bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DESIGNING OF ORCHARDS AREAS AND EVALUATION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES
Authors: Pukite Vivita , Luksa Jolanta , Celmina Vita , Celms Armands
Published: April 2023

The land use in Latvia is regulated by a number of regulatory documents, that determine the requirements for property development planning and design. Real estates with a certain composition have been formed, which have defined purposes of real estate use and types of land use, which determine the development possibilities of the territory. Today, many fruit growing companies in Latvia have established a stable production base. Although many farms are getting good harvests, the owners still want to develop orchard areas. Therefore, the aim of the study is to analyze the possibilities of designing and developing orchard areas. The research uses the descriptive research method in order to examine the theoretical aspects of designing orchards and other conditions related to the development of these territories based on regulatory enactments, scientific knowledge and real facts. The study applied descriptive analysis of statistical data to analyze land use and digital surface model data for four orchard areas to provide proposals for the design of these areas. The results of the study showed that the development possibilities of the orchard area depend on the demand of fruit tree varieties. When designing orchards, it is important to take into account the characteristic indicators of the land unit - the shape and relief of the land unit. The main conclusion of the research is that the main factors to be taken into account when designing an orchard area are the soil and terrain features, but the main factors to plan the development of the area are the legal and economic factors.
THE RATIONALISATION SCHEME AS A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF URBAN GREENERY (GREEN WALLS)
Authors: Brazdova Adela , Kupka Jiri
Published: April 2023

Green infrastructure in urban environments of world�s large cities is becoming an important factor in adapting to climate change e.g., in the form of green walls or green roofs. However, it is important to note that positive effect in the urban climate can be achieved also by the application and combination of multiple green infrastructure elements. Finding suitable strategies to plant greenery in very dense urban areas is not only a problem of today, but also a challenge for the future sustainable cities and their resilience to the climate changes.
The implementation of green walls to the urban green infrastructure brings not only benefits but also a number of potential challenges that are not always taken into account in advance. The article presents the rationalization scheme for stakeholders that can affect their decision-making in a suitable way. The development of the rationalization scheme was preceded by its validation in previous research and through application in practice.
THE CHALLENGES OF INTRODUCING A NEW GREEN BUILDING MATERIAL IN ENVIRONMENTALLY EMERGING COUNTRIES; A STAKEHOLDERS� PERCEPTIONS STUDY IN CYPRUS
Authors: Anastasiou Christos , Nicolaides Demetris , Michael Antonis
Published: April 2023

While comprehensive legislative frameworks may exist, the sustainable management of construction and demolition waste has proven challenging, especially for countries where environmental maturity may be still lacking. Recognizing the great potential for recycling and reusing CDW materials, Cypriot researchers are developing a new green building facade material using recycled materials. However, the market success of such a material is highly dependent on sound management and on stakeholders� acceptance, hence the undertaking of a survey aiming to explore the attitudes and perceptions of Cypriot construction stakeholders. A total of 187 individuals participated in a survey, which used a 20-question questionnaire, that collected data through live interviews. Analysis of data indicated a strong support for CDW management, but also the belief that the existing legislative framework is somewhat lacking and not adequately implemented. In parallel, a confusion on existing management efforts was identified, suggesting the need for better education of stakeholders. The reduction of operational costs was identified as the strongest incentive for companies to adopt actions towards proper CDW management, while the improvement of their public image was not considered as adequate motivation. Despite the fact that respondents strongly support CDW recycling and the idea of green materials, they are not very trusting towards using building materials that are newly-introduced in the market.
ENDOPARASITES FOUND IN LEPUS EUROPAEUS HUNTED IN WESTERN ROMANIA
Authors: Jitea (Sirbu) Beatrice Ana-Maria , Sirbu Catalin Bogdan , Florea Tiana , Hotea Ionela , Darabus Gheorghe
Published: April 2023

The European hare (Lepus europaeus) is widely spread throughout Europe, however, their numbers are declining in some countries, with parasites bearing some responsibility for this population decrease, due to their role as favouring factors. The aim of this study was to determine the gastrointestinal parasitic populations of hares (Lepus europaeus) from Romania.
The study took place during the hunting seasons (November-February) of the years 2020-2022. Gastrointestinal tracts from 72 hares were subjected to a macro- and microscopic examination in order to determine the presence of endoparasites. Each intestinal segment was individualised and examined by standard methods. The faeces were subsequently examined using the flotation method (Willis) with suprasaturated NaCl solution.
Fifty one (70.8%) animals were parasitized by one or several parasite species. The following helminths were found through necropsy: Trichostrongylus spp. (76.5 %), Passalurus ambiguus (15.7 %) in the digestive tract, Dicrocoelium dendriticum (9.8 in the liver and Cysticercus pisiformis (2 %) on the abdominal serosae. Additionally, Linguatula serrata nymphs were also found in 3.9 % animals. Coproscopy revealed a prevalence rate of 100% for Eimeria spp. Multiparasitism was more frequent than parasitism involving a single species.
Although the identified parasites can play an important role in the health status of rabbits.
RESEARCH ON ENDOPARASITES OF DOMESTIC AND WILD RABBITS FROM SOUTH-WESTERN ROMANIA
Authors: Sirbu Catalin Bogdan , Florea Tiana , Sirbu Beatrice Ana-Maria , Plotuna Ana-Maria , Hotea Ionela
Published: April 2023

