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A Quantitative Text Analysis of the Minutes from the Meetings in Public Involvement: A Case of a Bridge Project in Cambodia
Get PDFPrevious studies of public involvement in environmental impact assessment were mainly analyzed qualitatively, but quantitative text analysis is developing and being applied to social research. The study examined public involvement by applying quantitative text analysis to the minutes from the meetings of a bridge project in Cambodia. Results of the analysis showed that the discussion about the environmental impacts and alternatives analysis was limited. The study concluded that good and understandable meeting materials, facilitation of discussions, and meetings at an early stage could be key components to improve public involvement, and that good public involvement could rest upon environmental and social awareness of project proponents. Finally the quantitative text analysis showed a valid analysis tool for public involvement. Further research is required to analyze public involvement using quantitative text analysis, focusing on high- or low-interest items to local people, alternatives analysis, and comparisons to other projects.research repor
Measuring the Quality of Education Policies and Their Implementation for Better Learning: Adapting World Bank’s SABER Tools on School Autonomy and Accountability to Senegal
Get PDFThis paper examines the quality of policy intent and policy implementation in education policies related to school-based management (SBM) in rural Senegal. For this purpose, we adapted the World Bank diagnostic tool for the SBM system known as SABER-SAA (System Approach for Better Education Result for the policy domain of School Autonomy and Accountability), to conduct a survey of various actors in the education system of Senegal. In terms of policy intent, the results of the assessment show that Senegal is making progress on strengthening the participatory roles of school councils in school operations, and on the management of operational budgets at the municipal level. However, the field survey data show that there are differences between policy intent and implementation, and differences among stakeholders in the degree of policy implementation. In terms of the participation of school councils in school activities, we found that when school councils were active in the implementation of procedural policies, such as holding general assemblies, the amount of financial contributions to the school were larger, and there were more council inspired activities. Furthermore, the variables indicating a more active role for school councils also had a positive and statistically significant association with pass rates in the primary graduation exam. The degree of functionality of the school council was also assisted by supporting measures, such as training and monitoring visits. Other factors positively associated with increased pass rates include: a shared vision by school directors and school councils on commune responsibility towards a school, and the use of comparisons of school performance with the performance of other schools as a motivator for making improvements in the subject school. These findings suggest that strengthening the implementation of policy in the area of participatory school councils, as well as improving linkages with sub-national administrations, is important for better learning outcomes. We also recommend that better use of student assessment information by schools should be promoted in the context of rural Senegal.research repor
Estimating China’s Foreign Aid II: 2014 Update
Get PDFThis paper aims to present updated estimates of China's foreign aid between 2001 and 2014 as a proxy for China’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) as defined by the OECD-DAC, and to compare the results with the ODA of other DAC members. An estimation process is introduced which has been modified from the one proposed in the previous work (see Kitano and Harada 2014). China’s net foreign aid increased steadily from US 5.4 billion in 2013 (the previous estimates of US 7.1 billion were downwardly revised) and unexpectedly dropped to US 4.9 billion in 2012 to US 7.0 billion was downwardly revised), and increased again to US$ 6.1 billion in 2014. China’s foreign aid is expected to increase and catch up with the top five DAC members in the foreseeable future.research repor
Agricultural Mechanization and Agricultural Transformation
Get PDFThis paper discusses the current state of agricultural mechanization in Africa and its potential
contribution to agricultural and broader economic transformation. This background paper
reviews the factors likely to influence farmer demand for mechanization in Africa and details
different existing and potential mechanization supply models. Although an empirical analysis
of mechanization demand and the effectiveness of supply chains is beyond the scope of this
paper, in part due to data limitations, this paper suggests that demand for mechanization may
be emerging in some parts of Africa. It also suggests that private sector-driven supply models
are better positioned to meet this demand than direct government involvement and certain types
of subsidized programs. The paper then identifies possible areas for government support to
complement private sector leadership in developing mechanization supply chains.
