Knowledge transfer processes in PFI/PPP: critical success factors

Successful knowledge transfer is an important process which requires continuous improvement in today’s knowledge-intensive economy. However, improving knowledge transfer processes represents a challenge for construction practitioners due to the complexity of knowledge acquisition, codification and sharing. Although knowledge transfer is context based, understanding the critical success factors can lead to improvements in the transfer process. This paper seeks to identify and evaluate the most significant critical factors for improving knowledge transfer processes in Public Private Partnerships/Private Finance Initiatives (PPP/PFI) projects. Drawing upon a questionnaire survey of 52 construction firms located in the UK, data is analysed using Severity Index (SI) and Coefficient of Variation (COV), to examine and identify these factors in PPP/PFI schemes. The findings suggest that a supportive leadership, participation/commitment from the relevant parties, and good communication between the relevant parties are crucial to improving knowledge transfer processes in PFI schemes. Practitioners, managers and researchers can use the findings to efficiently design performance measures for analysing and improving knowledge transfer processes.

School effectiveness and the displacement of equity discourses in education

An essential aspect of school effectiveness theory is the shift from the social to the organisational context, from the macro- to the micro-culture. The school is represented largely as a bounded institution, set apart, but also in a precarious relationship with the broader social context. It is ironic that at a time when social disadvantage appears to be increasing in Britain and elsewhere, school effectiveness theory places less emphasis on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion. Instead, it places more emphasis on organisational factors such as professional leadership, home/school partnerships, the monitoring of academic progress, shared vision and goals. In this article, the authors evaluate the extent to which notions of effectiveness have displaced concerns about equity in theories of educational change. They explore the extent to which the social structures of gender, ethnicity, sexualities, special needs, social class, poverty and other historical forms of inequality have been incorporated into or distorted and excluded from effectiveness thinking.

Does watershed development implemented through public private partnership empower women? A case review from Rajasthan, Western India

This paper critically examines the impact of the ‘Guidelines for Hariyali’ – a rural watershed development policy launched in Rajasthan, Western India which has been implemented through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) – for local communities. In 2003, the Government of India launched the ‘Guidelines’ (a comprehensive Integrated Wastelands Development Programme and Drought Prone Areas Programme and Desert Development Programme), the purpose of which is to restore ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing natural resources in drought-prone and arid rural areas for the benefit of villages. In the particular case-study area, the policy has been implemented through institutional linkages between a corporation and the government with the aim of sharing responsibilities for finances, planning, implementation and monitoring, the end goal being to enhance the livelihoods of rural households. The analysis focuses specifically on how the ‘Guidelines’ have affected the livelihoods of Rajasthani women, drawing upon findings from focus groups with men and women in the project catchment area, as well as interviews with key actors at public and private sector institutions. Findings reveal that there are significant gaps between policy objectives and the realities on the ground, particularly in the context of women's accessibilities and entitlements. The paper also broadens understanding of how PPPs, if implemented properly, could empower women in the area of watershed management across rural South Asia.

Government policy and private investment in Brazil (1955/82)

The questlon of the crowding-out of private !nvestment by public expenditure, public investment in particular , ln the Brazilian economy has been discussed more in ideological terrns than on empirical grounds. The present paper tries to avoid the limitation of previous studies by estlmatlng an equation for private investment whlch makes it possible to evaluate the effect of economic policies on prlvate investment. The private lnvestment equation was deduced modifylng the optimal flexible accelerator medel (OFAM) incorporating some channels through which public expendlture influences privateinvestment. The OFAM consists in adding adjustment costs to the neoclassical theory of investrnent. The investment fuction deduced is quite general and has the following explanatory variables: relative prices (user cost of capitaljimput prices ratios), real interest rates, real product, public expenditures and lagged private stock of capital. The model was estimated for private manufacturing industry data. The procedure adopted in estimating the model was to begin with a model as general as possible and apply restrictions to the model ' s parameters and test their statistical significance. A complete diagnostic testing was also made in order to test the stability of estirnated equations. This procedure avoids ' the shortcomings of estimating a model with a apriori restrictions on its parameters , which may lead to model misspecification. The main findings of the present study were: the increase in public expenditure, at least in the long run, has in general a positive expectation effect on private investment greater than its crowding-out effect on priva te investment owing to the simultaneous rise in interst rates; a change in economlc policy, such as that one of Geisel administration, may have an important effect on private lnvestment; and reI ative prices are relevant in determining the leveI of desired stock of capital and private investrnent.

