Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Anticorruption Approaches

Tackling corruption is not easy, if it were corruption would not be as prevalent and pervasive as it is in many places around the world. Those who commit corrupt acts have every incentive to get away with them. Moreover, as we eliminate some corrupt behaviors, actors adapt and create new ways to obtain unfair advantages. Therefore, addressing corruption is much like shooting at a moving target yet the consequences of corruption make learning how to tackle these issues an urgent necessity.

So how can responses to corruption bring about meaningful change? How do you motivate and teach people how to fight against corruption? 

In this paper, it can be observed that anti-corruption measures going from prevention to prosecution while also addressing education as a way to provide a foundation to corruption prevention and governance building. The approaches which can be used for Anti-corruption are listed under:

1. Prevention
2. An inter-agency coordinating body
3. Transparency
4. Accountability
5. Participation
6. Rule of law
7. Oversight
8. Incentives
9. Simplification of procedures
10. Education
11. Enforcement
12. Advocacy and lobbying
13. Prosecution

(Helpful video & links:  As it can be an effective way to understand the Anti-corruption approaches, Governance and System)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A15IAzhakG4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cbEuwqKKqE

1) Prevention

The first strategy is prevention, developing a prevention scheme requires that reformers consider the social and economic context of the nation determine the level of government commitment to addressing the problem and determine what resources are available and needed. 

Reformers should also think about whom the stakeholders are and who are the government or non-government entities should participate in the development and enactment of prevention strategies. In order to be effective prevention mechanisms require a high degree of coordination. 

In all, corruption prevention will have the greatest impact when and where there is a national focal point group with enough political authority and independence to coordinate all prevention efforts. One option is to create a single agency that acts as an anti-corruption agency; however that may both always be viable as a single unit, usually requires a large budget and an effective staff. 

2) An inter-agency coordinating body

A second option is to create an inter-agency coordinating body, where the institution ensure the cooperation of existing institutions that are directly in charge of different tasks to end the corruption problem regardless of the specifics. 

Prevention mechanisms are most effective when there is a clearly stated plan and when all efforts are properly articulated and information is shared.

3) Transparency

As second strategy is to curb corruption is to establish the principle of transparency. Transparency allows individuals to know what they can expect from their government. 

Moreover, transparency enables the proper control of government actions, both by agencies in charge of oversight as well as by citizens. Establishing publicly available and transparent procedures clearly defines the roles and responsibilities between and within institutions that are part of the government process.

4) Accountability

Another approach is to improve accountability. Public office implies a responsibility to serve the public goods. 

However, in the absence of controls, there is nobody watching whether the actions performed by public officials actually follow the objectives and goals that their position entitles. It is therefore important to establish mechanisms to ensure that public officials are accountable for their actions.

5) Participation

Another important idea is the notion of participation. The participation of the population is a key in influencing and controlling government action as people become increasingly involved in shaping the priorities of government and policy making, in resource allocation and in access to public goods and services.
6) Rule of law

The idea of rule of law is also very important. Effective government should be able to contribute to improving the quality of governance in a country by ensuring the primacy of the rule of law. 

The rule of law implies that no one is above the law and that everyone is equally obligated and protected by legal provisions. A society where principal of legality is sustained is better equipped to address issues of corruption.

7) Oversight

In terms of oversight, deterring corrupt behavior implies generating strong constraints for actors to engage in corruption and strong incentives to act according to the law. 

Few if any elements have a stronger effect on peoples' behavior than the proper and exhaustive oversight of their actions. 

When people know that their actions are being scrutinized they know that they cannot get away with improper behavior. Hence, independent and thorough oversight of state actions is a key in deterring corruption.

8) Incentives

Just as oversight imposes constraints on corruption it is important to establish the appropriate incentives to uncover corruption when it does take place. 

When individuals return a lost item, they should receive an award. In a similar way, on order to uncover corruption it is important to promote incentives through rewards and protection for people who report corruption or whistle blowers given that they can be invaluable source of information about where corruption and institutional inefficiency take place.

9) Simplification of procedures

Simplifying public procedures can also help avoid opportunities for corruption as they make the transaction between citizens and the services they are entitled too swifter and clearer. 

