Letteratura scientifica selezionata sul tema "Institutionnel Landscape"

Abstract.Disagreement over how and between whom power should be shared has led to competing conceptions of federalism in Canada. The model of federalism adopted in theConstitution Act 1867divides power between the provinces and the federal government to the exclusion of Aboriginal peoples. However, pre-Confederation documents such as the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the early treaties suggest that federalism is founded on the coexistence of self-governing nations. This paper presents a case study of how one Aboriginal people, the Métis, are reviving the pre-Confederation vision of federalism founded on mutual recognition by carving out a space for themselves in Canada's political and institutional landscape. We argue that by delivering an expanded array of programs and services to their citizens, creating innovative governance structures, adopting legislation in key areas of Métis interest and fostering economic self-sufficiency, the Métis are reshaping federalism from the bottom up.Résumé.Deux visions antagoniques du fédéralisme canadien existent en raison de conceptions divergentes de la séparation des pouvoirs. Le modèle de fédéralisme adopté par la Loi constitutionnelle de 1867 divise les pouvoirs entre les provinces et le gouvernement fédéral, en dépit des peuples autochtones. Or, la Proclamation royale de 1763 et les premiers traités proposent une vision du fédéralisme fondée sur la coexistence de nations autonomes. Cet article présente une étude de cas qui démontre comment un peuple autochtone, les Métis, fait renaitre la vision originale du fédéralisme fondée sur la reconnaissance mutuelle en se taillant une place au sein du paysage politique et institutionnel canadien. Les Métis prennent une approche ascendante pour façonner le fédéralisme canadien à cette image par le biais du développement de programmes et services, la création de structures de gouvernance innovatrices, l'adoption de politiques dans des domaines clés et la poursuite de l'autosuffisance économique.

Integrated approaches to natural resource management are often undermined by fundamental governance weaknesses. We studied governance of a forest landscape in East Lombok, Indonesia. Forest Management Units (Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan or KPH) are an institutional mechanism used in Indonesia for coordinating the management of competing sectors in forest landscapes, balancing the interests of government, business, and civil society. Previous reviews of KPHs indicate they are not delivering their potential benefits due to an uncertain legal mandate and inadequate resources. We utilized participatory methods with a broad range of stakeholders in East Lombok to examine how KPHs might improve institutional arrangements to better meet forest landscape goals. We find that KPHs are primarily limited by insufficient integration with other actors in the landscape. Thus, strengthened engagement with other institutions, as well as civil society, is required. Although new governance arrangements that allow for institutional collaboration and community engagement are needed in the long term, there are steps that the East Lombok KPH can take now. Coordinating institutional commitments and engaging civil society to reconcile power asymmetries and build consensus can help promote sustainable outcomes. Our study concludes that improved multi-level, polycentric governance arrangements between government, NGOs, the private sector, and civil society are required to achieve sustainable landscapes in Lombok. The lessons from Lombok can inform forest landscape governance improvements throughout Indonesia and the tropics.

Abstract Purpose of Review In rural areas, frameworks of integrated landscape approaches are increasingly being used to reconcile conflicting objectives of stakeholders and sectors, such as agriculture and conservation. In accommodating multiple land uses, social, economic, and environmental trade-offs need to be balanced. Different social processes underly integrated landscape approaches. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the barriers described in peer-reviewed case studies to better understand what hampers the implementation of integrated landscape approaches. To this purpose, we conducted a systematic literature study. We clustered the barriers into the following barriers groups: (1) participation problems, (2) interaction problems, (3) resource problems, and (4) institutional problems, and analyzed how these barriers hindered implementation of the following key landscape processes: planning and visioning, developing and implementing practices, establishing good governance, and monitoring and evaluation. Recent Findings We analyzed barriers described in 56 peer-reviewed papers that document 76 cases of integrated landscape approaches in 35 countries worldwide. Main stakeholder problems were related to absence of specific stakeholder groups, varying levels of engagement, or lack of stakeholder experience and skills. Interaction problems included a lack of communication, collaboration, or coordination, a lack of agreement due to different stakeholder visions, and power relations. Institutional problems were related to incompatible (national) policies and institutional structures hindering integration, and resource problems included limited availability of financial resources and a lack of data. These barriers hampered the implementation of the key processes needed to transition towards integrated landscape approaches in different ways. This paper provides an overview of the main barriers found for each landscape process. Summary Rural landscapes are often characterized by a variety of stakeholders and land use sectors, such as agriculture and natural resource conservation. Landscape approaches aim to integrate different goals such as conservation, production, and livelihoods simultaneously, but their implementation appears to be challenging. In this study, we take stock of the barriers described in the literature and analyze how different types of challenges related to stakeholder engagement, interaction between stakeholders, resources, and institutions hinder implementation of landscape approaches. According to this analysis, we demonstrate why particular problems pose challenges to the implementation of specific elements of landscape approaches. Few barriers were related to testing and implementing sustainable business practices since business stakeholders were often not involved. Most approaches were still in an early stage of development. The continuity of approaches is mostly not secured and calls for better institutionalization of landscape approaches. The set of identified barriers and their relations to key processes can be used as a diagnostic tool to enhance learning and improve the performance of landscape approaches in the transition towards integrated landscape management.

As a result of the changes in the concept of cultural heritage, whose content, territorial scope, boundaries and social functions are expanding, today places of memory go beyond an individual monument, memorial, ensemble – they include culinary traditions and routes, heritage cities, intangible values and cultural landscapes. This article reviews and analyzes the development of cultural landscapes as part of cultural heritage and traces the affirmation of the concept of cultural landscape in legislative practices and international documents. Emphasis is placed on the case of Bulgaria, the attempts and challenges to identify remarkable Bulgarian cultural landscapes.

Cover sprays and residual insecticides are tactics used by landscapers and arborists to control arthropod pests on trees and shrubs in urban settings. Trees in residential landscapes that received three cover sprays annually for at least 4 years harbored a greater diversity of scale insect pests and were much more likely to be infested with scales than trees in landscapes treated with cover sprays for shorter periods of time. Oak (Quercus palustris) trees in an institutional landscape treated with residual insecticides harbored significantly lower numbers of beneficial arthropods than trees treated with a pesticide that lacked residual activity. The suppressive effect of the residual insecticides on natural enemies was pronounced on the community of parasitic wasps that attack the obscure scale (Melanaspis obscura), a common scale insect pest of oak. The effect of residual insecticides on individual wasp species persisted 4 weeks after the pesticides were applied. By reducing the use of cover sprays and residual insecticides, arborists may be able to conserve communities of natural enemies in managed landscapes. This will enhance the biological diversity of beneficial insects found in urban forests and thereby aid in increasing their sustainability.

The article discusses the content of international legal instruments on landscape protection, such as the European Landscape Convention, 2000. It also analyzes the legal incorporation of the concept and legal regime of landscapes into the legislation of the Russian Federation. The study examines foreign legislation, especially, law of some European countries and gives examples of legal mechanisms for landscape protection that are enshrined in the legislation of such states. Also, the article describes some of the legal and institutional mechanisms that exist in European associations, in particular in the Council of Europe, and aimed at coordinating cooperation among States in the area of landscape protection in the use of natural resources. Also as a result of a retrospective analysis of domestic legislation, legal mechanisms that have contributed to integrated landscape conservation, such as Territorial Integrated Nature Conservation Schemes, have been identified and described. The article contains some proposals for improving and supplementing domestic legislation with legal norms on landscape conservation, the adoption of which, in the authors› view, could improve the legal mechanism for landscape conservation and protection in Russia, in particular within the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory. The authors conclude that there is no systematic legal mechanism in the Russian Federation for the protection of natural landscapes, in particular the landscapes of the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory. There is also a need to develop a legal framework for the protection of natural landscapes, including on the basis of positive foreign experience.

