platforms for real applications are also reviewed. The review shows that P2P when optimally designed can provide win-win economic benefits to all related stakeholders such as prosumers, consumers, retailers, and aggregators with fair access to distributed energy resources. The P2P energy sharing can improve the system efficiency, reduce energy storage capacity and primary energy consumption, improve renewable penetration, avoid energy quality devaluation and mitigate stressed grid power together with voltage support and congestion management for the local power grid. Employing blockchain technology improves the automation level in P2P thus decreasing human interactions improving the security with transparent, tamper-proof and secure systems, and accelerating real-time settlements with smart contracts. Synergistic collaboration and operation among stakeholders can ensure economic benefits for each participant, fair energy distribution and cost allocation, and decrease reliance on retailers or aggregators. The results presented provide cutting-edge guidelines for increasing the use and acceptance of smart and fair P2P energy sharing and trading frameworks. • P2P energy sharing among prosumers, consumers, retailers, and aggregators. • System configurations, sharing mechanism, marginal pricing, and decision-making. • Dynamic P2P energy trading with synergistic collaboration and operation. • Blockchain for trading automation with transparency, tamper-proof and security. • Interdisciplinary study with dynamic pricing, machine learning and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital industrial revolution continues to expand the global network of economies and societies. Nevertheless, difficulties of sustainability such as climate change and disruption have become more severe. Multi-stakeholders are crucially important to resolve difficulties posed to sustainability in global communities. Sustainable communities are expected to be constructed through competitive and cooperative schemes of multi-stakeholders. Sustainable global communities must reform centralized economies with top down systems and must move toward decentralized mechanisms known as bottom-up societies. Sustainable investment strategies to support environment, society and governance (ESG) presumably improve social welfare. The main findings presented herein are summarized as explained hereinafter. First, this article describes that multi-stakeholders can introduce a decentralized incentive scheme into global economies and can provide mathematical expressions of sustainable investment strategies. Secondly, the decentralized formulation described herein is used to evaluate the improvement of ESG initiatives by the decrease of social welfare losses. The formulation states mathematically relative relations among the investment strategies. Thirdly, this mathematical model explores the social welfare effects of initiatives to enhance standards, regulations, and legislations. Empirically, one finds that integration strategies have grown remarkably as a core part of social institutional reform for sustainability. Finally, initiatives to improve social evaluation by individuals who are excluded from market transaction are demonstrated to decrease social welfare losses greatly. These findings can promote initiatives to alleviate the disruption difficulties faced by communities.

The growth of the urban population and their mobility, added with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, requires the capability to anticipate uncertainties. As a developing country, Indonesia has progressed with many developments in urban mobility, but at the same time, challenges still may affect its future, particularly in a metropolitan like Jakarta. Despite the widely understood challenges faced by the metropolitan, there has been limited understanding about its possible futures of mobility and the ways to go in its respective future. A multi-stakeholder scenario planning was used to develop future scenarios of urban mobility in Jakarta Metropolitan Area (JMA), utilizing stakeholders’ point of views regarding the driving forces and critical uncertainties that may shape the future of mobility to create action-oriented strategies to achieve the desired future. A medium-term time scale of ten years (2021–2030) was used to give viable and practical recommendations. Four scenarios were developed, which consisted of: 1) one seamless ecosystem, 2) the culture of public transportation, 3) the exclusive green community, and 4) the social dilemma of public versus private transportation, which emphasized the forms of mobility that would dominate in the next ten years. With implications of each scenario explained from several aspects, six efforts should be considered to direct the future of mobility in Jakarta Metropolitan Area: vehicle electrification, limitation of fossil fuel vehicles and broader use of public transportation, implementation of MaaS and TOD, commuters’ behavior changes with push and pull policies, and boosting funding for mobility facilities.

