Cordaid's experience with impact evaluation

In 2007, Cordaid started a pilot on participatory impact assessment, intended to enhance accountability and to improve learning. The methodology was based on quasi-experimental design, complemented with qualitative research. This case study illustrates the challenges INGOs and their partners face in their attempt to find a rigorous yet, relevant, useful, and socially acceptable methodology for evaluation and impact assessment purposes. While most local NGOs participating in this pilot consider (parts of) this methodology useful for their learning, this approach proves unsuitable, costly, and inappropriate for an INGO such as Cordaid since it does not respond to its own accountability and learning needs.

Cortaid et leur expérience avec l'évaluation d'impact

En 2007, Cordaid a lancé un programme pilote sur l’évaluation participative de l'impact, dont l'objectif était d'améliorer la redevabilité et l'apprentissage. La méthodologie se basait sur la conception quasi-expérimentale, assortie de recherches qualitatives. Cette étude de cas illustre les défis que les ONGI et leurs partenaires doivent relever au moment de trouver une méthodologie rigoureuse, mais aussi pertinente, utile et socialement acceptable aux fins des évaluations en général et de celles de l'impact en particulier. Si la plupart des ONG qui prennent part à ce programme pilote considèrent que (certaines parties de) cette méthodologie est (sont) utile(s) pour leur apprentissage, cette approche se révèle inadaptée, coûteuse et peu appropriée pour une ONGI comme Cordaid, car elle ne répond pas à ses propres besoins en matière de redevabilité et d'apprentissage.

Cortaid y su experiencia con la evaluación del impacto

En 2007, Cordaid inició una experiencia piloto sobre evaluaciones de impacto participativas, cuyo objetivo consistió en mejorar la rendición de cuentas y el aprendizaje. La metodología utilizada se fundamentó en un diseño semiexperimental, que fue complementado con investigaciones cualitativas. El presente estudio de caso ilustra los retos enfrentados por las ONGI y por sus aliados en su intento por encontrar una metodología rigurosa, pertinente, útil y socialmente aceptable para fines de evaluación y de valoración de impacto. Si bien la mayoría de las ONG locales participantes en esta experiencia piloto consideró que esta metodología, o partes de la misma, era útil para su aprendizaje, el método demostró ser inadecuado, costoso e inapropiado para una ONGI como Cordaid, debido a que no atendió sus propias necesidades en las áreas de rendición de cuentas y de aprendizaje.

Cortaid e sua experiência com avaliação de impacto

Em 2007, a Cordaid iniciou um projeto-piloto sobre avaliação participativa de impacto destinado a melhorar a prestação de contas e aperfeiçoar o aprendizado. A metodologia foi baseada em um modelo quase-experimental, complementado com pesquisa qualitativa. Este estudo de caso ilustra os desafios que as ONGIs e seus parceiros enfrentam em sua tentativa de encontrar uma metodologia rigorosa, porém relevante, útil e socialmente aceitável para fins de avaliação e análise de impacto. Embora a maioria das ONGs locais que participam deste projeto-piloto considere parte dessa metodologia útil para seu aprendizado, essa abordagem mostra-se insustentável, cara e inapropriada para uma ONGI como a Cordaid pois não atende às suas próprias necessidades de prestação de contas e aprendizado.     

Subdural Hematoma Rebleeding in Relation to Abusive Head Trauma

When cases of suspected abusive head trauma are adjudicated in courts of law, one of the theories often presented by defense experts is that a normal, healthy infant or child suddenly neurologically deteriorates or dies several weeks to months after birth or minor injury because a preceding subdural hematoma spontaneously rebleeds after a minor traumatic event. This article reviews the underlying scientific basis of subdural hematoma rebleeding as it applies to this courtroom theory.     

Ophthalmologic Concerns in Abusive Head Trauma

When Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) is suspected in a child, a dilated eye examination by an ophthalmologist is an essential part of the medical workup, as the presence and pattern of retinal hemorrhages can have a high positive predictive rate for abusive head injury. This article proposes to review the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, natural history, sequelae, and differential diagnosis of retinal hemorrhages and other ocular lesions associated with AHT.     