Both domestic and wild rabbits are susceptible to an increased number of parasites, however, only few are of economic importance.
The aim of this study was to identify the endoparasite species present in domestic and wild leporidae from Caras-Severin county, between April 2021 and March 2022.
A total of 157 leporids, 111 domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and 46 wild rabbits (Lepus europaeus) were included in the study. The rabbits were grouped into three age categories: 4 months, 4 months - 1.6 years, 1.6 years.
Coproscopic tests (Willis method) carried out on the 111 domestic rabbits taken into study resulted in the identification of eggs from the following parasites: Eimeria spp. (52.3%), Passalurus ambiguus (4.4%), Trichocephalus leporis (4.5%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (13.5%), respectively (15.3%) of the studied leporids were negative.
The identification of parasite species present in wild hares was carried out by employing two coproparasitological methods: the Willis method and the sedimentation method. The Willis method revealed Eimeria spp. oocysts 45.7%, Trichostrongylus spp. eggs 23.9% and Trichocephalus leporis 13%. Out of a total of 46 samples, 8 were negative (17.4%). No parasitic elements were detected using the successive washing method.
Prevalence of Concomitant Bacteria among malaria Patients attending Government Hospitals in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria
Authors: Ajayi K. O. , Omoya F. O. , Oladunmoye M. K. , Oladejo B. O.
Published: April 2023

Background:Patients suffering from severe malaria have an increased risk of co-occurring bacterial sepsis, which results in higher mortality rates than malaria alone. Concomitant bacterial infections can worsen malaria symptoms, leading to increased illness and death rates. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between malaria and concomitant bacteremia among patients in Ondo State, Nigeria.Aim: The study's objective was to determine the prevalence of bacterial concomitant among malaria patients and assess the relationship between malaria and bacteremia in the study population.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among feverish individuals in certain Ondo State government hospitals. One milliliter of blood was collected from malaria-positive patients, confirmed using microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films, and an Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) kit was cultured for bacterial enumeration. The collected data were statistically analyzed using Chi-square and correlation tests, with a 𝑃value <0.05 considered significant.Result: The study found a concomitant bacteria prevalence of 19.95% (85/426), with a significant (P= <0.001, r = 0.00334) positive correlation between malaria and bacterial concomitant.Age was significantly (p = 0.072, df= 18, χ2 = 27.389) associated with bacterial concomitant, and the mean bacterial count was 9.71±1.481 cfu/ml x 107. Furthermore, level of education, marital status and tribe also significantly (p<0.05) contributed to the prevalence of concomitant bacteria.Conclusion: Our research concludes that malaria may increase the risk of bacteremia, and a significant association between malaria and concomitant bacterial infection exists. However, the reasons for bacteria's abilityto invade and thrive in the bloodstream vary. The study's findings suggest that interventions are needed to address the high prevalence of concomitant bacterial infections among malaria patients in the study area.
CURRENT ISSUES CONCERNING THE FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE OMBUDSMANS ACTIVITIES
Authors: Krawiec Grzegorz
Published: April 2023

This article presents selected cases handled by the Ombudsman in 2022 on the subject of human and civil liberties and rights. This period was and is special if only for the fact that the COVID-19 epidemic prevailed and still prevails. It was combined with restrictions on human and civil freedoms and rights, including those of persons with disabilities. Their analysis leads to the conclusion that there are more and more cases of a general nature - those that do not only and exclusively concern an individual person(s), but are relevant to the entire group of persons with disabilities. One can see the increasing activity of the Ombudsman in this area. Activity that is derived from societal needs. And although the subjects to whom the general address is addressed do not always share the Ombudsmans position, the issue becomes high-profile and in the media, and the problem is visible in the public sphere. And this is probably also the point of the Ombudsmans activity - besides the hard legal measures, the Ombudsman should publicly point out in which areas the law is not well structured and in which areas there is bad/improper practice in the application of the law. Thus, it can be concluded that the Ombudsman is not only a body that contributes to the implementation of good administration, but also a body that is supposed to implement the postulate of good law.
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TERRORIST THREATS: THE NEXT STEP (PART I)
Authors: Miłkowski Tomasz
Published: April 2023

In recent years we have been observing a new approach of the European Union to security threats, including the terrorist ones. In this case, it consists primarily in rejecting the division into physical and cyber threats, recognizing the role of private entities in preventive actions and noticing the problem of radicalization. The issue of data protection is also important, for example in the context of individual freedom. Finally, it is no longer possible to remain indifferent to the relations between terrorists and organized crime groups, or threats inspired by third countries. The conflict in Ukraine shows that the destruction of critical infrastructure is much more dangerous for the lives of entire societies than bombings or attacks by individual terrorists. These and other issues are reflected in the EU legislation. However, the topic is so extensive that it requires elaboration in several parts.
BODY OF CRIME IN CZECH AND POLISH CRIMINAL LAW
Authors: Grudecki Michał
Published: April 2023

