Suchergebnisse

Geographers play an important role in the announced & expected reform of the political & institutional system by introducing a second tier of local self-government. Their role is not only associated with preparing an appropriate subdivision of Slovenia into functionally closed areas, but also, considering contemporary social causal links between forming the regions & regional development, the effects of the polycentric settlement network layout & the decentralization of public institutions. The paper derives from an assumption that decentralization of institutions plays an important role in overcoming regional disparities. Together with appropriate organization, decentralization of institutions allows more efficient utilization of development potential. In contemporary development policy, institutions are a decisive instrument. In addition to technical innovations & a creative environment, institutions stand out as an impulse & central support point, for harmonious social development. This paper is clearly of a theoretical nature. It deals with the role, effects & consequences of the decentralization of institutions as an instrument for balanced sustainable regional development. The factors, which have an impact on the success of regionalization in a function of decentralization policy, are analyzed They are: especially formation of clear political & legal frameworks for starting the reform process, a clear indication of powerful and, if possible, interdepartmental responsible persons for management & coordination of the decentralization process, forming the concept of decentralized regionalization of Slovenia that aims at an even distribution of tasks & responsibilities such as clear forms of mutual (horizontal & vertical) coordination & mutual reciprocal inspections between different regional & state levels, an outline of state-level transfers where individual administrative & legal steps mean transfer of financial & personal competences & equipment to the participants in regional communities, & finally, measures for providing professional qualification of institutions in decentralized regional associations for taking on new tasks. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.

The discussion about the establishment of regions has been going on in Slovenia for some years. In addition, the regional legislation package has been in the parliamentary procedure for quite some time, too. The purpose of this paper is neither to analyze the proposed legislation nor to provide a detailed list of all the solutions the legislation can bring in. The real purpose of this paper is to analyze various existing regional divisions in the fields of the state administration, general public services & civil society. Some of these regional divisions are supposed to be adapted (according to the regional tasks presented in the legislative proposal) to the proposed dividing the country into fourteen regions. It interests us how the regionalization, taken into consideration by various institutions of the state administration, broader public sector & civil social organizations, complies with the proposals made in attempts to introduce a broader level of local self-government. Besides, we would also like to ascertain whether in already existing regional divisions in Slovenia there might be the predominant solution that could be the basis for the future dividing Slovenia into regions. Tables, Appendixes, References. Adapted from the source document.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a very diverse region with extensive natural wealth, great human potential, and a rich history. However, the majority of its countries are among the poorest in the world and about half of its 800 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa produces only 1.5% of the world's GDP and its share in world trade has fallen from 6% in 1980 to 2% today. The region's exports remain dominated by primary goods (fuels, ores, and agricultural products). The roots of the region's economic weakness lie variously in the past colonial relationships with European countries and in unjust global trade patterns as well as in misuse of power by ruling political elites in the post-independence era. Numerous civil wars and other conflicts have fragmented the sub-Saharan countries into many factions and parties fighting for domination. The region is lagging behind developed countries because of corruption, lack of infrastructure, weakness of its institutions, heavy indebtedness, lack of education and health services, and unfavorable natural conditions, among other factors. Subsistence agriculture is the source of livelihood for most Africans. Nevertheless, average yields per hectare are low and heavily dependent on climatic conditions. Compared to urban areas (except for slums), people living in rural areas have worse infrastructure and are further from achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals. The recent increase in food prices is threatening the limited progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition (28% of children under age five are underweight and particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases). Little progress has been made in reducing child and maternal mortality; mortality rates remain the highest in the world. In the previous decade, life expectancy in sub-Saharan countries has fallen due to the spread of HIV/AIDS and it still remains below fifty. In addition, many negative socioeconomic effects are the result of malaria, which kills approximately one million people every year, 91% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to promote gender equality and empower women, education is of vital importance. Compared to other (especially developed) regions, school enrollment rates are considerably lower and dropout rates considerably higher, particularly for girls. The majority of countries in subSaharan Africa will not be able to achieve their educational goals by 2015. Despite the fact that the region is not exceeding the carrying capacities of its environment (as measured by its ecological footprint), environmental problems in some areas are severe. Deforestation, desertification, coral bleaching, negative effects of climate changes (sea level rise, reduced freshwater availability, extreme weather events, etc.), loss of biodiversity, and soil degradation are the most worrying. Population growth is exacerbating these environmental problems and is making it more difficult to achieve a higher standard of living for all. Owing to the complexity of developmental problems, sub-Saharan Africa will have to use its own resources very wisely and make the most of development aid from developed countries.

