Rudie Hulst

Bio: Rudie Hulst is an academic researcher from VU University Amsterdam. The author has contributed to research in topics: Service delivery framework & Decentralization. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 10 publications receiving 238 citations.

Institutional Shifts In Inter-Municipal Service Delivery An analysis of developments in eight Western European countries

Abstract: Comparative research on inter-municipal cooperation in eight European countries shows that there is a great variety of institutional arrangements for cooperation across the different countries. Also, these arrangements tend to change over time in terms of the scope of cooperation among partners, their composition and the degree of organizational integration. This article describes and analyzes the variety of and shifts in institutional arrangements for a specific class of inter-municipal cooperation arrangements: those that are set up to provide for the joint delivery of public services. It is argued that specific arrangements are typically the outcomes of interaction between national institutional contexts,?environmental factors and local preferences.

Current issues and challenges

Abstract: Mr. Makoto Satake, Director of the Board and Deputy Executive General Manager, Nuclear Power Division, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), was interviewed regarding his views on a series of questions related to the future of nuclear power plant construction and operation in Japan. Regarding nuclear power plant economics, he discusses what improvements should be made in the construction cost reduction area and in operation and maintenance costs to make costs more viable. Regarding public relations, he stated that regaining public trust is the most important today. Information disclosure to the public and two-way communication activities (direct discussions, public hearings, etc.) are being expanded. To improve economic competitiveness, two points are important: electric power generating cost reduction through stable operation and a legal framework that eliminates uncertainty by collecting funds to promote plutonium recycling and back-end costs. In the construction of a new plant, the coexistence of quality assurance and a shortened construction period are essential. It is necessary to decide on the design and on the construction process as early as possible. In Japan, 3D-computer aided design is used as the key technology for efficient construction. Moreover, in order to improve project management abilities, computer software aimed at process controlmore » and design information management has been developed using past construction experiences. The software will be applied to the next construction project. He cited the reasons why government support is essential for new plant construction, and in what ways existing nuclear power plants in Japan have improved in the last five years. As far as the best available technology for constructing plants, he recommended the large-block construction method and the all-weather construction method as effective construction technologies. The advanced boiling water reactor is best suited for plant construction in the future. Regarding human resources for the future, he noted the use of digital databases with several components, a Systematic Approach to Training method for reactor operators and other plant personnel, and the use of retired professionals to enhance technical skills and troubleshoot problems in advance.« less

A Contingency Approach to Decentralization

Abstract: After decades of centralization, in 1980 the central government of the Netherlands embarked upon an ambitious project to decentralize the administrative system. It proclaimed a series of general decentralization measures that aimed to improve the performance of the administrative system and to boost local de- mocracy. This article presents the results of research into the effects of these measures. It shows that the decentralization project did not meet the high expecta- tions. This can be explained by the fact that the theoretical framework underlying the decentralization policy was overly simple. The authors present a new framework that represents the contingent character of the effects of decentralization.

Fifteen years after decentralization by devolution: political-administrative relations in Tanzania local government

Abstract: Summary One of the professed goals of the 1998 Tanzanian Local Government Reform Program, entailing substantial decentralization, was to provide for a democratic administrative set up in local government. Elected local councils were invested with responsibilities for a wide range of policy sectors and services; the local administrative staff, formerly recruited and instructed by central government, would be appointed by and accountable to the local councils. A well-functioning local politico-administrative system was considered paramount to improve service delivery and ensure control of decision making by the local community. This article reports on research into the relations between councilors and administrators in two Tanzanian municipalities. Overall, these relations were found to be tense and full of discordance, caused by clashing role perceptions and mutual distrust. The research suggests that the main factor underlying the behavior and attitudes of councilors and administrators is the very system of public administration, which — despite the ambitions expressed in the Local Government Reform Program — remains very centralistic in character. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19.

Abstract: We report acute antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in 285 patients with COVID-19. Within 19 days after symptom onset, 100% of patients tested positive for antiviral immunoglobulin-G (IgG). Seroconversion for IgG and IgM occurred simultaneously or sequentially. Both IgG and IgM titers plateaued within 6 days after seroconversion. Serological testing may be helpful for the diagnosis of suspected patients with negative RT-PCR results and for the identification of asymptomatic infections.

Inter-municipal cooperation and costs: expectations and evidence

Abstract: Austerity and fiscal crisis make the search for cost-saving reforms in local government more critical While cost savings from privatization have frequently proven ephemeral, inter-municipal cooperation has been a relatively understudied reform We analyse the literature on cost savings under cooperation and find that savings are dependent on (1) the cost structure of public services, particularly those related to scale and density economies and externalities, (2) the structure of local government (size, metropolitan location, powers granted by the nation or regional state), and (3) the governance framework at the local/regional level where cooperation varies from informal to formal European studies give more emphasis to cost savings, while US studies focus on coordination concerns arising from the higher degree of devolution in the US local government system

Promoting coordination in Norwegian health care

Abstract: This is the journal's version originally published in International Journal of Integrated Care. This article is designet as ”Open Access”. © International Journal of Integrated Care: http://www.ijic.org/index.php/ijic/index

Institutional Shifts In Inter-Municipal Service Delivery An analysis of developments in eight Western European countries

Abstract: Comparative research on inter-municipal cooperation in eight European countries shows that there is a great variety of institutional arrangements for cooperation across the different countries. Also, these arrangements tend to change over time in terms of the scope of cooperation among partners, their composition and the degree of organizational integration. This article describes and analyzes the variety of and shifts in institutional arrangements for a specific class of inter-municipal cooperation arrangements: those that are set up to provide for the joint delivery of public services. It is argued that specific arrangements are typically the outcomes of interaction between national institutional contexts,?environmental factors and local preferences.