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Showing papers on "White paper published in 2017"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This white paper reviews the history and evolution of RADPEER, the 2016 ACR Peer Review Committee's discussions, the updated recommended scoring system and lexicon for RADPEer, and updates to eRADPEER including the study type, age, and discrepancy classifications.
Abstract: The ACR's RADPEER program is currently the leading method for peer review in the United States. To date, more than 18,000 radiologists and more than 1,100 groups participate in the program. The ABR accepted RADPEER as a practice quality improvement in 2009, which can be applied toward maintenance of certification; there are currently over 2,200 practice quality improvement participants. There have been ongoing deliberations regarding the utility of RADPEER, its goals, and its scoring system since the preceding 2009 white paper. This white paper reviews the history and evolution of RADPEER and eRADPEER, the 2016 ACR Peer Review Committee's discussions, the updated recommended scoring system and lexicon for RADPEER, and updates to eRADPEER including the study type, age, and discrepancy classifications. The central goal of RADPEER to aid in nonpunitive peer learning is discussed.

67 citations


DOI
10 Apr 2017
TL;DR: The European Commission has recently published a White Paper on the Future of Europe as mentioned in this paper, which reflects five different scenarios, and instead of coming up with one single plan however, the Paper reflects different scenarios.
Abstract: The European Commission has recently published a White Paper on the Future of Europe. With regards to the many crises the EU is currently facing, a coherent plan seems to be urgently needed. Instead of coming up with one single plan however, the Paper reflects five different scenarios…

46 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) as discussed by the authors is a national mechanism to assess teaching quality in universities, and it was originally proposed in the UK government's Higher Education White Paper, now the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
Abstract: The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), originally proposed in the UK government’s Higher Education White Paper, now the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, is a national mechanism to assess teaching quality in universities. This article provides a critical account of the TEF, underpinned by an overview of the policy context and marketisation and employability agendas exploring the rationale for implementing TEF within universities. We argue, first, that the White Paper’s narrative, the rhetoric of the TEF, seems positive but its implementation appears to be conceptually flawed. Second, its complex quality metrics system demands yet another layer of bureaucracy in an already micro-managed system of higher education. Third, claims made by the White Paper must be supported by evidence-based research to ensure that the objectives are clear. We conclude by questioning whether the quality of the student experience can be improved by the TEF reforms.

29 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper examined the English government's vision for how research is proposed to lead to improvements in the system in the context of a school-led, self-improving system and rapid and sweeping legislative reforms.
Abstract: This article examines the English government’s vision for how research is proposed to lead to improvements in the system in the context of a school-led, self-improving system and rapid and sweeping legislative reforms. The debate about the role of research in the teaching profession has been sharpened by a large consultation effort in the academic community. The BERA-RSA inquiry suggests an empowering vision for teachers where research engagement informs practice and a role for schools in providing a ‘research-rich environment’. However, the government’s proposals offer a rather less empowering vision. The author of the paper contrasts a version of research-informed teaching and leadership with one where teachers are supposed to follow and be led by the evidence. The government’s education policy, especially as set out in the 2016 White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ is analysed in relation to this position. Analysis of statements from the document are shown in the paper, and contextual...

26 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between transport infrastructure investment and its wider economic impacts, namely competitiveness and economic growth, is clarified and a synthesis of some proposed improvement of the methodology used to assess these impact is made.
Abstract: One of the main objectives of the European transport strategy in its 2011 White Paper is to help establish a transport system that enhances competitiveness of European countries. By performing a methodological study, analysing several European transport infrastructure investment cases and conducting a review on various assessment tools, we clarify the relationship between transport infrastructure investment and its wider economic impacts, namely competitiveness and economic growth, we make synthesis of some proposed improvement of the methodology used to assess these impact as well as some recommendations on assessing European Union (EU) policy in transport infrastructure investment in respect of competitiveness and economic growth.

