Organization Development Commons^™

Exploration Of The Implementation Of An Integrated Electronic Laboratory Information Management System On Quality Diagnostics Service Indicators At A County Level Public Hospital In Western Kenya., Kelly Allen

Capstone Collection

Underinvestment in pathology and laboratory capacity caused by low visibility in research and in prioritization by public health leaders results in limited effective healthcare coverage and an estimated 1.1 million premature deaths annually in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries. Kenya’s public health laboratories provide a median 41% of the Essential Diagnostic List to their patients and in Kisumu County, as much as 44.2% of the population has little to no access to essential diagnostics. The government of Kisumu implemented the county Health Laboratory Strategic Plan 2018-2022 to address this public health challenge. Little information exists on the effectiveness of these initiatives and the …

Masters Abroad, Sebastian Chavez

Capstone Collection

The research focuses on gaining the perspective and experience of students attaining a master’s degree abroad. The overall study is to answer the following questions: 1) What is the reasoning behind gaining a master’s degree abroad? 2) What kind of impact does a master’s degree have on the identity of students? 3) How might a master’s abroad experience aid international relations? Among the key findings, specifically, students’ main incentives ranged from career development in wanting to advance career objectives or real-world experiences of living and adapting to a new cultural environment. Following identity transformation, students experienced self-growth or discovered new …

Opportunity Discrimination: Resettlement Efforts Made By Ngos In The United States, Sarah Rauf

Capstone Collection

Social identity plays a key aspect in life. This research tests whether homogeneity between refugees and their host communities correlates to the immigration process and resettlement success. The analysis helps form a conclusion that people want to help those who look like themselves before those who appear more foreign. This is related to the central theories of social identity and prejudice stemming from stereotyping. Data collection comes from interviews with staff at a number of NGOs in the United States. The immigration and resettlement policies of these NGOs have been researched, and members were interviewed on the reformation of their …

Using Community Organizing Best Practices To Redesign The Dart Organizers' Institute, Anna Long

Capstone Collection

This Training-of-Trainers Course-Linked Capstone project explores three approaches to community organizing from three different scholar-practitioners. It begins with the father of grassroots organizing, Saul Alinsky’s, neighborhood-based and congregation-based approach. Alinsky’s approach is followed by Alicia Garza’s approach; Garza is the founder of the international Black Lives Matter movement. It ends with author and organizer adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy approach. This paper will synthesize all three approaches, ultimately identifying four recommended approaches to community organizing: power, motivation, emotion, and centering impacted voices. The four recommended approaches will be used to evaluate the new organizer training (Organizers’ Institute) for the Direct …

Decolonizing Wash Practices Between National Policies & International Standards: A Case Study In Tanzania, Mary Thibodeau

Capstone Collection

The international community has developed guidelines and standards for the maintenance of water and sanitation (WASH) in states from the end of the 20th century to present and have often been criticized for their lack of contextual adaptations in the standards that states are expected to implement universally. The research explored how international standards on WASH have applied decolonized methods of interventions to guide the development of culturally relevant national policies. Tanzania was chosen as a case study to conduct a comprehensive review of the states’ integration of international standards within their policies through a decolonial perspective. The study included …

“Mira Cómo Tejemos”: La Construcción De Una Red Comunitaria Y La Educación Ambiental En La Organización Frente Insular De La Reserva Marina De Galápagos, Katie Draeger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Frente Insular de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos (FIRMAG o Frente Insular) es una organización para la conservación comunitaria, ubicada en la isla de Santa Cruz. Para explorar el significado del trabajo comunitario de esta organización, este estudio examina dos elementos de la estructura organizativa: los valores y las fortalezas. Al analizar tanto las perspectivas de los líderes y miembros de FIRMAG como las observaciones sobre el trabajo mismo, los valores que buscan construir y servir la comunidad se revelan como 1) un rechazo a la institucionalidad/burocracia y 2) a los fondos extranjeros, 3) la educación ambiental comunitaria sin …

Good Intentions, Mixed Results: Why Aid In Uganda Is Fragmented And What Can Be Done About It, Samuel D. Johnston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the phenomenon of aid fragmentation and donor proliferation in Uganda. As the development cooperation landscape has become increasingly complex in recent years, there is significant interest in examining how this complexity, also called fragmentation, affects development outcomes in recipient countries. Specifically, this paper sets out to understand the driving forces behind aid fragmentation in Uganda, the recent trends in fragmentation and coordination, and potential pathways forward to address the problem.