Background: The burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is rapidly increasing globally, and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear the brunt of it. Tanzania is no exception. Addressing the rising burden of NCDs in this context calls for renewed efforts and commitment by various stakeholders. This paper highlights local initiatives and strategies to combat NCDs in Tanzania and provides lessons for countries with similar contexts. Methods: We reviewed published and grey literature and conducted policy analysis on NCDs in Tanzania to examine the burden of NCDs and the national response addressing it. The documents included National NCD strategic plans, NCD research agenda, and reports from the World Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization. Moreover, a scoping review of ongoing NCD activities and programs in other countries was also conducted to supplement the evidence gathered. Results: The rising burden of NCDs as a result of the epidemiological transition in Tanzania called for the launching of a dedicated National NCD Control and Prevention Program. The Ministry of Health collaborates with local, national, and international partners on NCD prevention and curative strategies. This led to the development of important guidelines and policies on NCDs, including strengthening the capacity of health facilities and healthcare workers, increased community engagement and awareness of NCDs, and increased advocacy for more resources in NCD initiatives. Strong governmental commitment has been vital; this is demonstrated by a renewed commitment to the fight through national NCD week and related advocacy activities conducted annually. To ensure multi-stakeholders’ engagement and political commitment, all these activities are coordinated at the Prime Minister’s office and provide strong lessons for countries with contexts similar to Tanzania. Conclusion: Multi-stakeholders’ engagement, innovative approaches, and coordinated governmental efforts to address NCDs have shone a light on addressing the burden of NCDs and may be sustainable if aligned with locally available resources. Such initiatives are recommended for adoption by other nations to address the burdens of NCDs.

In recent years, the power market and regional distributed energy systems (RDES) in China have experienced considerable growth. However, the critical issue of how multi-stakeholder parties within the distributed energy system evaluate risk preferences in order to develop scientifically sound trading strategies remains unclear. To address this problem, this study constructs a multi-agent assisted decision-making model that incorporates the critical features of a regional distributed energy system. By simulating various calculation scenarios using this model, the study aims to provide a better understanding of the system’s multi-agent interactions and decision-making processes. First, different types of stakeholders and risk preferences in RDES are delineated. Second, supply and demand fluctuations in RDRS are treated and the impact of wholesale market price volatility risk on distributed energy system aggregators (DERA) decisions is fully considered. Meanwhile, a multi-stakeholders DERA transaction decision-making model in the day-ahead market considering risk preference behaviors is constructed based on information gap decision theory (IGDT) and solved by the Opposition Learning Grey Wolf Optimizer (OLGWO). The mathematical analysis conducted in this study indicates that the approach proposed could provide an effective trading scheme and operational strategy for multi-interest entities participating in the market of RDES. Therefore, incorporating the proposed approach would be beneficial in enhancing the performance and effectiveness of such systems.

Since 2007, Japan has been experiencing an aging and shrinking population as a consequence of rapid rate of aging and a persistently low birth rate. The impact of depopulation is apparent not only in rural areas, but also in new towns in the urban suburbs mostly built in the 1970 s to house the extensive flow of population to big urban centres. From the case study of a depopulated neighborhood in a new town in Tokyo suburb, this paper examines how the neighbourhood regeneration effort has resulted in a ground-up model of the community-based integrated care system promoting aging in place. Through fieldwork comprising participant observations and interviews, we examine the process and the neighbourhood services established that have led to the so-called ‘Nagayama method’. The involvement of multi-stakeholders from local government, non-profit and business sectors have shown concerted efforts in the care and support of older residents contributing towards a conducive environment for one to age safely and meaningfully in the community. In discussion, the case study is examined with reference to Fallov's concept of the ‘third way’ path in neighborhood regeneration recognizing the significance of local conditions and existing capabilities in contributing to the successful adoption of a ground-up system. By focusing on a depopulated urban neighbourhood through the lens of multi-stakeholders’ efforts in making a difference to the everyday lives of older adults in local community, the study brings attention to diversity in aging environments and implications for policy and practice for the Decade for Health Aging initiative.

