Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Investing In An Interconnected Workforce: Global Education Reform, Amelia Klug

HIM 1990-2015

Regardless of culture, socio-economic background, and quality of life, all students deserve the highest quality of education. But the reality is, many education systems around the world do not offer it. Investing in structural reforms in education has the potential to boost economic growth in countries around the world. By learning from different education systems strengths and weaknesses, policy decisions can be made that ensure students are given the opportunity for higher educational outcomes. This study analyzes high, middle, and low quality education systems around the world and the infrastructures that lead to educational success or failure. Fifteen education systems …

International City/County Management Association 1999 Revenue Estimation Survey Revisited, Benjamin Bond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 1899 the National Municipal League declared that it was the duty of the Mayor to submit to the Council the annual budget of current expenses of the city, for almost as long, the budgeting process has been researched (Hou, 2006). Researching budgets is important and needed but comparatively little attention has been paid to revenue forecasts or to those responsible for the generation of revenue forecasts. Professional public administrators responsible for generating revenue forecasts have largely been overlooked in research. Judging by the lack of scholarly material available in academic journals, it appears the political process in which budget …

Accessibility's Influence On Population Location Near Light Rail In The Denver Region, Christophe Michael Zuppa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accessibility is the most important concept in transportation planning because it describes the ease of travel to opportunities vital for everyday needs. Theoretically, people locate closer to transit corridors if accessibility improves. One desired benefit from light rail is denser land use patterns in the form of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) that captures population growth. In October 1994, the City of Denver, CO, joined the list of American cities that have implemented light rail within the last 33 years. Since then, five corridors have opened there, and planners are retooling their zoning codes to allow TOD near light rail. The …

Evaluating The Reverse 9-1-1 System In Santa Clara County: Does The Process Work?, Areej M. Sadhan

Master's Projects

In times of crises, emergency first responders need an effective system of communication to notify the public, to organize evacuation, and to direct evacuees to shelters and hospitals around the affected areas. This research focuses on the “Reverse 911” alert system used by Santa Clara County and asks key questions about its efficiency: ‘Is it the only alert system used to communicate with the public during crises?’ ‘Is it a reliable tool?’ ‘Should Santa Clara County improve its emergency communication?’ ‘Can we be sure the community is notified on time and well directed to safety?’

The legislative intent of Reverse …

The Influence Of Ishraq Program As Non-Formal Education On Girls’ Education In Upper Egypt, Heba Galal Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

Despite national gains in school enrollment, health, and economic development, adolescent girls in Upper Egypt are facing critical gender gaps in schooling (Isharq Program, 2013). The present research deals with how the Ishraq program, as non- formal education, has succeeded in advocating the education of adolescent girls in Upper Egypt and making their transition into formal schooling. Ishraq is a program running under an international NGO that is designed to address the educational problems in rural areas in Egypt where there are problems with schooling for young girls. Ishraq is a second chance for education that is providing necessary skills, …

The Politics Of Transportation Megaprojects, Patrizia Christa Nobbe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Large infrastructure investment decisions, especially for mega-projects defined as costing more than one billion U.S. dollars, are largely based on complex, unclear and non-transparent decision criteria. The project's specific context and a variety of actors and interests add to the complexity of the decision processes. All projects deviate, to a certain degree from a "rational" decision-making process, are politically motivated and subject to multiple interests. Cost-benefit analyses are conducted for about half of the projects. In this work I hypothesize that the politics of project decision-making is comparable across countries, relative to their nature, form of involvement and impact on …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Risk Factors Analysis And Countermeasures Of Fpso's Lightering In Dongying Sea Area, Fuan Chen

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Research On Marine Accidents In Hainan Jurisdiction Based On Fta Method, Wanrong Jiang

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Study On The Positive Measures To Eliminate Substandard Ships In China, Jianling Ma

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Development Of Legistion For Ship Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction, And Suggestion Of Enforcement For China Msa, Yongfeng Liu

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Risk Assessment, Study And Management On Navigational Safety In The Yangtze River During Dry Season, Qing Liu

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Foundation For An Independent Tomorrow: Treatment Effects Of The Stages Of Employment Job Readiness Program On Program Completion And Employment Outcomes For Ex-Offenders, Michael Hammer, Stephanie Pocchia, Stacy Howell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow (FIT) is a local not for profit organization that seeks to assist residents of Southern Nevada by providing workforce development services (e.g., interviewing skills, job searching techniques, resume assistance) to increase a program participant’s opportunities to obtain and maintain employment. FIT is currently being federally funded through the Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Act (WIA) grant, with a specific goal of serving the re-entry, or ex-offender, population. This population presents with a very unique set of barriers to obtaining employment, and in order to combat these barriers, FIT created the Stages of Employment job readiness …