The Republic of Poland and the Czech Republic are countries with a similar legal culture and legislative history. This is also noticeable in the field of criminal law. Therefore, it is useful to conduct comparative legal studies on the structure of the crime and its elements (unlawfulness, social harmfulness and culpability). Determining the similarity also in this area will allow to justify further research that may contribute to solving specific problems related to individual elements of the crime body. Thanks to this, the arrangements made within one of the presented laws could affect the other.
TRAINING PENSION AS A BENEFIT FROM SOCIAL INSURANCE SUPPORTING THE PROCESS OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SELECTED PROBLEMS AND CONTROVERSIES
Authors: Koczur Wiesław
Published: April 2023

This article presents and evaluates Polish normative solutions regarding the training pension as a benefit from the general social insurance system, intended to support the implementation of the vocational rehabilitation process. The essence and purpose of vocational rehabilitation in terms of international documents and Polish law were presented, and the role assigned to the training pension in the process of implementation of this rehabilitation was indicated. It also shows the shortcomings of the legal provisions in force in Poland and the adopted organizational and financial solutions, which meant that, contrary to expectations, the role of the indicated cash benefit from social insurance in supporting the implementation of the vocational rehabilitation process is negligible.
Third Culture Kids: The consequences of multiculturalism and nomadism in the context of identity, well-being and education
Authors: Mosanya Magdalena
Published: April 2023

In a globalizing world, increasing migration tendencies lead to broad social consequences. More and more young people can be defined as Third Culture Kids (TCK), individuals exposed to diverse cultural paradigms in the early developmental years. Being a TCK significantly affects the development of identity, well-being and overall functioning. There are also substantial consequences of TCKs experiences in the field of education. Yet, the problem of new forms of multicultural identities is not sufficiently represented within Polish research. The following review aims to fill this gap and present the latest trends in studies on the TCK phenomenon. This article critically evaluated existing research regarding Third Culture Kids. It further presented the consequences of the multicultural experience of TCK, emphasizing significant problems and benefits of multiculturalism and global nomadism in the areas of well-being, identity and education. Importantly, ways of dealing with multicultural identity, the so-called multicultural identity configurations, were presented as moderators of the influence of multiculturalism on the functioning of TCK. Factors supporting TCKs well-being and educational success were indicated, including psychological (multicultural identity integration, cultural intelligence, global mindset) and institutional (teaching systems, psychological support) attributes.
Seeking courage: how courage is linked with sensation seeking and morality
Authors: Gąsienica-Szostak Maciej , Przewoźniak Martyna
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Courageous behaviour could be determined by both genes (talent) and environment (upbringing). The purpose of this study is to describe the elationship between participants levels of declarative courage and the intensity of the sensation-seeking trait. For the purposes of the study, courage was defined as the willingness to take action in the face of risk (Woodard, 2007). Method: The study was conducted using a questionnaire method, the level of selected trait variables was measured using the Woodard Pury Courage Scale-23 (WPCS-23), Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS), Polish adaptation of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ-PL). The WPCS-23 and BSSS were translated into Polish for the purposes of the study in a backtranslation the authors of the original versions. Results: The general indicator of sensation seeking has been shown to be positively related to courage; moreover, experience seeking and adventure and excitement seeking have been shown related to courage stronger than susceptibility to boredom, disengagement. Experience-seeking, adventure-seeking and excitement-seeking are predictors of respondents levels of courage. The structure of morality has little relation to the courage of participants. No moral code is a predictor for courage. Conclusions: The study was conducted to explore the relation between sensation seeking and different categories of morality with courage and the nature of human behaviour in social situations. We were interested in the structure of sensationseeking among the respondents and what traits/values guide them when making decisions. This study has proven that sensation seeking is a predictor of courage. The participants morality has shown little relationship to courage. In further research, we suggest focusing on the social aspectsof courage versus sensation seeking and morality with a larger and representative sample.
Developing the next generation of structural engineers in the UK
Authors: Panter Rob
Published: April 2023

Rob Panter discusses the importance of encouraging young people to take up structural engineering and the educational pathways that can show them the way.
Perbedaan Berat Badan Bayi, Asupan Zat Gizi Ibu dan Bayi serta Pengetahuan Ibu Sebelum dan Sesudah Program Keluarga Binaan di Desa Kaliwangi, Purwokerto, Jawa Tengah
Authors: Yesica Stephanie , Asih Setiarini
Published: April 2023

Latar Belakang: Program Gerakan Nasional Sadar Gizi dimana gerakan ini merupakan penguat dari program sebelumnya yaitu KADARZI (Keluarga Sadar Gizi). Pendidikan kesehatan melalui pendekatan keluarga dalam program keluarga binaan merupakan upaya perbaikan gizi melalui pendekatan terhadap keluarga yang memiliki masalah gizi dan kesehatan atau keluarga yang membutuhkan bimbingan tenaga kesehatan untuk memelihara maupun meningkatkan kesehatan.

Tujuan: Untuk mengetahui perbedaan perbedaan pengetahuan, sikap, dan perilaku ibu keluarga sesudah pemberian intervensi gizi keluarga binaan di Desa Kaliwangi, Purwokerto, Jawa Tengah.