Incumbents' Interests and Gender Quotas

The introduction of mandatory gender quotas in party lists is a reform that many countries have recently adopted or have been considering. The electoral system affects the incumbents' incentives to make such reforms, their details, and their effectiveness. We show that male incumbents can actually expect an increased incumbency advantage when gender quotas are introduced, if they are elected through single‐member district majority rule. On the other hand, no expectation of male advantage can reduce the incumbents' fear of being replaced if they are elected through closed‐list proportional representation. As France has both electoral systems, we validate the above argument using a formal model of constitutional design as well as an empirical analysis of the legislative elections in France, displaying the existence of male bias in the last three elections. We also show that parity may have Assembly composition effects and policy effects that vary with the electoral system.     

Implementing the GPRA: Examining the Prospects for Performance Budgeting in the Federal Government

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) is the latest in a series of attempts to introduce performance-based management and budgeting techniques at the federal level in the United States. In the past, these attempts largely failed due to administrative complexities, lack of investment in managerial, accounting, and information systems, and the absence of institutional incentives to promote gains in economic efficiency. Whereas we find the objectives of the GPRA laudable, we question whether this current incarnation of performance budgeting can succeed in transforming the traditional focus of federal budgeting from annual appropriations and obligations to multiyear outputs and outcomes.     

Interstate Tax Disharmony in India: A Comparative Perspective

Interstate tax disharmony arising from the states' attempt to"free-ride" on other states can cause distortions and inequityin a federal system. In this article, an attempt is made toanalyze interstate disharmony in the Indian tax system, providea quantitative measure of disharmony, examine its trend overtime, and compare the degree of disharmony in India with threeother important federations. The major conclusions are that(1) India has a higher degree of interstate tax disharmony thanAustralia, Canada, and the United States; (2) tax disharmonyin India has increased over lime unlike in the other three federations;and (3) tax disharmony in respect of individual state taxesis higher than the taxes taken in aggregate.     

Religion, law and development: Islam and Christianity—Why is it in Occident and not in the Orient that man invented the institutions of freedom?

This article answers the following question: why were institutions of freedom not invented in the Orient but in occident? It upholds that Christianity predisposed the West to discover institutions of freedom when Islam didn’t. In the first section it explains the decline and economic rise of the Orient and Occident as derived from Kant’s hypothesis (2.1) and geographical conditions (2.2). It explains in the second section the invention of institutions of freedom in Europe by two moral innovations: the secularising of law and the invention of the individual (3). The secularising of law was the result of Christian property theology which recognised man’s place in God’s creation (3.1). Secularising of politics and the Christians’ desire for autonomy vis-à-vis political authorities originated in individual rights being conceived as normal and incited man to insist upon respect from public authorities. The advent of individual rights was at the origin of the implementation of a secular constitutional right applying to all men, even the sovereign (3.2). The third section explains why political and social Islam did not predispose Muslims to discover the institutions of freedom, capitalism. Islamic law distanced the Orient from capitalism as it developed a religion of community salvation hostile to individualism and its rights (4.1); it never disassociated the rule of God from the rule of law (4.2) and it did not consider individual rights sacred or private property (4.3). The article concludes with the way in which economic theory could conceive of the religion variable in economic growth and development (5).     

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Thanatophilus sinuatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Silphidae) to Selected Cadaveric Volatile Organic Compounds

Soon after death, carcasses release volatile chemicals that attract carrion insects including Silphidae. Nevertheless, it is not known which chemical cues are involved in the attractiveness of the carcass. So far, little information is available on the chemical ecology of carrion beetles, particularly concerning the subfamily of Silphinae. The biological role of selected cadaveric volatile organic compounds including dimethyldisulfide (DMDS), butan‐1‐ol, n‐butanoic acid, indole, phenol, p‐cresol, putrescine, and cadaverine on the silphine species, Thanatophilus sinuatus Fabricius, was investigated using both electrophysiological and behavioral techniques. Among the tested cadaveric compounds, butan‐1‐ol and DMDS elicited the strongest electroantennography (EAG) from both T. sinuatus male and female antennae. In a two‐arm olfactometer, males and females were significantly attracted to DMDS for both tested doses, whereas only males were attracted to p‐cresol at 100 ng. Putrescine was repellent to males at the dose of 1 μg.