24 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyse the role of higher education in the responsibilisation of young people as consumers of a higher education 'product' and discuss the potential for productive spaces of resistance against the ever tighteningening constrictions of educational commercialisation and commoditisation.
Abstract: Focusing primarily upon the higher education policies of the Coalition government of 2010-15, this paper considers the function of higher education in England in the responsibilisation of young people as consumers of a higher education 'product'. The article elaborates a two-part theoretical framework which draws upon Gramsci and Foucault. This framework is then applied to analyse the 2011 white paper, Students at the Heart of the System. This is examined as an example of a technology of neoliberal governance which works at the creation and maintenance of a community of self-reliant consumer-citizens. Significant policy developments subsequent to the 2011 paper are also discussed. The article concludes with discussion of three issues: I will reflect upon the value of the theoretical framework employed within the study; future policy directions in the higher education sector under the new Conservative administration of 2015 will be considered; I will consider the potential for productive spaces of resistance against the ever-tightening constrictions of educational commercialisation and commoditisation.

23 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2017-Surgery
TL;DR: The importance of research in global surgery, the methodologies that can be used in such research, and the challenges and benefits associated with carrying out this research are discussed, with a call for continued, high-quality research that will strengthen the discipline's academic standing and help us move toward improved access to and quality of surgical care worldwide.

20 citations



Journal Article
TL;DR: The study presents a historical perspective of small business development initiatives in South Africa since the early nineties by analyzing policies, structures and programs created as well as evaluating small business successes, benefits and constraints that still exist.
Abstract: The study presents a historical perspective of small business development initiatives in South Africa since the early nineties. The aim of the study is to examine measures taken by the government to address the constraints of small business development. Specific objectives include analyzing policies, structures and programs created as well as evaluating small business successes, benefits and constraints that still exist. The Limpopo province served as a reference to this study. Brief historical background information laid the foundation for discussing government initiatives in small business development. The research, this study is based on, entailed unstructured interviews with stakeholders of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to collect primary data. Secondary data comprised content analysis of policy documents and other relevant published materials that relate to small business development. In this regard, the White Paper on the National Strategy for the Development and Promotion of Small Business was the springboard for the study. The findings of the study, which focused mainly on the Limpopo province, showed the successes, benefits and constraints of the initiatives. The study concludes by providing recommendations that could help to reduce the failure rate and improve small business development in the province.

16 citations


ReportDOI
01 Nov 2017
TL;DR: The Nordic Sustainable Cities (NSC) project as discussed by the authors is a flagship project under the Nordic Prime Ministers' initiative Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges (NSPG) for sustainable cities in the Nordic countries.
Abstract: Rapid urbanisation is one of today’s biggest global challenges. Nordic Sustainable Cities is a flagship project under the Nordic Prime Ministers’ initiative Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges th ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it is argued that one of the weaknesses of the State of the Archives weaknesses is that it looks at the "national archival system" and especially the National Archives of South Africa, in and of itself, while insufficient attention is paid to the national archives as a functioning component within the greater bureaucratic machinery.
Abstract: Open access to information is an essential tool for combating inefficiency in the machinery of state and for the assertion of human rights. Access to archives is essential for ensuring long-term accountability and the learning of lessons from past events and past errors. Despite the constitutional and administrative importance of open access to archives, the sector is largely ignored in South African government policy formulation, although in-depth information and extensive recommendations are available on the subject, beginning with recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1998. This article focuses on a report entitled State of the Archives: An analysis of South Africa’s national archival system, 2014, and contrasts this document with the almost complete neglect of the National Archives in the Draft White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage published for comment in November 2016 and more recently in mid-2017. It is argued that one of the State of the Archives weaknesses is that it looks at the ‘national archival system’ and especially the National Archives of South Africa, in and of itself, while insufficient attention is paid to the National Archives as a functioning component within the greater bureaucratic machinery. It is further argued that there is a close correlation between the state of a National Archives and the state of a national government bureaucracy. In this context, a repositioning of archives to align the sector better in terms of the objectives of the National Development Plan and the exercise of constitutional rights is recommended.

