Discussion of Findings. The potential environmental constraints for Parcel 5 include the following: • Concentrations of VOCs in the groundwater beneath Parcel 5 were detected above MCLs or cleanup goals. Volatilization of these VOCs may constrain any residential development, and shall require that any construction work involving soil disturbance be performed by appropriately trained workers under purview of a Health and Safety Plan. • Several removed USTs and one removed AST are still actively being investigated. Regulatory status of these tanks should be further researched. The active USTs and ASTs should be inspected to document their conformance with current regulatory guidelines. • NASA is currently working on the preparation of closure plans which will include visual surveys and a documentation of any hazardous materials or wastes that are present and, if present, if they have impacted the environment. • Lead-based paint and asbestos containing materials have been identified or are suspected in the majority of the buildings within Parcel 5. In addition, LBP has been identified in the soil associated with many of the buildings. The presence of these materials should be confirmed and remediated prior to demolition, renovation, or reuse of the building. LBP and asbestos surveys should be conducted prior to commencing demolition, renovation, or reuse activities.
Discussion of Findings. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of insurance sector development on the growth of Nigerian economy. As earlier noted, the effect of the insurance sector’s productivity, which is the proportion of the insurance sector’s contribution to the Aggregate Gross Domestic Product has not been investigated. Hence, this study has enriched the literature by providing the contributory effect of insurance sector to the overall economic growth of Nigeria. One of the objectives of this study is to evaluate the effect of insurance sector productivity on the growth of Nigerian economy; as revealed by this study, the productivity of the insurance sector is significant determinant of Nigerian economy. In other words, the output of the insurance sector was established by this study as a significant contributor to Nigerian aggregate economy, such that with 1% increase in the output of the insurance sector, there would be significant increase in the aggregate economic growth of Nigeria by about 81% in the long run and vice versa. This result aligns with theoretical expectation that development of finance is capable of spurring economic growth; hence, the result obtained in this study confirms the Finance-Growth Nexus theory developed by Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx that financial services are crucial for economic progress, so far they increase output by fostering technical innovation, investment, and assisting entrepreneurs with the highest prospects of success in the process of innovation. He maintained that economic growth might be aided productive savings are mobilized, efficient resources are efficiently allocated, and mobilized financial resources are reinvested into the economy. The second specific objective of this study was to examine the effect of insurance sector total asset value on the growth of Nigerian economy. In respect of the foregoing, this study found evidence of negative but insignificant relationship between the total assets of the insurance sector and the growth of the Nigerian. In specific terms, this study provided empirical evidence that 1% increase in the insurance sector total asset value is capable of causing about 9% decrease in the growth of the economy. This result betrays the theoretical expectation and implies that Nigerian insurance sector are not efficiently deploring their assets in a manner that promotes economic growth. The possible explanation for this can be linked to the large proportion of the short term investment componen...
Discussion of Findings. During the final evaluation, the field visit to Bolivia was the main source of information of the impact of the ISA CM component on Commodity Management within FHI Title II fields. The evaluation team found many positive aspects about commodity management in Bolivia. This perception was confirmed by USAID Bolivia who rated them as slightly more advanced than the other CS’s in this respect (USAID group interview 2002). However, it is difficult to attribute these strengths to ISA, as many were there even before the ISA was implemented. The most important of these strengths are: • Warehouses are well managed and maintained; computerized inventory systems contribute to greater efficiency and better quality information • They had a commodity management procedures manual even before the ISA. This manual was used as a tool to develop the ISA manual • FHI/Bolivia hired consultants in 1998 to develop a computerized inventory system. USAID Bolivia was so impressed with the system that they bought the rights to the program and encouraged other CS’s to also use it. The evaluation team reviewed the commodity management training materials and found them to be comprehensive, well researched and well written. Staff in Bolivia (final evaluation group interview 2002) and Ethiopia (mid-term evaluation FHI 2001b:32) were generally very positive about the quality of the commodity management workshops. Comments made by staff in Ethiopia and Bolivia were that the training was participatory and well organized. The average commodity management workshop’s post-test score was 85%. The FHI commodity management manual is well written and it is evident that a lot of time and effort was spent on researching and finding the most appropriate materials to include. The draft manual was circulated extensively before finalization and the field offices in Ethiopia and Bolivia contributed towards its final version. The manual was described as useful by the Bolivia and Ethiopia staff and as such it succeeded in standardizing procedures in the two fields where FHI actively manages Title II commodities. A measure of its appropriateness and success is the fact that other CS’s have been requesting copies of the FHI Bolivia ISA commodity management manual. Staff in Mozambique and Kenya also received copies of these manuals, but felt that it is of limited use to them as their program resources are 100% from monetization proceeds22. One specific addition to the work of ISA in terms of the workshops and...
