Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sustainable Community Development Case Study Of Collaboration, And Participation Between A Nonprofit Organization And Governance, Nicholas L. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Lake Calumet Task Force (LCTF) is a nonprofit community organization that has developed the Green Economic Industrial Corridor (GEIC) plan. The GEIC plan presents the socio-economic needs of Lake Calumet’s communities and proposed improvements to the natural and built environment, which have been neglected for decades. There was a gap in knowledge regarding collaboration and formation of partnerships for the design and implementation of sustainable development strategies across other key stakeholders. The qualitative case study explored how LCTF can combine principles of cooperation, partnership, and participation, with the local governmental agency’s design and implementation strategies, to enlarge upon the …

Young People’S Perception Of Opportunities To Participate In Democratic Governance, Jennifer Nga Yu Tang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations General Assembly, 1989) accords all young people the right to be heard and make decisions on matters affecting them. Despite the fact the United States remains the only country in the world not to have ratified this document, a number of American cities have nevertheless begun to engage young people in community decision-making (e.g., in neighborhood associations or community boards). However, as of yet there are few actual opportunities for youth to participate fully in the governance of their cities. This study examined the perspectives of young people …

Citizens' Perspectives On Accountability Of Nongovernmental Organizations Providing Drinking Water In Northern Ghana, Abdul-Nashiru Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAccountability is an important concept in public administration and across multiple sectors. NGOs work towards achieving their social purpose and yet, they are perceived to be accountable only to their donors but not to citizens. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perspectives of citizens in three districts: Bongo, Wa, and Sagnarigu in Northern Ghana on how NGOs demonstrate accountability in fulfilling their commitments in drinking water provision. It specifically investigated the lived experiences of citizens: local government authorities, traditional authorities, and individual citizens from the districts. Research literature emphasized upward accountability resulting in a gap observed …

Abc County’S Welfare-To-Work (Wtw) Program Participation Rate, Alberto Banuelos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Welfare-to-work (WTW) programs are an essential part of societal assistance made available to families in need. In ABC County, CA, problems have been found with the implementation and success rates of their WTW program: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Even with funds allotted for the program, ABC County has not been able to design a WTW program that meets the TANF program work participation requirement of 50% of active TANF recipients in a WTW activity. The purpose of this study was to address this need as it related to the TANF program specifically. A qualitative, exploratory, single case study …

Exploring, Examining, And Explaining How Participatory Governance Adds Value To Saudi Foundations’ Philanthropic Strategy, Afnan E. Koshak

Dissertations

Foundations’ flexibility, given their independence from fundraising imperatives, competition forces, and accountability pressures, enables them to invest in long-term, high-risk, multi-level experiments to deal with the increasingly complex societal problems. This flexibility, coupled with the growing role philanthropy plays in promoting social welfare across the world, is arguably what makes studies that focus on foundations’ philanthropic approaches of utmost importance.

There is a mounting interest among scholars in the governance of foundations, the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall strategic direction of organizations. Influenced by agency and stewardship theories, an increasing number of studies address such topics as …

The Impact Of Governance In Sports Institutions On Olympic Achievements From Decision-Makers' Perspective In The United Arab Emirates, Rasheed Ibrahim Al Matar Al Nuaimi

Dissertations

The success of sports institutions depends on the extent of achieving outstanding Sports results not only at the local level but on all regional and international Levels. Hence, the number of measures et1iciency of sports institutions Achievements, especially at the Olympics level as it is the highest rank in the Hierarchy of sports achievements. The present study begins from a basic Assumption that the weakness of the UAE's Olympic achievements is due to the Governance pattern and management and leadership styles in various sports Institutions and especially in the sports federations and sports clubs.