Metode: Metode yang digunakan dalam penulisan artikel ini adalah studi kasus, peneliti memberikan intervensi secara teratur dan terukur hanya kepada 1 keluarga terpilih dengan masalah gizi lebih dari 1 di Desa Kaliwangi, Jawa Tengah dan melihat perbedaan sebelum dan sesudah pemberian intervensi berupa edukasi dan pemberian makanan tambahan. Penelitian dilakukan pada 13 Januari 2018 hingga 9 Februari 2018, media KIE yang digunakan diantaranya leaflet, brosur, booklet, video yang dikembangkan oleh Kemenkes RI, pengumpulan data menggunakan formulir recall 1x24 jam dan Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), analisis data menggunakan perbandingan nilai pre dan post test sebelum dan sesudah diberikan intervensi.

Hasil: Peningkatan berat badan bayi sebesar 600 gram selama 10 hari , asupan zat gizi ibu dari 65% menjadi 80%, asupan gizi bayi dari 65% menjadi 109,5% (hasil rata-rata 4 hari pemberian Makanan Pendamping ASI), pengetahuan gizi dan kesehatan bagi ibu (nilai rata-rata pre 73 dan post test 96).

Kesimpulan: Ada perbedaan sebelum dan sesudah pemberian intervensi berupa edukasi dan pemberian makanan tambahan berupa peningkatan berat badan bayi sebesar 600 gram selama 10 hari , peningkatan persentase pemenuhan asupan zat gizi ibu dari 65% menjadi 80%, asupan gizi bayi dari 65% menjadi 109,5%, pengetahuan gizi dan kesehatan bagi ibu  dari 73 menjadi 96.
ERKEN CUMHURİYET DÖNEMİNDE CLAUDE FARRÈRE GÖZÜNDEN TÜRKLER
Authors: TEKİN ÇETİN Nesrin , SÜVERDEM Fatma Büşra , OLGUN Gökçe Mine , PINARBAŞI Dilara , KÖLE Mehmet
Published: April 2023

Toplumda değişimlerin ve yeniden yapılanmaların yaşandığı Erken Cumhuriyet Dönemi’nde, Batı ülkelerinden söylemleri, yazıları ve tavırları ile “Türk dostu” olarak anılan pek çok isimden bahsedilebilir. Bu isimlerden biri de Fransız yazar Claude Farrère’dir. Farrère, bir imparatorluğun çöküşünün çerçevesini çizen elli yıllık süre boyunca Türkiye'de seyahat edebilen tek Fransız yazardır ve hem eski imparatorluğa hem de yeni Türkiye’ye ve hızla farklılaşan iki dünyanın menteşesinde yer alan bir ulusun dirilişine tanıklık etmiştir. Farrère’e “kötü gün dostu” denmesini sağlayan etken, ülkeye kritik bir zaman diliminde gelmesi ve şahsi kabiliyetlerini ve derin dostluğunu Türkiye’nin çıkarlarına adamış olmasıdır. Bu anlamda Farrère’in Türkiye seyahatleri, burada geçirdiği süre boyunca yaptıkları, gözlemleri ve fikirleri önem taşımaktadır. Farrère’in Türkiye ve Türklere olan ilgisi Türkiye’ye yaptığı seyahatlerde kendini göstermekte, fikir ve izlenimleri ise eserlerinde ve demeçlerinde açığa çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Farrère’in Türkiye seyahatlerini, Türkiye ve Türkler hakkındaki fikirlerini ele almaktır. Çalışmanın kapsam ve sınırlılıkları doğrultusunda Farrère’in Türkiye ve Türkler ile kurduğu ilişkinin tarihsel ve coğrafi bir haritası çizilmeye çalışılmıştır. Farrère’in ilk kez 1902 yılında önyargılarla geldiği Türkiye’de kaldığı süre boyunca Türk halkını tanıyarak fikirlerinin değişimine odaklanılmış, beslediği dostane duyguların Türklere has “hoşgörü”, “yardımseverlik”, “gurur”, “cesaret” gibi özelliklerle açıkladığı gerekçeleri, eserlerinde yer bulan gündelik hayattaki yansımalarıyla ele alınmıştır. Kurtuluş mücadelesi sırasında Mustafa Kemal ile olan görüşmesine odaklanılmış ve edebi bir üslupla ele aldığı görüşmenin ayrıntıları irdelenmiştir. Gerek sivil olarak gerekse Fransız devletinin kendine verdiği yetkilerle Fransa-Türkiye arasında edindiği arabulucu konumun siyasi konjonktürde taşıdığı önemin altı çizilmiştir. Farrère bazı fikir ayrılıklarına düşse de her zaman Türklerin yanında olmuştur. Eserlerinde ve gazete yazılarında Türk halkının sesini duyurmuş, kimi siyasi kararlarda etki sahibi olmuş, o dönemin tarihsel bağlamı içinde önem taşıyan bir şahsiyettir. Son olarak, Farrère’in Türklere verdiği destek ve Türk kültürüne beslediği güzel duygular tarihe bir not olarak düşmüş ve ister öznel ister eleştirel bağlamda, yabancı bir yazarın gözünden kendimizi görme imkânını sağlamıştır.
Cumhuriyet Döneminde Türkiye’de Psikoloji ile Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Mesleklerinin Tarihsel Gelişimi
Authors: ŞAHİN Cengiz , YEŞİL Aleyna
Published: April 2023

