Showing papers on "White paper published in 2001"

Implementing clinical governance: turning vision into reality

Abstract: Clinical governance was the centrepiece of an NHS white paper introduced soon after the Labour government came into office in the late 1990s.1 The white paper provides the framework to support local NHS organisations as they implement the statutory duty of quality, which was placed on them through the 1990 NHS act.2 Clinical governance provides the opportunity to understand and learn to develop the fundamental components required to facilitate the delivery of quality care—a no blame, questioning, learning culture, excellent leadership, and an ethos where staff are valued and supported as they form partnerships with patients. These elements have perhaps previously been regarded as too intangible to take seriously or attempt to improve. Clinical governance demands the re-examination of traditional roles and boundaries—between health professions, between doctor and patient, and between managers and clinicians—and provides the means to show the public that the NHS will not tolerate less than best practice. In 1998 Scally and Donaldson set out the vision of clinical governance: “A framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continually improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish.”3 In this paper we take the story forward. Two years on, how is clinical governance faring in the NHS, and, with the advent of the national plan for the NHS,4 how is it being developed in practical terms? #### Summary points Clinical governance represents the systematic joining up of initiatives to improve quality Since the introduction of governance in the NHS, structures have been put in place to set standards and ensure that they are met New approaches are needed to leadership, strategic planning, patient involvement, and management of staff and processes The NHS Clinical Governance Support Team is providing task based …

Teacher preparedness for inclusive education

Abstract: Since the report of the National Department of Education, “Quality Education for All” was published in 1997, it has became evident that inclusive education is going to be the way forward in special (and regular) education. Both the Consultative Paper on Special Education (30 August 1999) and the Draft White Paper on Special Education (23 March 2000), which appeared subsequently, point strongly in the direction of inclusion. This investigation focused on the preparedness of teachers for this new policy of inclusion. An eventual sample of 2 577 Free State teachers was utilised from the total of 12 education districts. Through a comprehensive questionnaire an effort was made to ascertain the knowledge, skills and attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education - this measure was utilised to determine (and deduce) their level of readiness for inclusion. The results of the investigation indicate that a huge effort will have to be made by policy makers and provincial education departments to effect a paradigm shift towards inclusion. It appeared that respondents still think in terms of past specialised education models that were utilised in previous eras. They also appear to be mindful of South African related problems, and apparently do not exhibit adequate knowledge on inclusive education. (South African Journal of Education: 2001 21(4): 213-218)

Reforming the Mental Health Act

Abstract: The Government's White Paper,[1][1] Reforming the Mental Health Act ([Department of Health, 2000][2]), was published in December 2000. Part I describes the proposed new legal framework and Part II summarises proposals for high-risk patients.[2][3] The White Paper is a profoundly illiberal document

Clusters and Regional Specialisation

Abstract: Clusters and Regional Specialisation, Michael Steiner (ed.), London, Pion, 1998, 279 pp., £23.50 (pb)Clusters and Regional Specialisation is a very timely and potentially useful teaching and research guide. It tackles a subject which is high on the agenda of many regional and national economic development policy-makers. Yet the core concept of 'clusters' is not well understood theoretically, is difficult methodologically and unclear as to how policies should be designed to further its practical development. 'Clusters' could easily be dismissed as a fad which will soon pass given their difficulties, yet they display what editor Michael Steiner calls 'discreet charm', and therein lies their attraction for policymakers and academics alike. The latter want to pin them down analytically while the former want to be seen exploiting or at least supporting their apparent growth-enhancing capabilities.For UK readers of this book, these issues will be particularly interesting since the Competitiveness White Paper which is the government's current industrial policy framework advocates regionalisation of economic development policy, through the newly established Regional Development Agencies in England and the equally newly established democratic assemblies in Scotland and Wales, the main task of which should be to encourage the development of clusters. I have enjoyed a privileged position in observing this in action by virtue of my membership of Minister of Science Lord Sainsbury's Biotechnology Clusters Task Force which is studying the extent of clustering in UK and US biotechnology. It is clear that the cluster model observed in Silicon Valley by then Minister of Trade and Industry Peter Mandelson was absolutely critical to his pushing it through as a 'Third Way' (between state and market) approach to building the knowledge-based economy, itself seen as the key to future economic success.So, to what extent does this book help interested parties to understand and promote clusters, or decide that they are little more than business school hype? Steiner's introduction is good at laying out the lineage of the key concept, tracing it from Adam Smith to List, Marshall, Schumpeter, Porter and Krugman-quite a pedigree. He also lists different types-knowledge-based, sectoral, technology and demand-based clusters-and discusses research problems with the concept. These include definition-, measurement-, policy- and evaluation-related questions. Arising from this are three key features contributing to the attractiveness of clusters. First, the virtues that can arise from regional specialisation, a hitherto almost heretical notion but one which is strongly associated with innovative industries and their networks. Second, proximity (in geographical terms) enables networked cooperation and business interaction between complementary firms. Third, these give rise to spill-overs and synergies which enhance firm competitiveness. Herein lies the 'discreet charm' of clusters.The book is divided into theoretical-, methodologicaland policy-implications sections. I found this ordering also to be reflected in the relative degree of intellectual purchase displayed. …