Journal ArticleDOI
Sajid Ali1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine recent education policy in Pakistan in order to reveal the nature of national authority in education policy-making in a challenging context, and identify several tensions caused by the interaction of global and national education policy priorities and explore how the national government of Pakistan seeks to expand its SoA through soft governance approaches despite the material and financial constraints within which it operates.
Abstract: The authority of the nation states and their capacity to govern their education policy has been reconfigured by the processes of globalisation. This paper examines recent education policy in Pakistan in order to reveal the nature of national authority in education policy-making in a challenging context. The central piece of analysis is the pre-policy text issued by the Ministry of Education, Pakistan — the White Paper. This analysis is further supported through interviews with senior policy actors and other significant policy texts. The paper identifies several tensions caused by the interaction of global and national education policy priorities and explores how the national government of Pakistan seeks to expand its SoA through ‘soft’ governance approaches despite the material and financial constraints within which it operates.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This White Paper outlines how the ethical discourse on cybersecurity has developed in the scientific literature, which ethical issues gained interest, which value conflicts are discussed, and where the “blind spots” in the current ethical discourseon cybersecurity are located.
Abstract: This White Paper outlines how the ethical discourse on cybersecurity has developed in the scientific literature, which ethical issues gained interest, which value conflicts are discussed, and where the “blind spots” in the current ethical discourse on cybersecurity are located. The White Paper is based on an extensive literature with a focus on three reference domains with unique types of value conflicts: health, business/finance and national security. For each domain, a systematic literature search has been performed and the identified papers have been analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. An important observation is that the ethics of cybersecurity not an established subject. In all domains, cybersecurity is recognized as being an instrumental value, not an end in itself, which opens up the possibility of trade-offs with different values in different spheres. The most prominent common theme is the existence of trade-offs and even conflicts between reasonable goals, for example between usability and security, accessibility and security, privacy and convenience. Other prominent common themes are the importance of cybersecurity to sustain trust (in institutions), and the harmful effect of any loss of control over data.

DOI
01 Jan 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) funded by National Science Foundation Grant # DBI-1052875 was used to support the work of the authors.
Abstract: This work was supported by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), which is funded by National Science Foundation Grant # DBI-1052875.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new “competition policy” for health care is proposed that involves multiple actors at the federal and the state level: the White House and state governors, federal and state executive agencies, and federal andState government officials, as well as theFederal and state antitrust enforcement agencies traditionally focused on competition.
Abstract: The U.S. health care system does not work as well as it could, or should. Prices are high and vary in seemingly incoherent ways, yet quality of care is uneven, and the system lacks the innovation and dynamism that characterizes much of the rest of our economy. The dearth of competition in our health care markets is a key reason for this dysfunction. There is a growing understanding that comprehensive efforts to control health care costs and improve the quality of care must address the functioning of the markets that undergird the health care system and the prices paid to providers. Ensuring that markets function efficiently is central to an effective health system that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable care. A large body of evidence shows that patients, employers, and private insurers pay more for health care in highly consolidated provider markets — for instance, where only one or two hospital systems exist. Higher health care costs lead to higher premiums, making insurance more expensive and less affordable. Even in public programs, such as Medicare, a lack of competition among providers is associated with lower quality care. The same is true of health insurance — it has been extensively documented that less competition leads to higher premiums. Each of us has been concerned about competition for quite some time. Earlier this fall, we convened a meeting supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and co-sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, and Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College, to formulate ideas for actionable policies that public and private stakeholders can implement to improve the functioning of health care markets. Approximately 40 academics, industry stakeholders, and federal and state government officials participated in the meeting, which produced focused, practical proposals. This white paper reflects the authors’ recommendations, taking the discussion at the meeting into account, without any attempt either to summarize the meeting or to associate the participants with these views. We propose a new “competition policy” for health care that involves multiple actors at the federal and the state level: the White House and state governors, federal and state executive agencies, and federal and state legislatures, as well as the federal and state antitrust enforcement agencies traditionally focused on competition. Inattention to the impact of policies on consolidation may have unwittingly put the U.S. on a path to less competition in health care markets; addressing it will require broader action and attention beyond antitrust enforcement as well. Pursuing this agenda will allow health care markets to function more efficiently, leading to higher quality, more accessible, and lower-cost care. We focus on policies to enable and support competition by health care organizations. We propose specific, actionable policies to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of health care markets, promote entry by new competitors and remove barriers to entry, and prevent anticompetitive practices. We think these policies can have an immediate and meaningful impact. We note that these are non-partisan policies that can elicit support from across the political spectrum.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a philosophical comparison between South Africa's policy on agriculture in sustainable development and its white paper on agriculture and find that these two key South African agricultural policies are closely related in terms of the five pillars of sustainable agriculture.
Abstract: South Africa will require the establishment of a formal inclusive policy on sustainable agricultural practices. This will not only assist the country in avoiding further exploitation of the natural environment, but will also position agricultural extension in promoting the five pillars of sustainable agriculture. A comprehensive review using conceptual reflection presented in this paper confirms that most of the sustainable aspects are covered in both the white paper in sustainable agriculture and policy on agriculture in sustainable development. The existing documents, legislation, and policies available should be integrated into a working document that promotes sustainable agricultural practices. Thus, this paper provides a philosophical comparison between South Africa’s policy on agriculture in sustainable development and its white paper on agriculture. The review found that these two key South African agricultural policies are closely related in terms of the five pillars of sustainable agriculture. This paper further argues that the two policies reviewed could be used in the formulation of national policy on sustainable agriculture. In conclusion, this paper also suggests possible legislation addressing sustainable agriculture that should be integrated to develop a national policy on sustainable agriculture. Keywords: Sustainability, Policy, Agricultural extension, Social acceptance, Economic viability, Environment