By making information publicly accessible, legal rights are not infringed and obligations of confidentiality are kept. When procedures are complicated, applicants are forced to resort to payoffs to maximize their chances of getting what they want.

10) Education

Many people consider education as the backbone to corruption prevention. In addition to the methods discussed above, educating people of all ages and backgrounds is a key component of to corruption prevention. 

Through education, citizens can learn about their rights and become aware of how the government system works and should work and help raise awareness about how corruption is a problem that lowers their standard of living. 

As a result of education, citizens learn to think beyond whether giving a bribe contributes to the problem in their country as well as understanding what government services they are entitled to, why corruption occurs and which, if any, institutions are available to help.

11) Enforcement

In line with establishing the right incentives and constraints, it is important not only to establish clear rules but also to properly enforce them. Establishing strong penalties that include time in prison can help make people less likely to violate the law. 

Visible examples of these laws being enforced and penalties applied can do even more to deter undesired behavior. If there is a widespread sense that people get away with corruption, there are fewer constraints of future corrupt behavior.

12) Advocacy and lobbying

Another important aspect is advocacy and lobbying. As a result of civic and anti-corruption education, citizens may be inspired to participate with politicians in advocacy and lobbying activities to influence law making. 

Advocacy is a strategy for influencing policy makers when they make laws and regulations. It entails creating policies where they are needed or when none exist.

13) Prosecution

Finally, the last step in establishing anti-corruption measures involves the prosecution of those implicated in corrupt acts. 

In a relate point to the one made in relation to enforcement, it is important to establish well functioning processes by which corrupt acts are prosecuted and eventually penalized.

An example: Citizens Fighting Corruption in Public Service Delivery, The emerging PTF change model. 

                                      Citizens Fighting Corruption in Public Service Delivery 




Source:

(5 weeks training course "Parliaments and Anti-Corruption", The Open Learning Campus, World Bank- Lecture notes as a reference, World Bank Data)
Google for Images


YouTube: Links: 











Successfully completed and passed the 5 weeks training course "Parliaments and Anti-Corruption", The Open Learning Campus, World Bank.





Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Retail and Real Estate Market Analysis

The Purposes of Retail and Real Estate market analysis is needed to understand the following:


(This can be a helpful kit for the interested candidates who want to know more about "Real Estate Market and  want to Invest on it")

A way to share my level of skills and understanding.



  1. Assess market feasibility for economic uses and type of development at specific sites.
  2. Define target industries to attract to a community or development projects.
  3. Determine market potential/recruitment targets for commercial districts.
  4. Improve understanding of customer markets for existing businesses to inform technical assistance and promotion work.
  5. Inform zoning and project design for land use, project and site planning.
  6. Feasibility analysis and planning for development finance institutions.
Further, Qualitative and Quantitative method should be undertaken to analyze the market with the following four steps:

  1. Demand side analysis.
  2. Supply side analysis.
  3. Analysis of special conditions, opportunities and market segments.
  4. Integrate analysis to define target markets, type of development/products/services to implement, and level of unmet demand (e.g. net warranted space for retail uses).            
Critical goal is to identify undereserved market demand and market gaps to fill. 
Demand analysis varies by use:

Retail demand is driven by local income and spending.
Office and industrial real estate demand is driven by business and employment growth.
Demand for financial services can be driven by demographic factors, e.g. concentrations of low-income and immigrant population, or needs among niche businesses or non-profits.

Supply side analysis also varies by development type and purpose:

Retail market analysis focuses on competition from existing and future stores.
Office and industrial analysis focuses on competition from current vacant space and future projects.
Development finance market focuses on services and competition from banks and alternative financial institutions.

(Video Source: you Tube and Image Source: Google)


Monday, May 2, 2016

"Gender and Renewable Energy"

"Women are the primary energy users in the household, as they perform most household chores that require energy, like cooking, washing, and cleaning, and are therefore in a good position to monitor and manage energy use".


Women also tend to be more receptive to energy efficiency measures. For example, in Europe, recent studies have shown that single men use up to 25 percent more energy than single women, and women have been found to be more receptive than men to energy efficiency efforts and more likely to change their behavior to save energy.