In this respect, this study aimed …

Stories Of Youth Politics In Action: Uncovering Youth Political Spaces For Local Governments, Adam Fearnall

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper argues that local governments must create space for expressions of youth politics within formal political processes if they hope to engage young residents in the work of government. It is comprised of a number stories that capture the essence of generalizable lessons about where to find and how to recognize expressions of youth politics. Each one is intended to uncover a different aspect of youth politics and to make a case for why local governments need to learn how to recognize the spaces and languages that define the youth political sphere. The paper concludes with a discussion of …

Racism Vs. Social Capital: A Case Study Of Two Majority Black Communities, Bruce W. Strouble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several researchers have identified social capital as a means to improve the social sustainability of communities. While there have been many studies investigating the benefits of social capital in homogeneous White communities, few have examined it in Black homogeneous communities. Also, there has been limited research on the influence of racism on social capital in African American communities. In this dissertation a comparative case study was used within a critical race theory framework. The purpose was to explore the role of racial oppression in shaping social capital in majority African American communities. Data were collected from 2 majority Black communities …

Citizen Engagement In Budget Planning In Ontario Municipalities, Melihate Limani

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the opportunities and barriers for the further development of citizen engagement in the budgeting process within Ontario municipalities. Primary data was collected through a comprehensive survey provided to 444 municipalities in order to identify the current practices and challenges faced, while secondary data was collected through research assessing two Ontario municipalities that have implemented participatory budgeting – Hamilton and Guelph. The findings reveal that the barriers to citizen engagement in Ontario municipalities are not unique and they relate to major challenges that are linked to finding new ways to increase citizen interest and knowledge about budgeting and …

Public Engagement Trends In Southwestern Ontario’S Municipalities, Marcy Puzanov

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper explores what topics municipalities are utilizing public engagement for the most and the reasons behind those decisions, as well as the tools that municipalities are using most frequently to engage the public and the associated rationales behind those decisions. The research data was collected using an online questionnaire that was sent to various municipalities in Southwestern Ontario. The findings reveal that the respondent municipalities are engaging in public engagement to some extent, particularly with provincially legislated topics. Furthermore, traditional tools of engagement, such as public meetings, are favoured over innovative tools, and the benefits associated with local problem …

Public Participation In Municipal Service Delivery Review, Noah Atlin

MPA Major Research Papers

One of the techniques used by municipal administrators to evaluate their spending is the Service Delivery Review (SDR), for which a “how-to” manual, known as the Guide to Service Delivery Review for Municipal Managers, was created. This paper examines the Guide to determine whether it proposes a useful SDR structure that has adequate provisions for public participation. It analyzes the literature pertaining to the SDR process and public participation and it also provides an examination of public participation using case studies of six municipal SDRs in Ontario: Brockville, Port Hope, Brantford, Halton Hills, Barrie, and Hamilton. The findings reveal that …

Affordable Housing Policies: What China Could Learn From Canada, Jingyuan Sun

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper discusses the lessons China could learn from Canada with respect to affordable housing. It uses specific case studies that focus on the experiences of Shanghai and Toronto respectively, with the necessary information regarding the policies of both cities being sourced from existing research papers, government documents, and government websites. The findings reveal that the affordable housing system in China is lacking the enlargement of public participation, the reinforcement of community engagement, and the expansion of public-private partnerships, suggesting that these three areas can be improved with reference to the affordable housing experience in Toronto, where these factors are …

The Revitalization Of Social Housing: An Analysis Of Mixed-Income Housing In The City Of Toronto, Zoie Browne

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether community-based organizations (CBOs) offer a viable strategy for addressing social and community development issues within mixed-income housing in Toronto. It analyzes how and under what conditions mixed income housing developments produce a vibrant base of CBOs that reflect the social diversity of residents and it explores the extent to which mixed income developments build a sense of community with reference to the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. Interview data is used to provide empirical evidence regarding both the physical and social principles relating to community development in the area. The findings reveal that the success of a model …

Explaining Social Media Variation: An Analysis Of Internal Municipal Factors That Shape Canadian Municipal Websites, Julien Patel

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper explains the variations in social media features on Canadian municipal websites by measuring internal characteristics of key municipal administrators. The research process used a questionnaire to measure administrators’ attitudes towards engagement and municipal corporations’ capacity to improve websites moving forward. The results of the survey are contrasted with a dataset that scores each respondent’s municipality using predetermined criteria. Representatives from 43 Canadian municipalities agreed to participate in the study. The findings reveal that age, citizen pressure to provide online services, and engagement efforts with local stakeholders significantly explain a proportion of variation in municipal social media features.