Discussion of Findings. The disaster relief training was mainly aimed at Africa and had two planned effects. These were to: • Increase capacity to respond efficiently and effectively to emergencies and transitional situations • Successfully monitor and evaluate the results of FHI’s assistance which will lead to more lives saved and an increase in the number of regions that are equipped to transition to development activities. An analysis of the kind of staff trained in emergency response and whether they are still in the organization, shows that staff turnover is one of the factors that seriously affects the impact of this program component. An assessment of the actual impact of the ISA training on emergency preparedness within FHI also needs to take the specific characteristics of each field into consideration. Mozambique does not have full-time staff members devoted to emergencies, as their whole program and its resources is geared towards development. They tend to believe in training various staff members, who would normally be working in the areas of health or agriculture, in emergency preparedness. If there is a sudden disaster, such as for example a flood, these staff members stop with their normal activities and work jointly with an external consultant who is hired for the duration of the emergency. However, as a result of recent staff losses, only two ISA trained staff members remain (Interviews with management 2002). The last emergency experienced in Mozambique was the floods of 2000/2001. The second ISA workshop was presented during that time. The Rapid Disaster Assessment (RDA) tools that they developed during the workshop were not applied to their flood response as the Mozambican Government preferred that NGO’s use their own and the UN’s tools (Mid-term evaluation 2001:30). At the time of the mid-term evaluation, Mozambique had a Disaster Preparedness Response Plan (DPRP), but this was aimed at slow onset disasters such as droughts and inappropriate for the 2000/2001 floods. A more appropriate plan was developed with the help of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx in 2001. The logistics director28 felt during the mid-term evaluation that he was not given the ‘time nor supervision’ to enable him to implement what he learnt at the emergency preparedness response workshop (Mid-term evaluation 2001:30). Since then most of the senior management of FHI Mozambique has left the organization and it appears as if there are some gaps in terms of institutional memory and access to documents such a...
Discussion of Findings. The success or failure of Kenya’s decentralized system of school financial management depends in large part on the capacity of primary school administrators to manage limited resources with limited means. Issues of transparency and mismanagement, resource allocation, and financial management capacity may represent some of the most critical factors to the sustainability of school health interventions such as WASH programs. The variation in school WASH systems expenditure and financial planning displayed in this study is not surprising when considering that one of the main purposes of decentralized financial management is to enable “on the ground” stakeholders to allocate resources to areas of priority that they identify. This autonomy in financial decision-making represents the kind of self-determination and local-level capacity that is often espoused by development partners, and should not be simplified as the failure of schools to maintain WASH systems and other health and education interventions. However, the underlying reasons for variation in financial management should be addressed in order to inform future interventions, and the results of this study provide valuable descriptive information to guide future inquiry. While decentralization of FPE funds management is intended to allow for flexibility in allocation of funds for school-specific needs, lack of transparency and the potential for misuse of funds at the school level are major concerns. Motives for financial mismanagement are apparent given the challenges of overcrowding and poor resource allocation faced by schools following the implementation of FPE as described by Uwakwe (2008), Nungu (2010), and Sawamura (2008). Head teachers are especially under pressure to meet the expectations of parents, government, development partners, and others to live up to the standards set for academic achievement, student health, and school facilities. The burden of responsibility for financial management coupled with inadequate support is likely a factor in financial mismanagement as head teachers struggle to allocate limited funds to multiple areas of priority. Furthermore, disinterest in financial management and/or the lack of time to fit these responsibilities into the already full schedule of a head teacher may impact the quality of financial management. The lack of support services for accounting and book-keeping activities as described by Akech (2010) may further compromise the capacity of head teachers ...