However, women are not always involved in making decisions about use of energy sources or appliances, particularly in traditional contexts, and they often lack access to finance for investing in energy efficient appliances, either in their homes or in their businesses.

In addition, women often lack access to information on energy efficient technologies. A recent study in the Europe and Central Asia region showed that men are better informed and proactive about applying energy efficiency measures because insulation repairs are commonly perceived as a ‘man’s job’, while women are mostly interested in the costs and potential savings from energy efficiency. 

Energy efficiency information campaigns and financing need to be targeted distinctly to men and women, and subsidies or micro-finance may also be targeted to female heads of households.

Over 3 million solar home systems have been installed in Bangladesh under the rural electrification and renewable energy program, reaching about 50,000 households per month. This is an excellent example of a renewable energy program that has had considerable gender impacts.

The program targets remote rural areas not serviced by the grid where the poverty rates tend to be high. Local NGOs and micro-finance organizations provide loans to households and businesses to purchase solar home systems. 

The program also makes electricity affordable for the poorest households by providing a subsidy for smaller solar home systems.

An independent impact evaluation confirmed a variety of benefits from solar home systems, including increased food and non-food expenditures of the households, longer evening study hours, and positive health impacts, especially for women. 

It has also been found that owning a solar home system increased mobility (by providing street lighting) and entrepreneurial ambitions among women, positively impacting their decision-making ability.

The program has also resulted in job creation for men and women, as local companies started to manufacture components and appliances to serve the dynamic solar home systems market. As a result, Bangladesh has the seventh largest renewable energy workforce in the world. 





Friday, April 29, 2016

"Social Accountability"

"Social accountability encompasses a broad array of methods and practices. These practices may be initiated by a wide range of actors (citizens, CSO's, communities, government agencies, parliamentarians or media), use diverse strategies (research, monitoring, planning, civic education, media coverage, coalition building), employ formal and informal sanctions, and vary according to the extent to which they are institutionalized, independent and collaborative.

Social accountability can be enhanced ex ante through citizen and civil society participation in formulating public policies and plans. 

Examples include participatory policy-making (for example, the participatory formulation of poverty reduction strategies) and participatory development planning. 

In many countries, civil society actors also play a key role in reviewing, critiquing, and building public awareness about policies and plans in key areas such as gender equity, environmental protection, youth, employment and social services. Such activities can be initiated by either government or civil society. 

Ideally, government actors proactively seek citizen input and draw on the wide variety of existing tools—such as local issue fora, study circles, deliberative polling and consensus conferences—to ensure transparent, inclusive and effective public participation and deliberation. 

Citizen involvement in preparing and analyzing public budgets is another important category of social accountability practices. 

Common examples of budget-related social accountability practices include efforts by civil society to analyze the impact and implications of budget allocations, demystify the technical content of the budget, raise awareness about budget-related issues, point out discrepancies between government policy priorities and resource allocations, and undertake public education campaigns to improve budget literacy. 

Such initiatives can be introduced by government, as in the case of participatory budgeting in over 200 municipalities in Brazil (Wagle and Shah 2003a), or undertaken independently by civil society, as in the case of South Africa’s women’s budget or Canada’s alternative federal budget (Loxley, undated). 

An important aspect of social accountability is for citizens to be able to hold government accountable for how it handles public funds. An increasing number of local governments, for example, now publicly announce, post or disseminate information about accounts and expenditures. Public expenditure tracking surveys can be used to monitor the flow of financial or physical resources and identify leakages and/or bottlenecks in the system. 

This approach often involves the comparison of information received from disbursement records of finance ministries, accounts submitted by line agencies and information obtained from independent enquiry by using tools like social audits. Information is disseminated through the use of media, publications and public meetings. The participatory tracking of primary education expenditures in Uganda (Wagle and Shah, 2003) and the social audit techniques used under Bolivia’s social monitoring initiative are examples of this approach.

Another category of social accountability practices seek accountability with regard to the relevance, accessibility and quality of public goods and services. Typically this involves citizen participation in the monitoring and evaluation of priority services using indicators that citizens themselves have developed. 

