Suchergebnisse

Introduction / M.J. Peterson -- Linking scientific knowledge and multilateral environmental governance / Pamela Chasek -- Still saving the Mediterranean? : expert communities, regionalization, and institutional change / Joerg Balsiger, Battistina Cugosi and Van de Veer -- Measurement practices and evolutionary global institutions / Casey C. Stevens -- Global transdisciplinary science and sustainable development governance / Norichika Kanie and Casey C. Stevens -- Climate change denial in the United States and the European Union / Miranda Schreurs -- Science and policy in the International Whaling Commission / Steinar Andresen -- Stakeholder access to norm validation : whose practices count in global international relations? / Antje Wiener -- Global conservation and local lore in a post-colonial society : how traditional environmental knowledge shapes the implementation of international environmental agreements on protected areas / Kemi Fuentes-George -- Reflections contested knowledge and those who study it / Peter M. Haas.

This paper concentrates on the prospects for the intergovernmental cooperation which can create a stable basis for improving existing information tools and setting up the innovative means of legal regulation in the field of digital public procurement. The purpose of the study is to propose a modern model for the state regulation of procurement activities. The study supports the idea of the universal digital transformation of public procurement systems all over the world. It is also supposed to demonstrate what problems a newly developed model, aimed at introducing well-based digital public procurement, might face at the legislative level. The dataset has been obtained using dialectical, logical, comparative, and legal research methods. The tools used to assess the possibility of developing an legal regulation model in the field of public procurement can be applied by public authorities in various countries and international communities.

In light of the debate on the consequences of competitive contracting out of traditionally public services, this research compares two mechanisms used to allocate funds in development cooperation—direct awarding and competitive contracting out—aiming to identify their potential advantages and disadvantages. The agency theory is applied within the framework of rational-choice institutionalism to study the institutional arrangements that surround two different money allocation mechanisms, identify the incentives they create for the behavior of individual actors in the field, and examine how these then transfer into measurable differences in managerial quality of development aid projects. In this work, project management quality is seen as an important determinant of the overall project success. For data-gathering purposes, the German development agency, the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), is used due to its unique way of work. Whereas the majority of projects receive funds via direct-award mechanism, there is a commercial department, GIZ International Services (GIZ IS) that has to compete for project funds. The data concerning project management practices on the GIZ and GIZ IS projects was gathered via a web-based, self-administered survey of project team leaders. Principal component analysis was applied to reduce the dimensionality of the independent variable to total of five components of project management. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis identified the differences between the separate components on these two project types. Enriched by qualitative data gathered via interviews, this thesis offers insights into everyday managerial practices in development cooperation and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of the two allocation mechanisms. The thesis first reiterates the responsibility of donors and implementers for overall aid effectiveness. It shows that the mechanism of competitive contracting out leads to better oversight and control of implementers, fosters deeper cooperation between the implementers and beneficiaries, and has a potential to strengthen ownership of recipient countries. On the other hand, it shows that the evaluation quality does not tremendously benefit from the competitive allocation mechanism and that the quality of the component knowledge management and learning is better when direct-award mechanisms are used. This raises questions about the lacking possibilities of actors in the field to learn about past mistakes and incorporate the finings into the future interventions, which is one of the fundamental issues of aid effectiveness. Finally, the findings show immense deficiencies in regard to oversight and control of individual projects in German development cooperation.

In recent years, the European continent has witnessed a substantial number of 'transboundary crises' - crises that cross geographical borders and affect multiple policy domains. Nation states find it hard to deal with such crises by themselves. International cooperation, thus, becomes increasingly important, but it is not clear what shape or form that cooperation should take. This article explores the growing role of the European Union (EU) in managing transboundary crises. More specifically, it reflects on the different ways in which the expanding contours of the EU's emerging crisis capacity can be organized. Using three 'performative dimensions' - sense-making, coordination, and legitimacy - the article discusses the possible advantages and disadvantages of a decentralized, network model and compares it with a more centralized, lead-agency model. It concludes that the current network model is a logical outcome of the punctuated and fragmentary process through which EU crisis management capacities have been created. It also notes that the shortcomings of this model may necessitate elements of a lead-agency model. Such 'agencification' of networks for transboundary crisis management may well lead to a hybrid model that is uniquely suited for the peculiar organizational and political creature that the EU is. Adapted from the source document.

"This book provides a comprehensive review of the state of international law as it applies to transboundary groundwater resources and aquifers. The main focus is on recent developments and the emerging international law for transboundary aquifers as reflected in the practice of states and the work of the UN International Law Commission, UN Economic Commission for Europe, and International Law Association. The author takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject matter and provides the scientific hydro-geological underpinning for the application of law and policy to transboundary groundwater resources. He also addresses the growing global dependence on this hidden resource, as well as both the historical and scientific context for development of the law. The book provides case examples throughout to illustrate the various concepts and developments. These include more detailed examinations of the few existing transboundary aquifer agreements in operation, such as for aquifers between France and Switzerland and Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as aquifers in North Africa and in South America. "--Provided by publisher.