Comprehensive Program (comprehensive + program)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Unconditional Intergovernmental Transfers to Finance Decentralization in Albania

PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 2 2007
LARRY SCHROEDER
The Government of Albania embarked on a comprehensive program to decentralize decision-making powers with the passage of the Law on Organization and Functioning of Local Governments in 2000. A centerpiece of the policies undertaken to implement that legislation was an unconditional transfer program which, using a formula-based allocation mechanism, transferred substantial financial resources to the local communes and municipalities beginning in 2002. This paper describes that system and its evolution. It illustrates how the transfer was designed to take into account the transition from a centralized system to a decentralized arrangement for provision of local public services and how the formula has undergone some "fine-tuning" while retaining its simplicity. Analysis of the outcomes reveals how it has achieved its mandated objective of equalizing resources across local governments; however, it does so while running the risk of substantially discouraging local governments from mobilizing resources of their own. [source]


Self-assessment for improving safety performance in the nuclear industry

QUALITY ASSURANCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003
I.A. Beckmerhagen
Abstract Due to the possibility of catastrophic accidents when operating a nuclear plant, ensuring the highest level of safety and continuously improving safety-related performance are imperative in the nuclear industry. One of the prerequisites for such assurance and improvement is a structured program for the assessment of safety performance, consisting of both internal and external evaluation of existing systems and achieved results. This paper discusses a comprehensive program for the self-assessment of safety performance enablers and safety performance outcomes. The main self-assessment concepts are presented, including the framework, objectives, and scope of a self-assessment, a set of main principles and prerequisites for conducting it, and the resulting benefits. An illustration of a self-assessment program currently under development in the International Atomic Energy Agency is also provided. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing

ANTHROPOLOGY & EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2005
RAY BARNHARDT
Drawing on experiences across Fourth World contexts, with an emphasis on the Alaska context, this article seeks to extend our understandings of the learning processes within and at the intersection of diverse worldviews and knowledge systems. We outline the rationale for a comprehensive program of educational initiatives closely articulated with the emergence of a new generation of Indigenous scholars who seek to move the role of Indigenous knowledge and learning from the margins to the center of educational research, thereby confronting some of the most intractable and salient educational issues of our times. [source]


The Seed of Freedom: Regional Security and the Colombo Plan

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICS AND HISTORY, Issue 1 2000
Daniel Oakman
Established in 1950, the Colombo Plan was a comprehensive program of foreign aid provided to South East Asian nations. In this article I argue that the Colombo Plan had a much broader political and cultural agenda, and cannot be understood from a humanitarian perspective alone. By exploring some of the cultural, ideological and political underpinnings of the scheme I illustrate that, as part of a comprehensive foreign policy, it is best understood as being motivated by international security priorities and the need to ally domestic cultural concerns. Although the Colombo Plan was inherently defensive, it also proved to be something of a progressive force which prepared the ground for a much closer relationship with (and within) the Southeast Asian region. [source]


Understanding Surge Capacity: Essential Elements

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006
Donna F. Barbisch RN
As economic forces have reduced immediately available resources, the need to surge to meet patient care needs that exceed expectations has become an increasing challenge to the health care community. The potential patient care needs projected by pandemic influenza and bioterrorism catapulted medical surge to a critical capability in the list of national priorities, making it front-page news. Proposals to improve surge capacity are abundant; however, surge capacity is poorly defined and there is little evidence-based comprehensive planning. There are no validated measures of effectiveness to assess the efficacy of interventions. Before implementing programs and processes to manage surge capacity, it is imperative to validate assumptions and define the underlying components of surge. The functional components of health care and what is needed to rapidly increase capacity must be identified by all involved. Appropriate resources must be put into place to support planning factors. Using well-grounded scientific principles, the health care community can develop comprehensive programs to prioritize activities and link the necessary resources. Building seamless surge capacity will minimize loss and optimize outcomes regardless of the degree to which patient care needs exceed capability. [source]


Reimbursing Live Organ Donors for Incurred Non-Medical Expenses: A Global Perspective on Policies and Programs

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 12 2009
M. Sickand
Methods to reimburse living organ donors for the non-medical expenses they incur have been implemented in some jurisdictions and are being considered in others. A global understanding of existing legislation and programs would help decision makers implement and optimize policies and programs. We searched for and collected data from countries that practice living organ donation. We examined legislation and programs that facilitate reimbursement, focusing on policy mechanisms, eligibility criteria, program duration and types of expenses reimbursed. Of 40 countries, reimbursement is expressly legal in 16, unclear in 18, unspecified in 6 and expressly prohibited in 1. Donor reimbursement programs exist in 21 countries; 6 have been enacted in the last 5 years. Lost income is reimbursed in 17 countries, while travel, accommodation, meal and childcare costs are reimbursed in 12 to 19 countries. Ten countries have comprehensive programs, where all major cost categories are reimbursed to some extent. Out-of-country donors are reimbursed in 10 jurisdictions. Reimbursement is conditional on donor income in 7 countries, and recipient income in 2 countries. Many nations have programs that help living donors with their financial costs. These programs differ in operation and scope. Donors in other regions of the world are without support. [source]


Avoidable mortality trends in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in the Northern Territory, 1985-2004

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2009
Shu Qin Li
Abstract Objectives: To analyse rates of avoidable mortality in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents of the Northern Territory (NT) from 1985 to 2004, in order to assess the contribution of health care to life expectancy improvements. Methods: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) death registration data for NT residents were used to identify ,avoidable' deaths, with further separation into three categories of conditions amenable to either medical care or health policy, and a category for ischaemic heart disease (IHD). A Poisson regression model was used to calculate the average annual change in avoidable mortality by sex and Aboriginality in the NT compared with Australia as a whole. Results: In the 20 years between 1985 and 2004, avoidable mortality rates fell 18.9% in NT Aboriginal people, 61.1% in NT non-Aboriginal people and 59.5% in Australians overall. NT Aboriginal people continued to experience higher avoidable mortality than other Australians and the disparity increased over time. Most of the decline in avoidable mortality for Aboriginal Territorians occurred for conditions amenable to medical care. Conclusion: Medical care has made a significant contribution to improvements in Aboriginal life expectancy in the NT, however, reductions in avoidable mortality from IHD and conditions amenable to health policy have been variable. Implications: The results highlight the need for ongoing investment in comprehensive programs incorporating appropriate health policy interventions and management of chronic diseases. [source]