Public opinion polls, public hearings or citizens’ report cards are used to solicit citizen feedback that can be disseminated and presented to government officials to demand accountability and lobby for change (Paul 2002, Ravindra 2004, and World Bank 2001). 

Community scorecards allow both users and service providers to independently evaluate public services, and then come together to share their findings, discuss problems and seek solutions (Dedu and Kajubi 2005). 

Early experience has shown that each of these methods has the potential to produce significant operational results (e.g., improved performance, the introduction of corrective measures) as well as process outcomes (e.g., institutional and behavioral changes).

A final category of social accountability practices are those that aim to improve public oversight. Such practices can involve the creation of independent citizen oversight committees or watchdog groups and/or forms of civic engagement that aim to enhance the effectiveness of existing oversight mechanisms. 

For example, CSOs play an intermediary or facilitating role between citizens and government such as an ombudsman or anti-corruption commission, citizen/community membership on school or hospital boards, or open up the work of parliamentary or other internal oversight committees to public participation or scrutiny".

(Source: 5 Weeks training course "An Introduction to Social Accountability", World Bank)
Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxovXWexXtk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9UACb2vIMM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqnH1rOH990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zrplobmq4g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIRuDHSt9ws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Ukwi55U7g



Successfully completed and passed the 5 weeks training course “Introduction to Social Accountability", 
The Open Learning Campus, World Bank.


Social Accountability Framework
Image Source: Google 

This is only for your information that there is a n organization who can provide a platform to upgrade your skills and knowledge of understanding: World Bank Group


You can have a good score if you upgrade your ability  and manage your time for these kinds of course

Sunday, April 24, 2016

"Debt Management Performance Assessment" (DeMPA)

"Debt Management Performance Assessment is a methodology for assessing performance through a comprehensive set of  'Debt Management Performance Indicators (DPI's), spanning the full range of government debt management functions". These broad government debt management functions are:

  1. Governance and Strategy Development
  2. Coordination with Macroeconomic Policies
  3. Borrowing and Related Financing Activities
  4. Cash Flow Forecasting and Cash Balance Management
  5. Operational Risk Management
  6. Debt Records and Reporting.

Debt Management Performance Assessment is based on the principles set out in the World Bank-International Monetary Fund Guidelines for Public Debt Management (2001, 2014). 

The indicator set is intended to be an internationally recognized standard in the government debt management field and may be applied in all developing countries.

Debt Management Performance Assessment  is modeled after the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) indicators. It is a more comprehensive assessment of government debt management than Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability. 

The two frameworks are complementary: the Debt Management Performance Assessment can be used to undertake a detailed assessment of the underlying factors leading to poor 'Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability  ratings in the area of debt management; 

Alternatively, if the Debt Management Performance Assessment' exercise precedes a Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability assessment, the latter can use the Debt Management Performance Assessment  results to inform its assessment of the relevant indicators. Notably, a DeMPA for sub-national governments has also been developed and is being applied.

The objectives of the Debt Management Performance Assessment tool are to:
  • Assess public debt management performance capacity.
  • Monitor performance over time through repeated assessments.
  • Enable design of debt management reform program.
  • Foster donor harmonization based on common understanding of priorities.
(Source:  5 weeks training course "Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA), an understanding of knowledge, World Bank Group)




Tuesday, April 19, 2016

In an emerging urban form of cities, traditional core is often found to be declining in terms of quality of life – as opposed to new communities in the outlying areas. Discuss growth management strategies and instruments by which you can prevent this decline?

Growth management, by contrast, seeks to preserve public goods, improve social equity and minimize adverse impacts of development while still accommodating new housing and economic growth. 

Such programs often involve a package of tools such as zoning, comprehensive plans, subdivision regulations, development fees and exaction, and infrastructure investments and are sometimes described as growth controls, growth management strategies, or sustainable development. 

Despite these efforts' increasing popularity, some observers are concerned that such efforts adversely affect land and housing markets and lead to problems of housing affordability which will directly affect the traditional core to be in declining in terms of quality of life as opposed to new communities in the outlying areas. 