Psikoloji, insan davranışlarını, zihin ve gelişim süreçlerini, duygularını bilimsel yöntemlere dayanarak açıklamaya ve anlamaya yönelik çalışmaların gerçekleştirildiği temel bir bilim dalıdır. Temel teorik bilimden uygulamalı bilime kadar geniş bir alana sahiptir ve içerisinde elliden fazla alt alanı bulundurmaktadır. Türk kültürü, geçmişten bu zamana psikolojik yardım hizmetleri anlayışına ve uygulamasına yabancı bir kültür değildir. Ruhsal sorunların psikolojik yöntemlerle tedavisi yaklaşımı, Türk toplumunda çok eskilerden fark edilmiş ve uygulanmış, insanın beden sağlığının yanında ve ruh sağlığıyla da yakından ilgilenilmiştir. Örneğin; 8. yüzyılın başlarında o zamanlarda akıl hastası olarak tanımlanan bireylerin tedavisi için hastanelerde özel bölümler kurulmuş, 9. yüzyılda müzikle psikolojik tedavi yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Çağının ünlü, büyük Türk bilgini ve hekimi İbni Sina (980-1037), akıl hastalığını insan beynindeki bozuklukların bir sonucu olarak değerlendirmiştir. Selçuklu ve Osmanlı devletinde akıl hastalarının tedavisiyle özel olarak ilgilenilmiş, hastanelerde bu hastalar için özel bölümler açılmış ve ayrı hastaneler kurulmuştur. Cumhuriyet dönemine gelindiğinde, dünyadaki gelişmelere paralel olarak önemli gelişmeler kaydedilmiştir.

Bu çalışmada cumhuriyet döneminde Türkiye’de psikoloji ile psikolojik danışma ve rehberlik alanının tarihsel gelişimi ele alınmıştır. Psikoloji ile psikolojik danışma ve rehberlik biliminin bütünsellik içerisinde ele alınmasının yanı sıra bu disiplinlerin belirli bir ülkedeki gelişimini incelemek ve gelişimsel özelliklerini ortaya koymak daha ileri bir bilimsel gelişmişliğe ulaşmak açısından önemli görülmektedir. Bu kapsamda konuyla ilgili yayımlanmış çalışmalardan ve resmi dokümanlardan yararlanılarak Türkiye’de psikoloji ile rehberlik ve psikolojik danışma hizmetlerinin gelişimi ve güncel durumu genel hatlarıyla değerlendirilmiştir.
Air polishing therapy in supportive periodontal treatment: a systematic review
Authors: Pardo Alessia , Baccini F , De Manzoni R , Viviani M , Brentaro S , Zangani A , Faccioni P , Luciano U , Zuffellato N , Signoriello A , Tomizioli N. , Lombardo G. , Zerman N. , Sanna G. , Wang S.
Published: April 2023

The aim of this study was to analyze tooth surface roughness and clinical parameters by a systematic review of the literature to compare the efficacy of air polishing with hand or ultrasonic instrumentation during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). This study used a research question based on the PICO method. Bibliographic research was performed using four different databases. For the search of the articles, the work was divided into two parts: the first part analyzed the clinical parameters of air polishing in supportive periodontal therapy, and the second part analyzed the effects of air polishing on hard tissues. Of 164 articles concerning clinical parameters, 49 met the inclusion criteria; from 64 articles concerning hard tissues, it reached 4. Excluding these doubles, 12 were chosen for the literature review: eight RCTs, one retrospective cohort study, and three in vitro studies. The scientific literature has shown that air polishing, scaling, and root planing in supportive periodontal therapy give similar clinical results. However, air polishing seems to preserve the hard tissues of the tooth more than the traditional treatment with ultrasonic or manual instrumentation.
Treatment Effect Estimation Using Self-Estimated Counterfactuals Under Varying Conditions
Authors: Mueller Christoph Emanuel , Gaus Hansjoerg
Published: April 2023

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are frequently not an option in evaluation practice, which is why evaluators switch to non-experimental methods–such as the “counterfactual as self-estimated by program participants” (CSEPP) for estimating intervention effects. Unfortunately, no systematic attempt has been made to test under what conditions CSEPP provides valid estimates.
Purpose: As a first step in this direction, this research compared the performance of CSEPP in terms of bias when applied in different groups of participants with different levels of education, when used for assessing the effects on different outcome variables, and when employed with different question orders within the questionnaire.
Setting: NA
Intervention: The treatment used in this research was a short educational video, in which the audience is educated about important concepts and aspects of organ donation.
Research Design: Since investigating bias in CSEPP is difficult at participant level, a series of 40 studies was conducted and bias was analyzed at study-level. For each study, the effect of the same treatment was estimated by CSEPP and compared with the effect estimated by a simultaneously conducted RCT. Afterwards, it was analyzed whether differences between CSEPP and RCT across the studies were determined by variation in the conditions under which the studies were conducted. Despite small sample sizes of the single trials, the meta-analysis was sufficiently powered to detect even small differences between CSEPP and RCT.
Data Collection and Analysis: The data was collected via online surveys on a crowdsourcing portal. For data analysis, we applied meta-analytic methods such as random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression.
Findings: Results show that CSEPP provided accurate effect estimates, no matter under what conditions the method was applied.
A Practical Framework and Model for Promoting Cost-Inclusive Evaluations
Authors: Persaud Nadini
Published: April 2023