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the recent National Youth White Paper on Global Citizenship (2015), a selection of Canadian youth identified their vision for global citizenship education (GCE) and outlined changes that need to be implemented in order for that vision to be achieved as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In the recent National Youth White Paper on Global Citizenship (2015), a selection of Canadian youth identified their vision for global citizenship education (GCE). The document articulates the Canadian youths' vision for global citizenship and outlines changes that need to be implemented in order for that vision to be achieved. Drawing on critiques of modernity and of liberal multiculturalism coming from postcolonial, decolonial, and feminist anti-racist scholarship, this article explores how young people imagine their positionalities as Canadian citizens and agents of change in the world. We aim to describe how the White Paper can be used both as a call for deepening critical engagements in education as well as a bridge for discussions of GCE in ways that move conversations into new realms. This paper is divided into four sections. In the first section, we analyse the 2015 White Paper, written collaboratively by Canadian students. It is the first document to focus exclusively on youth perceptions of what action is needed and what problems need to be addressed. We summarize the Canadian youths' articulation and understanding of GCE and identify the major themes addressed. The second section articulates the calls for action that the Canadian youth deem necessary for their vision of global citizenship. As they demand an emphasis on criticality in their formal education, we consider how we can listen to and respond to these calls. The third section presents a critical analysis of the document with a view to paving the way for collaborations to push discussions even further. The fourth section highlights how we can build on the White Paper to move discussions about GCE in new and different directions. We aim to address how the White Paper can be used to further the conversations in ways that explore how the youths' calls for actions can open up the possibilities for critical GCE.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors promoted the idea of green transport corridors (GTCs) by establishing trans-shipment routes with concentration of freight traffic between major hubs, which reduce environmental and climate impact of the traffic on these relatively long distances of transport while increasing safety and efficiency with the application of sustainable logistics solutions.
Abstract: In its White Paper on “A Sustainable Future of Transport”, the European Commission promoted the idea of green transport corridors (GTCs) by establishing trans-shipment routes with concentration of freight traffic between major hubs. GTCs reduce environmental and climate impact of the traffic on these relatively long distances of transport while increasing safety and efficiency with the application of sustainable logistics solutions. The Baltic Sea Region (BSR) enjoys a vanguard position in the development and realisation of green transport concepts within Europe.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, it is shown that although family diversity is acknowledged in the aforementioned document, certain implications of family diversity in South Africa's white paper of families are discussed and analyzed.
Abstract: The ‘White Paper of Families in South Africa’ is critically analysed in this article. It is shown that although family diversity is acknowledged in the aforementioned document, certain implications...