white paper The Networked Physical World Proposals for Engineering the Next Generation of Computing, Commerce & Automatic-Identification

Abstract: The Auto-ID Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a new industry sponsored lab charged with researching and developing automated identification technologies and applications. The Center is creating the infrastructure, recommending the standards, and identifying the automated identification applications for a networked physical world. All technologies and intellectual property developed at the Auto-ID Center are freely distributed. This white paper outlines the Auto-ID Center’s key conclusions and research progress after its first year of research.

Looking Forward or Harking Back? The Commission and the Reform of Governance in the European Union

Abstract: The White Paper on European Governance can be seen as a bid to make a major contribution to the strategic leadership of the Union. By centring its deliberations and proposals on the concept of ‘governance’, the Commission signalled an intention to explore the limits of conventional hierarchical law and policy, and propose alternatives. Yet the White Paper concludes that a renewed and reinvigorated ‘Community method’ should be at the heart of EU policy-making, with the Commission itself playing an enhanced role. Moreover, the paper criticizes the Member States and ‘intergovernmental’ institutions, rather than the Commission itself. These features are neither good politics nor a full response to the questions raised by the White Paper or set for it by Prodi. Enlargement and the increased importance of the issues of (re)distribution and related emergence of new modes of governance, such as the open method of co-ordination, pose challenges and provide opportunities for the Commission and the Union more generally. A White Paper that was both more modest and self-confident about the part to be played by the Commission might have made a more important intervention in current debate.

Mountain of molehill? : a critical appraisal of the Commission white paper on governance

Abstract: The White Paper on European governance is a disappointment as it reflects a rather technocratic attitude. It suggests networking and partnership models of integration. These may help in rationalising policy-making and implementation but do not contribute much to close the legitimacy gap. The governance path is problematic as it basically comes down to steering or efficient problem-solving. Without spelling out the proper standards of democracy – i.e., accountability and congruence criteria – there can be no adequate way to handle the problems. Given the lessons from the ongoing post-Nice debate, it is, indeed, surprising that this is lacking in the White Paper.

Review of Eliminating World Poverty: Making globalization work for the poor. DFID White Paper on International Development, 2000

Abstract: (2001). Review of Eliminating World Poverty: Making globalization work for the poor. DFID White Paper on International Development, 2000. Journal of Human Development: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 153-155.

Governance ‘to Go’: Domestic Actors, Institutions and the Boundaries of the Possible

Abstract: How to 'bring Europe closer to the people' has long been a preoccupation of the policy-maker at the EU level and has recently been restated as a goal of the member governments in the Treaty of Nice. Currently, the Commission is addressing this issue through the White Paper on European Governance. Here, it is argued that the focus on 'governance' as a strategy for inclusion was ill founded and underestimated the likely conflict with existing 'governance' regimes at the domestic level. Moreover, the pursuit of 'heroic' Europeanism with a concomitant emergence of a sense of 'Europeanness' or a European 'identity' as advocated in the Commission's work programme for the White Paper on European Governance was misguided. Drawing on empirical research into the activities of women's organizations in Greece, Ireland and the UK, it is argued that the extent to which EU level action may

Whither the Commission? Reform, renewal and the issue-attention cycle

Abstract: 'Whither the Commission?' is a question faced by officials within the Commission, would-be architects of the EU and academic observers of the EU policy process. The Commission crisis of 1999, the rise of new actors and the increased power of existing actors (such as the EP) have brought the role of the Commission to the height of the 'issue-attention cycle'. As well as instigating a comprehensive internal reform process under the guidance of Commissioner Kinnock, the Commission has sought to tackle this issue through the development of a White Paper on European Governance. This article places the current Commission proposals on the future of European governance in historical and analytical context. As the issue of the future of the Commission progresses up and down the issue-attention cycle, the most appropriate action for the Commission, it is argued, may be to sit tight and make sure that it is well prepared with palatable proposals for the next phase of 'alarmed discovery'.