Background: Cost studies are an important component of any serious professional evaluation. Regardless of whether an evaluation is conducted in the public or private sector, decision-makers want answers to two fundamental questions: (1) Is the program, project, or investment worthwhile? and (2) Can funds be used in a better way? The answers to both questions rely on the use of cost analysis techniques. However, according to the literature, most evaluations do not include any type of cost study (see Christie & Fleischer, 2010) and when studies are included, very few are of high quality and rigor (see Madsen, Eddleston, Hansen, & Konradsen, 2017). This may in part be as a result of the relatively limited emphasis placed on this important topic in the evaluation-specific literature, coupled with the reality that many evaluators lack expertise to conduct cost analysis studies.
Purpose: Given the limited use of cost studies in professional evaluations to assess actual program merit/worth, this paper presents a practical framework/model to help evaluators understand fundamental issues that must be considered when thinking about some form of cost-inclusive evaluation.
Setting: Not Applicable.
Intervention: Not Applicable.
Research Design:  External desk research was used to ascertain the extent to which cost analysis is discussed in the evaluation literature and the reasons highlighted for underuse. This review provided the foundation for developing the practical framework/model presented in this paper for promoting cost-inclusive evaluation.
Data Collection and Analysis: Not Applicable.
Findings: Cost analysis, which can considerably enrich professional evaluations, is currently quite underused in the evaluation profession. Notable progress has been made over the last 15 years with government agencies around the globe taking the lead to promote cost analysis. However,  most independent evaluators are still failing to measure, report, and analyze costs because many do not understand the fundamentals of cost studies. This paper promotes cost-inclusive evaluation by providing evaluators with a framework/model to help them understand important issues in cost analysis.
We Now Have the Tools and Infrastructure to Hold Donors and NGOs in International Development to their Own Legal and Professional Standards
Authors: Lempert David H.
Published: April 2023

Background & Purpose: This article summarizes and adds to the tools and infrastructure that the author has developed to hold donors and NGOs in international development to their own international, legal and professional standards, following a call in 2008 for organizations to find objective ways to hold those organizations to compliance with international law and professional principles.
 
Setting: Global.
 
Intervention: Not applicable.
 
Research Design:  The article presents 12 indicator tools (in the form of legal elements tests) recently published elsewhere and a new litmus test tool presented here for the first time for quick evaluations of projects using an inductive approach (looking at project logic), explaining how these tools relate to each other and how they can be used together.
 

After introducing these indicators, the piece then compiles and summarizes the results for several types of organizations to reveal an overall picture of which donors and NGOs are failing, which are succeeding, and what this now objectively verifies is happening in the world of international development.
 
Data Collection and Analysis: Not applicable.
 
Findings: The piece offers some reflections on the world that we live in where international standards and universal principles are not applied, where legal codifications for international development are not enforced, and where current international development approaches are leading to unsustainability, conflict, and homogenization (suppression of human diversity and adaptation) that the standards were designed to help avoid. The author’s approaches, overall, offer the larger blueprint for an infrastructure of “development” work to promote universal legal principles, as well as a larger set of reforms for changes in social and political institutions and systems in the developed world for making these changes a reality.
 

Keywords: sustainability, dependency, democracy, development, aid, capacity building, international relations, international law, donors, UNDP, World Bank, European Commission, NGOs, foundations.
An Exploratory Study on Public Sector Program Evaluation Practices and Culture in Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Where Are We? Where Do We Need To Go?
Authors: Persaud Nadini
Published: April 2023

Background: Little is known about the status of program

evaluation culture and practice in the English Speaking Commonwealth Caribbean (ESCC). This study

examined the extent of evaluation culture and practice

in four small Caribbean nations: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

 

Purpose: The objective of this study was to learn about public sector program evaluation practices and culture in these four countries.

 

Setting: Public sector agencies in the four countries.

 

Intervention: NA

 

Research Design:  Cross-sectional survey

 

Data Collection and Analysis: A total of eighty-eight public sector officials participated in a cross-sectional survey study.

 

Findings: The research highlighted that while program evaluation is being practiced in the public sector in all four countries, the extent of practice varied among the countries. One noticeable factor that affected program evaluation practices was the financial costs associated with program evaluations. This problem was particularly evident in Guyana where program evaluations were conducted primarily to satisfy funding requirements. However, despite the variation in practices, all four countries recognized that program evaluation is a valuable and important activity. Solutions proposed by the study participants to build a more vibrant public-sector program evaluation culture included making program evaluation culture a part of organizational culture, building organizational monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity, and making program evaluation a regular mandatory public sector activity.
Donald T. Campbell’s Evolutionary Perspective and its Implications for Evaluation
Authors: Picciotto Robert
Published: April 2023

Background: Donald T. Campbell, a scientist, humanist, and generalist, left an indelible mark on the evaluation discipline through his methodological work. He is less well known within the evaluation community for his landmark contributions to biology and philosophy. Yet, the evolutionary epistemology that he pioneered has significant implications for evaluation.  
 