Background: The burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is rapidly increasing globally, and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear the brunt of it. Tanzania is no exception. Addressing the rising burden of NCDs in this context calls for renewed efforts and commitment by various stakeholders. This paper highlights local initiatives and strategies to combat NCDs in Tanzania and provides lessons for countries with similar contexts. Methods: We reviewed published and grey literature and conducted policy analysis on NCDs in Tanzania to examine the burden of NCDs and the national response addressing it. The documents included National NCD strategic plans, NCD research agenda, and reports from the World Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization. Moreover, a scoping review of ongoing NCD activities and programs in other countries was also conducted to supplement the evidence gathered. Results: The rising burden of NCDs as a result of the epidemiological transition in Tanzania called for the launching of a dedicated National NCD Control and Prevention Program. The Ministry of Health collaborates with local, national, and international partners on NCD prevention and curative strategies. This led to the development of important guidelines and policies on NCDs, including strengthening the capacity of health facilities and healthcare workers, increased community engagement and awareness of NCDs, and increased advocacy for more resources in NCD initiatives. Strong governmental commitment has been vital; this is demonstrated by a renewed commitment to the fight through national NCD week and related advocacy activities conducted annually. To ensure multi-stakeholders' engagement and political commitment, all these activities are coordinated at the Prime Minister's office and provide strong lessons for countries with contexts similar to Tanzania. Conclusion: Multi-stakeholders' engagement, innovative approaches, and coordinated governmental efforts to address NCDs have shone a light on addressing the burden of NCDs and may be sustainable if aligned with locally available resources. Such initiatives are recommended for adoption by other nations to address the burdens of NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi Stakeholders collaboration becomes imperative when a single agency such as the NNPC or the Oil Companies alone cannot adequately address a recurring menace such as oil pipeline disasters. Thus, agencies such as National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), NOSDRA, FMHDSD, Fire Service, Oil Companies, Health and Security agencies, the Media and Academia, as well the Community must seek to promote cooperation in order to achieve successful oil pipeline disaster policy implementation. To achieve this goal efficiently and effectively, a framework for stakeholders' collaboration in the management and mitigation of oil pipeline disasters in Nigeria was developed in this study, following a logical path and adopting the use of interviews conducted among the main stakeholders and with industry experts. In a bid to achieve an un-biased opinion, questionnaires and document analysis of data obtained from secondary sources was carried out. A framework for the mitigation of oil pipeline disasters before, during and after disaster occurrence was developed. The framework captures the relevant stakeholders as well as their roles in disaster mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain technology is promising toward transforming conventional construction practices to improve collaboration and integration management in engineering-construction projects. The factors affecting the adoption of blockchain technology from the different stakeholder perspectives, however, have not been thoroughly investigated. Following the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and regulatory focus theory (RFT), this study explores the formation mechanisms underlying blockchain adoption from a multi-stakeholder perspective. The model was tested through partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method using data collected from Chinese construction practitioners. PLS-SEM results indicate that institutional pressures, perceived functional benefits, and behavioral control can directly drive blockchain adoption. Although perceived symbolic benefits do not directly affect blockchain adoption, their indirect effects on adoption are fully mediated by adoption intention. The PLS multi-group analysis found multiple path differences among stakeholders. The fsQCA results show that no single factor or its negation is the necessary condition to trigger blockchain adoption. The configuration analysis results show four new configurations that trigger the adoption of blockchain technology by owners, contractors, and consultants. This first multi-stakeholders research in the field of technology adoption contributes to the explanatory context of TPB and provides new insights into the effective blockchain technology adoption via the identified configurations that suit the project stakeholders.

Abstract Participatory approaches are linked to landscape restoration (LR) success, but not all participatory approaches are created equal. Engagement approaches that invest in transformative stakeholder and governance processes can create the right conditions for long‐term LR commitment. A large‐scale LR initiative in Spain, namely AlVelAl, illustrates how collective action can be activated through inspiration, trust and hope, which, in turn, can be cultivated through the application of social schemes designed to support inclusive stakeholder engagement processes and programmes. Collective agency and inspiration matter for activating and sustaining LR actions and outcomes. Multi‐stakeholder partnerships that speak to human agency, inclusivity and trust between actors can help create a deeper shared meaning, a place‐based sense of belonging that encourages cohesive landscape stewardship.