Research for this paper came from a series of interviews with economic experts in Uganda, an exploratory study of quantitative indicators of fragmentation over the last decade, …

Morocco’S Leadership: Assessing The Relationship Between The State And Non-Governmental Organizations Working On Migration Affairs, Adriana Nadyieli González Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The history of Moroccan Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is almost as long as the country’s history with migration. After Morocco's record as a sending country, its unique location attracted an increasing flow of migrants from the rest of Africa to transit the territory in hopes of crossing over to Europe. More recently, tighter border securitization has resulted in notable numbers of migrants permanently settling in Morocco. Significant changes in migration policy have both prompted and resulted from this progression. And simultaneously, national NGOs have strengthened their role as protagonist advocates for migrants’ rights as well as foremost providers of target-diverse support …

Community Forest In Liberia: The Interface Between Sustainable Charcoal Production And Deforestation, Amavie Clement

Capstone Collection

The available data establishes a direct correlation between charcoal production and forest degradation and deforestation in Liberia. Charcoal is the primary energy source for Liberians, especially in urban areas where the bulk of the population lives. It is expected to be the mainstay energy source for years to come because it is affordable, accessible, and convenient to use compared to other forms of energy (i.e. electricity and petroleum gas). However, the current model of charcoal production, based on indiscriminate felling of trees, poses a danger to the environment as it results in widespread forest degradation and deforestation. Therefore, any successful …

Barriers Between Effective Transnational Changemaking: Relationships Between Ingos And Moroccan Ngos, Julia Walters

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to explore the relationships held between international non-governmental organizations, primarily based in the West, and Moroccan NGOs. The existing literature on the topic explores the ways in which international NGOs can both benefit and harm domestic NGOs, which seek to fix issues not thoroughly addressed and solved by the state or by the market, such as issues of gender-based violence, female education, and lack of rural healthcare. The data gathered was organized into two types of relationships; financial and non-financial. Financial relationships between INGOs and NGOs were often depicted as crucial in enabling critical projects, such as …

Post-Colonial Restructuring Of Human Rights Systems In Morocco, Kristen Hansen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A surge of academic criticism has followed the NGO corporatization trend (‘NGOization’) of the 1980s. NGOs have been called an extension of neoliberal ideology as they are pressured to depoliticize and corporatize their structures. NGOs have been forced to fit into an international schema of aid work that compromises their ability to bring about impactful change within their own communities. This trend has been cultivated by shrinking neoliberal governments and an intensified reliance on NGOs to fulfill international human rights requirements. This project examines the role of Rabat women’s rights organizations within the context of Morocco as a neoliberal state …

Transition Towns And The Transition Model: An Investigation Into The Movement's Use Of Strategic Planning, Richard Burbridge

Capstone Collection

The Transition Movement has spread around the globe in less than a decade, reaching 32 countries and 421 communities, with hundreds of projects, and harnessing the collective genius of tens of thousands of people. Despite the spread of the movement, no in-depth research of multiple initiatives within the movement has been done prior to this study. The main question investigated by this research is what tools and processes are Initiatives in New England using for SP and visioning, and how does this relate to their ability to transfer leadership and grow?