This paper investigates the roles and situation of the institutional and non-institutional organizations within Italian contemporary dance and performance scene (focused on the Veneto Region), by looking at structures, collectives, self-organized movements, and socio-political landscapes from the beginning of the financial crisis (2009). To what extent are the influences of institutions evident in the Italian contemporary dance scene in the era of crisis? How does the lack of institutional support affect the inter-relationship between artists and the socio-political landscape? Which desires and necessities are bringing the emerging non-institutional groups?

In the current dynamic global landscape, human activities are increasingly posing threats and pressures on landscapes. In response to this pressing issue, different regions around the world exhibit varying levels of community awareness and institutional practices regarding landscape protection, planning, and management. Thus, there arises a critical need for a strategic tool termed as a ‘landscape observatory’ to facilitate continuous monitoring of landscapes across time and space, enabling rapid information exchange. This paper, which drew insights from the Landscape Observatories of leading European countries following the European Landscape Convention and European collaborative efforts, laid the groundwork for this study. The study involves examining advancements in landscape observatories across Europe and Türkiye and developing a structural and technological framework for an ideal observatory. It also explores the necessary CyberGIS infrastructure for integrating relevant digital data infrastructures. The proposed landscape observatory platform aims to facilitate governance through multi-stakeholder coordination, formulate recommendations for improved landscape protection, planning, and management within the framework of sustainable development, foster continuous public awareness, and manage data through a Landscape Information System (LIS) compatible with national spatial planning scales. The outcomes of this study are anticipated to contribute to the establishment of observatories operating at regional, sub-regional, and local scales, both globally and in Türkiye.

Landscape scale ecological restoration and connectivity initiatives are gaining momentum in Australia and globally to protect and restore native vegetation and biodiversity. While these initiatives originated in response to habitat fragmentation and land use intensification they are increasingly framed within the discourses of climate change adaptation and ecological resilience. With a focus on initiatives over large landscape scales, this article directs attention to the social and institutional implications of this emerging, and poorly understood phenomenon. These initiatives represent a paradigm shift in conservation management in two ways: firstly, connectivity represents a move from a focus on “sites and species” to landscapes and processes; secondly, connectivity signifies a reconstruction of the role of government and non government organizations in conservation. While these initiatives show promise for integrated conservation management across multiple tenures, they face challenges of collaboration and communication across vast, diverse landscapes, communities and agendas. This article overviews emerging landscape scale initiatives in Australia and introduces a conceptual framework for thinking about social and institutional connectivity. While there is much debate concerning the science of connectivity, there is a distinct gap in our understanding of the requisite conditions for implementation. There is, however, existing research and practice on the social dimensions of natural resource management and conservation that could inform the implementation of connectivity initiatives.

Purpose There is growing contestation between states and private actors over cybersecurity responsibilities, and its governance is ever more susceptible to nationalization. The authors believe these developments are based on an incomplete picture of how cybersecurity is actually governed in practice and theory. Given this disconnect, this paper aims to attempt to provide a cohesive understanding of the cybersecurity institutional landscape. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from institutional economics and using extensive desk research, the authors develop a conceptual model and broadly sketch the activities and contributions of market, networked and hierarchical governance structures and analyze how they interact to produce and govern cybersecurity. Findings Analysis shows a robust market and networked governance structures and a more limited role for hierarchical structures. Ex ante efforts to produce cybersecurity using purely hierarchical governance structures, even buttressed with support from networked governance structures, struggle without market demand like in the case of secure internet identifiers. To the contrary, ex post efforts like botnet mitigation, route monitoring and other activities involving information sharing seem to work under a variety of combinations of governance structures. Originality/value The authors’ conceptual framework and observations offer a useful starting point for unpacking how cybersecurity is produced and governed; ultimately, we need to understand if and how these governance structure arrangements actually impact variation in observed levels of cybersecurity.

L'empire achéménide, dominant une grande partie du Proche-Orient entre 559 et 330 avant notre ère, s'appuyait sur l'exploitation économique des territoires qu'il contrôlait, organisée à travers un réseau administratif élaboré. La Transeuphratène, satrapie à l'ouest de l'empire, jouait un rôle stratégique dans ce système. En Idumée, une région du Levant Sud, un corpus de près de 2 250 ostraca en araméen impérial a été découvert. Bien qu'ils manquent souvent de contexte archéologique précis, étant apparus sur le marché des antiquités dans les années 1970, leur comparaison avec des ostraca provenant de sites comme Maresha, Arad et Beersheba montre qu'ils appartiennent à la même période et au même système administratif. Depuis les années 1990, ces ostraca ont été majoritairement étudiés sous un angle philologique. Toutefois, cette recherche propose une approche innovante en utilisant une base de données relationnelle pour effectuer des analyses quantitatives et comparatives approfondies. Ces documents, principalement économiques, donnent selon nous un aperçu de l'administration locale. L'objectif est de replacer ces textes dans leur contexte historique afin de révéler les mécanismes de gestion locale de la satrapie. La méthodologie comparative, confrontant le corpus d'Idumée à des découvertes similaires ailleurs dans l'empire, permet d'établir des parallèles entre les pratiques administratives des différentes régions. Dans ce cas, un des corpus clés sont les Archives des Fortifications de Persépolis découvertes dans les années 1930 qui ont transformé la compréhension de l'administration achéménide, en fournissant des sources économiques brutes. Ce modèle, où chaque satrapie conservait ses propres archives, soulève la question de l'existence d'un système similaire en Transeuphratène, et en particulier en Idumée. Les ostraca étudiés semblent constituer des traces de ce réseau administratif local à un autre échelon. Ces documents révèlent ainsi un ensemble de transactions économiques et la gestion des ressources locales. Bien que les inscriptions soient parfois lacunaires ou elliptiques, elles permettent de dégager les grandes lignes des pratiques administratives locales. En se basant sur le concept de « paysage institutionnel » de Henkelman, cette étude propose une analyse à deux niveaux : une perspective microscopique qui se concentre sur les détails locaux et une vision macroscopique qui replace ces informations dans le cadre plus large de l'empire. L'un des objectifs majeurs de cette étude est de dégager les thématiques principales présentes dans les ostraca d'Idumée et d'identifier les acteurs clés du système administratif, tels que les administrateurs, les scribes et les collecteurs d'impôts. Cette approche permet de mieux comprendre comment le pouvoir central perse interagissait avec ses provinces périphériques, en adaptant ses pratiques aux spécificités locales. En analysant les ostraca d'Idumée et en les comparant à d'autres sources contemporaines, cette étude cherche à reconstituer une vue d'ensemble du fonctionnement administratif régional. Le corpus d'ostraca d'Idumée offre une opportunité unique d'explorer la gestion des territoires périphériques de l'empire. Par l'étude des termes administratifs récurrents et des transactions documentées, il est possible de mieux comprendre la structure administrative impériale et les pratiques administratives dans cette région
The Achaemenid Empire, which dominated much of the Near East between 559 and 330 BCE, relied on the economic exploitation of the territories it controlled, organized through a sophisticated administrative network. The satrapy of Transeuphratia, located in the western part of the empire, played a important role within this system. In Idumea, a region in the southern Levant, a corpus of nearly 2,250 ostraca written in Imperial Aramaic was discovered. Although many lack precise archaeological context, having emerged on the antiquities market in the 1970s, comparisons with ostraca from sites such as Maresha, Arad, and Beersheba indicate that they belong to the same period and administrative system. Since the 1990s, these ostraca have been predominantly studied from a philological perspective. However, this research offers an innovative approach by utilizing a relational database to conduct in-depth quantitative and comparative analyses. These documents, primarily economic in nature, provide insight into the local administration, and the aim is to situate them within their historical context to reveal the mechanisms of local governance within the satrapy. The comparative methodology, which juxtaposes the Idumean corpus with similar discoveries from other regions of the empire, helps establish parallels between the administrative practices across different regions. One key corpus for comparison is the Persepolis Fortification Archives, discovered in the 1930s, which transformed the understanding of Achaemenid administration by providing raw economic sources. This model, in which each satrapy maintained its own archives, raises the question of whether a similar system existed in Transeuphratene, and particularly in Idumea. The ostraca under study appear to represent traces of this local administrative network on a smaller scale. These documents reveal a series of economic transactions and the management of local resources. Although the inscriptions are sometimes incomplete or elliptical, they allow for an understanding of the key features of local administrative practices. Using Henkelman's concept of the "institutional landscape," this study proposes a twofold analysis: a microscopic perspective that focuses on local details, and a macroscopic view that situates these details within the broader framework of the empire. One of the primary objectives of this study is to identify the main themes present in the Idumean ostraca and to pinpoint the key actors in the administrative system, such as administrators, scribes, and tax collectors. This approach enables a better understanding of how the central Persian authority interacted with its peripheral provinces, adapting its practices to local specificities. By analyzing the Idumean ostraca and comparing them with other contemporary sources, this study seeks to reconstruct an overview of the regional administrative system. The Idumean ostraca corpus provides a unique opportunity to explore the management of the empire's peripheral territories. Through the study of recurring administrative terms and documented transactions, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the imperial administrative structure and the administrative practices in this region