South Africa: the challenge of social development

Abstract: Following South Africa's transition from apartheid to majority rule, the country's new government declared its intention to implement a macro-development approach, known as the Reconstruction and Development Programme, which would promote economic growth and, at the same time, raise the standards of living of the country's impoverished majority. This programme was accompanied by the publication of a White Paper on developmental social welfare. Both give expression to social development ideas which had previously been popular in international circles and which were being resurrected by the 1995 United Nations World Summit. This article discusses South Africa's engagement with social development and examines the challenges facing its attempts to implement this approach. The lessons learned from South Africa's experience of formulating and implementing social development policies and programmes can inform similar efforts elsewhere

Regional Selective Assistance: Is the Spend Enough and Is It Targeting the Right Places?

Abstract: This article examines the UK Regional Selective Assistance scheme, and critically appraises on-going reforms. These reforms have been triggered by the process of redrawing the map of eligible areas within new European Commission competition policy guidelines. A recent UK government White Paper on competitiveness has also led to significant changes being considered. It is argued that while the existing reforms have not fundamentally changed the nature of Regional Selective Assistance, they may well be harbingers of more threatening challenges, particularly after 2006.

Service innovations: an Australian approach to community care — the Northern Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team

Abstract: The recent White paper, Modernising Mental Health Services , recommended the provision of home treatment teams for acute mental illness ([Department of Health, 1998][1]). Such services are not widespread in the UK and have been the subject of recent debate ([Smyth et al , 2000][2]). In Australia,

The British armed services and the participation of minority ethnic communities: from equal opportunities to diversity?

Abstract: This paper examines the commitments enshrined in the Strategic Defence Review White Paper to make the armed forces more genuinely representative of the British population, notably with respect to ethnicity. It identifies some conceptual problems associated with the way in which those commitments are presented and with the arguments usually deployed in support of their pursuit. It suggests that a fundamental re-assessment is required of the concept of representativeness, which is at the heart of current policy commitments, if their planned practical outcomes are to be achieved. The paper asks whether a shift in focus from equal opportunities to diversity offers the prospect of resolving some of the dilemmas and obstacles identified. It concludes by suggesting that the concept of diversity is itself not unproblematic – particularly in a military context – and that it could offer a solution only if it were embraced hand in hand with a much more explicit acceptance of the diversity of the political community....

Australian Foreign and Defense Policy in the Wake of the 1999/2000 East Timor Intervention

Abstract: One-liner: Analyzing the Australian intervention in East Timor and its impact on Australia's defense, security, and foreign relations In late 1999, Australia undertook its most significant external military operations since the Vietnam War--the intervention to stem the violence and bloodshed following East Timor's August 1999 vote to separate from Indonesia. This book examines key developments leading to the deployment of the International Peacekeeping Force for East Timor (INTERFET) and assesses the impact of this intervention on Canberra's future defense, security, and foreign policy planning. The author finds that future Australian-Indonesian relations are unlikely to exhibit the cordiality of Prime Minister Paul Keating's era, but will instead be guided by a more-business like and frank style of engagement. The author also finds that the 2000 Defence White Paper, which was issued in the aftermath of the INTERFET intervention to provide a long-term plan for restructuring Australia's armed forces for rapid deployments to areas of regional unrest, is both ambiguous and open-ended. A defense review like the white paper could result in a resource-deprived force structure, contribute to a somewhat confused Southeast Asian policy, and generate unfounded expectations of what Australia is able and willing to do in terms of its alliance commitments with the United States and associated contributions to coalition warfare.

Modernising primary and community health services.

Abstract: This is the second in a series of five articles The government's plan for the NHS, published in July 2000, sets out an ambitious programme of investment, recognising that “the development of primary care services is key to the modernisation of the NHS.”1 Since the founding of the NHS primary care has been one of its greatest strengths but also its weakness. It has provided low cost, easily accessible care, but it has also been characterised by wide variability in quantity and quality, fragmentation, and a lack of coordination. The Labour government's 1997 white paper on the NHS proposed sweeping away the internal market and promoting a culture of collaboration and partnership.2 The establishment of primary care groups in England in 1999—which were charged with developing primary and community health services, commissioning hospital services, and improving the health of communities of around 100 000 people—represented a radical change in the organisation of primary and community health services. By 2004 all of these groups will become fully fledged primary care trusts, controlling most of the budget for providing health care to the populations that they serve. These organisations, led by local health professionals, will play a vital role in delivering the changes to primary and community services that the government sees as key to modernising the NHS. Within a framework of goals and performance standards set at the national level, the NHS plan asserts that the responsibility for decisions about services should be devolved to those who best understand local needs and circumstances.1 In this article, we focus on three key components of the government's strategy for modernising primary and community services: promoting a more efficient use of resources through collaboration and sharing, improving access to primary care, and enhancing the capacity of the workforce. #### Summary points Developing primary and …