Toward convergence? The brazilian stock market concentration and the role of private equity in its diversification

Using quantitative data obtained from public available database, this paper discusses the difference between of the Brazilian GDP and the Brazilian Stock Exchange industry breakdown. I examined if, and to what extent, the industry breakdowns are similar. First, I found out that the Stock Exchange industry breakdown is overwhelming different from the GDP, which may present a potential problem to asset allocation and portfolio diversification in Brazil. Second, I identified an important evidence of a convergence between the GDP and the Stock Exchange in the last 9 years. Third, it became clear that the Privatizations in the late 90’s and IPO market from 2004 to 2008 change the dynamics of the Brazilian Stock Exchange. And fourth, I identified that Private Equity and Venture Capital industry may play an important role on the portfolio diversification in Brazil.

Windows of opportunities and knowledge networks: implications for the catch-up in developing countries

This document represents a doctoral thesis held under the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration of Getulio Vargas Foundation (EBAPE/FGV), developed through the elaboration of three articles. The research that resulted in the articles is within the scope of the project entitled “Windows of opportunities and knowledge networks: implications for catch-up in developing countries”, funded by Support Programme for Research and Academic Production of Faculty (ProPesquisa) of Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE) of Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Natural resources within the Union of South American Nations: status and trends for a regional development agenda

Includes bibliography

A sub-national public-private strategic alliance for innovation and export development: the case of the Canadian province of Alberta's oil sands

Includes bibliography

Trade, poverty and complementary policies in Latin America

Includes bibliography

The Singapore success story: public-private alliance for investment attraction, innovation and export development

Includes Bibliography

Bridging infrastructural gaps in Central America: prospects and potential for maritime transport

Includes bibliography

National private groups in Mexico, 1987-1993

Includes bibliography

Public-private alliances for long-term national development strategies

Includes bibliography

Digital inclusion in education in Tarija, Plurinational State of Bolivia

This study analyses digital inclusion in secondary education in the Tarija School District in the Plurinational State of Bolivia for the 2012-2013 school year, using the indicators in the Plan of Action for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (Plan of Action elac). This is an exploratory and descriptive analysis based on a sample of 311 students, 108 teachers and 15 school principals. According to the findings, teenagers use the Internet to look for information and entertainment; the expansion of mobile technology among them offers numerous educational opportunities; and insufficient training for teachers on how to integrate information and communications technologies (icts) into the learning process is a top challenge. The existence of icts in schools has been confirmed, but not their use. Local and national efforts are helping to reduce the digital divide and promote equality of opportunity for young people.

O público não-estatal na gestão da educação básica de Barcarena/PA

Este estudo situa-se na linha de pesquisa de Políticas Públicas Educacionais, do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação, da Universidade Federal do Pará. Aborda o público-não estatal a partir da implementação do Programa Escola que Vale na gestão educacional do município de Barcarena, no período de 2000 a 2008. Parte-se da lógica da adoção de novos paradigmas de competência para ação pública, a partir dos anos de 1990, com a reestruturação do estado brasileiro por meio do Plano Diretor de Reforma do Aparelho do Estado, o qual enquadrou a educação como uma ação não-exclusiva do Estado, transferindo-a para o setor público não estatal. Desencadeando novos desdobramentos para o púbico e o privado, materializados, entre outros aspectos, no terceiro setor e nas parcerias público-privadas. A abordagem metodológica adotada foi de cunho qualitativo e teve como técnicas de coleta de dados a pesquisa documental associada à entrevista semi-estruturada, enquanto que a análise de conteúdo constituiu-se na base teórico-metodológica para a análise dos dados. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam que a introdução da parceria público-privada, por intermédio do Programa na realidade barcarenense afetou a já frágil estrutura do município permeada por fracos indicadores de qualidade na gestão educacional, tais como, ausência de um Plano Municipal, de um Sistema Municipal de Ensino, de Plano de Carreira, Cargos e Remuneração e de eleição direta para provimento do cargo de diretor, à medida que os princípios do PEQV foram absorvidos pela Secretaria de Educação e transformados em linha de ação para toda a rede municipal. Verificou-se que tal ação encontrou terreno fértil em virtude da ausência de uma política educacional no município, além dos encaminhamentos da SEl\1ED para as escolas da rede ocorrem de forma aleatória, conforme necessidades imediatas surgidas, ou seja, casuisticamente. Observou-se, ainda, que a parceria tinha como principal responsabilidade a focalização de suas ações na melhoria dos índices do ensino fundamental desconsiderando a educação infantil prioridade constitucional de atuação do município. Destaque-se, também que a proposta de formação contínua institucionalizada pelo Programa no município tende a uma certa desqualificação dos professores, em decorrência das prescrições detalhadas, além da não participação dos docentes na elaboração da proposta. Revelou-se, portanto, que com a implernentação da parceria um considerável grau de interferência da Fundação Vale,uma entidade privada, na gestão pública o que pode fragilizar a autonomia municipal.