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2016.
Thesis: S.M. in Technology and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Technology and Policy Program, 2016.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 145-153).
The decentralized architecture of the Internet, which has been key to its development and worldwide deployment, is making it challenging to secure Internet user experience. Many organizations claim to be playing a role in improving Internet security. If anything, the space of security-related institutions seems on first inspection to be over-populated, yet poor security persists. This work proposes a framework to understand the role different institutions play in cyber security. The analysis gives insights into the broad institutional ecosystem of public, private and international actors, and the varied nature of these institutions, their interests, incentives, and contributions to cyber security from hardware, software, protocols, standards and regulation. Based on natural language clustering algorithms, this framework classifies institutions along five dimensions: the aspect of cyber security the institution covers (e.g. network security, cybercrime), the industry and activity sector of the institution (e.g. telecommunications, software and service providers), whether it is part of a specific jurisdiction (e.g. US, Europe), specific institution's characteristics such as its working mode (e.g. forum, information sharing) or primary focus (e.g. economic development, consumer trust), and the governance type (for-profit, not-for-profit, government or international organization). We developed a dataset of approximately 120 institutions that claim a role with respect to cyber security, and using the framework, we identify areas of competing and overlapping institutional interest, relevant areas out of scope of current institutions and dysfunctionalities that hinder overall security improvement.
by Cecilia Andrea Testart Pacheco.
S.M.
S.M. in Technology and Policy

This thesis draws together a series of publications that were based on research studies conducted between 1981 and 2011, covering care homes and alternative forms of housing with care. The majority of the studies were funded by the Department of Health or its predecessors, and were aimed at responding to policy issues, particularly for local authority grant funding. However, the funding provided the opportunity to collect information for broader purposes, and a central feature linking the studies was the collection, as far as possible, of consistent information about the characteristics of residents over time. The thesis includes 12 pieces of work, based on information collected in ten studies, and illustrates the changes in care home provision from 1981 onwards, and the potential role of alternative forms of housing with care. The aim of the thesis is to explore the following themes: the changing role of care homes and the development of the independent sector, particularly the private sector; factors associated with care home costs; changes in the relative role of residential and nursing homes, including changes in the characteristics of residents over time; changes in the quality of provision; the impact of care home closures; provision for self-funders and the expectations of residents; and the development of alternative forms of housing with care, and the degree to which specialised housing can provide an alternative to residential care. Care homes in the UK provide around 470,000 places and account for over half the expenditure on social care for older people in England. However, information about care facilities and residents is very limited. The papers presented here aimed to fill some of the gaps in understanding residential care and possible alternatives by making use of data collected in a unique series of related research studies conducted over a period of 30 years.

Uganda has been considered one of Africa's few "success stories" over the past decade, an example of how a country can be transformed through a committed state bureaucracy. The thesis questions this view by looking at the experiences of development and change in a subparish in eastern Uganda. From this more local-level perspective, the thesis discusses the weakness of the state in the countryside, and incorporates the importance of religious and customary institutions. In place of a narrow view of politics, focused on reforms and policies coming from above, which rarely reach rural areas in a consistent or predictable way, the thesis describes political developments within a rural community. The thesis rests on two premises. First, that the state in rural Uganda has been too weak to support an effective bureaucratic presence in the countryside. Second, that politics at the local-level is an "open-ended" business, better understood through investigating a range of institutional spaces and activities, rather than a particular set of actions, or a single bureaucracy. Oledai sub-parish, which provides the empirical material for the thesis, was far removed from the idea of state-sponsored success described in the literature. Villagers had to contend with a history of violence, with recent impoverishment, and with the reality that the rural economy was unimportant in maintaining the structures of the government system. The thesis shows that the marginalisation of the countryside came at a time when central and local government structures had become increasingly reliant on funding from abroad. Aside from the analysing the weakness of the state bureaucracy, the thesis goes on to discuss broader changes in the life of the sub-parish, including the impact of a violent insurgency in the late 1980s. The thesis also looks at the role of churches and burial societies, institutions which have been largely ignored by the literature on political developments in Uganda. Religious and customary institutions, as well as the village court, provided spaces where political goals, such as settling disputes, building a career, or acquiring wealth, could be pursued.