Purpose: This article examines the relevance of Donald T. Campbell’s blind variation and natural selection approach to evaluation theory, including an elucidation of its basic logic, its social remit as a discipline and trans-discipline, and its summative and formative functions. It also sketches in broad strokes the implications of evolutionary thinking for evaluation practice, including natural and artificial selection, ontogeny, phylogeny, co-evolution, and feedback. Finally, it comments on Campbell’s Experimenting Society vision and  the ongoing craze for randomised evaluations in development through an evolutionary lens.
 

Setting: Not applicable.
 
Intervention: Not applicable.
 
Research Design:  Not applicable.
 
Data Collection and Analysis: Not applicable.
 
Findings: Not applicable.
Adopting Tools from Cost and Management Accounting to Improve the Manner in Which Costs in Social Programs are Analyzed and Evaluated
Authors: Persaud Nadini
Published: April 2023

Background: Managing programs in an environment where financial resources are limited, budget cuts are a reality, and external funding is now fiercely competitive, necessitate that both program administrators and program evaluators have a better understanding of program costs, so that financial resources can be optimized for societal good. This requires serious analysis of cost behavior and a proper understanding of the relationship between a program's variable costs and fixed costs since these costs have implications for clients fees and the number of clients that can be served. These types of analyses are quite routine in the profitability sector, but are considerably underutilized in other sectors.

Purpose: This paper will explain how several common strategic management tools from cost and management accounting can be used to present more meaningful and useful cost information, so that social program decision-making and cost-inclusive evaluations can be enhanced.

Setting: N/A.

Intervention: N/A.

Research Design: A desk review was utilized for the discussion of the cost and management accounting concepts and tools outlined in this paper. The paper illustrates how the toolkit of economic evaluation tools can be enhanced by adding tools from cost and management accounting to enhance strategic decision-making.

Findings: This paper concludes by noting that program sustainability must be the new name of the game. This necessitates that program administrators and program evaluators start to analyze and evaluate program costs differently. Much work is needed to move towards a different philosophy of thinking with regards to program costs. Program administrators and program evaluators must therefore rise to the challenge and embrace cost analytical methodologies from other disciplines since the use of such methodologies can be beneficial to all concerned.
Evaluating Public Participation in a Project Plan Review: A Nigerian Case Study
Authors: Badiora Adewumi I. , Bako Abdullateef I. , Olaleye Daniel O.
Published: April 2023

Background:  Rooted in national and international laws regarding project planning and implementation is public participation. However, it is unclear whether public projects are enabling sufficient public input or are likely to be able to meet future management planning needs; particularly in developing countries.

Purpose: We assessed people’s experiences when contributing to a public project decision-making in order to understand the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat to effective public participation. 

Setting: We conducted this assessment with a sample of people who contributed to a public project planning and review in a Nigerian city.

Intervention: Not applicable.

Research design: Appraisal criteria are based on the principles of public participation as laid down in the law and consists of the following elements: respondents’ profile, their involvement in the project; purpose of participation, availability of information, feedback mechanism and overall view of the participatory planning process. Information collected consists both quantitative and qualitative data and these were analysed using descriptive statistics and narrative techniques of reporting.

Findings: Findings show that public participation was far below the minimum requirement of the law and not demographically representative. The most important reason respondents participated was to protect an interest in land, although some saw participation as a democratic right. Results show that attending public hearings was the commonest way of participation in a project review. Nevertheless, three-quarters of the respondents thought the final plan did not take their observations and advice into consideration. Respondents confirmed that the process was reasonably notified with opportunities for consultation meetings. Nevertheless, findings suggest some bias actions as significant proportions of respondents held absence of transparency and political interference flawed the project planning and review process.

Keywords: stakeholder engagement; project evaluation; transparency; universal design; equality
Learning Lessons for Evaluating Complexity Across the Nexus: A Meta-Evaluation of Environmental Projects
Authors: Sheate William Robert , Twigger-Ross Clare , Papadopoulou Liza , Sadauskis Rolands , White Owen , Orr Paula , Eales Richard
Published: April 2023

Background: A major gap in environmental policy making is learning lessons from past interventions and in integrating the lessons from evaluations that have been undertaken. Institutional memory of such evaluations often resides externally to government, in evaluation practitioner contractors who undertake commissioned evaluations on behalf of government departments.

Purpose: The aims were to learn the lessons from past policy evaluations, understand the barriers and enablers to successful evaluations, to explore the value of different types of approaches and methods used for evaluating complexity, and how evaluations were used in practice. 

Setting: A meta-evaluation of 23 environmental evaluations undertaken by Collingwood Environmental Planning Ltd (CEP), London, UK was undertaken by CEP staff under the auspices of CECAN (the Centre for Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus – a UK Research Councils funded centre, coordinated by the University of Surrey, UK). The research covered water, environment and climate change nexus issues, including evaluations of flood risk, biodiversity, landscape, land use, climate change, catchment management, community resilience, bioenergy, and European Union (EU) Directives.