An Evaluation Of The Clark County Wetlands Park Volunteer Program, Stephanie Holguin, Riley Kelley, Aaron Manfredi, Michael Mcquatters

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background

Student evaluation team, M.A.R.S. Consulting Group (M.A.R.S.), conducted an evaluation of the Clark County Wetlands Park (CCWP) Volunteer Program from April 2014 through August 2014. The pre-assessment consisted of a qualitative analysis of the organization’s educational programs, tremendous growth in and establishment of facilities throughout 2013 and 2014, staff responsibilities, and volunteer programs. As a result of this pre-assessment, M.A.R.S. determined that an evaluation of the current volunteer program would have the most impact on the organization.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this evaluation is to provide Wetlands Park staff with suggestions and recommendations based on the identified needs …

Citizen Confidence In The Public Service: An Examination Of Established And Emerging Democracies In North America And Eurasia, Nurgul Ryskulovna Aitalieva

Doctoral Dissertations

How do levels of confidence in the public service differ across countries? Are these attitudes about the public service determined by similar individual-level attributes across countries? Do country-level correlates explain variation between countries in citizen attitudes toward the public service? Data from the 2005-2009 World Values Survey for 21 North American and Eurasian countries, in addition to aggregate-level measures of national context, are analyzed using multilevel binary logistic regression.

The study shows that there is a significant amount of variation in the confidence attitudes not only within each country but also across countries. Citizens of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland …

Visible Minorities: What Individual Characteristics Determine Electoral Success In Municipal Councils In The Greater Toronto Area?, Guhad Hersi

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the extent to which individual characteristics contribute to electoral success in the municipal context with a particular focus on visible minority (VM) candidates in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It uses a cross-sectional study approach to test four hypotheses: if the VM candidate was born in Canada, he/she is more likely to have electoral success; if the VM candidate has previous political experience, he/she is more likely to be elected to a municipal council; if the VM candidate has a political mentor, he/she is more likely to have electoral success; and if the VM candidate runs for …

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 …

City Of North Las Vegas Complete Streets Corridor Ranking Study Evaluation, Yasmin Dixon, Brianna Lawrence, Sarah Saenz, Imari Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A Complete Street is a corridor that is accessible by all users and modes of transportation; it promotes livability and economic vitality in the surrounding community, and is a new approach to improving transportation networks. Prior to the implementation of Complete Streets projects, cities conduct corridor ranking studies to determine potential project locations. The City of North Las Vegas Planning Department (CNLV) is currently working on a corridor ranking study in partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) and an external consulting group, Atkins International (Atkins). This is the first Complete Streets planning study for the City of North Las …

Post-Secondary Promises: What Do Ontario Municipalities Expect To Realize From University Satellite Campuses?, Brittney Yeats

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the local impact of university satellite campuses by focusing on the factors that motivate municipalities to pursue a satellite campus and the benefits they intend to realize with these developments. It uses four case studies – Laurier Brantford, Lakehead Orillia, McMaster Burlington, and University of Waterloo Stratford – as well as a diverse range of literature to gain further insight on the motivations and expected benefits that municipalities seek to accomplish. The findings reveal that municipalities pursue university satellite campuses as a form of development policy, with the expected benefits far exceeding the perceived costs to the …

Integrated Casino Resort Plan In Korea: The Perception Of Korean Government Representatives, Donghwa Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Asian casino market has been rapidly expanding in recent years as evidenced by the success of recently built integrated resorts (IR) in Macau. In light of the successes in Macau, the Korean government has decided to allow an IR to be built near the Incheon International Airport in Korea. The airport, with its great number of transient passengers, provides ample potential customers for the proposed IR. Combining the two factors of Asian casino market growth, and the high number of potential customers, the Incheon IR has a great chance for success.