E-Governance On Ontario Municipal Websites: Exploring The Development Of E-Governance Tools Used By Ontario Municipal Planning Departments, Spencer Sandor

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether there are patterns to the adoption of e-Governance tools on Ontario municipal websites, with a specific focus on whether the adoption follows a hierarchical pattern based on intended engagement outcomes. The planning department sections of 160 websites for municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 500,000 were searched for a list of 15 online tools that were selected following a literature review of the various uses of online tools. The findings illustrate a number of statistically significant relationships, suggesting that there is a hierarchical pattern to tool adoption. In addition, the results demonstrate a relationship between the …

Public Participation In Municipal Budget Decision Process: City Of Toronto’S 2011 Core Service Review, Jiaqing He

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the impact of public participation on decision-making, with a specific focus on the City of Toronto’s 2011 Core Service Review. It uses both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the case. Quantitative data is collected through the feedback forms the City used for public consultation during the Core Service Review, while qualitative data is collected from both the feedback forms and the roundtable discussions held across Toronto in 2011. The findings reveal that, from a process perspective, government efforts were directed at enlarging participation through a well-designed mechanism and project promotion, while the impact analysis found that …

Gov 2.0: Exploring The Use Of Web 2.0 Tools By Local Government In Southwestern Ontario, Chandra Dougall

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines how local governments in Ontario are using Web 2.0 technologies, with a specific focus on whether or not Web 2.0 is being used by local government as a medium for citizen engagement. It uses interviews to uncover whether or not the selected municipalities in Southwestern Ontario are using social media for citizen engagement purposes, in addition to a policy review of their social media policies. The six municipalities that were selected include: South Huron, London, Dufferin County, Kitchener, Central Elgin, and one municipality that chose to remain anonymous. The findings reveal that municipalities in Southwestern Ontario are …

Deliberative Democracy And Empowerment: An Analysis Of The Toronto Community Housing Corporation’S Tenant Participation System, Sewit Tamene

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether programs that adopt the principles of deliberative democracy can evoke feelings of empowerment among participants. Interviews with residents of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) were conducted to determine whether tenants who participate in the Tenant Participation System, specifically the participatory budgeting program, become empowered. The findings reveal that deliberative democracy is consistent with high levels of empowerment and tenants felt that empowerment was derived from a decision-making process that they were able to control.

Public Participation In Canadian Local Government: A Study Of The Meadowlily Secondary Plan Process In London, Ontario, Michael Hurley

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the facilitation of public participation in local government is a worthwhile objective, using public engagement in the Meadowlily Secondary Plan in London, Ontario as a case study. An online survey was administered to citizens who participated in the City’s land use planning process. The findings reveal that by participating in decision-making, citizens learned about the processes and responsibilities of municipal government, in addition to other forms of learning, which demonstrates that the facilitation of public participation in municipal government is indeed a worthwhile objective.

Community Engagement In Strengthening Neighbourhood Initiatives, Diana Bumstead

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines which components of community engagement are critical in ensuring that public policy designed to strengthen neighbourhoods is effective. A detailed case study of the London Strengthening Neighbourhoods Strategy (LSNS) in London, Ontario was conducted and compared to less intensive neighbourhood community engagement case studies from Western Europe, the United States, and Canada. The findings reveal that overall, successful cases of citizen participation use the following components of community engagement in their treatment of residents: representativeness, democracy, influence, transparency, and competence or efficiency.