Consciente O Inconsciente: El Rol De La Educación En La Formación De Una Conciencia Social Y Colectiva En La Juventud Chilena / Conscious Or Unconscious: The Role Of Education In Forming A Social And Collective Awareness In Chilean Youth, Samsara Davalos Reyes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explorará la formación de una conciencia social y colectiva en la juventud chilena y los distintas causas que contribuyen a su creación como los es la educación. En la última década se ha visto el surgir de una multitud de movilizaciones estudiantiles y ferviente espíritu militante que llaman a investigar, que impulsa de forma individual y colectiva a que uno tome conciencia y se movilice. Es por eso que este estudio observó tres clases de historia además de entrevistar a nueve estudiantes y 3 docentes en liceos históricos y/o emblemáticos en la comuna de Santiago y técnico en …

Somos Todos Juncos Y Mapuches / We Are All Reeds And Mapuches, Jonah Kone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A partir del siglo XVIII, ha sido una migración criolla hacia el Delta de Paraná, Argentina, lo que representa una zona de humedal, situada en el delta del río de la Plata. Principalmente a partir del siglo XIX comenzó una serie de procesos para formar lo que se refiere a la “identidad isleño,” lo que implica un estilo fuertemente conectada con los procesos ecosistémicos del humedal, y viviendo de la tierra para la sobrevivencia: actividades que incluyen el junco, la pesca, y el cultivo de frutas entre otros. A partir del fin de los años 50 empezó un proceso de …

Foregrounding The Role Of The Consumer In Social Entrepreneurship, April M. Wyatt

Capstone Collection

The research purpose of this study initiates the need for describing the role consumers have in social entrepreneurship. Current research remains primarily dedicated to the leadership and organizational structures of entities operating as a social enterprise – while overlooking the role of consumers. This style of entrepreneurship requires specific attention on the social aspect of consumers and beneficiaries in order to create and implement ethics in this growing field. This research examines the current role of the participants in the social-mission driven organizations they support; data collection indicates that, at the present, most consumers support organizations without engaging in direct …

Training In The Digital Age: A Practitioner's Reflections On Incorporating Traditional Classroom Strategies Into Remote Training, Mary Duggan

Capstone Collection

As internet usage increasingly dominates workplace culture, remote training has become more commonplace, particularly for wide-spread organizations looking to reduce training costs. Webinars are frequently being utilized to eliminate travel and materials costs associated with in person training. This Course-Linked Capstone in Training seeks to explore the application of training and leadership theory in remote training sessions. The central research question was: How can a trainer co-create an effective learning environment and incorporate engaged pedagogy and adult learning theory into a remote training setting? This paper analyzes the relationship between trainer and participant through an exploration of philosophies of leadership …

From Kipat To Kathmandu: A Failed Integration Of Limbu People Into The Nepali State In Biblate, Ilam, Andrew Blunt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In eastern Nepal, a territory historically known as Limbuwan, the Limbu people make up just under 400,000. Historically, this region and its people were accompanied by the practice of kipat, a system of land tenure and management as well as one of community and cultural governance. In 2021 (1964) the Land Act formally ended the practice of the kipat system and transferred all lands to the state held raikar form of tenure. With the end of the practice of kipat came the attempted integration of the Limbu people from their traditional governing systems into the burgeoning Nepali democracy. A combination …

Las Consecuencias De La Propuesta No + Afp Una Investigación De Sus Impactos En Las Pensiones, El Mercado Laboral Y El Sistema Financiero / The Consequences Of The Proposal No + Afp An Investigation Of Its Impacts On Pensions, The Labor Market And The Financial System, Henry Kapp

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation will analyze the consequences of the proposal set forth by the leaders of the social movement “No + AFP” to structurally change the Chilean pension system. First, it will explore the historical context that led to the current system and has caused startlingly low pensions for almost 40 years. Then, it will explain the fundamental adjustments that the organization “No + AFP” suggests with regards to obligatory contributions, administration and distribution of social security. Finally, it will analyze the impact that the proposed changes will have on the Chilean economy, specifically with respect to the development of the …

Adopting Organizational Learning Systems At The Field Level Of International Ngos, Rebecca Beauregard

Capstone Collection

An increased push for accountability in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has led to the imperative for what was previously an internal management practice widely-utilized in the private sector: organizational learning. Learning initiatives support organizations to utilize resources more effectively and to reach their objectives with adaptive strategies.

