This paper explores the concept of “institutional readiness” (IR) applied to the adoption and mainstreaming of Nature-based solutions (NBS) to deal with climate related risks. We argue that barriers ...towards up-scaling and mainstreaming of NBS are a manifestation of uncertainty, and are often associated with the ‘readiness’ of the institutional setting rather than with the readiness of the NBS technology itself. We align the concepts of Institutional Readiness (IR) to the more widely used concept of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to understand drivers and barriers for adoption of NBS and analyse the role of institutional capacity. We illustrate this with the case study of the Urban Water Buffer Spangen in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which is an NBS with high TRL. To do so, we constructed a timeline of the design and implementation process of the NBS, identifying and classifying key uncertainties as well as the strategies applied to deal with these uncertainties, particularly in the institutional context. Our results indicate that for mainstreaming of NBS, Institutional Readiness (IR) should be at a degree where strategies to deal with uncertainties in institutional, organizational and governance contexts can be integrated in the design and planning process. We claim that the concept of IR should be considered in its role to deal with uncertainty, in order to close the documented gap of NBS implementation and mainstreaming.
•A timeline analysis of NBS implementation identifies its key drivers and barriers.•Uncertainties need to be managed, especially in the social system.•Institutional readiness (IR) is crucial to facilitate adoption of NBS.•IR concept useful to inform strategies that increase institutional capacity for NBS.
The World Health Organization (WHO) directs and coordinates activities relating to health within the United Nations. In response to the existing and anticipated health risks, WHO has undertaken a ...number of actions to improve the health status of the population on a global scale. The institutional readiness to emergencies significantly increases the opportunities of coordinated and unified actions, which could improve effectiveness of actions. In order to efficiently respond to threats the document called Emergency Response Framework (ERF) was created. The ERF sets out: WHO’s core commitments in emergency response which are those actions that WHO is committed to delivering in emergencies with public health consequences to minimize mortality and life-threatening morbidity by leading a coordinated and effective health sector response; the steps WHO will take between the initial alert of an event and its eventual emergency classification; WHO’s internal grading process for emergencies including the steps to remove a grade. The ERF specify the role of WHO’s Global Emergency Management Team (GEMT) during emergency response, particularly refer to the optimal use of Organization-wide resources, the monitoring of the implementation of adequate procedures and policies, and the management of WHO’s internal and external communications. The ERF present WHO’s Emergency Response Procedures (ERPs) that specify tasks and responsibilities across the Organization. The institutional readiness to emergencies such as epidemics is essential to improve the health status of the population on a global scale. Methods for such a readines should be continuously developed and modernized, and adapted to the needs and abilities of the population to which they relate. This can make a significant contribution to enhancing their efficiency, and thus to help achieve the goals of WHO.
In a very short time, secondary school education across the globe transitioned to online learning and teaching, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aims at identifying teacher profiles ...in secondary education to better understand perceptions of both individual and institutional readiness to transition to online teaching. To do this, the current study grouped teachers on the basis of their TPACK self-efficacy beliefs, online presence and perceived institutional support for online teaching. To date, data have been collected from teachers (N = 222) from 20 countries. The data were submitted to latent profile analysis to identify readiness profiles. The added value of the current study lies in the combined view of individual and institutional readiness and the uniqueness of the dataset. It provides a large-scale international perspective and a wide range of possible experiences. Findings inform how education institutions can personalise and support transitions to online teaching.
Faculty members are crucial to Blended Learning’s success in higher education. Despite substantial research into the elements that drive faculty adoption of BL, few have developed a model to explain ...how these factors combine and influence faculty intentions to teach in this mode. This study used data collected from 207 professors from 18 universities across Africa, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to test and validate a Faculty Blended Learning Adoption Model which was derived from a Grounded Theory study. Four model constructs (institutional hygiene readiness, student BL disposition, faculty technology ready, and Pedagogy Technology Fit for BL) mediated by motivation were tested to predict faculty Blended Learning adoption using structural equation modeling. The results demonstrated an excellent model fit, with three of the six hypotheses in this study being supported. Faculty desire to utilize BL was found to be influenced by faculty technology readiness and task technology fit for BL, but not by institutional hygiene readiness or student BL disposition. This research presents a useful model for university administrators to use in their BL implementations. A thorough understanding of this model can assist decision-makers in identifying the factors that influence future faculty acceptance or resistance to blended learning, as well as helping them in enhancing acceptance and usage.
Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and the circular economy offer new opportunities for water management and water circularity in cities. In the process towards circular water NBS planning and ...implementation, urban practitioners such as urban planners and environmental/water engineers operate as facilitators and change agents due to their technical expertise. Moreover, from their professional standpoint, they can navigate barriers and influence key actors of institutional readiness of cities to uptake NBS. This study aims (i) to explore the barriers that urban professionals face towards the widespread mainstreaming and implementation of NBS for water management and circularity in Ljubljana, and (ii) to understand the perceived institutional readiness for planning NBS for water management and circularity in the city. Through 14 semi-structured expert interviews, and following a content discourse analysis, three overarching topics emerged: urban planning, urban design, and NBS implementation. The findings reveal the institutional readiness of Ljubljana to adopt and upscale solutions like NBS, although barriers still persist: misalignment of strategic goals, institutional fragmentation, lack of supportive policy and legal frameworks (procurement rules, urban design laws), and limited citizen involvement. New approaches and skilled knowledge brokers are required in order to change the narrative of water being perceived as a problem, and to mainstream NBS for water circularity across the city in the future.
•Urban practitioners are key actors for examining NBS barriers and institutional readiness.•Semi-structured expert interviews with 14 urban professionals in Ljubljana, Slovenia.•Three overarching issues: urban planning, urban design and NBS implementation.•Water circularity is an emerging NBS application area.•New approaches are needed for mainstreaming NBS for water circularity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) directs and coordinates activities relating to health within the United Nations. In response to the existing and anticipated health risks, WHO has undertaken a ...number of actions to improve the health status of the population on a global scale. The institutional readiness to emergencies significantly increases the opportunities of coordinated and unified actions, which could improve effectiveness of actions. In order to efficiently respond to threats the document called Emergency Response Framework (ERF) was created. The ERF sets out: WHO’s core commitments in emergency response which are those actions that WHO is committed to delivering in emergencies with public health consequences to minimize mortality and life-threatening morbidity by leading a coordinated and effective health sector response; the steps WHO will take between the initial alert of an event and its eventual emergency classification; WHO’s internal grading process for emergencies including the steps to remove a grade. The ERF specify the role of WHO’s Global Emergency Management Team (GEMT) during emergency response, particularly refer to the optimal use of Organization-wide resources, the monitoring of the implementation of adequate procedures and policies, and the management of WHO’s internal and external communications. The ERF present WHO’s Emergency Response Procedures (ERPs) that specify tasks and responsibilities across the Organization. The institutional readiness to emergencies such as epidemics is essential to improve the health status of the population on a global scale. Methods for such a readines should be continuously developed and modernized, and adapted to the needs and abilities of the population to which they relate. This can make a significant contribution to enhancing their efficiency, and thus to help achieve the goals of WHO.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, research organisations have strived to be resilient. This means navigating through the technical, operational, and political challenges to achieving successful research ...implementation. Particularly for local policy research thinktanks, the pandemic has made these challenges even more difficult to address. From the experience of the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) in implementing large-sample research in the formal and informal sectors during the pandemic, these challenges are countered through: (1) the incorporation of a technical advisory team; (2) the adoption of a flexible resource allocation strategy; and (3) the implementation of a quality assurance system. Policy research is only impactful when the knowledge produced serves its purpose as evidence to inform policymaking and guide programme intervention. To realise this objective, CDRI implements three types of engagement activities (consultation, coordination, and validation) that provide opportunities for interaction between researchers and relevant stakeholders.
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