Explaining The Variation In The E-Government Characteristics Of Municipal Websites: An Analysis Of E-Content, E-Participation, And Social Media Features In Municipal Websites In Canada, Jordan Dolson

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the variation of specific e-Government features in Canadian municipalities and it assesses the quality of municipal websites by evaluating their ability to meet criteria in the three areas of e-Content, e-Participation, and social media capacity. An e-Government Index was developed to evaluate website quality with respect to the three areas and a study of medium-sized Canadian municipalities – excluding those in Quebec – was conducted. The findings reveal that as a whole, medium-sized municipalities in Canada are more successful at developing the e-Content features of their websites compared to the e-Participation features, demonstrating that they are better …

Municipal Voter Turn-Out In Ontario: An Analysis Of Community Theories And Their Application To A Prescription For Higher Voter Turn-Out In Municipal Elections, Stephen Chait

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines voter turnout as a proxy for civic engagement by applying the analytical lenses of Robert Putnam’s social capital theory and Richard Florida’s creative capital theory to test critical assumptions regarding the impact of size (population), diversity (immigration), creativity (education and employment), and mobility (length of residency) on voter turnout. A sample of 30 Ontario urban municipalities was analyzed based on data from the 2006 Census. The findings reveal that there is a negative correlation between voter turnout and population size and density; a negative correlation between voter turnout and non-official mother tongue and immigrant status; a negative …

The Evolution Of Community Policing In Chatham-Kent: Citizen Engagement, Organizational Change, And The Neighbourhood Policing Project, Dennis Poole

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of community policing based on a case study of the neighbourhood policing program in Chatham-Kent. The findings reveal that police need to describe their mission in terms of crime prevention, fear reduction, and crime control and neighbourhood police officers can effectively address the local circumstances that lead to crime and disorder depending on the willingness of citizens to help them detect and solve crimes.

An Investigation Of Integrating Change Through Participatory Processes In Police Service Business Planning, Tobi Hermann

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the extent to which Ontario police business planning processes include effective citizen engagement and participation. A content analysis of public consultation data in the London Police Services was conducted and compared to municipal police department documentation in Windsor, Waterloo, and Sudbury. The findings reveal that police services in Ontario have embraced participatory mechanisms to engage the citizenry in an effort to renew democratic principles, increase perceptions of accountability, and legitimize the decisions made in the policy process.

How Are We To Govern Ourselves?: The Engagement Of Citizens In The Local Government Policy Process, Ron Coristine

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the effectiveness of citizen engagement as a complementary process to the representative nature of local democracy based on case studies of two policy issues that used different methods of citizen participation in Kincardine, Ontario. Interviews with the mayor and seven of eight councillors in the municipality were conducted. The findings reveal that the traditional method of top-down consultation processes is inferior to deliberative approaches and interactive forms of engagement can achieve more satisfactory outcomes.

Health Systems Restructuring In Ontario: Public Participation And Regionalization – The Un-Traveled Road, Sarah Padfield

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the healthcare system in Ontario can integrate the principles of public participation and citizen engagement with the regionalization of health authorities based on an extensive literature review, case studies, and personal interviews. The findings reveal that the goals of public participation and citizen engagement can be reconciled with the goals of cost containment and efficiency by instituting regional health authorities.

Citizen Participation In The Digital Age: An Evaluation Of The Potential Of A Website To Encourage Community Involvement In School Board Issues, Scott Chambers

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the potential for school board websites to engage the public by promoting a greater understanding of school board issues and accepting feedback and recommendations from the local community. An analysis of school board websites in Ontario was conducted to measure the effectiveness of existing websites as a method for communication. The findings reveal that until school boards provide an incentive for citizens to visit their websites on a regular basis, they will not become a strong way to connect to the community.

Evaluating The Public Participation Methods Used In Toronto’S Integrated Solid Waste Resource Management Process, John Ballantine

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether a meaningful public consultation process was used in the Solid Waste Management Marketplace Engagement Program (SWM-WEP) – later renamed Toronto’s Integrated Solid Waste Resource Management Process (TIRM) – based on case studies of the various meetings that took place throughout the process. The findings reveal that the public consultations that occurred in the SWM-WEP/TIRM cannot be characterized as a true dialogue because power was not transferred from bureaucrats and elected officials to the general population.