Discussion of Findings. In further reflecting on the survey data and interviews conducted, I began to see an opportunity emerge for our organization to develop resources aimed at teaching Haitian history in such a way that illuminates why HTF’s model of accompaniment is critical. It is a powerful experience to travel to Haiti to build relationships and experience Haitian culture while visiting HTF’s partner ministries. For over twenty years, our organization has fostered these trips and introduced North Americans to the global issues of extreme poverty, the global wealth gap, and international ministry. On the one hand, it seems as though our organization has done a 51 Appendix A, Question 8, Response 5. 52 Appendix A, Question 8, Response 20. 53 Appendix A, Question 8, Response 10. remarkable job in helping North Americans understand that meaningful partnerships are rooted in walking alongside others in relationships that promote dignity and not dependence. However, it seems that what we have not clearly connected for folks is that this accompaniment approach is in many ways a response to centuries-old manifestations of colonization rooted in systemic racism and injustice for the people of Haiti. What we have not done with intention is to educate participants and travelers on the historical events and realities that have shaped Haiti's culture and context. I believe that understanding the global forces of colonization, slavery, and racism related to Haiti will help North American participants and donors better understand mission as accompaniment as more than just an approach to ministry. I believe it will help people understand accompaniment as a means of justice, and in so doing, will strengthen our work. “Regleman pa gate zanmi” [asking for an account does not break friendship]
Discussion of Findings. The strong positive correlation (r=0.440, p<0.000) between collective bargaining and employee performance suggests that as collective bargaining activities increase, so does employee performance. A similar positive correlation was found for work stoppage (r=0.610, p<0.000), indicating that when work stoppages occur, employee performance tends to increase. The regression model explained 47% of the variation in employee performance, as indicated by the R-square value of 0.479. The ANOVA results with a significant F value (24.594, p<0.000) reinforce the idea that collective bargaining and dispute resolution significantly influence employee performance. The positive coefficient for collective bargaining (0.505) suggests that an increase in collective bargaining activities is associated with a decrease in employee performance. This might seem counterintuitive and needs careful consideration. Collective Bargaining and Employee Performance: The positive correlation aligns with studies that suggest collective bargaining can lead to better working conditions and employee satisfaction (e.g., Xxxx, Xxxxxx, & Xxxxxx, 2009). The negative coefficient, however, contradicts some literature suggesting that collective bargaining positively impacts employee motivation and commitment (Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx, & Xxxxxx, 2004). Further exploration is needed to understand this discrepancy. Work Stoppage and Employee Performance: The positive correlation here aligns with studies highlighting that industrial actions can bring attention to workplace issues, potentially leading to improvements (Xxxx, 2004). The extent to which work stoppages positively impact performance might depend on the nature and frequency of these events, requiring further investigation (Xxxxx, 2004).
Discussion of Findings. Mean post-test scores for this course was 82%, which exceeded the target of 80%. Even though agricultural staff was included in the training on an experimental basis, it was found that positive deviance will need substantial adjustments if it has to be applied to agriculture. This discussion will therefore largely focus on the perceptions and knowledge of the health staff about positive deviance. During the evaluation it was found that 86% of the health staff in Bolivia and all the Mozambican and Kenyan staff have heard about Positive deviance. Of the health staff in Bolivia, 20% could identify the correct definition for Positive Deviance. In Mozambique, 78% of the respondents marked the correct option and in Kenya 83%. In so far as the technique impacted on the work of the field programs and per implication food security, Mozambique is the only country where we could find evidence that Positive Deviance is being implemented. The health manager is enthusiastic about it and they have received significant mentoring from the MCHN TA who is assisting them with its implementation. Reports on mentoring visits and interviews with the health department’s manager and staff indicate that staff at all levels have bought into the method. It is also being adjusted and modified according to the needs and characteristics of target communities. According to the health manager they have been able to follow through with the implementation of the Hearth method because they developed an action plan after training. The action plan attached specific responsibilities to specific people. In Kenya, all staff attended the ISA training course and awareness about the method is high. To date, positive deviance has not been extensively used in Kenya, although FHI/K Title II plans for 2003 outline its use. The FHI Food Security Team will want to monitor this situation, as some FHI/K health staff have expressed the opinion that Positive Deviance may create community conflict within their cultural context. Some of the health staff in Bolivia are enthusiastic about the potential of Positive Deviance in their communities, however, to date it has not been used widely. New staff members have not received training in the method. According to the health manager, all the materials needed have been prepared and FHI/B plans to orient all staff and begin implementation in January 2003. Their policy is to introduce new concepts gradually, rather than give training in all tools at once. Another facto...
Discussion of Findings. In its ISA project proposal, FHI proposed to commit ISA and other resources to a five- year FAM collaborative effort with other CS’s in M&E. The objectives of this joint effort were to:
Discussion of Findings. In its IS A project proposal, FHI agreed to collaborate in the following joint activities as part of joint CS’s efforts:
