Search Results (9)

Primary-level social risk prevention and control is a complex, systemic endeavor that requires close cooperation among various local government departments. Within this context, addressing bureaucratic segmentation and strengthening interdepartmental collaboration are critical issues in primary-level social risk governance. This study uses social network analysis and the exponential random graph model to examine the collaborative network structure and driving mechanisms among government departments engaged in risk prevention, with J City as a network study. The findings reveal that (1) while a collaborative governance framework exists, the network has low overall density, strong localized clustering, and a clear core-periphery structure, indicating the need for improved coordination and more refined collaborative mechanisms; (2) the formation of the risk prevention network is influenced by both endogenous structural factors and exogenous actor attributes. Endogenously, reciprocity and transitivity play significant roles in tie formation; exogenously, departments with similar resource mobilization capacities are more likely to collaborate, while those with strong communication, digital technology, and resource mobilization capabilities are more likely to initiate collaborations, and those with high communication capacity are more likely to accept collaborative offers. This study offers insights into the dynamics and formation mechanisms of departmental collaborative networks in primary-level social risk governance. Full article

The sudden and unusual nature of natural disasters in China underscores the complexity and difficulty inherent in China’s natural disaster emergency management (NDEM). National-level NDEM plays a critical role in bridging China’s emergency management capacity with modernization efforts, serving as a foundation for integrating development with security. In this study, we analyzed 250 NDEM-related policies issued by the Chinese central government between 1954 and 2022 as research objects. Using a five-factor analysis framework, we tracked the evolution of China’s NDEM by analyzing the time of issue, policy authority, departmental cooperation, policy themes, and policy tools. Our findings indicated that the cooperation networks exhibited growing complexity and expanding collaboration in the early stages but shifted to a more centralized and streamlined structure after the year 2018. The themes of NDEM policies reflect the modernization needs of emergency management, with science and technology proving essential to advancing NDEM capabilities. However, the structure of NDEM policy tools requires further optimization. Accordingly, we propose policy recommendations aimed at enhancing interdepartmental cooperation, accelerating the integration of science and technology in NDEM, and optimizing and adjusting the configuration of policy tools. Full article

To study the influences of the degree of interdepartmental collaborative supervision on the behavioral strategy selection of pig farmers, pig slaughterers, and pork processing manufacturers in the pork supply chain system, this study established a three-party evolutionary game model involving pig farmers, pig slaughterers, and pork processing manufacturers based on the social co-governance framework by focusing on the interdepartmental information sharing mechanism and cooperative governance. Here, we examined how the degree of collaborative supervision among government departments influences the behavioral strategy selection of these parties by focusing on key mechanisms such as information sharing and interdepartmental collaborative governance. Our findings revealed that within a social co-governance system, the strategic choices of the three entities in the pork supply chain closely correlate with the coordination level of collaborative supervision among government departments, particularly through information-sharing mechanisms. Additionally, the strategies are influenced by market-based contract supervision among entities, consumer reporting intensity, and the collaborative governance capabilities of the government, market actors, and consumers. Higher levels of social co-governance are associated with fewer risky links in the pork supply chain and reduced overall risk. Key factors affecting the behavioral strategy selection of the subjects in the pork supply chain include interdepartmental collaborative governance among government departments (e.g., optimizing random inspection frequencies, adjusting economic penalties, and disclosing enterprise market credit information via information sharing mechanisms), consumer complaint probabilities, and the intensity of mutual supervision among enterprises. Therefore, to enhance pork supply chain quality and mitigate risks, it is crucial to enhance the coordination of collaborative supervision among government departments, encourage consumer reporting, and improve market-based mutual supervision mechanisms among upstream and downstream subjects in the supply chain. Full article

Corruption poses a significant challenge to economic development and governance worldwide, with its detrimental effects permeating various levels of society. In the context of Greece, where corruption has been a longstanding issue, the role of internal audit mechanisms within local government organizations (LGOs) emerges as paramount. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the internal control landscape within LGO revenue departments, focusing on factors influencing its effectiveness and proposing strategies for improvement. Drawing upon survey data and regression analyses, this study highlights the crucial role of robust internal control mechanisms in combating corruption and fostering economic development. The findings underscore the importance of competent personnel, legislative compliance, interdepartmental collaboration, and technology utilization in enhancing internal control practices. Despite existing legislation, gaps in internal control implementation persist, including understaffing, inadequate procedures, and limited access to information. This study emphasizes the transformative potential of effective internal audit measures in mitigating corruption at the local level, thereby contributing to broader economic growth and societal well-being. Recommendations for strengthening the internal control structures within LGOs include the formal establishment of internal audit functions, adherence to professional standards, and the promotion of information system utilization. By addressing the corruption and inefficiencies within LGOs, this research underscores the pivotal role of institutional effectiveness in promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable economic progress. Full article

