Politics in evaluation: Politically responsive evaluation in high stakes environments

The role of politics has often been discussed in evaluation theory and practice. The political influence of the situation can have major effects on the evaluation design, approach and methods. Politics also has the potential to influence the decisions made from the evaluation findings. The current study focuses on the influence of the political context on stakeholder decision making. Utilizing a simulation scenario, this study compares stakeholder decision making in high and low stakes evaluation contexts. Findings suggest that high stakes political environments are more likely than low stakes environments to lead to reduced reliance on technically appropriate measures and increased dependence on measures better reflect the broader political environment.     

People and their waste in an emergency context: The case of Monrovia, Liberia

Liberia has gone through civil crisis for over a decade which has resulted in the destruction of infrastructure and disruption of basic services delivery particularly in Monrovia, the capital city. Most of the 1.3 million people living in Monrovia are without adequate environmental sanitation and waste management services which situation poses a serious health risk to the residents. The current waste management service coverage is less than 20% and disposal is by indiscriminate open dumping. In 2003, there were series of outbreaks of cholera epidemics in the city during which time a total of 26,651 cases were reported with many dying.The waste management plan was initiated as an exit strategy of UNICEF following an intervention response programme to assist the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) whose capacity in this area had been crippled as a result of years of war, through the provision of support in solid waste collection and disposal.The objectives of the plan were to:

(a) Improve waste management services delivery in the city.

(b) Strengthen the ability of the MCC to plan and manage the waste services delivery.

(c) Enhance cooperation of service beneficiaries through comprehensive and effective health education and service promotional campaign.

(d) Enhance revenue generation and community participation through the promotion of private sector and CBOs/NGOs active involvement in the waste management service delivery.

The general methodology adopted for the assignment entailed the following:Desk study and review of existing reports on Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) in Monrovia and other relevant literature, consultation with stakeholders, site visits and participatory planning which aimed at soliciting the opinions of the various stakeholders involved with the respective components to capture their aspirations and experiences. It also covered collection and analysis of available information and data to facilitate the plan preparation and facilities design.The three-phased strategy (short, medium and long term) covering a period of 10 years (August 2004–December 2014), recommended a combination of technical options for collection based on the pursuit of staged development to allow for the adoption of realistically attainable standards within a framework of continuous and systematic improvements as economic conditions improved and new knowledge gained through practice. The plan sought to blend the capacity within the City Corporation with that of the private sector and NGOs/CBOs to respond to the diverse service demands of the city taking into consideration housing and infrastructural conditions, service costs and cost recovery to ensure sustainability. It also identified sources of financing and allocated financing responsibilities to facilitate effective plan implementation.     

高校科研管理工作的几点思考

本文从五个方面对高校科研管理工作进行了阐述,提出了一些自己的看法,旨在进一步改进科研管理工作.     

大学生心理问题及预防初探

当前 ,大学生心理问题不断出现 ,并由此引发了各种疾病 ,直接影响学生正常的学习和生活 ,为了帮助在校学生克服心理障碍 ,顺利完成学业 ,将来健康的走向社会、服务社会 ,作者建议各级教育管理部门及教育工作者 ,平时应重视学生出现的各种心理问题 ,用关心爱护、疏导等方式予以预防 ,只有这样 ,学生心理问题才能很好的得到解决 ,并愉快的投入到学习当中。     

Zimbabwe's AIDS action programme for schools

AIDS education started very early in Zimbabwe and is now compulsory in all schools. This evaluation documents the development of the primary and secondary school AIDS Action Programme from 1991 to 1998. Six programme aspects were evaluated: programme start-up, planning and management, development of syllabi and materials, teacher training, research, monitoring and evaluation, and co-ordination. The Programme drew on resources from within the existing educational system. Due to broad-based consultation and participation, it was supported by Government and partners. Flexible management ensured implementation of mid-course corrections. It was concluded that school AIDS programmes should stress participatory teaching and learning methods and life-skills training. Curriculum writers and teachers needed training and supervision in participatory techniques. Cluster workshops between district and school levels were needed to strengthen the cascade model of teacher training that had been adopted. Systematic research, monitoring and evaluation were essential, including follow-ups to baseline surveys. The Zimbabwean programme was well-designed, relatively inexpensive and replicable.     

如何定义“大国”？

 摘　　要:本文通过对各种关于“大国”定义的总结和分析，根据经济学原理给出了关于经济学意义的“大国”的定义。并分析了这种定义的优势，以及在该定义下进一步研究“大国”问题的方向     

社会工作专业课程体系建构的行动反思—以中华女子学院山东分院社会工作专业建设为例

本文根据女子院校高职高专层面社会工作专业课程体系的建设经验，在对社会工作专业课程体系进行5年行动研究的基础上，尝试着对课程体系的建构进行了行动性反思。在此基础上，提出了今后专业课程发展的趋向及后续研究的跟进。     

A longitudinal study of burnout: the relative importance of dispositions and experiences

This study investigated the relative contribution of personality vs. environmental factors to the genesis of the burnout syndrome. A sample of 221 nursing students in Hamburg, Germany, were administered a battery of personality measures prior to any training. They were later asked to rate various stressors encountered during their practical training on hospital wards and also in nursing school, general aspects of ward climate, the frequency of private life events, and their own well-being on standard measures of burnout. Data were collected at seven time points over a period of 3 years, including the initial assessment (T1-T7). Only complete data sets (N = 123) were used for the analyses. Burnout scores from T2 to T7 were predicted, on the one hand, by the 36 'dispositional' scales of the initial battery and, on the other hand, by a set of 18 'experience-oriented' scales from the later questionnaire's concurrent administration. Scales reflecting well-being were predicted better by experiences than by dispositions. With scales reflecting attitudes towards oneself and patients, respectively, it was the other way around. Thus, both dispositional and experiential views of burnout receive some support here. Intraindividual change in burnout scores could not be linked to dispositional or experiential variables.     

国内外公共突发事件应对研究述评

本文分别回顾了中外有关社会公共突发事件应急和企业危机管理的研究过程,从纷繁的研究文献中概括了有关突发事件应急的研究框架,认为对突发事件应急的研究可以归纳为静态系统和动态过程两个方面。近十几年来的研究重点主要放在了动态过程的研究上,而对静态系统的研究相对比较薄弱。     

论前期创造社艺术主张之成因

前期创造社"为艺术而艺术"的主张是在与文学研究会的论争中作为一种策略被提出来的,创造社同人自己对此缺乏真诚的信仰,也没有真正践行这种艺术主张,一旦在文坛站稳脚跟,他们也就抛弃了这一主张,转而大力提倡"为人生的艺术"和"革命文学",从而造成了所谓"方向大转换"的假相。