Suchergebnisse

The report provides a detailed assessment of the road sector in Argentina, evaluating the expenditure of public resources in this context and informing possible improvements to the current situation. Given that the information available is limited, the report will mainly focus on the roads classified under the National Network, and will provide recommendations for the provincial and municipal roads when possible. The report starts with an introduction which serves to identify the context of the country and the main issues. This introduction describes the recent volatile financial periods in Argentina, with a macroeconomic context that has experimented several shocks in the recent decades and is currently impacted by the severe depreciation of the national currency and high inflation. This has led to higher transport costs, which are hampering potential growth, commercial exchanges and access to services. In addition, territorial inequalities in the country cause visible differences between regions, also in terms of the road network connectivity and logistics performance. Besides these factors, the road network is also affected by an increasingly more hazardous climate, as extreme natural episodes causing disruptions have been observed more frequently and intensely in Argentina in recent times. To face all these constraints, the Government of Argentina presented an ambitious National Plan over the period 2016-2019, with important public investments in road transport, but with a highly limited private participation due to the macroeconomic context and the lack of enabling policies.

Jobs are vital for individuals to work their way out of poverty and for promoting shared prosperity. Somalia has few formal social safety nets, and the country is steadily consolidating peace and rebuilding state institutions following decades of conflict. Putting in place a jobs strategy as well as adaptive social protection systems are key to strengthening citizen confidence in state institutions. The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) seeks to generate economic growth to create jobs and promote economic inclusion, including opportunities for youth, the most excluded and vulnerable group in Somalia. Decent jobs are central to poverty reduction, and have far reaching implications for stability and security, empowerment, and household resilience. Central to any efforts to curb poverty is the creation of enough decent jobs to absorb workers, especially youth. Youth represent an integral part of the economically productive population, possessing many years of productive life before them. The youth bulge and demographic expansion in Somalia suggest a pressing need to create jobs for its youth while equipping future workers with the right set of skills. This report examines the profile of Somali household workers, and identify job characteristics and constraints for creating more and inclusive jobs. The study also evaluates youth employment, patterns of school-to-work transitions, and how well the Somali educational system prepares young people for the job market.

Purpose – to analyse the digitalization trends in the Central Caucasian (Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia) and Baltic States with the aim of reducing a financial gap for the Small and Medium size Enterprises in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Research methodology – comparative analysis between Baltic and Caucasian countries are made to analyse the basic positions and farther development opportunities for Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Findings of the given paper – while SME sector crucially important contributor to employment, diversification and productivity in any country of the world and especially in developing ones, they still face significant credit constraints through traditional credit providing institutions. However, the trend is changing and modern digital technologies from the fintech area are providing new alternatives, which already had been widely used in Baltic, but still are waiting their chance in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, with different level of progress and readiness. Research limitations – some statistical data does not exist for all six countries or were possible to obtain for different periods of time. Lack of academic literature on fintech in Caucasian countries. Practical implications – It can provide a useful perspective for researchers, academics, investors, investment managers, decision-makers, and scientists. Originality/Value – The paper analyses three advanced European Union member state's (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) fintech positions and perspectives as a model of development for three developing Caucasian states (Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia).

Long-term open pit mine planning is a complex process which deals with numerous uncertainties, whether they are economical (commodity price, operational costs, production schedule, discount rate, inflation, among others); geological (grade distribution, density, hardness, etc); or physical constraints (property limits, environmental issues, legislation, etc). In this context, this paper aims to evaluate the effects of the variation of two important variables: commodity price and discount rate, with regard to the economic criterion, represented by the Net Present Value (NPV) of the mining business. Starting from a baseline value of US$ 80/t, the commodity (phosphate rock was used as a case study) price was varied within a 50% range, above and below the baseline value, obtained from historic values from the last 5 years. The discount rate values adopted in the analyses were 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18% and 20%. The results showed increases in the market price yielded higher NPV and life of mine values. On the other hand, it was noted that increases in the discount rate can significantly alter the NPV, materially reducing the value of the mining undertaking. It is also worth noting that, in contrast to more robust approaches such as Real Options Theory (ROT), traditional Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methods, such as NPV, assume variables, such as commodity price, to be fixed, which could either lead to the undervaluation or overvaluation of a project.