Book ChapterDOI
25 Sep 2017
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focused on the family circumstances of mature women students in higher education, and found that financial support was dependent on the financial circumstances of the household, in particular on whether or not the husband was employed.
Abstract: Acknowledging the presence of non-traditional groups in teaching materials is one way of transforming the curriculum to their skills, experiences and aspirations should be treated as valid. Financial support was dependent on the financial circumstances of the household, in particular on whether or not the husband was employed. The family circumstances of mature students is given scant coverage in studies concerned with their participation in higher education. The 1987 White Paper 'Meeting the Challenge' identified access courses as one of three popular routes into higher education along with traditional 'A'level and vocational qualifications. In two out of the four households where the male was unemployed, the wife engaged in part-time work as well as attending university, and part of the earnings from part-time employment was utilized to subsidize university expenses. The workshop discussion on this chapter focused on mature women students in higher education.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The National Youth White Paper on Global Citizenship (2015) demonstrated that youth have important policy knowledge and understand they live in a globalized world that includes unacceptable inequalities and oppressions.
Abstract: This article examines the processes of youth engagement in an ‘invited space’ for Canadian secondary school students. The organizers created a participatory citizenship education space in which Canadian students discussed their views and visions and developed their policy position on global citizenship and global citizenship education. The content and process of The National Youth White Paper on Global Citizenship (2015) demonstrated that youth have important policy knowledge and understand they live in a globalized world that includes unacceptable inequalities and oppressions. They also understand that, through acts of citizenship, these conditions can be changed. The article discusses how students were engaged in developing public opinion and working in the public sphere while developing the policy paper on the topic of global citizenship.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight the importance for the companies along the Aviation, Travel and Tourism industry journey of optimizing customer experience (CX) by collecting and exchanging data, and continuously generating insights.
Abstract: Recent sound academic research reconfirmed that at the core of many successful service firms is an adequate services marketing (people, technology, strategy) approach by building the relationships and maintaining loyal customers within the targeted, acquired, and retained segments, beyond their necessary but not sufficient satisfaction, better understanding the drivers of customer churn, and acting accordingly, using an effective CRM strategy. Two years have passed since the World Economic Forum launched the project “The Digital Transformation Initiative (DTI)” as part of the “System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and Society”, and at the beginning of this year the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Accenture already published the white paper “Digital Transformation Initiative. Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industry”, by highlighting, among other aspects, the importance for the companies along the Aviation, Travel and Tourism industry journey of optimizing customer experience (CX) by collecting and exchanging data, and continuously generating insights. There is no doubt that the current modern marketing landscape has been redefined by faster changing technologies and customer expectations, and it has become essential having a capability of testing fast new ideas, refining them, and bringing them rapidly to the relevant market, better understanding the customer journeys and delivering a great CX, by building out a maturity model for CX. There is a real need of a holistic approach of revenue management and its relation to agile marketing, considering the tourist experience in the current customer-driven era. Recent evidence comes in favor of successful service firms which are moving further in the direction of: so-called experiential offerings as differentiation strategy by optimizing experience for sizable groups of “connected” traveling customers; focusing on high priority CX initiatives involving big-data or technology interventions which improve traveler perceptions; using algorithms which provides tailored travel recommendations by drawing data from users’ social media; winning the social media fights by right managing online sentiments and so on.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The first ever white paper on Asia-Pacific security cooperation was published by China in 2017 as discussed by the authors, which highlighted maritime security as a regional hotspot and underlined the merits of cooperative security.
Abstract: In January 2017, China released its first ever White Paper on Asia-Pacific security cooperation, which sought to embolden Beijing’s (littoral) leadership in the region. Highlighting maritime security in the Asia-Pacific as a regional hotspot, the policy paper called for the establishment of a favourable regional order by underlining the merits of cooperative security. Simultaneously, it also sought to entrench China’s sovereign interests by displaying a ‘reactive assertiveness’ in the maritime domain. Referring to the South China Sea (SCS) dispute in particular, the paper declared that while China remained committed to upholding freedom of navigation in the SCS, it would also not shy away from making a “necessary response" to violation of its territorial integrity. Beijing’s desire to enhance its economic and military influence in the maritime domain understandably has an effect on the security calculus of the Asia-Pacific. In response to China's growing military capabilities and assertiveness in ...

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2017
TL;DR: In this article, two parallel but distinct developments in social science research that affect the way researchers study and seek to have an impact in the areas of crime and criminal justice are discussed.
Abstract: This volume grows out of two parallel but distinct developments in social science research that affect the way researchers study and seek to have an impact in the areas of crime and criminal justice. These are the increasing acceptance and practice of (some form of) reflexivity in social science research, on the one hand, and, on the other, the changing context of research itself. On the latter point, we note that criminologists working across different jurisdictions are experiencing heightened pressures to render their research relevant and appealing to external audiences. These pressures are linked in part with the fact that governments in Australia, the UK and the USA (along with other countries) are increasingly keen to ensure that their investment in the higher education sector is delivering ‘value for money’. This implies that research and teaching activities that are government-funded must increasingly align with, or at least demonstrate alignment with, what these governments define as the public interest. In Australia, for example, the Australian Research Council, which is responsible for administering public research funding, has identified a list of nine strategic ‘Science and Research Priorities’ to organise funding of ‘support for science and research on the most important challenges facing Australia’ (developed partly from a 2014 white paper ‘Boosting the commercial returns of research’; see ARC 2016). With the possible exception of ‘cybersecurity’, none of these strategic priorities appear to be directly relevant to criminology or indeed, the social sciences. The specified research priorities relate primarily to what are known as ‘STEM’ subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine), thereby prioritising an increasingly narrow set of subjects and research methodologies that reflect a pragmatic and in our view myopic governmental understanding of what constitutes societal value.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The White Paper 6 of 2001 addresses the teaching of the special educational needs of learners in public schools in South Africa and provides for all learners - irrespective of barriers to learning as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The White Paper 6 of 2001 addresses the teaching of the special educational needs of learners in public schools in South Africa. It provides for all learners - irrespective of barriers to learning ...