In this paper, I explore the many components belonging to the organizational learning umbrella term from multiple disciplines, grounding my inquiry in the context of international NGOs. The findings from my qualitative research highlight aspects of learning and knowledge management in addition to organizational change and culture; to provide a comprehensive understanding of organizational …

Exploring The Strengths And Challenges Of Co-Creation Of Impact Assessments/ Analysis In Rural Communities: Focus: Hotel Con Corazón In Granada, Nicaragua, Johanna Q. Ulseth

Capstone Collection

Hotel con Corazón, a boutique hotel and social enterprise located in Granada, Nicaragua, through its Foundation, invests 100 percent of its profits in local education programs to empower students, their families and the community to build brighter futures. The Foundation works within a rural locality 20 minutes outside of the city, where the majority of the 3,900 inhabitants live in moderate to severe economic poverty. Completing its eighth year of working in the Las Lagunas community, the Foundation was motivated to carry out an impact assessment in order to learn more about the experiences of the different groups of stakeholders …

Armenia’S Social Sector: An Analysis Of Armenia’S Nonprofits, P L. Wierikko

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study was to explore and analyze the common traits and operational methods of Nonprofits in regions located outside of Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. A comprehensive organizational analysis using The Six Practices Framework by Crutchfield and Grant (2012), along with additional frameworks and theories were utilized to assess Kapan Women’s Resource Center Nonprofit Organization (KWRC NGO). From the analysis, a strategic plan was developed as well as the projected impact implementation of the plan would have on KWRC NGO, their partners, and their community. Nine other organizations were surveyed to gain a better understanding of prevailing operations and …

Enhancing Global Education In China - A Global Citizen Language Program, Wen Amy Luo

Capstone Collection

The acceleration of globalization calls for education with an aim of creating global citizens who are able to learn, live and function in an increasingly interconnected world. Educators should remember that they are creating future leaders who need to understand how to perform and interact in a global arena. For global citizens to effectively function in such an environment, they are required to have competencies such as: intercultural understanding, curiosity for discovery, cultural self-awareness, sociolinguistic awareness, and ability to listen, observe, interpret and analyze etc.

Chinese students who live in second and third-tier cities receive significantly less global education due …

Ndoto Au Ota: Jifundishe's Strategic Planning Process: A Case Study Of An Appreciative Approach To The Strategic Planning Process For A Small Ngo, Margaret Bearor

Capstone Collection

In January 2017, Jifundishe, a small, local nonprofit organization based in Ngongongare, Tanzania undertook its first strategic planning process. I was asked to design and lead this initiative for the organization, finding a way to introduce tools and resources so that they, or a similar organization, could replicate the process in the future. To better reflect the values, culture, and constraints of Jifundishe, the methodology selected to drive the process was Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI is a change model focused on strengths, and an appreciative strategic plan looks to take the best of what you already have and work to …

Sustainable Tourism Study Through Solimar International, S Silongwengjia

Capstone Collection

This inquiry explores a pragmatic approach of sustainable tourism and its application as a transformative development instrument. It seeks a general understanding of the global tourism sector, looks specifically at an individual tourism enterprise, Solimar International, and examines rural tourism, and its proposed standards. It discusses the opportunities and threats to the culture, ecology, and livelihoods of the residents of destination tourism and the unique experience to geotravelers. It analyzes the theoretical development history of tourism and the integrated approach of Solimar International as a leading agency in the tourism industry sector. And it seeks to understand a new type …

