title: Doctoral supervision practice models: Where to from here?

authors: Johnson, E. Marcia

abstract: The aim of this session is to present and discuss a framework for supervisor professional development, including aspects that could contribute to the skills needed in the current supervisory environment. Supervisors face a variety of challenges, and a central issue is how to best prepare and support them. However, an examination of supervisor professional development programmes across the sector indicates unevenness in their depth and breadth. While some universities offer comprehensive supervisor training, others focus on regulatory matters such as completions and progress reports. Of course supervisors must be aware of regulations, but there is also a need for more comprehensive supervisor preparation, particularly in such areas as research writing development. The research underpinning this presentation synthesised a range of literature about the doctoral curriculum, general professional development of higher degree research (HDR) candidates, writing as a mediating tool for academic development, and the consequent implications that all these factors have for supervisor professional development. Five key themes (with accompanying sub-themes) were identified and extended those proposed by Hammond, Ryland, Tennant, and Boud (2010). They include: regulations and compliance issues, developing an understanding of a doctoral epistemology, dealing with problems and issues beyond supervision, specific issues involved in the supervision of international students, and developing cross-disciplinary communities of professional practice. This presentation will describe composite elements of the themes and seek participants’ views on how they could be enhanced and evaluated.

text: Doctoral supervision practice models: Where to from here? The aim of this session is to present and discuss a framework for supervisor professional development, including aspects that could contribute to the skills needed in the current supervisory environment. Supervisors face a variety of challenges, and a central issue is how to best prepare and support them. However, an examination of supervisor professional development programmes across the sector indicates unevenness in their depth and breadth. While some universities offer comprehensive supervisor training, others focus on regulatory matters such as completions and progress reports. Of course supervisors must be aware of regulations, but there is also a need for more comprehensive supervisor preparation, particularly in such areas as research writing development. The research underpinning this presentation synthesised a range of literature about the doctoral curriculum, general professional development of higher degree research (HDR) candidates, writing as a mediating tool for academic development, and the consequent implications that all these factors have for supervisor professional development. Five key themes (with accompanying sub-themes) were identified and extended those proposed by Hammond, Ryland, Tennant, and Boud (2010). They include: regulations and compliance issues, developing an understanding of a doctoral epistemology, dealing with problems and issues beyond supervision, specific issues involved in the supervision of international students, and developing cross-disciplinary communities of professional practice. This presentation will describe composite elements of the themes and seek participants’ views on how they could be enhanced and evaluated.

year: 2016-04-22

title: The Denominator problem: Energy demand in a sustainable energy policy

authors: Barton, Barry

abstract: Often when people think of policy for long-term sustainability they think of energy supply and not energy demand. What comes to mind often are new sources of supply on the very edge of technology, such as shale gas and deep-sea oil resources; or it may be renewable energy sources, such as hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. But if people focus exclusively or excessively on supply, they are overlooking the demand side. How much energy must we produce in order to meet our human and economic needs? What assumptions are we making about future energy demand? In regard to a particular energy project going through an environmental impact assessment process, how do we evaluate whether the project is necessary?

text: The Denominator problem: Energy demand in a sustainable energy policy Often when people think of policy for long-term sustainability they think of energy supply and not energy demand. What comes to mind often are new sources of supply on the very edge of technology, such as shale gas and deep-sea oil resources; or it may be renewable energy sources, such as hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. But if people focus exclusively or excessively on supply, they are overlooking the demand side. How much energy must we produce in order to meet our human and economic needs? What assumptions are we making about future energy demand? In regard to a particular energy project going through an environmental impact assessment process, how do we evaluate whether the project is necessary?

year: 2013

title: The spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner services: A mixed methods analysis of the Waikato DHB region

authors: Whitehead, Jesse

subjects: spatial equity

abstract: The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy states that quality primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system and should be universally accessible. Effective primary health care is an essential component of health systems, and is associated with more equitable distributions of health outcomes. However, not all New Zealanders have ready access to primary health care. For instance, adult residents of the Waikato region, and in particular Māori, have higher levels of unmet need for primay care than others. Improving the spatial equity of health services is a key step in achieving health equity. Health systems should contribute to achieving health equity and maintaining sustainable and equitable services into the future. 