The compositions of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, especially his later anecdotal works, are set apart by his portrayal and analysis of the neo-frontier and neo-liberal circumstance with respect to recently free Kenya. As a vocal pundit of frontier and neo-pilgrim apparatus, Ngugi has raised his anxiety over the ascent of global free enterprise and the neo-progressivism as masked types of colonialism. In his view, the ascent of neo-radicalism is a sign of the disappointment of the destinations of opportunity battle and a risk to the individual's goals from a free country. As an author, his dominance lies in rising above the geological constraints of Kenya to the degree that social, monetary and political issues that neo-radicalism may mix and along these lines his anecdotal portrayals achieve many more extensive allure regarding their materialness. Indeed, there is likewise the chance of deciphering a chunk of his later fills in as oppressed worlds regarding their portrayal. The current paper plans an examination of the books of the writer to throw the light on different financial, socio-political issues and the force structures introduced by the neo-provincial and neo-liberal powers with the utilization of a few mechanical assemblies. The paper will likewise talk about what response the creator offers as the conceivable arrangement or the route forward to such a quandary.

This working paper investigates the livelihoods, trajectories, networks and self-generated opportunities of vulnerable migrants in refugee-like situations in Dar es Salaam. Its main purpose is to arrive at a deeper understanding of protracted displacement through a 'figurational approach', which stresses the networks and the interdependencies of urban refugees in Dar es Salaam, across Tanzania, and across national borders. Refugees' social relations do not unfold in a vacuum but are shaped by the regimes of aid and asylum that govern their lives. In a context of constant fear of imprisonment and deportation, this working paper gives particular attention to the alliances that the vulnerable migrants build within Dar es Salaam. It underlines their agency and coping strategies, as they bring with them many valuable skills. Capitalising on these skills can result in longstanding partnerships between vulnerable migrants and locals. Spaces of freedom where displaced people do not need to live in a perpetual state of fear and uncertainty are equally important. More than focusing on constraints, this paper underlines the urban refugees' agency and survival strategies. We pay particular attention to the mobility and connectivity of female urban refugees, also within a digital context. Through (social media) entrepreneurship, women in refugee- like situations have managed to overcome immobilisation and create new opportunities for themselves. By analysing a variety of life situations throughout this paper, we seek to recognise and promote urban refugees' agency and dignity. ; TRAFIG Working Paper No. 8

This article belongs to the Special Issue "Vaccine Hesitancy and COVID-19" ; The speed and innovation of the COVID-19 vaccine development has been accompanied by insecurity and skepticism. Young adults' attitude to vaccination remains under investigation, although herd immunity cannot be reached without them. The HEalth in Students during the Corona pandemic study (HES-C) provided the opportunity to investigate vaccination intention in 1478 students in the sixth survey wave (January 2021), including vaccination intention, psychological antecedents of vaccine hesitancy, trust in government's vaccination strategy, and vaccination history. Associations with vaccination intention were analyzed with multivariate ordinal regression and predicted margins were calculated adjusting for gender, age, anxiety, health profession, and subjective health status. A third was decided (yes 25.1%, no 7.6%), and 68% were unsure about getting the COVID-19 vaccine when available. Next to demographic characteristics, vaccination history (influenza vaccination OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.06–1.83, travel vaccination OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.04–1.60), trust in vaccination strategy (OR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.89–3.05), and 5C dimensions were associated with vaccination intention: confidence (OR = 2.52; 95% CI: 2.09–3.03), complacency (OR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.66–0.96), calculation (OR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70–0.89), constraints (OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.99–1.41), and collective responsibility (OR = 4.47; 95% CI: 3.69–5.40). Addressing psychological antecedents and strengthening trust in official strategies through targeted campaigns and interventions may increase decisiveness and result in higher vaccination rates.