Intervention: Not applicable.

Research design: A multiple embedded case study design was adopted, selecting 23 CEP evaluation cases from across a 10-year period (2006-2016). Four overarching research questions were posed by the meta-evaluation and formed the basis for more specific evaluation questions, answered on the basis of documented project final reports and supplemented by interviews with CEP project managers. Thematic analysis was used to draw out common themes from across the case categories.

Findings: Policy context invariably framed the complex evaluations; as environmental policy has been spread beyond the responsibility of government to encompass multiple stakeholders, so policy around nexus issues was often found to be in a state of constant flux. Furthermore, an explicit theory of change was only often first elaborated as part of the evaluation process, long after the policy intervention had already been initiated. A better understanding of the policy context, its state of flux or stability as well as clarity of policy intervention’s objectives (and theory of change) could help significantly in designing policy evaluations that can deliver real value for policy makers. Evaluations have other valuable uses aside from immediate instrumental use in revising policy and can be tailored to maximise those values where such potential impact is recognised. We suggest a series of questions that practitioners and commissioners could usefully ask themselves when starting out on a new complex policy evaluation.

Keywords: evaluation; complexity; policy use; natural environment
Evaluation in Our New Normal Environment: Navigating the Challenges with Data Collection
Authors: Persaud Nadini , Dagher Ruby
Published: April 2023

Background: Data collection is a critical component of all evaluations. However, it often presents a number of challenges under the best of circumstances. For instance, the evaluation budget and time frame both have implications for the quality and type of data that is collected. Additionally, adherence to high quality international ethical best practices is necessary when collecting data for any purpose, methodological rigor is important for ensuring the credibility of the evaluation, improving access to important documents and stakeholders, as well as decreasing excessive evaluation anxiety on the part of critical stakeholders, when possible, is vital. These challenges have now been considerably exacerbated by the COVID-19 global health pandemic which has changed our world in fundamental ways. In what is now considered as our new normal environment, evaluators will need to make profound changes to the manner in which they plan and undertake data collection.

Objectives: This paper examines the many and varied challenges that will be encountered with data collection in our new normal environment. This new normal has had an impact on evaluation practices in all countries, developed and developing, and has significantly amplified existing challenges in countries with limited evaluation culture, budgets, technological coverage, access, and connectivity. It makes an important contribution to the literature since data collection has historically and traditionally been conducted using primarily face-to-face field work and through the freedom of movement of people to undertake this task.

Setting: Not applicable.

Intervention: Not applicable.

Research Design: Desk review was utilized for the preparation of this paper.

Findings: Evaluators need to be extremely flexible, innovative, and amendable to different approaches to data collections as our new normal environment will likely be with us for a while. This pandemic has thrown everyone a very painful curveball and introduced significant new work-related challenges for a myriad of work types and work environments. Innovation and the willingness to learn new methods have become an important necessity to help with learning, accountability, transparency. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the plight of the most vulnerable and evidence-based data is the only means to assist this group. Evaluators must rise to the challenge, devise new ways to collect data that is credible and useful, and continue to promote the importance and benefits of the field of evaluation. As such, evaluators have an important role to play in the global economic recovery efforts.

Keywords: budgets, challenges; COVID-19; data collection; evaluation; evaluators; new normal environment; time frame
Developmental Evaluation in Theory versus Practice: Lessons from Three Developmental Evaluation Pilots
Authors: Esper Heather L. , Fatehi Yaquta K. , Baylor Rebecca
Published: April 2023

Background. Developmental Evaluation (DE) practitioners turn to DE theory to make design and implementation decisions. However, DE practitioners can experience difficulty in fully understanding how to implement DE using theory because it is method agnostic (Patton, 2016). Instead, DE is a principle-based approach.

Purpose. This article presents an empirical examination of how DE theory was (or was not) applied during three DE pilots. Our analysis aims to better understand how DE theory is used in practice to expand the evidence base and strengthen future DE implementation.

Setting. A consortium of three organizations implemented three DE pilots through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from November 2016 to September 2019. The authors—who participated in the consortium—did not implement the DEs but instead conducted a study or meta-evaluation across the DE pilots.

Data Collection and Analysis. This article focuses on the results of an ex post facto analysis of three DE pilots based on the entire DE implementation experience. For each DE studied, we used mixed methods to collect data on the effectiveness of the DE approach, to identify adaptations to strengthen DE implementation in the USAID context, and to measure its value to stakeholders. Data included more than 100 hours of interviews, 465 pages of qualitative data, and 30 surveys completed by DE participants.

Findings. We find that the ability to apply the DE principles in practice is influenced, in no particular order, by DE participant buy-in to the DE, the Developmental Evaluator’s aptitude, support and resources available to the Developmental Evaluator, and the number of DE participants. We also find that buy-in can change and this should be closely monitored throughout a DE to inform whether a DE should be paused or prematurely ended.

Keywords: Developmental Evaluation; developmental evaluator skills; buy-in; DE practice; DE funder; meta-evaluation