V magistrski nalogi smo raziskali uvajanje managementa kakovosti v visokem šolstvu, analizirali smo pristope ter modele zunanjih evalvacij v državah Evropske unije in drugih razvitih državah sveta ter podali splošne podatke o evalvacijah v visokem šolstvu. Raziskali smo procese evalvacij v visokem šolstvu in stanje v Sloveniji. S primerjavo z državami članicami Evropske unije in širše, kjer izvajajo zunanje evalvacije neodvisne institucije (agencije), smo potrdili tezo, da v Sloveniji sistem kakovosti v visokem šolstvu še ni primerljiv z evropskimi modeli. Analizirali smo postopke managementa kakovosti v slovenskem visokošolskem prostoru, kjer že dobro desetletje univerze in njihove članice redno opravljajo samoevalvacije, od leta 2006 pa nacionalni evalvacijski organ izvaja tudi zunanje institucionalne evalvacije. Prikazan je izvirni model notranjih institucionalnih evalvacij na Univerzi v Mariboru. Model je potrjen z raziskavo, ki temelji na praktičnih primerih, ki so podkrepljeni z ustrezno teorijo in izkušnjami iz primerov dobre prakse. Opisani so posamezni segmenti (pričetek evalvacijskega postopka, zahtevana dokumentacija visokoškolskega zavoda, obisk evalvacijske komisije, poročilo o notranji evalvaciji …) kot prispevek k izboljšanju in razvoju managementa kakovosti na Univerzi v Mariboru. Prikazana so spoznanja in rezultati na praktičnem primeru pilotnega projekta notranje institucionalne evalvacije. Podana je utemeljetev vpeljave notranjih institucionalnih evalvacij na Univerzi v Mariboru, ki se bo izjemno pozitivno izkazala ob neodvisni zunanji institucionalni evalvaciji posameznega visokošolskega zavoda. V okviru raziskave smo opravili še anketo med ciljno skupino zaposlenih na Univerzi v Mariboru, ki so doslej že sodelovali pri zunanjih evalvacijah. Rezultati bodo pripomogli k izboljšanju nadaljnjega načrtovanja in izvajanja dejavnosti v okviru notranjih institucionalnih evalvacij na Univerzi v Mariboru. V raziskavi smo potrdili zastavljeno delovno predpostavko, da se bodo s pomočjo modela notranjih institucionalnih evalvacij izboljšali procesi managementa kakovosti članic Univerze v Mariboru. Zato izsledki magistrske naloge predstavljajo pomemben prispevek k izboljševanju stanja kakovosti na članicah Univerze v Mariboru, še posebej na posameznih področjih managementa kakovosti ter celovitega sistema managementa kakovosti. ; This master's thesis examines the introduction of quality management in higher education, analyses different external evaluation models of EU Member States and other developed countries and provides general data on evaluations in higher education. In this paper, evaluation processes in higher education and the situation in Slovenia are examined. By comparing Slovenia with other EU Member States, as well as a few other countries, where external evaluations are conducted by independent institutions (agencies), the conclusion is drawn that quality assurance in Slovene higher education is still lagging behind other European models. We analyzed quality management in Slovenia, where for over a decade universities and their members have been performing regular self-evaluations. In addition, a national evaluation body is conducting external institutional evaluations since 2006. An original model of internal institutional evaluation at the University of Maribor is introduced. It is backed up by research based on practical examples as well as relevant theory and examples of good practice. Particular elements (initiation of the evaluation process, required documentation, visit of the evaluation committee, internal evaluation report, etc.) are described in order to contribute to the improvement and development of quality management at the University of Maribor. Findings and results of a practical pilot project are presented. In addition, reasons for introducing internal institutional evaluations at the university are given, one of them being that such evaluations will prove extremely useful when conducting independent external institutional evaluations of university members. A survey was conducted among the target group consisting of university staff that has already participated in external evaluations. Survey results will contribute to the improved planning and implementation of activities in the context of internal institutional evaluations at the University of Maribor. Our assumption that quality management will improve with the help of the introduced internal evaluation model was correct. For this reason, the findings of this thesis represent a valuable contribution to quality assurance at the University of Maribor and its members, especially in certain areas of quality management and in terms of a comprehensive system of quality management.