Variability in Cross‐Domain Risk Perception among Smallholder Farmers in Mali by Gender and Other Demographic and Attitudinal Characteristics

Previous research has shown that men and women, on average, have different risk attitudes and may therefore see different value propositions in response to new opportunities. We use data from smallholder farm households in Mali to test whether risk perceptions differ by gender and across domains. We model this potential association across six risks (work injury, extreme weather, community relationships, debt, lack of buyers, and conflict) while controlling for demographic and attitudinal characteristics. Factor analysis highlights extreme weather and conflict as eliciting the most distinct patterns of participant response. Regression analysis for Mali as a whole reveals an association between gender and risk perception, with women expressing more concern except in the extreme weather domain; however, the association with gender is largely absent when models control for geographic region. We also find lower risk perception associated with an individualistic and/or fatalistic worldview, a risk‐tolerant outlook, and optimism about the future, while education, better health, a social orientation, self‐efficacy, and access to information are generally associated with more frequent worry—with some inconsistency. Income, wealth, and time poverty exhibit complex associations with perception of risk. Understanding whether and how men's and women's risk preferences differ, and identifying other dominant predictors such as geographic region and worldview, could help development organizations to shape risk mitigation interventions to increase the likelihood of adoption, and to avoid inadvertently making certain subpopulations worse off by increasing the potential for negative outcomes.     

Spatial approaches to measure subnational inequality: Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations expressed an interest in reducing subnational (i.e., province and state level) inequality. We propose using a spatial decomposition of the Gini coefficient (SDGC) to track changes in subnational inequality. Typically, agencies do not track summary measures of subnational clustering of development indicators. Tracking changes in the SDGC can help measure and reduce regional inequality. To illustrate the use of the SDGC, we first present data for 93 nations to obtain cross‐sectional variation. Next, to illustrate how the SDGC trends over time, changes in the Human Development Index in Mongolia are compared to Russia and China. The SDGC can show improvement, decline and persistent clustering of subnational level inequality. The SDGC is a useful measure for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.     

Application of a non-homogeneous Markov chain with seasonal transition probabilities to ozone data

In this work, we assume that the sequence recording whether or not an ozone exceedance of an environmental threshold has occurred in a given day is ruled by a non-homogeneous Markov chain of order one. In order to account for the possible presence of cycles in the empirical transition probabilities, a parametric form incorporating seasonal components is considered. Results show that even though some covariates (namely, relative humidity and temperature) are not included explicitly in the model, their influence is captured in the behavior of the transition probabilities. Parameters are estimated using the Bayesian point of view via Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. The model is applied to ozone data obtained from the monitoring network of Mexico City, Mexico. An analysis of how the methodology could be used as an aid in the decision-making is also given.     

高质量发展评价指标体系探讨

党的十九大作出我国经济已由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段的重大判断。测度高质量发展的前提是，在准确理解和把握高质量发展内涵的基础上构建一套科学合理的评价指标体系。通过对高质量发展统计内涵的深入考察，本文在充分梳理、借鉴国内外有关同类评价指标体系的基础上，从“人民美好生活需要”和“不平衡不充分发展”这个社会主要矛盾的两个方面着手，构建了一个由经济活力、创新效率、绿色发展、人民生活、社会和谐5个部分共27个指标构成的高质量发展评价指标体系。该指标体系的特点是：紧扣高质量发展的内涵和新时代社会主要矛盾的变化，指标数量不多但覆盖新发展理念的各个方面，指标不重复，数据易获得。     

环境分权对经济高质量发展的影响研究

本文通过构建经济高质量发展评价指标体系并对其进行测算,运用静态、动态以及空间面板数据模型实证检验了环境分权对经济高质量发展的影响效应。研究发现,环境分权对经济高质量发展的影响呈现出先抑后扬的“U”型特征,并且当前我国环境分权对经济高质量发展的影响依然体现为负向作用。使用工具变量处理内生性问题以及一系列稳健性检验后结论依然成立。传导渠道分析表明,环境分权通过资源错配渠道影响经济高质量发展,并且环境分权对经济高质量发展的影响还具有地区异质性、结构异质性等。本文的研究结论有助于厘清环境分权对经济高质量发展的影响效应,为调整及优化环境分权制度安排提供了重要的政策指引和借鉴。     

An evaluation of donor agencies’ policies on participatory development: The case of Ghana

This article critically evaluates guidelines concerning participatory development by the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It focuses on the different conceptual frameworks adopted in order to examine the different ways of incorporating participation in their development agenda. A literature‐based method was adopted and the analysis included evaluation of five documented experiences, including the Ghana Secondary Education Improvement Project and Ghana Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project from both the World Bank and USAID. Baum project cycle stages have been taken as activities for project participation. The findings show the need for better planning, ensuring sustainability and involving beneficiaries.     

Critical discourse analysis of perspectives on knowledge and the knowledge society within the Sustainable Development Goals

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is employed to analyze discourses of knowledge and the knowledge society in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discourse analysis is a collective name for a number of scientific methodologies for analyzing semiosis, namely how meaning is created and communicated though written, vocal or sign language. Employing a genealogical approach which locates discourses in the field of prior discourses, two prior discourses of the knowledge society are identified in the key document of the SDGs. The concepts knowledge and knowledge society are found to have a marginal position within the main policy document “Transforming our world,” adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. The techno‐scientific‐economic discourse is found to be dominant at the level of implementation and of goals, while there is some evidence of the pluralist‐participatory discourse at the level of vision and strategy. Analysis of some of the policy advice provided by international organizations and civil society indicates that more pluralist‐participatory discourses on knowledge were represented when the SDGs were being formulated. Developed countries and the corporate sector were very influential in determining the final text and were probably instrumental in excluding more transformational discourses and maintaining the status quo.     

What does Brunei teach us about using Human Development Index rankings as a policy tool?

The Bruneian Government has set an ambitious target to achieve a top 10 ranking on the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) by 2035. To achieve its objective (described in a national strategy document called the Wawasan 2035), Brunei's economy needs to grow by 6% to 7%. Is setting an HDI target a good way to govern Brunei's policy‐making? Is it a good way to govern any country's policy‐making? In this article, we look at the role of HDI‐rank targets in economic and fiscal policy. We show that such a headline target (much like a profit target in a private company) automatically sets targets for growth in various economic sectors and fiscal policy targets. As such, HDI‐rank targeting may provide a useful mechanism for co‐ordinating development policies and for monitoring progress against a wide range of development goals using only one number.