A Glimpse Into Life On Avenida Caetano: An Auto-Ethnographical Study With Emphasis On Community Health And Social Determinants Of Health Within An Urban Context In Brotas, Salvador, Brazil, Harleen Bal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community health is a concept that encompasses many facets of life beyond simply the physical health of a community. Community health refers to the collective health, mental, physical, and emotional, of a specific community, encompassing all ages and genders within that group. In Brazil, the universal healthcare model focuses much on primary care and community health workers (Kahn, 2008; Gragnolati). In a particular community in Brotas, while the community has some resources, it is still lacking in jobs, education, financial resources, and perhaps also faces issues of violence and racial inequities. This study strives to utilize participant-observation methodology, interviews, and …

Picture This: The Role Of Digital Storytelling In Motivating Donations Towards Refugee Relief, Mitra Lebuhn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

It is often assumed that powerful photographs and film footage have the ability to move viewers in the developed population to action. Frank Fournier, the photographer who captured the face of 13-year-old Omayra Sanchez in her last hours of life, as she stood trapped in a pool of muddy water and debris, said, “I believe the photo helped raise money from around the world in aid and helped highlight the irresponsibility and lack of courage of the country's leaders (BBC, 2005).” His statement encompasses the common perspective that imagery can motivate donations, but there is a lack in data regarding …

Kali Gandaki: The Road From Lower Mustang To A Global Food Market, Austin Van Wart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Development in Nepal continues to be a major issue in both metropolitan and rural areas of the country. Of the many obstacles standing in the way of this objective, one of the most challenging is the mountainous geography that shapes the country’s lands, culture, and people. To overcome this obstacle, Nepal has followed many other developing countries by making rural road development a main priority in hopes of increasing connectivity, travel, trade, education, and accessibility to other benefits. One such example of this is the Kali Gandaki road in Lower Mustang.

The purpose of this research paper is to identify …

Factors That Determine Civil Action In Opposition To Hydroelectric Development Along The Chiriquí Viejo River In The Chiriquí Province Of Panamá, Nora Sawyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hydroelectric development has increased rapidly throughout Latin America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries (del Mar Rubio et al. 2014). In 2014, Latin America represented 20 percent of the world’s hydropower (del Mar Rubio et al. 2014). It is also the main source of power generation throughout Latin America, accounting for roughly 65 percent of all electricity generated (Wheeler 2012). Within Panamá, significant hydroelectric development has been happening in the Chiriquí province. Local peoples’ dissatisfaction with the actions of the hydropower companies has increased with time, resulting in civilians and organizations taking action in opposition to these companies …

The Business Of Brandy: The Changing Roles Of Women In Apple Brandy Production In Lower Mustang, Nepal, Madeline Sachs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Lower Mustang, Nepal is famous across the country for its well-known trekking circuit and an agricultural climate especially suitable to apple cultivation. Home to the indigenous Thakali ethnic group, the region was made accessible by motor vehicle via the Jomsom-Beni road just ten years ago. While before the road transportation of fresh apples was nearly impossible, necessitating the production of dried apples and apple brandy, now farmers make a lucrative profit off of high demand throughout the country. Additionally, the production of apple brandy has boomed, and the region has four to six distilleries in production at any one time. …

Barriers To The Diffusion Of Renewable Energy Technology In Mongolia Lee, Madeline Academic Director: Sanjaasuren, Ulziijargal Claremont Mckenna College International Relations Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan, Salkhit, Hatgal Nomadism, Geopolitics, And The Environment Sit Study Abroad Spring, Madeline Lee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the international community looks promote sustainable development in developing countries, many policies have focused on the introduction of renewable energy technology (RET). For Mongolia specifically, RET is both a viable and optimal option, considering the country’s vast natural resources and the unsustainability of the country’s existing energy system. However, Mongolia has faced challenges with the development of its RET sector and still largely relies on international assistance and funding to develop largescale projects.

This study analyzes the barriers that Mongolia faces to the effective diffusion of RET into Mongolian society. Over the course of four weeks, 10 individuals were …