The Korean government entertained bids from two different …

The Impacts Of Land Use Growth Restrictions Upon Municipal Finances: A Comparative Study Of A Rural Municipality, An Urban Settlement Municipality, And A Primary Settlement Municipality, Douglas Herron

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the impact of growth controls on the finances of local government. It focuses on the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the growth controls imposed through the Growth Plan upon the County of Simcoe and the local municipal governments within the boundaries of the County of Simcoe. The impact of growth controls is analyzed using a detailed analysis of three sample municipalities, which include the Township of Tiny, a rural municipality, the Town of Wasaga Beach, a high growth municipality, and the Town of Collingwood, a high growth municipality designated for population intensification. The findings …

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 …

Open Data And Big Data Programs In Local Government Policy Analysis, Susan Chase

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the development of policy around the open data programs for local government. Through a literature review, a survey of large municipalities in Ontario, and in-depth interviews, the research attempts to identify if there are factors that ensure whether the policy development process is more likely to be implemented along with the program or if there is a lack of policy development as a result of it. The findings reveal a definite lack of policy development with the open data program, which is likely due to the challenge for policy makers to ensure appropriate access and privacy protection, …

Strategic Asset Management In The City Of Hamilton: An Analysis Of The Integration Of Strategic Planning And Management Elements Into Municipal Infrastructure Asset Management Programs, Brent Kittmer

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines which elements of strategic planning and strategic management are associated with improved organizational performance and how these elements are practically implemented in a municipality’s asset management program. The four key elements of strategic planning and management identified include: developing formal plans and using planning tools; setting goals and implementing performance measurement systems; internal and external stakeholder involvement; and linking the strategic process to the organization’s budget. A qualitative case study of the City of Hamilton’s asset management program was completed to describe how these strategic elements are practically implemented. The findings reveal that each of the key …

Development Permit System Policy Development In Ontario: Factors That Contribute To Implementation, Natalie Stopar

MPA Major Research Papers

In 2007, the Province of Ontario introduced a new planning tool called the Development Permit System (DPS) in order to increase the efficiency, certainty, and scope of the planning system. Despite these stated benefits, it has only been implemented in four municipalities. This paper examines the factors that could be limiting the implementation of the system in some municipalities, while encouraging implementation in others, using case studies conducted in five municipalities: the Township of Lake of Bays, the Township of Mulmur, the City of Kitchener, the Town of East Gwillimbury, and the City of Hamilton. Interviews were conducted with a …

Policing In Ontario: Financial Impacts And Opportunities, Michael Touw

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines police forces across Canada and the United States in an effort to determine why there are such large discrepancies in per capita policing costs between Ontario and North American comparators. While there are obvious differences between the various states, provinces, and territories in North America, and not all are similar to Ontario, all jurisdictions were nonetheless assessed and compared with the expectation that the variances might help to explain the figures for per capita police cost. The data was collected from a variety of sources, including Statistics Canada and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as various …

Authority Migration And Accountability In Canadian Type Ii Multilevel Governance, Robert W. Waterman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In advanced industrial democracies, including Canada, elections act as important mechanisms of democratic accountability. However, the migration of public decision-making responsibility away from elected representatives and toward new governance models may alter accountability relationships. As authority is dispersed horizontally to new governance actors that exist beyond the reach of the ballot box, questions of public input and accountability within the democratic governance process arise.

The objectives of the dissertation are: 1) to evaluate the extent to which Canadian provinces have opted to migrate decision-making authority horizontally in response to policy issues and why; and 2) to evaluate the existence and …

Accountability Models In Policy Design: Understanding The Explanatory Power Of The Four Major Accountability Models In Policy Tool Choices, David Seiler Jarvis

Dissertations and Theses

In the study of government accountability, there have long been arguments about which model is superior. These arguments, which are largely made by those in the performance and political accountability camps, state that their particular model is the best, and indeed only legitimate approach to ensuring accountable government. At the same time, there is growing research in policy tools but little in how accountability models and policy tools are linked in policy design.

This study makes use of the context provided by the critical cases of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). …

Leading Ladies: Women In Southern Politics, Jennifer Leaphart

Senior Theses

The following paper presents the issues contributing to the lack of female representation in southern states. Throughout the work, the South is defined as the former eleven states of the Confederacy. Using statistical data from reputable centers and government organizations, personal interviews, and incorporating previous national research on women and politics, findings show that women face unique factors when considering to run for office and even winning political office. The South’s social and political culture, state legislature structure, and lack of state recruitment organizations and PACs specifically for female candidates all compound together to strengthen the probability that women in …

Interorganizational Performance Comparisons Using Quality Assurance Audit Results, Raymond E. Keeler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires government agencies to conduct performance measurements of their contractors for purposes of evaluation and comparison. To be most meaningful, performance comparisons need to consider all relevant characteristics that are of importance to the agency. Yet, bounded rationality theory states that managers of complex programs may have insufficient time and resources to consider all potentially relevant factors. Therefore, metrics used for decision making need to incorporate all relevant factors before the information is provided to decision makers.

Over the last several decades, government agencies have increasingly identified Quality Assurance compliance as …