This thesis research examines the spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner (GP) services in the Waikato DHB region, using a mixed-methods approach to identify not only where inequities exist, but why they occur. A conceptual framework establishes a foundation for examining spatial equity and sustainability in New Zealand. Next, a systematic literature review identifies common definitions and measures of spatial equity. Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment data is used to examine patterns of patient enrolment at GP services, and a range of health needs indicators were assessed for their suitability in the New Zealand primary care context. These findings inform the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model of spatial accessibility that is tailored to the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) context. The GIS model is then used, in combination with in-depth qualitative interviews, to examine the spatial equity and sustainability of GP services in the Waikato DHB region. 

Key findings include that spatial equity is commonly defined as a ‘need-based distribution of resources’, which can be quantified using a range of statistical and geospatial measures and techniques. PHO enrolment analysis revealed that most patients do not enrol with their closest service, and that the size of the ‘catchment area’ served by GP clinics varies with rurality. Analysis of indicators of health need suggest that ‘Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations’ are a robust indicator; however, area-level socioeconomic deprivation is also strongly associated with other indicators of need and data is more widely available to researchers. Mixed-methods analysis suggests that GP services are not distributed equitably within the Waikato DHB region and that key barriers to access include the affordability, appropriateness, and availability of services. New Zealand’s history of colonisation and discrimination are identified as fundamental drivers of health inequity. Furthermore, population growth and ageing suggest that current levels of access to GP services are unlikely to be maintained in the future, while participants identify key economic, professional, organisation, and social dimensions that influence service sustainability in New Zealand.

text: The spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner services: A mixed methods analysis of the Waikato DHB region The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy states that quality primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system and should be universally accessible. Effective primary health care is an essential component of health systems, and is associated with more equitable distributions of health outcomes. However, not all New Zealanders have ready access to primary health care. For instance, adult residents of the Waikato region, and in particular Māori, have higher levels of unmet need for primay care than others. Improving the spatial equity of health services is a key step in achieving health equity. Health systems should contribute to achieving health equity and maintaining sustainable and equitable services into the future. 

This thesis research examines the spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner (GP) services in the Waikato DHB region, using a mixed-methods approach to identify not only where inequities exist, but why they occur. A conceptual framework establishes a foundation for examining spatial equity and sustainability in New Zealand. Next, a systematic literature review identifies common definitions and measures of spatial equity. Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment data is used to examine patterns of patient enrolment at GP services, and a range of health needs indicators were assessed for their suitability in the New Zealand primary care context. These findings inform the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model of spatial accessibility that is tailored to the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) context. The GIS model is then used, in combination with in-depth qualitative interviews, to examine the spatial equity and sustainability of GP services in the Waikato DHB region. 

Key findings include that spatial equity is commonly defined as a ‘need-based distribution of resources’, which can be quantified using a range of statistical and geospatial measures and techniques. PHO enrolment analysis revealed that most patients do not enrol with their closest service, and that the size of the ‘catchment area’ served by GP clinics varies with rurality. Analysis of indicators of health need suggest that ‘Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations’ are a robust indicator; however, area-level socioeconomic deprivation is also strongly associated with other indicators of need and data is more widely available to researchers. Mixed-methods analysis suggests that GP services are not distributed equitably within the Waikato DHB region and that key barriers to access include the affordability, appropriateness, and availability of services. New Zealand’s history of colonisation and discrimination are identified as fundamental drivers of health inequity. Furthermore, population growth and ageing suggest that current levels of access to GP services are unlikely to be maintained in the future, while participants identify key economic, professional, organisation, and social dimensions that influence service sustainability in New Zealand.

year: 2020