Effective governance of transnational adaptation initiatives

International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics - Transnational climate governance has mainly been preoccupied with climate change mitigation, both in practice and as studied in...     

Understanding success and failure of anti-corruption initiatives

This paper focuses on the success and failure of anti-corruption initiatives; focusing mainly on those in developing countries. Through a review of extant evidence, it finds a very mixed picture within which there is widespread failure; albeit sometimes only partial failure. As a result, anti-corruption as a field can struggle to gain attention and resources among competing development initiatives. In reviewing that field we find that, while some progress has been made ?C for example in integrating risk assessments into programs and in learning from political economy analysis ?C there is little actual focus on the ??missing middle??: the interventions themselves and how they can be made to work better. In analyzing those interventions, we argue that projects mostly fail because of over-large ??design-reality gaps??; that is, too great a mismatch between the expectations built into their design as compared to on-the-ground realities in the context of their implementation. Successful initiatives find ways to minimize or close these gaps. Effective design and implementation processes enable gap closure and improve the likelihood of success.     

Legislative initiatives in the Asia Pacific region

This section reports on legislative developments in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia.     

Plank fence penetration into automobiles-implications for prevention initiatives

The wooden plank fence presents a deadly but unrecognized hazard to motorists. We hypothesize that fence plank injury is prevalent and results in significant morbidity and mortality. Databases of the University of Kentucky's Level I Trauma Center and the Fayette County Coroner were retrospectively analyzed over a 12-year period (1995-2006). One hundred and twenty-eight subjects were involved in vehicle contact with wooden plank fences. One hundred and twenty-three subjects were evaluated at the Emergency Department of our trauma center; 35 (27%) had a patient-plank interaction (PPI). Men (30/35) were more frequently involved (86%), and average age was 32.8 years. Thirty-two (91%) were drivers; 14/35 (40%) died from PPI-related injuries. The most common cause of death was blunt head trauma in 13 of these 14 fatally injured subjects (93%). This study provides new data underscoring the frequency, lethality, and economic consequences of this injury mechanism. Further research is needed to quantify the national prevalence of this problem and develop injury-mitigating strategies pertaining to roadway or fence design.     

The neighborhood enhancement team: Contemporary initiatives in community-oriented policing

Determined to combat high levels of crime in two neighborhoods, a southern city implemented the Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) to focus on gang and drug activity through a combination foot and bicycle patrol. With the support and assistance of the community and its various agencies, the program's initiatives and outcomes have been successful. Compared to arrest rates before the implementation of NET, the communities experienced declining arrest numbers far surpassing those of national trends: The total number of arrests for these two communities over the first five years of NET implementation declined by 40%. Furthermore, the annual arrest numbers are continuing their downward trend. Since the inception of the NET program, many youth are now choosing alternatives to gang affiliations, and as a result, social order is returning to the communities. It is the purpose of this article to delineate those initiatives and present findings of the outcomes. Authors' Note: Ferris Byxbe, Ph.D., is Associate Professor, Director of Criminal Justice and Graduate Coordinator, in the Division of Social Sciences, Criminal Justice Program, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS 38733. Philip Carlan, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work & Criminal Justice, University of North Alabama, Florence.     

WHO initiatives to increase access to treatment in developing countries

In mid-2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that some six million people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries are currently in need of life-sustaining antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, but that only 230,000 have access to these medicines, half of whom live in one country, Brazil. The WHO believes that, with a concerted international effort to expand access to HIV treatment and care, three million people could have access to ARVs by the end of 2005. A number of recent initiatives provide some useful tools toward reaching this goal.     

Dialogues of the War on Drugs: towards restorative reentry initiatives

The injustices of mass incarceration and the ‘War on Drugs’ are a much debated topic in the United States. My project engages this thematic field by examining how formerly incarcerated people discuss the War on Drugs and mass incarceration. I analyze the narratives of 17 formerly incarcerated men who volunteered to participate in: (1) life story interviews, (2) focus groups and (3) semi-structured interviews. Both restorative justice and reentry have been criticized for failing to consider the social, structural, and historical inequalities for marginalized groups. I contend that my subjects’ engagement with historical and autobiographical narratives contributes to an innovative practice borrowing from restorative justice in the context of reentry. The preliminary results confirm that for those who were on the frontline of the War on Drugs, narrating their life story was a cathartic experience and discussing collective memories of slavery and Jim Crow in a group setting became an educational moment and reaffirmed the need to rethink this history. I found the older generation believes the past should be remembered and racism still exists, while the younger generation subscribes to a colorblind view of society and wants to move on.     