The focus of this work is to determine appropriate strategies that can help to achieve a greater degree of community sustainability. One construct for community sustainability is the three “E’s” – Environment, Equity, and Economics. 

All three must work together to create a truly sustainable community, e.g., a job is an important part of quality of life, and further, access to Employment by all members of the community is important.
The growth management strategies by which we can prevent this decline in traditional core are enlisted below:

1. Development

A more common purpose is to achieve a balance between the amount of growth and the ability to provide the transportation, energy, water and waste disposal, public safety, education, public health, and other services needed by human populations. Development can be metered out so that a community can maintain its ability to provide adequate services and to avoid some of the negative effects of boom and bust development cycles which can strain a community’s ability to just absorb the sheer amount of change. 

2. Growth externalizes

Growth externalizes is directly linked with transportation and urban form. Due to technological innovation, the central cities which has its core area, people began to shifting in peripheral locations. As we see in the Peter.o. Muller article , when the railway corridor was developed in US, the people who are living in traditional core shifted as the shiftment of industries from the core area. As i explained above,- that for community sustainability is the three “E’s” – Environment, Equity, and Economics. All three must work together to create a truly sustainable community, if these don’t work together, there are such affect which will destroy the traditional core.

3. Equality in the quality of life 

Enrique Penalosa also focused on equality in the quality of life, and this clearly defines if there is a provision of equity on basic services and amenities to poor citizens then the central cities with traditional settlement can be preserved. 

The main urban growth management strategies to control the city from declining is that, there should be the provision of equal access and physical infrastructure development. To create an employment, with services and facilities needed in that society- there should be an important tool that- local governments have to direct growth is their expenditures for capital improvements, e.g., streets, parks, and schools. Linking those expenditures to the vision created in a comprehensive or area plan can be a powerful motivator for private investment consistent with the vision to preserve the traditional core with its historical identities.

References:
Why cities must build equality: Enrique Penalosa
Transportation and urban form (stages in the spatial evolution of the American metropolis): Peter.o.Muller
American Journal




Monday, April 18, 2016

Construction Technology and Material of "Malla House"

The construction material and techniques have all had an importance role in the development of infrastructures. Building environment which bear no visible human marks are rare- the realm of oceans, the poles, deserts, mountain summits. 

Nepalese traditions, cultures and environment are so unique and intricate that the buildings, cottage and Nepalese tradition, monuments, places are made in such a way which are measured from different aesthetic point of view which shows the beautiful, perfection of the model design of the building and monuments. 

From the Malla's period, there are many infrastructures found in Nepal which has more importance in its own as well as value from tourism point of view. Mostly in Kathmandu valley, there are many cultural and religious places which have their link with traditions and from different cultural aspects of life. The society is a mixed community residing in Kathmandu Valley with inclusive which they believe in their tradition and religion and as Valley is famous for the temples of God and Goddesses which is a living aspect of people. 

History itself introduce of the building techniques, materials from mud to clay to brick or timber to plank to timber joist. Local studies should be carried out to understand the meaning and terms of different construction material and techniques which are used in different buildings, monuments, temples which are used for built purposes for human benefits and a place for understanding its presence. 

While the prospects of building construction and material are quite good for judgment, history is reassuring. It appears that there are human and technological factors which are identify with successful societal accomplishments. There have been the adaptations in the construction material and techniques which are exemplary. In addition there has developed an extensive way of knowledge on the environment which is fundamental to human and design based upon objective principles-it is a challenge and an architect concept on construction material and techniques.

The historic timeline may be a useful outline and reference for those interested in correlating the historic development of various components of the construction material and techniques which are used in local built environment.

The appearance of New Dynasty, The Mallas , at the beginning of the 13th century. stone inscriptions or Silapatras, and copper plaques or Tamapatras, while recording the construction of buildings and sculptures, given a relatively precise pictures of the development during this period. under the rule of the mallas a period of relatively stability began, lasting almost 600 years. the concept of built of Malla house was based upon the locally available of materials and the craftsmanship.
The complete turning away from traditional form and architectural style as well as the traditional building materials had a marked effect on the continuity of traditional architecture and on the producers and users of traditional materials, such as the brick makers, brick layers, and carvers.