Forest and pasture Commons are a shared trait of Alpine rural areas, with a total coverage of 1,668,851 hectares, i.e. almost 10% of the total agricultural area of the country (Istat, 2012). Particularly in the Italian Eastern Alps, forest Common Properties have a long-lasting tradition. Mostly called `Regole´ (singular: `Regola´), these were relevant institutions in the past, superintending to all aspects of community life and acting as essential regulator of natural resources use. Since 19th century the Italian common lands have come under relevant attack by central State authorities, that considered them an anachronistic remaining of a feudal past, and unable to promote technological and economic development in the agriculture and forest sectors. Only since mid of 20th century, various national legislative initiatives have progressively returned power to Common Properties. Taking cue from this new climate of supporting legislation, the Veneto Region (north-eastern Italy – i.e. the selected case study area for this thesis research) was first in line in the policy process of recognition of the collective role in managing the regional forest landscapes and in fostering the rural development of mountainous territories. Indeed, Common Properties have a long-standing tradition in the Veneto Region and were tenacious opponents of the fascist attempts to dismantle them. In 2012, Veneto counted 53 Common Properties, almost all of them located in the mountainous province of Belluno. Moreover, 17 Common Properties have been re-constituted since 1996 (Gatto et al., 2012), i.e. since the enactment of a regional law in support of common property regime reconstitution. Where reconstitution processes were successful – or where they are likely to be completed in the near future – a radical change is on the way in the ownership structure of forest landscapes, with large forest and pasture assets shifting from public property regimes to common property regimes, with `close´ membership. Most of the existing bibliographic resources dealing with the Italian common domain limit their analyses to the historical vicissitudes that common lands passed through, or analyse legal issues in technical terms, or debate about some internal Common Property governance and policy issues (e.g. gender balance, intergenerational renovation, need for statute renovation, etc.). Contrarily, very few published works assessed whether and how the internal Common Property dynamics also relate to and influence both the socio-economic and the institutional environments of the whole local mountain communities of residents, administratively identifiable with Municipalities, that Regole belong to. Meaningfully, Municipalities still exert an overarching administrative control and planning functions over the lands comprised within their boundaries, common lands included. The ratio for such a prescription emerges out of the fact that Municipalities represent the entire resident population of communities, as the local residents include both members and non-members of local Common Properties. Then, municipal policy decisions should be informed by broad territorial vision that goes beyond sectorial interests, e.g. forest management, in order to ensure a territorial development as most comprehensive as possible. Nevertheless, it seems that the recent, fast-paced process of re-constitution of Common Properties has the potential to create or increase institutional tensions at the local level, especially due to the new need to coordinate management rights and responsibilities between Common Properties and Municipalities. Florian (2004) reported that in some cases heavy legal disputes and institutional contrasts with local Municipalities were absorbing many available economic and administrative energies of the newly-reconstituted Common Properties. Carestiato (2008) pointed out a similar situation. Hampel (2012) implicitly suggested that nowadays a sort of `feeling of power and individual property´ over common resources by some right-holders might have negative consequences on the social environment that Regole are embedded within. Still nowadays, there are hints of disparate administrative and legal issues still pending among these institutions, insomuch to hinder remarkably the implementation or the achievement of integrated territorial development strategies. For the reasons above, the Veneto Region represents an interesting case to assess the capacity for polycentric governance of forest resources between Municipalities and Common Properties. In the light of the new challenges and opportunities that Regole are called to face and cope with, among which the ongoing institutional reforms (Gatto et al., 2012) and deep societal and demographic changes (Steinicke et al., 2014), two main research objectives have been identified. Firstly, the thesis aims to describe and assess the institutional patterns which the institutional relationships between Common Properties and Municipalities are based on, trying to evaluate their mutual degree of cooperation in their own and interdependent statutory competences. The second objective corresponds to the evaluation of whether, and to what extent, the regional Common Properties give concrete answers to the aims and prescriptions that the Regional law entrusted them with, i.e. forest landscape management and protection and socio-economic development of rural mountain areas. Research activities have been modulated in three different phases. A prevailing qualitative methodological approach has been knowingly selected. After a broad literature review, in the first step of the field data collection, face-to-face interviews have been carried out among the institutional representatives (e.g. Majors, Aldermen, Councillors, etc.) of those Municipalities including Regole within their administrative boundaries. It has been made use of a simple but effective data collection procedure and instrument, i.e. a structured survey questionnaire containing both closed and open-ended responses, allowing for analysis across respondents from organizations of the same category at similar administrative levels. Respondents have been asked to provide information on the institutional communication patterns characterising their relationship with local Common Properties. They were also inquired so to reveal their own perception about the Common Property capability to effectively stimulate the socio-economic development of mountain areas and proactively pursue a sound forest management. In the second phase, taking advantage of a secondary data analysis and through descriptive statistics techniques, the common and municipal attitude towards the active provision of environmental services have been compared. Particularly, a set of environmental services others than wood has been selected, i.e. biodiversity protection, carbon storage, soil protection and water quality regulation, tourism promotion and support to recreational activities. It has been assessed whether Common Properties and Municipalities explicitly considered such environmental services among their current multi-functional forest management practices. The assigned priority to the supply of the environmental services was also tested, analysing whether they consider such provision as a primary or secondary forest management objective. Finally, respondents declaring no or secondary commitment to the supply of one or more environmental services were asked to indicate under which conditions they would be potentially interested in strengthening such proactive provision. In the third research step, a new set of interviews has been carried out to check and compare municipal representatives’ opinions with common representatives’ ones. So, face-to-face interviews have been carried out among common representatives of those Common Properties located in the same areas where the parallel survey had been conducted among Municipalities. Again, the collaborative mechanisms and the institutional linkages horizontally linking Common Properties with Municipalities have been explored, along with their self-evaluation on their own management options and outputs. An informed viewpoint is therefore discussed, disclosing whether cooperative institutional relationships among Common Properties and Municipalities prevail and their mutual institutional tensions can be considered sporadic, or deeper and chronic issues affect them. Prerequisites and conditions best facilitating the establishment of fruitful relationships between these two entities are also described. Moreover, it is discussed whether the ongoing regional attempts at reconciliation between public policies and collective strategies is likely to result in higher levels of synergies also through a socio-economic lens. Results suggest that Municipalities remain the primary institutional reference point for mountain territories, and they continue to play a central role in regulation of local-level socio-economic dynamics. Usually, institutional tensions occur when the presumption that Common Properties have nothing to do with Municipalities prevail (and vice versa), although both these institutions play a role in managing overlapping territories. From a social perspective, it seems also recommendable that right-holders conceive Common Properties more as essential tools to ensure the involvement of right-holders in the local policy processes, rather than as a mere legal acknowledgement of ancient property rights. Nowadays, an excessive closure could even threaten the same survival of some Common Properties, shifted from struggling against the so-called past `enclosure of Commons´ to the opposite situation, i.e. the risk to downgrade to `common enclosures´. Informal relationships among municipal and common representatives have been found to play a relevant role in maintaining the institutional contacts between these bodies vital and properly working. Nonetheless, mechanisms to enforce stable, robust and enduring cooperation (e.g. joint declarations of interest, procedural and/or economic memoranda and agreements, etc.) are worthwhile. In this way, it would be possible also to overcome and prevent personal contrasts that negatively and heavily affect the institutional relationships. Finally, it is comprehensively argued whether or not the outcomes of the re-assignment of former municipal forests to Common Properties can be considered positive in terms of improved forest management practices and environmental services supply. A general consensus has been found, that forest management has improved since Common Properties newly gained control over local forest resources, probably because it represents their statutory and vocational core business. Particularly, the re-establishment of `new´ Common Properties may reinforce the main provisioning services. However, the dichotomy `Common Properties focussed on market-based activities (i.e. wood harvesting) vs. Municipalities focussed on provision of environmental services´ does not seem appropriate.
Gli assetti fondiari collettivi forestali e agricoli rappresentano un aspetto tipico e diffuso delle aree rurali, in particolar modo alpine, per una estensione complessiva di 1.668.851 ha, pari quasi al 10% della complessiva superficie agraria italiana (Istat, 2012). In particolare nelle Alpi dell’Italia orientale, le Proprietà Collettive vantano una lunga tradizione: principalmente chiamate `Regole´, esse in passato si configuravano come rilevanti istituzioni territoriali, sovrintendendo e agendo da essenziali regolatori dell’uso delle risorse naturali. A partire dal XIX secolo, gli assetti fondiari collettivi italiani hanno subito l’attacco delle autorità centrali statali, che li consideravano anacronistiche rimanenze di un passato feudale ed incapaci di promuovere lo sviluppo tecnologico ed economico del settore forestale. Solo dalla metà del XX secolo varie iniziative legislative hanno progressivamente restituito titolarità istituzionale alle Proprietà Collettive. Nel solco di questo nuovo clima legislativo favorevole, la Regione del Veneto fu in prima linea nel processo politico di rinnovato riconoscimento del ruolo collettivo nella protezione ambientale e di gestione dei paesaggi forestali. Inoltre, la Regione del Veneto (Italia nord-orientale) – ossia l’area di studio selezionata ai fini del presente lavoro di ricerca – si pose in prima linea nel processo politico di nuovo riconoscimento di tale ruolo collettivo nel gestire i paesaggi forestali regionali e nel dare impulso e sostegno allo sviluppo rurale dei territori montani. Le Proprietà Collettive `chiuse´ vantano una lunga tradizione nella Regione del Veneto, e furono tenaci oppositrici del tentativo legislativo fascista mirato alla loro soppressione. Nel 2012, il Veneto contava 53 Proprietà Collettive, quasi tutte situate nella provincia montana di Belluno. Inoltre, 17 Regole erano state ricostituite dal 1996 e fino al 2012, cioè a partire dal varo di una legge regionale a supporto della loro ricostituzione. Laddove i processi di ricostituzione hanno avuto successo – così come dove è probabile che essi giungano a compimento nel breve periodo – si è verificato un cambio radicale nella struttura della proprietà terriera, con ampie superfici boschive e pascolive passate dal controllo e dalla proprietà pubblica a quella collettiva, caratterizzata da criteri di accesso e membership spesso più restrittivi. La maggior parte delle risorse bibliografiche esistenti in tema di assetti fondiari collettivi limita le proprie analisi alle vicissitudini storiche attraversate dalle Proprietà Collettive, oppure analizzano questioni legali in termini tecnicistici, o approfondiscono alcune dinamiche di governance e di policy interne alle Proprietà Collettive (ad esempio, la parità di genere, il ricambio intergenerazionale, la necessità di revisione degli Statuti, ecc.). Al contrario, davvero poche pubblicazioni hanno analizzato se, e come, le dinamiche interne alle Proprietà Collettive siano in grado di influenzare l’ambiente socio-economico ed istituzionale delle intere comunità locali, amministrativamente identificabili nei Comuni, a cui le Regole appartengono. Significativamente, i Comuni esercitano ancora un controllo sovraordinato e complessivo dei territori ricompresi all’interno dei loro confini amministrativi, inclusi gli assetti fondiari collettivi. La ratio di una simile prescrizione scaturisce dal fatto che i Comuni rappresentano l’intera popolazione, residente e non, dal momento che sia regolieri (titolari di diritti collettivi) sia non-regolieri costituiscono la cittadinanza locale. Inoltre, le politiche municipali dovrebbe conformarsi ed essere ispirate da visioni ampie che superano largamente interessi specifici e di settore, quale ad esempio la sola gestione forestale, in modo da assicurare uno sviluppo del territorio quanto più comprensivo ed inclusivo possibile. Tuttavia, sembra che il recente e repentino processo di ricostituzione delle Proprietà Collettive abbia il potenziale per creare o aumentare alcune tensioni istituzionali a livello locale, specialmente in ragione della nuova esigenza che Comuni e Proprietà Collettive coordinino i propri diritti e le proprie responsabilità in termini di gestione del patrimonio. Nel 2004, Florian osservò come, in alcuni casi, pesanti dispute legali e contrasti istituzionali con le municipalità locali stessero assorbendo molte delle energie economiche ed amministrative disponibili delle neo-ricostituite Proprietà Collettive. Carestiato (2008) osservò una situazione simile. Hampel (2012) suggerì implicitamente che, oggigiorno, una sorta di `sentimento di potere e di proprietà individuale´ applicato agli assetti fondiari collettivi da parte dei regolieri potrebbe avere conseguenze negative sull’ambiente sociale in cui le Regole sono inserite. Ancora oggi, vi sono indizi di disparati problemi e contenziosi legali e amministrativi ancora pendenti, tanto da ostacolare la realizzazione o il raggiungimento di strategie di sviluppo territoriale integrato. Per le ragioni in premessa, la Regione del Veneto rappresenta un caso interessante per esplorare la capacità di governance delle risorse forestali `policentrica´ tra Comuni e Proprietà Collettive. Alla luce dunque delle nuove sfide e opportunità con cui oggigiorno le Regole sono chiamate a confrontarsi, tra cui le attuali riforme istituzionali (Gatto et al., 2012) e profondi cambiamenti sociali e demografici (Steinicke et al., 2014), sono stati identificati due obiettivi di ricerca principali. Innanzitutto, il presente lavoro di tesi mira a descrivere e valutare i pattern istituzionali che caratterizzano e su cui si basano le relazioni istituzionali tra Comuni e Proprietà Collettive, provando sostanzialmente a valutare il grado di mutua e reciproca cooperazione in riferimento alle competenze statutarie, proprie ed interdipendenti, di queste istituzioni. Il secondo obiettivo corrisponde ad una valutazione di come, e se, le Proprietà Collettive regionali diano risposta concreta agli obiettivi e alle prescrizioni assegnategli dalla legge, ossia la gestione e la protezione dei paesaggi forestali e lo sviluppo socio-economico delle aree montane. Le attività di ricerca sono state modulate in tre fasi differenti. È stato scientemente adottato un approccio metodologico piuttosto qualitativo. Nella prima fase, sono state condotte interviste tra i rappresentanti istituzionali (es. Sindaci, Assessori, Consiglieri, etc.) di quelle municipalità all’interno dei cui confini amministrativi insistono Regole. È stato fatto uso di procedure e strumenti di raccolta dati semplici ma efficaci, cioè un questionario strutturato che prevedeva risposte sia chiuse sia aperte, permettendo un’analisi di confronto tra diversi rispondenti, afferenti a diverse organizzazioni poste a pari livello amministrativo. Agli intervistati è stato chiesto di fornire informazioni ed evidenza dei pattern istituzionali che caratterizzano e su cui si basano le relazioni istituzionali tra il Comune e le Proprietà Collettive. Ad essi è stato anche chiesto quale sia la loro specifica percezione in merito alla capacità delle Proprietà Collettive di stimolare effettivamente lo sviluppo socio-economico delle aree montane, così come di perseguire una gestione forestale equilibrata e responsabile. Nella seconda fase di ricerca, traendo vantaggio dall’analisi di dati già disponibili (analisi secondaria per mezzo di usuali tecniche di statistica descrittiva), è stata comparata l’attitudine municipale e collettiva nell’erogazione proattiva di servizi ambientali. In particolare, è stato preso in considerazione il seguente panel di servizi ambientali, diversi dalla provvigione legnosa: protezione della biodiversità, accumulo di carbonio, protezione del suolo e regolazione della qualità delle acque, promozione turistica e supporto alle attività ricreative. È stato valutato se le Proprietà Collettive e i Comuni includessero esplicitamente tali servizi ambientali all’interno delle loro attuali pratiche di gestione integrata e multi-funzionale delle foreste. È stata anche testata la priorità assegnata a tali funzioni, analizzando se la loro erogazione fosse considerata di primaria o secondaria importanza. Infine, ai rispondenti con scarso o nullo interesse nell’erogazione proattiva di questi servizi ambientali è stato chiesto di indicare a quali condizioni sarebbero stati potenzialmente interessati a rafforzare il loro impegno in tal senso. Nella terza fase di ricerca, è stata lanciata una nuova campagna di interviste per verificare e comparare le opinioni dei rappresentanti collettivi con quelle analoghe dei rappresentanti istituzionali municipali. Pertanto, le interviste faccia-a-faccia sono state condotte tra i rappresentanti di quelle Proprietà Collettive situate nelle stesse aree dove era stata condotta la prima fase d’indagine. Nuovamente, sono stati esplorati i meccanismi di collaborazione e le connessioni istituzionali che intercorrono `orizzontalmente´ tra Proprietà Collettive e Comuni, insieme all’autovalutazione dei rappresentanti regolieri circa le proprie opzioni e risultati di gestione forestale. Vengono quindi presentate alcune considerazioni circa la prevalenza di relazioni istituzionali improntate alla cooperazione, e se le mutue tensioni e contrasti possano considerarsi sporadici, o se sussistano problemi più profondi e cronici. Vengono anche discussi i prerequisiti e le condizioni che meglio facilitano lo stabilirsi di relazioni proficue tra questi due Enti. Inoltre, viene discusso se è plausibile che gli attuali tentativi regionali di riconciliazione tra le politiche pubbliche e le strategie collettive possano risultare in più alti livelli di sinergia anche in un’ottica socio-economica più ampia rispetto al solo settore forestale. I risultati suggeriscono che i Comuni siano ancora punti di riferimento istituzionali di prima importanza per i territori montani, e che continuino a giocare un ruolo centrale nella regolazione delle dinamiche socio-economiche a livello locale. Usualmente, si verificano contrasti e tensioni istituzionali quando prevale la presunzione che le Proprietà Collettive non abbiano nulla a che spartire con i Comuni (e viceversa), sebbene entrambe queste istituzioni concorrano alla gestione dei medesimi territori. Adottando una prospettiva di natura sociale, sembra anche raccomandabile che i regolieri concepiscano le Proprietà Collettive più come strumenti fondamentali che assicurino il loro coinvolgimento nei processi decisionali e di politica locale, piuttosto che come mero riconoscimento di antichi diritti di proprietà. Oggigiorno, un’eccessiva chiusura delle comunità regoliere potrebbe finanche minacciare la sopravvivenza stessa delle Proprietà Collettive, passate in breve dall’opposizione alla riduzione degli assetti fondiari collettivi (`Enclosure of Commons´) ad una situazione opposta, ossia il rischio di regredire ad `enclavi collettive´ (`Common enclosures´). È anche emerso come le relazioni di carattere informale tra i rappresentanti comunali e collettivi giochino un ruolo rilevante nel mantenimento di contatti istituzionali vitali e funzionanti tra questi enti. Nondimeno, meritano d’essere instaurati meccanismi stabili, duraturi e robusti di collaborazione (ad esempio, mediane dichiarazioni congiunte d’interesse, memorandum, accordi, ecc.). In questo modo, sarebbe anche possibile superare e prevenire i contrasti di natura personale, che tanto influenzano negativamente i rapporti istituzionali tra Comuni e Regole. Infine, viene ampiamente dibattuto se i risultati della riassegnazione alle Proprietà Collettive di foreste precedentemente a gestione comunale possa considerarsi positiva in termini di miglioramento delle pratiche gestionali e di fornitura di servizi ambientali. È stato rinvenuto un ampio consenso circa il fatto che la gestione forestale sia migliorata da quando le Proprietà Collettive hanno ottenuto un rinnovato controllo delle risorse forestali locali, probabilmente perché la gestione forestale costituisce una loro finalità principe, ed un loro cardine statutario. In particolare, la ricostituzione di `nuove´ Proprietà Collettive può rinforzare l’erogazione dei principali servizi di utilità generale. Per queste ragioni la dicotomia tra Proprietà Collettive focalizzate su attività di mercato (produzione legnosa) e Comuni concentrati sull’erogazione di servizi ambientali non sembra essere appropriata.