Considering the long-term growth of tourism, the environmental impact of aesthetic waste is necessary to manage sustainably. However, the current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) mostly lacks capacity and excludes the relevant stakeholders to involve tourism waste management comprehensively. Synergy was recruited as an important mechanism for enhancing the current MSWM, which had never been applied previously. Also, the private sector (accommodation and trades) and people sector (residents and tourists) were included in the multi-stakeholder approach for an effective MSWM study. Thus, this study aims to explore the stakeholders of the public sector and relevant stakeholders in beach recreation to find the synergistic opportunities for enhancing MSWM in the eastern region of Thailand. Primary data was gathered by semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys, as part of a mixed-methods methodology. Descriptive statistics, chi-square testing, regression, and content analysis were applied for data analysis. The finding shows that, in addition to the challenging, potential, and cross-sector synergy identified in the literature, this study discovered synergistic opportunities with other types of partnership specifically. To shed light on synergy and multi-stakeholder studies, the benefits derived and ecosystem must be indicated to stimulate partnership and enhance the MSWM in coastal tourism destination sustainability.

The aim of this article is to provide a critical understanding of techno-stakeholders' perspective by considering data driven initiatives for smart city development. Particularly, a model is proposed based on a systematic literature review to explore techno-stakeholders' perspective in smart cities. Findings from this study identifies that data driven initiatives that influence techno-stakeholder's perspectives for smart city development comprises of stakeholder involvement, data ownership, data access, policies, regulations, trust, and data privacy. Evidence from this study offer insight into techno-stakeholder's perspectives by proposing a model that could be utilized as a governance tool to benchmark and evaluate urban data transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperation between R & D institutions/universities and industry has been carried out a lot. Most of these partnerships have not produced a significant economic impact, as part of fostering national innovation. What is the cause of the unsuccessful cooperation? There are various studies on these failures, including those caused by: unclear reasons for cooperating, improper forms of cooperation, and not yet growing trust between them. This paper discusses research collaboration by paying attention to these three aspects. In addition, it is accompanied by policy implications to improve it. The research used qualitative descriptive analysis with data based on the results of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Research and Technology. The results of the analysis show that: (a) the reason there are still few industries that collaborate with R & D institutions and universities, is because the quality of technology produced by these institutions has not been proven; (a) the form of multi-stakeholder cooperation, involving other than industry and R&D institutions and universities, as well as other parties such as the government, is a form of good cooperation; (c) the industry trusts the performance of imported technology more than the domestic technology. The recommended policies include: (a) improving the quality of human resources, facilities, and infrastructure, as well as publishing research results from R & D institutions and universities in the media or forums, where industry is heavily involved; (b) the government acts as a regulator and facilitator in cooperation between industry and R&D institutions through various policy instruments; (c) technologies produced by R&D institutions and universities whose performance has been technically proven (TRL 6), need serious support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shutdown of drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) at the Langat River Basin, Malaysia, which provides drinking water to almost one-third population in the basin, is very frequent, especially due to chemical pollution in the river. This study explored the pollution sources in the Langat River based on eight specific water intake points of the respective DWTPs to suggest an integrated river basin management (IRBM). Analysis of Al (250.26 ± 189.24 µg/L), As (1.65 ± 0.93 µg/L), Cd (1.22 ± 0.88 µg/L), Cr (0.47 ± 0.27 µg/L), and Pb (9.99 ± 5.38 µg/L) by ICP-MS following the Chelex® 100 column resin ion exchange method found that the mean concentrations except Al were within the water quality standard of the Ministry of Health (MOH) as well as the Dept. of Environment (DOE) Malaysia. However, the determined water quality index based on physicochemical parameters (2005–2015) at the midstream of Langat River was Class III, which needs substantial treatment before drinking. The linear regression model of Al, As, Cd, and Pb suggests that water quality parameters are significantly influencing the increase or decrease in these metal concentrations. Moreover, the principal component analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) also support the regression models that the sources of pollution are both natural