Background: In 2015 alone, 5,9 million children under the age of five died. In an attempt to reducechild mortality in Eritrea, the government implemented community- based child healthinterventions by community health workers (CHWs). Despite progress, challenges remain.In Eritrea, few studies have examined CHWs and community perceptions of child healthinterventions. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of CHWs regardingbenefits and challenges of community-based child health interventions in the Maekelregion in Eritrea. Methods: An explorative qualitative study was conducted employing focus group discussions. Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The CHWs reported positive aspects such as easier access to health services, generated relationships and support and opportunities to give back to the community. Perceived challenges were: constraints in delivering services, resources and supervision, inadequate knowledge and awareness and juggling multiple roles with no pay. The ministry of health (MoH) in Eritrea prioritizes reducing child mortality but, is still in the process of building and stabilizing the healthcare system. The biggest challenge is to incorporate community level Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses and Case Management (C-IMCI/iCCM), involving communities, families and CHWs into the current system of limited resources. Conclusions: This study indicates the importance of focusing on identifying solutions to the challenges the CHWs faces and understanding factors associated with CHWs motivation. This with the hope of better effectiveness and sustainability of the C-IMCI/iCCM program.

Successful project completion is a challenging phenomenon for project managers. Various factors play an indispensable role in the success of a project. The objective of this study is to examine the role of project managers' personalities in project success with the moderating role of external environmental factors i.e., political, economic, social. The study includes 145 project managers from 36 large‐scale construction projects, from both the public and private sectors. The big five personality model was used to evaluate the personality traits of project managers and triple constraint criteria (cost, time, and quality) was used to gauge project success. Data has been collected through a well‐structured questionnaire. The analysis of data indicated that personality traits like extraversion and openness are positive predictors of project success, whereas conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism did not have any direct relationship with project success. Importantly, the findings of this study concluded that external environmental factors—like political, economic, and social— moderately influence the link of specific project managers' personality traits to project success. The role of external environmental factors as moderators has been discussed. The findings indicate the essential personality traits, as well as the role of external factors for achieving project success. The research contributions have relevance to both theory and practice and provide a deeper insight that is useful for individuals, organizations, researchers, practitioners, and decision‐makers.

Although Bhutan has made progress in recent years, notably by initiating the development of a domestic e-commerce ecosystem, gaps still remain. The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) has prioritized information and communications technology (ICT) development to promote the vision of 'an ICT-enabled, knowledge society as a foundation for Gross National Happiness.' Initiatives, such as the Digital DrukYul flagship program, the guidelines on e-commerce and the e-commerce Policy Framework, aim to increase Bhutan's digitalization and participation in e-commerce. Yet, constraints in the e-trade environment, such as limited Internet connectivity, high costs of payment transactions, an incomplete regulatory infrastructure, and high trade facilitation and logistics costs, still hold Bhutan back, resulting in low levels of e-trade participation at present. The special focus section assesses the main regulatory and trade facilitation priorities for digital trade in Bhutan and makes concrete proposals to develop the country's e-trade framework. The development of Bhutan's digital economy and e-trade is contingent on a number of complementary factors including reliable Internet connectivity, mobile and computer penetration, digital literacy, availability of efficient logistical and payment systems, and relevant infrastructure to facilitate those factors. E-trade in goods and services also requires supporting policies in areas such as data protection, cyber security, consumer protection, competition law and the recognition of e-signatures and electronic transactions, which are the basic building blocks of all business online.

A field survey was conducted in two districts­­ of western hills of Nepal during July-August, 2020 to study about the practices of traditional methods of horticultural crop disease management. A total of 125 farmers, 10 traders, 5 agro-vets, and 3 plant clinical doctors from four local bodies of two districts; Palpa and Gulmi, were selected for the interviews which employed a pretested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Almost half of the farmers interviewed (48%) were found to have an average level of knowledge regarding the application of indigenous methods. Mixture of kerosene and ash, mugwort solution, plant residues, bovine dung and urine, chilli powder, papaya leaves, onion mixed with garlic, etc. were popular as traditional techniques to effective control of disease and pest. Scaling technique used in this study showed the lack of indigenous information as the most serious constraint in adoption of traditional means, followed by lack of advertisement, poor social perception of farmers, and weak cooperation among social and agricultural scientists. The study recommended that documentation and scientific validation of indigenous means and support from government and extension agents are necessary to encourage farmers using traditional means. This study examines traditional diseases/pests control strategies implemented by the ancients and presently adopted in ongoing practices. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 9(2): 138-151.