Cities around the world are facing the implications of a changing climate as an increasingly pressing issue. The negative effects of climate change are already being felt today. Therefore, adaptation to these changes is a mission that every city must master. Leading practices worldwide demonstrate various urban efforts on climate change adaptation (CCA) which are already underway. Above all, the integration of climate data, remote sensing, and in situ data is key to a successful and measurable adaptation strategy. Furthermore, these data can act as a timely decision support tool for municipalities to develop an adaptation strategy, decide which actions to prioritize, and gain the necessary buy-in from local policymakers. The implementation of agile data workflows can facilitate the integration of climate data into climate-resilient urban planning. Due to local specificities, (supra)national, regional, and municipal policies and (by) laws, as well as geographic and related climatic differences worldwide, there is no single path to climate-resilient urban planning. Agile data workflows can support interdepartmental collaboration and, therefore, need to be integrated into existing management processes and government structures. Agile management, which has its origins in software development, can be a way to break down traditional management practices, such as static waterfall models and sluggish stage-gate processes, and enable an increased level of flexibility and agility required when urgent. This paper presents the findings of an empirical case study conducted in cooperation with the City of Constance in southern Germany, which is pursuing a transdisciplinary and trans-sectoral co-development approach to make management processes more agile in the context of climate change adaptation. The aim is to present a possible way of integrating climate data into CCA planning by changing the management approach and implementing a toolbox for low-threshold access to climate data. The city administration, in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Constance, the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), and the University of Stuttgart, developed a co-creative and participatory project, CoKLIMAx, with the objective of integrating climate data into administrative processes in the form of a toolbox. One key element of CoKLIMAx is the involvement of the population, the city administration, and political decision-makers through targeted communication and regular feedback loops among all involved departments and stakeholder groups. Based on the results of a survey of 72 administrative staff members and a literature review on agile management in municipalities and city administrations, recommendations on a workflow and communication structure for cross-departmental strategies for resilient urban planning in the City of Constance were developed. Full article

Growing cities face severe land use conflicts. Urban expansion and the densification of existing built areas are increasing the pressure on green spaces, which are key for climate change adaptation. Planning procedures embroiled in these land use conflicts are often complicated and slow. This is due to the increasing complexity in planning processes, which involve a multitude of stakeholders and decision-makers, whose responsibilities are not always entirely clear. Governance-oriented forms of decision making with horizontal structures are often required, but these also entail challenges. In our study, we ask how climate adaptation through urban green spaces can be integrated into planning processes. The study is based on a methodological combination, including document analysis and qualitative interviews with administrative staff. The City of Munich, a rapidly growing German city, serves as a case study. The results show different collaborative arrangements in four planning arenas and demonstrate how these structures support or hinder climate change adaptation mainstreaming. We conclude that hierarchical structures impede horizontal collaborative arrangements and shed lights on mechanisms reinforcing these structures. For large administrations, informal meetings and coordinating units are effective in fostering interdepartmental cooperation. Full article

In 2015, South Africa experienced one of the worst (El Niño-induced) droughts in 35 years. This affected economic activities, individual and community livelihoods and wellbeing especially in rural communities in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Drought’s direct and indirect impacts on public health require urgent institutional responses, especially in South Africa’s stride to eliminate HIV as a public health threat by 2030 in line with the UNAIDS goals. This paper draws on qualitative data from interviews and policy documents to discuss how the devastating effect of the 2015 drought experience in the rural Hlabisa sub-district of uMkhanyakude, a high HIV prevalence area, imposes an imperative for more proactive institutional responses to drought and other climate-related events capable of derailing progress made in South Africa’s HIV/AIDS response. We found that drought had a negative impact on individual and community livelihoods and made it more difficult for people living with HIV to consistently engage with care due to economic losses from deaths of livestock, crop failure, food insecurity, time spent in search of appropriate water sources and forced relocations. It also affected government institutions and their interventions. Interviewed participants’ reflections on drought-related challenges, especially those related to institutional and coordination challenges, showed that although current policy frameworks are robust, their implementation has been stalled due to complex reporting systems, and inadequate interdepartmental collaboration and information sharing. We thus argue that to address the gaps in the institutional responses, there is a need for more inclusive systems of drought-relief implementation, in which government departments, especially at the provincial and district levels, work with national institutions to better share data/information about drought-risks in order to improve preparedness and implementation of effective mitigation measures. Full article

Urban pluvial flooding in China has become one of the major challenges for sustainable development. This paper analyzes the impact of climate change, urbanization, and integrated disaster drivers on urban pluvial flooding hazards, starting from the disaster-causing mechanisms of urban pluvial flooding in China. This paper then analyzes the main features and progress of urban pluvial flooding governance in China. In particular, this paper describes the progress of sponge cities in China. On the basis of the above contents, this paper describes three manifestations of the fragmentation dilemma at the level of governance, namely, fragmentation in value integration due to conflicting management orders and service values, fragmentation in resource and power allocation due to the lack of vertical top-level design and blurred horizontal departmental management boundaries, and fragmentation in policy formulation and implementation due to outdated urban flood control standards and interdepartmental information compartmentalization. In response to the fragmentation dilemma in urban pluvial flooding management in China, this paper introduces the concept of holistic governance and clarifies the path of urban waterlogging management, i.e., forming a collaborative and diversified governance subjects, deeply optimizing the organizational structure of urban waterlogging management, creating a mature information-based governance platform, and improving the legal and rule of law construction model. This paper is informative for understanding the governance of urban pluvial flooding in China from a government-led management level. Full article

The Filovirus Animal Non-Clinical Group (FANG) is a US interdepartmental and interagency group established to support and facilitate the advanced development of filovirus Medical Countermeasures (MCM), both vaccines and therapeutics. It is co-led by one representative from the Department of Defense (DoD), the first author, and one from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the second author. The FANG membership includes operational level program staff and Subject Matter Experts (SME) from performing organizations as well as scientific staff and program managers from DoD and HHS funding and regulatory agencies. Focus areas include animal models, assays, reagents, product manufacture and characterization, and other interagency product development issues that will support Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure of safe and effective filovirus MCMs. The FANG continues to develop strategies to address broadly applicable and interagency product development challenges relevant to filovirus MCM development. This paper summarizes FANG structure and accomplishments and is meant to heighten community awareness of this government-led collaborative effort. Full article