Sweden has had laws protecting nature for about a hundred years. In this paper the views of nature and the values that serve as a rationale for protective measures are analyzed as results of a social process characterized by the dialectic relationship between institutions and discourse. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is used to study this relationship and the discursive practices used by institutions, which reproduce or reshape views of nature that define the relationship between society and nature. Institutional design contributes to shaping discourse in the field of nature protection, while being originally shaped by discourse. In Sweden, the national park is an institution that reproduces a view of nature as the wild and untamed opposite of society, and the natural reserves reproduce a view of nature as holder of a multi-faceted set of values intertwined with society. However, the most recently formed national park, the marine national park of the Koster sea includes resource values that threaten the hegemony of arcadian discourse within the institution and indicates social change.

The monograph is devoted to the problem of studying the transformation of social institutions in Russian society. The current state of society is characterized by dynamic processes developing in it. This applies to all levels and elements of such education. A significant condition for their course is the purposefulness and systematic influence of interested social structures. In the context of specific historical and landscape-geographical conditions, these are Federal and regional public authorities that exercise their powers within the framework of the official management system. The most effective implementation of the relevant competencies is possible through social management, taking into account the needs of the population, which are expressed through current socio-economic problems. For students and teachers, as well as anyone interested in the sociology of social change.

AbstractThe rate of ageing is increasing among Germany and China’s populations. This trend is especially apparent in the countries’ urban centres, which face hurdles to adapt to this demographic shift. Whereas technical standards for primarily infrastructural adjustments are already in place or in development, their application as well as the social integration of the elderly remains an even greater challenge. Both countries have acknowledged this challenge and are restructuring their institutional landscape, adding new responsibilities, tasks and drafting political guiding documents. This article introduces the institutional landscapes and political approaches as well as innovative solutions on the local level which can all promote age-appropriate cities. This article argues that complex institutional landscapes are vital to address the multi-layered issue but notes that they also risk fragmentation and developing poorly integrated approaches. Thus, the chapter presents that boosting multi-sectoral and multi-actor cooperation on all levels to be the most suitable approach to sufficiently prepare cities for the ageing society.

AbstractThis chapter introduces the project that aimed at mapping the institutional landscape changes in higher education in 15 post-Soviet countries. The project takes the Soviet legacy as a point of departure and describes and analyses the important developments that took place with the fall of the Soviet system and the impacts these developments had on the landscape. Key developments pertain to, for example, the change from a state-dominated ideology to a steering philosophy with many market elements, finding a new balance between supply and demand, international developments and demographic developments. The landscapes have changed significantly with the emergence of non-state providers, a reconfiguration of “traditional” institutions (universities, academies, institutes) and also a growth in the public sectors of higher education.

AbstractThe higher education (HE) system in Belarus has undergone important changes since the beginning of the 1990s under the pressure of the different internal and external factors (demographic, political, socio-economic changes, international cooperation, etc.). The horizontal system differentiation increased with the creation of the new private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) and changes in the functioning of the former Soviet HEIs. Belarusian HE experienced an important and fast massification and many of HEIs used it as opportunity to step out from the narrow specialisation imposed during the Soviet period. Nevertheless, HEIs diversified their curricula principally in response to social demand that was not closely connected to existing transforming economy’s needs. The vertical system differentiation inherited from the Soviet period was slightly changed and strengthened especially at the beginning of 2010 as a result of government policies and of the introduction of national, regional and international rankings. As a result, the leading state HEIs at the beginning of 1990 reinforced their position and the new private or recently created public HEIs play a marginal role in the national HE system. The organisational interrelationship between HEIs has also changed from the logic of complementarity under the Soviet period to the logic of the competition for the students and for the resources. As the Belarusian HE system has attended the limits of its expansion at the end of 2000, in the nearest future the tendency of its reduction will reinforce and the decreasing number of national students will inevitably impact the number of the HEIs and increase the competition between remaining HEIs. This chapter analyses the system of HE inherited from the Soviet period and explores the main factors influencing the transformations in the Belarusian HE landscape during more than 20 years. It also presents the typology of existing Belarusian HEIs and draws some prospects for further evolution of the national higher education system.