and man-made activities, and these pollution sources can be clustered into two categories, i.e., upstream (category 1) and mid to downstream (category 2) in the Langat River. The degraded water quality in the midstream compared to up and downstream of the river is mainly due to human activities apart from the natural weathering of minerals. Therefore, the implementation of policies should be effective at the local level for pollution management, especially via the proactive leadership roles of local government for this transboundary Langat River to benefit from IRBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, integrated catchment management (ICM) has been promoted as a holistic and integrated approach to water resources management. However, there is evidence to show that the costs and benefits associated with ICM are often inequitably distributed. This study investigates impacts of the implementation of catchment strategies on four rural communities and the coping mechanisms available to residents to cope with concomitant socioeconomic hardships within the Densu River basin, Ghana. The study relies on data collected through reviewing regulatory and policy documents, interviews, observations, and a household survey of 327 respondents. The results show that the implementation of the catchment strategies has negatively impacted the economies of all communities leading to local resistance. Increasing unemployment, decreasing incomes, and decreasing sales are generating increasing crime rates, out migration, and changing gender roles with additional burden on women. What compounds the problem are that socioeconomic interventions and coping mechanisms have failed to make any significant impact. We argue that for effective ICM, proportional representation of local people on catchment committees should be central in order to incorporate a thorough understanding of the local socioeconomic issues and integrating those issues into the implementation process; otherwise catchment strategies risk disproportionately impacting rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban biodiversity is now recognized as playing a critical role in supporting global biodiversity. However, it is important to note that biodiversity is a systematic and holistic concept and prior studies have not generally focused on cross-border or multi-scale management problems. On one hand, the ecosystems of cities are interconnected with adjacent cities by natural landscapes, so they are like mosaics instead of being isolated. Urban biodiversity research demands the consideration of the continuity within an ecosystem. On the other hand, both active protection and passive restoration strategies for urban biodiversity should not only be developed by researchers or municipal government agencies, but more importantly, they should consider the real ecosystem management problems faced by multi-scale departments in order to build a practicable Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model. The solutions for these issues should be included in the analysis to form a complete and more effective urban biodiversity strategy. The study in this paper offers an answer to whether different scales of cities or districts should adopt the same biodiversity strategy; and therefore, the decision depends on whether the places are of the same importance to the global or regional ecosystem, or whether the ecological elements are connected to the adjacent cities/districts and the problems that multiple stakeholders care about. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake is one of the most serious natural disasters. Taking scientific and reasonable earthquake preparedness measures can effectively reduce casualties and economic losses caused by earthquakes. It is important to understand how residents choose such earthquake preparedness measures to guide them accordingly. However, the current research has failed to address rural areas in developing countries and has inconsistency conclusions for two aspects related to stakeholders involved: the assistance the victims can get from stakeholders for applying earthquake preparedness measures and the trust in stakeholders’ disaster relief abilities. In this study, the rural residents affected by Wenchuan earthquake, Ya’an earthquake and Yibin earthquake were taken as the research objects, and 674 valid questionnaires were obtained through field household surveys. A Multinominal Logit Model (MNL) was constructed to explore the influence of villagers’ trust in the disaster relief ability of stakeholders and the help they can get from stakeholders on their preparedness behavior. The results show that the less trust the villagers have on the government and the community, and the more help they can get from the outside while preparing measures, the more inclined they are to take the disaster preparedness measures. Furthermore, the education level of villagers in earthquake-stricken areas has significant positive impacts on people’s earthquake preparedness behavior. People who are not born in rural areas are more likely to take earthquake preparedness measures. In addition, male, young and married villagers are more likely to take earthquake preparedness measures in their daily lives. This study enriches the theory of rural disaster prevention and mitigation, and provides reference for the practice of disaster prevention and mitigation in earthquake-stricken rural areas.