Teaching critical thinking skills in the language classroom

Abstract: One of the greatest challenges facing educators worldwide today, is that of how to produce learners who are critical thinkers. In South Africa the realisation that critical thinking is both an important life skill and educational concept, gained prominence in 1995 when the White Paper 'Education and Training in a Democratic South Africa' stated: 'The Curriculum, teaching methods and textbooks at all levels and in all programmes of education and training, should encourage independent and critical thought.' These principles were translated into a plan of action when the development of critical thinking skills was adopted as one of the twelve critical outcomes of the South African Qualifications Authority in 1998. This paper confirms that the link between critical thinking and the language classroom is strong. However, there are still very few ideas regarding implementation, particularly in the language classroom. This paper is an attempt at addressing this issue. The major aspects of critical thinking were identified, and a number of ideas for the implementation of these critical thinking sub-skills in the language classroom are given.

Targeting the Poor

Abstract: The election of a Labour government in 1974 and the appointment of Judith Hart as Minister of Overseas Development presaged a big shake up in aid policy. Hart was something of a development specialist in a strongly socialist tradition. In a book published two years earlier one of her key arguments was to dissociate aid from private investment, ‘it is a complete nonsense to regard private investment as aid’ and aid targets and statistics should be suitably purified.1 There was a specific implication for CDC. ‘We should redefine the purposes and functions of the Commonwealth Development Corporation … and since it is scarcely appropriate for a socialist government itself to be involved in direct foreign private investment in developing countries, its present functions and practices would need review.’ The major policy thrust given to the ODM was for a greater concentration of aid on the poorer countries and on rural development. The outcome was an influential White Paper More Aid for the Poorest,2 which has been the thrust of British aid policy ever since.

Executive Summary: Marine and Estuarine Shoreline Modification Issues

Abstract: As part of the process outlined in Washington's Statewide Strategy to Recover Salmon: Extinction is Not an Option the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Ecology, and Transportation were charged to develop Aquatic Habitat Guidelines employing an integrated approach to marine, freshwater, and riparian habitat protection and restoration. Guidelines will be issued, as funding allows, in a series of manuals addressing many aspects of aquatic and riparian habitat protection and restoration. This document is one of a series of white papers developed to provide a legitimate scientific and technical basis for developing Aquatic Habitat Guidelines. The white papers address the current understanding of impacts of development and land management activities on aquatic habitat, and potential mitigation for these impacts. Individual white papers will not necessarily result in a corresponding guidance document. Instead, guidance document development, addressing management and technical assistance needs, may incorporate information synthesized from one or more of the white papers. The scope of work for each white paper requested a “comprehensive but not exhaustive” review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature, symposia literature, and technical (gray) literature, with an emphasis on the peer-reviewed literature. The reader of this report can therefore expect a broad review of the literature, which is current through late 2000. Several of the white papers also contain similar elements including the following sections: overview of the guidelines project, overview of the subject white paper, assessment of the state of knowledge, summary of existing guidance, recommendations for future guidance documents, glossary of technical terms, and bibliography. This white paper addresses the impact of marine and estuarine shoreline modifications on naturally functioning fish and shellfish habitat in Washington State. "Nearshore" marine habitats within Washington State span a continuum from upland to subtidal areas, and are defined to encompass the zone wherein direct functional interactions (e.g., sediment supply, primary production and export) occur between upland and marine habitats. Marine shorelines in Washington state can be grouped into three distinct regions: the shores of the inland coastal waters of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca; the outer coast fronting the Pacific Ocean; and the shores of outer coast estuaries. Within these regions, estuarine and nearshore marine habitats can take many forms, including eelgrass (especially Zostera marina) meadows, kelp forests, sand and mudflats, tidal marshes, river mouths and deltas, sand spits,

The European Commission’s business ethics: a critique of proposed reforms

Abstract: This paper discusses the reform of the European Commission in the wake of the mass resignations of March 1999. It places reform in the framework of the global business ethics movement by making the case for business ethics in government. It examines the Committee of Independent Experts’ report as well as the Commission’s White Paper on reform. It argues that effective Commission reform is not possible without fundamental culture change, and puts forward thirteen recommendations that, if implemented, are calculated to improve ethics in the Commission’s culture, thereby reducing the incidence of questionable conduct. It concludes by maintaining that effective reform is possible, albeit difficult.