The aim of this report is to assess the extent of valorization of the landscape in relation to the increase of energy efficiency and in the context of the construction of green buildings and the development of modern green architecture, which is responsible for the implementation of sustainable policies implemented in the field of environmental protection and the fight against climate change. This paper will review current trends in the development of green architectural design and the interrelationship with the application of modern energy solutions in the construction of green buildings in the construction of sustainable cities of the future. On the other hand, an explanation of the processes of increasing the value and potential of the landscape will be sought in order to highlight the influence of social cohesion and cultural continuity in the development of contemporary urban environments. This study will use administrative and institutional approaches in identifying current trends in the application of modern energy solutions applied in the territory of municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria. Furthermore, it will seek answers to a number of questions related to the existence of a methodological framework in the identification of buildings to be upgraded through energy audits and retrofitting and the application of modern energy solutions. The experience of other EU Member States will also be examined to highlight good practices that can be applied in the country as well as other EU Member States with similar problems. On the other hand, an attempt will be made to develop a new methodological framework in the implementation of landscape resource assessment, through which to seek opportunities to improve existing strategies in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources. Attention will also be paid to the development of ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and efforts to combat climate change.

El artículo presenta el trayecto y resultados preliminares de la tesis intitulada “Patrimonio y Planificación – Aproximación a partir del paisaje de Agudo-RS” en elaboración en el Programa de Posgrado en Planificación Urbana y Regional de la Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Brasil. La investigación parte de la región conocida como Cuarta Colonia y trata de la relación entre patrimonio y paisaje para desarrollar una lectura amplia del territorio integrando factores culturales que no siempre son considerados, con el objetivo de discutir alternativas para su inserción de forma más eficaz en la planificación territorial del sur de Brasil. Para tanto se busca identificar y evaluar sus paisajes a partir de tres ejes de análisis: (1) experiencia y percepción local; (2) cuadro institucional del territorio; y (3) estructura histórica y estética de los paisajes. The paper presents the partial results of the thesis “Heritage and Planning – One approach from Agudo’s Landscape” in process at the Postgradutate Program in Urban and Regional Planning of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - Brasil. The investigation starts from a region known as Fourth Colony to discuss the relationship between landscape and heritage, so as to read the territory in a broad perspective, integrating cultural aspects not always considered, aiming alternatives for the inclusion of these factors in the territorial planning of Southern Brazil. Therefore, the research identifies and evaluates landscapes from three areas of analysis: (1) local experience and perception; (2) territorial institutional framework; and (3) historic and aesthetic structure of the landscapes.

In the fast-paced and interconnected world of higher education, institutions are confronted with unparalleled challenges and opportunities amid the ever-expanding global landscape. To effectively navigate this dynamic terrain and secure their enduring success and significance, strategic management has emerged as an indispensable tool for higher education institutions. This article delves into the pivotal significance of strategic management in higher education, underscoring its pivotal role in elevating institutional competitiveness, fostering innovation, nurturing international partnerships, and equipping graduates for triumphant careers in the interconnected global workforce. By wholeheartedly embracing the tenets of strategic management, higher education institutions can proactively chart a course toward excellence, resilience, and enduring relevance amidst the ever-changing globalized landscape.

Abstract. Europe is one of the major global regions that has led the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the corporate environment, leading to a significant shift in the technological and organizational landscape of the business world. As the continental economies are deeply embedded in economic and institutional layers, different factors might lead to higher AI adoption. This paper seeks to explore the factors that play a role in the diffusion of AI across various sectors and industries in Europe via quantitative statistical analysis of individual, corporate, and government-related variables. Results tend to indicate budget spending in research and development and digital intensity of companies as the most significant factors but assert that varied influences, not necessarily interrelated, can shape adoption patterns.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of education, managing student accommodations is a crucial aspect for both schools and colleges. This paper delves into the fundamental necessity for effective Hostel Management Systems and advocates for the adoption of contemporary, technology-driven solutions over traditional methods.Hostel life plays a significant role in the overall student experience, and the outdated manual approaches for managing hostels are no longer sufficient for the diverse needs of educational institutions. These conventional methods are time-consuming, prone to errors, and lack the agility required to keep pace with the dynamic nature of schools and colleges.This review paper explores the world of Hostel Management Systems, emphasizing the urgency for a shift from outdated practices to modern, technology-enabled solutions. By doing so, educational institutions can benefit from real-time monitoring, efficient resource allocation, enhanced security measures, and improved communication channels among hostel authorities, students, and parents.The paper consolidates insights from various research studies, providing a holistic understanding of the Hostel Management System landscape. By examining the combination of research findings, this review aims to offer valuable insights into the evolution of these systems, their impact on institutional efficiency, and the challenges faced during implementation in both school and college settings.

The ADR landscape is evolving at a rapid level across the world and one of the latest trends in such is transferring disputes into ArbMedArb and MedArb. Arbitration and Mediation are recognised as two favourable dispute resolution methods, especially in commercial dispute resolution. When considered in isolation, both mediation and arbitration have unique features. Despite a few substantive and procedural drawbacks in both methods, mediation, and arbitration have gained popularity recently. Moving beyond, the ADR landscape has transformed into a mixed approach of MedArb and ArbMedArb as a modern trend. While this is still in its infancy, this paper examines the possibility of utilising MedArb and ArbMedArb within the existing landscape of Sri Lanka. Arbitration practice in Sri Lanka has a long history and the Arbitration Act No. 11 of 1995 and there are amendments suggested which are to be in force in the future. Notably, the background for Meditation in Sri Lanka started with community mediation and now it has reached a significant milestone in commercial mediation as the enabling legislation for the Singapore convention was enacted recently. This paper uses a doctrinal approach in dealing with primary resources as well as secondary resources when conducting the research. This paper uses an exploratory analytical method. In its findings, the paper highlights that the MedArb practice is adaptable in Sri Lanka within the existing statutory framework and the institutional setup. However, the professionals as well as the commercial community should pay attention to the points discussed in the recommendations for the successful functioning of the MedArb practice. Keywords: arbitration; commercial dispute resolution; mediation; MedArb

Governance is a difficult task in the context of achieving landscape multifunctionality owing to the multiplicity of stakeholders, institutions, scale and ecosystem services: the ‘many-multiple’ (Cockburn et al 2018). Governing and managing the physical landscape and the actors in the landscape requires intensive knowledge and good planning systems. Land-use planning is a powerful instrument in landscape governance because it directly guides how actors will intervene in the physical landscape (land use) to gain commonly desired value. It is essential for sustaining rural landscapes and improving the livelihoods of rural communities (Bourgoin and Castella 2011, Bourgoin et al 2012, Rydin 1998), ensuring landscape multifunctionality (Nelson et al 2009, Reyers et al 2012) and enhancing efficiency in carbon sequestration, in particular (Bourgoin et al 2013, Cathcart et al 2007). It is also considered critical to the successful implementation of land-based climate mitigation, such as under Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), because the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector is included in the mitigation contributions of nearly 90 percent of countries in Sub-Saharan and Southern Asia countries and in the Latin American and Caribbean regions (FAO 2016). Viet Nam has been implementing its NDC, which includes forestry and land-based mitigation options under the LULUCF sector. The contribution of the sector to committed national emission reduction is significant and cost-effective compared with other sectors. In addition to achieving emission reduction targets, implementation of forestry and land-based mitigation options has the highest benefits for social-economic development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (MONRE 2020). Challenges, however, lie in the way national priorities and targets are translated into sub-national delivery plans and the way sub-national actors are brought together in orchestration (Hsu et al 2019) in a context where the legal framework for climate-change mitigation is elaborated at national rather than sub-national levels and coordination between government bodies and among stakeholders is generally ineffective (UNDP 2018). In many developing countries, conventional ‘top–down’, centralized land-use planning approaches have been widely practised, with very little success, a result of a lack of flexibility in adapting local peculiarities (Amler et al 1999, Ducourtieux et al 2005, Kauzeni et al 1993). In forest–agriculture mosaic landscapes, the fundamental question is how land-use planning can best conserve forest and agricultural land, both as sources of economic income and environmental services (O’Farrell and Anderson 2010). This paper provides guidance on monitoring integrated tree-based landscape management at commune level, based on the current legal framework related to natural resource management (land and forest) and the requirements of national green-growth development and assessment of land uses in two communes in Dien Bien and Son La provinces. The concept of integrated tree based landscape management in Viet Nam is still new and should be further developed for wider application across levels.