Expanding dependent coverage for young adults: lessons from state initiatives

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that adults up to age twenty-six be permitted to enroll as dependents on their parents' health plans. This article examines the experiences of states that enacted dependent expansion laws. Drawing on public information from thirty-one enacting states and case studies of four diverse reform states, it derives lessons that are pertinent to the implementation of this ACA provision. Dependent coverage laws vary across the states, but most impose residency, marital status, and other restrictions. The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act further limits the reach of state laws. Eligibility for expanded coverage under the ACA is much broader. Rules in some states requiring or allowing separate premiums for adult dependents may also discourage enrollment compared with rules in other states (and the ACA), where these costs must be factored into family premiums. Business opposition in some states led to more restrictive regulations, especially for how premiums are charged, which in turn raised greater implementation challenges. Case study states did not report substantial young adult dependent coverage take-up, but early enrollment experience under ACA appears to be more positive. Long-term questions remain about the implications of this policy for risk pooling and the distribution of premium costs.     

New technology and new initiatives in U.S. workplace testing

A current perspective of workplace drug testing in the USA is presented covering three major issue areas: (1) epidemiology, (2) new technology and (3) initiatives to reach out and assist small business. First, national illegal drug-use self-reported survey data is compared with national laboratory drug testing results, illustrating a number of inconsistencies. During the 17-year period (1988-2004) the number of laboratory positive test results has decreased by 66% while during the same period self-reported drug-use has increased by 30%. The lack of concurrence between lab results and self-report surveys are examined in light of the typical panel of drugs being tested in U.S. laboratories, the increased specificity of immunoassay screening tests, and the critical issues of adulteration and substitution. Second, a brief review of the state-of-the-science in rapid point-of-collection (POCT) oral fluid drug-testing devices is presented along with some device evaluation findings. In general the window of drug detection in oral fluid is measured in hours. Most of the available oral fluid POCT devices can detect methamphetamine and amphetamines and opiates very well. The ability to detect cocaine appears to vary significantly across devices, while the ability to detect cannabis use is generally poor across all devices. Finally, efforts to reach out and assist small businesses in the development of workplace anti-drug programs are discussed in the context of increasing workplace programs in the European Union.     

Legislative-policy initiatives as a problem-solving process: The case of technology transfer

Legislative and policy initiatives can be viewed as a problem-solving process that includes the following steps: [1] problem identification, [2] identification of objectives, [3] strategies, [4] evaluation of strategies, [5] decision(s), and [6] implementation. This paper uses policies related to technology transfer as a “test case” issue area. It identifies four historical phases for technology transfer—extension service, space-defense spin-off, intergovermental, international, and technology commercialization—and their related objectives. Seven technology-transfer models are presented for accomplishing these objectives: intermediary mechanisms, decentralized invention management, cooperative research, patent waivers, personal incentives, personnel-exchange programs, and foreign patent rights. Actual examples, evaluation criteria, and resulting decisions are subsequently presented. Finally, implementation issues (regulations, technical assistance and training, and financial considerations) are discussed. Sally A. Rood, a public-sector consultant, recently co-authored a handbook on technology transfer for the US Conference of Mayors. She produces a series of bi-monthly bulletins on economic development for the Academy for State and Local Government and the National Council for Urban Economic Development. She is working on her Ph.D. in Public Administration.     

Public policy for academic entrepreneurship initiatives: a review and critical discussion

This article provides a critical review and discussion of current literature on technology transfer, incubators, and academic entrepreneurship. Drawing upon the notion of robustness in social systems and public choice theory, we review, code, and taxonomize 166 studies to assess the likelihood that these initiatives will generate innovation and economic growth. We find that academic entrepreneurship initiatives are characterized by conflicting goals, weak incentive structures for universities and academics, and are contextually dependent upon factors such as university strength. Our results suggest that there are critical boundary conditions that are unlikely to be fulfilled when universities and policymakers enact policies to support academic entrepreneurship initiatives. Policymakers therefore need to be cautious in the potential design of such initiatives. We discuss how technology transfer from universities might be better achieved through alternative mechanisms such as contract research, licensing, consulting and increased labor mobility among researchers.