In this paper, we employ recently completed “poverty maps” for three countries as tools for an ex ante evaluation of the distributional incidence of geographic targeting of public resources. We ...simulate the impact on poverty of transferring an exogenously given budget to geographically defined sub-groups of the population according to their relative poverty status. We find large gains from targeting smaller administrative units, such as districts or villages. However, these gains are still far from the poverty reduction that would be possible had the planners had access to information on household level income or consumption. Our results indicate that a useful way forward might be to combine fine geographic targeting using a poverty map with within-community targeting mechanisms.
Objective
To analyse community intervention programmes for people affected by leprosy in ‘global priority countries’.
Methods
Scoping review of articles in the databases PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, ...Lilacs and Web of Knowledge that made reference to community intervention programmes aimed at people affected by leprosy in global priority countries and which presented an evaluation of results. Analytical variables analysed were methodological characteristics of the study, type of intervention classified according to the Community‐Based Rehabilitation Matrix, indicators and results of the evaluation, and the degree of participation of the community, which was graphically represented as a spidergram.
Results
Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria. They were mostly related to the health component of the RBC matrix and aimed at the adult population. All evaluated the indicators used positively. The degree of participation generally ranged between mobilisation and collaboration.
Conclusion
Community intervention programmes for people affected by leprosy have a positive effect on health. There are attempts to include affected people and the community in implementing these programmes, but it is not possible to establish a direct relationship with effects of their participation on health due to the study designs used. Future research using more robust methods that include leprosy patients are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of community participation.
Objectif
Analyser les programmes d'intervention communautaire pour les personnes atteintes de la lèpre dans les "pays à priorité mondiale".
Méthodes
Analyse de la portée à partir d’articles dans les bases de données Pubmed, Scopus, Scielo, Lilacs et Web of Knowledge qui faisaient référence aux programmes d'intervention communautaire destinés aux personnes touchées par la lèpre dans les pays à priorité mondiale et qui présentaient une évaluation des résultats. Les variables analytiques analysées étaient les caractéristiques méthodologiques de l'étude, le type d'intervention classé selon la Matrice de Réhabilitation Communautaire, les indicateurs et les résultats de l'évaluation, et le degré de participation de la communauté, qui était représenté graphiquement comme un spidergram.
Résultats
Trente articles répondaient aux critères d'inclusion. Ils étaient principalement liés à la composante santé de la matrice RBC et visaient la population adulte. Tous ont évalué positivement les indicateurs utilisés. Le degré de participation relevait généralement entre la mobilisation et la collaboration.
Conclusion
Les programmes d'intervention communautaire pour les personnes atteintes de la lèpre ont un effet positif sur la santé. Il y a des tentatives d'inclure les personnes affectées et la communauté dans la mise en œuvre de ces programmes, mais il n'est pas possible d'établir une relation directe avec les effets de leur participation sur la santé en raison des concepts d'étude utilisés. De futures recherches utilisant des méthodes plus robustes incluant des patients lépreux sont nécessaires pour évaluer l'efficacité de la participation communautaire.
In peacebuilding contexts unemployed youth are frequently perceived as a high risk for the stability of a country while employed youth are seen as carrying an enormous potential for economic growth. ...This paper applies a social justice framework (4Rs) in analysing a Business Development (BD) programme that was implemented as part of Sierra Leone's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) strategy to promote entrepreneurship development and reduce unemployment among youth. Despite the BD programme's initial strengths, to recognize youth's heterogeneity with the aim to address some of the root causes of the war, we show how the programme struggled to counter social inequality, unemployment and neopatrimonialism. Sudden decreases in donor funding led to severe modifications of redistribution processes, thereby hampering youth's representation. This raises questions about the design of TVET strategies and BD programmes in post-conflict settings in general. Our paper further showcases how the resurfacing of the root causes of a conflict in the scope of small-scheme development programmes, can have far-reaching effects on young people's various relationships of trust, if not reconciliation process as a whole.
The quality of online programmes is expected to improve as more students enrol. Online programmes offer convenience, enabling students to pursue education despite time constraints and work ...commitments. Students, however, still expect an experience comparable to that of face-to-face
classes. As a result, many colleges and universities are beginning to explore the use of teamwork to provide students with a sense of community in online programmes, while also enhancing their learning. Although virtual teams can overcome the limitations of time, space and organisational boundaries
that hinder traditional teams, they face other obstacles in distributed environments, including limited technical abilities and a lack of collaborative skills. This practice paper explores the work of a new assistant professor who incorporated teamwork in virtual classrooms into an online
educational leadership programme. This paper aims to share the challenges and benefits experienced by the instructor while engaging in group work in an online classroom environment, including the various successes and lessons learned.