The rise of the accountability movement in education has resulted in the proliferation of school report cards, school ratings and rankings, and other kinds of performance reporting for public consumption and policy use. To understand the strengths and limitations of school rating systems and the role they play in shaping public perceptions and school improvement practices, this paper situates rating systems within the broader field of comparative organizational assessments and neo-institutional theory; describes school rankings and rating systems in use by states and consumer-oriented enterprises; and details four aspects of school ratings (measurement, transformation, integration, and presentation) that affect their use and interpretation.

This paper examines the potential for shale gas in Latin America, and the technical and institutional obstacles to the industry's development. The first part of the paper analyzes the characteristics of the shale gas revolution that developed in the U.S. and highlights its precarious nature, the requirements for its initial development, and future prospects. The second part turns to the Latin American context - with a focus on Argentina and México - drawing on the lessons from the U.S. experience to postulate where the significant obstacles to shale gas production in the region lie, why successfully addressing those challenges is problematic in key countries, in which countries the challenges are likely to be successfully engaged, and what it all means for how markets and trade in shale gas will evolve. The paper concludes that while Latin America's abundance of shale gas reserves could well prove a boom for the region, the myriad political and institutional obstacles faced by national governments mean that a shale gas revolution of the nature seen in the US remains a distant prospect.

Satellite navigation, communications and imagery are critical to military doctrine. They provide the capability and functionalities required to operate increasingly complex military assets with unprecedented precision. On account of their growing importance, there is a need for EU member states to develop their own satellite infrastructure, and to ensure control over and superiority in the space landscape in which satellites operate in order to protect their security. This paper analyses the EU Space Strategy, which is the first of its kind, identifying its strengths and areas where there is room for improvement, as well as the challenges facing the project to establish a common European space defence policy, in terms of both institutional and industrial collaboration.

This work provides an institutional, legal and policy review of crucial aspects of land records modernisation systems in Haryana. The state offers a unique window into the regional diversity of land systems in India; it underwent a large-scale land consolidation exercise in 1950s, and features rectangular land parcels of equal area, and a share-system of joint landholdings with limited spatial demarcation. Technologically, the state has an integrated system of land record management, and continues to make advances. Haryana is also one of the country’s most prolific real estate markets, attracting some of the largest private sector investment. However, the land records management system remains primarily rural, and does not yet capture the realities of an urban property landscape and the transition into a fragmented, individualised private property system.

This book focuses on the five key design questions that have been addressed in the design of a Riparian Amphitheatre and its execution that have shaped its form, integration into land and waterscape, structure, services and choice of building material and systems. The book documents the attempts to present a balanced account of the processes; materials, energy, carbon and the financial costs involved, the time and effort taken to plan, design and construct the Riparian Amphitheatre at the IIHS Campus. The book will inform and inspire planners and designers of institutional campuses and public spaces in India, to create simple, cost effective and multi-functional facilities in conversation with unique landscapes and contexts that shape our country.

Genome editing tools have promised tremendous opportunities in agriculture for breeding crops and livestock across the food supply chain. Potentially addressing issues associated with a growing global population, sustainability concerns, and possibly helping address the effects of climate change (Kuiken, Barrangou, and Grieger 2021). These promises come alongside environmental, cultural, and socio-economic risks. Including concerns that governance systems are not keeping pace with technological developments and are ill-equipped, or not well suited to evaluate risks new genome editing tools may introduce. Understanding these complex, dynamic interactions across the LAC region is important to inform appropriate and acceptable regional governance and investment strategies. The power and promise of gene editing, CRISPR specifically, were first realized with the discovery of CRISPR loci in the 1980s (Anzalone, Koblan, and Liu 2020). Since that time, CRISPR-Cas systems have been further developed enabling genome editing in virtually all organisms across the tree of life (Anzalone, Koblan, and Liu 2020). Gene editing is not a singular technology or technique; it refers most often to a set of techniques that enable the manipulation of a genome with greater precision than previous iterations of genetic engineering (Shukla-Jones, Friedrichs, and Winickoff 2018b). The Inter-American Development Bank partnered with North Carolina State Universitys Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center to assess the regulatory and institutional frameworks surrounding gene-editing via CRISPR-based technologies in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regions. The project studied the following core components: Current Policy Evaluation: Understanding what the future may hold requires a critical examination of the current status of the regulatory landscape. Analysis of the existing regulatory systems for agricultural biotechnologies throughout Latin America and how they included considerations for novel biotechnology strategies such as gene editing through CRISPR technologies were done. Forecasting and Future Policy Scenario Analysis: Potential products created through gene editing may face very different situations on the ground, depending on countries diverse regulations and market structures. To clarify the potential impacts of regulatory reforms, we included concrete case studies in our analysis. Identifying investment priorities: The diversity of the region naturally means that countries will have unique priorities and needs with respect to investment in agricultural biotechnology development and regulatory infrastructure. The document evaluates the accomplishments of the region in the development of gene edited products, highlighting both private and public sector innovations.

National tax administrations are increasingly investing in the digital facilities needed to make it possible for taxpayers to go online both to file their routine tax returns (e-filing) and remit the tax payments due (e-payment). These facilities potentially benefit both taxpayers and tax administrations. This paper first maps the landscape, explaining which filing and payment technologies are used for tax collection in Africa. We then examine why these technologies are not used to their full potential. Some constraints are on the demand side. These include taxpayers’ preferences for cash and in-person relations and low familiarity with and trust in digital technology. Other constraints lie in infrastructure deficits and broader political, regulatory, and institutional factors. Unlocking the full potential of e-filing and e-payment systems thus seems to depend on meeting several pre-conditions, including solid political will, sound regulatory frameworks, reliable payment infrastructure and adequate investment in human capital. However, there is relatively little reliable evidence of the actual effectiveness of e-services in tax collection. We conclude by outlining some research priorities.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL)/Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Joint Task Force on Research Data Services formed in 2020 with a two-fold purpose: (1) to demonstrate and commit to the roles research libraries have in stewarding research data and as part of institution-wide research support services and (2) to guide the development of resources for the ARL and CARL memberships in advancing their organizations as collaborative partners with respect to research data services in the context of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data principles and the US National Academies’ Open Science by Design framework. Research libraries will be successful in meeting these objectives if they act collectively and are deeply engaged with disciplinary communities. The task force formed three working groups of data practitioners, representing a wealth of expertise, to research the institutional landscape and policy environment in both the US and Canada. This report presents the task force’s recommendations for the roles of research libraries with regard to research data principles, policies, and approaches to managing research data. The report also offers strategies for discipline-specific research data approaches, priorities for automation of processes, economic models to scale and sustain shared resources, prioritization of research data to steward, and decision-making rubrics.