This study explored the supportive care needs of men with prostate cancer (PCa) after hospital discharge based on the perceptions of multiple stakeholders. Eight semi-structured focus groups and three individual interviews were conducted between September 2019 and January 2020, with 34 participants representing men with PCa, primary and secondary healthcare professionals, and cancer organizations in western Norway. Data was analysed using systematic text condensation. Four categories emerged: 1) men with PCa have many information needs which should be optimally provided throughout the cancer care process; 2) various coordination efforts among stakeholders are needed to support men with PCa during follow-up; 3) supportive care resources supplement the healthcare services but knowledge about them is random; and 4) structured healthcare processes are needed to improve the services offered to men with PCa. Variations were described regarding priority, optimal mode and timeliness of supportive care needs, while alignment was concerned with establishing structures within and between stakeholders to improve patient care and coordination. Despite alignment among stakeholders' regarding the necessity for standardization of information and coordination practices, the mixed prioritization of supportive care needs of men with PCa indicate the need for additional individualized and adapted measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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With the emergence of partnerships with private actors in public and cultural diplomacies, complexity in the relations among the various stakeholders involved has arisen, and yet the relevant research is insufficient to shed any beneficial light on such issues. By looking at public- private partnerships, the present study determined that resource dependence, trust, and risk are the main factors affecting the feasibility of partnerships, and inductively developed propositions on their effects. In an explorative case study, Germany (decentralized mode of governance) and South Korea (centralized mode of governance) were compared as exemplary contrasting system designs. The results revealed that risk and trust are likely to affect the feasibility of partnerships, whereas resource dependence is not. The following additional findings also were made: (1) there are cultural actors in a ‘for profit, but with non-profit purposes’ sector; (2) an interpersonal level of trust positively affects partnerships; (3) ‘taking risks’ brings about ‘innovation’; (4) the existence of international commonalities between any two cases depending on the actors’ shared role, whether public or private; (5) public actors’ emphasis on mutual trust, program budget and execution, innovations coming from taking risks, commitment and ownership, and unexpected situations; (6) private actors’ consideration of ‘publicness’ and grant-seeking or financial support as important incentives, and their desire that public actors to show more trust, professionalism, and ownership with less control over budget execution. With its qualitative approach and in-depth analysis, the present study yielded new insights, notwithstanding the relatively small sample data.

Climate change has been recognised as an important policy issue that affects nature and socio-economic systems of all continents and oceans over the last few decades. In order to achieve the ambitious goal of ‘keeping a global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels’ by the Paris Agreement agreed at COP 21 in 2015, formulation and implementation of climate change policies, especially mitigation ones to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been recently advanced all over the world. Russia, as one of the largest energy-resource rich countries and GHG emitters, has been also in the process of modernisation towards a low-carbon society, especially after the occurrence of global financial crisis in 2008-2009. Under this circumstance, the formulation and implementation of climate change policies have recently begun in earnest in Russia through its signature on and ratification of the Paris Agreement effective in 2016. These policies in Russia, however, often end in failure. In this context, this present paper firstly clarifies the current situation of climate change and its causes such as GHG and air pollutants emissions in Russia, followed by the critical consideration of previous studies on this global thematic issue. By revisiting the formulation and implementation process of Russian climate change policies with a special focus on its multi-stakeholders, this paper tries to explain why these policies are not materialised in Russia, that is, factors influencing on its policy failure. Throughout a series of analysis, it becomes clear in this paper that Russian environmental administration has been weakened whilst the government spending with environmental purposes on a downward trend in Russia after starting market transition in the 1990s. This paper also derives that institutional arrangements in the governmental committees enable Russian oil and gas companies to do lobbying for reflecting their interests on relevant policies. Besides, it becomes unveiled that residents and civil society organisations (CSOs), as one of representative protesters demanding policy reforms through social movements, have an insignificant influence on climate change policies in the case of Russia. This paper then concludes that these factors are crucial propositions given to Russian climate change policies to materialise its transition towards a low-carbon society as well as big challenges to be overcome for its future sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bike sharing is a sustainable mode of urban transportation. Assessing the perceived service quality is essential to improve the development of bike sharing. Most of the existing research evaluates the service quality of bike sharing only from the perspective of its users. This study assesses the perceived quality gap among four different stakeholders including government regulators, platform operators, bike association and users. First, an evaluation criteria system consisting of sixteen criteria obtained from the five dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy is constructed based on a revised service performance model. Thereafter, a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model that combines Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) with VIsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) is proposed. Then, the model is applied to evaluate the service quality of bike sharing in Xi'an City. Finally, some useful suggestions are given to improve the bike sharing service quality from the perspective of multi-stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]