The paper critically examined the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR),an association that was formed with the objective of solving conflict issues between member states within the Great Lakes Region, after recognizing the fact that political inability has a considerable regional dimension and thus requires a concerted effort in order to promote sustainable peace and development. It was formed to bring peace among the member states and by doing that, foster development with member states. The paper examined the background of the organization as regard to this objective. In doing that, secondary method of data collection was used to collect data such as articles, books, journals and so on. The paper adopted the theory of liberal Intergovernmentalism and through the aid of this theory, the paper was able to examine the organization while stating its challenges like; :member states have not shown enough commitment or willingness to put the Dar-es-Salaam, Nairobi and Addis Ababa agreements into action, financial constraint, and overlapping membership of international organizations and the prospects of the organization. After critical analysis of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the paper made recommendations like: need for member nations to show more commitment towards the organization in order to implement the Dar-es-Salaam, Nairobi and Addis Ababa agreements into action, and need for the member states to do better in their financial contributions.

In three essays, this dissertation explores the relationship between the social and the economic, with an eye to how social and institutional formations affect economic outcomes. In the first essay, I construct a theoretical base by developing the metaphor of 'ecosystem' as a frame for thinking of the various interrelations between social processes and economic phenomena – the socio-institutional ecosystem analysis. In invoking ecosystem as a central metaphor, this dissertation calls into focus the interaction between the economic and the non-economic, recognizing the multiplicity of causal inter- and intra-relationships between the two. I deploy this analysis in two substantive case studies. The second essay explores labor regimes in colonial East Africa, examining how the British authorities who sought to occasion a paid labor agricultural force faced different possibilities and constraints in Kenya (a Crown Colony) and Tanganyika (a League of Nations Mandate Territory). It explores how the more repressive Kenyan regime led to increased proletarianization through the Great Depression, while Tanganyika saw an increase in peasantization, and how these developments affected the long-term historical trajectories of both countries. The third essay examines the appearance and distribution of worker cooperatives in the United States as a function of their proximate socio-institutional environments, and finds that political ideology of the surrounding area correlates heavily with the presence of worker cooperatives, and explores what this means for policy and for economic theory of worker cooperatives.

Abstract Driver behaviour profiling, specifically in relation to identifying `good' versus `bad' driving patterns, is one of the most challenging problems in mobility data analytics. In this paper, the core task of driver behaviour profiling is addressed at the minimum level of pre-requisites, i.e., GPS-only trajectory data (no accelerometer or other sensors) of very low sampling rate (less than 0.1 Hz). A dynamic temporal resampling algorithm is employed for transforming GPS data into three distinct location-invariant time series, namely speed, acceleration, and turn rate, after map-matching and noise elimination pre-processing steps. A wide range of statistical, time series and spectral methods are implemented as feature functions or `encoders' of various aspects of short-term mobility tracking. In our experimental study, a large real-world trajectory dataset is processed and transformed into such a feature-vector dataset, which is subsequently used in unsupervised training and adaptive category identification for the various driving behaviour `states'. The proposed approach is designed for online/streaming mode and lightweight yet powerful analytics. The results show that such an approach is feasible, despite its challenging context of constraints, providing a data-driven adaptive way to recognizing `normal' vs. `abnormal' driving patterns on-the-fly. ; This work was partially supported by the project "Track & Know" (No:780754), which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 (H2020) programme. http://trackandknowproject.eu

This paper aims to describe the supervision of the Central Kalimantan regional head election during the pandemic. The problem is focused on how the description of election supervision by Election Supervisory Agency? and what constraint are faced and their solutions in the context of local wisdom?. The research type is descriptive qualitative. Data Collecting through interviews, observation, and literature study. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively using the Mile and Huberman model. This study shows several things: First, the implementation of supervision is more on tasks outside the crucial task of Bawaslu, namely the supervision of the pandemic health protocols as an additional task burden. Second, the obstacles faced by Bawaslu starting from the preparation, voting, and post-voting. Namely: Updating and determining the voter list was constrained by the Work From Home and Large-Scale Social Restrictions policies; Procurement and distribution of logistics whose suppliers had not yet recovered from the impact of the pandemic; Some officials were reluctant and resigned because of the rapid test rules; distorted ballot papers; The officers' lack of compliance with the working mechanism that had been determined. Third, The context of local wisdom in the supervision of Pilkada in Central Kalimantan, namely: Balanga, Huma Betang, Ma'mapas Lewu, Isen mulang, and Dayak Greetings: Tabe salamat lingu nalatai, Salam Sujud Karendem malempang, Adil ka' Talino bacura'mi ka' Saruga, Basengat kajubata.