A renewed focus on agriculture’s potential contribution to economic transformation in Africa
has resulted in increased attention paid to agricultural mechanization. Nevertheless, African
agriculture still relies predominantly on human muscle power, in contrast to other developing
regions that have experienced rapid increases in agricultural mechanization over the past few
decades. Efforts to promote mechanization in previous decades largely consisted of state-led
interventions, which failed due to the lack of demand for mechanization among farmers (Pingali et
al 1987).
This paper attempts to overcome some of the misconceptions that drove these programs by
reviewing definitions of agricultural mechanization and its role in agricultural intensification
processes. The paper draws on Boserup (1965) and Ruthenberg’s (1980) theory of agricultural
intensification and Hayami and Ruttan’s (1970; 1985) induced innovation theory. According to
this framework, agricultural intensification is driven by increased population pressure and rising
demand for agricultural products. This in turn prompts mechanization, both through the adoption
of existing and the development of new technologies. Essentially, mechanization can be expected
to be adopted by farmers when the appropriate conditions arise and would not be profitable in the
absence of such conditions.
The paper then delves further into the components of demand for mechanization, specifically
in Africa. Specifically, it discusses the effects of farm size, labor saving, market demand, the
availability of complementary technologies, and demonstration on developing demand. It also
describes the sequential nature of mechanization demand as postulated by Pingali et al (1987):
in which power-intensive operations (plowing, threshing and harvesting) are mechanized before
control-intensive ones (planting, weeding, winnowing) and animal power (where feasible) is
adopted before the transition to mechanized power. As a result of the components and sequences
of demand, we predict that demand for mechanization in Africa is expected to exhibit significant
spatial variation, meaning that existing national surveys and other data may fail to accurately
capture patterns of demand.
Our analysis then turns to mechanization supply chains in Africa, focusing on manufacturing,
importation, service provision, and ownership. The analysis suggests that where demand has
emerged, the private sector has been relatively responsive to meet demand. Private dealers tend to
import the types of machinery demanded by farmers, for which markets for spare parts and repairs
may be relatively developed, while governments tend to import the brands of machinery accessed
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through concessional loans, which do not possess these advantages. Moreover, government
importation and subsidization of machines may produce distortionary effects on the private
importation and distribution channels. Similarly, individual machine owner-operators appear to
have an advantage over government-subsidized service-provision enterprises, as they are usually
able to achieve higher utilization rates in addition to obtaining benefits from using machines on
their own farmers.
Despite the apparent advantages for the private sector in machine distribution and service
provision, there are significant roles for African governments to play in promoting mechanization.
Perhaps the most significant of these roles is providing public goods, including infrastructure,
technical R&D, and economic research. Other potential roles include capacity building, removing
distortionary policies, facilitating access to credit and formulating viable strategies. However, the
private sector is still better positioned to drive mechanization in areas where demand has emerged
and government policies should aim to play a facilitative and supportive role.