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article developed a genealogical analysis of changing constructions of farmers, farming and of the role of the state, and revealed the subtle discursive shifts which have helped shift responsibility for farming, from the State, to the self-reliant individual, and most recently, towards the private sector.
Abstract: The Australian Government's Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper aims to create a profitable and resilient Australian agriculture sector. In doing so, the White Paper emphasises farmers' individual responses to the structural problems which have undermined farmers' profitability, such as consolidated commodities markets. In particular, the White Paper recommends that farmers shape their farming practice to make their farms more attractive to private investors. This is presented as a normal response to farm profitability concerns. Farms are portrayed as investment targets and securing investment is framed as an essential skill of the modern farmer. To understand how this discursive construction has been made possible, this article develops a genealogical analysis of changing constructions of farmers, farming and of the role of the State. This research reveals the subtle discursive shifts which have helped shift responsibility for farming, from the State, to the self-reliant individual, and most recently, towards the private sector. Whereas the construct of the self-reliant, independent farmer has been used to facilitate deregulation of agricultural industries, this recent shift in power towards the private sector may potentially undermine farmers' autonomy and increase dependence on private sector investment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between performance management and training in the South African public service and proved that the two are inseparably linked, meaning that one cannot exist without the other.
Abstract: Orientation: Performance management plays a pivotal role in the realisation of many facets of public administration, including service delivery, good governance and organisational productivity through setting of performance targets and regular assessments of performance. In search of improved quality and productivity in the public service, the South African government introduced several legislative and policy interventions, including but not limited to the Public Service Act , 1994 (Proclamation 103 of 1994), Public Service Regulations of 2001 and the White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery of 1997. Research purpose: The main thrust of this conceptual paper was to explore the relationship between performance management and training in the South African public service. Motivation for the study: The lack of sufficient literature on the relationship between performance management and training. To also prove that the two are inseparably linked, meaning that one cannot exist without the other. Research design, approach and method: This article, which is conceptual in nature, reviewed existing literature on performance management and training in the public service extensively so as to arrive at a definitive conclusion. Main findings: The article contends that as much as training underpins the process of performance management, training is also fortified by performance management. Precisely, there cannot be performance management without training and vice versa . Practical/managerial implications: As much as training is imperative in the management of performance in the public service, such training must be need-based and it must be underpinned by performance management through identification of skills gap in the assessment of performance. Contribution: It is proposed that to enhance the knowledge, capacity, effectiveness and efficiency of the public service performance, needs-based training that seeks to close the skills gap, is developed and adequately implemented.

01 Jun 2017
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyse two major elements of the European Commission's mandate, the first being the implications of its new way of working, involving a restructured College around ten priority policy fields, for the Commission's internal dynamics.
Abstract: Now that the European Commission has reached the half-way point in its five-year term, it is an appropriate moment to assess its performance to date and to look critically at its remaining time in office. Drawing on expert interviews, this contribution analyses two major elements of the Commission’s mandate, the first being the implications of its new way of working, involving a restructured College around ten priority policy fields, for the Commission’s internal dynamics. The paper finds that the internal processes are now more streamlined and team-oriented, but they are carried out under a flawed hierarchy, making the best of an oversized College. Second, the paper examines the Commission’s rationale for and the effect of its White Paper and the reflection process on the future of Europe. It observes an innovative approach, which aims to redefine the level of ambition for European integration and will lead to both policy prioritisation and differentiation.