Continuing education and training programs for municipal administrators: a case study in selected provinces††

Abstract. This paper presents the results of interviews carried out in twenty urban centres in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario on the matter of education/training programs for municipal administrators. After a brief review of literature on this topic, a composite profile of the respondents is presented. The survey results are analysed under four separate items: the need and its dimensions; awareness of and attitudes toward existing programs; anticipated attitudes of civic civil servants and politicians; and factors to be considered in designing and initiating programs for senior and middle management personnel. The study, while indicating a positive demand for programs, suggests that further field research be conducted and that a trial program be mounted to assist in evaluation. Sommaire. L'auteur de cette communication expose les résultats d'entrevues faites dans vingt centres urbains de la Colombie-Britannique, de l'Alberta, et de I'Ontario sur la question des programmes d'éducation/formation pour les administrateurs municipaux. Après une revue rapide des ouvrages sur ce sujet, il présente le profil moyen des personnes interrogées. Les réultats de l'enquête sont analysés de quatre points de we & tincts:les besoins et leur dimension; la connaissance des programmes existants et les réactions qu'ils provoquent; les attitudes antidpées des fonctionnaires et des représentants municipaux; et les facteurs A considérer pour concevoir et lancer des programmes à l'intention des cadres moyens et supérieurs. Tout en indiquant une demande positive pour des programmes, cette étude montre le besoin d'une recherche pratique plus approfondie et d'un projet-pilote qui aiderait à l'évaluation.     

The Quest for Community Development in Nigeria: Interrogating the Utility of Fourth-Tier System of Government in Imo State

The recent establishment of fourth-tier system as a distinct, but coordinating level of government in Imo State came with the expectation that it would facilitate community development. However, the underdevelopment situation of most communities dashed this expectation. Thus, this recent study adopted theory of postcolonial state as our analytical framework to interrogate the development utility of the fourth-tier system using mixed research methods for evidence gathering and analysis. The analysis revealed that the system grossly underperformed its development functions resulting from lack of stakeholders’ supports, which should be the basis for determination and implementation of fourth-tier system in Imo State.     

Review essay: Nationalism and alienation in modern China

Abstract

Nothing is more central to the study of the last hundred years of Chinese history than the themes of nationalism (the different forms it took) and education (the means by which the Chinese nation would be resurrected). Biography and especially intellectual biography is somewhat out of style. But the works considered here approach individuals and fairly small groups to convey a sense of the huge scope of the nationalist revival of China. All of them attempt to make sense out of the nexus where culture and politics met in a century of national crisis.     

Looking Ahead: Addressing Ethical Challenges in Public Health Practice

Ethical challenges in public health can have a significant impact on the health of communities if they impede efficiencies and best practices. Competing needs for resources and a plurality of values can challenge public health policymakers and practitioners to make fair and effective decisions for their communities. In this paper, the authors offer an analytic framework designed to assist policymakers and practitioners in managing the ethical tensions they face in daily practice. Their framework is built upon the following set of six considerations: determining population-level utility of the proposed action; demonstrating evidence of need and effectiveness of actions; establishing fairness of goals and proposed implementation strategies; ensuring accountability; and, assessing expected efficiencies and costs associated with the proposed action. Together, these considerations create a structured guide to assist decision-makers in identifying potential ethical challenges and in assessing the moral considerations that underlie public health practice - and possibly even, if the conditions are met, reduce the creation of ethical tension. Although the authors'empirical experiences provide the basis for the framework advanced here, their approach remains to be tested and evaluated by public health practitioners.