Despite a history of disappointment, agricultural mechanization may finally be in position to
contribute to an agricultural transformation in parts Africa. Demand for mechanization appears
to have emerged in certain systems and where it has, the private sector has often demonstrated
its potential to efficiently supply machines and hiring services. However, the evidence base
surrounding mechanization in Africa is still quite limited. Significant further research is required
to better understand the changing nature of mechanization demand in Africa and the extent and
effectiveness of different supply models in meeting it.boo
How Can Community Participation Improve Educational Outcomes? Experimental Evidence from a School-Based Management Project in Burkina Faso
Get PDFPromoting community participation in school management is a widely found intervention in the developing world. While this type of program is generally believed to be effective, the actual evidence is not sufficient to inform policy makers on how community participation works in improving educational outcomes. To shed more light on this question, we conducted a randomized evaluation of an education program in Burkina Faso. The program was designed to build trust among community members and teachers, and encourage them to work together in school management. The results show that the intervention increased student enrollment, decreased student repetition, and lowered teacher absence. The results also indicate that it had a strong impact on class repetition by 6th grade boys, presumably reflecting parental priorities. This suggests that community participation can improve educational outcomes through empowering the community and enhancing social capital, but whether idealized results can be gained depends on the perception and the knowledge of the community members.research repor
Volunteer Disappointment and Outcome of Activities
Get PDFJapan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) are dispatched to a range of countries around the world, where they work with people from local communities to provide expertise and training in programs related to education, healthcare, and other kinds of technical assistance. Destination countries are often characterized as traditional societies seeking to preserve their own values and customs. In undertaking such work the volunteers need to understand how local values and customs may be practiced by the local community members and engage in a discussion of the desired “outcomes” based on the socio-cultural characteristics of the region. This will help to promote an understanding of both JOCV activities and the actual local conditions. This study presents the regional realities that manifested as a result of interplay between cooperative activities and the specific socio-cultural context of the dispatch region. Moreover, it suggests the need to evaluate the outcomes of cooperative activities from a socio-cultural perspective. This study focuses on the Pacific Islands region, where I have been conducting anthropological research since 1987. The regional characteristics of the Pacific Islands include a subsistence economy, in which non-industrial elements are prominent, and abundant and cherished interpersonal relationships (i.e., possessing the feature of mutual support). However, the locals can also be labeled as island people or people who seemingly lack ambition, do not want to work, and have no desire to improve; or, people who are merely waiting for aid. The majority of volunteers were disappointed with this unanticipated reality, though they came to understand it (and some to admire it) after a while. The volunteers attempted to resolve these conflicting feelings between their expectations and reality by idealizing an image of themselves as volunteers who “blend in” and mutually interact with the locals. Embracing this status served as a mediator, allowing the volunteers to internalize the regional characteristics and make the activities “their own.” Finally, this study demonstrates that, where attitudes diverge drastically from the Japanese work ethic and values, evaluations should focus on the unique interactions between volunteers and locals that occur in each society, workplace, and living space.research repor
Deciphering Capacity Development through the Lenses of “Pockets of Effectiveness” - A Case of Innovative Turnaround of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, Cambodia -
Get PDFThis paper intends to identify the process of capacity development for urban water supply and management of public service organizations by examining the case of the innovative transformation of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) of Cambodia. Reflecting on the analytical lenses of “pockets of effectiveness,” this paper explores the dynamics of “relational spaces” in which functional and internal factors of the organization proactively interact with political and contextual factors in the initial process of turnaround. While efforts for developing sustainable capacity for public sector performance often encounter difficulties due to the insufficient understanding of the political contexts and a lack of a coherent strategy especially in aid-dependent countries, a huge amount of foregoing research focuses on distilling cross-country lessons from intervention failures and looks for macro strategies. In contrast, research into “pockets of effectiveness” sheds insightful light on anatomizing factors of successful public sector organizations that can compensate for their contextual constraints. The case analysis presents the findings regarding the conditions to ignite initial change: a top-down political intention of reform for visible change, the assignment of a capable technical manager with strong communication skills, and political “rapport” to secure support and to protect from interference. Specific findings imply mutually reinforcing three patterns of interconnected factors or tight coupling in the “relational spaces,” which emerge in the process of improving capacity for urban water service with high “specificity” of targets and outcome. Tight coupling includes those between service qualities and public trust, positive organizational culture and operational autonomy, and political legitimacy and catalytic role of international aid.research repor
Altruism or Exchange? Experimental Evidence on the Motives behind Private Transfers in Sri Lanka
Get PDFThis study develops a new approach to the classical question of whether private transfers are motivated by altruism or exchange. We combine artefactual field experiments and standard household survey data, to directly measure the degree of altruism and trust (i.e., exchange) and to analyze their impact on the co-movement of consumption between dyadic pairs of respondents. We find that higher altruism toward lower income partners and their income differentials reduces observed differences in consumption, which supports the altruism hypothesis as a motive for private transfers.research repor