Africa, conceptually, geographically, politically, economically, religiously and socially is in bondage and this bondage is South Africa has one of the worst youth unemployment problems in the world. ...The high rate of youth unemployment results in multi-dimensional range of social challenges that negatively affect the wider community and economy. Social workers in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are adopting economic strengthening programmes (ESP) to empower unemployed youth. However, factors that are key to determining success of ESP are not precisely understood. The study utilised qualitative case study research design. Data was collected using in-depth interviews from 30 purposively selected youth aged 15–24 years, 6 NGO practitioners and 5 Department of Social Development (DSD). The Ubuntu philosophy was used as a theory for analysing and interpreting data. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of Fort Hare. The aim of the study was to explore the determinants of youth’s success in ESP in South African NGOs. Findings established that lack of access to start-up finance, poor links to strategic partnerships and mentorship platforms were inhibiting factors for youth to establish successful enterprises. The study recommends social workers and NGOs to merge efforts and resources with other stakeholders to foster implementation of effective ESP in marginalised communities.
How to reference using ASWNet style:
Zibengwa, E. & Tanga, P. T. (2023). Building economic strengthening programmes for youth in South Africa: determinants of success and failure. African Journal of Social Work, 13(3), 325-332. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i6.6
Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net
Time management is an essential tool to enhance quality care and reduce stress in nursing professionals, who face a uniquely high-paced work environment with wide-ranging job demands. We evaluated ...the effect of a time-management training program on time management and anxiety in nursing undergraduate students. Study results showed that the training program significantly improved nursing undergraduates' time management and significantly decreased self-reported anxiety among the students post-intervention. This study is the first to examine the effect of a time-management training program based on time management disposition theory in China among Chinese nursing undergraduate students.
Study attrition is a problem in all community-based intervention studies using longitudinal research designs, but is compounded with hard to reach populations. High attrition poses threats to ...internal and external validity and may result in an inadequate sample size. The purpose of our study was to determine the characteristics associated with attrition. The study employed data from a cross-site evaluation of jail diversion programs. A self-report interview was conducted at baseline for 1,289 individuals. A 33% and 52% attrition rate was observed at the 6-month and 12-month follow-up interviews, respectively. The characteristics associated with loss to follow-up were male gender, part-time or full-time employment, drug offenses, jail days, baseline interview location, community supervision, and community geography. Knowing which individuals are more likely to attrit allows evaluators to develop targeted sampling strategies and participant engagement strategies.
Vertical global health programmes often evaluate success with a narrow focus on programmatic outcomes. However, evaluation of broader patient-centred and unintended outcomes is critical to assess ...impacts on patient choice and autonomy. Here, we evaluate the effects of a postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) intervention on outcomes related to contraceptive method choice. The stepped-wedge cluster randomized contolled trial (RCT) took place in five Tanzanian hospitals. Hospitals were randomized to receive immediate (Group 1; n = 11 483 participants) or delayed (Group 2; n = 8148 participants) intervention. The intervention trained providers on PPIUD insertion and counselling. The evaluation surveyed eligible women (18+, resided in Tanzania, gave birth at a study hospital) on provider postpartum contraceptive counselling during pregnancy or immediately postpartum. In our completed study, participants were considered exposed (n = 9786) or unexposed (n = 10 145) to the intervention based on the location and timing of their birth (no blinding). Our secondary analysis examined differences by intervention exposure on the likelihood of being counselled on IUD only, multiple methods, multiple method durations, a broad method mix; and on the number of methods women were counselled across two samples: all eligible women, and only women who reported receiving any contraceptive counselling. Among all eligible women, counselling on the IUD alone was 7% points higher among the exposed (95% confidence interal (CI): 0.02, 0.12). Among women who received any counselling, those exposed to the intervention were counselled on 1.12 fewer contraceptive methods (95% CI: 0.10, 2.34). The likelihood of receiving counselling on any non-IUD method decreased among those exposed, while the likelihood of being counselled on an IUD alone was 14% points higher among the exposed (95% CI: 0.06, 0.22), suggesting this intervention increased IUD-specific counselling but reduced informed contraceptive choice. These findings underscore the importance of broad metrics that capture autonomy and rights (in addition to programmatic goals) at all stages of health programme planning and implementation.
Several macro‐level and meso‐level factors have led to unprecedented proportions of aged employees in organisations, resulting in higher levels of age diversity. Little is known about which age ...diversity practices and programmes are effective in which types of organisations for which outcomes. Derived from social exchange theory, this paper proposes and tests positive relationships between age diversity practices and organisational outcomes and work‐life programmes and organisational outcomes. Derived from contingency theory, it also proposes and tests for a moderating effect of diversity perspective (fairness and discrimination vs. synergy) on the two main relationships. Data were collected from 248 medium to large‐sized for‐profit organisations. The results partially support both main effect hypotheses and one moderating effect hypothesis. The findings suggest different organisational outcomes for age diversity practices and work‐life programmes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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