 A characteristic and universal features of this kind of design is the vertical room arrangement which is not the dependent on the size of the houses. Due to security reason, and the need to use as little irrigable land for building purpose, causes the Malla house to be vertically orientated. Generally it is three storeyed, but two-storeyed houses occur and four-storeys in the centre of town. 

The uniform depth facilitates the building of additional houses on to existing ones, to form block of houses. the extension were of equal height, the depth being determined by that of the main house and  the aim of each family and every clan seems to have been the building of one single house around one courtyard or chowk, providing them with both the security and privacy.

If the chowk is surrounded by one large unit, only the vertical utilization of space still applies, as in smaller units. different staircases, generally located in the corners, lead to separate room clusters, which due to the symmetry facade , are not distinguished from the outside. as the size, location and heating facilities of the rooms impose certain limitation on their use, the courtyard becomes a vital component of the house itself. in short, it is a multi-purpose area, useful for most of the daily activities of the occupants.
Thus, buildings in the so-called the most typical living buildings) represent the craft and architecture of the cultural renaissance of the Malla period, which began around the beginning of the 15th century and survived the beginning of shah period but rapidly faded during the Rana period(1845-1951 A.D).

IMPORTANCE OF MALLA HOUSE


  • The houses are constructed of brick, and are three or four storeys high.
  • The Malla houses apartment are not lofty.
  • The Malla have door and windows of wood, well worked and arranged with great regularity.
  • The dwellings have not changed much either.
  • 3-storeys with a pitched roof and of common materials such as burnt brick and timber.
  • Brick may be of sun-dried rough and simply baked, others may be carefully burnt for specific purposes, others again have especially smooth surfaces and are polished before firing.
  • Distinguishing features-may be the ornately carved doors and windows, of which the crowning achievement is the large living room window or Sajhya facing the street from the second or third floor.
  • Symmetry is the aim in the design of the Facade.
  • The entrance door is barred with two massive wooden planks.
  • The windows are generally closed by fine wooden lattice work.
  • Sajhya window in the main living room is for the communication to the street.
  • Some typical malla house/newar house, the 3rd floor is generally an attic directly under the roof which is mainly used as the kitchen and eating room. 
  • The ground floor is never used as a living area,as among other reasons, it offered no protection against dampness.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUES


Different kinds of materials are used to build Malla house”.  Locally available material are used in house as well as the majority portion of timber, brick and mud are used to build this kind of infrastructures. Overall concept of roof was greatly designed by use of timber, properly settled posture. 

The traditional built of those kind of houses are specially built by mud, brick and timber. Foundations of the Malla house are strong by stone as well as brick for maintaining strength. The building techniques are interesting to see and observe. Rope are used for settled posture of roof, with the use of timber overall on that roof from the height level to roof level.

Actually Malla house are made by burned brick, mud and from such material which are used for building prospects. the material and techniques surely maintained by craftsmen or such designers who make such historic importance infrastructures which not only represents Newari culture but also represents its design, material aspects and a place for heritage conservation of Nepali traditions and our country Nepal. 

The techniques are very good and a measurable concept on that time where it’s much more difficult to adjust all that kind of beam, joist, timber (wooden beam/rafter) and column to its built figure. The techniques to stand the building like these kinds of typical houses or other such related works are quite tough and hard to stand for its roof from the sub structure to super structure level to maintain properly in a desired shape. 


MATERIAL USED

1. Stone: for foundation work
2. Brick: for wall posture
3. Mud (clay)
4. Wood (timber)
5. Burned brick: for wall 
 6. Tiles (tali): roof purpose
7. Jhingati

The Purbanchal University offers different project work as a part of M.Sc. Urban Design and Conservation Curriculum. The main objective of this project work is to provide the opportunity for the students to study and analyze field related problems.
This project report “Malla House” would be a helpful guideline for implementing the Newar tradition and building design aspects.This report would also help to understand, share and explore knowledge of the traditional architecture of the Kathmandu valley. 







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